Final verdict
Looking over Hivelocity vs. Pressable, both offer distinct strengths and weaknesses catering to different user needs.
-
Pressable (Overall grade: 8.4)
excels as a user-friendly managed WordPress hosting provider, ideal for agencies and high-traffic websites thanks to its easy collaboration features, auto-scaling capabilities, and superior website speed enhancements. Pressable’s straightforward dashboard, one-click cloning, and built-in security measures like Jetpack Security enhance its attractiveness, particularly for users seeking optimized WordPress solutions with minimal hassle. However, its limitation in email hosting and the lack of phone support may be a consideration for some users. -
Hivelocity (Overall grade: 7.7)
stands out with its robust infrastructure, exceptional uptime guarantee, and versatility in hosting solutions ranging from VPS to dedicated servers. Ideal for multimedia websites and users needing high-end hardware and redundancy measures, Hivelocity provides extensive security features and compliance certifications. The wide array of control panels and support for various operating systems cater to users with specific technical requirements, but its complexity and lack of auto-scaling features may not suit users seeking a more straightforward, user-friendly experience.
Overall grade:7.7 |
Overall grade:8.4 |
|
---|---|---|
Uptime and Availability | 9.8 | 9.5 |
Hosting Performance | 7.0 | 9.1 |
Hosting Security | 8.7 | 8.7 |
Price | 8.7 | 8.7 |
Hosting Features | 2.5 | 5.8 |
Ease Of Setup | 8.5 | 8.7 |
User Management | 6.9 | 7.8 |
Customer Support | 9.5 | 8.8 |
User feedback | 4.9/5 | 4.8/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
Shared hosting | ||
Cloud hosting | ||
WordPress hosting | ||
Ecommerce hosting | ||
VPS hosting | ||
Dedicated hosting |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Exceptional uptime and reliability
Hivelocity boasts an impressive track record of 100% uptime for network and power since 2011. They provide a 99.99% uptime guarantee and compensate users with a 5% credit if this standard is not met, excluding scheduled maintenance. Their data centers are SSAE-16 SOC1 and SOC2 certified, located in multiple cities, and equipped with high-end diesel generators and ample fuel reserves for uninterrupted service.
Pressable offers a 100% uptime guarantee backed by a service-level agreement. Their geo-redundant automatic failover ensures minimal downtime, with data replicated in real-time to secondary locations. They provide 24/7/365 monitoring, proactive alerts, and health reporting, along with tierless human support available at all times. Despite these features, Hivelocity’s long-standing history and redundancy measures give it a slight edge.
Hosting performance
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
🏆 Winner
Pressable: Exceptional WordPress performance and comprehensive features.
Both Hivelocity and Pressable offer strong hosting solutions with unique strengths. Hivelocity shines with its global data center presence and high-end hardware including Intel and AMD processors, which deliver fast load times with SSD storage. Pressable, optimized specifically for WordPress, achieves lightning-fast performance through frequent and performant CPUs and image compression on the fly. It also boasts a more extensive CDN network with 28+ data centers around the world and includes caching methods. Both provide exceptional CDN services; however, Pressable’s speed enhancements and CMS-specific optimizations give it an edge.
Website Speed
Pressable excels in delivering website speed through its use of highly performant CPUs and its CDN spread across 6 continents. The speed is further optimized with real-time thumbnail creation and advanced image compression. With a static performance test response time of 5.2 milliseconds and P95 performance test response time of 12 milliseconds, Pressable ensures minimal latency and superior load times. Hivelocity also offers high-speed server performance, with options for instant deployment and bandwidth of typically 20TB / 1Gbps, making it a reliable option though slightly behind Pressable in this specific aspect.
Scalability
Pressable stands out in scalability with its auto-scaling feature that manages high-traffic spikes without needing manual plan upgrades. This makes it easier for users to handle sudden traffic bursts seamlessly. Plans are flexible to accommodate increasing traffic, disk, and site needs, though exact costs for scaling are not specified. Hivelocity also provides scalable solutions, but it doesn’t explicitly mention auto-scaling. Dedicated servers with high-end hardware options are available, making it capable of handling growing demands, but specifics regarding costs to scale are not provided.
Hosting security
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
🏆 Winner Hivelocity Hosting: Hivelocity Hosting offers a wide array of security features and compliance measures that cater to businesses with stringent security and regulatory requirements.
Both Hivelocity Hosting and Pressable, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
Hivelocity Hosting offers Basic, Business, and Premium SSL certificates with varying levels of encryption and trust, while Pressable provides free SSL certificates with every WordPress website hosted. Hivelocity ensures data security with advanced encryption technologies both in transit and at rest, robust firewall and network security measures, and 24/7 monitoring and support. Pressable also provides malware scanning, threat monitoring, and a web application firewall. Both providers offer DDoS protection, though Hivelocity takes it a step further with proactive malware scanning, brute force detection, and load balancing. With their robust approach to server and hardware security, Hivelocity stands out for more technical security measures.
