Flywheel vs Justhost: guide for 2024

Flywheel vs Justhost: Final verdict

Looking over Flywheel vs. JustHost, both hosting providers cater to different needs with their own strengths and weaknesses.

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  Flywheel (Overall grade: 8.4)
  
  
  is an excellent choice for managed WordPress hosting, offering superior uptime, advanced security features, and tools specifically designed for developers and agencies. Its tailored controls and environment for WordPress provide exceptional performance and scalability, and its customer support is highly rated. However, it does not offer certain hosting types like shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting, which might be necessary for some users.
  
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  JustHost (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  
  offers a more traditional and flexible hosting experience with a wide range of plans, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. It is an attractive choice for beginners and those looking for an introductory hosting service with affordable pricing. While it provides good reliability and a user-friendly interface, it falls short in specialized performance and security features compared to Flywheel, and some users might find its customer support and regular pricing less appealing.
  

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 Flywheel: Exceptional uptime and fast response times make Flywheel the superior hosting provider.

Flywheel guarantees a 99.9% uptime and has actual performance metrics showing 100% uptime over a monitored two-week period. The response time averages 371ms, significantly below the industry average. Flywheel supports its customers with 24/7/365 support via chat, email tickets, and phone for high-spending customers. It operates from multiple server locations and provides a 60-day money-back guarantee.

JustHost offers a 99.95% uptime over 12 months with no compensation for downtime. The average response time was recorded at 971ms, which is slower than recommended. While customer support is available 24/7, dedicated phone support is limited to specific plans and customer feedback on live chat and ticketing is mixed. JustHost runs weekly backups automatically only for premium plans and has a single data center in Utah.

🏆 Winner
Flywheel: Superior performance and managed services for WordPress hosting.

When comparing the general performance of Flywheel and Just Host, it’s clear that Flywheel boasts faster speeds due to its Flywheel Cloud Platform, designed explicitly to optimize WordPress sites. Flywheel handles caching at the server level and employs Fastly CDN, resulting in quick load times and reduced latency. Additionally, Flywheel provides dedicated resources and uses compute-optimized dedicated servers, especially beneficial for WooCommerce sites. Just Host, while offering high-performance quad processor servers and enhanced caching for dedicated hosting, provides more generalized performance across its plans. It lacks the specialized CDN integration that Flywheel offers and has fewer performance-focused features.

Website Speed

Flywheel shines in website speed through its managed caching and high-speed servers. With no need for extra plugins, its Performance Insights Add-on offers monthly reports to ensure your site runs optimally. FlyCache handles caching exclusions for common WordPress elements to maintain speed. Just Host offers standard performance for most plans, with only their Pro Plan providing high performance. They do feature write-back caching for dedicated hosting, but this is a limited option compared to Flywheel’s consistent performance enhancements across all plans.

Scalability

Flywheel offers flexibility with custom-built plans for high-traffic sites and provides compute-optimized dedicated servers, especially useful for scaling eCommerce platforms. Overages are handled on a per-usage basis, making it adaptable, but users will need to opt for higher plans if continuous scaling is needed. Just Host allows VPS and dedicated hosting with guaranteed resources and root access, which come provisioned instantly. However, the cost and specific scaling options are not detailed, unlike Flywheel’s more transparent and customizable approach to scaling.

Overall, Flywheel stands out as the superior choice for those prioritizing performance and scalability, especially for WordPress-centric needs.

🏆 Winner Flywheel: Provides a wide array of advanced security features and compliance measures.

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

Technical Security Measures:

Flywheel offers PHP 8.1, ensuring compatibility with recent PHP features and security updates, while Just Host supports PHP 5 and 7. Both Flywheel and Just Host include SSL certificates with their plans, and support third-party SSL certificates. Flywheel employs a sophisticated Web Application Firewall (WAF) by Fastly, with intelligent IP blocking and auto-healing technology. In contrast, Just Host’s SiteLock scans for vulnerabilities and removes malware but lacks intelligent IP blocking and auto-healing functionalities. Flywheel’s nightly backups stored for 30 days surpass the basic daily scans provided by Just Host.

Operational Security Measures:

Flywheel ensures excellent operational security with plugin security alerts, free malware removal, and a role-based permission model. Just Host offers SiteLock’s comprehensive scanning and includes spam protection through Spam Assassin, along with custom .htaccess support. Flywheel provides 24/7/365 support and free migrations, contrasting with Just Host’s general availability of phone support with average wait times and certain geographical limitations. Additionally, Flywheel uses federated identity services for streamlined user authentication, an operational feature not specified for Just Host.

