Are you on the hunt for the perfect website hosting? It’s a big deal, right? You want something that’s just right for your site.
In this article, we’ll compare two popular hosting services: Cloudways vs Rocket.net. Both are like stars in the website hosting world, but they shine in their own unique ways.
Cloudways is famous for its flexibility and user-friendly setup. It’s a top choice for many who want control over their web hosting environment.
Rocket.net, on the other hand, is mostly about speed and security, promising a website experience that’s both fast and safe.
In this comparison, we’ll explore the nitty-gritty of what each hosting service offers. From performance and ease of use to customer support, this article covers it all. Let’s find out which hosting provider really stands out!
In this article:
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Overview
About Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that’s been making waves in the web hosting world. It stands out for its flexibility and user-friendliness, especially for those who want a bit more control over their web hosting environment. Launched in 2012, Cloudways has grown significantly, appealing to a broad range of users from individual bloggers to larger businesses.
The platform has garnered a positive reputation, evidenced by numerous positive reviews across various tech forums and review sites.
Key features and benefits of Cloudways include:
- Choice of five cloud providers including AWS and GCP.
- Easy to use interface, making site management straightforward.
- Managed security, including regular updates and patching.
- Free site migrations, reducing hassle for new users.
- Scalable hosting options — you can adjust resources as your site grows.
- 24/7 expert support, ensuring help is always at hand.
- Automated backups, giving peace of mind about data safety.
- Staging environment, allowing you to test changes before going live.
Cloudways offers pay-as-you-go plans, which can be more cost-effective compared to traditional hosting plans.
You only pay for the resources you use. This pricing model is particularly attractive for businesses with fluctuating traffic. Moreover, Cloudways’ platform is built for speed and performance, with advanced caching and a content delivery network (CDN) that ensures fast loading times for websites globally.
However, it’s important to look at both sides of the coin.
Cloudways does have a few drawbacks.
For complete beginners, the platform might be a bit overwhelming for complete beginners in web hosting. Also, while they offer managed WordPress hosting, they don’t provide domain registration services.
Lastly, while they do offer email services, this comes at an additional cost, unlike some other hosting providers like Hostinger or TMD Hosting.
But, Cloudways is a solid choice if you’re looking for a managed cloud hosting solution that gives you the benefits of cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud without the complexity of managing them yourself.
About Rocket.net
Rocket.net is a managed WordPress hosting service that’s been catching the eye of many website owners lately. Since its start in 2020, it has quickly gained attention for its high-speed hosting and user-friendly features. Overall, it’s clear from online forums and tech communities that Rocket.net is highly regarded, with thousands of users praising its speed and reliability.
So, what makes Rocket.net stand out? Here’s a quick look:
- Fully managed WordPress hosting, making it super easy for you.
- Built-in Cloudflare Enterprise integration for top-notch speed and security.
- Automated daily backups, so you don’t lose your important stuff.
- Easy staging environments, letting you test things out safely.
- Real-time malware scanning and removal to keep your site safe.
- A user-friendly control panel, so managing your site is a breeze.
Rocket.net is designed to make your life easier. Whether you’re setting up a new site or moving an existing one, they handle the heavy lifting. Their platform is built for blazing fast performance, meaning your site loads super quick, which is great for your visitors and can help with your Google ranking.
On the plus side, Rocket.net offers:
- Incredible speeds
- Strong security features
- Superb customer support
- Easy scalability
But, it’s not all perfect. There are a few downsides:
- It’s a bit pricier than some other options
- It takes time to learn all the features and functionalites
If you’re running a WordPress site and want super-fast, secure, and hassle-free hosting, Rocket.net is definitely worth considering. It’s got the features to make managing your site simple and the power to keep it running smoothly. Just keep in mind the cost and the focus on WordPress when making your decision.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Differences
| Factors | Cloudways | Rocket.net |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Year | 2012 | 2020 |
| User Base | Large, diverse with over 100K users | Growing, WordPress focused |
| Pricing Plans | Starts at approx $10/month | Starts at approx $30/month |
| Cloud Providers Options | Multiple (Digital Ocean, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.) | Not applicable (specific provider) |
| Managed WordPress Hosting | Yes | Yes, specialized |
| Security Features | Powerful security features included with all plans | Advanced with Cloudflare Enterprise |
| Performance & Speed | High, varies with cloud provider | Exceptionally high |
| Ease of Use | User-friendly, slightly technical | Extremely user-friendly |
| Backups | Regular backups | Automated daily backups |
| Customer Support | 24/7 support via chat, email | 24/7 support, quick response |
| Server Locations | 50+ global locations | Multiple global locations |
| Email Hosting | Available at additional cost | Not typically included |
| Free Site Migration | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | Available | Available |
| Trial Period | Free trial available for 3 days, no credit card | No free trial like Cloudways, $1 first month |
| Payment Model | Pay-as-you-go | Fixed monthly plans |
| Target Audience | Wide range, including larger businesses | Primarily WordPress sites only |
| Try Cloudways ⟶ | Try Rocket.net ⟶ |
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Features
Cloudways Features
- Cloud Network Partnerships: 5 cloud networks, DigitalOcean, VULTR, Google Cloud, AWS, and Linode, offering specialized hosting packages like WordPress, e-commerce, and Magento hosting.
