Final verdict
Looking over Domain.com vs. Hivelocity, 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.
-
Hivelocity (Overall grade: 7.7)
stands out with its robust uptime record and exceptional managed services. Their strategic data center locations and high-end server hardware ensure top-tier performance and reliability. The comprehensive security measures, including proactive malware scanning and firewall hardening, provide an added layer of protection. Hivelocity also excels in scalability, simplifying server management with a variety of control panel options and 24/7 proactive support. While it does not offer shared or email hosting, its focus on dedicated solutions and global infrastructure makes it ideal for demanding websites and businesses requiring robust performance and stringent security.
Domain.com (Overall grade: 6.2)
offers a user-friendly experience with its straightforward control panel and drag-and-drop website builder, making it suitable for beginners and small to midsize projects. Its free domain service for the first year and consistent pricing plans provide cost-effective solutions. However, it lacks the detailed infrastructure transparency and performance of its competitor. While Domain.com includes important features like unmetered bandwidth and SSL certificates, its slower response times and limited hosting types may not meet the needs of high-traffic or multimedia-heavy websites. This provider is beneficial for agencies and ecommerce businesses prioritizing long-term stability over high-intensity performance.
 Overall grade:6.2 |
 Overall grade:7.7 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Uptime and Availability | 3.1 | 9.8 |
| Hosting Performance | 4.1 | 7.0 |
| Hosting Security | 7.9 | 8.7 |
| Price | 7.6 | 8.7 |
| Hosting Features | 4.5 | 2.5 |
| Ease Of Setup | 7.8 | 8.5 |
| User Management | 7.2 | 6.9 |
| Customer Support | 7.8 | 9.5 |
| User feedback | 3.2/5 | 4.9/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
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|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | ||
| Cloud hosting | ||
| WordPress hosting | ||
| Ecommerce hosting | ||
| VPS hosting | ||
| Dedicated hosting |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
features, making it a better choice for businesses that prioritize long-term growth and stability in
their ecommerce endeavors.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
3.1
9.8
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Offers exceptional uptime and reliability for hosting services.
Hivelocity outperforms Domain.com in both uptime and actual performance. Hivelocity delivers a 99.99% uptime guarantee and has an impressive record of 100% uptime since 2011. On the other hand, Domain.com claims a 99.99% uptime but has shown significantly lower actual performance, with tests reporting an uptime between 98% and 99.11%.
Domain.com’s average response time of 2.97 seconds is noticeably slower compared to Hivelocity’s efficient and consistent network performance. Hivelocity’s data centers are strategically located and equipped with high redundancy measures, while Domain.com lacks transparent information about their data center locations. In terms of uptime reliability, Hivelocity stands as the clear winner.
Hosting performance
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
4.1
7.0
🏆 Winner Hivelocity: Comprehensive uptime and managed services.
When comparing the general performance of Domain.com and Hivelocity, Hivelocity stands out with its 100% power uptime and robust self-healing international network. Their data centers span six continents, and their servers are equipped with high-end hardware including Intel and AMD processors coupled with high memory and SSD storage. Domain.com offers a respectable 99% uptime with scalable bandwidth and unlimited storage in their premium plans. However, they lack the same global server presence and instantaneous server deployment that Hivelocity provides. Both hosts offer SSL certificates and malware scanning, but Hivelocity additionally offers advanced features such as proactive security updates and DDoS protection.
Website Speed
Hivelocity provides top-tier website speed with instant deployment and high RAM and CPU options. Their servers benefit from premium Tier-1 carriers, reducing latencies and ensuring faster load times. Domain.com offers decent speed for smaller sites with unmetered bandwidth and a scalable approach, but their hardware specs are not as detailed. Both use SSD storage to enhance website speed, but Hivelocity’s high-end infrastructure gives it the edge for more demanding websites.
Scalability
Hivelocity excels in scalability with its custom solutions, allowing seamless adjustments according to traffic demands. They offer dedicated servers and private clouds, although specific pricing information on scale costs remains unclear. Domain.com offers scalable bandwidth and upgrades within shared hosting plans, but transitioning to higher performance needs might require manual intervention and plan upgrades. In essence, Hivelocity provides a more flexible and dynamic scaling solution.