Compliance and Certifications:

Flywheel meets multiple regulatory requirements including HIPAA, GDPR, 21 CFR Part 11, GCP, and SOC 2 audit certification, covering a wider range of compliance needs than Just Host. Just Host mentions GDPR compliance but does not indicate specific measures for HIPAA or PCI compliance. Flywheel’s extensive certification highlights its commitment to high security and compliance standards compared to Just Host.

🏆 Winner
Flywheel: A versatile managed WordPress hosting provider offering robust tools for developers and agencies.

Flywheel and Just Host have different strengths when catering to users’ hosting needs. Flywheel focuses on managed WordPress hosting with features like free migrations, managed security, and nightly backups, making it ideal for WordPress enthusiasts and professionals. Flywheel’s user-friendly Local Development Environment and Blueprints tool allow for streamlined site creation and customization, while their Free SSL Certificate and CDN support enhance website performance and security. Just Host, powered by Bluehost, provides a more traditional hosting experience with an emphasis on flexibility and numerous free services. It includes a free domain name for the first year, unlimited email accounts, and a drag-and-drop website builder that simplifies the process of building a website. However, it lacks the depth of WordPress-specific features that Flywheel offers.

One of Flywheel’s unique selling points is its array of developer-centric tools, such as site cloning, SSH Gateway, and Google Analytics integration. These cater to agencies and freelancers who need powerful tools to manage multiple client sites efficiently. Another benefit of Flywheel is its 24/7 chat support and managed plugin updates, although these come with additional fees. Conversely, Just Host offers unmetered disk space and bandwidth, making it attractive to users with large or multiple websites. It also provides several 1-click installs for popular applications like Joomla and Magento, making it a versatile choice for users who might need other CMS options. Just Host’s affordability and wide range of free marketing tools, including $100 Google AdWords and Microsoft Advertising credits, could appeal to those looking to increase their site traffic without additional costs.

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 Flywheel and Just Host 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:

Flywheel does not offer any email hosting services, preferring to recommend providers like Google Apps. Just Host, on the other hand, includes unlimited email accounts with support for POP3/IMAP, allowing users to set up their own email campaigns and manage their communications directly from their hosting package. This clear differentiation makes Just Host a more convenient choice for users who require integrated email functionality.

🏆 Winner
Just Host: Reliable and versatile hosting provider with a wide range of plans meeting various 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.

Flywheel’s WordPress hosting plans range from $13/month for the Tiny Plan to custom pricing for enterprise-level needs, including up to 30+ sites and millions of monthly visits. Just Host offers Shared, VPS, and Dedicated hosting plans with prices ranging from $14.99/month for the Basic Plan to $119.99/month for the Ultimate VPS plan. Flywheel is tailored for WordPress with a focus on optimized performance and security features, while Just Host provides a broader range of hosting services, including unmetered bandwidth and free domain names that cater to a diverse set of customers. Flywheel excels at managed WordPress-specific services, offering premium features like performance insights and managed plugin updates as add-ons. Just Host’s plans are more varied, providing flexibility with different tiers in shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting, ensuring comprehensive coverage for various business sizes and needs.

Enterprise plans

Flywheel’s Agency and Custom Plans are suitable for enterprises, offering up to 30 or more sites and custom configurations in terms of storage and bandwidth. Their plans focus on premium WordPress-specific features with strong support options. Just Host provides the Pro Plan for shared hosting and Premium Plan for dedicated hosting, both with unlimited websites and unmetered bandwidth. These plans include advanced security features and automated backups, making them versatile for larger businesses needing reliable and scalable solutions.

🏆 Winner
Flywheel: Streamlined initial setup with multiple user-friendly tools.

Flywheel offers a customized control panel designed to simplify the user experience, especially for those managing multiple WordPress sites. Its interface allows for easy navigation with features such as site cloning, staging sites, and a local development environment. These features are beneficial for both novice users and seasoned developers. The admin panel is highly intuitive, offering seamless site management without overwhelming users with technical jargon.

