Network Solutions vs Hivelocity: Final verdict
Comparing networksolutions vs. hivelocity, both offer diverse hosting plans, yet each excels in different areas.
-
Hivelocity (Overall grade: 7.7)
stands out with its high uptime, robust support, and advanced security features. Its strong global infrastructure provides excellent speed and reliability, ideal for high-traffic and multimedia websites. Although it lacks a user-friendly website builder, Hivelocity compensates with flexible control panels and extensive server management options, making it a solid choice for experienced developers. The enterprise-level support, including proactive security measures and efficient migration services, adds significant value, especially for businesses anticipating growth.
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Networksolutions (Overall grade: 7.4)
provides comprehensive, user-friendly hosting solutions that cater to a broad audience. It excels in offering tiered packages with essential features like email hosting and domain services, which are perfect for beginners and smaller businesses. The inclusion of a website builder and accessible support channels like phone and live chat makes it a convenient option for non-technical users. However, its performance lags slightly behind Hivelocity, particularly in terms of uptime and advanced security features. Despite this, the overall versatility and ease of use make Network Solutions a reliable choice for businesses with basic to moderate hosting needs.
Overall grade:7.4 |
Overall grade:7.7 |
|
---|---|---|
Uptime and Availability | 8.6 | 9.8 |
Hosting Performance | 4.8 | 7.0 |
Hosting Security | 7.7 | 8.7 |
Price | 8.0 | 8.7 |
Hosting Features | 6.5 | 2.5 |
Ease Of Setup | 8.0 | 8.5 |
User Management | 7.0 | 6.9 |
Customer Support | 8.5 | 9.5 |
User feedback | 1.9/5 | 4.9/5 |
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.
🏆 Winner [Hivelocity]: Exceptional uptime and high-end reliability for stable and consistent web hosting.
Network Solutions delivers a respectable 99.9% uptime guarantee, with actual performance slightly exceeding this at 99.917%. Over a month, their website experienced just 42 minutes of downtime, the longest instance being 19 minutes. While Network Solutions provides 24/7 support and a proprietary control panel, its usability lags behind industry standards.
Hivelocity stands out with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and has maintained a perfect 100% uptime for network and power since 2011. Their data centers offer redundancy and high-end diesel generators, ensuring consistent service. Hivelocity’s network includes a premium blend of tier-1 carriers and intelligent data routing, delivering unbeatable reliability and performance globally.
Which one has better 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 Hivelocity: Exemplary performance and extensive global reach.
When comparing general performance, Hivelocity stands out with its advanced infrastructure. It boasts a 99.99% uptime due to diesel power redundancy and CRAC cooling systems, ensuring peak efficiency and reliability. On the other hand, Network Solutions guarantees a 99.9% uptime with reliable data encryption and malware protection services. Hivelocity’s network speeds are bolstered by high-end hardware options such as Intel and AMD processors and 20TB bandwidth, while Network Solutions offers automated backups and malware scanning as standard. Hivelocity further strengthens its performance with a self-healing international network and over a dozen Tier-1 carriers, whereas Network Solutions relies more on flexible hosting packages. Data centers for Hivelocity are globally located across six continents, ensuring broad coverage, whereas Network Solutions offers fewer global zones but does include free domain options under certain plans.
Website Speed
Website speed is a critical factor for user experience, and both services excel but in different ways. Hivelocity benefits from instant server deployment within 5 to 7 minutes, coupled with powerful SSD storage, ensuring low latencies and quick load times. Network Solutions also delivers impressive speeds, aided by included SiteLock for malware scanning and automatic backups with CodeGuard, helping maintain optimal performance. However, Hivelocity edges out with its self-healing network designed to reroute data around congestion, supplemented by extensive peering relationships that further hasten web traffic.
Scalability
When it comes to scalability, Hivelocity offers versatile options including dedicated servers, private clouds, and virtual environments, adapting to dynamic business needs with high availability. With flat-rate pricing and significant discounts on first-month instant servers, Hivelocity makes scaling cost-effective and convenient. Network Solutions, while flexible in its web hosting plans, requires plan upgrades for increased resources and doesn’t specify auto-scaling options, potentially making it less seamless compared to Hivelocity. Both providers offer 24/7 support, but the ease of scalability at Hivelocity makes it a winner for businesses anticipating rapid growth.
Which one has better security features?
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 Hivelocity Hosting: For businesses needing high security and compliance standards, Hivelocity Hosting is an excellent choice.
