Domain.com vs Leaseweb: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Domain.com vs. Leaseweb, Leaseweb emerges as the superior option due to its comprehensive offerings and superior performance.

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  Leaseweb (Overall grade: 8.0)
  
  
  provides a high level of performance with an impressive 99.999% uptime guarantee, extensive data center locations, and scalable hosting types including VPS, dedicated, and ecommerce hosting. It excels in speed, scalability, and security with hardware-based DDoS protection, 24/7 SIEM SOC services, and extensive compliance measures. However, Leaseweb’s more technical interface and less beginner-friendly setup might be challenging for non-technical users. The advanced customization options and flexible pricing plans cater well to high-traffic websites and businesses requiring tailored solutions.
  
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  Domain.com (Overall grade: 6.2)
  
  
  though more accessible with flat-rate pricing and an easy-to-use control panel, has significant drawbacks in performance and customizability. It offers shared and WordPress hosting with unlimited bandwidth, making it advantageous for small-scale or personal projects. Splendid customer support and a free domain for the first year add value but are overshadowed by lower uptime reliability, limited security features, and outdated interface practices. Domain.com remains a viable option for beginners or those with modest website demands, but it falls short for those needing extensive performance or scalability.
  

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 highly reliable hosting provider with an impressive uptime guarantee.

Section 2: Leaseweb offers an outstanding 99.999% core uptime guarantee. Their network capacity exceeds 10 Tbps, paired with data centers located across Europe, the U.S., and Asia. Leaseweb also provides efficient incident monitoring and resolution, ensuring quick responses, and daily configuration backups for data protection.

Section 3: Domain.com presents a significantly lower uptime performance, with actual tests showing uptime percentages between 98% and 99.11%. Additionally, Domain.com has slower response times and undefined downtime criteria in their uptime guarantee. While their customer service is commendable and the security features are robust, the hosting performance lags behind Leaseweb’s superior offerings.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: High performance, flexible configuration, and extensive data center network.

When comparing general performance, Leaseweb takes the lead with its powerful compute options and flexible configurations. Leaseweb features CPUs with up to 64 cores, large memory capacity, and the ability to add GPU support, offering scalable high IOPS. This makes it suitable for demanding applications. On the other hand, Domain.com offers three simplified hosting plans at a flat rate of $3.75/mo, providing various degrees of resources but lacking advanced customizations. Leaseweb’s global network with 43 points of presence and 29 Internet Exchanges ensures better worldwide coverage compared to Domain.com’s scalable bandwidth and unmetered options.

Website Speed

Leaseweb provides a high-speed data transfer experience, thanks to its 10+ Tbps bandwidth capacity and use of Intel or AMD processors, offering dedicated servers with different bandwidth options up to 100Gbps. This results in lower latency and faster page load times. Domain.com promises a 99% uptime and offers unlimited bandwidth in all plans, but it doesn’t provide extensive details on data transfer speeds or hardware enhancements, which makes its speed potentially lower in comparison.

Scalability

Leaseweb excels in scalability with its highly configurable servers and flexible packages, including options for up to 100Gbps unmetered bandwidth. This flexibility caters to businesses that may require varied resources without needing to switch to different plans manually. Domain.com, while cost-effective, necessitates plan upgrades to scale resources, providing limited elastic scaling options. The cost to scale is more predictable with Domain.com’s flat rates but lacks the higher performance potential available with Leaseweb’s flexible configurations.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Superior in managed cybersecurity, comprehensive protection, and backup solutions.

Both Domain.com and Leaseweb, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Domain.com offers various SSL certificates designed for different needs, from basic support to advanced e-commerce encryption. Leaseweb also provides SSL certificates but enhances security with hardware-based DDoS IP protection. While Domain.com includes SiteLock security features like malware and DDoS protection, Leaseweb excels with its 24/7 SIEM SOC service for continuous monitoring and penetration testing capabilities. Both providers offer adequate protection, but Leaseweb’s managed cyber security gives it an upper hand.

Operational security measures:

Domain.com’s SiteLock offers extensive malware scanning and automatic removal, complemented by round-the-clock support and advanced email security. Leaseweb matches this with its managed cybersecurity and customizable security profiles, also ensuring constant threat monitoring and real-time response. Domain.com includes domain privacy and professional email addresses, while Leaseweb provides dashboards for integrated security metrics. Overall, Leaseweb’s operational security is more extensive and proactive.

Compliance and certifications:

Both Domain.com and Leaseweb comply with GDPR and PCI standards. Domain.com has been compliant with GDPR since May 2018 and ensures PCI compliance for credit card information. Leaseweb also adheres to GDPR and PCI DSS, with additional backup solutions. Although neither provider specifies HIPAA compliance, Leaseweb’s broad range of services and focus on managed security make it more robust.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: A hosting provider known for its flexibility, high performance, and scalability.

Both Domain.com and Leaseweb offer unique features designed to meet diverse user needs. Domain.com provides unlimited bandwidth and storage, making it a suitable option for enterprises requiring ample resources without worrying about exceeding limits. Its drag-and-drop website builder simplifies the creation process, making it accessible for beginners. Furthermore, users benefit from a free domain for the first year with a promo code, which is a valuable offering for new websites. However, Domain.com does not explicitly mention SSH access, potentially limiting its appeal to advanced users needing secure remote shell access.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers more granular hosting plans suitable for different business sizes and requirements. Though it lacks a built-in website builder, its control panels for VPS hosting provide extensive customization options. Leaseweb’s inclusion of SSH access for VPS hosting ensures that seasoned developers have the tools they need for server management. This provider also boasts high performance with guaranteed uptime and scalability, making it an attractive choice for businesses prioritizing these aspects. The tiered pricing structure, coupled with specific resource allocations, allows customers to select plans that align closely with their requirements.

