Interserver vs Rocket.net: guide for 2024

Interserver vs Rocket.net: Final verdict

Looking over InterServer 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)
  
  shines primarily in its exceptional speed and performance, which is evident from their remarkable response times and robust infrastructure supporting over 275 global edge locations. WordPress users benefit heavily from its optimized hosting environment, offering impressive security features like enterprise-level WAF, real-time malware protection, and comprehensive compliance credentials. The support infrastructure is highly praised for its speed and efficiency, making Rocket.net an attractive choice for users who prioritize performance, security, and specialized support, particularly for WordPress and WooCommerce websites.
• 
  InterServer (Overall grade: 8.1)
  
  excels with its wide array of hosting types, from shared to dedicated hosting, and its practical features such as unlimited storage and data transfer. This makes it versatile, especially for high-traffic and multimedia websites. The robust uptime guarantee of 99.9%, combined with proactive security measures like InterShield, underscores its reliability. Although InterServer’s speed metrics lag slightly behind Rocket.net, it compensates with solid customer support and scalability options without downtime. Users appreciate the consistent performance without hidden fees, making it a great option for small to medium-sized businesses and users seeking various hosting plans with strong fundamental features.

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 InterServer: InterServer provides exceptional uptime and availability with a guarantee of 99.9% uptime and enhanced reliability through Cloudflare integration.

InterServer guarantees a 99.9% uptime for their hosting services, reinforced by a money-back policy if this guarantee is not met. Their long-term performance monitoring shows an actual uptime of 99.99%, demonstrating exceptional reliability. The average server response time sits at 662ms, which, while not the fastest, is complemented by route optimization and a proprietary caching system to ensure good global loading speeds.

Rocket.net offers a 99% uptime guarantee and boasts an impressive response time of 73ms. With over 275 global edge locations, excellent support, and various advanced features like an enterprise CDN and daily backups, it is a reliable option for WordPress hosting. Though its uptime guarantee is slightly lower, Rocket.net still provides high performance and strong support options.

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Exceptional speed and optimized performance for WordPress sites.

When comparing the general performance metrics of InterServer and Rocket.net, Rocket.net stands out mainly due to its highly optimized speed and global edge network. Rocket.net boasts an average Time to First Byte (TTFB) of 70ms and makes extensive use of enterprise NVMe servers and PHP 8.0 with Opcache. It also leverages a network of 275+ worldwide edge locations, ensuring quick content delivery. On the other hand, InterServer offers a variety of speed-boosting technologies such as SSD caching servers and a 10GB Cisco network, but it doesn’t match Rocket.net’s TTFB results. Both hosts offer free CDN services—Cloudflare for InterServer and an enterprise CDN for Rocket.net—though Rocket.net focuses on enterprise-grade offerings for better performance.

Website Speed

Website speed is a critical area where Rocket.net clearly shines. With an average TTFB of roughly 83ms, Rocket.net performs significantly faster than its competitors, such as Flywheel, Kinsta, and WPEngine. The utilization of full-page caching, cookie cache bypassing, and a global network of edge locations ensures that websites load extremely quickly, which is especially advantageous for WordPress users. InterServer, while efficient with its various speed optimization technologies such as RAID-10 storage and route optimization, cannot beat Rocket.net’s speed metrics.

Scalability

Both hosting services offer good scalability options, but they approach it differently. InterServer provides easy scalability to VPS or dedicated servers without downtime, making it flexible for growing projects. Rocket.net doesn’t provide explicit details on its scaling process, but its setup implies that scaling is efficient and tailored for WordPress performance. Pricing specifics for scaling are not available for either hosting service, making it difficult to compare costs directly. However, both hosts ensure a seamless transition to higher performance levels as your needs grow.

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Rocket.net excels in security by combining a wide array of advanced features to ensure maximum protection for your website.

Both InterServer and Rocket.net, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

InterServer and Rocket.net provide robust technical security measures. InterServer offers free SSL certificates, spam filtering, end-to-end email encryption, and an in-house developed security solution called InterShield. Rocket.net enhances security with unlimited free SSL certificates, an enterprise-level Website Application Firewall (WAF), and real-time malware protection via Imunify360. Both support multiple versions of PHP, but Rocket.net covers a broader range. Rocket.net further uses proactive protection measures, ensuring requests are safe before they hit the servers.

