Rochen vs Gandi.net: guide for 2024

Rochen vs Gandi.net: Final verdict

Looking over Rochen vs. Gandi.net, 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.

• 
  Gandi.net (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  offers a variety of hosting types, including shared, cloud, and WordPress hosting, suited for users looking for flexibility and structured hosting plans. This service is ideal for high-traffic websites and users requiring elastic scalability via plan upgrades. However, Gandi.net lacks the advanced speed technologies found in Rochen and provides only fundamental performance optimizations. Its global data center footprint is limited compared to Rochen, although it boasts a higher uptime guarantee supported by multiple geographic locations. The platform’s user management tools and multilingual support also make it appealing for multinational resellers and corporate clients.
• 
  Rochen (Overall grade: 8.5)
  
  excels with its high-speed technologies such as SSD NVMe storage, LiteSpeed Enterprise Web Server, HTTP/3, and QUIC, ensuring superior load times and reliability for WordPress, ecommerce, and multimedia-heavy websites. It features robust operational security measures and free migrations for up to 10 websites, making transitions smoother. Rochen’s extensive developer-friendly tools and comprehensive security options provide a seamless user experience, though it does not offer shared or cloud hosting, limiting options for some user types. Despite slightly higher pricing, Rochen’s advanced performance features and numerous free services make it a highly competitive choice.

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
Gandi.net: Offers an impressive uptime and availability standard for web hosting.

Gandi.net claims a 99.95% uptime guarantee, which is supported by near 100% performance during testing. With data centers spread across multiple locations like France, Luxembourg, Taipei, and San Francisco, the hosting provider ensures geographic redundancy and reliability. Additionally, if their uptime falls below the guarantee, customers receive credits equivalent to an entire day of hosting, demonstrating their commitment to service reliability.

On the other hand, Rochen offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee and extends a 100% uptime SLA for Dedicated VMs, along with 100% network and power availability, buttressed by proactive 24/7 infrastructure monitoring. While both providers offer substantial uptime guarantees and support channels, Gandi.net takes the edge with a higher uptime percentage and diversified global data center locations.

🏆 Winner
Rochen: Offers top-tier performance with advanced speed technologies.

Rochen outperforms Gandi.net in several key areas. Rochen’s focus on high-speed technologies, such as SSD NVMe storage and LiteSpeed Enterprise Web Server, ensures lightning-fast load times and high reliability. HTTP/3 and QUIC further enhance the performance. On the other hand, Gandi.net provides structured hosting plans with a variety of features like free domain registration, automated installations, and dedicated resources per plan, but lacks the advanced performance features of Rochen. Additionally, Gandi.net has a limited number of data centers located in Europe, while Rochen provides a more expansive global data center footprint.

Website Speed

Rochen’s hosting speed is exceptional thanks to the combination of SSD NVMe storage and LiteSpeed Enterprise Web Server, resulting in superior load times and enhanced PageSpeed scores. LiteSpeed caching and HTTP/3 technology make website performance even better. Gandi.net, while having Varnish Cache for improved load times, does not match the advanced speed technologies offered by Rochen. Gandi.net relies on more straightforward performance optimizations, which falls short in comparison.

Scalability

Scalability in Rochen is not detailed, but its advanced technology suggests a seamless upgrade process. Gandi.net offers elastic scaling only via plan upgrades, making it less flexible. Gandi.net’s plans, ranging from Starter to Business, show clear steps for scaling but don’t offer automatic scaling options. The pricing for scaling is straightforward with Gandi.net, but the cost implications for scaling Rochen are unknown. Both offer dedicated servers for improved performance, with Gandi.net also including the option to boost hosting power temporarily.

🏆 Winner Rochen: Comprehensive security features ensure robust hosting services.

Both Rochen and Gandi.net, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Rochen offers a free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with automatic renewal for all plans, and options for GeoTrust SSL starting at $49.95. Gandi.net provides a wider variety of SSL certificates, including free SSL certificates and higher-level options such as Professional and Business SSL certificates. In terms of PHP versions, Rochen supports a broader range encompassing PHP 8.3, 8.0, and multiple legacy versions, while Gandi.net supports PHP 8.2. Rochen utilizes AWS infrastructure and Imunify360 for real-time malware protection, whereas Gandi.net offers Anycast DNS with DNSSEC and Varnish Cache for security and performance. Both feature daily backups and proactive malware protection.

