Domain.com vs Web.com: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Domain.com vs. Web.com, 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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  Web.com (Overall grade: 7.3)
  
  
  balances reliability and feature-richness effectively, boasting a solid 99.83% uptime and faster server response times supported by modern tech like PHP 8.0 and OPcode Cache. Unmetered bandwidth, a drag-and-drop website builder, and 24/7 customer support make it a versatile choice for technical and novice users alike. Its scalability options and diversified security features like Extended Validation SSL and CodeGuard for backups further contribute to its strong performance. Web.com’s inclusion of business email in all its plans and seamless user management also makes it a standout for business-oriented users requiring robust support channels.
  
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  Domain.com (Overall grade: 6.5)
  
  
  while presenting a cost-effective and customizable hosting solution, falls short in actual uptime performance and server response times, making it less reliable. It shines in its dedicated hosting for high-traffic sites and offers unlimited bandwidth, but it lacks the advanced caching and performance enhancements found in Web.com. Domain.com’s consistent pricing model is appealing for budget-conscious users, and its features like a free domain and SSL for the first year provide solid initial value. However, the service could improve in terms of user management flexibility and integration with external tools, which are critical for more demanding 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

🏆 Winner: Web.com: Reliable hosting with extensive features and strong uptime performance.

Domain.com claims a 99.99% uptime guarantee but actual tests report a lower uptime of around 98-99%. This discrepancy puts Domain.com in an unfavorable light when it comes to reliability. User response times were also slow, ranging from about 1.59 to 2.97 seconds, the weakest among tested hosts. Overall, Domain.com fails to meet its high uptime promises and offers slower server responses.

Web.com offers a consistent 99.9% uptime guarantee with an actual performance of 99.83% uptime over a month. Additionally, it provides fast server response times, unmetered bandwidth, and SSL security. Users can benefit from excellent customer support available 24/7 and a variety of features like one-click WordPress installation and a drag-and-drop website builder. Web.com balances performance and features well, making it a more reliable choice.

🏆 Winner Web.com: High-performance hosting with faster speeds and improved server enhancements.

Web.com and Domain.com both provide solid hosting solutions, but Web.com outmatches in performance enhancements and server speed. Web.com boasts server response times up to 70% faster, supported by upgrades like PHP 8.0, OPcode Cache, and MySQL 8. Domain.com offers unlimited bandwidth and an uptime guarantee, but it lacks the advanced performance enhancements found in Web.com. Domain.com provides some great introductory offers and features such as drag-and-drop builders and a free domain for the first year, but when it comes to raw performance, Web.com takes the lead.

Website Speed

When it comes to website speed, Web.com provides quicker navigation within WP-Admin and faster loading times, which helps with both user experience and SEO rankings. Their use of OPcode Cache for storing and retrieving webpage content from server memory dramatically boosts loading speeds. Domain.com, though reliable with a 99% uptime guarantee and unlimited storage, doesn’t offer the same advanced caching methods that Web.com integrates, limiting its speed enhancements to standard levels.

Scalability

Web.com’s scalability is impressive, supporting more than 99.5% of customers’ bandwidth demands with scalable solutions in place. However, specifics on how growth is managed or any costs associated with scaling aren’t clear from the available information. Domain.com offers shared hosting, making it cost-effective but not as elastic in terms of scaling without manually upgrading to higher plans. Both platforms don’t specify dedicated server availability or additional fees for increased usage, leaving some questions unanswered regarding seamless scalability.

🏆 Winner: Web.com: A comprehensive suite of security features makes Web.com a reliable choice for secure hosting.

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

Technical security measures:

Both Domain.com and Web.com offer extensive SSL certificate options, but Web.com provides more diversified choices, including Extended Validation SSL and Unified Communications Certificates. Domain.com primarily features SiteLock Security for malware protection and automatic removal. Web.com offers SiteLock with additional capabilities like a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and CodeGuard for backups. Both providers ensure PHP versions’ support, but Web.com explicitly mentions PHP 8.0 for faster performance.

Operational security measures:

Domain.com and Web.com focus on security with features like malware scanning and DDoS protection included in higher-tier plans. Domain.com provides 24/7 expert support, domain privacy protection, and SiteLock features to enhance site integrity. Web.com emphasizes uptime with a 99.9% guarantee and unmetered bandwidth. Web.com also automates WordPress updates, ensuring security patches are up to date.

Compliance and certifications:

Domain.com and Web.com are both GDPR compliant, safeguarding personal data for EU residents. Both comply with PCI standards necessary for handling credit card transactions. However, HIPAA compliance for healthcare data is not specified for either provider.

🏆 Winner
Domain.com: A highly customizable and cost-effective hosting solution.

Domain.com and Web.com offer various features catering to different user requirements. Both hosting providers include a drag-and-drop website builder, which simplifies the process for beginners. Domain.com provides an all-inclusive WordPress hosting package with curated themes and pre-installed plugins, aiming to streamline setup for new users. Furthermore, Domain.com includes a free domain and SSL certificate for the first year, making it appealing for users looking to minimize initial costs. Unlimited bandwidth and FTP accounts ensure that scaling your website’s content is stress-free.

Web.com, on the other hand, adjusts its storage, website count, visitors, and FTP accounts based on the chosen plan, which may appeal to users seeking scalability. While it includes a free domain and SSL certificate for the first year, Web.com also offers unmetered bandwidth in all plans. The availability of business email in all plans might sway users who need integrated email hosting. Support for multiple programming languages like Ruby, Python, PHP5, and Perl provides Web.com a unique edge for tech-savvy users.