Operational security measures:

InterServer and Rocket.net both emphasize operational security. InterServer has brute-force protection, anonymous email options, and spam and virus filtering. Rocket.net implements brute force protection, enforces strong passwords, automated bot protection, and real-time malware protection. InterServer also offers Inter-Proxy Caching and Inter-Insurance services, enhancing account security and uptime through self-healing hardware. Rocket.net provides automated daily backups with different retention periods for standard and enterprise plans and consistently updates WordPress core, plugins, and themes to ensure robust defense.

Compliance and certifications:

InterServer claims GDPR adherence and focuses on general privacy and security, though without explicit PCI compliance details. Rocket.net offers comprehensive GDPR and PCI compliance, checking all necessary security standards. This includes protecting cardholder data and ensuring automated updates for maintaining compliance.

🏆 Winner InterServer: Superior offerings with a balanced feature set appealing to a wide range of users.

Both InterServer and Rocket.net present strong hosting solutions, each with unique strengths. InterServer shines with practical features like unlimited storage space, data transfer, and FTP accounts. The inclusion of SSD caching servers, weekly backups, a 10GB Cisco Network, and free Cloudflare CDN enhances performance and reliability. However, InterServer doesn’t explicitly mention SSH access, which could be a deciding factor for users seeking enhanced security measures and more control over their hosting environment. Ideal for users who value consistent performance and comprehensive storage without worrying about hidden fees or storage limitations.

Rocket.net, on the other hand, brings a robust focus on security and user management. With features like enterprise edge CDN, free SSL, malware protection, and an advanced website firewall, Rocket.net provides an exceptional level of security. They offer a range of free services such as test migrations and WooCommerce migrations, which can be a significant attraction for eCommerce sites. Additionally, Rocket.net offers SSH access and a suite of features like two-factor authentication, one-click staging, and detailed real-time analytics. Their staging and cloning capabilities are particularly beneficial for WordPress users looking to experiment with site changes safely.

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 InterServer 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:

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

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: A premier choice boasting cutting-edge features and reliability for high-traffic websites.

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.

When comparing InterServer and Rocket.net, the former offers highly competitive rates for shared hosting, starting at just $2.50 per month with comprehensive features. Conversely, Rocket.net’s Starter Plan begins at $30 per month but includes more advanced perks such as enterprise CDN and unlimited PHP workers. InterServer’s highest-priced WordPress hosting plan is $90 per month, supporting up to 15 cores, whereas Rocket.net’s plans cap at 25 installations but with significant premium features, starting at $60 per month. Cloud VPS hosting from InterServer starts at $6.00 monthly, emphasizing flexible software options and instant activation. For enterprises, Rocket.net provides numerous advanced tiers, offering extensive resources and specialized support.

Enterprise plans

InterServer offers a variety of cost-effective reseller and VPS hosting plans suited for growing businesses, but it lacks specific enterprise-focused tiers akin to those provided by Rocket.net. Rocket.net delivers extensive enterprise plans with premium features such as Object Cache Pro, Relay, and a private Slack channel for enhanced support. These plans are fully geared toward large-scale operations requiring robust infrastructure and high availability.

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Efficient and user-friendly hosting optimized for WordPress sites with an integrated speed and security suite.

Rocket.net opts for a more streamlined approach, eliminating the need for setup as it pre-configures essential features like the Enterprise CDN and Website Firewall. This makes it extremely accessible for users who might not have technical skills. The one-click staging and easy site creation further simplify the experience, and the free temporary URL is a thoughtful feature for testing their platform. Their integrated speed and security suite, all managed through a simple WordPress control panel, ensures that even non-technical users can easily handle advanced features.