- Uptime and Performance: 99.9% service-level agreement.
- Control Panel: Features a proprietary, intuitive control panel with a domain management portal, bot protection, CDN, and backup/restore tools.
- Business-oriented Tools: Offers 24/7 support, team management, collaboration tools, Cloudflare add-ons, a dedicated account manager, and more.
- Customer Service: Provides 24/7 live chat, online ticketing, and priority phone support as a premium add-on. Also has self-help resources in the Knowledge Base, including video tutorials and tons of case studies.
- Cloudways Bot: A smart hosting assistant providing updates on website and server health via email, Slack, or API.
- Staging and Cloning: Tests changes before they go live on your websits
- Advanced Caching: Uses ThunderStack for optimized hosting, caching web pages on various servers globally.
- Vertical Scaling: Allows upscaling or downscaling of server resources.
- One-click WordPress Installation and Site Migration: Facilitates easy migration and setup of WordPress sites.
- One-click Installation for New websites: Offers a selection of 5 cloud providers including AWS, and customizable server specifications.
- Two-factor Authentication: Enhances security against various cyber threats.
- Auto-healing Feature: Addresses site issues immediately, reducing downtime.
- Fast Site Speed Technology: Utilizes Cloudflare to distribute files across multiple data centers, enhancing load times.
- Built-in SSL Certificate: Offers a free SSL certificate on all hosting packages for secure communication and improved site rankings.
- Dedicated Firewalls: Reduces unauthorized traffic.
Rocket.net Features
- Global Full-Page Caching: Uses Cloudflare Enterprise Network for caching full pages, not just static assets, ensuring fast load times globally.
- Cloudflare Enterprise Integration: Automatic image optimization, code minification, Brotli compression, along with proactive firewall and DDoS protection and more for ultimate speed and protection.
- Managed WordPress Features: Offers a custom hosting dashboard, automatic daily backups with 14-day storage, on-demand backups, staging sites, free SSL certificates, automatic updates, malware scans, firewalls, and 24/7 support from WordPress experts and peace of mind.
- WordPress Activity Logging: Automatically logs changes on your WordPress site, viewable from the hosting dashboard.
- Plugin/Theme Management: Manage themes and plugins directly from the hosting dashboard, including installation, activation, and deletion.
- Browser File Manager Tool: An in-browser file manager to manage files/folders on your server, similar to cPanel’s File Manager.
- Activity Log and Reporting: Provides detailed logging of CDN and firewall usage/activity and WordPress site activities.
- Agency Features: Special white-labeled reseller platform for agencies to offer managed WordPress hosting services to clients.
- Backup Management: Offers daily automatic backups stored for 30 days, with manual backups available for download.
- Developer Tools: Includes SSH access, Git integration, easy cron job management, and a web-based WP-CLI terminal for advanced users.
- Experienced Support and Free Migrations: Provides expert support and hassle-free migrations for new users of Rocket.net.
- Security Suite: Website firewall (WAF), malware protection, automatic updates, and WordPress activity logging for enhanced security.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Key Benefits
Cloudways is VERY flexible. It’s like having a buffet of cloud providers to choose from – AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr.
You get a lot of options for your website’s hosting.
Cloudways is also known for being user-friendly, so even if you’re not a tech expert, you’ll find it easy to use. Plus, they have a pay-as-you-go plan, which is pretty cool because you only pay for what you use. Imagine having a phone plan like that – no extra costs for stuff you don’t need!
Now, Rocket.net is mainly about speed and performance, and they’ve got built-in Cloudflare Enterprise integration.
If your site is on WordPress, Rocket.net is like having a dream team just for you, with everything managed and super secure. And their control panel is easy to use, so managing your site is a breeze.
