Directnic vs Leaseweb: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Directnic vs. Leaseweb, 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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  Leaseweb (Overall grade: 8.0)
  
  
  Leaseweb stands out with its extensive range of hosting options, including cloud, VPS, dedicated hosting, and ecommerce hosting. The service excels in providing enterprise-level reliability with a 99.999% core uptime guarantee, backed by globally distributed data centers. Leaseweb’s high-capacity network and proactive incident monitoring ensure strong website performance and data safety. Its servers boast powerful configurations and high bandwidth, making it ideal for high-traffic or resource-intensive websites. However, Leaseweb comes with relatively higher costs and a more complex setup that may suit experienced users better. Customer support is comprehensive, offering multiple channels of contact and enterprise-level services, which further justifies its value for businesses seeking a dependable hosting solution.
  
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  Directnic (Overall grade: 6.8)
  
  
  Directnic offers an appealing entry-level solution with shared hosting plans starting as low as $2.48 per month. It supports small and multimedia-heavy websites with features like easy script installs, free domain registration, extensive email hosting, and a user-friendly cPanel interface. While the 99% uptime guarantee is lower than industry standards, it remains a reasonable choice for personal projects or smaller businesses on a budget. Directnic’s customer support options, including 24/7 live chat and email assistance, add value to its offerings. However, the absence of advanced hosting options like VPS and dedicated servers, combined with less robust operational security features, positions Directnic as a more suitable choice for beginners or those with simpler hosting 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

Section 1: Winner Leaseweb: A higher uptime guarantee and extensive network capacity.

Directnic offers a 99% uptime guarantee, which is below the industry standard. Though most customers are satisfied with its stability, the lower guarantee suggests the possibility of more frequent downtime. On the positive side, Directnic provides 24/7 technical support and offers a range of shared hosting plans with various features at affordable prices. Additional services such as free domain registration and website security tools add value to their offerings.

Section 3:

Leaseweb stands out with a near-flawless 99.999% core uptime guarantee and a high-capacity network. The data centers are globally distributed, providing strong performance and reliability. Leaseweb’s proactive incident monitoring and daily backups ensure quick resolution and data safety. Despite no explicit shared hosting uptime guarantee, actual performance metrics show excellent reliability, making Leaseweb a solid choice for maintaining consistent website availability.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Powerful performance and extensive global reach make Leaseweb the top choice.

When comparing the general performance of Directnic Hosting and Leaseweb, Leaseweb stands out with its high-performance servers featuring up to 64-core CPUs and customizable configurations that include GPU support. In contrast, Directnic Hosting focuses more on user-friendliness with features like cPanel and easy script installs. While Directnic offers a 99% uptime guarantee, Leaseweb takes it further with a 99.999% core uptime and significant bandwidth capacity, making it highly reliable. Directnic offers a CDN to boost website performance, which Leaseweb matches with a global network of 43 points of presence and 29 Internet Exchanges. Furthermore, Leaseweb’s data centers are strategically located worldwide and ISO certified, providing high-speed, extensive coverage.

Website Speed

Leaseweb ensures that websites run without hitches, thanks to its high bandwidth servers and powerful compute resources that offer low latency. With top-tier datacenter hardware and Intel or AMD processors, Leaseweb ensures consistent, high-speed performance. Directnic offers decent speeds with 99% uptime, and its use of a CDN contributes to faster load times. However, Leaseweb’s 10+ Tbps bandwidth capacity and advanced port speeds ranging from 1Gbps to 100Gbps provide exceptional website performance.

Scalability

Scalability with Directnic Hosting requires upgrading to higher plans based on your needs, with a clear tiered structure ranging from Lite Plan to Deluxe Plan. Leaseweb offers more significant elasticity with flexible configuration options and the ability to add GPU support, which caters to more extensive and varying performance needs. Leaseweb provides dedicated servers, but the exact cost to scale can depend on the specific configuration chosen. Directnic’s approach is straightforward, while Leaseweb offers more advanced, customized scaling options.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Leaseweb boasts extensive cybersecurity and regulatory compliance measures, making it a robust choice for secure and compliant hosting needs.

