Hetzner vs Rocket.net: guide for 2024

Hetzner vs Rocket.net: Final verdict

Looking over Hetzner vs. Rocket.net, 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.

• 
  Rocket.net (Overall grade: 8.3)
  
  offers an outstanding user experience with its managed WordPress hosting, advanced security features, and rapid customer support. The platform boasts exceptional speed and performance, thanks to enterprise-grade NVMe servers and an extensive global CDN network. Its ease of use, comprehensive migration support, and robust security measures make it particularly suitable for agencies and e-commerce businesses requiring reliable, high-performance hosting solutions. Although it comes at a higher price point, users find the features and support justify the cost, making it a preferable choice for those seeking a hassle-free, enterprise-level hosting environment.
• 
  Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  stands out with its flexible range of hosting options, cost-effective pricing, and excellent uptime guarantees. Hetzner provides ample options for shared, cloud, VPS, and dedicated hosting, with data centers strategically located for optimal performance. It offers unlimited traffic, NVMe SSD storage, and strong security features, including DDoS protection and ISO 27001-certified facilities. Users who prioritize technical control and scalability alongside budget-friendly hosting will find Hetzner appealing. However, the lack of live chat support and the need for more technical know-how may be less enticing for those looking for more user-friendly and hands-on support.

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 Hetzner Online: Offering exceptional uptime and network availability for superior reliability.

Hetzner Online shines with its 99.9% uptime guarantee and standout performance that sometimes hits the 100% mark. The hosting provider maintains data centers in Nuremberg, Falkenstein, Helsinki, and Virginia, ensuring reliable service coverage. Hetzner employs a redundant network using Juniper backbone technology and offers 24/7 monitoring to promptly address any issues, providing an added layer of confidence with included DDoS protection.

Rocket.net, while offering a solid 99% uptime guarantee, boasts swift response times and extensive support with 275+ global edge locations. Features like Enterprise CDN, WAF, and free migrations enhance its usability. Despite these strong elements, it doesn’t quite match the higher uptime and network performance provided by Hetzner Online, making it a reliable but slightly less robust option.

🏆 Winner
Rocket.net: For users who prioritize speed and advanced technological infrastructure, Rocket.net is more suitable for high-demand websites that require reliable and fast global access.

Rocket.net and Hetzner both offer SSD storage and free CDN integration to enhance hosting performance and speed. Rocket.net, however, showcases faster load times with a heavyweight theme clocked at 1.69 seconds, compared to Hetzner’s 4.85 seconds. Rocket.net operates 11 global data centers, which surpasses Hetzner’s six, potentially offering better local loading speeds and content delivery. Moreover, Rocket.net’s technology is more up-to-date, which may contribute to its superior performance.

Website Speed

Rocket.net vastly excels in website speed. It brings an average Time to First Byte (TTFB) of 70ms, markedly outpacing competitors like Flywheel, Kinsta, and WPEngine. Customer testimonials rave about substantial improvements in TTFB and first contentful paint times after switching to Rocket.net. Hetzner also promises high-speed servers with features like SSL encryption and daily backups, but Rocket.net consistently delivers faster performance metrics, especially for WordPress sites.

Scalability

Scalability at Hetzner is flexible with options for shared and dedicated vCPU in their cloud hosting plans, no minimum contract periods, and a 30-day cancellation period. Hetzner also supports manual scaling with hardware exchange services and flexible invoicing for additional resources. While Rocket.net does not provide explicit details on scalability in terms of automatic upgrades or dedicated servers, the network’s performance optimizations suggest efficient handling of high traffic without significant degradation. The cost details for scaling on Rocket.net are not provided.

Winner Rocket.net: Rocket.net offers superior security features and advanced protective measures for website hosting.

Technical security measures:

Hetzner and Rocket.net both provide robust technical security measures. Rocket.net offers unlimited free SSL certificates and a sophisticated Enterprise WAF for enhanced protection, while Hetzner includes Symantec and Let’s Encrypt certificates for SSL encryption. Rocket.net’s real-time malware protection with Imunify360 and automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes stands out, whereas Hetzner offers daily backups and extensive PHP extension support. Their PHP version support is both extensive, but Rocket.net has a slight edge with the inclusion of the latest versions up to 8.3.