On the other hand, Just Host utilizes the industry-standard cPanel, which is well-known for its reliability and comprehensiveness. cPanel’s familiarity can be a significant advantage for users who are used to traditional web hosting environments. The interface is user-friendly, enabling easy management of email accounts, domains, and databases. While it is very accessible, it might come off as too conventional compared to the more targeted and refined Flywheel panel, which primarily aims to cater to WordPress users.

Both Flywheel and Just Host provide free migration services, making the transition to their platforms hassle-free. Flywheel shines with its Migration Dashboard, where users can submit, prioritize, and monitor their migration process. This feature is particularly advantageous for users managing multiple sites. Just Host, meanwhile, offers manual migration through its cPanel interface and a script library for easy installations. While effective, Just Host’s process might require more user intervention compared to Flywheel’s automated and streamlined approach.

The quality and accessibility of support resources vary notably between the two providers. Flywheel’s help center is comprehensive, featuring 24/7/365 chat support, phone support, and detailed help docs that cover various topics relevant to site management and development. Moreover, Flywheel offers additional resources like blogs, eBooks, and performance insights for an enhanced user experience. Just Host’s help center includes a knowledge base with articles, popular help content, and tutorials. They also provide phone, chat, and email support to address different user needs. Both providers have their help centers accessible online.

🏆 Winner Flywheel: Offers comprehensive collaborator access and user role management capabilities.

Flywheel and JustHost offer different approaches to user management and roles. Flywheel provides extensive collaborator access, effectively granting collaborators nearly identical permissions to site owners, except for critical billing and site modification functionalities. This high level of access, including SFTP, database management, and WordPress admin access via Seamless Login, contrasts with JustHost’s straightforward but less granular cPanel control. JustHost’s cPanel interface allows users to manage multiple accounts and grants advanced permissions like root access for VPS hosting, but it does not specify a system of roles comparable to Flywheel’s collaborators.

Flywheel’s user management is centered around its collaborative features, using an intuitive dashboard interface which enables easy addition and removal of collaborators. This dashboard simplifies site management through a well-organized list of collaborators and accessible menus. Conversely, JustHost relies heavily on its enhanced cPanel for user management, which, while user-friendly, may lack the more specific roles and streamlined collaboration tools offered by Flywheel. JustHost’s interface offers customization options and advanced administrative controls but can be less accessible for collaborative environments.

In managing access control, Flywheel focuses on seamless integration and efficient handling of collaborators. Its access measures, like SFTP and WP Admin access, are designed to ensure that collaborators can effectively manage the site without overstepping critical boundaries. Flywheel supports growth by allowing collaborators to add or remove others, ensuring a scalable user management approach. JustHost’s cPanel provides a comprehensive set of admin tools and root access options, making it suitable for advanced users and larger setups. However, for a growing team needing streamlined collaborative management, Flywheel’s approach may offer smoother operations.

Flywheel user roles table:

JustHost user roles table:

🏆 Winner Flywheel: Flywheel provides exceptional customer service with 24/7 availability, dedicated account management, and comprehensive support resources.

Flywheel offers around-the-clock chat support coupled with phone support available during business hours. Their email/ticket support can handle complex inquiries, and they provide a dedicated account manager for priority assistance. Flywheel’s customers also benefit from a 60-day money-back guarantee on many plans, free site migrations, and automated backups. The added resources such as eBooks, knowledge base articles, and a 14-day free demo site further enhance their customer service experience.

JustHost delivers 24/7 support across phone, chat, and email. Their 30-day money-back guarantee applies to hosting services, enhancing credibility and customer trust. With attractive features such as free domain registration for a year on qualifying plans, JustHost remains a reliable option. However, the biggest drawback is the absence of advanced support options like a dedicated account manager. This can be a deciding factor for businesses needing more personalized support.

Flywheel vs Justhost: User feedback

Flywheel is highly regarded for its intuitive user interface, efficient WordPress management, and reliable speed and performance. Customers appreciate the ease of site migration, robust support, and included features like SSL and backups. However, some users highlight concerns over recent pricing changes, slower customer service response times, and issues with email limits and staging environments. Despite a few drawbacks, Flywheel is praised for its agency-oriented focus, making it a strong choice for professionals managing multiple client websites.

JustHost is praised for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a great option for beginners wanting to learn more about hosting and cPanel. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and reliable performance with minimal outages. The introductory pricing is highly attractive, offering significant savings for long-term commitments. However, some users feel that the regular pricing after the initial period can be steep, though still competitive.

Flywheel vs Justhost: FAQ