Kinsta vs Name.com: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Comparing Kinsta and Name.com, Kinsta has the edge in overall performance and advanced features, particularly for WordPress hosting.

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  Kinsta (Overall grade: 8.5)
  
  
  provides top-notch performance with its use of Google Cloud Platform, promising excellent speed optimizations and reliable uptime. The platform is particularly well-suited for WordPress users, supporting high-traffic sites and offering extensive technical security measures like a managed WAF, proactive site monitoring, and various backup options. Although it lacks shared, cloud, and ecommerce hosting plans, its strength lies in its premium managed WordPress plans, extensive global data centers, and developer-friendly tools. However, Kinsta’s premium services come at a higher price point, and it does not provide email hosting or a built-in website builder, which may add extra complexity and cost for some users.
  
• 
  Name.com (Overall grade: 7.3)
  
  
  offers a variety of budget-friendly hosting options, including shared, cloud, and ecommerce hosting. It stands out for its user-friendly cPanel interface, extensive security features, and strong performance backed by DigitalOcean’s infrastructure. The platform is particularly effective for beginners, providing automated backups, easy setup options, and a built-in website builder. Name.com’s customer support is generally reliable, though users have noted slower response times and less advanced technical assistance compared to Kinsta. Despite its comprehensive feature set, Name.com falls short in offering the same level of performance optimizations and premium infrastructure that Kinsta provides, making it a solid yet less advanced option for 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
Kinsta: A top-tier hosting provider known for its superior uptime and performance.

Kinsta guarantees an uptime of 99.9%, but real-world tests show it performs even better. Tests have shown consistent 100% uptime over various periods, including seven days, three months, and even a full year. This reliability is supported by their monitoring system, which checks each WordPress site on their platform every three minutes.

Name.com offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee and delivers steady performance with a low average response time of 220ms. It also offers free automated backups and 24/7 support, making it a solid choice, especially for beginners. While Name.com is reliable, Kinsta’s commitment to maintaining perfect uptime edges it out as the better option.

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

Kinsta and Name.com both offer SSD storage and free CDN integration to enhance hosting performance and speed. Kinsta, however, showcases faster load times with a Kinsta load time clocked at 50% faster, compared to Name.com. Kinsta operates 35 global data centers, which surpasses Name.com’s unspecified number, potentially offering better local loading speeds and content delivery. Moreover, Kinsta’s technology is more up-to-date, which may contribute to its superior performance.

Website Speed

Kinsta offers superior website speed features with edge caching that reduces TTFB by up to 50%. Their continuous MySQL optimization and built-in application performance monitoring further enhance speed, alongside automatic image and code optimization. Early Hints technology also serves pages up to 30% faster. Name.com provides solid performance, especially with DigitalOcean’s processors and global data centers, but does not offer the same level of integrated optimizations such as built-in performance monitoring or advanced caching methods that Kinsta provides.

Scalability

Kinsta offers scalable solutions with no hidden fees, transparent overage pricing, and multiple backup options. The scaling process involves flexible access management and unlimited users. For Name.com, while they offer excellent scalability options, specific details on the elasticity of scaling and automatic upgrades are not mentioned. Costs associated with scaling Name.com services are modest, with monthly prices starting at around $6.00, but detailed information on how scaling happens automatically or via upgrades is not available.

🏆 Winner
Kinsta: Kinsta offers more robust security features, ensuring a secure and reliable hosting environment.

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

Technical security measures:

Kinsta provides a secure hosting environment with features such as free SSL certificates, automatic renewals, support for custom and wildcard SSL certificates, and a PHP version selector allowing easy upgrades. Similarly, Name.com offers a variety of SSL certificates, including Domain Validation (DV), Organization Validation (OV), and Extended Validation (EV), with additional options for wildcard certificates. Name.com also supports PHP versions from 7.0 to 8.0+. Both offer automated backups, but Kinsta goes further by providing multiple options, including automatic hourly backups, manual, system-generated, and downloadable backups.

Operational security measures:

Kinsta employs multiple proactive measures such as a fully managed WAF with DDoS protection, free malware removal, proactive site monitoring, and secure remote access over SSH or SFTP. Name.com, on the other hand, includes regular monitoring, secure shell (SSH) access, SFTP/FTP access, spam protection, and an uptime guarantee of 99.9%. Kinsta also excels in providing application performance monitoring, continuous MySQL database optimization, and image optimization — features that are not highlighted for Name.com.

Compliance and certifications:

Kinsta is SOC 2 compliant, ensuring enterprise-grade security, and meets GDPR requirements for data protection in the European Union. Its infrastructure also supports PCI compliance for eCommerce sites, although specific PCI details are not provided. Name.com complies with GDPR regulations and uses secure data handling practices that suggest adherence to PCI standards, but lacks specific SOC 2 compliance certification details.

🏆 Winner Name.com: Name.com offers reliable and feature-rich hosting for all types of users.

Both Kinsta and Name.com provide robust hosting services that cater to various user needs. Kinsta is known for its premium performance and ease of use, especially for WordPress sites. This makes it appealing for users who prioritize a smooth and efficient setup. Kinsta provides unique features like their custom-built MyKinsta dashboard that offers management capabilities not typically found in standard cPanel environments. They also include features like a user-friendly staging environment, SSH access, and security features making it suitable for developers and those seeking high security for their websites. However, Kinsta doesn’t include a website builder, so users will need to rely on external tools for building their sites.

Name.com, with its higher rating, shines in areas like user-friendly website builder tools. It offers simple one-click setup options that allow users to get started quickly with popular CMS platforms like WordPress. Name.com also provides automated backups, unlimited subdomains, and a variety of security features. Their hosting plans are more inclusive with offerings like free automated backups, unlimited FTP accounts, and SSH access. Additionally, Name.com includes a free SSL certificate and 400+ pre-installed scripts, making it a cost-effective option for users. Their cPanel interface is straightforward, making it easy for beginners to manage their hosting needs.