Email services:

Web.com includes business email in all its plans, which lets users handle their email campaigns seamlessly. However, Domain.com doesn’t explicitly mention integrated email hosting services. For transactional emails, Web.com seems better positioned due to its inclusive support for various programming languages, while Domain.com’s lack of detailed information on this front might require more direct inquiries.

🏆 Winner
Domain.com: Domain.com scores slightly higher overall, mainly due to the robust features included in their plans and the transparency of what’s included.

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 and Web.com offer competitive hosting plans with significant features. Domain.com sets itself apart with uniform pricing of $3.75/month across all plan durations, providing an economic advantage for long-term commitments. Web.com offers attractive first-year pricing but has significantly higher renewal rates. Both providers include essential features like free domains, SSL certificates, and unmetered bandwidth, making them viable options, but Domain.com stands out with a simpler, more consistent pricing structure.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, Domain.com’s Premium Plan for $3.75 monthly offers a solid balance of features, including support for up to 10 websites and unlimited FTP accounts. Web.com’s Premium Plan, with higher renewal pricing and similar features, may not provide the same value proposition for cost-conscious enterprises.

🏆 Winner
Domain.com: In terms of ease of use, Domain.com stands out due to its flexible and affordable site migration options, intuitive custom admin panel, advanced setup features, and a highly praised help center.

Domain.com offers a customized control panel that integrates straightforwardly with their website builder tools, including an AI-powered website builder for an even more streamlined experience. This control panel also seamlessly incorporates Google Workspace functionality, making it advantageous for those requiring a business email and integrated productivity tools. For those looking to set up WordPress, Domain.com provides pre-installed plugins and an easy-to-navigate control panel that simplifies the process vastly, catering to both technical and non-technical users.

Web.com, on the other hand, offers a dual interface that combines a custom dashboard with full cPanel access, catering to both beginners and technically advanced users. The platform includes a comprehensive help center filled with a wide variety of guides and tutorials, aimed at assisting users in managing and optimizing their websites effectively.

When evaluating migration tools, neither Domain.com nor Web.com stands out significantly. Both providers include tools for site migration, often requiring manual effort or utilizing third-party services. The specifics of the fees involved are not clearly outlined for either hosting service, indicating that users should be prepared for potential additional costs or a need for third-party solutions.

Domain.com and Web.com both provide comprehensive help centers filled with articles, tutorials, and support resources to assist users. Domain.com’s support platform offers extensive guides, around-the-clock live chat support, and an in-depth knowledge base, making it highly accessible. Web.com also ensures 24/7 product support through various channels and offers a breadth of online resources, including step-by-step instructions and expert assistance.

🏆 Winner Web.com: Web.com offers comprehensive user management features and enhanced control capabilities.

The user management capabilities of Domain.com and Web.com present differing strengths. Domain.com leverages WordPress’s built-in roles, offering a broad array of predefined user permissions ranging from administrators with full access to subscribers limited to reading posts. This range facilitates versatile content management suited for blogs and content-heavy websites. Conversely, Web.com focuses on its account management framework, introducing straightforward user roles such as Admin and Tech, with clearly defined permissions. These roles cater more to administrative and technical management, making them ideal for users requiring consistent account-level access and control. The simplicity in Web.com’s role creation offsets the lack of gradation seen in Domain.com’s WordPress roles, but limits flexibility for content-specific permissions.

The user interfaces for managing users differ significantly between the two platforms. Domain.com uses the familiar WordPress Dashboard, which simplifies user creation and role assignment through a structured interface that integrates well with content management tasks. This can be appealing for users accustomed to WordPress. In contrast, Web.com’s Account Manager provides a more administratively focused interface. Here, adding or modifying user roles involves navigation through a top-right user icon and a series of comprehensible steps, suited to handle administrative needs efficiently. While both interfaces are user-friendly, Domain.com’s integration with WordPress might present a gentler learning curve for those familiar with blog or site content management workflows.

Regarding access control and scalability, both platforms handle user expansion efficiently but through different mechanisms. Domain.com allows fine-tuned control over content creation and management via WordPress roles, making it scalable for teams that need specific and varied content access. The use of distinct roles like Editor, Author, and Contributor can effectively segment tasks and permissions as user numbers grow. On the other hand, Web.com’s approach through its Admin and Tech roles provides efficient account-level control and oversight suitable for business-oriented setups. While this method may seem less versatile for content differentiation, it ensures streamlined management of administrative and technical responsibilities as user bases expand.

Web.com User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner Web.com: Offers superior customer service with multiple support channels and higher availability.

Both Domain.com and Web.com have reliable customer service, but Web.com stands out with more seamless support options. While Domain.com provides 24/7 phone and live chat service, Web.com’s support structure is more extensive, including email support, a ticket system, and a dedicated agent. Additionally, Web.com’s phone lines are manned by business consultants from Monday to Friday and general support available 24/7, suggesting a more specialized approach.

Customer reviews reflect mixed experiences for both providers; however, Web.com appears to benefit from a consistent level of satisfaction, likely due to its diversified and well-distributed support channels. Domain.com’s relative shortcomings in response times and problem resolution have resulted in less favorable feedback. Web.com’s comprehensive support options and more favorable user experience make it a better choice for those needing consistent and accessible customer service.

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 offers a comprehensive solution for purchasing domain names, hosting, and website building, making it highly convenient for users managing multiple domains and websites. Users appreciate the convenience of having all services bundled together, but some express concerns about the limitations on hosting unlimited domains and the cost associated with individual website software. Overall, the service is satisfactory and well-rated, though there is room for improvement in accommodating users with extensive hosting needs.

FAQ