Both Network Solutions and Hivelocity, 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 different SSL Certificates, such as Xpress, Basic, Advanced, Wildcard, UCC, and Extended SSL, which include features like 256-bit encryption and domain validation. Hivelocity provides Basic, Business, and Premium SSL Certificates with industry-standard 256-bit encryption. Both providers include advanced encryption technologies, but Hivelocity adds proactive malware scanning, DDoS protection, and firewall hardening. While Network Solutions offers daily malware scans and SiteLock, Hivelocity boasts of advanced firewall capabilities and robust threat detection.
Operational security measures:
Network Solutions includes daily malware scans and removal via SiteLock and CodeGuard for automatic file backups. On the other hand, Hivelocity provides 24/7 monitoring and support, including hardware diagnostics and DDoS protection. Hivelocity’s operational security is further strengthened by real-time problem identification and resolution, whereas Network Solutions relies on SiteLock and nsProtect Assured Website Seal for credibility. Additionally, Hivelocity emphasizes load balancing, RAID monitoring, and ICMP ping monitoring for network health.
Compliance and certifications:
Network Solutions highlights the importance of SSL Certificates for GDPR and PCI compliance. In comparison, Hivelocity boasts compliance with SSAE-16, HIPAA, and PCI audits. Hivelocity’s security measures also ensure data protection standards critical for healthcare and payment industries.
SSL certificate |
Multiple types |
Basic, Business, Premium |
Additional security features |
Daily malware scans, SiteLock, CodeGuard |
Proactive malware scanning, DDoS protection, Firewall hardening |
PHP versions |
Not specified |
Not specified |
GDPR compliance |
Implied through SSL Certificates |
Not specified |
HIPAA compliance |
Not specified |
Yes, completed |
PCI compliance |
Implied through SSL Certificates |
Yes, completed |
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 Network Solutions: Robust features tailored for diverse needs.
Network Solutions and Hivelocity both have their strengths. Network Solutions stands out with its tiered packages that range from budget-friendly to premium options. The inclusion of a website builder is particularly advantageous for beginners and those seeking ease of use. Free services such as domain name registration and SSL certificates in higher-tier plans can be enticing for businesses looking to minimize additional costs. In contrast, Network Solutions’ malware protection and SSL certificates provide essential security layers that are particularly appealing for e-commerce sites and those handling sensitive information.
On the other hand, Hivelocity excels in offering a comprehensive range of management and security features. With support for various control panels like cPanel and Plesk, and operating systems such as CentOS and Ubuntu, Hivelocity provides flexibility that appeals to experienced developers. Their proactive services, including constant security updates and malware scans, ensure smooth and secure hosting. However, Hivelocity does not include a website builder, requiring users to manage more technical aspects independently. This could be a drawback for less tech-savvy individuals, but their extensive support systems can mitigate this concern for those needing guidance.
Free domain |
Yes, for the first year |
No |
Free SSL |
Yes, on Premium Plus plan |
Yes |
Email hosting |
Yes |
No |
Website builder |
Yes |
No |
Staging environment |
No |
No |
FTP & SFTP accounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH access |
No |
Yes |
Free backup |
No |
Yes |
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 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 comprehensive email hosting, which includes several email boxes even on its most basic plan, scaling up to unlimited in premium packages. This can be highly beneficial for businesses with extensive email communication needs. Hivelocity, however, focuses more on infrastructure and does not offer built-in email hosting services. Businesses can still operate email domains through third-party integrations but will not find the service as readily available as with Network Solutions.
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
Hivelocity: Offers comprehensive, globally-distributed hosting solutions with advanced enhancements and competitive pricing.
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 the pricing plans of Network Solutions and Hivelocity, several key features stand out. Network Solutions offers various plans for both shared hosting and WordPress-specific hosting, with prices ranging from $5.69 to $31.61 per month for shared hosting and $7.99 to $18.98 per month for WordPress hosting. Plans include features like domain names, malware scanning, and SSL certificates. Hivelocity offers a range of plans, including cPanel Dedicated Server Hosting, Instant Servers, and Game Server Solutions. These plans provide more substantial hardware capabilities, such as higher storage capacities and bandwidth, with prices starting at $49 per month. Each plan includes additional support and customization options, making Hivelocity a strong choice for enterprises needing advanced server configurations.
