Hostwinds vs Codero: guide for 2024

Hostwinds vs Codero: Final verdict


Given the comparison between Hostwinds and Codero, it’s clear that both aim to deliver reliable hosting solutions to meet diverse user needs, but they cater to different user priorities.


  • Hostwinds (Overall grade: 7.1)

    is well-regarded for its comprehensive and versatile hosting solutions, including shared, cloud, VPS, and dedicated hosting. With multiple data centers across key locations, a notable uptime, and advanced performance features like SSD drives and Litespeed web servers, Hostwinds is reliable for general users and businesses that prioritize speed and scalability. Its strong customer support, instant setup, and free website migrations add significant value. However, its response time could be slightly improved, and it lacks specific hosting options for WordPress or ecommerce directly.

  • Codero (Overall grade: 6.2)

    focuses on delivering high-performance dedicated and cloud hosting solutions, fitted with advanced networking and storage configurations. Codero supports numerous virtualization technologies and emphasizes compliance with stringent regulations like HIPAA, making it suitable for businesses with specific requirements. However, its frequent service outages and less intuitive management portal hinder its potential. Additionally, while Codero offers extensive support options, user feedback points to a decline in service quality and transparency.


In conclusion, Hostwinds emerges as a more versatile and user-friendly choice overall, especially for those seeking a wide array of hosting options with strong support and competitive pricing. Conversely, Codero is more fitting for specialized needs but requires improvements to user experience and service reliability.

Overall grade:7.1

Overall grade:6.2

Uptime and Availability 7.2 4.5
Hosting Performance 8.4 7.2
Hosting Security 8.0 9.0
Price 8.5 8.0
Hosting Features 7.7 4.3
Ease Of Setup 8.7 8.0
User Management 0.0 0.0
Customer Support 8.0 8.3
User feedback 4.9/5 0/5

Hosting Types Offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

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.

WordPress
Tie: Both lack specific WordPress hosting options.

Ecommerce
Tie: Neither offers dedicated ecommerce hosting plans.

Agencies
Hostwinds: More versatile based on its reseller hosting and white label options, making it an ideal choice for agencies looking to offer branded hosting.

High-traffic websites
Codero: Better support for high-traffic sites due to its advanced networking, storage solutions, and private cloud options.

Multimedia websites
Tie: Both offer a range of scalable options and cloud services suitable for multimedia websites, but no specific multimedia hosting plans.

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.

7.2
4.5

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Great Uptime and Availability for Your Hosting Needs

Hostwinds delivers a promising uptime of 99.89%, aiming for a 99.99% guarantee. Their response time averages around 945ms, slightly below market standards, but still capable. Hostwinds benefits from operating data centers in Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam. Additionally, they ensure service reliability through 24/7 monitoring and an infrastructure designed to handle failures efficiently.

Codero guarantees a 99.9% uptime but has numerous user complaints about frequent and significant outages, often due to “scheduled maintenance” without notice. Their data centers in Dallas, Phoenix, and Ashburn offer broad coverage, yet these benefits are undermined by downtime inconsistencies. With downtime being a recurring issue, Codero scores lower on reliability and performance compared to Hostwinds.

Which one has better hosting performance?

Evaluates the platforms hosting speed and performance tools
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.

8.4
7.2

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Versatile hosting packed with top-notch performance features.

Hostwinds and Codero both promise high-performing hosting services, yet Hostwinds stands out with several key advantages. Starting with hosting speed, Hostwinds excels with its use of SSD drives, the latest PHP versions, and the Litespeed web server, all of which contribute to faster load times and superior performance. Cloudflare CDN integration further reduces latency for a swift user experience. Regarding data centers, both providers have multiple locations, but Hostwinds’ continuous network path optimization means it offers consistently faster routes for your data, making your site quicker to load compared to Codero’s static setup.

Website Speed

When it comes to website speed, Hostwinds pulls ahead with its comprehensive approach to performance enhancement. By using SSD storage, up-to-date PHP, and Litespeed web servers, it ensures pages load quickly. Additional features like Cloudflare CDN reduce the distance between the visitor and the server, making content delivery nearly instantaneous. On the other hand, Codero focuses on raw hardware performance but doesn’t offer integrated speed-boosting features such as a CDN in their standard package.

