Hostwinds vs Leaseweb: Final verdict

Comparing Hostwinds and Leaseweb, both web hosting providers cater to different user needs with their offerings.

• 
  Leaseweb (Overall grade: 8.0)
  
  
  delivers top-tier performance with a core uptime of 99.999% and impressive network reliability. It outshines in terms of high-traffic and multimedia websites with its Multi-CDN options and comprehensive security measures, including customizable profiles and managed cybersecurity services. The extensive global network of data centers and high flexibility in plans render it appealing for users with advanced technical requirements. However, its lack of an easy-to-use website builder might pose challenges for beginners or non-technical users. Leaseweb’s structured plans and enterprise-level support with SLAs make it a robust choice for businesses looking for high reliability and performance.
  
• 
  Hostwinds (Overall grade: 7.1)
  
  
  provides versatile hosting with user-friendly features like the Weebly Site Builder, making it accessible for beginners and small businesses. It shines with its comprehensive and user-friendly web hosting, included features like free SSL, dedicated IPs, and convenient migration support. Hostwinds also boasts strong customer support, quick response times, and clear pricing. However, it falls short in terms of consistent uptime and slower response times compared to Leaseweb. Despite lacking some advanced security features and compliance credentials, Hostwinds remains a solid choice for users seeking ease of use, variety in hosting options, and excellent customer service.
  

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 Leaseweb: Leaseweb provides exceptional uptime and network reliability.

Leaseweb guarantees a core uptime of 99.999% and showed nearly flawless performance during over a month of monitoring, with only 4 minutes of downtime. It offers a significant network capacity of over 10 Tbps and is peered with more than 2000 ISPs, ensuring consistent performance. Leaseweb’s data centers across Europe, the U.S., and Asia are designed for performance, reliability, and security.

Hostwinds had an uptime of 99.89% over almost 2 weeks, with an outage lasting 19 minutes. It promises a 99.99% uptime guarantee but doesn’t consistently achieve this. Hostwinds’ average response time is 945ms, which is slower than the market’s average. They operate data centers in Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam and provide 24/7 monitoring with automatic support ticket generation for issues.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Renowned for its high performance and global data center presence.

In terms of general performance, Leaseweb outshines Hostwinds with its powerful compute capabilities, offering CPUs with up to 64 cores and substantial memory capacity for high IOPS. Hostwinds, on the other hand, leverages SSD drives, Litespeed servers, and Cloudflare CDN for accelerated load times and cutting-edge performance. Both hosting services provide high bandwidth connectivity and implement extensive monitoring systems, but Leaseweb’s extensive global network with 43 points of presence and advanced configuration options give it a slight edge. Hostwinds also shines with its 99.9999% uptime guarantee and full management support, which are very attractive features.

Website Speed

Leaseweb offers impressive performance with high bandwidth options and port speeds up to 100Gbps, ensuring quick data transfers and reduced latency. Hostwinds uses SSDs and the Litespeed web server to achieve faster content delivery. Both providers ensure strong uptime, but Leaseweb’s high-performance servers and higher port speeds may provide marginally better load times for resource-intensive websites, giving it a slight lead over Hostwinds in terms of raw speed.

Scalability

Both hosting services offer scalability, but they approach it differently. Hostwinds provides instant scalability within their cloud server features, which allows for quick upgrades based on real-time needs. Leaseweb, while known for powerful dedicated servers and flexible configurations, doesn’t specify if the scaling happens automatically or requires upgrading. As for costs, Hostwinds offers clear pricing with its business and shared hosting plans, whereas Leaseweb focuses on providing a competitive price-to-performance ratio but doesn’t detail specific costs for scaling.

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Provides comprehensive and customizable security features tailored to various regulatory requirements.