Operational security measures:
Operational security at Hivelocity includes comprehensive measures such as 24/7 monitoring and proactive malware scanning using Maldet, brute force detection through cpHulk, and load balancing to distribute workloads. Pressable offers automatic daily backups, regular malware scanning, hack recovery assistance, and managed WordPress core updates to ensure sites remain secure. While Pressable ensures SFTP access and an intuitive interface for easy management, Hivelocity additionally provides service monitoring with email alerts, active antivirus monitoring using ESET, and hardware diagnostics and replacement, which demonstrate an enhanced operational security strategy.
Compliance and certifications:
Hivelocity has completed SSAE-16, HIPAA, and PCI audits, ensuring compliance with healthcare and payment card industry standards. HIPAA certification positions Hivelocity as an optimal choice for clients dealing with sensitive healthcare data. Pressable is indicated to comply with GDPR and PCI standards, although specific HIPAA compliance is not mentioned. Both firms meet high regulatory requirements, but Hivelocity’s more extensive compliance certifications give it an edge.
SSL certificate |
Basic, Business, Premium |
Free SSL Certificates |
Additional security features |
DDoS protection, Proactive Malware Scanning, Load Balancing, Firewall Hardening, Virus Protection (Coming Soon) |
Jetpack Security Daily, Hack Recovery, WAF |
PHP versions |
Not specified |
Current PHP version |
GDPR compliance |
Not specified |
Likely |
HIPAA compliance |
Yes |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Yes |
Likely |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
🏆 Winner
Pressable: Comprehensive WordPress hosting with user-friendly features and enhanced security.
Both Hivelocity and Pressable offer robust hosting services tailored to different user requirements. Hivelocity’s hosting is notable for its extensive managed service options, including proactive security updates, hardware diagnostics, and performance optimization tools. Its array of supported control panels and operating systems provides flexibility for different technical needs. However, it does not include a built-in website builder, which might require users to seek third-party tools. For those who require extensive customization and hands-on management, Hivelocity’s various control panel and OS options can be highly beneficial.
Pressable, on the other hand, shines with its easy-to-use managed hosting dashboard which simplifies the management of multiple websites. The inclusion of a Free Global CDN, daily backups, and an integrated staging environment can improve site performance and security with minimal effort. Unique selling points like one-click cloning, GitHub integration for developers, and automatic WordPress core updates cater to users seeking hassle-free, yet powerful hosting solutions. Although Pressable does not offer email hosting as a primary service, its user-friendly interface and comprehensive support for WordPress make it an attractive choice for those specifically looking for optimized WordPress hosting.
Free domain |
No |
No |
Free SSL |
Yes |
Yes |
Email hosting |
Yes |
No |
Website builder |
No |
No |
Staging environment |
No |
Yes |
FTP & SFTP accounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH access |
Yes |
Yes |
Free backup |
Yes |
Yes |
Money back guarantee |
No |
No |
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Email services at Hivelocity are provided through comprehensive managed hosting, allowing users to set up their email campaigns internally. Meanwhile, Pressable does not focus on email hosting but supports transactional email capabilities to ensure smooth operation of WordPress-related actions. Users who need extensive email hosting might find Hivelocity more suitable, whereas those looking for robust WordPress hosting with basic email capabilities might prefer Pressable’s streamlined approach.
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
🏆 Winner Hivelocity: Offering competitive prices for cPanel dedicated server hosting and various server solutions.
Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.
When comparing Hivelocity and Pressable, Hivelocity provides a broader range of services, including cPanel dedicated servers, instant and game server solutions, along with customizable bare metal servers. Pressable specializes in WordPress hosting with plans starting at $40 per month with options for higher traffic requirements. Hivelocity’s custom-built options and managed services add versatility for diverse hosting needs, while Pressable’s offerings focus on advanced WordPress features like WP Cloud Platform and Jetpack Security.