Scalability

Hostwinds offers instant scalability, allowing you to quickly upgrade your server resources as your needs grow, making it easier to handle traffic spikes. They also provide an array of cloud server features like snapshots, firewalls, and load balancers. Codero, while offering powerful dedicated servers, does not detail how scalable their solutions are beyond traditional upgrades. Hostwinds’ flexibility and automatic resource allocation make scaling more seamless and cost-effective. Codero’s pricing for high-end dedicated servers starts at $136 per month, without specifying how costs scale with growth.

Which one has better security features?

Reflects the platforms security measures, data privacy, backups and adherence to legal
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.

8.0
9.0

🏆 Winner
Codero:

For customers seeking extensive technical security features and those requiring PCI compliance Codero may be the more suitable option.

Both Codero and Hostwinds, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Hostwinds offers SSL certificates through AutoSSL, RapidSSL, and WildCard SSL options. Codero supports SSL with LetsEncrypt for free, Sectigo certificates on Linux servers, and an “Always ON SSL” feature layered with DoS/WAF services powered by Cloudflare. Hostwinds utilizes Litespeed Web Server and Cloudflare CDN for optimized performance, while Codero employs Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS) alongside managed firewall solutions for advanced security threats.

Operational security measures:

Hostwinds implements constant monitoring and nightly backups for web hosting services, ensuring prompt issue resolution and data protection. Codero provides Advanced Threat Protection, custom reporting, and backup solutions to mitigate attacks and maintain data integrity. Hostwinds offers 24/7/365 customer support with various contact methods, whereas Codero’s support includes specialized chat options for both sales and assistance.

Compliance and certifications:

Codero excels with AICPA SOC 2 Type 2 Report, HIPAA compliance, and Microsoft Gold Certification, indicating strong adherence to regulatory standards. Codero also supports AWS with a select consulting partnership. Hostwinds does not explicitly state GDPR or PCI compliance in its provided details, making it necessary to contact them directly for specific compliance information.


SSL certificate

Yes

Yes

Additional security features

Yes

Yes

PHP versions

Yes

Not specified

GDPR compliance

Not specified

Not specified

HIPAA compliance

Not specified

Yes

PCI compliance

Not specified

Not specified

Hosting features

Looks at the features offered by hosting platforms
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

7.7
4.3

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: A robust hosting solution with numerous features designed to meet diverse user needs.

Hostwinds and Codero offer a variety of hosting services, but there are distinct differences aimed at specific user groups. Hostwinds provides an extensive range of features across multiple types of hosting, including web, business, reseller, VPS, and cloud servers. Key highlights for Hostwinds include free SSL certificates, unlimited subdomains and email accounts, and the Weebly site builder, which is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. Hostwinds stands out by offering instant setup, free dedicated IPs, and full management services across their hosting plans, aligning with users seeking comprehensive and hassle-free hosting solutions.

Codero, on the other hand, focuses on providing high-performance dedicated hosting solutions and private cloud options. Codero’s standout features include support for multiple virtualization technologies like VMware and Proxmox, root access for complete control, and a range of server management control panels such as cPanel and Plesk. Codero also emphasizes the security and compliance of their private cloud offerings, which might appeal to businesses with specific regulatory requirements. The ability to customize and scale solutions to meet precise needs ensures that users looking for tailored and robust hosting infrastructure have viable options with Codero.


Free domain

No

No

Free SSL

Yes

Yes

Email hosting

Yes

Yes

Website builder

Yes, Weebly Site Builder

No

Staging environment

No

No

FTP & SFTP accounts

Yes

Yes

Git and SSH access

Yes (SSH for VPS plans)

Yes (Root access)

Free backup

Yes (Nightly)

Yes (Essential & Enterprise Backup options)

Money back guarantee

No

No
In some cases hosting providers offer different features based on various components like
a location.
As a result in rare cases the features mentioned here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.

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 Hostwinds and Codero 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:

Hostwinds offers unlimited email accounts, suitable for users who need extensive email hosting capabilities. Codero also provides email hosting, usually managed through cPanel, Plesk, or ISPconfig. Both Hostwinds and Codero allow for email hosting setup, but they do not specifically mention support for third-party email services like Google Workspace or Outlook, which may require separate configurations. Transactional email capabilities are not detailed for either provider, suggesting that users may need to investigate these features in more detail if required.

Price

Looks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.
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.

8.5
8.0

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Offers a wide range of hosting plans with excellent feature inclusions at competitive prices.

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.

Comparing Hostwinds and Codero, Hostwinds stands out with a wider range of hosting options and more competitive pricing across different categories. Hostwinds’ plans, whether shared, business, or reseller hosting, consistently offer unlimited bandwidth and disk space at lower prices. Their Managed Linux VPS Hosting plans start as low as $8.24/mo, compared to Codero’s higher starting prices for similar resources. Codero does offer more specialized dedicated server options beginning at $122/mo and private cloud solutions, which indicate a focus on higher-end, enterprise-level solutions.