Technical security measures:

Directnic provides robust security options, including SSL certificates at three levels, customizable PHP versions, and a comprehensive Cyber Security Operations Center (CSOC). Leaseweb also offers SSL certificates and combines a Security Information & Event Management (SIEM) system with 24/7 monitoring through its Security Operations Center (SOC). Additionally, Leaseweb provides hardware-based DDoS protection and comprehensive backup solutions, whereas Directnic includes malware protection, a Web Application Firewall (WAF), and 5-layer DDoS protection.

Operational security measures:

Directnic’s operational measures feature constant surveillance, incident handling, real-time intrusion prevention, and a dedicated security analyst. It also offers malware detection, removal, and reverse malware engineering. Leaseweb’s operational security includes penetration testing services via Northwave, 24/7 monitoring, customizable security profiles, and real-time dashboards for threat management.

Compliance and certifications:

Leaseweb meets GDPR and PCI requirements, ensuring secure handling of personal and payment card data. Directnic lacks specified information on GDPR compliance and doesn’t mention PCI compliance details, giving Leaseweb an edge in regulatory adherence.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Leaseweb offers a more comprehensive set of features and better reliability compared to Directnic Hosting.

When weighing the hosting options of Directnic and Leaseweb, several key points emerge that could influence a user’s decision. Directnic Hosting provides attractive entry prices with its plans starting at just $2.48/month, which includes a host of features such as free domain registration, email accounts, and an industry-standard cPanel. Their plans escalate in resources and FTP accounts, making it a potential fit for smaller websites or personal projects. However, Directnic does not explicitly mention the availability of SSH, a potential drawback for developers seeking robust server control.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, leans toward offering premium services with a starting price of €5.99/month (excluding VAT) and focuses heavily on server reliability with a promise of 100% uptime for VPS hosting users. Their hosting plans come with SSD storage, which can boost site performance. Leaseweb’s use of Plesk and root/admin access suggests a more developer-friendly environment, ideal for those requiring high customization and fine-grained control over their hosting environment. Additionally, Leaseweb’s comprehensive VPS packages with DDoS protection, scalability options, and a variety of operating systems provide a robust solution for businesses aiming to scale up.

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 Directnic and Leaseweb 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:

Directnic offers email hosting as part of all its plans, with an increasing number of POP3 email accounts as you move up the tier. This makes it suitable for small businesses needing basic email functionalities. Leaseweb provides mailbox hosting as part of each plan and supports up to 250 mailboxes in their largest plan. For those who require email services for larger teams or client communications, Leaseweb may offer more capacity and flexibility. Neither provider explicitly mentions third-party email services like Google Workspace or Outlook.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: A hosting provider distinguished by its diverse range of plans and high-performing features suitable for various business 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.

Directnic and Leaseweb offer distinct pricing plans, with each providing a variety of dedicated hosting and additional services. Directnic’s pricing starts as low as $2.48 per month for its entry-level Lite Plan, featuring 10GB Disk Space and limited data transfer, while its Deluxe Plan caps at $7.98 per month boasting up to 200GB Disk Space. On the other hand, Leaseweb’s Web Hosting Small – Linux starts at €5.99 per month and offers 25GB SSD with 10 mailboxes, making it a versatile option for web hosting needs. Leaseweb’s higher-tier hosting plans offer substantial SSD storage and MYSQL databases at competitive prices, with its dedicated servers providing flexible configurations and robust traffic options. Comparing their site builder options, Directnic’s Sitebuilder Business at $35.99 per month provides extensive features including unlimited products and SSL security, while Leaseweb focuses more on VPS and cloud solutions, offering scalability and 100% availability.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises seeking comprehensive hosting solutions, Directnic offers plans such as the Deluxe Plan and the Sitebuilder Business, which provide extensive resources, multiple features, and enhanced security. Leaseweb, on the other hand, excels with its dedicated server options like the Intel Octa-Core Xeon E-2388G plan priced at $203.69 monthly, offering immense RAM and SSD storage for high-traffic requirements, complemented by extensive cloud solutions and flexible SLAs.

🏆 Winner Directnic: Offers a more user-friendly experience, especially for those who need help building or migrating a website.

Directnic utilizes cPanel, a standard and widely-used control panel known for its intuitive interface that caters to both technical and non-technical users. This familiar environment makes it straightforward to manage website-related tasks, from setting up email accounts to adding domains. To further simplify the experience for beginners, Directnic offers a drag-and-drop website builder through SiteBuilder by Weebly, which provides pre-designed templates and e-commerce options. For added functionalities, the easy script installations are a convenient feature.