Operational security measures:

Rochen’s operational security measures include 24/7 proactive server monitoring and auto daily backups with free restores, combined with proactive malware defense and manual cleanups. Gandi.net excels with features like Two-Factor Authentication and advanced DNS protection. Additionally, Rochen includes managed server security and network redundancy to ensure high availability, while Gandi.net adds Hosting Booster for managing traffic peaks and snapshots for easy recovery of website files. Both providers ensure user data security through various advanced techniques.

Compliance and certifications:

Rochen is fully compliant with GDPR through proactive steps like new Privacy Notices and dedicated privacy contacts. It also boasts physical security certifications such as SSAE 18 SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001 at its data centers. Gandi.net ensures GDPR compliance by hosting data in Europe and provides secure Professional and Business SSL certificates for transactions, though PCI Compliance details are not specified for either host.

🏆 Winner Rochen: A robust hosting solution offering extensive features and developer-friendly tools.

Rochen and Gandi.net both offer several valuable features for different types of website hosting needs. Rochen stands out for its comprehensive set of developer-friendly features like SSH and SFTP access, Git and SVN, and a wide range of PHP versions. It also offers extensive security features, including malware scanning and proactive defense, which ensures a secure environment for your site. On the other hand, Gandi.net provides unlimited free and auto-renewed SSL certificates, Anycast DNS with DNSSEC, and automatic installations of popular CMS platforms like WordPress and Prestashop. This makes it more user-friendly for individuals looking for simple, automated setups.

When choosing a hosting provider, free services and additional fees play a crucial role. Rochen’s plans come with unmetered premium data transfer, automatic daily backups, and free backup restores, along with a 30-day money-back guarantee. These features eliminate potential additional costs and offer peace of mind. Gandi.net offers free high-performance DNS and unlimited SSL certificates, but lacks specific details on email hosting features and does not provide a money-back guarantee. Domain registration and transfer options with Rochen can also influence decisions as they offer optional services along with complete email hosting solutions.

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 Rochen and Gandi.net 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:

Rochen offers a complete email hosting service, allowing users to manage their email campaigns and corresponding setup with ease. Additionally, their spam filtering service helps ensure your communication remains secure. Gandi.net similarly provides email hosting solutions, but their scope is more focused on email aliases and forwarding, without detailed information about third-party email reselling options. Both hosting providers support transactional email capabilities suited for most business needs.

🏆 Winner Rochen:Offers various hosting plans for different platforms with exceptional storage and unmetered data transfer at competitive prices.

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.

Rochen and Gandi.net offer diverse hosting plans catering to different types of websites and usage requirements. Rochen’s plans are categorized based on CMS platforms such as Magento, Drupal, Joomla, and WordPress, offering substantial storage and unmetered premium data transfer. Gandi.net focuses on more generalized hosting solutions, including free domain names and SSL certificates. Rochen generally offers cheaper monthly pricing on higher-tier plans with more substantial storage, while Gandi.net includes a domain name across all plans and varied database technologies to support multiple languages.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, Rochen offers the Reseller plan, which allows hosting up to 50 websites with 80GB SSD storage, unmetered data transfer, unlimited subdomains, and robust site staging options. Gandi.net’s Business plan supports 15 or more websites with 200GB storage and up to ~5,000,000 visits per month. Both plans include free domain names and SSL certificates, but Gandi.net provides more storage capacity and higher site traffic limits. Rochen offers more extensive options perfect for hosting large quantities of websites but with comparatively lesser storage.

🏆 Winner Rochen: Known for its quick and efficient setup options.

Rochen utilizes a standard cPanel interface, which is well-known for its user-friendliness. Users can manage various aspects of their hosting environment, including domains, databases, and email accounts, all from one centralized location. The interface’s familiarity proves advantageous for those transitioning from other hosts as they can easily navigate the features without a steep learning curve. With the addition of the BoldGrid Site Builder for WordPress, even non-technical users can set up a professional-looking site quickly, making it a versatile tool for various needs.

