Rakko Server Review: WordPress Hosting Designed with Website Sales in Mind [2025 Latest]

Rakko Server is operated by Rakko Inc., the company behind the website marketplace Rakko Market. It is a hosting service that lets you handle website sales smoothly in one place.

Server type	Shared hosting
Speed (TTFB)	120ms
Recommended plan and term	RK1 / 12 months
Free trial / money-back guarantee	30-day free trial
Monthly price (12-month plan)	440 yen
Initial setup fee	Free
Free domain	1 domain free for the first year
Support	Email (weekdays 10:00-19:00)
Uptime	Not disclosed
Storage	100GB
Number of databases	Unlimited
Security	WAF, IPS/IDS
SSL	Free dedicated SSL, dedicated SSL
Backup / restore	30 days of automatic backups included free, with free restores
Number of email accounts	Unlimited
Email security	Email encryption, POP/POPS, SMTP/SMTPS, IMAP/IMAPS, virus scanning, spam filters, and custom filters
Server / website migration service	16,500 yen
WordPress preinstall	Yes
CDN	None

• Data based on market research as of November 4, 2025, arranged in order of speed
• Monthly prices are the first-year cost of the cheapest plan that supports WordPress
• Speed is the Time to First Byte measured on demo sites under the same conditions

Hosting service (plan)	Speed	Monthly price	WordPress Preinstalled	Uptime	Support (hours)
Average and recommended	222.2ms	1,109 yen	Yes	99.99%+	24/7 or better
Kinsta (Single35k)	30ms	30 USD (4,525 yen）	Yes	99.9%	Chat (Japanese support, 24/7) / Email
【Hostinger】 (Premium)	31ms	439 yen	No	99.9%	Chat (24/7)
XServerビジネス (Shared hosting)	40ms	2,926 yen	Yes	99.99%	Phone / Email (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
wpX Speed (W1)	40ms	1,320 yen	No	Not disclosed	Phone / Email (10:00-18:00)
LOLIPOP (Light)	80ms	495 yen	Yes	99.99%	Email / Chat (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
スターレンタルサーバー (Free)	90ms	418 yen	No	Not disclosed	No
Rakko Server(RK1)	120ms	440 yen	Yes	Not disclosed	Email (weekdays 10:00-19:00)
エックスサーバー (Standard)	130ms	770 yen	Yes	99.99%	Phone / Email / Chat (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
mixhost (Light)	150ms	594 yen	Yes	99.99%	Email (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
ConoHa WING (Basic)	160ms	941 yen	Yes	99.99%	Phone / Email / Chat (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
ColorfulBox (BOX1)	190ms	383 yen	Yes	Not disclosed	Phone (24-hour reception) / Chat / LINE / Email (weekdays 09:30-12:00, 13:00-17:30)
シンレンタルサーバー (Basic)	200ms	985 yen	Yes	Not disclosed	Phone / Email (10:00-18:00)
リトルサーバー (Mini)	200ms	165 yen	No	Not disclosed	Email (business hours not disclosed)
CORESERVER (MINI)	210ms	264 yen	Yes	Not disclosed	Email / Chat (10:00-12:00, 13:00-17:00)
DreamHost(WordPress Starter)	400ms	2.99 USD (461 yen）	No	100%	Chat (24/7) / Email / Phone callback
Bluehost(Basic)	420ms	4.99 USD (769 yen）	No	100%	Chat (24/7)
さくらのレンタルサーバ (Standard)	440ms	550 yen	No	99.99%	Chat / Email / Phone / Callback reservation (10:00-18:00)
Namecheap(EasyWP Supersonic)	440ms	9.88 USD (1,523 yen）	No	99.9%	Chat (24/7)
Shin Free Server	—	Free	No	Not disclosed	No
XREA (Free)	—	Free	No	Not disclosed	No
Value Server (Eco)	—	220 yen	No	Not disclosed	Email / Chat (weekdays 10:00-17:00)
KAGOYA JAPAN(Grade 1)	—	440 yen	Yes	99.999%	Phone / Email (weekdays 10:00-17:00)
SiteGround(StartUp)	—	３.99 USD (615 yen）	No	99.99%	Chat (24/7) / Email / Phone
Hostgator(Baby)	—	4.45 USD (686 yen）	No	99.9%	Phone / Chat (24/7)
IONOS(Start)	—	1.00 USD (154 yen）	No	99.98%	Phone / Email / Chat (24/7)
onamae.com Rental Server	—	2,398 yen	No	99.99%	Phone / Email / Chat (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
ABLENET RentalServer (Light)	—	830 yen	No	99.99%	Email (business hours not disclosed)
Godaddy(Basic)	—	899 yen	Yes	99.9%	Chat (24/7) / Phone (weekdays 10:00-17:00)
iCLUSTA+ byGMO (Mini)	—	1,027 yen	No	100%	Phone (weekdays 10:00-18:00) Email support is available 24/7
ムームーサーバー	—	1,430 yen	No	99.99%	Email / Chat (9:30-13:00, 14:00-17:30)
WADAX (WP Standard)	—	2,200 yen	No	99.9%	weekdays 09:00-22:00, weekends 09:00-18:00
WebARENA SuiteX	—	1,997 yen	No	100%	Email / Chat (weekdays 09:30-17:00)
heteml	—	2,035 yen	No	99.99%	Phone / Email (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
CPI (Shared)	—	4,840 yen	No	100%	Phone / Email (weekdays 10:00-18:00)

WordPress-related reviews

Easy WordPress installation

Rakko Server makes it very easy to start WordPress. When you sign up for the server, domain registration, SSL setup, and WordPress installation are completed at the same time. It is a convenient system that lets even server beginners publish a blog in about five minutes.