Hosting security
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
7.9
8.7
🏆 Winner Hivelocity Hosting: Offering advanced encryption, firewall hardening, and comprehensive compliance measures.
Both Domain.com and Hivelocity Hosting, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
Domain.com and Hivelocity Hosting both provide robust SSL certificate options. Domain.com offers Domain Validated, Organization Validated, E-commerce, and Wildcard SSLs with warranties ranging up to $1,750,000. Hivelocity’s SSL certificates include Basic SSL, Business SSL, and Premium SSL, with premium features such as dynamic site seals and comprehensive vetting processes. While both hostings offer DDoS protection and malware scanning, Hivelocity also adds proactive malware scanning with Maldet and brute force detection using cpHulk. Hivelocity’s firewall hardening and optimization, including ConfigServerFirewall (CSF), add an extra layer of granular control and threat detection.
Operational security measures:
Domain.com includes SiteLock Security in higher-tier plans for automatic malware removal, continuous scanning, and a web application firewall. Hivelocity, on the other hand, has more extensive operational measures like 24/7 monitoring, hardware health diagnostics, remote and manual reboots, and hardware usage monitoring. Domain.com’s continuous scanning is under its highest tier, while Hivelocity provides real-time problem identification and resolution round the clock. Hivelocity also adds more technical specific capabilities like RAID monitoring and load balancing which can be crucial for operational stability.
Compliance and certifications:
Domain.com is GDPR compliant, offering a high level of data protection for EU residents, and ensures PCI compliance for handling credit card information. Hivelocity not only meets GDPR and PCI standards but also fulfills SSAE-16 and HIPAA audit requirements, making it suitable for organizations handling healthcare data and other sensitive information. These extensive compliance measures ensure that Hivelocity’s hosting services meet various critical regulatory requirements.
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|
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|
|---|---|---|
SSL certificate |
Domain Validated, Organization Validated, E-commerce, Wildcard SSL |
Basic SSL, Business SSL, Premium SSL |
Additional security features |
SiteLock Security, continuous scanning, web application firewall |
Firewall hardening (CSF), DDoS, Maldet malware scanning, cpHulk brute force detection |
PHP versions |
Not specified |
Not specified |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
HIPAA compliance |
No |
Yes |
PCI compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
4.5
2.5
🏆 Winner
Domain.com: A flexible and user-friendly hosting provider with a range of free services and support features.
Domain.com and Hivelocity offer diverse hosting features tailored to different user needs. Domain.com stands out with its drag-and-drop builder, which simplifies website creation, making it user-friendly for both beginners and advanced users. Their free domain service for the first year with the promo code DOMFREE offers a significant cost-saving benefit. Additionally, Domain.com includes unlimited bandwidth, storage, and FTP accounts along with a free SSL certificate, ensuring a cost-effective solution for those looking to establish a reliable web presence. Moreover, their 99% uptime guarantee and 24/7 chat support provide peace of mind for uninterrupted service. Their offerings range from shared hosting, ideal for small to midsize web projects, to dedicated hosting, which is powerful enough for large enterprises.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, provides comprehensive managed services that include 24/7 support, hardware diagnostics, network intrusion monitoring, and proactive security updates. This kind of management is ideal for those who need robust security and performance maintenance without needing to handle it themselves. Their control panel options such as cPanel, Plesk, and Webmin are suitable for different user preferences, and their range of operating systems, including CentOS, Ubuntu, and Windows Server, offers versatility. Hivelocity also supports SSH access, providing secure shell access which is crucial for developers needing command-line management. Additional services such as RAID monitoring, DDoS mitigation, and daily backups contribute to their strong security and reliability profile.
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|---|---|---|
Free Domain |
Yes, for the first year |
No |
Free SSL |
Yes |
Yes |
Email Hosting |
Yes |
No |
Website Builder |
Yes |
No |
Staging Environment |
No |
No |
FTP & SFTP Accounts |
Yes |
Yes |
Git and SSH Access |
No |
Yes |
Free Backup |
No |
Yes |
Money Back Guarantee |
No |
No |
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.
Email services at Domain.com are provided through a partnership with Microsoft 365, offering a professional email and access to Outlook on a trial basis before transitioning to a paid service. Conversely, Hivelocity provides unlimited free professional email accounts, which is particularly beneficial for users requiring multiple email accounts without incurring additional costs.
