Register.com vs Hostpapa: guide for 2024

Register.com vs Hostpapa: Final verdict

Looking over Register.com vs. HostPapa, both services have their unique strengths and weaknesses, catering to different user needs.

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  HostPapa (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  
  is a comprehensive web hosting service that excels in speed, security, and customer support. Utilizing NVMe storage and a global CDN, it offers superior website performance and speed. The inclusion of VPS hosting and scalable options makes it an ideal choice for high-traffic websites and agencies that need private nameservers and billing systems. HostPapa also provides extensive technical support and user management features, making it highly reliable for growing businesses. Other notable advantages include free website migration, automated backups, and robust email services.
  
• 
  Register.com (Overall grade: 6.6)
  
  
  , while not as feature-rich, is reliable when it comes to uptime and security. It guarantees higher uptime and includes security measures like SiteLock and SSL certificates to protect websites. Its easy-to-use interface and a variety of hosting plans make it suitable for ecommerce platforms and small to medium-sized businesses. However, the service lacks performance enhancements such as NVMe storage and CDN, and its pricing is generally higher with tier-based restrictions. Despite these downsides, Register.com remains a solid option for users prioritizing uptime and basic security 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 Register.com: Offers a higher uptime guarantee and advanced security features.

Register.com stands out by offering a 99.99% uptime guarantee for Unix customers and 99.9% for Microsoft users. This ensures minimal downtime, drawing in businesses that cannot afford any interruptions to their online presence. Their additional security measures such as SiteLock for malware protection and SSL certificates for data encryption further enhance the reliability of their services.

HostPapa guarantees 99.9% uptime and generally performs close to this benchmark. It boasts strong load time performance from various Canadian locations, ensuring a satisfactory user experience. HostPapa’s open communication about maintenance and incident statuses adds an extra layer of trustworthiness for users who rely heavily on service reliability.

🏆 Winner
HostPapa: HostPapa shows superior speed, enhanced security, and excellent customer support.

When comparing general performance, HostPapa stands out due to its utilization of NVMe storage, which is significantly faster than traditional HDDs. HostPapa also offers a CDN through Cloudflare Enterprise with over 250 global locations, which enhances content delivery speed. Register.com, while reliable with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, uses multiple servers to avoid crashes but does not specify using NVMe storage. HostPapa provides free Cloudflare CDN, whereas Register.com does not mention a CDN service. HostPapa’s diverse edge hosting locations further ensure that website speed is maintained globally, putting it ahead of Register.com in general performance.

Website Speed

HostPapa’s website speed benefits dramatically from its NVMe storage and Cloudflare Enterprise CDN. These features result in faster load times and improved PageSpeed scores. Register.com’s hosting, while reliable, doesn’t match the significant speed benefits offered by HostPapa. HostPapa is also optimized specifically for WordPress, offering features like automatic plugin updates and pre-installed Jetpack, ensuring higher performance rates consistently.

Scalability

HostPapa offers flexible scalability options that can cater to the growing needs of businesses. However, the precise details on whether scaling happens automatically or requires manual upgrade are not provided. Register.com offers scalable plans but does not specify if they facilitate automatic scaling. Both hosting providers enable easier upgrades, but HostPapa’s flexibility with dedicated servers and detailed security measures makes it a standout for businesses planning to grow. The cost details for scaling are not explicitly provided for either service.

🏆 Winner Register.com: With a vast array of security measures, Register.com is a reliable choice for securing your website effectively.

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

Technical security measures:

Register.com focuses extensively on a variety of SSL certificates, including Domain Validation, Extended Validation, and Organization Validation, each offering different levels of encryption and validation. HostPapa uses SSL certificates from GlobalSign and offers both single and wildcard options with up to 256-bit encryption. Register.com’s SiteLock provides malware scanning and removal, similar to HostPapa’s Protection Power that includes a Web Application Firewall and DDoS protection. Both hosting services allow users to select PHP versions, ensuring compatibility and performance. Additionally, Register.com offers automatic website backups through CodeGuard, while HostPapa also provides automated backups for website files, emails, and databases.