cPanel Dedicated Server from $61.00
100-1000 accounts, unlimited storage, high bandwidth, 24/7 support, additional features like malware scanning, and proactive security updates. Value for price:9.0
|
Plan 1 $40.00
1 WP Install, 50,000 Visits/month, 20GB Storage, 24/7 Support, Jetpack Security, Professional Email, Free Site Migrations. Value for price:8.5
|
Instant Servers from $75.00
4 to 16 Cores, up to 128GB Memory, up to 960GB SSD, 20-100TB Bandwidth, multiple locations, discounted rates. Value for price:8.7
|
Plan 2 $75.00
5 WP Installs, 100,000 Visits/month, 50GB Storage, 24/7 Support, Jetpack Security, Professional Email, Free Site Migrations. Value for price:8.7
|
Game Server Solutions from $49.00
4 to 16 Cores, up to 128GB Memory, 480-960GB SSD, 20TB Bandwidth, discounted rates, ideal for game hosting. Value for price:8.9
|
Plan 3 $100.00
10 WP Installs, 250,000 Visits/month, 80GB Storage, 24/7 Support, Jetpack Security, Professional Email, Free Site Migrations. Value for price:8.8
|
Managed Services $35.00
Hardware diagnostics, security updates, malware scanning, RAID monitoring, support included for cPanel servers. Value for price:8.6
|
Plan 4 $225.00
25 WP Installs, 500,000 Visits/month, 175GB Storage, 24/7 Support, Jetpack Security, Professional Email, Free Site Migrations. Value for price:8.7
|
cPanel Dedicated Server from $61.00
Same as WordPress, but for other web hosting needs. Value for price:9.0
|
Plan 1 $40.00
Same as WordPress Plan 1. Value for price:8.5
|
Instant Servers from $75.00
Same as WordPress, support any website. Value for price:8.7
|
Plan 2 $75.00
Same as WordPress Plan 2. Value for price:8.7
|
Game Server Solutions from $49.00
Same as WordPress for game hosting sites. Value for price:8.9
|
Plan 3 $100.00
Same as WordPress Plan 3. Value for price:8.8
|
N/A
|
Plan 4 $225.00
Same as WordPress Plan 4. Value for price:8.7
|
Custom-built Bare Metal Pricing Varies
Customized private clouds, server clusters, virtual environments, free consultation available, 24/7 on-premises support. Value for price:8.5
|
N/A
|
Cloud Enhancements Costs vary
Load balancing, rapid restore, cloud storage up to 2TB, SSL certificates, hardware firewall, DDoS protection. Value for price:8.4
|
Enterprise Plans Custom Pricing
Custom WP Installs, custom visits, custom storage, 24/7 WP hosting support. Value for price:8.6
|
Managed Services $35.00
Same as listed under WordPress. Value for price:8.6
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Enterprise plans
Hivelocity offers customizable and versatile solutions with their custom-built Bare Metal Servers, providing features such as private clouds and server clusters. Pressable provides custom WordPress installs, visits, and storage tailored to meet specific business needs. Both providers deliver robust support, but the broader range of services from Hivelocity offers more flexibility for diverse enterprise requirements.
Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
🏆 Winner
Pressable: In terms of ease of use, Pressable stands out due to its flexible and affordable site migration options, intuitive custom admin panel, advanced setup features, and a highly praised help center.
Pressable employs a sleek, custom-designed dashboard that emphasizes ease of use. Its intuitive interface is ideal for non-technical users who want straightforward management of WordPress and WooCommerce sites. The dashboard includes functions like one-click cloning and straightforward domain management, making it highly user-friendly for a wider audience. The minimalistic and modern design helps streamline daily tasks, making it accessible for those with varying technical skills.
The admin panel for Hivelocity offers a wide array of control panels like cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk, and more, which cater to different technical preferences. This plethora of options is beneficial for technical users familiar with these interfaces, providing in-depth control over server and website management. However, the variety and technical nature of these panels may be overwhelming for non-technical users who seek simplicity and efficiency. Custom solutions for private clouds and server clusters are advantageous for technically adept businesses requiring tailored environments.
Both Hivelocity and Pressable offer migration services for websites, but their approaches and costs differ. Pressable excels in migration tools with its Automated Migration plugin, making the process seamless and hassle-free for both beginners and experienced developers. This tool simplifies the domain-changing process, staging sites, and other tasks without requiring additional fees. Hivelocity offers managed services for server management but does not emphasize an easy migration plugin or free migration services, potentially adding complexity and costs for users trying to switch hosting providers.
The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Hivelocity’s knowledge base is extensive, covering a multitude of topics and updated regularly, with 24/7 support through chat, phone, and tickets. Pressable also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support from certified WordPress engineers directly from its dashboard, ensuring faster and more accessible solutions for users.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
🏆 Winner Pressable: Pressable offers an extensive array of user management features geared towards secure collaboration and ease of access.
Pressable excels in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. The platform allows administrators to smoothly grant or revoke collaborator access to specific areas of their sites, enhancing security while collaborating. Features like the ability to control PHP versions and manage developers’ access via SFTP and SSH tools provide flexibility and sophisticated control. Conversely, there is no specified user management feature information available for Hivelocity, which limits its comparability in this area.
