Justhost vs ScalaHosting: guide for 2024

Justhost vs ScalaHosting: Final verdict

Looking over JustHost vs. ScalaHosting, 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.

• 
  ScalaHosting (Overall grade: 8.8)
  
  provides a comprehensive range of hosting solutions, including shared, VPS, cloud, and WordPress hosting. Its standout features are the proprietary SPanel and SShield security system, which aim to deliver a seamless and secure user experience. The platform boasts a remarkable uptime of 99.9%, fast loading speeds, and a geographically diverse range of data centers enhancing global reach. The managed migration service and advanced customization options ensure ease for developers and businesses needing scalability and robust security. However, some users feel that ScalaHosting’s pricing could be more competitive, but the overall service quality justifies the cost.
• 
  JustHost (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  is a user-friendly hosting service, ideal for beginners and small businesses. It offers a wide variety of hosting plans, including shared, WordPress, and dedicated hosting. The platform features cPanel for easy management, unlimited email hosting on certain plans, and a year of free domain registration. However, its performance is somewhat below competitors, with slower server response times and inconsistent customer service noted in reviews. The renewal rates are significantly higher, which might be a concern for long-term users. Despite these shortcomings, JustHost remains a solid choice for those looking for straightforward hosting solutions.

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 ScalaHosting: A leading choice for reliable uptime and lightning-fast performance.

ScalaHosting offers a strong uptime guarantee of 99.9% with impressive compensation for downtime, providing 10% credit for every 0.1% of excessive downtime. Its performance tests consistently showed an uptime of 100%, with typical loading speeds under 1 second and a global performance of under 3 seconds. ScalaHosting’s data centers span various global locations, enhancing its reliability and speed. The proprietary SPanel and SShield security system add to the quality experience.

JustHost, with its solid uptime of 99.95%, is suitable for those seeking average reliability. However, its server response speed of 971ms and an average page loading time of 6.0 seconds are below the standard of competitors. While customer support is available 24/7, reviews suggest service inconsistencies. Weekly backups are only automated on premium plans, and no compensation for downtime could be a limiting factor for potential users.

🏆 Winner
ScalaHosting: Superior performance and security features.

Comparing the general performance of Just Host and ScalaHosting shows a significant difference in hosting speed and available technologies. Just Host employs high-performance quad processor servers with enhanced caching for its dedicated plans, but offers standard performance across most other plans. ScalaHosting leverages OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise web servers, which are known for their high speed. In terms of CDN availability, Just Host does not mention any integrated CDN services, whereas ScalaHosting offers a more optimized setup without explicitly mentioning CDN. ScalaHosting’s data centers are more varied and globally distributed, including locations in the U.S., Europe, and integrations with AWS data centers worldwide, which can enhance load times based on user proximity.

Website Speed

ScalaHosting’s use of OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise is a clear advantage in terms of website speed. These servers are designed for high performance and quick load times. Just Host’s performance levels range from standard for basic plans to high for its Pro plan, but they don’t reach the specialized speeds promised by ScalaHosting’s infrastructure. Enhanced caching in ScalaHosting’s setup further improves site load times, whereas Just Host offers this mainly for dedicated hosting plans.

Scalability

ScalaHosting provides elastic scaling options where resources can be adjusted with a single click, ensuring flexible resource allocation without the need for plan upgrades. On the other hand, Just Host does offer scalable dedicated servers with high-performance SAN storage but does not specify if this happens automatically or requires plan upgrades. The cost for scaling resources on Just Host isn’t mentioned, whereas ScalaHosting offers detailed and flexible pricing for adding or reducing resources based on usage.

🏆 Winner
ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers advanced security measures, comprehensive SSL certificate options, and robust compliance features.

Both Just Host and ScalaHosting, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Just Host uses SiteLock for small business security, providing daily vulnerability scanning, automatic malware removal, and a dynamic security badge. It also includes a web application firewall and various CMS vulnerability patching. ScalaHosting employs the SShield Security System, offering real-time malware protection and on-demand security scans, aiming to block 99.998% of attacks. Both hosts offer SSL certificates, but ScalaHosting provides a wider range with rapid activation and free installation for hosted sites.

