Final verdict
Looking over Hetzner vs. Web.com, both hosting providers offer unique advantages tailored to different user needs, with Hetzner providing a high-performance solution for technically inclined users and Web.com focusing on simplicity and comprehensive features for beginners.
-
Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
delivers impressive uptime and performance, leveraging NVMe SSDs and cutting-edge server hardware to ensure speedy website load times. With extensive security measures including free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and ISO 27001 certified data centers, Hetzner is a reliable choice for high-traffic and multimedia websites. However, the lack of included domain registration and the more technical nature of its administrative interface might not suit absolute beginners or budget-conscious users.
Web.com (Overall grade: 7.3)
excels in user-friendliness, providing free domains, SSL certificates, and a drag-and-drop website builder, making it ideal for new users or small to mid-sized businesses. The 24/7 customer support via multiple channels ensures users can always receive help when needed. However, limitations like lack of VPS and cloud hosting options, as well as steeper renewal rates, might not appeal to more advanced users or those needing scalable solutions. Despite these drawbacks, Web.com remains a solid choice for those seeking a straightforward, hassle-free hosting experience.
Overall grade:7.9 |
Overall grade:7.3 |
|
---|---|---|
Uptime and Availability | 9.0 | 8.0 |
Hosting Performance | 8.3 | 6.6 |
Hosting Security | 8.8 | 8.2 |
Price | 7.9 | 8.0 |
Hosting Features | 7.5 | 4.8 |
Ease Of Setup | 8.0 | 7.6 |
User Management | 7.8 | 7.3 |
Customer Support | 6.3 | 8.2 |
User feedback | 4.6/5 | 4.0 out of 5/5 |
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.
SECTION 1: Winner Hetzner Online: Reliable uptime with robust security measures.
SECTION 2: Hetzner Online offers a consistent and impressive uptime guarantee of 99.9%, reaching 100% on occasion. With multiple data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA, Hetzner ensures high availability and reliability for its services. The 24/7 monitoring and free DDoS protection further enhance its commitment to keeping services online and secure, making it a trustworthy option for hosting needs.
Web.com also guarantees 99.9% uptime, but third-party tests reveal an actual uptime of 99.83%. They provide unmetered bandwidth, SSL security, and automatic backups, which appeals to users looking for comprehensive features. While the support system is extensive, renewal rates jump significantly after the first year, and actual uptimes don’t consistently meet the guarantee, which may pose concerns for some users.
🏆 Winner Hetzner Online: Hetzner Online offers a consistent and impressive uptime guarantee of 99.9%, reaching 100% on occasion. With multiple data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA, Hetzner ensures high availability and reliability for its services. The 24/7 monitoring and free DDoS protection further enhance its commitment to keeping services online and secure, making it a trustworthy option for hosting needs.
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 Hetzner: Reliable performance and versatile features for a global audience.
Comparing general performance, Hetzner stands out in multiple areas. Hetzner utilizes NVMe SSDs, known for their higher read and write speeds, which enhances overall website performance. Additionally, Hetzner supports various programming languages and includes built-in plugins like the PHP Configurator and a WordPress installer for seamless setup. It also offers DDoS protection and 24/7 monitoring across multiple data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA. In contrast, Web.com focuses heavily on optimizing speed with upgrades like PHP 8.0, OPcache, and MySQL 8, but it lacks multiple data center locations, which Hetzner provides.
Website Speed
Hetzner’s use of high-performance hardware, including vCPU options with Intel® Xeon® Gold and AMD EPYC™ processors, guarantees impressive speeds. The NVMe SSDs ensure quicker read and write times, further boosting load speeds. Meanwhile, Web.com emphasizes faster server response times and includes features like OPcache to store webpage content in server memory. Both hosts offer 99.9% uptime, but Hetzner’s extensive infrastructure and hardware provide a more consistent speed profile, placing it ahead.
Scalability
When it comes to scalability, Hetzner offers advanced solutions like load balancers, private networks, and REST APIs, making it highly adaptable to varying demands. Hetzner users can leverage managed servers without a minimum contract period and benefit from a 30-day cancellation policy, making scaling flexible. On the other hand, Web.com supports more than 99.5% of customers’ bandwidth needs but lacks detailed information about elastic scaling or dedicated server options. The cost details for scaling remain unclear for both services.
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
Hetzner: Hetzner Online offers superior security features and compliance standards for a secure hosting experience.
