ScalaHosting vs Gandi.net: guide for 2024

ScalaHosting vs Gandi.net: Final verdict

Looking over ScalaHosting vs. Gandi.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.

• 
  Gandi.net (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  offers reliable hosting services with commendable uptime, flexible plans, and strong security features. It’s particularly suitable for agencies managing multiple domains due to its domain reseller services. The user interface is streamlined for domain management and multi-language support, making it user-friendly for EU-based customers. However, it falls short in areas like telephone support and on-demand scalability. The automatic installation of popular content management systems simplifies things for beginners, but more advanced users might find the lack of detailed scalability options limiting.
• 
  ScalaHosting (Overall grade: 8.8)
  
  impresses with excellent uptime, high-speed performance, and comprehensive security features. It caters well to a wide audience, from ecommerce businesses to high-traffic websites, thanks to its managed cluster solutions and robust security protocols like the SShield system. The use of OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise servers ensures fast website loading times. ScalaHosting stands out in scalability through easy resource upgrades and on-demand scalability at competitive prices. It also provides an innovative SPanel for seamless account management, making it an appealing choice for technical and non-technical users alike.

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 ScalaHosting: Seamless uptime and efficient global performance make ScalaHosting an excellent choice.

ScalaHosting and Gandi.net both present strong cases for hosting reliability and performance. ScalaHosting provides a 99.9% uptime guarantee, while Gandi.net promises a slightly higher uptime of 99.95%. However, during performance testing, ScalaHosting demonstrated 100% uptime, along with effective native and third-party integration through SPanel. The proprietary SShield security system and high-speed data centers across multiple global locations further enhance its appeal.

Gandi.net also offers commendable uptime performance, backed by a compensation policy that ensures users get credits if downtime exceeds their guarantee. While Gandi.net provides 24/7 support, the lack of telephone support may be a concern for some. ScalaHosting’s extensive monitoring tools and reliable customer support via multiple channels make it the preferred option for those seeking comprehensive and dependable hosting services.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers superior performance, scalability, and security features.

When comparing ScalaHosting and Gandi.net, ScalaHosting stands out with its high-speed performance due to its advanced hardware and software, including OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise web servers. Gandi.net offers decent performance with dedicated resources and Varnish Cache for faster page load times. ScalaHosting provides better overall uptime and latency, supported by its custom-built servers and self-healing cloud setup. Both providers offer multiple data center locations; however, ScalaHosting has a more extensive network, including integration with AWS data centers around the globe, whereas Gandi.net’s data centers are mainly located in France and Luxembourg.

Website Speed

ScalaHosting’s use of OpenLiteSpeed and LiteSpeed Enterprise web servers ensures industry-leading speed. Their SShield Security System also contributes to minimizing lag through real-time monitoring. Gandi.net, though equipped with Varnish Cache for enhanced page load times, does not match the speed offered by ScalaHosting’s setup. Overall, websites hosted on ScalaHosting tend to exhibit quicker load times and better performance metrics.

Scalability

ScalaHosting offers on-demand scalability with easy resource upgrades or downgrades at any time with just a click. They feature dedicated CPU and memory resources, ensuring users pay only for what they use. Gandi.net provides easy plan upgrades to handle increased traffic but lacks the detailed on-demand scalability that ScalaHosting offers. Specific cost details for scaling on ScalaHosting are readily available, while Gandi.net does not provide particular scaling costs.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting’s advanced security features offer unmatched protection for websites.

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

Technical security measures:

ScalaHosting offers a wide range of SSL certificates and supports multiple PHP versions, including 8.2. The SShield security system provides real-time malware protection and proactive monitoring. Gandi.net includes free SSL certificates with all hosting plans and offers the latest PHP version 8.2. It secures DNS zones using Anycast DNS with DNSSEC and provides Varnish Cache for improved website speed. ScalaHosting includes additional features like HTTP/2, HTTP/3 support, and an advanced security suite with SPanel.