You do not need to touch the database or FTP directly, so you can skip the initial setup steps that often trip people up.

The "Easy Blog Start" option you choose when signing up for Rakko Server can only be used on a new application. If you already have a contract and want to add another domain, you need to set it up with the regular installer inside cPanel.

Running multiple websites

Higher plans (RK2 and above) let you add unlimited domains, so you can manage multiple WordPress sites under one contract. With cPanel's Addon Domains feature, you can also issue email addresses and SSL certificates for each added site with one click.

Because CPU and memory are shared within the plan, if one site suddenly attracts a lot of traffic, it can affect the speed of the other sites. If traffic grows, consider upgrading your plan.

Performance and specs review

Our measurements: speed review and why it is fast

Rakko Server is very fast. In our measurements, the TTFB (Time to First Byte, in other words the first response from the page) came in at 120 ms. It meets the 200 ms threshold Google expects from a server.

You should reduce your server response time under 200ms. (Your server response time should be kept under 200 milliseconds.)

Improve Server Response Time

Even when compared with other servers, it can be rated as a fast service.

LiteSpeed web server

LiteSpeed Web Server is an Apache-compatible web engine that speeds up the dynamic generation of WordPress pages. It also supports HTTP/3 (QUIC), so reconnections on mobile networks are faster.

When combined with the LiteSpeed Cache plugin, page caches are served automatically, greatly shortening perceived loading times. It can help improve Google PageSpeed Insights scores and contribute to better search evaluation and user experience.

The admin area, where you are logged in, is excluded from caching. If you want a comfortable editing experience, it is safer to choose a plan with enough vCPU and memory.

HTTP/3 (QUIC)

HTTP/3 reconnects quickly on mobile networks, so it can improve display speed. Older browsers do not support it and automatically fall back to HTTP/2.

Disk space

Even the entry-level RK1 plan includes 100 GB of SSD storage, which is more than enough even for blogs that use many images. For reference, this site itself uses less than 2 GB of storage. In other words, RK1 is enough in terms of disk capacity.

A small website with fewer than 10 pages running on Rakko Server uses only about 30 MB.

If disk usage exceeds 95%, you receive a warning email. Be careful not to keep too many backups or large numbers of images on the server itself.

Bandwidth

There is no clearly stated bandwidth cap, and with RK1 you can operate at roughly up to 500,000 page views per month without extra charges. That is enough bandwidth for most websites.

On Rakko Server, you can check bandwidth usage in cPanel under "Bandwidth."

If CPU or memory usage stays above 95% for three hours, you are notified automatically. If heavy load continues for a long period, traffic restrictions may be applied.

★ What are traffic and bandwidth? Managing and optimizing web traffic

Server stability and uptime

Rakko Server does not publish its uptime. Because you cannot judge server stability by numbers, this may feel unsettling. It is also a drawback when a company asks you to submit stability data.

That said, the servers are monitored 24/7 and recover automatically when a failure occurs, so even corporate sites can use it with confidence.

★ A beginner's guide to rental server uptime and SLA

Pricing and cost evaluation

Initial fees and monthly pricing

Rakko Server is an inexpensive hosting service. With a 12-month contract, the RK1 plan costs 440 yen. With a 36-month contract, it drops to 330 yen, which means just 11,880 yen over three years. There is no initial setup fee for any plan.

If you choose a 1-month contract, RK1 costs 550 yen per month, which is relatively expensive for short-term use. Consider the contract length based on long-term use.

Domain pricing

Rakko Server lets you obtain and manage domains through the linked Rakko Domain service. It is convenient because you can register most popular domains such as .com and .jp. However, its domain renewal prices are slightly higher than those of the major providers.

With a contract of 12 months or more, you can obtain or renew one custom domain for free.

SSL certificate cost

Rakko Server supports Let's Encrypt, a free SSL certificate that also renews automatically. You can apply SSL to all domains at no extra cost, gaining both SEO benefits from HTTPS and stronger security. This covers not only custom domains but also the initial subdomain.

However, because paid SSL certificates such as OV and EV are not provided, if your legal or corporate requirements demand an EV certificate, you need to configure a certificate from an external CA manually.

Payment methods

Rakko Server offers many payment methods. It supports credit cards, PayPal, and bank transfer via Rakko Points, so both individuals and corporations can pay flexibly.

It does not support invoice-based postpayment. If your company needs closing-date payment, you need to handle it by purchasing Rakko Points in advance or using a similar workaround.

