Siteground vs OVH Cloud: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Evaluating SiteGround and OVHcloud, both platforms provide compelling features catering to a broad range of hosting needs.

• 
  SiteGround (Overall grade: 8.8)
  
  offers an excellent combination of user-friendly tools, superior customer support, and reliable performance. It shines with enhanced WordPress integration, automated site setup, and impressive site speed backed by advanced caching and free CDN services. The environmentally-friendly approach and comprehensive help center contribute to its appeal, although the relatively higher renewal pricing and occasional feature-specific issues could be potential drawbacks for some users.
• 
  OVHcloud (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  provides a strong suite of features at competitive pricing, making it an attractive option for those seeking affordability combined with extensive hosting options. It excels in security measures, global infrastructure, and scalability, ensuring robust performance even for larger websites. OVHcloud’s customer support, however, can be inconsistent, with varied user experiences pointing to slow response times and less effective technical assistance. While it lacks some automated tools and user-friendly features found in SiteGround, it remains a solid choice for experienced users with specific infrastructure 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
SiteGround: A dependable choice for superior uptime and availability.

SiteGround offers a strong network uptime guarantee of 99.9%, ensuring minimal downtime each month. Actual performance often exceeds this, with an impressive uptime of 99.99% over two months. Compensation for outages is generous, providing additional hosting credits or even a free month. Performance tests confirm its reliability and speed, with an average response time of 0.207 seconds.

OVHcloud has made strides in improving its uptime from previous issues, showing an average uptime of 99.962% in recent periods. OVHcloud excels in global availability with 43 data centers and strong performance in key regions. Additionally, automatic backups and Anti-DDoS protection aid in maintaining service availability and security, making it a competitive option. However, SiteGround’s combination of uptime, speed, and customer support sets it apart as the preferred choice.

🏆 Winner: SiteGround: Excellent reliability, top-notch speed, and comprehensive support.

When comparing the general performance between SiteGround and OVHcloud, SiteGround stands out with its premium Google Cloud infrastructure providing SSD storage, quick load times, and impressive caching options. It boasts a high-performance server setup optimized for WordPress with features like dynamic caching and preinstalled speed plugins. SiteGround offers free CDN services with over 170 global edge locations, enhancing website speed and availability. Its data centers are located in top-tier locations, further ensuring reliability and performance. OVHcloud, on the other hand, offers a competitive package with high-performance resources, various vCores, and ample RAM. It includes a basic CDN, Let’s Encrypt SSL, and robust specs for intensive usage, but doesn’t match the advanced caching features and global CDN reach provided by SiteGround.

Website Speed

SiteGround offers superior website speed thanks to its custom PHP implementation, which reduces TTFB and enhances page loading times by 30%. With integrated technologies like Brotli, HTTP/2, and TLS 1.3, SiteGround significantly boosts website performance. The combination of NGINX Direct Delivery and SuperCacher service ensures up to 5x faster load times for WordPress sites. OVHcloud provides solid website speed with its performance resources and CDN, but lacks the same level of advanced caching and optimization plugins available in SiteGround.

Scalability

For scalability, SiteGround offers flexible plans with automatic updates for WordPress and WooCommerce, ensuring seamless performance as your site grows. Their one-click staging tool on GrowBig and GoGeek plans aids in development before changes go live. They also offer cloud hosting options for very large requirements. OVHcloud provides elastic scaling through its multiple vCore and RAM options, and includes a boost option for handling traffic spikes at additional costs. While SiteGround has more automatic scaling features, OVHcloud requires manual plan upgrades for major resource increases. No information is available about OVHcloud’s dedicated servers or further costs for scaling beyond the specified plans.

🏆 Winner OVHcloud: OVHcloud offers an extensive set of security features and compliance measures, ensuring high reliability for its customers.

Technical security measures:

SiteGround employs a multi-layered security approach, including a smart Web Application Firewall (WAF), an AI anti-bot system, and distributed backups. They also offer automatic updates for WordPress and WooCommerce, as well as free SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt. Conversely, OVHcloud offers anti-DDoS protection, a default firewall, and backup and restore options. While SiteGround’s AI system blocks millions of threats daily, OVHcloud’s automated backups and task scheduling provide robust preventive measures. Both offer SSL certificates, although OVHcloud has additional paid options for advanced validation and warranties.

Operational security measures:

SiteGround maintains 24/7 system administration and provides daily backups, keeping up to 30 copies available. Their custom security solutions address vulnerabilities specific to WordPress and WooCommerce. In contrast, OVHcloud includes automatically enabled firewalls and anti-DDoS protection across all plans. OVHcloud also provides a detailed statistics system and logs to track website traffic. SiteGround’s operational security is bolstered by its partnership with Google Cloud, which includes multi-layered security across its data centers.

Compliance and certifications:

OVHcloud excels in compliance with an extensive list of certifications, such as GDPR, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and several ISO standards, including ISO 27001, ISO 27017, and ISO 27018. It also adheres to regulations like the EBA Outsourcing Guidelines and the G-Cloud UK framework. SiteGround, however, is not PCI compliant but follows GDPR regulations.

🏆 Winner
SiteGround: A robust hosting provider known for its extensive features and reliable service.