Technical security measures:

Hostwinds offers AutoSSL for shared and business web hosting accounts for free, while Leaseweb offers SSL certificates to ensure secure data transmission. Hostwinds partners with Cloudflare for a CDN and uses a Litespeed Web Server for fast content delivery, but Leaseweb’s SIEM SOC service combines monitoring with correlation engines and cyber security experts. Hostwinds ensures access to the latest PHP versions, but Leaseweb’s penetration testing collaboration with Northwave provides additional security insights. Hostwinds monitors websites 24/7 and offers automatic ticket dispatch for issues, whereas Leaseweb’s hardware-based DDoS IP protection re-routes attacks before they reach the server.

Operational security measures:

Hostwinds offers a nightly backup service and constant monitoring of their network infrastructure. They provide 24/7/365 support through various channels, including live chat and phone. Leaseweb, on the other hand, has managed cyber security with a Security Operations Center (SOC) team available 24/7 and offers customizable security profiles and rules. Hostwinds includes full management support to resolve hosting issues promptly. Leaseweb provides Acronis Backup solutions ranging from 25GB to 500GB for extensive data protection.

Compliance and certifications:

Leaseweb complies with GDPR and PCI DSS, ensuring secure handling of personal and payment card information. Hostwinds does not specifically mention GDPR or PCI compliance, making it advisable to contact them directly for detailed compliance information.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Comprehensive and user-friendly web hosting with a plethora of features.

When comparing Hostwinds and Leaseweb, both offer a range of hosting services, but they cater to different user needs. Hostwinds provides a substantial set of features across its various hosting plans that include SSD drives, free SSL, and unlimited email accounts. Their Weebly Site Builder is easy to use for beginners and offers considerable customization options for advanced users. This can be particularly appealing for those looking to create and manage their websites with minimum hassle and maximum versatility. One standout feature is Hostwinds’ free dedicated IP and website migration, making it an attractive option for businesses that may need flexible and dedicated resources.

Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers structured plans with clear distinctions between small, medium, and large Linux packages. They provide essential services like SSD storage, MySQL databases, and email hosting in these packages. For advanced users needing robust server management, Leaseweb’s VPS hosting comes with root/admin access and offers DDoS and firewall protection. Unlike Hostwinds, Leaseweb does not include a free website builder, which may require users to opt for external tools or possess advanced technical skills to set up and maintain their websites. While Leaseweb offers high performance with a premium network and no downtime, some users might find Hostwinds’ additional free services such as nightly backups and full management more appealing.

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 Leaseweb 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:

Email services at Hostwinds 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, Leaseweb provides unlimited free professional email accounts, which is particularly beneficial for users requiring multiple email accounts without incurring additional costs.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds:Provides diverse and feature-rich 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.

Hostwinds and Leaseweb offer various hosting options with distinct features and pricing. Hostwinds offers comprehensive shared hosting plans starting at $5.24 per month, featuring unlimited bandwidth and disk space. Leaseweb’s web hosting starts at €5.99, providing 25 GB SSD storage but limited to one domain. Hostwinds’ cloud hosting offers hourly billing, providing flexibility, whereas Leaseweb provides monthly billing, potentially impacting cost-effectiveness. Both platforms offer competitive VPS and dedicated server plans, with Hostwinds noted for fully managed services and Leaseweb for high bandwidth options.

Enterprise plans

Hostwinds offers a variety of managed services and high-end configurations suitable for large businesses, including dedicated server and cloud solutions. Their plans are customizable, ensuring optimal performance and uptime with features like enterprise hardware and redundant networks. Leaseweb, while providing competitive dedicated server options, excels in high bandwidth solutions and hybrid cloud infrastructures, offering flexibility and security critical for enterprise-level hosting. Each platform provides robust SLAs, ensuring reliable support and hardware replacement timelines.

🏆 Winner Hostwinds: Customer-friendly features and ease of migration make it a preferred choice.

Hostwinds provides a cPanel interface for managing websites, offering an intuitive and user-friendly experience for both beginners and experienced users. It incorporates the Weebly Drag-and-Drop Website Builder, making it especially accessible for users without any coding knowledge. For advanced users, cPanel access offers a wide range of features and tools, including the Softaculous Apps Installer which allows one-click installations for hundreds of applications. In contrast, Leaseweb focuses on a more traditional customer portal and API management approach. While comprehensive, it may present a steeper learning curve for non-technical users who are not familiar with these tools. This nuance could make it less approachable for newcomers compared to the straightforward cPanel offered by Hostwinds.