Usability and support evaluation

Ease of use of the control panel

Rakko Server uses both its own control panel and cPanel. cPanel is a GUI management tool used around the world, and it lets you handle file operations, email settings, PHP version switching, and more from the browser. There is a great deal of information about it online, and there are plenty of troubleshooting articles as well, which makes it easier to learn on your own.

Most of the interface is in English. Some detailed settings are not localized into Japanese, so you may feel a little lost at first.

Support system

In addition to the inquiry form available on weekdays from 10:00 to 19:00, failures are monitored at all times. Normal questions are generally answered within one business day, so you can use it without rushing.

There is no phone support or real-time chat. If you need an urgent response, you have to operate with that time lag in mind.

How complete the manuals and FAQ are

The KnowledgeBase contains a large number of articles, and procedures such as WordPress migration and SSL setup are explained carefully with screenshots. There are almost no video tutorials, so if you prefer learning visually, it may help to use other sources such as YouTube as well.

Email feature review

As long as you stay within your contracted storage capacity, you can issue as many email addresses as you like for each department or staff member.

POP3, IMAP, and SMTP all support encrypted ports, so you can use them safely even when you are away from the office. Just create an account in cPanel and run the provided auto-configuration script to connect immediately to Outlook or Gmail. Webmail (Roundcube) is also included as standard.

You can enable spam filters and DKIM/SPF with one click. That makes it easy to prove legitimacy to recipients outside your company as well.

The sending limits are set fairly generously: RK1 allows 500 messages per hour, RK2 allows 2,500, and RK3 allows 3,500. That is more than enough for internal communication or a small newsletter. You can also create mailing lists and set forwarding rules easily from cPanel.

Because there is an automatic 30-day backup feature, even if you delete something by mistake or run into trouble, you can restore individual mailboxes from the browser with one click.

Security and backup evaluation

Security measures

Imunify360 is a comprehensive security suite that combines malware scanning, IPS/IDS, and WAF. It automatically detects and blocks the brute-force attacks and SQL injection attempts that are common on WordPress, so you can operate safely even without specialist knowledge. Additional features such as IP restrictions for the admin area are also available, giving it a level of protection that is fully sufficient even for corporate sites.

If the site is ever tampered with, however, you still need to carry out the recovery work yourself. Do not rely entirely on the server; keep your software updated regularly and manage your plugins carefully.

Automatic backup feature

JetBackup 5 is a backup management tool integrated with cPanel that lets you manage versions of files and databases. Because it automatically stores the past 30 days, you can restore to any date you choose from the browser with one click when trouble occurs. Backup data is stored remotely as well, helping spread disaster risk.

★ How to restore automatic backups (JetBackup 5) [official site]

Long-term backup storage beyond 30 days is not included. If you want to keep monthly or yearly backups for the long term, download the backup data and store it somewhere else.

★ Five WordPress backup plugins that can recover lost data

Integration with Rakko tools

Buying and selling sites with Rakko M&A and Rakko Market

The greatest strength of Rakko Server is how easy it makes website sales. You can list a WordPress site for sale with one button, and even contract transfer and domain transfer can be completed within the company's own services. That gives it an advantage when you think about exit strategies for blog operations.

• Rakko M&A: the No.1 website sale platform for completed deals from 2021 through 2024. Relatively large websites are traded there.
• Rakko Market: lets you buy and sell small websites easily.

On Rakko M&A, when a sale is completed, the buyer pays 5% of the transaction amount, or a minimum fee of 55,000 yen. It is safer to calculate your net proceeds before listing a site.

On Rakko Market, when a sale is completed, the seller pays 20% of the sale price as a fee.

Article creation with Rakko Keyword

Rakko Keyword is one of the top keyword research tools in Japan. It makes it easier to decide the direction of your articles. As a perk for contracts of one year or longer, you can try the 990-yen-per-month Light plan of the keyword research tool "Rakko Keyword" for one month.

After the free period ends, you are not billed automatically. If you want to keep using it, you need to apply separately.

Integration with Rakko Domain

From registering a domain to configuring name servers and issuing SSL automatically, the process moves forward seamlessly, and WHOIS privacy is also provided free of charge.

If you use a domain managed by another company, there are cases where you need to configure DNS records manually.

Other features

Feature	What makes it useful	Points to keep in mind
SSH / Git / Composer	You can deploy and manage versions through the terminal, which improves development efficiency.	SSH is disabled by default. You need to enable it in cPanel and register your public key before using it.
Real-time plan changes	You can upgrade or downgrade instantly from the control panel, and the difference is prorated.	To downgrade, your current disk usage must be below the limit of the new plan.

Summary

• For people with no WordPress experience, the "Easy Blog Start" feature that automates everything from domain registration to blog launch is a major help.
• For users considering a move from another server, it allows operations that take website sales into account while boosting speed through unmetered traffic and a fast LiteSpeed environment.
• Because it starts at 440 yen per month and includes free SSL, 30-day backups, and multilayered security as standard, it can be an option for both individuals and corporations looking for a low-cost but reassuring environment.

Start with the 30-day free trial and see for yourself whether the display speed and ease of use of the control panel fit your site size and operating style.