Operational security measures:

Register.com takes proactive measures like customizable error pages, raw log file access, password protection, and a scheduled tasks manager for enhanced operational security. HostPapa offers advanced operational security like daily malware scanning, real-time security notifications, advanced bot protection, and spam and Google blacklist monitoring. Both providers engage in regular vulnerability management and employ robust SSL encryption for data communication. HostPapa’s CDN further enhances security by caching content globally to improve load times and offer additional protection. Both providers also ensure domain privacy to shield contact information from public access.

Compliance and certifications:

Register.com complies with GDPR by masking certain fields in the WHOIS output for EU residents and having specified roles for Data Processor and Data Controller. HostPapa is governed by both GDPR and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). For PCI compliance, Register.com ensures secure credit card transactions using SSL certificates, whereas HostPapa guides customers to achieve PCI compliance and passes compliance scans from approved scanning vendors.

🏆 Winner Hostpapa: A comprehensive feature set with more advanced controls and security options.

When looking at the hosting features, Register.com and HostPapa each have their strengths, but HostPapa stands out with a more extensive range of tools and options. Register.com provides a user-friendly Website Builder, which makes it easy for beginners to design their websites. However, HostPapa not only offers unlimited SSD storage and unlimited email addresses but also a Wildcard SSL certificate free for the first year, which is a significant advantage compared to Register.com’s basic services. Both providers offer free domain registration, but with HostPapa, the terms and conditions should be closely examined. A critical feature HostPapa provides is a WordPress staging environment, which facilitates testing and updates before going live—an essential tool for developers and pros.

Another notable difference is in terms of advanced access and control. While Register.com has an FTP Account Manager, the availability of SFTP and SSH is unclear. HostPapa, on the other hand, clearly offers FTP/SFTP accounts along with full root access via SSH, catering to more advanced users who need robust control over their servers. HostPapa also offers extensive security features such as Server Firewall, DDoS Protection, and Brute Force Detection, ensuring that websites hosted on their platform are well-protected. Furthermore, their automated backups and domain privacy features at no charge for the first year add significant value.

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 Register.com and HostPapa 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:

Register.com offers basic email hosting with transactional capabilities, ideal for simple setups like form submissions. HostPapa goes a step further by providing unlimited email hosting with additional features like free email addresses and more robust transactional email capabilities, supporting more extensive email campaigns and marketing needs. HostPapa’s email service is more versatile and comprehensive, catering to diverse user requirements, including reselling third-party services.

🏆 Winner HostPapa: HostPapa scores slightly higher overall, mainly due to the robust features included in their plans and the transparency of what’s included.

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 Register.com and HostPapa, HostPapa offers more cost-effective pricing tiers and broader features for lower prices. HostPapa’s plans come with high storage capacities, unlimited emails, and the inclusion of security features such as SSL certificates without additional costs. Register.com, though comprehensive in its offerings, generally features higher prices and tier-based restrictions on website and email limits. HostPapa also offers more versatile VPS and Reseller plans with better pricing, extensive free features, and additional storage, making it a better option for a broad range of users.

Enterprise plans

For enterprise needs, HostPapa’s Elite shared hosting plan and WP Ultra WordPress plan stand out with unmetered NVMe storage, unlimited email addresses, and advanced security features like a wildcard SSL certificate and fully managed web application firewall, all at competitive prices. Register.com offers tailored solutions with capped resources, potentially making HostPapa a more cost-effective and feature-rich option for growing enterprises.

🏆 Winner HostPapa: An excellent balance of ease-of-use, extensive support, and free website migration.

Register.com provides a diverse and extensive admin panel that offers tools like a website builder, FTP account manager, database manager, and script library. The panel is molded to accommodate both beginners and advanced users, with features like one-click installs and custom error pages. Non-technical users can find convenience in the user-friendly website builder, while technical users may appreciate the Ruby on Rails integration and detailed AWStats reports. The password protection and domain pointers add layers of security and flexibility.

