Network Solutions vs Hostwinds: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Network Solutions vs. Hostwinds, each hosting provider offers distinct advantages tailored to different user needs and priorities.

• 
  Hostwinds (Overall grade: 7.1)
  
  
  provides more flexibility and scalability which suits users with high-traffic and multimedia websites. Their SSD drives, LiteSpeed Web Server, and Cloudflare CDN integration ensure faster performance and user experiences. Hostwinds also excels in offering advanced scalability options like cloud servers and VPS hosting, making it suitable for growing businesses. Though their uptime performance isn’t as consistent as Network Solutions, they compensate with extensive features like free SSL, unlimited email accounts, nightly backups, and free website migration, all at competitive prices. However, the lack of specific user roles and permissions might limit its appeal for enterprises needing detailed access controls.
  
• 
  Network Solutions (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  
  stands out for its robust reliability, proven by its 99.9% uptime guarantee and additional security features like SiteLock and CodeGuard. Ideal for small to medium businesses, Network Solutions offers specialized WordPress hosting and includes beneficial options like a free domain name, daily malware scans, and excellent customer support accessible through multiple channels. Despite the higher costs associated with additional features and a lack of advanced scalability options, Network Solutions provides well-rounded services with superior uptime and detailed user management, suitable for enterprises needing structured access controls and businesses prioritizing security and support.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

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

🏆 Winner
Network Solutions: Reliable and consistent uptime with excellent support.

Network Solutions demonstrates strong reliability with an uptime guarantee of 99.9%. Tests showed a slight improvement over this promise, clocking in at 99.917% uptime across a month, with minimal downtime totaling 42 minutes. The support is available 24/7 via multiple channels, which further assures customers of consistent assistance.

Hostwinds offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee but falls short in practical results, achieving 99.89% uptime during a two-week test period. Response times are slower compared to industry standards, and international loading times show variability. Despite having three data centers and continuous monitoring, these factors make Hostwinds less reliable than its competitor.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Offers comprehensive features and high-performance hosting solutions.

When comparing the general performance of Network Solutions and Hostwinds, Hostwinds stands out. Hostwinds utilizes SSD drives for faster performance, while Network Solutions employs standard hard drives. Hostwinds leverages LiteSpeed Web Server and partners with Cloudflare for CDN, enhancing load times and delivery speed. In contrast, Network Solutions includes SiteLock protection and daily malware scans, but lacks SSD speed and advanced caching methods. Hostwinds also boasts faster network optimizations and backups.

Website Speed

Hostwinds takes an edge in website speed with SSD drives, LiteSpeed Web Server, and Cloudflare CDN integration. These factors contribute to faster loading times and reduced latency. Network Solutions, while reliable with 99.9% uptime and daily malware scans, cannot compete with Hostwinds’ superior speed technologies. Hostwinds’ performance-focused approach ensures quicker content delivery and optimal user experience.

Scalability

Hostwinds offers instant scalability, allowing seamless upgrades to server resources without switching plans. They provide dedicated servers and cloud server features like snapshots and load balancers. Although Network Solutions has flexible hosting plans, the details on automatic scaling aren’t clear. Hostwinds’ scalability options are more transparent and cater to growing businesses’ needs efficiently.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Hostwinds provides several advanced security measures and 24/7 support that make it a top choice for web hosting needs.

Both Network Solutions and Hostwinds, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Network Solutions offers a variety of SSL certificates, from basic to extended validation, ensuring strong encryption and domain validation. Additionally, it provides SiteLock for malware protection and CodeGuard for automatic backups. Hostwinds, on the other hand, offers free AutoSSL with shared hosting plans and uses Litespeed Web Server, optimizing load speed and security. Both services offer wildcard SSL certificates, but Hostwinds includes constant monitoring and route-optimized networking that ensures efficient security. While Network Solutions offers impressive security measures, Hostwinds’ use of AutoSSL and consistent monitoring gives it a slight edge.