Both providers offer free migration services, but Hostwinds takes a clear lead with its extensive no-cost migration support for all types of hosting, including shared, business, reseller, and cloud hosting. Hostwinds’ support experts handle the migration process, which can be extremely helpful for users transitioning from other providers. Leaseweb, on the other hand, doesn’t explicitly mention free migration services in the provided information, which may imply potential costs or a more hands-on approach required from the user. This makes Hostwinds a more convenient option for seamless transitions.

Hostwinds’ help center is highly accessible, offering 24/7/365 customer support through live chat, support tickets, and email. Its comprehensive knowledge base includes extensive product documentation, step-by-step tutorials, and a community forum. Leaseweb also provides a wide range of support options, including product-specific cheat sheets, a customer portal, and various help articles. However, the inclusion of numerous networking and compliance topics might be overwhelming for users primarily focused on standard hosting needs.

Winner Leaseweb: Known for offering comprehensive control panel options and a user-friendly portal.

The user management features of Hostwinds and Leaseweb differ significantly. Hostwinds does not provide specific details regarding user management and roles, making it difficult to assess its capabilities in this domain. Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers various control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta, which typically include user management functionalities. Moreover, Leaseweb’s Customer Portal and API likely provide robust tools for managing user permissions and roles, indicating a more flexible and comprehensive approach to user management compared to Hostwinds.

When it comes to user interfaces and tools for managing users, Leaseweb stands out. The availability of multiple control panels ensures that users have the flexibility to choose a system that fits their needs. Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta are known for their intuitive interfaces that simplify user management tasks. In addition, the Leaseweb Customer Portal offers a centralized platform for managing all aspects of the hosting environment, which likely includes user roles and permissions. Hostwinds does not offer detailed information in this area, making it hard to evaluate its capabilities.

Assessing the effectiveness of access control measures and the capability to manage a growing number of users, Leaseweb again appears more promising. The use of established control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta suggests a reliable and efficient user management system. These tools are known for their scalability and ease of use, which helps in handling a large number of users without significant issues. The Leaseweb Customer Portal and API likely provide additional layers of security and administrative control, making it a better choice for businesses looking for a scalable and secure hosting solution. Hostwinds, lacking detailed information, cannot be evaluated effectively in this regard.

Leaseweb user roles table:

🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Offers diverse and rapid support channels and flexible service level agreements tailored to different needs.

Hostwinds offers a variety of customer support options, including 24/7/365 availability through live chat, email, phone, and support tickets for paid customers. The support response times are impressively quick—30-second response times for live chat and phone calls, and five-minute responses for email tickets. This immediacy can significantly benefit customers with urgent issues. In addition, Hostwinds provides numerous self-help resources such as tutorials, product documentation, and community support.

Leaseweb also provides a broad range of customer support options, including live chat, email, telephone, and support tickets. Support is accessible 24/7, but the response times vary by the customer’s service level agreement (SLA) from 12 hours to 30 minutes, offering flexibility depending on the plan. Leaseweb further stands out by offering enterprise-level support, which includes dedicated agents and priority response, an advantage for businesses requiring prompt and specialized attention. The self-help resources are also extensive, featuring knowledge bases, API documentation, and a status page for ongoing issues.

Hostwinds vs Leaseweb: User feedback

Hostwinds hosting provider receives high praise for its exceptional customer service, prompt support, and reliable performance, with many users reporting significant improvements in site speed and uptime. Customers especially value the knowledgeable and responsive support team, finding them instrumental in resolving issues quickly. The user-friendly control panel and fair pricing further enhance their experience, though some note that the service can be pricier compared to competitors. However, a couple of reviews highlight issues with site migration and technical support, advising caution for WordPress users. Overall, the positive feedback significantly outweighs the negative, making Hostwinds a highly recommended choice for web hosting.

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.

Hostwinds vs Leaseweb: FAQ