A2 Hosting vs ScalaHosting

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A2 Hosting vs ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting outperforms A2 Hosting with a significantly higher HostScore, over 80% compared to A2 Hosting’s below 60%. ScalaHosting excels in providing a high-quality hosting experience, underscored by its superior performance and innovative hosting solutions like SPanel and SShield. A2 Hosting, on the other hand, offers a wide range of hosting services – including specialized solutions like Node.js, Tomcat, and Minecraft hosting, but lag behind ScalaHosting in terms of overall performance metrics.

A2 Hosting & ScalaHosting HostScore

A2 Hosting - HostScore: 58.1%
ScalaHosting - HostScore: 81.4%

A2 Hosting vs ScalaHosting: Key Differences

While both ScalaHosting and A2 Hosting offer impressive features tailored to different needs, it’s essential for shoppers to stay vigilant and informed—let’s dive into the key considerations.

Plans and Pricing

Both A2 Hosting and ScalaHosting have competitive entry-level shared hosting plans, but ScalaHosting’s transparent pricing and anytime money-back guarantee give it an edge. 

While A2 Hosting’s renewal prices can be up to three times higher, ScalaHosting’s price lock guarantee makes budgeting easier and more predictable.

Hosting Flexibility

Both A2 Hosting and ScalaHosting offer a complete range of hosting products for upgrades. However, ScalaHosting stands out if you need Windows Hosting or AWS Hosting options.

Ease of Use

ScalaHosting’s SPanel is a simplified and free alternative to cPanel. It supports advanced features like Ngix, OpenLiteSpeed, and unlimited accounts and websites, all at no extra cost. In contrast, A2 Hosting uses the familiar cPanel, which has seen consistent price increases over the years.

Performance, Scalability, and Reliability

ScalaHosting includes NVMe in all shared hosting plans, unlike A2 Hosting, which reserves NVMe for higher-tier plans. ScalaHosting has more server locations and delivers excellent uptime and speed based on our tests. While A2 Hosting also performs well, you often need to choose their higher-tier plans to get similar features.

Customer Support

ScalaHosting is known for providing tailored advice to meet your specific hosting needs, whereas A2 Hosting’s customer support tends to get mixed reviews.

Development Features

A2 Hosting offers a wide range of development tools, including PHP, Python, Ruby, Node.js, and databases like MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL, all included in their shared hosting plans at no extra cost.

ScalaHosting also has solid development features, though not as many as A2. However, ScalaHosting supports ASP.NET alongside other languages, making it a more versatile option for developers who need to work with Microsoft’s framework.

Others

ScalaHosting stands out with its advanced features like SShield, a real-time cybersecurity system that keeps your site safe around the clock, included for free with their VPS in SPanel. While A2 Hosting has HackScan for security, ScalaHosting’s SShield integration really sets it apart.

Compare Service Offering

FeatureA2 HostingScalaHosting
Hosting ServicesShared, VPS, Dedicated, and Reseller HostingShared, Cloud, and Reseller Hosting
Specialized ServicesManaged WordPress, Email, and Game Server HostingManaged WordPress, Email, and Game Server Hosting
Server LocationsUSA, Netherlands, SingaporeUSA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia
Control PanelcPanelCustom
Uptime Guarantee99.9%99.9%
Money Back (Days)30Anytime
Free MigrationYesYes
Support ChannelsLive chat and emailLive chat and email

Plans & Pricing

Hosting TypeA2 HostingScalaHosting
Shared Hosting$2.99 - 14.99/mo$2.95 - 14.95/mo
VPS Hosting$2.99 - 99.99/mo$29.95 - 169.95/mo
Dedicated Hosting$109.99 - 529.99/mo$ - /mo
Cloud Hosting$ - /mo$20.00 - 179.00/mo
Managed WP Hosting$11.99 - 41.99/mo$2.95 - 14.95/mo
Windows Hosting$ - /mo$39.95 - 485.00/mo
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Development Features & Others

FeatureA2 HostingScalaHosting
Language SupportPHP, Java, Python, Node.js, Django, Perl, and Ruby on RailsPHP, Java, Python, Node.js, Django, Perl, Ruby on Rails, and ASP.NET
Dev FeaturesGIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH accessGIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH access
Staging ToolSoftaculousBuilt-in
Free SSLYesYes
Built-in CacheHigher plansYes
Global CDNYesYes
Free Malware ScanYesHigher plans
DDoS ProtectionYesHigher plans
Web Application Firewall (WAF)YesHigher plans

Who Should Use A2 Hosting; Who Should Go With ScalaHosting?

If you’re looking for affordable web hosting with innovative features, excellent performance, and scalability, go for ScalaHosting. The hosting features and transparent pricing make budgeting easier. Plus, their flexible hosting options are perfect for when your website needs to grow.

On the other hand, although A2 Hosting offers similar performance, flexibility, and features, I hesitate to recommend it against ScalaHosting. This is especially true for beginners or seasoned web hosting users due to their steep renewal prices, which can be up to three times higher. That can be a hard pill to swallow.

While A2 Hosting is more suitable for web developers with specific needs regarding developer tools, ScalaHosting’s overall package is more appealing to a wider audience.


About A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting's origins trace back to 2003 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it was founded by Bryan Muthig. Starting as a hobby project offering web hosting for friends and family, A2 Hosting swiftly transitioned into a professional business focusing on high-performance hosting solutions, particularly for WordPress sites. Responding to customer demands for speed and reliability, A2 Hosting pioneered SSD hosting to boost website loading times and developed the A2 Optimized solution, enhancing WordPress site performance through optimized settings for speed and security.

A2 Hosting Pros

  • Server locations in North America, Europe, and Asia
  • Free website migration assistance
  • Developer-oriented features even on shared hosting
  • Custom performance optimizations tools available in higher shared plans

A2 Hosting Cons

  • Steep price increase during the renewal
  • Free site transfers mainly for cPanel installations
  • HTTP/2 only on TURBO plans
  • Lowest shared plan does not support automatic backup

About ScalaHosting

ScalaHosting

Founded in 2007 by Hristo Rusev and Vladislav Georgiev, ScalaHosting has its headquarters in the Dallas, Texas. The company provides various hosting services like shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, and email hosting. Renowned for its innovation, ScalaHosting sets itself apart with proprietary creations like sPanel and SShield, both designed in-house, providing users with intuitive server management and enhanced security.

ScalaHosting Pros

  • Outstanding hosting uptime and speed performance
  • Affordable managed VPS hosting - 40% cheaper than its competitors
  • Anytime unconditional Money-back Guarantee
  • Automated backup with 7 restore points
  • Generous offer in server resources - Even the lowest shared plan gets full NVMe storage, unmetered bandwidth and unlimited emails
  • NVMe SSD storage for all shared hosting plans
  • Innovative technology – SPanel, SShield, SWordPress

ScalaHosting Cons

  • Renewal rates for shared hosting plans are rather expensive


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