Operational security measures:

Network Solutions conducts daily malware scans and has an nsProtect Assured Website Seal, adding credibility. It also features click-time anti-phishing measures and lazy expunge for email protection. Hostwinds offers a more proactive approach with nightly backups and 24/7 website monitoring. It also includes Cloudflare CDN integration, improving load times and adding another security layer. While Network Solutions provides robust operational security features, Hostwinds’ combination of monitoring, nightly backups, and CDN integration makes it more reliable for ongoing security.

Compliance and certifications:

Both Network Solutions and Hostwinds emphasize the importance of SSL certificates for GDPR and PCI compliance. However, neither explicitly mentions HIPAA compliance. Network Solutions highlights various SSL certificates crucial for encryption, a core aspect of compliance. Hostwinds suggests checking directly for specific compliance details. With a strong focus on GDPR and PCI, both providers offer essential tools to adhere to regulatory requirements.

🏆 Winner
Hostwinds: A versatile hosting provider offering extensive features for diverse user needs.

Both Network Solutions and Hostwinds provide a range of hosting services, but they cater to slightly different user bases and requirements. Network Solutions offers a variety of hosting packages that are ideal for both small and growing businesses. The inclusion of a free domain name from the Essential plan upwards is a significant benefit, especially for businesses looking to establish an online presence. The premium tiers, which include SiteLock Premium for added security and the Premium Plus plan with an SSL Certificate, make it a solid choice for those prioritizing security. A potential downside is that Network Solutions scales pricing steeply with additional features, which could be overkill for smaller projects.

Hostwinds, on the other hand, offers more universally unlimited features, such as unlimited subdomains, FTP accounts, and email accounts across all plans, which can be highly advantageous for users needing more flexibility and scalability. A significant unique selling point is the 99.9999% uptime guarantee and nightly backups, which positions it well for users who require high availability and robust data protection. Hostwinds also includes Weebly Site Builder in all its plans, which is user-friendly and allows for complex customizations—ideal for both beginners and seasoned developers. With SSD drives and LiteSpeed Web Server in the Business Hosting plans, Hostwinds ensures speed and reliability.

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 Example hosting one and Example hosting two 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:

Network Solutions offers limited email hosting with up to 5 email boxes in their Starter plan, scaling up to unlimited in their Premium and Premium Plus plans. They focus on providing traditional email hosting without integration for elaborate third-party services. Hostwinds, however, allows unlimited email accounts across all plans, making it suitable for extensive business operations needing numerous email accounts. While both providers support email hosting, Hostwinds’ inclusive approach provides better flexibility for larger teams.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Offering comprehensive plans with a variety of features at competitive prices, Hostwinds stands out in the hosting market.

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 Web Hosting in the Cloud and Secure & Reliable WordPress Hosting from Network Solutions with the various hosting options from Hostwinds, there are differences in pricing, features, and overall value. Network Solutions offers different plans based on website needs with varying disk space, email boxes, and additional features like malware scanning and SSL certificates. On the other hand, Hostwinds provides plans that offer unlimited bandwidth and disk space across many of their pricing plans, along with 24/7 support and additional management services. Hostwinds’ offerings are more cost-effective and include benefits like free SSL certificates and website migrations, making them the more attractive option for many users.

Enterprise plans

For businesses requiring high-end plans, Hostwinds offers a variety of enterprise options starting from $59.99/mo for their Managed Linux VPS Hosting with dedicated resources, full management, and up to 750 GB of storage, ensuring scalability and maximum uptime. Network Solutions’ Premium Plus plan, at $31.61/mo, offers SSL certificates, unlimited disk space, and enhanced security but lacks the flexibility and comprehensive management services provided by Hostwinds. Hostwinds emerges as the better option for enterprise-level needs with its extensive features and support services.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Simplified setup process and free website migration.

Both hosting providers offer cPanel for managing websites, but their approaches differ in terms of user accessibility and added features. Network Solutions provides a standard cPanel, supplemented by easy website builders and FTP credentials post-purchase. Their support includes 24/7 product help, ensuring even those with limited technical expertise can navigate the setup. Conversely, Hostwinds not only provides cPanel access but also includes the Weebly Drag-and-Drop Website Builder and Softaculous Apps Installer. These tools add an extra layer of convenience for users unfamiliar with coding, making it an accessible option for non-technical users as well.