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 Kinsta and Name.com 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:

Name.com offers extensive email hosting services with over 100 email accounts and secure email encryption, making it ideal for users who need comprehensive email solutions. They also provide spam protection and enterprise webmail interfaces. Kinsta, on the other hand, does not include email hosting, which means users will need to rely on third-party services for their email needs. This can add additional complexity and cost for users who require integrated email solutions.

🏆 Winner
Kinsta: Kinsta offers a wide range of optimized hosting solutions suitable for various needs and budgets.

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 Kinsta and Name.com, Kinsta stands out with its managed WordPress hosting starting at $35/month, offering a comprehensive set of features including free CDN and premium migrations. On the other hand, Name.com has more budget-friendly cloud hosting options, starting at $6/month with Digital Ocean droplets. Kinsta also provides various specialized plans such as memory and CPU-optimized plans, while Name.com offers straightforward web hosting and WordPress plans with unlimited storage and free SSL certificates.

Enterprise plans

Kinsta’s enterprise plans start from $675/month, featuring 60+ WordPress installs, over 100GB storage, 1,000,000+ visits, and 30-day backup retention. Name.com does not offer dedicated enterprise-specific plans, making Kinsta the more robust choice for large-scale enterprise needs.

🏆 Winner
Kinsta: An advanced hosting platform with thorough support and streamlined management tools.

Kinsta features a custom-built, award-winning admin panel called MyKinsta. This dashboard simplifies site management, providing features like one-click backup creation, easy cache management, and straightforward PHP version selection. Its intuitive interface caters to both technical and non-technical users, allowing for seamless navigation and efficient site management. One significant advantage is the staging environments, which enable users to test changes without affecting the live site, making it a highly versatile tool suitable for a variety of hosting projects, from WordPress to application and database hosting.

Name.com, in contrast, offers cPanel, a widely-used and well-known admin interface. Although it may not be as customized as MyKinsta, cPanel is user-friendly and familiar to many, which could reduce the learning curve for some users. Name.com’s interface includes key features such as one-click WordPress installation, automated backups, and an easy-to-use site management system, which are all beneficial for both novice and experienced users. Despite its standard nature, cPanel’s simplicity and accessibility make it a strong contender.

Both hosting providers offer migration tools to ease the transition from other platforms. Kinsta allows you to request migrations directly via the MyKinsta dashboard, offering both basic and premium options at no additional cost. Name.com also supports website migration with automated backups, yet it does not mention any dedicated migration tools or services explicitly beyond the automated backup systems. Thus, Kinsta provides a more robust and clearly defined migration service.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Kinsta offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Name.com 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
Kinsta: Advanced user management features tailored for seamless administrative control.

When comparing user management features between Kinsta and Name.com, Kinsta clearly stands out with detailed user roles and defined responsibilities. Kinsta provides flexible access levels such as Company Owners, Company Administrators, and Company Developers, allowing for precise control over who can add, remove, and manage users. This level of granularity is not detailed for Name.com, making it difficult to evaluate their user management capabilities comprehensively. Kinsta’s emphasis on customer responsibility for maintaining credentials and ensuring appropriate access adds a layer of security and autonomy.

Kinsta offers a user-friendly interface through MyKinsta, where users can effortlessly enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), manage credentials, and oversee various access levels. The ability to grant site-specific permissions through a central dashboard streamlines administrative tasks, ensuring that all user interactions are under tight control. Name.com, lacking specific information on its user management interface, cannot be critically assessed in this regard.

Kinsta efficiently handles access control with clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The inclusion of Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) provides an additional security layer, while its structured approach ensures ease in managing an increasing number of users. The role-specific permissions in Kinsta support scalability, crucial for growing businesses. Without detailed information on Name.com’s access control mechanisms, it’s challenging to assess its effectiveness in managing multiple users as efficiently as Kinsta.

Kinsta user roles table:

🏆 Winner Name.com: Offers reliable uptime and attentive customer service with user-friendly cPanel integration.

When it comes to customer support, Kinsta and Name.com both offer comprehensive options, but with distinct differences. Kinsta provides extensive 24/7 live chat support for paid customers, along with proactive site monitoring and human-only expert support, which ensures personalized assistance. Kinsta also offers a range of multilingual support options, tailored to specific languages during designated hours, and enterprise-grade security features.

On the other hand, Name.com provides live chat support daily from 12am to 5pm MST and a virtual bot available during off-hours. Their support is accessible through a ticket system and phone support, though within limited hours. Name.com shines with a high uptime guarantee and free automated backups included in all hosting plans, making it a reliable choice for those prioritizing stability and ease of use.

User feedback

Kinsta is highly recommended by users for its reliable and easy-to-use hosting services, particularly for WordPress sites. Customers appreciate the fast and responsive customer support, impressive speed, and robust security features provided by the platform. The user-friendly dashboard and extensive documentation also stand out as significant advantages, making it easy for both novices and tech-savvy individuals to manage their sites. However, some users find the pricing to be on the higher side, and a few have suggested improvements like expanding data center locations and providing direct access to all integrated services. Overall, Kinsta is praised for delivering a high-quality, dependable hosting experience.

User feedback for the hosting provider reveals a mixed bag of experiences. While many users appreciate the straightforward domain registration process, easy-to-use interface, and competitive pricing, there are significant concerns regarding customer service. Negative reviews often highlight slow response times, unhelpful support, and issues with account management. Users also express dissatisfaction with hosting services, citing technical difficulties and a lack of advanced features. However, some long-term users remain loyal, finding the platform reliable for domain-related solutions despite its shortcomings in customer support.

FAQ