Operational security measures:

Just Host provides extensive monitoring services with reputation verification and proactive security vulnerability scanning through SiteLock. It includes email notifications, spam assassin protection, and hotlink protection. ScalaHosting enhances operational security with 24/7 proactive monitoring, disaster recovery backups stored offsite, and inbound/outbound anti-spam tools. ScalaHosting’s additional security measures, such as brute-force protection and a dedicated firewall, demonstrate more robust operational security protocols compared to Just Host.

Compliance and certifications:

Just Host meets GDPR compliance with domain masking and Whois privacy, although PCI compliance is not explicitly mentioned. ScalaHosting offers a broader range of compliance certifications, including NIST, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and EU-US Privacy Shield, ensuring alignment with major security standards. ScalaHosting’s compliance with multiple regulatory requirements gives it an edge in providing a secure hosting environment.

🏆 Winner
ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers robust features that cater to diverse hosting needs with excellent ease of use.

Both Just Host and ScalaHosting provide competitive hosting features, but ScalaHosting stands out with its wider range of PHP versions, customizable PHP.ini editor, and comprehensive control over SSH access management. Just Host, powered by Bluehost, comes with a user-friendly cPanel, which includes a free domain name for a year, unlimited email accounts, a website builder, and a variety of 1-click install options like WordPress and Joomla. This makes it particularly appealing for beginners looking for an all-inclusive package. Moreover, Just Host’s unlimited email accounts and Google/Microsoft advertising credits add considerable value for small businesses aiming to grow their online presence.

ScalaHosting, on the other hand, offers enhanced customization options with its PHP version manager and SSH access management features, catering more to developers and users with specific technical needs. The admin interface includes functionalities like creating, modifying, and managing user accounts, and it provides access to the latest software versions. The availability of multiple datacenters worldwide can appeal to businesses looking for international reach and improved loading times. Lastly, unlike Just Host, ScalaHosting provides a genuinely seamless management experience with its WordPress cloning and staging environments, beneficial for those running complex websites or requiring a safe testing space.

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 Just Host and ScalaHosting 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:

Just Host provides unlimited email accounts with POP3/IMAP support and includes autoresponders and Spam Assassin protection, making it ideal for small businesses and individuals requiring extensive email management. ScalaHosting allows users to add/remove email accounts, forwarders, auto-responders, and more, with an email catch-all feature and customizable disk quotas. This makes ScalaHosting suitable for users needing detailed control over their email services and routine backups without relying on third-party integrations.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting:ScalaHosting offers competitive pricing with a superior range of features designed to meet various hosting 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.

Just Host provides a range of plans for shared, dedicated, and VPS hosting, with options like the Basic Plan starting at $14.99/month for single websites, and their Pro Plan reaching $35.99/month for high-performance needs. ScalaHosting, on the other hand, offers more affordable web hosting options, with their Mini Plan at $2.95/month and complex cloud hosting configurations topping at $94.95/month. ScalaHosting includes numerous features across all plans like free SSL certificates, daily offsite backups, real-time malware protection, and more. Just Host’s shared hosting plans tend to be more expensive and have limitations like capped email accounts and storage on basic plans, whereas ScalaHosting provides unlimited emails and daily backups even on its most affordable plans.

Enterprise plans

For enterprise-level solutions, Just Host offers dedicated plans starting from $79.99/month with up to 15 TB bandwidth and 16 GB RAM, suitable for large-scale businesses requiring high storage and performance. ScalaHosting provides Managed Cloud VPS plans beginning at $29.95/month, which include features like guaranteed resources, full 24/7 management, daily disaster recovery backups, and advanced security measures, rendering it a flexible and comprehensive solution for businesses looking for managed services.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting provides a highly user-friendly experience, especially for beginners, with a streamlined setup and migration process.

Both Just Host and ScalaHosting offer user-friendly admin panels, but their approaches differ. Just Host uses the widely-recognized cPanel, which is known for its intuitive interface and is widely adopted across many hosting providers. cPanel’s familiarity makes it accessible for both technical and non-technical users, offering features such as simple email configurations, domain management, and database administration. On the other hand, ScalaHosting uses its proprietary SPanel, designed to streamline user management in a single interface. SPanel eliminates the need for additional licensing fees and includes tools for managing websites, domains, emails, and databases, offering a straightforward experience for all users, including those without technical expertise.