For site migration, Hostwinds offers free migration services, emphasizing ease and cost-efficiency. Their support team handles the entire migration process without additional charges across all hosting plans. Network Solutions also offers migration assistance, promising minimal downtime or service interruption. However, there’s no mention of this service being free, which might be a consideration for budget-conscious users. Both providers ensure minimal disruption during the migration process, but Hostwinds’ approach is more user-friendly by handling migrations at no extra cost.

Both hosting providers offer comprehensive help center resources. Network Solutions has an extensive Online Support Center with answers to various domain and technical issues. Their customer support includes phone or chat assistance, with user guides and tutorials readily available. Hostwinds offers 24/7/365 support through live chat, support tickets, and email. Additionally, their documentation and tutorials are detailed, which aids in resolving common issues efficiently. Their community forum also serves as a support resource.

🏆 Winner Network Solutions: Comprehensive user management features that cater to diverse roles and permissions.

In comparing Network Solutions and Hostwinds for user management features, Network Solutions stands out with its detailed user roles and permissions. Network Solutions provides a clear structure with three distinct user roles: Primary Contact, Admin Contact, and Technical Contact. Each role has specified permissions, offering flexibility in managing access and maintaining security. On the other hand, Hostwinds lacks specific information on user roles and permissions, making it hard to evaluate their capabilities in this area. The delineation of responsibilities in Network Solutions ensures a managed and organized approach to user roles, unlike Hostwinds, whose ability remains undefined.

Network Solutions offers a straightforward and user-friendly interface for managing user roles. The steps outlined to add, edit, or delete user roles are intuitive and well-documented, ensuring usability even for non-technical users. The clear navigation provided by dropdown menus and the consistency in interface design enhance the user experience. In contrast, with no information available on Hostwinds’ interface for user management, one can only speculate on its effectiveness and usability, making Network Solutions the preferred option.

In terms of access control measures and handling a growing number of users, Network Solutions exhibits thorough capabilities. Its defined roles and permissions structure guarantees that each user has the appropriate level of access, reducing the risk of unauthorized changes or access. The streamlined process to modify and delete user roles ensures that changes can be made swiftly, vital for accommodating an expanding user base. With Hostwinds lacking any specifics, it’s unclear how effectively it can manage access control and scalability, further solidifying Network Solutions’ position as the more reliable choice.

Network Solutions user roles table:

🏆 Winner networksolutions: Superior uptime, trusted by Fortune 500 companies, and extensive customer support options.

When comparing the customer support options of networksolutions to those of hostwinds, both providers offer 24/7 support through phone and live chat, ensuring immediate assistance for urgent issues. Additionally, they both provide email/ticket support, allowing for more detailed problem resolution. However, networksolutions stands out by offering enterprise support with dedicated agents and priority support, an advantage not available with hostwinds.

Hostwinds guarantees a quick response time of within five minutes for email tickets and 30 seconds for live chat and phone calls. They offer an extensive tutorial section, detailed documentation, and community support resources. Networksolutions, meanwhile, has a differentiated support structure with multiple dedicated phone lines for various customer needs, along with their awarded contact center and guaranteed 99.9% uptime, thus reflecting their edge in overall customer service reliability.

User feedback

User feedback on this hosting provider highlights several key strengths and weaknesses. On the positive side, many users find the interface user-friendly and appreciate the ease of navigating through the platform, particularly when managing domains and webpages. However, there are significant concerns about the provider’s customer service, which many describe as unresponsive and ineffective at solving technical issues, often resulting in prolonged waits and unmet assurances. Additionally, users criticize the high costs, frequent upselling, and lack of timely communication during server outages, which collectively detract from the overall user experience.

Hostwinds hosting provider receives high praise for its exceptional customer service, prompt support, and reliable performance, with many users reporting significant improvements in site speed and uptime. Customers especially value the knowledgeable and responsive support team, finding them instrumental in resolving issues quickly. The user-friendly control panel and fair pricing further enhance their experience, though some note that the service can be pricier compared to competitors. However, a couple of reviews highlight issues with site migration and technical support, advising caution for WordPress users. Overall, the positive feedback significantly outweighs the negative, making Hostwinds a highly recommended choice for web hosting.

FAQ