InterServer provides control panels like cPanel and DirectAdmin, which are familiar to many web users. These panels offer a straightforward interface, making it relatively easy for both beginners and experienced users to manage their websites. With the availability of 461 one-click script installations, setting up various CMSs and applications can be done effortlessly. The integration of these popular control panels supports a wide range of functionalities suited for admin, resellers, and end-user website owners.

Both InterServer and Rocket.net offer free migration services. InterServer’s migration is aimed at standard shared hosting and requires a full cPanel backup, which can be a bit cumbersome for some users. In contrast, Rocket.net offers unlimited free WordPress migrations from any hosting provider, fully handled by their team to ensure zero downtime. This not only makes the migration quick but also hassle-free, as Rocket.net takes full responsibility for the process.

InterServer provides a comprehensive help center with 24/7 support, offering assistance via phone, live chat, or ticket system. They also house a knowledge base filled with helpful articles and tutorials. Rocket.net matches this with its 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support, boasting a 60-second response time for WooCommerce customers. They also offer detailed real-time analytics and powerful reporting tools within their control panel.

🏆 Winner Rocket.net: Offers comprehensive user management features with selective access for WordPress sites.

InterServer and Rocket.net both provide solid user role management and permissions, but with distinct approaches. InterServer leverages control panels like cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin to handle user roles and permissions, allowing for flexible account creation and management. Rocket.net, on the other hand, offers Site User Roles that give users selective access to specific WordPress sites, making it particularly useful for agencies. With features like unlimited email accounts in InterServer and roaming profiles in Rocket.net, both platforms offer scalable user management options. However, Rocket.net’s recent introduction of selective access and user role customization gives it an edge in flexibility.

InterServer utilizes traditional control panels such as cPanel and DirectAdmin, providing a range of tools for user management, including client management for resellers. The user interface is straightforward but might require some time for new users to get accustomed to. Rocket.net features a sleek, white-labeled control panel designed for selective user access, enabling easy user invitations and role assignments. The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, reducing the learning curve for new users. Both platforms offer dedicated file managers, but Rocket.net’s customization and white-label options provide a more streamlined user experience.

When assessing access control, both InterServer and Rocket.net have reliable measures in place. InterServer’s control panels support actions like creating user accounts, setting permissions, and managing email addresses, ensuring effective control as user numbers grow. Rocket.net offers extensive access control measures, including two-factor authentication, site-level access, and roaming profiles. Its advanced access control features make it well-suited for environments requiring stringent user management and security measures. Rocket.net’s capability to handle a growing user base with selective access options underscores its effectiveness in managing user roles efficiently.

Rocket.net User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner
Rocket.net: Known for its “lightning fast” customer support and effective resolutions.

InterServer and Rocket.net both offer extensive customer support, but Rocket.net stands out slightly with quicker response times and highly praised support quality. InterServer provides 24/7 support through multiple channels like phone, live chat, and ticket systems, with issues usually resolved within 48 hours. Additionally, they offer various control panels, unlimited email accounts, extensive knowledgebase, and proactive data backups for added protection. Their on-site support team ensures immediate assistance, and they provide a user-friendly experience with easy registration and a one-click installation tool.

Rocket.net, on the other hand, offers near-instant live chat responses, email replies within 6 minutes, and multiple contact methods including a private Slack channel for Enterprise plans. Their customer reviews highlight the speed and quality of their support, which is described as “phenomenal” and “world-class.” They also provide unlimited free WordPress migrations, WooCommerce migrations with zero downtime, and expert WordPress support for plugin issues and optimizations. Rocket.net’s focus on specialized support for WordPress users and their dedicated Enterprise support options give them an edge.

Interserver vs Rocket.net: User feedback

Overall, users appreciate the feature-rich services and competitive pricing of this hosting provider, highlighting its 24/7 customer support, fast server speeds, and user-friendly control panel. Many reviewers find the unlimited storage and bandwidth beneficial, particularly for small to medium-sized websites. However, some users have reported occasional server downtime and inconsistent speeds, which can be problematic during high traffic periods. Additionally, there are mentions of subpar interfaces and delayed support responses, but these issues are often balanced by the company’s reliability and straightforward, fixed pricing model.

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.

Interserver vs Rocket.net: FAQ