Hetzner vs MonoVM: guide for 2024

Hetzner vs MonoVM: Final verdict

Looking over Hetzner vs. Monovm, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

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  MonoVM (Overall grade: 6.9)
  
  provides a wide array of hosting options including WordPress and ecommerce hosting, making it a versatile choice for users requiring specialized hosting services. They are known for their affordable and reliable hosting plans, supported by an intuitive cPanel interface. Their enterprise-grade hardware and comprehensive backup solutions create a robust foundation for day-to-day operations. However, some users may find their performance metrics underwhelming, and the lack of advanced customization and security features could be a limitation for more demanding applications.
• 
  Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  offers high-performance hosting solutions with strategically located data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA, ensuring extensive geographic coverage. They feature NVMe SSDs for faster load times, a variety of scalable cloud and dedicated server options, and excellent uptime records. Hetzner’s strong developer support, comprehensive security features, and detailed user management capabilities make it a reliable and flexible hosting provider. While the customer support is generally good, their lack of live chat and money-back guarantee may deter some users. However, their higher level of customization and extensive data center infrastructure position them favorably for users with advanced needs.

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: Hetzner Online: Offering a blend of high uptime and extensive monitoring services.

Hetzner Online commits to a 99.9% uptime guarantee while frequently achieving up to 100% in tests. Their data centers are strategically located in Germany, Finland, and the USA, ensuring good geographic coverage. With 24/7 monitoring and an effective DDoS protection system, Hetzner offers a reliable hosting environment for businesses needing high availability and secure operations.

MonoVM offers an impressive 99.99% uptime guarantee and uses enterprise-grade hardware across its 10 global data centers. Despite this, their overall uptime in practice stands at 99.8%, which is slightly lower than expected. MonoVM features several security measures and provides daily backups, though lacks a money-back guarantee and complimentary domain registration.

🏆 Winner Hetzner: When it comes to general performance, Hetzner stands out with its extensive data center reach and advanced hardware offerings. Their NVMe SSDs boost load speeds, complemented by automatic caching methods. Hetzner also offers a wide variety of locations with data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA, enhancing global accessibility. MonoVM, on the other hand, uses enterprise-grade SSDs in RAID10 configuration and provides daily, weekly, and monthly backups, but their data centers are not specified. Both providers include 24/7 support, but Hetzner’s free phone and email support are a beneficial addition.

Website Speed

Hetzner offers NVMe SSD disk space for higher read and write speeds, which ensures quick load times and better performance for websites. Their network’s minimum availability of 99.9% further backs this reliability. MonoVM also uses high-quality SSDs in RAID10, which boosts performance, but lacks explicit speed guarantees or data center locations. While both providers aim for performance optimization, Hetzner’s NVMe SSDs offer superior read and write speeds.

Scalability

Hetzner provides flexible solutions with shared and dedicated vCPU options in cloud hosting. They allow for elastic scaling with no minimum contract period and a 30-day cancellation policy. Additionally, their managed servers come with a hardware exchange service and daily backups. Scaling costs are straightforward with flexible invoicing for additional resources. MonoVM features automation for server maintenance and free domain registration for managed plans, but pricing for scaling isn’t detailed. Both providers support dedicated servers, yet Hetzner offers a more comprehensive approach to scalability.

🏆 Winner Hetzner Online: Hetzner Online stands out with its extensive security features and regulatory compliance.

Technical security measures:

Hetzner provides SSL certificates via Symantec and Let’s Encrypt, while MonoVM offers SSL certificates as part of their Managed Hosting service. Both support multiple PHP versions, but Hetzner specifies PHP5, PHP7, and PHP8, along with an extensive list of PHP extensions. Hetzner also includes robust DDoS protection and offers secure connections via HTTPS, SFTP, and SSH. On the other hand, MonoVM includes Imunify 360 for firewall and malware scanning but lacks specified PHP versions and detailed extensions.

Operational security measures:

Hetzner performs daily backups and features 24/7 monitoring with rapid response capabilities. It also includes comprehensive mail security measures like DKIM, SPF, and virus scanning. MonoVM similarly provides automatic backups and daily malware scans, along with two-factor authentication for email services. Additional measures in MonoVM include firewall protection for WordPress and a managed TLS/SSL setup, reflecting a strong emphasis on operational security.

Compliance and certifications:

Hetzner is GDPR compliant with a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and operates data centers under ISO 27001 certification. Specifics about HIPAA compliance are not mentioned. MonoVM mentions robust security measures and data encryption, but specific details about GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI compliance are not provided, leaving its regulatory adherence somewhat ambiguous.