Comparing migration tools, ScalaHosting stands out with its free website migration service handled by trained technicians, ensuring a hassle-free process for users. Just Host offers basic 1-click script installs through SimpleScripts, facilitating easy installation of popular applications, but does not mention a dedicated free migration service. Users of ScalaHosting can benefit from a comprehensive migration handled entirely by the service’s technicians, promoting convenience and efficiency.

Both providers offer extensive help center resources to support their users. Just Host includes a detailed knowledge base with articles covering various topics such as DNS, email setup, and domain management. It also offers phone, chat, and email support, alongside tutorials. ScalaHosting provides a knowledge base categorized for different services, including SPanel tutorials and getting started guides. The support team is available 24/7 via live chat and ticketing system.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Just Host offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. ScalaHosting 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.

🏆 Winner
ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers extensive user management features suited for various needs and scalability.

When comparing user roles and permissions, both JustHost and ScalaHosting stand out but in different ways. JustHost leverages cPanel, enabling straightforward access and management of user roles such as root access for VPS hosting. It utilizes a single login to manage multiple accounts conveniently. ScalaHosting, on the other hand, provides a more segmented and detailed approach. It allows for the creation and management of specific user roles, adjusting disk quotas, and setting restrictions on various resources. ScalaHosting offers flexibility in modifying user roles and permissions, making it a more granular option for user management.

In terms of user interfaces and tools, JustHost’s cPanel is well-regarded for its intuitive design, making it accessible for beginners. Features like customizing error pages and setting up cron jobs are easily handled. ScalaHosting’s SPanel presents a similarly user-friendly but more feature-rich experience. Users can manage email accounts, domains, and databases with ease, and administrators benefit from tools like API token integration and comprehensive server statistics. The interface design in ScalaHosting ensures efficiency and minimizes the learning curve, making intricate tasks manageable even for those less experienced.

The access control measures and capability to manage growing user bases are where ScalaHosting sets itself apart. JustHost provides essential access controls like SSH and FTP, with a straightforward method to manage multiple accounts under one login. However, ScalaHosting takes this further with options to create additional admin accounts, enforce two-factor authentication, and monitor server health extensively. The ability to suspend, unsuspend, and terminate accounts swiftly, along with resource allocation controls, makes ScalaHosting a highly effective solution for scaling user management.

JustHost user roles table:

ScalaHosting user roles table:

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers an extensive range of hosting services with top-tier customer support available 24/7.

When comparing customer support, ScalaHosting stands out with a higher variety of options. Both providers offer 24/7 phone support, but JustHost provides toll-free phone numbers for the US, extensive chat support, and detailed validation requirements for security. ScalaHosting, however, provides 24/7 technical and abuse support via email, along with live chat and a quick 15-minute response for ticketed support, making it a strong choice for reliable assistance.

ScalaHosting’s customer reviews are highly favorable, adding credibility to its service quality. With a unique promise of free website migration, no downtime, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, it ensures customer satisfaction. Additionally, its data center locations across multiple continents provide excellent options for global users, enhancing accessibility and performance.

Justhost vs ScalaHosting: User feedback

Users appreciate JustHost for its simplicity and ease of use, making it an excellent choice for those new to hosting and cPanel. The interface is intuitive and mirrors that of other major hosting platforms, with reliable performance and minimal outages pre-2020. The introductory pricing offers significant savings, especially with long-term contracts, although the renewal rates are considerably higher. Overall, JustHost remains a solid option, though the price increase after the initial term may be a drawback for those on a tighter budget.

ScalaHosting has earned high praise from users for its exceptional customer support, reliable uptime, and innovative SPanel technology. Many reviews highlight the company’s fast and knowledgeable technical support team, which ensures a smooth and efficient experience for users. While some users feel the pricing could be more competitive, the overall sentiment is that the services offered justify the cost. Users appreciate the platform’s ease of use, robust security features, and the flexibility of hosting solutions, making ScalaHosting a top choice for web hosting needs.

Justhost vs ScalaHosting: FAQ