If you come here to read about how Hostbill software works, is it good?  Don't waste your time. I'm not going to say anything about it. I don't have any experience about it until now. However, I just wrote about how I deal with Hostbill and end up with nothing.

I plan to purchase a billing software to use for years to use with my hosting. However, because WHMCS that is the most popular billing software provided just one year of free update. I know that I don't really have time to work on it (Theming, etc.)  So, I decided to delay my purchase until sometime in the mid October that I know about Hostbill. They provided 2 years free update with lower price. I started to learn about how people say about it and lots of people like it.  

Then, in November 1, 2011 which is the day I found that Hostbill changed their price and policy. Their "Owned" version is just $99.95 while their "Owned Unbranded" is just $199.95. Those price comes with free update for lifetime with one limitation, it's for a specific domain only. You can't change domain name later after start using it.   That's acceptable to me and I decided to purchased it.

Once I got it, I tried to install it as regular CMS but it didn't work as it should be. It struck with activation page. I tried to e-mail them and got reply that the software is required to install on VPS. That's new to me since I thought that the software required just ioncube. They told me I have to install on VPS and send me a link How to install page which shows the only VPS installation method at that time. 

At that time I just feel this is not right. Why do I need to pay for an extra VPS just for Hostbill. Sure, it's more secure but it's monthly cost even it's cheap but the software used to work without it but why now.  So, I decided to ask them for refund which they did it promptly.  At the same time, a friend of mine who doesn't believe me since he already got hostbill a while ago and say he can install into regular server that has cPanel or DirectAdmin installed.  So, he contact Hostbill and the reply he got is that Hostbill is now required to install into VPS. It's just $4/month and you can get it easily.

A few days later, Hostbill decided to change their Owned Unbranded back to $299.95. Then, Sometime in November 2x, they decided to change it again. Now, Hostbill can install as a CMS into cPanel, DirectAdmin server as it used to be. The only exception is that the monthly plan can only install to VPS.  Once I know it, I still don't know if the change of domain name is possible if installed. A friend of mine say yes but I'm not sure if he means yes for a new purchase since he got it a while ago before these changes occured.

With this uncertainty of Hostbill's policy, I decided to wait for WHMCS version 5 to release and they release it on November 24. I have to find some free time to test WHMCS while also wait if Hostbill will change any of their policy again or not. Then, decide to go for one of them.  Hostbill really drives me away with their uncertainty.

Hostbill / WHMCS