HostPapa, on the other hand, uses a more streamlined approach with their admin panel. One of the standouts is the auto-installed WordPress feature, which eliminates the hassle of manual setup. The one-click website publishing feature is highly accessible for non-technical users, making the entire process efficient. HostPapa’s admin panel is designed to simplify website management by offering one-click operations alongside free domain registration in some plans, a notable advantage for newcomers setting up their first site.

HostPapa stands out when considering migration tools. HostPapa offers free and painless website migration from any provider, ensuring no downtime during the transition. This zero-cost service can be particularly crucial for users looking for a hassle-free switch. Register.com, however, does not explicitly mention any specialized free migration tools, which could make transitions more cumbersome and potentially involve fees.

The quality and accessibility of the help center resources differ between the two providers. Register.com offers 24/7 customer service, extensive FAQs, and support resources, including a blog and site map. The MyTime Support feature is particularly helpful for product setup and tasks. HostPapa surpasses Register.com with its comprehensive support and information center featuring hundreds of searchable articles, downloadable manuals, and video tutorials. The availability of a live chat, 30-minute one-on-one training sessions, and multi-language support enhances user experience significantly.

🏆 Winner HostPapa: HostPapa offers superior user management capabilities, making it the preferable choice for managing user roles and permissions.

Comparing the user management features of Register.com and HostPapa reveals a distinct disparity. HostPapa, leveraging Plesk, provides a structured approach to creating and managing user roles, allowing for granular permissions. Users can be activated or deactivated without deletion, ensuring flexibility. On the other hand, without specific information about Register.com’s user management features, it’s difficult to gauge its capabilities. HostPapa’s defined permissions for roles enhance administrative control, which Register.com currently lacks in available detail.

Both platforms present different interfaces for user management. HostPapa uses Plesk, which provides a clear and navigable interface for managing user roles and permissions. The steps to create user roles in Plesk are straightforward and detailed, ensuring administrators can easily set up and modify roles. In contrast, Register.com’s interface remains unspecified here, and its comparability can’t be assessed accurately without further information.

Assessing access control measures and scalability, HostPapa shines. The ability to configure specific permissions means it can efficiently handle an increasing number of users while maintaining security and proper access controls. Plesk’s architecture supports growth, ensuring user roles can be managed effectively even as the platform scales. Register.com’s methods for scaling user management are not detailed, suggesting a potential limitation in comparison.

HostPapa user roles table:

🏆 Winner HostPapa: A short description.

Register.com and HostPapa both provide a range of customer support options including phone support, live chat support, and email/ticket support. Register.com offers dedicated business consultants available by phone during extended hours and general customer service for most of the day. It also includes 24/7 live chat and a ticket system with a 24-hour response time.

HostPapa, on the other hand, provides 24/7/365 customer support with multiple international phone numbers and an available live chat service on their website. Their additional features include an extensive knowledge base, video tutorials, and a unique one-on-one training session. Both companies are committed to delivering extensive customer support, but HostPapa’s continuous availability and extra educational resources give it an edge.

Register.com vs Hostpapa: User feedback

Customer feedback on Register.com’s performance as a web hosting service is notably polarized. A significant number of users commend the platform for its easy-to-use interface, extensive template selection, and generally satisfactory customer service, emphasizing that it meets basic web hosting and domain registration needs effectively. However, many users also express frustration over high costs, slow response times, and unaddressed technical issues such as unreliable email services and slow page loading speeds. While some customers have had positive long-term experiences, others warn against the service due to unreliability and poor customer support, resulting in business losses and dissatisfaction.

Overall, customers generally appreciate the ease of use, responsive customer support, and affordability of the hosting provider. Many users specifically highlight the excellent technical support and straightforward interface as significant advantages. However, some reviews mention downsides such as occasional transparency issues with billing, aggressive upselling tactics, and sporadic performance concerns like downtime or slow website speeds due to outdated technology. There are also mixed experiences regarding customer service efficiency, with some users facing frustrating delays while others commend the quick and knowledgeable support team.

Register.com vs Hostpapa: FAQ