In web hosting, the smartest builders don’t go it alone – they build on what works. It all comes down to knowing what’s better to build in-house, and what should be handed off to trusted tools that do it better, faster, and with fewer moving parts to look after.
That’s exactly the mindset Ryan Gray, CEO of NameHero, brought to the table. And it’s that thinking that’s helped him grow one of the most dynamic hosting brands in the industry – serving over 50k users worldwide, with a platform that puts performance and security at the top of the agenda.
We spoke with Ryan about scaling smart, making intentional product decisions, and why PanelAlpha helped connect the dots.
Ryan, tell us a little about NameHero. What’s the story?
I launched NameHero in 2015 to bridge the gap between cheap, low-quality web hosting and expensive, overly complicated public cloud solutions. The big players had essentially abandoned reseller hosting, so we stepped in and built an industry-leading platform specifically for resellers.
Reseller hosting may not be flashy, but it’s long been fertile ground for hosts who know their market. That’s exactly the kind of start that gave NameHero its edge – and the momentum to grow into everything that followed.
From there, we expanded into high-performance web hosting, blazing-fast cloud-powered VPS, enterprise hosting, gaming servers, and secure email hosting. Today, we serve over 50,000 customers worldwide and have been featured on the Inc. 5000 list as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America for three consecutive years (2022, 2023, and 2024).
This was much smarter than just chasing growth – it was strategic layering. Each new product was guided by a real need, not just a trend, and that’s likely what kept things moving in the right direction.
You’ve been busy! What’s already in place, and what’s coming next for NameHero?
In the past year alone, we launched our high-performance gaming servers, HeroicMail email hosting, and our new CloudShield VPS line. We’re actively growing and refining these offerings because, well, standing still just isn’t in our DNA.
On top of that, we recently rolled out AI HeroBuilder, an intelligent website builder that uses artificial intelligence and WordPress to make web design effortless – whether you’re a seasoned developer or someone who doesn’t know a domain name from a doorknob.
Infrastructure-wise, while our main datacenter is in Lenexa, Kansas, we’ve expanded our footprint globally, launching a London location for web and reseller hosting, plus Germany, Canada, France, and Poland for gaming servers. Next up? Our GPU hosting platform, slated for release later this year, because the AI revolution isn’t going to power itself.
Long story short: we’re always pushing forward, never stagnant.
This is what forward-thinking looks like: new products built for actual customer needs, infrastructure scaling where the demand is growing, and leaning into trends like AI – but with practicality, not hype. It’s the kind of roadmap that shows you’re not just reacting, but building with purpose.
So what made you choose PanelAlpha? What were you looking to solve?
We’ve got a talented full-time development team, but we’re not in the business of reinventing the wheel – especially when we can partner with trusted vendors to bring new products to market faster. PanelAlpha helped us get our AI HeroBuilder product off the ground in record time, without us having to build everything from scratch.
That mindset right there is what often separates hosting companies that move fast from those that get buried in technical debt. When your dev team spends months building something that already exists – and exists better elsewhere – you’re not innovating, you’re duplicating.
For years, I’ve been on the hunt for a solution that simplifies WordPress deployment, management, and security for our customers. I’ve talked to countless vendors, but every single one came up short – until I found PanelAlpha.
If you’ve been into hosting long enough, this will sound painfully familiar. The market is full of options that promise easy WordPress management – but getting something that’s actually secure, flexible, and ready to blend into your fine-tuned environment? That’s exactly the gap we had in mind when we started building PanelAlpha.
It checked all the right boxes:
- A flexible API that let us integrate it seamlessly into our existing systems.
- Ease of use for customers who want to manage their sites without headaches.
- Security and trust – which, given how paranoid I am about security, is no small feat. (I don’t just trust anyone with our infrastructure.)
I’ve known the PanelAlpha team since I started NameHero, and they’re among the very short list of developers I trust in this industry.
The feeling is mutual!
Currently, we’re using it for AI HeroBuilder, but we’ve got big plans to bring it into our WordPress and WooCommerce hosting later this year.
We’re all in on this next step. Helping power more of what NameHero is doing in hosting is exactly what PanelAlpha was built to handle!
Did you try other platforms before PanelAlpha?
We originally worked with another vendor for HeroBuilder, but let’s just say… things didn’t go as planned. Updates slowed to a crawl, bug fixes took ages, and the whole thing felt clunky. At some point, I just had to cut my losses. I was literally counting down the days for PanelAlpha to be ready so we could relaunch HeroBuilder properly.
It’s never easy to walk away from something you’ve invested in, but knowing when the tools can’t keep up with your ambition, and when to move on, is part of building a great product – and keeping control of the direction you’re heading.
As for our WordPress hosting? Right now, it’s integrated directly into our client portal, but we’re already working on migrating it to PanelAlpha in 2025.
How are your customers reacting to the new setup with PanelAlpha?
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Our customers love:
- How easily it integrates with our existing systems.
- The intuitive client interface, which makes site management a breeze.
- The ability to share access with their teams without jumping through hoops.
Customer feedback like this usually means one thing: the platform didn’t get in the way – and that’s exactly what we aimed for with PanelAlpha. It fits into the flow, handles the basics without adding confusion, and stays invisible when it should. That kind of customer-facing simplicity is hard to get right, but it does matter, often more than most people realize.
And have you seen a difference in customer satisfaction or behavior?
Oh yes definitely. Compared to our old HeroBuilder setup? Night and day. Honestly, I’m embarrassed by what we used to have. PanelAlpha completely transformed the experience.
That sort of contrast isn’t a bad sign, but rather a marker of real progress. It means the team’s priorities evolved, the tools caught up, and the customer experience finally got the attention it deserved.
Would you recommend PanelAlpha to others in the hosting space?
Without a doubt. The only reason I’d hesitate is because it gives other companies the same competitive advantage it gave us – but hey, I thrive on competition.
In this industry, it’s easy to get caught up in feature wars or race toward whatever’s trending this quarter. But hearing how NameHero is growing – with a clear strategy, thoughtful integrations, and a firm grasp on what their customers actually need – is a welcome reminder that steady, smart progress always wins.
Huge thanks to Ryan Gray and all his teams for not just using PanelAlpha and being so generous with insights on this experience, but pushing the platform forward with purpose. We’re proud to be part of what’s next.
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