Basic$5.24/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, 1 Domain, Free SSL Certificates, Unlimited Email Accounts, Free Dedicated IP, Weebly Site Builder.

Value for price:8.7

N/A
Advanced$6.74/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, 4 Domains, All Basic Plan Features.

Value for price:8.9

N/A
Ultimate$8.24/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Domains, All Basic Plan Features.

Value for price:9.0

N/A
Basic$8.99/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, 1 Domain, Free SSL Certificates, Unlimited Email Accounts, LiteSpeed Web Server, Cloudflare CDN, Route Optimized Networking, Nightly Backups, Full Management, Free Website Migration.

Value for price:9.1

N/A
Advanced$10.49/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, 4 Domains, All Basic Plan Features.

Value for price:9.2

N/A
Ultimate$12.74/mo

Unlimited Bandwidth, Unlimited Disk Space, Unlimited Domains, All Basic Plan Features.

Value for price:9.3

N/A
1 CPU, 1 GB RAM$0.006931/hr

30 GB Storage, 1 TB Bandwidth, Solid State Drives, Free Website Transfer, Enterprise Firewall.

Value for price:8.6

Developer Private Cloud$299/mo

2 Servers, 32 GB RAM, 2x 1TB RAIDz1, 100M Firewall, 8 IP Addresses.

Value for price:7.5

4 CPU, 12 GB RAM$0.069431/hr

200 GB Storage, 4 TB Bandwidth, All Features of 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM Plan.

Value for price:8.8

Production Private CloudCall for pricing

3 Servers, 96 GB RAM, 3x 1TB RAIDz1, 200M Firewall, 12 IP Addresses.

Value for price:7.7

16 CPU, 96 GB RAM$0.456931/hr

750 GB Storage, 9 TB Bandwidth, All Features of 1 CPU, 1 GB RAM Plan.

Value for price:8.9

Business Private CloudCall for pricing

5+ Servers, 160+ GB RAM, Custom Storage, 1G Firewall, 16 IP Addresses.

Value for price:7.6

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their websites.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, Codero provides high-powered dedicated server configurations such as the CS400 and HPS700, starting at $136/mo and ranging upwards. These come equipped with advanced processors, expansive RAM, and customizable storage solutions. Hostwinds offers dedicated server options starting at $122/mo with comprehensive features and flexibility for numerous customizations. Hostwinds’ extensive VPS and cloud hosting options also make it a versatile choice for varied enterprise needs.

Hostwinds vs Codero: Ease of setup

Evaluates the ease of setting up and migrating websites on the hosting
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.

8.7
8.0

🏆 Winner
Hostwinds:
Offers an easy-to-use platform perfect for both beginners and advanced users with comprehensive support options.

Hostwinds utilizes cPanel, a widely recognized admin panel that is accessible and user-friendly for both technical and non-technical users. With cPanel, users can manage various aspects of their websites, including domains, email accounts, and application installations. The intuitive layout and vast range of features streamline the management process for all types of users. Additionally, Hostwinds offers the Weebly drag-and-drop website builder, which caters to those who prefer not to deal with coding.

Codero provides a custom solution through the My.Codero.com portal, which allows users to securely manage services, billing, and support requests. While the portal is comprehensive, its design might be less intuitive for those unfamiliar with Codero’s setup. Codero focuses on seamless transitions to cloud or hybrid infrastructures, but it doesn’t offer a standardized admin panel like cPanel, which could make it less accessible for non-technical users compared to Hostwinds.

Both Hostwinds and Codero offer extensive help center resources. Hostwinds provides 24/7/365 support via live chat, support tickets, and email. They have comprehensive product documentation, step-by-step tutorials, and an active community. Codero offers support 24x7x365 through phone, chat, email, and portal-based cases. They also have different support tiers based on customer needs. Hostwinds’ broad approach to support and documentation makes it more accessible, catering to various user preferences.


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

Assesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and
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.

0.0
0.0

🏆 Winner [No winner]: Both Hostwinds and Codero have equal scores for user management features.

Hostwinds and Codero both lack detailed information about available user management features such as user roles, permissions, and accessibility controls. Due to incomplete data, it is difficult to precisely evaluate their capabilities in creating and defining user roles and permissions. Without specific user role structures or permission settings, we can’t effectively determine the flexibility each platform offers in managing different levels of access and responsibilities among users.