🏆 Winner
Hetzner: A versatile and feature-rich hosting provider with strong developer support.

Hetzner and MonoVM offer various features catering to diverse user needs, but they have a few notable differences. Hetzner provides a package that includes one main domain and additional options available for registration, whereas MonoVM offers free domain registration. Both providers offer strong security measures, though Hetzner takes an edge with DDoS protection and 24/7 monitoring. Add to this the abundant bandwidth and storage options, Hetzner appears more robust in terms of scalability and support for web traffic. MonoVM provides guaranteed 99.99% uptime and enterprise-grade SSD RAID 10 storage, providing reliability and performance, and it also includes extensive automated backup features that ensure seamless data restoration when needed. However, Hetzner’s limitations on certain add-ons and additional costs for exceeding disk space may require more attention from users planning for long-term hosting needs.

When it comes to user-friendliness, both Hetzner and MonoVM shine in different areas. Hetzner’s konsoleH, paired with an extensive range of PHP and database management features, makes it an excellent choice for developers who need detailed control over their hosting environment. For those who need simplicity, MonoVM’s cPanel interface is user-friendly and allows efficient management of domains, emails, and databases, along with a host of automated tasks. One key selling point for Hetzner is its integration with various CMS platforms like WordPress and Joomla, coupled with tools for sending SMS messages via a web interface, which might cater more to user-focused applications. Although Hetzner can impose fees for certain additional resources and services, the level of customization and extensive support may offer substantial value to users who can utilize these advanced tools.

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 Hetzner and MonoVM 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:

Hetzner offers robust email hosting with a variety of features including SMTP, webmail, email forwarding, and autoresponders. Users can manage up to unlimited mailboxes depending on their plan. MonoVM’s email management capabilities are integrated into its cPanel, allowing easy setup and automation of email tasks. While both providers offer transactional email capabilities and host email services natively, Hetzner’s support for synchronization protocols like Exchange Active Sync, CalDAV, and CardDAV adds a layer of functionality for users with complex email needs, making it slightly more versatile than MonoVM’s offering.

🏆 Winner MonoVM: An affordable trend-setter in web hosting with versatile plans for diverse needs.

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.

Hetzner’s Webhosting Level 1 plan costs €2.09 per month while MonoVM’s comparable WordPress Web Hosting Eco plan costs $2.99 per month. Hetzner includes features such as up to 50 sub-domains and one domain with unlimited traffic, whereas MonoVM offers WordPress pre-installed, along with a free domain and SSL Certificate. On the higher end, Hetzner’s Level 19 plan boasts €21.90 per month with 300 GB of NVMe SSD space, while MonoVM’s Elite Managed Hosting offers 35 GB of web storage for $31.99 per month. Furthermore, Hetzner offers plans with extensive bandwidth and network availability, while MonoVM provides specialized assistance such as VIP support and managed services, albeit at a higher price point. Both providers have plans that can serve start-ups to large enterprises effectively.

🏆 Winner MonoVM: Offers superior customer support with 24/7 availability and a broad range of services.

Hetzner Online provides various support channels such as email, ticketing, and phone support, but lacks live chat which can be a crucial factor for real-time issue resolution. The quality of support is generally good, especially through the ticketing system, although some users have reported unhelpful responses, particularly concerning account and billing disputes. Additionally, the absence of a money-back guarantee or free trial period may deter potential customers.

MonoVM, on the other hand, offers 24/7 support from certified IT experts and includes VIP support for Managed Hosting and WordPress Web Hosting. While specific contact methods are not explicitly mentioned, the support features such as website transfer assistance, regular error checks, and comprehensive security measures offer a complete package for users. MonoVM’s high customer satisfaction scores and extensive support options make it a more attractive choice for those looking for reliable and efficient hosting services.

Hetzner vs MonoVM: User feedback

Overall, users find the hosting provider to be highly cost-effective, with robust performance and reliable server infrastructure. Many appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the ability to scale their projects effortlessly. While the customer support is praised for being helpful and responsive, some users feel it could benefit from slight improvements. Additionally, there are minor suggestions for feature enhancements and a more refined user interface, though these do not detract significantly from overall satisfaction.

MonoVM is recognized for offering an affordable array of services, including VPS hosting, web hosting, domain registration, and SSL certificates. Users appreciate its reliability and the user-friendly interfaces that ease account management and support access. However, some customers note that MonoVM lacks certain advanced features and customization options, particularly in higher-tier plans, and may experience limitations in resource scaling and upgrading. Additionally, there are mentions of compromised customer support quality.

Hetzner vs MonoVM: FAQ