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 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
Feature | A2 Hosting | ScalaHosting |
---|---|---|
Hosting Services | Shared, VPS, Dedicated, and Reseller Hosting | Shared, Cloud, and Reseller Hosting |
Specialized Services | Managed WordPress, Email, and Game Server Hosting | Managed WordPress, Email, and Game Server Hosting |
Server Locations | USA, Netherlands, Singapore | USA, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Ireland, Singapore, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia |
Control Panel | cPanel | Custom |
Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% | 99.9% |
Money Back (Days) | 30 | Anytime |
Free Migration | Yes | Yes |
Support Channels | Live chat and email | Live chat and email |
Plans & Pricing
Hosting Type | A2 Hosting | ScalaHosting |
---|---|---|
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 |
Coupon | - | - |
Coupon Details | - | - |
Development Features & Others
Feature | A2 Hosting | ScalaHosting |
---|---|---|
Language Support | PHP, Java, Python, Node.js, Django, Perl, and Ruby on Rails | PHP, Java, Python, Node.js, Django, Perl, Ruby on Rails, and ASP.NET |
Dev Features | GIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH access | GIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH access |
Staging Tool | Softaculous | Built-in |
Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
Built-in Cache | Higher plans | Yes |
Global CDN | Yes | Yes |
Free Malware Scan | Yes | Higher plans |
DDoS Protection | Yes | Higher plans |
Web Application Firewall (WAF) | Yes | Higher 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'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
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