Both Cloudways and Rocket.net have thousands of happy users. Cloudways has been around since 2012 and has built a big following with lots of positive reviews for its flexibility and user support.
Rocket.net, though newer (started in 2020), has quickly gained a reputation for speed and performance, especially in the WordPress community.
So, if you love having options and want to keep your costs flexible, Cloudways is great. But if you run WordPress and want your websites to be lightning-fast with top-notch security, Rocket.net is the way to go.
But, I am not saying Cloudways is bad in terms of speed and security. So, it’s not really about who wins – it’s about what’s best for your site. Whether it’s the flexibility and choice of Cloudways or the speed and focus of Rocket.net, you’ve got two awesome options for hosting your website.
Winner: Tie
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Pricing
Cloudways lets you pick from different cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Linode, or AWS, and the price changes based on what you pick.
Cloudways plans start at around $10 a month. You pay for the resources you use, and you can upgrade or downgrade anytime.
Now, Rocket.net plans start at about $30 a month, which is a lot when compared to how much Cloudways costs.
But, you get some awesome features for WordPress sites.
Rocket.net focuses on giving you super fast and secure WordPress hosting, and they manage everything for you.
So, who wins in Cloudways vs Rocket.net based on pricing?
If you want a flexible, pay-as-you-go kind of deal where you can mix and match, Cloudways is great. But if you’re okay with paying a bit more for a super-fast, secure, and managed WordPress hosting, then Rocket.net could be your winner. Both are awesome; it just depends on what you need.
Winner: Cloudways
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Speed
Cloudways is known for using cloud hosting and technologies like NVMe SSDs and Redis Object Cache Pro, which are supposed to make websites really fast. But after being bought by DigitalOcean, there have been some changes. Prices went up, and they removed some options like Vultr.
Some users aren’t happy about this, and there have been complaints about their support too. Interestingly, Cloudways didn’t do too well in the 2023 WordPress Hosting Benchmarks by Kevin Ohashi.
That’s a bit of a red flag because they’re supposed to be speedy, right?
Now, Rocket.net is a bit of a different story.
They might be pricier, but their speed stats are impressive.
They average a 100ms global Time to First Byte (TTFB).
TTFB is the time it takes for the first bit of your website to start loading, and 100ms is really quick. Plus, they’ve got high TrustPilot ratings and great support too. So, if you have a problem, you have someone reliable to help.
Rocket.net uses LiteSpeed, NVMe SSDs, and Redis too, like Cloudways, but they seem to be squeezing out more speed.
In the speed race, Rocket.net seems to be leading.
Their focus on technologies specifically for speed, like Cloudflare Enterprise (a service that helps your site load faster all around the world), really gives them an edge. Plus, their users seem pretty happy with the performance.
Cloudways, while still a good option, has faced some bumps, especially after the DigitalOcean acquisition, affecting their reputation a bit.
In the end, if speed is your top priority and you’re okay with a higher price, Rocket.net might be the winner for you.
But if you’re on a budget, Cloudways is still a solid choice, just be ready for some trade-offs in speed and possibly support.
Winner: Rocket.net
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Security
Cloudways takes security seriously. Cloudways servers have firewalls, database security, and application isolation. Cool, right? They protect against DDoS attacks, which is like building a digital shield around your website.
They also have a Vulnerability Scanner. Plus, they offer free SSL certificates, which is like giving your website a secret code for safety.
Another great feature is IP Whitelisting, which means only certain computers can access your server. They regularly update their security with new patches and have Fail2Ban to block bad login attempts. They’ve also got dedicated server-level firewalls to keep out unwanted traffic.
Now, Rocket.net is also serious about WordPress security.
Rocket.net uses an Enterprise Web Application Firewall (WAF) to check every request to your site, ensuring it’s safe.
They also have Imunify360 for malware protection, scanning for and removing any bad stuff that tries to sneak in.
You get unlimited free SSL certificates with Rocket.net. They handle all WordPress updates for you, which means less worry about security issues.
In the Cloudways vs Rocket.net battle, it’s tough to declare a winner.
Both have strong security features. Cloudways offers a wide range of protections, from firewalls to vulnerability scanning. Rocket.net focuses on WordPress with its powerful WAF and malware protection.
In the end, both Cloudways and Rocket.net are top-notch for keeping your website safe and sound. You can go with both.
Winner: Tie
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Free Trial
Cloudways offers a free trial. Yep, you heard that right! You can try their hosting service without spending a single penny.