WordPress for Entrepreneurs ($7.99):
1 WordPress site, 50 GB storage, on-demand cloud backup, domain name included, 10 email boxes. Value for Price:7.5
|
N/A |
WordPress for a Growing Business ($13.98):
3 WordPress sites, 100 GB storage, multisite management, SSL included, domain name included, on-demand cloud backup, 25 email boxes. Value for Price:8.0
|
N/A |
WordPress for Professionals ($18.98):
5 WordPress sites, 200 GB storage, multisite management, SSL included, domain name included, on-demand cloud backup, 50 email boxes. Value for Price:8.5
|
N/A |
Starter ($5.69):
1 website, 15 GB disk space, 5 email boxes. Value for Price:6.5
|
cPanel Dedicated Server Hosting, 100 Accounts ($61):
N/A Value for Price:N/A
|
Essential ($9.96):
3 websites, 300 GB disk space, 1000 email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock. Value for Price:8.0
|
cPanel Dedicated Server Hosting, 250 Accounts ($69):
N/A Value for Price:N/A
|
Premium ($25.78):
10 websites, unlimited disk space, unlimited email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock Premium. Value for Price:8.7
|
cPanel Dedicated Server Hosting, 500 Accounts ($99):
N/A Value for Price:N/A
|
Premium Plus ($31.61):
10 websites, unlimited disk space, unlimited email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock Premium, SSL certificate. Value for Price:8.9
|
cPanel Dedicated Server Hosting, 750 Accounts ($159):
N/A Value for Price:N/A
|
Starter ($5.69):
1 website, 15 GB disk space, 5 email boxes. Value for Price:6.5
|
Instant Server E3-1270 v5 3.6GHz Skylake ($75):
4 cores, 8 threads, 64GB memory, 960GB SSD storage, 20TB bandwidth, 1Gbps, Atlanta 2. Value for Price:8.5
|
Essential ($9.96):
3 websites, 300 GB disk space, 1000 email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock. Value for Price:8.0
|
Instant Server E3-1270 v6 3.8GHz Kaby Lake ($79):
4 cores, 8 threads, 64GB memory, 960GB SSD storage, 20TB bandwidth, 1Gbps, Los Angeles 2. Value for Price:8.7
|
Premium ($25.78):
10 websites, unlimited disk space, unlimited email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock Premium. Value for Price:8.7
|
Game Server XEON 4-Core ($49):
E3-1230 v5 4-Core 3.4GHz, 32GB DDR4 memory, 480GB SSD storage, 20TB bandwidth, 1Gbps. Value for Price:8.8
|
Premium Plus ($31.61):
10 websites, unlimited disk space, unlimited email boxes, domain name included, SiteLock Premium, SSL certificate. Value for Price:8.9
|
Game Server XEON 8-Core ($109):
E-2378 8-Core 2.6GHz, 64GB DDR4 memory, 480GB SSD storage, 20TB bandwidth, 1Gbps. Value for Price:9.0
|
As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Enterprise plans
Hivelocity’s enterprise offerings include a wide variety of dedicated server hosting solutions with advanced support features and extensive customization options, starting at competitive prices. Their managed services, hardware diagnostics, and global data center locations add significant value. Network Solutions provides comprehensive shared and WordPress hosting plans but lacks the extensive enterprise-specific features and scalability available in Hivelocity’s offerings.
Network Solutions vs Hivelocity: Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
🏆 Winner Hivelocity Hosting: Hivelocity Hosting offers a wide range of control panels and managed services for easier server management.
Network Solutions utilizes easy-to-use website builders alongside traditional FTP credentials for website setup. Their admin panel is geared towards accessibility for non-technical users through these builder tools, making it relatively simple to recreate and manage websites. The availability of 24/7 product support complements this by offering assistance at any time, which is crucial for non-technical users who may run into issues.
Hivelocity stands out with its variety of control panels, including cPanel, DirectAdmin, and Plesk, which are popular among technical users for their flexibility and powerful features. This level of customization appeals to users who have specific needs for their server and website management. Even though these control panels might have a steeper learning curve, Hivelocity’s rich knowledge base helps ease the process, making it accessible for both technical and intermediate users.
Both Network Solutions and Hivelocity offer comprehensive migration services aimed at reducing downtime and service interruptions. Network Solutions assists with transferring hosting services and moving website security products like SSL certificates to their platform. This service level can be particularly helpful for businesses focused on uninterrupted service. Hivelocity, meanwhile, provides both automated and manual migration options, facilitating a smooth transition. Their migration services are part of their managed services package, often including consultations to ensure everything goes smoothly.
The help centers of both providers are accessible and rich with content. Network Solutions’ online support center is equipped with user guides, FAQs, and remote assistance options. Hivelocity boasts an extensive knowledge base with articles covering a range of technical topics, offering proactive support features like malware scanning and performance optimization. Their knowledge base also includes frequently updated articles which enhance the user experience.