Operational security measures:

Both providers have robust operational security measures. ScalaHosting employs daily automated backups, brute-force protection, a dedicated firewall, and SShield’s proactive monitoring. Gandi.net offers automatic snapshots for easy recovery, two-factor authentication, and Hosting Booster to manage unexpected traffic spikes. While both provide high-security measures, ScalaHosting’s offsite disaster recovery backups and comprehensive anti-spam tools offer more extensive operational security.

Compliance and certifications:

ScalaHosting’s US-based data centers comply with NIST, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, GLBA, SOC 1, SOC 2, SSAE 18, ITAR, and EU-US Privacy Shield. Gandi.net ensures GDPR compliance, with data hosted in France or Luxembourg. It also offers SSL certificates with financial transaction warranties, indicating a focus on PCI compliance. ScalaHosting’s extensive compliance with multiple standards gives it an edge in certifications.

🏆 Winner: ScalaHosting: Offers a wide range of hosting features with robust developer support and user interface options.

ScalaHosting and Gandi.net both provide an array of hosting features catering to different user needs, but their offerings present distinct advantages. ScalaHosting shines with a rich set of tools for managing web hosting, such as detailed account management, server status monitoring, and PHP version flexibility, making it ideal for developers and technical users. The availability of SSH access further enhances its appeal to those requiring secure command-line access. Additionally, ScalaHosting’s global data center locations offer flexibility in terms of server location.

Gandi.net, while versatile, has its own unique selling points. It comes with unlimited aliases, forwarding, and SSL certificates, enhancing its value for businesses prioritizing email communication and security. The inclusion of Anycast DNS with DNSSEC adds an extra layer of reliability and security to website management. Gandi.net’s tiered storage capacities and the ability to host data in France and Luxembourg appeal to EU-based customers concerned with data sovereignty. However, the lack of information about SSH access might be a limiting factor for users needing it. The automatic installation of popular content management systems like WordPress and Prestashop simplifies the setup process, favorable for less technical users.

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 ScalaHosting and Gandi.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:

ScalaHosting provides comprehensive email hosting services with features such as add/remove email accounts, change email password, and disk quotas. It is well-suited for users needing to set up and manage their own email campaigns without hassle. On the other hand, Gandi.net focuses on unlimited email aliases and forwarding, appealing to users who require extensive email redirection capabilities. While Gandi.net doesn’t explicitly highlight transactional email features, its primary strength lies in email versatility and the free renewal of SSL certificates which enhances email security.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting 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.

ScalaHosting offers a range of plans with different features and pricing levels, starting from $2.95 per month for basic web hosting to $94.95 per month for managed cloud VPS hosting. Their web hosting and WordPress hosting plans come with features like free SSL certificates, unlimited emails, and daily offsite backups, while their managed cloud VPS plans also include 24/7 full management and guaranteed resources. Comparatively, Gandi.net’s plans start at $10 per month, offering domain names and email addresses included, with feature sets built around the number of websites and CPU/RAM allocations. Gandi.net excels in its automated installations and support for multiple languages, which might appeal to developers and web professionals.

Enterprise plans

ScalaHosting’s high-end plans, especially the “Build” series in managed cloud VPS, provide robust features ideal for enterprises, including dedicated IPs, guaranteed resources, and advanced security measures. On the other hand, Gandi.net’s Business Plan offers scalable storage and support for up to 15 websites or more, coupled with automated installations, and competent CPU/RAM capabilities. Both providers cater well to enterprises, but ScalaHosting’s extensive features and competitive pricing give it an edge.

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting provides an easier setup experience and extensive help center resources compared to Gandi.net.

ScalaHosting offers SPanel, an all-in-one control panel, to manage your entire hosting account. It provides a simplified interface for technical and non-technical users alike, covering everything from websites to emails and databases. SPanel eliminates additional licensing fees, enhancing its accessibility. In contrast, Gandi.net offers a centralized interface, which streamlines the management of domain names, hosting, and WordPress installations. Its automated setup features are convenient, but SPanel’s comprehensiveness and user-friendly layout give ScalaHosting an edge for those seeking a holistic control panel solution.

ScalaHosting offers free website migration services conducted by their trained technicians, making it effortless for users to transfer their websites without downtime or technical difficulties. The managed VPS hosting solutions, along with pre-installed operating systems and essential software, further simplify the migration process. Gandi.net also eases the setup by automating WordPress, PrestaShop, and other installations, but it does not mention free migration services, suggesting that users might need to handle the process themselves or incur additional costs for assistance.