On the other hand, Leaseweb focuses on providing a robust customer portal and API access for managing their hosting services. Although it doesn’t specify using an industry-standard like cPanel, Leaseweb’s emphasis on a structured account setup process and extensive customer portal documentation indicates a tailored solution. Technical users may appreciate the detailed onboarding and API management, though the lack of common admin panel mentions may be less appealing to those seeking a more user-friendly, widely-recognized interface.

Both Directnic and Leaseweb offer migration tools, but Directnic’s approach seems more beginner-friendly with easy script installations that help automate parts of the migration process. Leaseweb, with its extensive list of services and products, appears more suited for complex migrations that require manual input, which may be better suited for users with higher technical skills. The information does not clearly state whether these services are free or paid.

Directnic’s help center is very accessible, offering a comprehensive knowledge base with straightforward articles covering a wide range of common issues. The 24/7 customer support and Trouble Ticket System provide additional layers of assistance. Leaseweb’s help center is extensive as well, covering a broad range of topics through detailed articles and FAQs. They offer multiple contact options, including live chat and email, to assist their users.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: This hosting provider offers a variety of tools and options for managing server infrastructure and user roles.

When comparing directnic and Leaseweb’s abilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility, it’s clear that Leaseweb provides more sophisticated options. Directnic’s user management features are not detailed, making it difficult to assess their capabilities. Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta which include user management features. These control panels are widely used for managing user roles and permissions, offering flexibility in defining what each user can or cannot do. Leaseweb’s Customer Portal and API also imply the possibility of granular control, facilitating efficient and flexible user management. Directnic remains less defined, offering no specific information about user roles and permissions.

When it comes to user interfaces and tools for managing users, Leaseweb provides multiple control panels, each known for their user-friendly interfaces. Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta offer intuitive dashboards and a variety of tools that streamline user management tasks. The Leaseweb Customer Portal provides another layer of management, likely featuring an accessible interface based on industry standards. Directnic’s user interface and tools remain undefined, offering no insight into their usability or range of features.

Assessing the effectiveness of access control measures and the capability to manage a growing number of users, Leaseweb again stands out. Control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta are known for robust access control functionalities, including multi-user access and role-based permissions. These control panels are commonly used in environments requiring stringent security and scalable user management. The Leaseweb Customer Portal and API further enhance control measures, likely accommodating an increasing user base efficiently. Without specific information, it’s challenging to rate directnic in this aspect.

Leaseweb user roles table:

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: With superior customer service options and a wider range of support plans, Leaseweb stands out as a more reliable hosting provider.

Directnic and Leaseweb both offer extensive customer support options. Directnic provides 24/7 availability via live chat, email, and a ticket system, with phone support available during standard working hours. They also offer a comprehensive knowledge base, video tutorials, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, Directnic lacks advanced hosting options and has only a 99% uptime guarantee, which some customers have criticized for server reliability.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers a more extensive array of customer support options, including multiple languages, detailed SLA-based response times, and a broad range of advanced support services such as remote hands and 24/7 monitoring. Leaseweb’s customer support can be accessed via live chat, email, ticket, phone, and even fax, with additional enterprise support options like priority support and dedicated agents, making it a more attractive option for businesses requiring reliable hosting solutions.

User feedback

The hosting provider has a long-standing presence in the industry, which has contributed to a stable domain registration experience for some users. However, there have been significant issues with domain security breaches and slow response times for resolving these problems. Additionally, the server performance is reported to be slow, and customer support is not highly rated. Overall, the service has received average feedback, and some users would not recommend it.

The hosting provider excels in offering comprehensive services with impressive billing and contract flexibility, making it easier for businesses to manage their finances. Users appreciate the choice between “Volume” and “Premium” network options, which cater to different performance needs, and find the support and user interface to be intuitive and straightforward. However, customers have raised concerns about high charges for excess traffic, restrictive password policies, inconvenient login procedures, limited payment gateways, and a lack of variety in available system distributions. Overall, while the service is robust and user-friendly, there are areas in need of improvement to enhance the customer experience.

FAQ