Conversely, Gandi.net offers a centralized interface that combines domain registration, hosting, and CMS management all in one place. This can be seen as both a pro and a con; robust integration simplifies management but might overwhelm users unfamiliar with such an all-in-one approach. However, it does streamline the process for users who prefer consolidated management. Gandi’s interface aims to simplify the setup process, particularly for WordPress sites, by automating most tasks. This makes it feasible for users with minimal technical expertise to get their websites up and running swiftly.

Rochen offers free migration services for up to 10 websites, with migrations typically completed within 24 hours. This service can be highly beneficial for users looking to transfer their existing sites without downtime or complications. Gandi.net, on the other hand, does not specify migration services that are as comprehensive. While Gandi automates the installation of various CMSs and domain management, they don’t highlight free migration assistance, which could mean additional costs or manual work for the user.

Rochen’s help center is extensive, offering articles and guides on a wide range of topics, from basic setup to advanced management tasks. This comprehensive knowledge base is accessible through the My Rochen portal and includes resources for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. Gandi.net also provides a broad range of documentation and offers customer support through tickets and live chat, available in multiple languages. However, the slightly lower score suggests that Rochen might offer more accessible or detailed resources.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Rochen offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Gandi.net 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
Gandi.net: Gandi.net offers comprehensive user management tools and enhanced flexibility.

Gandi.net and Rochen both provide user management solutions, but the details available for Gandi.net highlight more specific features. With Gandi.net, administrators have full control over their data and are given the means to manage permissions via an intuitive user management interface or by sharing links for less sensitive files. While Rochen’s specific abilities in managing user roles and permissions are not detailed, Gandi.net’s flexibility allows for detailed role assignments and permissions through the Nextcloud admin interface, offering a higher level of customization and control.

Gandi.net’s user interface includes tools tailored for managing users effectively. It allows administrators to delegate permissions and manage data sharing efficiently. Gandi.net’s interface is supported by features like unlimited aliases and auto-renewed SSL certificates that enhance the overall user experience. The platform’s integration with Nextcloud ensures that user management remains straightforward, even for those who are not tech-savvy.

Access control is crucial for hosting providers, and Gandi.net excels in this area with features such as Anycast DNS with DNSSEC and snapshots for data protection. The platform can handle a growing number of users efficiently, thanks to its scalable design and the availability of a hosting booster for higher-tier plans. The combination of robust** tools, user-friendly interfaces, and comprehensive support available in multiple languages ensures that Gandi.net can manage large user bases securely.

Gandi.net user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Gandi.net: Offering multilingual support and higher availability for resellers and corporate services, Gandi.net caters comprehensively to their customers.

Both Rochen and Gandi.net provide extensive customer support, but there are key differences. Rochen offers 24/7 support through various methods like email and support tickets, with a response time of 15 minutes. Gandi.net’s support is available 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, with specialized support for resellers and corporate clients, including a dedicated account manager. Gandi.net supports multiple languages and has an automatic WordPress installation feature.

Rochen emphasizes swift ticket responses and proactive server monitoring. They offer free website migrations and are eco-friendly through their partnership with Green Mountain Energy. Meanwhile, Gandi.net excels with a centralized interface for managing WordPress hosting and includes powerful hosting configurations. The availability of additional storage and flexible computing power enhances their service appeal. Although both excel in customer support, Gandi.net’s higher availability, multilingual support, and specialized services give them the edge.

Rochen vs Gandi.net: User feedback

Users appreciate Rochen for its seamless and efficient website migration service and the reliability offered by its US and UK data centers. The experience is generally smooth and hassle-free, making it a preferred choice for many. On the downside, some users find the customer support lacking due to its limited availability via email and the response time being slow. Additionally, the pricing is considered slightly higher than expected.

User feedback for this hosting provider is generally positive, with users appreciating the easy and straightforward domain registration process, a user-friendly interface, and competitive pricing on unique domain extensions. Customers value the company’s focus on privacy protection and steady performance without pushy upselling tactics. However, some users have experienced significant issues, such as paying for already-owned domains without receiving refunds, instances of confusing billing processes, and a lack of sufficient customer support. While some find the user interface to be intuitive, others criticize it for being cluttered and difficult to navigate, especially on mobile devices.

Rochen vs Gandi.net: FAQ