Operational security measures:

In terms of operational security measures, Hetzner employs ISO 27001-certified data centers and provides DDoS protection with advanced perimeter security. Rocket.net, on the other hand, ensures 24/7 proactive protection with sophisticated real-time malware scanning and bruteforce protection. Both providers offer secure connections; however, Rocket.net’s automated bot protection and weak password prevention further strengthen its operational security. Hetzner’s daily system integrity checks and comprehensive mail security protocols, including anti-spam techniques, enhance its operational security but don’t surpass Rocket.net’s real-time security reporting capabilities.

Compliance and certifications:

Both Hetzner and Rocket.net comply with GDPR regulations. Hetzner provides a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) and operates under strict European regulations. Rocket.net is not only GDPR compliant but also meets PCI requirements, ensuring websites hosted on their platform are secure for handling cardholder data. Hetzner does not specify PCI compliance, giving Rocket.net a clear advantage in this area.

🏆 Winner: Hetzner stands out with its rich feature set, robust security options, and comprehensive customer support, making it a solid choice for web hosting.

When comparing Hetzner and Rocket.net, Hetzner offers a diverse range of plans that allow users flexibility in choosing domain names across various extensions like .de, .com, and more. It provides unlimited traffic and significant NVMe SSD disk space options, ideal for handling large volumes of data. Hetzner’s inclusion of domain registration and an interactive server login via SSH adds to its appeal. Rocket.net, on the other hand, emphasizes ease of use with features like a secure file manager and one-click staging for WordPress sites, which can be invaluable for developers looking to test changes in a safe environment. Unlike Hetzner’s domain registration fees, Rocket.net offers free sub-domains for staging environments, making it an attractive option for site redesigns and testing.

Rocket.net offers comprehensive speed and security features such as full-page caching, Brotli compression, and a robust firewall, which can be crucial for e-commerce sites and high-traffic blogs. Its easy-to-use FTP and SSH access and real-time analytics for CDN and WAF make it user-friendly and secure. Hetzner, on the other hand, boasts of a higher network availability and daily backups, which might cater more to users needing consistency and data security. Additionally, while Hetzner doesn’t have a website builder, it supports popular CMS options like WordPress, Typo3, and Joomla, offering versatility without the need for a separate site-building tool.

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 Hetzner and Rocket.net 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:

Hetzner provides extensive email hosting with up to unlimited mailboxes, email forwarding services, and secure SMTP connections, which can be beneficial for businesses that manage numerous email campaigns and need reliable transactional email capabilities. Though Rocket.net offers transactional email features primarily for WordPress actions and provides robust security for these services, it doesn’t include email hosting, which could be limiting for users who need an integrated email solution.

Winner rocketnet: Rocket.net provides a comprehensive array of features and robust performance for its price point.

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.

Rocket.net offers various pricing plans aimed at meeting different user needs, from individual bloggers to large enterprises. When comparing with Hetzner, Rocket.net’s plans are generally higher priced but offer a broader range of features, including an impressive uptime guarantee, free SSL, and malware protection. Hetzner’s shared hosting plans are more budget-friendly and come with numerous technical features, although they might require more technical know-how to manage effectively. Rocket.net excels in user-friendly features and all-in-one solutions, making it a more attractive option for users who prioritize ease of use and comprehensive customer support.

WordPress hosting plans

Shared hosting plans

Cloud hosting plans

Enterprise plans

Hetzner’s enterprise plans include options for highly customizable managed servers, starting with the vServer MC30 at €40.46 per month, featuring 4 vCores, 16GB RAM, and 200GB NVMe SSD, up to the MA80 plan at €94.01 per month with an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Octa-Core, 64GB DDR4 ECC RAM, and 2 x 512GB NVMe SSD. On the other hand, Rocket.net offers highly specialized Enterprise plans starting from $649 per month, with features like unlimited requests and private Slack channels, geared towards agencies and large-scale operations. Rocket.net’s plans, although higher in price, provide extensive security features and robust customer support designed to meet the needs of high-traffic websites and business-critical applications.

🏆 Winner
Rocket.net: Offering a seamless and pre-configured setup for WordPress users.