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
7.6
8.7
🏆 Winner Hivelocity: Offers a wide range of server solutions and exceptional scalability options.
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.
Hivelocity and Domain.com provide diverse hosting plans, each catering to different needs. Hivelocity’s pricing for cPanel dedicated server hosting is overall more streamlined and flexible, especially beneficial for hosting multiple accounts, whereas Domain.com offers consistent pricing across its various shared and WordPress hosting plans. Hivelocity also provides instant server, game server solutions, and extensive global data center locations. Domain.com includes a free domain and SSL for the first year in several of its plans, adding value for new website owners. Both providers offer unique advantages like free consultations for customization from Hivelocity and unlimited bandwidth in Domain.com’s premium plans.
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|---|---|
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Basic $3.75
1 website, 10GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 5 FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, free SSL for 1 year Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
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|
Plus $3.75
5 websites, 20GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 10 FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, SSL included Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
|
Premium $3.75
10 websites, 40GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 15 FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, SSL included Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
Basic $3.75
1 website, 10GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 25 FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, free SSL for 1 year Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
|
Plus $3.75
5 websites, 20GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, 50 FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, SSL included Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
|
Premium $3.75
10 websites, 40GB storage, unmetered bandwidth, unlimited FTP accounts, free domain for 1 year, SSL included Value for price:7.6
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
cPanel 100 Accounts $61
100 websites, storage not specified, bandwidth not specified, various locations, 24/7 support Value for price:8.7
|
|
N/A
Value for price:N/A
|
E3-1270 v5 3.6GHz Skylake $145
4 cores, 8 threads, 64GB memory, 960GB SSD storage, 20TB bandwidth, Atlanta 2 location Value for price:8.7
|
Enterprise plans
For enterprises, Hivelocity offers extensive options including custom-built bare metal servers, game servers, and varied global data centers. Their managed services are comprehensive, starting at $35/month. Domain.com’s SSL and cybersecurity plans can benefit businesses focused on online security and customer data protection.
Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
7.8
8.5
🏆 Winner Hivelocity: Offers a range of control panels and managed services to simplify server and website management.
Domain.com uses a simplified admin panel integrated with its website builder, allowing for an accessible and user-friendly experience. Their drag-and-drop builder and AI-powered website creation tool are designed with non-technical users in mind. They also provide a customized control panel for WordPress hosting, making it easier for users to manage site setups, plugins, and themes without extensive technical knowledge. The integration with Google Workspace further streamlines the process of setting up professional email and productivity tools.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, caters to users with varying levels of technical expertise by offering multiple control panels such as cPanel, DirectAdmin, Plesk, and more. These control panels are well-known and widely used in the hosting industry, providing users with flexibility based on their preference and comfort level. Their managed services take away the complexity of server management by handling tasks like updates, patches, and security, making it easier for businesses with less technical staff to maintain their websites efficiently.
Domain.com provides users with a straightforward migration service primarily focused on WordPress sites, which can be a convenient option for those switching from another WordPress host. However, these migrations may come with additional fees depending on the complexity. Hivelocity, in contrast, offers more robust and comprehensive migration options as part of their managed services. Their support team assists with both manual and automated migrations, ensuring minimal downtime and hassle-free transitions.
The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Domain.com offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Hivelocity 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.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
7.2
6.9
🏆 Winner Domain.com: Effective and diverse user management features.
When comparing Domain.com and Hivelocity’s user management capabilities, Domain.com demonstrates superior user role flexibility and permission controls within WordPress. Domain.com provides a wide range of predefined roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber, each tailored with distinct levels of accessibility and control. This categorization allows for precise role assignment and task delegation. Hivelocity doesn’t offer the same detailed information on user management, suggesting a potential limitation in defining and managing user roles with the same granularity.
In terms of user interface and tools for managing users, Domain.com makes user management intuitive through its WordPress dashboard. Adding new users is straightforward, requiring only basic user information and role selection, with an option to notify new users via email. Hivelocity, on the other hand, may not offer such user-centric tools, which could affect user onboarding and daily management efficiency.
Access control measures on Domain.com are effective, allowing administrators to finely tune user capabilities based on their roles. This helps in managing access for a diverse set of users efficiently, ensuring that each user only interacts with functionalities essential to their role. The platform demonstrates scalability, easily accommodating a growing number of users without compromising site security or performance. Hivelocity’s capability in this regard isn’t well-documented, potentially indicating less efficient user access control and scalability.