Email services at Domain.com offers unlimited email hosting within its plans but does not detail its capabilities for transactional emails or third-party service integration. Leaseweb provides specified mailbox limits depending on the plan, ensuring clear resource allocations. Users who require robust email hosting capabilities might prefer Domain.com for its unlimited offering, whereas those who need a more structured approach with specific scalability might find Leaseweb more suitable. Neither provider mentions any integration or reselling of major third-party email services like Google Workspace or Outlook.

🏆 Winner
Leaseweb: Leaseweb offers advanced features and great flexibility in its hosting plans.

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.

Domain.com offers a variety of plans all priced at $3.75 per month, ranging from shared hosting and WordPress hosting to SSL certificates and cybersecurity options, with features tailored to different needs like storage, number of websites, and security. Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers more diversified plans including web hosting, dedicated server hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud solutions. Leaseweb’s prices vary from €5.99 per month for a basic web hosting plan to $203.69 per month for high-performance servers, offering scalability and robust features suitable for different business sizes. It is clear that Leaseweb provides more comprehensive options for businesses looking for flexible hosting solutions.

Enterprise plans

Domain.com focuses on simplified pricing with plenty of options for small to medium-sized businesses, offering everything from shared and WordPress hosting to advanced SSL and cybersecurity plans. Leaseweb provides more extensive plans including robust dedicated servers, VPS hosting with total control, and various cloud solutions tailored for larger business operations requiring flexibility and scalability. Leaseweb’s infrastructure and scalability make it more attractive to enterprises needing high-performance, secure, and scalable hosting solutions.

🏆 Winner
Domain.com: Domain.com offers an accessible and user-friendly platform with extensive support resources, making website setup and management straightforward for all users.

Domain.com utilizes a customized control panel designed to cater to both technical and non-technical users. This platform’s intuitive interface simplifies the setup process with drag-and-drop website building tools, an AI-powered website builder, and pre-configured WordPress hosting. The integration of Google Workspace within the control panel further enhances its ease of use, making it accessible for users who seek familiarity and convenience.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers a more traditional approach with a detailed customer portal. While it caters to a broad range of hosting solutions such as Dedicated Servers, Virtual Private Servers, and various cloud services, it may appear more complex, especially for non-technical users. Setting up and managing services require navigating through various sections and understanding more technical aspects, which could be a challenge for beginners. However, technical users may appreciate the granular control and extensive features available through the Leaseweb portal.

In terms of migration tools, Domain.com stands out by offering easy-to-use migration options for WordPress users, minimizing the technical barriers typically associated with moving a site. Their tools are designed to assist users through a step-by-step process, and this service is generally included within their hosting plans. Leaseweb does not explicitly mention dedicated migration tools, suggesting that users may need to rely on manual methods or seek additional paid services for site migration, potentially adding complexity for those less experienced with technical processes.

Domain.com’s help center includes a comprehensive knowledge base, live chat, and 24/7 phone support, providing users with accessible resources and prompt assistance. Their help center is easy to navigate and covers a wide range of topics related to hosting and website management. Leaseweb offers an extensive help center as well, with detailed documentation across various products and services. While their knowledge base is thorough, it is more complex and may not be as easily navigated by less technical users.

🏆 Winner Domain.com: Domain.com offers detailed user management and role customization within WordPress.

Both Domain.com and Leaseweb provide user management functionalities through their respective platforms, but there are distinct differences in how they approach these features. Domain.com offers specific WordPress user roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. Each role has clearly defined permissions, making it easy to control and assign different levels of access. Leaseweb, on the other hand, utilizes various control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta, which include user management capabilities but lack specific details about predefined roles and permissions. This flexibility might appeal to users looking for more customized control but can be less straightforward for those managing a team within a WordPress environment.

Domain.com’s WordPress interface for managing users is straightforward. Adding a new user involves a simple process completed within the WordPress dashboard, where you can fill in user details, select their role, and notify them via email. Leaseweb’s user management interface depends on the chosen control panel. Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta all offer user-friendly interfaces but require some acclimation, particularly for those not familiar with these tools. The Leaseweb Customer Portal and API provide additional means to control user management, but these might necessitate more technical knowledge.

When it comes to access control, Domain.com’s set WordPress roles ensure that administrators can efficiently manage a growing number of users by defining clear boundaries for each role. This predefined structure aids in maintaining organization and security as the user base expands. Leaseweb’s potential to use multiple control panels provides broader options for access control but requires a more hands-on approach to ensure effective user management, particularly as the number of users increases. The flexibility can be advantageous but might demand more administrative overhead to maintain control and efficiency.

Domain.com user roles table:

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Offers a more comprehensive range of customer support options and faster response times based on SLA levels.

Domain.com offers extensive customer service with 24/7 availability through phone, chat, and email. User experiences generally indicate fast response times, with phone and live chat support typically resolving issues within minutes. The customer service quality is highlighted by the helpfulness and pleasantness of the representatives. The inclusion of a knowledge base with guides and tutorials adds value, though there is no specific enterprise support mentioned.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, provides a wider array of contact options, including fax and an online contact form. Support availability is guaranteed 24/7 with varying response times depending on the chosen SLA. Advanced support features and incident monitoring are notable. Leaseweb also offers a customer portal and API for detailed service management, catering to both general users and developers. The presence of enterprise-level support further enhances its appeal, making Leaseweb an excellent choice for varied hosting needs.

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.

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