This free trial is like a test drive; you get to see how everything works, check out the speed, and play around with all the features. It’s a great way to see if Cloudways is the right hosting for your website. And don’t worry, they won’t ask for your credit card details for this trial. So, it’s totally risk-free!
But, Rocket.net doesn’t offer a typical free trial like Cloudways. But, you can start using their hosting for just $1 for the first month.
That’s almost like a free trial, right?
You get to experience their super-fast WordPress hosting and all the fancy features for practically nothing. It’s a great deal if you’re curious about how fast your website can run on Rocket.net.
Winner: Cloudways
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Refund
Cloudways works on a pay-as-you-go model.
You pay for only the resources you use. Now, because of this system, they don’t really offer a traditional refund policy. Since you’re not paying upfront for a long-term plan, there’s not a big sum of money to refund.
It’s kind of like paying for a monthly subscription service – you pay for this month, and if you don’t want it next month, you just stop paying.
On the other hand, Rocket.net does things a bit differently. They don’t offer a standard free trial, but they let you try their service for just $1 for the first month. About their refund policy, they offer a 30-day money back guarantee on all of their services except for the Enterprise hosting plans.
So, who wins in the refund department?
Well, it’s kind of a tie, but also kind of not. Cloudways, with its pay-as-you-go system, doesn’t put you in a position where you need a big refund. And Rocket.net, while offering a 30-day money back guarantee, offers a low-risk start with their $1 for the first month deal.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Usability
Starting with Cloudways, their platform is known for being very user-friendly. But, it’s also got a bit of a technical side. New users might take some time to learn, but it’s not a big deal for most users.
They give you lots of choices, like picking different cloud providers (like DigitalOcean, Linode, AWS). This is great because you can find the best fit for your website. Plus, they have a pay-as-you-go plan.
Now, Rocket.net handles all the techy stuff for you. Their control panel is really simple, so managing your website is like playing a game with easy controls. Rocket.net is like having a superpower for your WordPress site, making everything run fast and smooth without you needing to do much.
Verdict: If you like having multiple cloud provider options and don’t mind a bit of a learning curve, Cloudways is awesome. If you want something easy, especially for WordPress, Rocket.net is the way to go.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Scalability
With Cloudways, you start with a certain amount of space (like server resources), and as your website grows and needs more room, Cloudways lets you scale up easily. If your site becomes popular overnight, it’s not an issue.
You can add more features or increase your server size without any major fuss. It’s great for when you’re not sure how fast your site will grow, so you can start small and get bigger only when you need to.
On the other side, Rocket.net gives you a lot of resources from the get-go, which is awesome if you know your site is going to be a big hit.
Rocket.net is all about giving your WordPress site the fast speed and security it needs, no matter how big it gets. But, scaling up might mean jumping to a higher plan, which can be a bit more costly.
Verdict: If you want a hosting service where you can start small and scale up easily, Cloudways is a fantastic choice. But if you’re looking for a service that’s super powerful from the start and you’re okay with a bigger jump in plans for scaling up, then Rocket.net is great.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Support
Cloudways is known for having really good support. They offer support 24/7 through live chat, email, and even phone. This means if you’re working on your site late at night and run into trouble, Cloudways is awake to help you out. Plus, they have tons of in-depth guides and tutorials.
Now, Rocket.net also offers 24/7 support, but what makes them stand out is how quickly they respond. They’re there in a flash to sort out your problems in most cases. They’re really friendly and know a lot about WordPress, so if your site is on WordPress, Rocket.net is like having a WordPress expert in your team.
Cloudways vs Rocket.net: Final Verdict
Choosing between Cloudways and Rocket.net for web hosting can feel like a big decision. I get it – you want the best for your site, right?
Both Cloudways and Rocket.net are awesome in their own ways.
Think of it like this:
Cloudways is flexible. It’s great if you want lots of choices for cloud servers and love to play around with different options.
Their pay-as-you-go plan is cool.
Because it’s like only paying for what you actually use.
On the other hand, Rocket.net is like having a super-fast sports car for your website. It’s perfect if you’re all about WordPress and want a hosting service that’s speedy and really takes care of everything for you.
Are you looking for flexibility and lots of options?
Or do you want a super-fast, WordPress-focused hosting?
Then Rocket.net is your go-to.
In the end, whether you choose Cloudways or Rocket.net, you’re picking a winner either way. It’s really about what fits your needs and what feels right for your website. So, take your time, think about what you really want, and go for it. If you need my recommendation, I recommend trying Cloudways.