Domain.com user roles table:
| Role | Description | Access highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Full access to all administrative functions. Suitable for website owners. | Manage entire site, including settings, user roles, posts, and pages. |
| Editor | Manage and publish posts. Ideal for editorial staff. | Edit, delete, and publish content, including posts by other users. |
| Author | Create and manage own posts. Good for regular contributors. | Write, edit, publish, and delete own posts; upload files. |
| Contributor | Write and edit own posts. No publishing rights. Suitable for guest bloggers. | Write and edit own posts; cannot publish or delete. |
| Subscriber | Limited to reading posts and managing own profile. | Read posts; update own user profile. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
7.8
9.5
🏆 Winner
Hivelocity: Hivelocity offers advanced support channels and has received high customer ratings for its reliable services.
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|---|---|---|
Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support |
Domain.com and Hivelocity both provide round-the-clock support via phone and live chat, ensuring that customers can get hold of a representative at all times. Domain.com distinguishes itself with a quick response time to phone and chat support requests, usually within two to three minutes. Their cancellation and refund policy is transparent, offering full refunds within the first 30 days and prorated refunds thereafter. However, they do not offer email or ticket support, which can be a limitation for users who prefer written communication.
Hivelocity, on the other hand, not only offers 24/7 phone and live chat support but also includes a ticketing system—a valuable option for more complex queries that may need detailed attention. Hivelocity’s customer support is noted for its effectiveness in resolving issues and providing detailed walk-throughs and self-help resources. Hivelocity further differentiates itself with specialized enterprise support, custom solutions, and custom-built servers, making it a more versatile option.
User feedback
User feedback for this hosting provider reveals a mixed experience. Many users appreciate its user-friendly platform, straightforward domain registration process, and reliable customer support. However, significant criticisms include poor customer service practices, confusing pricing and add-ons, and outdated or slow web interfaces. While some users praise the affordability and efficiency of domain management, others warn of hidden costs and problematic service.
Hivelocity is highly praised for its exceptional customer service, reliable server performance, and knowledgeable technical support. Long-term users, some with over a decade of experience, commend the company for its personalized support and rapid response times, often highlighting near-instant ticket resolutions and a proactive approach to addressing issues. Additionally, the infrastructure and network reliability receive strong accolades, with many users experiencing minimal to no downtime. While a few noted the increasing prices and occasional variability in support quality, the consensus is that Hivelocity offers an outstanding hosting service marked by dependability and top-tier customer support.
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
Both Hivelocity and Domain.com offer hosting solutions for WordPress websites, including curated themes and pre-installed plugins. The choice between the two will largely depend on other specific requirements, such as performance or additional features needed. However, in terms of WordPress hosting, both platforms are effectively tied, providing comprehensive services for WordPress users.
Which platform offers better customer support?
Hivelocity offers superior customer support with 24/7 availability via phone, live chat, and a ticketing system, ensuring comprehensive coverage for customer queries. Domain.com also provides 24/7 support through phone and live chat but lacks email/ticket support, which can be a downside for some users. Additionally, Hivelocity has specialized enterprise support and custom solutions, making it a more versatile option.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
Hivelocity provides more advanced security features compared to Domain.com, including firewall hardening (CSF), proactive malware scanning with Maldet, and brute force detection using cpHulk. Both platforms offer robust SSL certificate options and DDoS protection, but Hivelocity’s additional measures like proactive security updates and comprehensive vetting processes give it an edge in terms of security.
Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?
Hivelocity excels in scalability with its custom solutions, dedicated servers, and private clouds, allowing seamless adjustments according to traffic demands. Domain.com offers scalable bandwidth and upgrades within shared hosting plans, but transitioning to higher performance needs might require manual intervention and plan upgrades. Therefore, Hivelocity provides a more flexible and dynamic scaling solution.
How do the providers handle email hosting and what features are included?
Domain.com includes email hosting as part of their package, allowing users to set up their own email campaigns, which is beneficial for integrated email services. Hivelocity does not offer native email hosting services and users would need to integrate third-party services like Google Workspace or Outlook for email needs. This makes Domain.com a better choice for users needing bundled email hosting.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