Both Hetzner and Web.com, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
Hetzner provides robust SSL certificate options, including free Symantec Basic and Let’s Encrypt certificates, ensuring secure communication. Web.com, on the other hand, offers a variety of SSL certificates such as Essential, Premium, and Extended Validation, catering to different security needs. While both hosting providers support modern PHP versions, Hetzner goes a step further by offering several PHP extensions for enhanced functionality. Hetzner also excels in secure connections with their HTTPS administration interface and encrypted access to email and FTP, compared to Web.com’s basic encryption protocols.
Operational security measures:
Hetzner stands out with ISO 27001 certified data centers and DDoS protection, offering a higher level of security resilience. Both providers ensure uptime and reliable performance, with Hetzner providing 24/7 monitoring and rapid response to any issues. Hetzner’s comprehensive mail security features, such as DKIM and SPF, enhance email security, which surpasses Web.com’s basic malware scanning and removal services. Additionally, Hetzner provides daily backups and automatic recovery options, while Web.com offers CodeGuard for website backup and recovery, which relies on third-party storage.
Compliance and certifications:
Hetzner ensures GDPR compliance through a Data Processing Agreement and operates all data centers according to stringent EU data protection regulations. Web.com is also GDPR compliant, providing adherence to privacy regulations. Regarding PCI compliance, Web.com includes PCI scanning through SiteLock, whereas Hetzner does not specify PCI compliance. Neither hosting service mentions HIPAA compliance.
SSL certificate |
Free Symantec Basic, Let’s Encrypt |
Essential, Premium, Wildcard |
Additional security features |
DDoS protection, daily backups |
SiteLock, CodeGuard |
PHP versions |
PHP5, PHP7, PHP8 |
PHP 8.0 |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
HIPAA compliance |
Not specified |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Not specified |
Yes, via SiteLock |
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
Hetzner Online GmbH: A versatile hosting provider with a focus on performance and extensive features.
When comparing Hetzner Online GmbH and Web.com, several key differences emerge that cater to various user preferences. Hetzner offers a robust set of features ideal for more technically inclined users who seek detailed control over their hosting environment. It includes unlimited traffic, extensive email hosting options, an impressive range of PHP and Python support, and the ability to manage databases efficiently. It also provides key services like free phone and email support, DDoS protection, and advanced FTP/SFTP access. However, Hetzner’s domain registration comes with additional fees which may deter budget-conscious users.
Web.com is designed for user-friendliness and simplicity, making it an attractive option for beginners. It includes a drag-and-drop website builder, free domains, and SSL certificates for the first year, which helps in quick and easy website setup. The hosting options target different user needs, such as bandwidth and storage variations depending on the plan. However, advanced users may find the lack of explicit SFTP/SSH support and additional control features limiting. Furthermore, Web.com offers business email services with 24/7 customer support, which is beneficial for continuous assistance but may come with fewer technical customization options compared to Hetzner.
Free domain |
No |
Yes, for the first year |
Free SSL |
Yes |
Yes, for the first year |
Email hosting |
Yes |
Yes |
Website builder |
No |
Yes |
Staging environment |
No |
No |
FTP & SFTP account |
Yes |
Yes, FTP only |
Git and SSH access |
Yes |
No |
Free backup |
Yes |
No |
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.
Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hetzner Online GmbH and Web.com offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.
Email services:
Hetzner provides comprehensive email hosting with options for 100 to unlimited mailboxes, email forwarding, webmail access, and secured SMTP. It supports email synchronization via Exchange Active Sync, CalDAV, CardDAV, and iCal. Web.com offers business email services included with their plans, catering to small to mid-sized needs. While Hetzner’s email service includes extensive support for various protocols, Web.com focuses more on ease of use and integration within their all-in-one hosting plans but lacks advanced transactional email capabilities and third-party integrations.
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 webcom: Offers comprehensive features and a competitive pricing strategy for shared hosting and WordPress hosting, making it a preferred choice.
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 Hetzner and Web.com, Hetzner’s pricing across its Webhosting and cloud hosting plans ranges from budget-friendly to higher-end options, whereas Web.com’s plans vary in introductory and renewal pricing structures. Hetzner focuses on providing a blend of resources like NVMe SSD disk space, unlimited traffic, and robust DDoS protection in its Webhosting plans. In contrast, Web.com stands out with unmetered bandwidth and simpler pricing plans, particularly attractive for WordPress hosting. Both providers offer free domains and a set range of support options, ensuring users have the backing they need.