The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Network Solutions offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Hivelocity also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
🏆 Winner Network Solutions: A versatile hosting provider excelling in user management capabilities.
Network Solutions and Hivelocity both provide user role management, but Network Solutions stands out with a well-defined set of roles and permissions. Network Solutions offers three distinct user roles—Primary Contact, Admin Contact, and Technical Contact—each with specific permissions and limitations. These roles offer flexibility by enabling some users to edit account payment information and manage other user roles. In contrast, details about Hivelocity’s user management features are undisclosed, making a direct comparison challenging. The explicit differentiation of roles in Network Solutions highlights its robust approach to user management.
Network Solutions provides a user-friendly interface for managing user roles and permissions. Users can log in, navigate through simplified menus, and make necessary changes using an intuitive dropdown system. The steps for adding, editing, and managing contacts are straightforward, requiring only a few clicks to accomplish various tasks. With comprehensive tools outlined for each action, Network Solutions emphasizes ease of use and accessibility. The absence of specific information about Hivelocity’s interface limits the comparison.
Network Solutions ensures effective access control and can efficiently manage a growing number of users. The clearly defined permissions within each role prevent unauthorized access to sensitive account information and payment details, maintaining high security. The capability to add or modify user roles suggests adaptability for expanding user bases. Hivelocity’s effectiveness in this domain remains unclear due to the lack of detailed information, making Network Solutions a clear choice for well-documented and accessible access control features.
Network Solutions User Roles Table:
Role | Description | Access highlights |
---|---|---|
Primary Contact | Manages account and primary contact information. | Can edit account and primary contact details, manage payment information, and add/edit/delete roles. |
Admin Contact | Handles account management but not primary contact details. | Can modify account payment information and manage user roles. |
Technical Contact | Focuses on technical aspects without access to sensitive information. | Cannot edit primary contact or payment details and cannot manage user roles. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Superior all-around performance and customer satisfaction.
Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
Networksolutions offers a range of hosting options tailored to different needs, from basic to premium packages. Their customer service is accessible through various channels including phone support, live chat, and email, ensuring users can get assistance 24/7. While their experience and reliability are strong selling points, their highest-tier plans can be relatively expensive for some customers.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, excels in uptime and global data center availability. They provide comprehensive support that covers phone, live chat, and email or ticket systems, with dedicated enterprise support options that Networksolutions lacks. Although Hivelocity’s pricing might seem high for certain users, the exceptional performance and reliability make it a strong contender.
Network Solutions vs Hivelocity: 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.
Hivelocity is highly praised for its exceptional customer service, reliable server performance, and knowledgeable technical support. Long-term users, some with over a decade of experience, commend the company for its personalized support and rapid response times, often highlighting near-instant ticket resolutions and a proactive approach to addressing issues. Additionally, the infrastructure and network reliability receive strong accolades, with many users experiencing minimal to no downtime. While a few noted the increasing prices and occasional variability in support quality, the consensus is that Hivelocity offers an outstanding hosting service marked by dependability and top-tier customer support.
Network Solutions vs Hivelocity: FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Network Solutions is better suited for hosting WordPress websites due to its WordPress-specific plans that include features like domain names, SSL, and email services. Hivelocity does offer WordPress hosting, but Network Solutions provides more comprehensive packages tailored specifically for WordPress users.
Are both platforms suitable for beginners?
Network Solutions is more suitable for beginners, offering a user-friendly website builder and accessible support channels like phone and live chat. Hivelocity caters more to experienced developers and advanced users, lacking a straightforward website builder but providing extensive server management options and technical flexibility.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
Hivelocity offers better security features with advanced measures such as proactive malware scanning, DDoS protection, and firewall hardening. While Network Solutions also provides daily malware scans and robust SSL options, Hivelocity’s extensive security protocols and enterprise-level protections make it a stronger choice for high-security needs.
Which platform offers better customer support?
Hivelocity offers better customer support with options such as dedicated agents and priority support for enterprise clients. They have a strong reputation for knowledgeable and responsive technical support. Network Solutions provides 24/7 support through phone and live chat but does not have the same level of enterprise support options as Hivelocity.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
Hivelocity offers more scalability options for growing websites with its versatile offerings including dedicated servers, private clouds, and virtual environments. Network Solutions provides various tiered web hosting plans, but lacks the extensive scalability and high availability features found with Hivelocity.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.