The user interface and tools provided by Pressable are user-friendly and comprehensive. The main account control panel gives a clear overview of installed sites, collaborators, and essential site details at a glance. The site-specific control panels allow for intuitive management of fundamental settings, credential resets, and staging environments. With seamless password resets and simple collaboration features integrated into the dashboard, users can manage and work on their sites efficiently.
Regarding access control measures, Pressable stands out with its security-focused approach. The platform automatically backs up projects daily and incorporates malware scanning, threat monitoring, and firewalls. These measures, combined with the detailed control of collaborator access through SFTP tools, ensure that administrators can manage a growing number of users while maintaining security. The availability of advanced developer tools such as WP-CLI and GitHub integration further solidifies its capability to handle an expanding user base.
Pressable user roles table:
Role | Description | Access highlights |
---|---|---|
Admin | Full control over the site and settings. | Can manage all site settings, plugins, and themes. |
Collaborator | Limited access for site tasks. | Can perform tasks as assigned by the admin. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Offers excellent network reliability and custom server solutions with impeccable support.
Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
When comparing Hivelocity and Pressable for customer support, Hivelocity provides multi-channel support including 24/7 phone support, live chat, and email/ticket support, making it easy for customers to get help when needed. They also offer toll-free phone support and access to technical support around the clock. Hivelocity’s support infrastructure includes a ticketing system and a variety of self-help resources like walk-through articles and videos, ensuring comprehensive assistance is always available.
Pressable, on the other hand, does not have phone support but makes up for it with a highly responsive online support system that boasts an average response time of less than two minutes and resolution time under ten minutes. Their support team consists of certified WordPress engineers, and they offer specialized services like free migrations, daily backups, and security monitoring. For those requiring advanced support, Pressable provides a dedicated Slack channel for an additional fee, making it a strong choice for WordPress-specific hosting needs.
User feedback
Hivelocity is highly praised for its exceptional customer service, reliable server performance, and knowledgeable technical support. Long-term users, some with over a decade of experience, commend the company for its personalized support and rapid response times, often highlighting near-instant ticket resolutions and a proactive approach to addressing issues. Additionally, the infrastructure and network reliability receive strong accolades, with many users experiencing minimal to no downtime. While a few noted the increasing prices and occasional variability in support quality, the consensus is that Hivelocity offers an outstanding hosting service marked by dependability and top-tier customer support.
Overall, users have expressed high satisfaction with the hosting provider, citing exceptional customer support, fast response times, and reliable uptime as standout features. The platform’s ease of use, fast website speeds, and seamless integration with WordPress are frequently praised. Although some users noted that accessing core files and the staging environment process could be more straightforward, these issues do not significantly detract from their positive experiences. The main minor drawback highlighted is the pricing, which some users feel is on the higher side, but they acknowledge it is justified by the outstanding quality and support provided.
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Pressable is better suited for hosting WordPress websites due to its optimized servers, auto-scaling capabilities, and built-in security measures like Jetpack Security. It provides a user-friendly dashboard, one-click cloning, and a staging environment that streamline WordPress site management. Hivelocity also supports WordPress hosting, but Pressable’s specific optimizations and features make it a more specialized choice for WordPress users.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
Hivelocity offers a more extensive range of security features, including DDoS protection, proactive malware scanning, and advanced firewall configurations. It also provides various levels of SSL certificates, real-time monitoring, and compliance with standards like SSAE-16, HIPAA, and PCI. Pressable also offers robust security measures like Jetpack Security, daily malware scanning, and a web application firewall, but Hivelocity’s comprehensive security strategy gives it an edge.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
Pressable offers more scalability options with its auto-scaling feature that adjusts to high-traffic spikes without manual intervention. This allows for seamless handling of increasing traffic and resource needs. Hivelocity also provides scalable solutions with customizable hardware options for dedicated servers, but it lacks the explicit auto-scaling feature found in Pressable’s plans, making Pressable more adept at automatic, effortless scalability.
How do the providers handle email hosting and what features are included?
Hivelocity offers email hosting as part of its managed hosting services, allowing users to set up comprehensive email campaigns internally. Pressable, however, does not focus on email hosting but supports basic transactional email features to facilitate WordPress-related actions. Therefore, users needing extensive email hosting solutions might find Hivelocity more suitable, while those focusing on WordPress performance might lean towards Pressable with its streamlined approach.
Which platform offers better customer support?
Hivelocity offers multi-channel support including 24/7 phone support, live chat, and email/ticket support, providing a versatile support system for users. Pressable, although lacking phone support, compensates with highly responsive online support from certified WordPress engineers, boasting rapid response and resolution times. Both provide comprehensive resources, but Hivelocity’s inclusion of phone support and extensive help center resources make it slightly more versatile in terms of customer support.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.