Neither Hostwinds nor Codero provides concrete details regarding their user interfaces or tools for managing users. The absence of information about UI design and management tools makes it challenging to discern how intuitive or functional their platforms might be for administrators. User-friendly interfaces and effective tools are essential for efficient user management, but without specific insights, no definitive conclusion can be drawn.

Access control measures and the capability to manage a growing number of users efficiently remain ambiguous for both Hostwinds and Codero. Key components in this area generally include role-based access control, scalability, and seamless user provisioning, but the provided context does not include such details for either hosting provider. Consequently, an accurate assessment of their effectiveness in these aspects is not possible given the available information.

Hostwinds user roles table:

Role Description Access highlights
N/A N/A N/A

Codero user roles table:

Role Description Access highlights
N/A N/A N/A

Customer support

Evaluates the quality, availability, and scope of the customer support offered by the
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.

8.0
8.3

🏆 Winner Codero: Codero provides extensive support tiers and multiple contact methods, making it a versatile choice for businesses of varying needs and budgets.


Phone support







Live chat support







Chatbot







Email/ticket support







Enterprise support
(dedicated agent, priority support)






Hostwinds and Codero both offer comprehensive customer support options, but they cater to different customer needs and preferences. Hostwinds provides 24/7/365 customer service through various channels such as live chat, phone, email, and support tickets, ensuring immediate assistance with quick response times. The additional resources like tutorials and community support are valuable for self-service. However, Hostwinds receives mixed reviews, particularly related to their verification process and service speed.

Codero, on the other hand, has a structured support tier system, offering different levels of managed support based on customer budgets. This flexibility is beneficial for businesses seeking various degrees of support. Codero’s testimonial-backed claims of reliability and seamless service transitions stand out. Their available contact methods include phone, chat, and email support, supplemented by monitoring services and a detailed knowledge base, making them a preferred choice for medium to large organizations.

Hostwinds vs Codero: User feedback

Hostwinds
438 reviews
4.9 out of 5 stars
Codero
1 reviews
0 out of 5 stars

Hostwinds has garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback for its reliable hosting services, knowledgeable and responsive customer support, and consistent site performance. Many users commend the simplicity and flexibility of its pricing policies, although some note that it can be pricier compared to other providers. On rare occasions, users experienced issues with site migration and live support availability, but overall, Hostwinds is highly regarded for its uptime, speed, and exceptional technical support. Despite a few isolated negative experiences, Hostwinds remains a recommended choice for many, particularly for WordPress users and businesses seeking dependable hosting solutions.

User feedback on Codero’s web hosting service indicates significant dissatisfaction. Many customers highlight frequent and prolonged outages with a lack of communication and transparency from the company during these incidents. Additionally, there is a noted decline in the quality of technical support, with the current staff being described as less skilled and harder to reach compared to previous years. Overall, long-term users feel that Codero’s service quality has diminished while competition and internal issues have increased.

Hostwinds vs Codero: FAQ

Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?


Neither Hostwinds nor Codero offers specific WordPress hosting options, making them less ideal for users focused on WordPress. Both platforms can handle WordPress installations through general hosting plans, but without dedicated features. Therefore, they are tied in this category.

What are the major differences in pricing and value between Hostwinds and Codero?


Hostwinds offers more competitive pricing across various hosting options, including shared, business, and VPS hosting plans. Codero, however, focuses on higher-end dedicated servers with premium prices starting at $136/month. Hostwinds’ plans tend to include more comprehensive features at lower costs, making it a better value for most users.

Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites?


Hostwinds offers instant scalability with cloud server features such as snapshots, firewalls, and load balancers. Codero provides powerful dedicated servers, but does not detail scalability options beyond traditional upgrades. Therefore, Hostwinds is more adaptable for scaling needs.

What are the differences in the control panels offered by each hosting service?


Hostwinds utilizes cPanel, which is user-friendly and widely recognized, allowing users to manage domains, emails, and applications easily. Codero uses a custom portal called My.Codero.com for managing services and billing, which might be less intuitive for non-technical users compared to Hostwinds’ cPanel.

Which platform offers better customer support?


Hostwinds provides 24/7/365 support via live chat, phone, email, and support tickets, catering to immediate assistance needs. Codero offers structured support tiers and various contact methods such as phone, chat, and email, making it more versatile for businesses with varying needs. Codero’s tiered support system gives it an edge for enterprise-level requirements.

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