Level 1 €2.09/mo
1 website, 10 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.5
|
Basic WordPress Plan $9.99/mo
1 website, 10 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, business email, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.0
|
Level 4 €5.39/mo
1 website, 50 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.7
|
Plus WordPress Plan $13.99/mo
5 websites, 20 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, SSL, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.5
|
Level 9 €10.90/mo
1 website, 100 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.9
|
Premium WordPress Plan $16.99/mo
10 websites, 40 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, SSL, 24/7 support. Value for price:8.8
|
Level 19 €21.90/mo
1 website, 300 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:8.1
|
N/A
|
Level 1 €2.09/mo
1 website, 10 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.5
|
Basic Plan $9.99/mo
1 website, 10 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, drag-and-drop builder, business email. Value for price:7.9
|
Level 4 €5.39/mo
1 website, 50 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.7
|
Plus Plan $13.99/mo
5 websites, 20 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, SSL, drag-and-drop builder. Value for price:8.5
|
Level 9 €10.90/mo
1 website, 100 GB NVMe SSD, unlimited traffic, free domain, email support, DDoS protection. Value for price:7.9
|
Premium Plan $16.99/mo
10 websites, 40 GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, free domain, SSL, drag-and-drop builder. Value for price:8.8
|
CX11 €4.51/mo
1 vCPU (Intel), 2 GB RAM, 20 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:7.4
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CPX11 €5.18/mo
2 vCPU (AMD), 2 GB RAM, 40 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CX21 €6.37/mo
2 vCPU (Intel), 4 GB RAM, 40 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:7.8
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CPX21 €8.98/mo
3 vCPU (AMD), 4 GB RAM, 80 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.0
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CX31 €29.99/mo
2 vCPU (Intel), 8 GB RAM, 240 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.2
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CPX31 €16.18/mo
4 vCPU (AMD), 8 GB RAM, 160 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.4
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CX41 €20.71/mo
4 vCPU (Intel), 16 GB RAM, 160 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.5
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CPX41 €29.99/mo
8 vCPU (AMD), 16 GB RAM, 240 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.7
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
CX51 €39.15/mo
8 vCPU (Intel), 32 GB RAM, 240 GB disk space, 20 TB traffic. Value for price:8.9
|
N/A
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ease of setupEvaluates the ease of setting up and migrating websites on the hosting
platform. Score Components:
8.0
7.6
🏆 Winner Hetzner: A reliable hosting provider with comprehensive setup and migration features. Hetzner utilizes a custom administrative interface called konsoleH, which is designed to help users manage their servers, domains, email addresses, and websites efficiently. The interface is accessible, making it suitable for both technical and non-technical users. Users can perform complex tasks such as creating new accounts, managing domains, and configuring server settings without extensive technical knowledge. The documentation provided by Hetzner is thorough, facilitating ease of use for users who may need guidance during the setup process. In contrast, Web.com offers a user-friendly, drag-and-drop website builder and a simple control panel for managing domains and email accounts. This setup is particularly appealing to users who prioritize ease of use and quick configuration without delving into more detailed server management. Web.com’s administrative interface emphasizes accessibility and simplicity, featuring a wide array of customizable design templates that can be assembled using their drag-and-drop builder. This interface is highly suitable for novices looking for straightforward website setup. Additionally, managed WordPress hosting with automatic updates simplifies the process further for users. On the other hand, Hetzner’s konsoleH interface offers extensive customization options and a higher degree of control, tailored for users who require advanced server management capabilities. Both platforms provide user-friendly solutions, yet the depth of control and customization in Hetzner’s platform gives it a distinct edge for more demanding use cases.
When comparing migration tools, Hetzner provides detailed guides and tools for domain transfer, website migration, and mail migration. These services are well-documented, assisting users in manually migrating their data without additional costs. Web.com also offers migration support, particularly through their managed WordPress hosting with automatic updates and simplified migration processes. However, automated migration tools are not as prominently highlighted by Web.com, indicating that a more hands-on approach might be needed, potentially involving additional support from their customer service team. The quality and accessibility of Hetzner’s help center are commendable, offering extensive documentation, step-by-step tutorials, and around-the-clock support via telephone and email. These resources ensure users have continual access to assistance. Hetzner also encourages community contributions, further enriching their documentation library. Web.com features a robust knowledge base with articles, self-help guides, and 24/7 product support accessible through multiple channels. Both providers emphasize strong support systems, but Hetzner’s extensive documentation and community engagement provide a more comprehensive resource pool.
User managementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and
accessibility. Score Components:
7.8
7.3
🏆 Winner: Hetzner: Efficient, user-friendly management tailored for various administrative needs. When comparing the abilities of Hetzner and Web.com in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility, Hetzner offers a more comprehensive range of user roles and customizable permissions. Hetzner allows for the creation of specific groups and includes detailed settings for each user, such as storage quotas and additional user information. Web.com, on the other hand, provides straightforward administrative and technical roles but lacks the flexibility in creating multiple user groups and assigning detailed permissions. This makes Hetzner more versatile for users who need refined control over their user management. Both Hetzner and Web.com provide user-friendly interfaces for managing users, but Hetzner’s approach is more detail-oriented. Hetzner’s interface includes options for adding users to specific groups, setting storage quotas, and tracking user activities, all within an intuitive and accessible user settings menu. Web.com’s user interface also facilitates easy management of users and roles through its Account Manager system, offering helpful tools for adding users and updating account information. However, it does not provide as many granular management options as Hetzner. Regarding access control measures, Hetzner offers comprehensive options, including regular administration account checks, the ability to set server-wide maintenance rules, and customizing login pages. These features are critical for managing larger teams and maintaining organized access control. Web.com effectively includes essential access control measures, such as auto-renew settings and managing registered nameservers, but it may struggle to meet the needs of rapidly growing teams due to its more limited user role definitions and permissions. Hetzner User Roles Table:
Web.com User Roles Table:
Customer supportEvaluates the quality, availability, and scope of the customer support offered by the
hosting provider. Score Components:
6.3
8.2
🏆 Winner Web.com: Web.com provides a more comprehensive customer support experience, featuring 24/7 technical support, phone, email, live chat, and a dedicated help center.
Hetzner Online offers multiple support channels, including phone, email, and a ticketing system, complemented by extensive documentation available for self-service. The absence of live chat is a significant limitation, and some users have reported slow responses and unresolved issues in account management and billing disputes. This has contributed to a lukewarm reception concerning their support quality. In contrast, Web.com provides 24/7 technical support via phone, email, and a ticket system, alongside live chat for immediate assistance. Their help center hosts numerous knowledge base articles, ensuring users can quickly find answers. The round-the-clock availability and versatile support channels make Web.com a more user-friendly option, reflected in its higher overall score. User feedbackUsers generally find the hosting provider to be cost-effective with robust performance capabilities, able to handle demanding tasks reliably. Many reviewers appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the fast, reliable infrastructure. While customer support is often praised for its availability and helpfulness, some users believe it could still see improvements. The platform’s dashboard and additional features could benefit from enhancements, but overall, users are satisfied with the value and quality of service provided. The hosting provider offers a comprehensive solution for purchasing domain names, hosting, and website building, making it highly convenient for users managing multiple domains and websites. Users appreciate the convenience of having all services bundled together, but some express concerns about the limitations on hosting unlimited domains and the cost associated with individual website software. Overall, the service is satisfactory and well-rated, though there is room for improvement in accommodating users with extensive hosting needs. FAQWhich platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites? Web.com is better suited for hosting WordPress websites as it offers automatic WordPress installation, updates, and a drag-and-drop website builder. Hetzner does not provide specialized WordPress hosting, making Web.com the preferable choice for WordPress users. Are both platforms suitable for beginners? Web.com is particularly suitable for beginners due to its user-friendly interface, drag-and-drop website builder, and 24/7 customer support. Hetzner, while powerful, has a more technical administrative interface, which may not be as accessible for absolute beginners. Which hosting service offers better security features? Hetzner offers superior security features, including free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and ISO 27001 certified data centers. Web.com provides a variety of SSL certificates and basic malware scanning, but lacks the extensive security measures offered by Hetzner. Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites? Hetzner provides more scalability options, including cloud hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers, along with advanced solutions like load balancers and private networks. Web.com lacks advanced scalability functionalities like VPS and cloud hosting, making Hetzner more suitable for growing websites. How do the providers handle email hosting and what features are included? Hetzner provides comprehensive email hosting options, supporting numerous mailboxes, email forwarding, and secure SMTP with protocols like Exchange Active Sync. Web.com offers business email services included with their plans, focusing on ease of use but lacking advanced transactional email capabilities. The making of this blog We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
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