Comparing the admin panels, Hetzner leverages its custom konsoleH interface for account and server management. It enables users to create, update, and delete accounts effortlessly. This interface is characterized by its modular approach, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. On the other hand, Rocket.net uses a custom WordPress control panel that is designed for simplicity and efficiency, particularly for WordPress installations. The control panel integrates essential tools, such as Enterprise CDN and Website Firewall, directly into the dashboard, offering an intuitive experience for all user levels.

When it comes to migration tools, Hetzner provides detailed guides and documentation to help users manually migrate their websites, emails, and databases. Although efficient, this process may require some technical know-how. In contrast, Rocket.net offers unlimited free WordPress migrations, managed entirely by their team to ensure no downtime. This service is particularly convenient for users seeking to transition their websites with minimal hassle.

Evaluating the help centers, Hetzner offers comprehensive documentation and support resources accessible through their official website. They provide 24/7 support via telephone and email, alongside community-contributed guides and tutorials. Rocket.net’s help center is equally accessible, offering 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support with guaranteed quick response times. Both providers have extensive articles and tutorials available online, but Rocket.net’s real-time analytics and powerful reporting features provide additional layers of user support.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Hetzner offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Rocket.net 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.

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Rocket.net provides superior user management and user roles features, focusing on selective control panel access for WordPress users.

The user management capabilities of Hetzner Online and Rocket.net vary significantly in terms of flexibility and control. Rocket.net excels in allowing customers to create sub-users specific to individual WordPress sites, which is ideal for web agencies needing selective access controls. In contrast, Hetzner provides more traditional user management by enabling administrators to create user groups, add users to these groups, and allocate storage quotas. While both platforms offer a range of user permissions, Rocket.net’s approach to site-specific roles offers more granular control, benefiting administrators looking to fine-tune access rights.

Hetzner’s user interface for managing users is straightforward, accessible through the “User Settings” menu. It provides functionalities to create new users, define storage quotas, and offer additional user information options such as languages and login details. On the other hand, Rocket.net’s user interface is geared towards simplifying site-specific user management. It allows administrators to invite new site users via email, with the added benefit of a white-label, customizable control panel. This makes the management process more streamlined and visually cohesive for site-specific user roles.

In terms of access control and scalability, Rocket.net shows prowess in managing a growing number of users through features like roaming profiles and two-factor authentication, ensuring secure and efficient user management as requirements grow. Similarly, Hetzner provides essential security measures such as SSH access control and server-wide maintenance rules for spam and trash management. However, Rocket.net’s emphasis on customizable and site-specific access makes it more adaptable for users looking to manage their permissions on a more granular level, particularly in dynamic or expanding scenarios.

Rocket.net User Roles Table:

Hetzner User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Offers all-round stellar customer support with a rapid response system and multiple channels including live chat.

Hetzner Online provides a variety of customer support channels like email, ticket system, and phone support available Monday to Friday. Their support quality is good, though some users report delays and lack of satisfaction with account issues. One significant drawback of Hetzner is the absence of live chat support, which many users find inconvenient.

Rocket.net, by comparison, excels in customer support with 24/7/365 availability across multiple channels, including live chat, email, phone, and even a private Slack channel for enterprise clients. Their support is highly praised for its speed and effectiveness, particularly in WordPress-related issues. Additionally, Rocket.net offers extensive free migration services and expert support, making it a clear winner in the customer service category.

Hetzner vs Rocket.net: User feedback

Overall, users find the hosting provider to be highly cost-effective, with robust performance and reliable server infrastructure. Many appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the ability to scale their projects effortlessly. While the customer support is praised for being helpful and responsive, some users feel it could benefit from slight improvements. Additionally, there are minor suggestions for feature enhancements and a more refined user interface, though these do not detract significantly from overall satisfaction.

Users highly praise Rocket.net for its superior support, user-friendly interface, and top-notch security features. The integration with Cloudflare Enterprise and the inclusion of an Enterprise CDN are standout benefits, saving users money and reducing the need for additional plugins. Customers appreciate the platform’s powerful features, including staging areas, manual backups, and integrated file management. While feedback is overwhelmingly positive, a minor suggestion includes the addition of more analytic tools.

Hetzner vs Rocket.net: FAQ