ScalaHosting’s help center provides a wide range of resources, including getting started guides, SPanel tutorials, and articles on various hosting categories. It offers 24/7 support through live chat and tickets, with knowledgeable technicians ready to assist. Gandi.net has a comprehensive documentation set and provides support via email, chat, and tickets, but its accessibility is slightly limited to 24/6 availability. For a well-rounded support experience, ScalaHosting’s knowledge base and continuous support availability make it a superior choice.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. ScalaHosting offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Gandi.net 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 ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers comprehensive user management features with greater versatility and control.

When comparing the user role management and permissions of ScalaHosting and Gandi.net, ScalaHosting stands out with its extensive flexibility. ScalaHosting allows for the creation and management of multiple user accounts with detailed customizations, such as disk space limits, database management, and add-on domains. Users can access their data via SSH, offering more control and configurability. On the other hand, Gandi.net offers a straightforward setup primarily suited for Nextcloud administration, enabling administrators to have full control and delegate permissions as needed but without the same level of granular control found in ScalaHosting.

ScalaHosting provides a more advanced and multi-functional user interface designed to manage a wide range of user-related tasks. Its Admin Interface encompasses account management capabilities like creating, modifying, suspending, and terminating accounts. It also features a DNS editor, file manager, and options to add or remove email accounts and domains. Gandi.net, by contrast, integrates smoothly with Nextcloud’s admin tools, allowing for basic user management, permissions delegation, and data sharing via links. While adequate for basic needs, it does not offer the same breadth of management tools available in ScalaHosting.

When evaluating access control measures, ScalaHosting again shows its strength by offering two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA for various user groups, and the ability to integrate with third-party applications via API tokens. This ensures robust security measures and adaptability to a growing user base. Gandi.net’s approach is simpler, focusing on secure data storage within its locations in France and Luxembourg and leveraging Nextcloud’s inherent security features. While this suffices for smaller setups, it might not handle a rapidly expanding user base as effectively as ScalaHosting.

ScalaHosting User Roles Table

Gandi.net User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner ScalaHosting: Their 24/7 customer support, strong uptime guarantee, and extensive data center locations make them a top choice for hosting services.

ScalaHosting offers several customer support options, including 24/7 technical support via email, live chat with instant response, and a support ticket system with a 15-minute initial response time. They have multiple contact emails for specific needs, such as technical support, abuse, pre-sales, and billing, with designated support hours for pre-sales and billing queries. Additionally, ScalaHosting ensures customer satisfaction through a 99.9% uptime guarantee and offers incentives for web design studios.

Gandi.net also provides extensive customer support with availability 24 hours a day, five days a week. They offer email support, phone support for resellers, and an online chat system, along with dedicated account managers for personalized assistance. Gandi.net’s multilingual support and automatic installation for WordPress hosting add convenience for users. Their support is managed internally by experts located on three continents, ensuring timely and knowledgeable responses.

ScalaHosting vs Gandi.net: User feedback

ScalaHosting has earned high praise from users for its exceptional customer support, reliable uptime, and innovative SPanel technology. Many reviews highlight the company’s fast and knowledgeable technical support team, which ensures a smooth and efficient experience for users. While some users feel the pricing could be more competitive, the overall sentiment is that the services offered justify the cost. Users appreciate the platform’s ease of use, robust security features, and the flexibility of hosting solutions, making ScalaHosting a top choice for web hosting needs.

User feedback for this hosting provider is generally positive, with users appreciating the easy and straightforward domain registration process, a user-friendly interface, and competitive pricing on unique domain extensions. Customers value the company’s focus on privacy protection and steady performance without pushy upselling tactics. However, some users have experienced significant issues, such as paying for already-owned domains without receiving refunds, instances of confusing billing processes, and a lack of sufficient customer support. While some find the user interface to be intuitive, others criticize it for being cluttered and difficult to navigate, especially on mobile devices.

ScalaHosting vs Gandi.net: FAQ