SiteGround and OVHcloud offer diverse hosting packages tailored to different user needs. SiteGround shines with its variety of hosting options, such as WordPress, reseller, and cloud hosting. The free site builder available with SiteGround makes it easy for beginners to create professional-looking websites, coupled with features like Managed WordPress and Ecommerce Enabled hosting that provide significant value for users seeking a hands-on solution. Utilizing 100% renewable energy, SiteGround appeals to environmentally-conscious users. The staging environment and the capability to add collaborators and white-label clients offer an edge for businesses looking for advanced management tools.

OVHcloud stands out with its managed hosting, where infrastructure, monitoring, and security are taken care of by the hosting provider. The unlimited monthly traffic and anti-DDoS protection are great benefits, ensuring robust performance and security. The 1-click CMS installation for tools like WordPress and PrestaShop enhances user convenience. The lack of a free site builder may be a drawback for beginners, but experienced users might appreciate features like the OVHcloud API and Crontab task scheduler. Additionally, the detailed statistics and multi-site management provide a comprehensive viewpoint for those managing multiple projects.

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 SiteGround and OVHcloud 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:

SiteGround provides free email hosting with every plan, allowing users to set up personalized business email addresses and migrate emails from other platforms. OVHcloud also offers robust email hosting, with the ability to manage hundreds of email addresses depending on the plan. Both providers excel in this area, ensuring their users can efficiently manage their email needs.

🏆 Winner OVHcloud: An excellent choice if you’re looking for a variety of affordable and performance-based web 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.

SiteGround and OVHcloud offer diverse hosting plans tailored to various needs. SiteGround has competitive plans with a range of features and services for both shared and WordPress hosting, albeit at higher price points. Conversely, OVHcloud provides more budget-friendly options, even offering a free domain name for the first year across its plans. SiteGround’s Cloud Hosting plans cater to high-performance requirements, while OVHcloud balances cost-efficiency with robust features, making it a compelling option for different user needs.

Enterprise plans

Both providers offer enterprise-level hosting solutions, but they differ in their core offerings. SiteGround’s Cloud Hosting plans, starting from $100 per month, provide

🏆 Winner SiteGround: Broad automated setup features and impressive user support streamline the website launching process.

SiteGround offers a comprehensive admin experience with its unique interface, providing both technical and non-technical users an accessible and user-friendly experience. The Automated Site Setup Wizard guides users through installing various applications, from WordPress to Magento, making it easy to get started. This is further enhanced by the WordPress Starter Plugin, which simplifies the addition of themes and essential plugins. Additionally, SiteGround’s one-click staging tool (available on GrowBig and GoGeek plans) allows users to test changes before making them live, providing a seamless site management experience.

OVHcloud utilizes a simplified yet effective custom control panel. Its managed hosting option reduces the need for infrastructure management, letting users focus on content creation. The OVHcloud Control Panel is centralized and intuitive, making it simple to configure products and services. For those comfortable with FTP or SSH, it offers FTP Explorer, FTP Client, and SSH access options to manage website files. Both platforms excel in user-friendliness, though SiteGround’s targeted tools for specific applications may offer an edge for those particularly focused on WordPress development.

When it comes to migration tools, SiteGround provides a free WordPress Migrator Plugin that facilitates an uncomplicated and cost-free transfer of WordPress sites. They also offer professional expert migrations for a fee of $30.00 per site, covering all files and databases. Meanwhile, OVHcloud provides basic migration options such as FTP and SSH, allowing for manual migration. The absence of a dedicated automated migration tool may make SiteGround’s offering more appealing to users looking for hassle-free transitions.

SiteGround’s help center is expansive, featuring a detailed knowledge base, pinned help on pages, and real-time automated solutions based on user inquiries. Their 24/7 support includes live chat, phone support, and helpdesk tickets, ensuring quick problem resolution. The SiteGround customer care team boasts a high satisfaction rate and swift response times, making them highly accessible and responsive. OVHcloud offers diverse resources, including multilingual guides and a community space. Their help center provides ample documentation, although direct support from peers may require more user initiative.

🏆 Winner OVHcloud: Simplified and Scalable User and Role Management.

SiteGround and OVHcloud offer distinct approaches to user roles and permissions management. SiteGround allows administrators to create customized roles with specific tool access, catering well to businesses needing granular control over individual site tasks. The white-label client feature in GoGeek and Cloud plans enhances brand flexibility. Conversely, OVHcloud provides role-based access through OpenStack, facilitating a detailed but slightly more complex user management structure. Their ability to group several roles for each user adds a layer of flexibility favorable for scalable infrastructure needs. With unlimited user creation and easily adjustable roles, OVHcloud provides a robust framework suitable for evolving business requirements.

Both SiteGround and OVHcloud offer user-friendly interfaces for managing users and roles. SiteGround’s interface is accessible through the Client Area, making it straightforward to add users, create roles, and manage permissions. The presence of Site Tools allows for hands-on management by collaborators without administrator intervention. OVHcloud leverages the OVHcloud Control Panel and OpenStack API integrations for user management. The control panel allows generating access files for various tools, streamlining account setup. Whereas SiteGround focuses on ease of use for smaller, individualized site management, OVHcloud caters to extensive infrastructure control with its cloud-centric tools.

SiteGround’s user management is effective with its clear division of roles and the ability to manage collaborator access across various sites easily. Their white-label access ensures clients interact with branded tools, enhancing professionalism without complicating access control. Nevertheless, as businesses expand, user management can become unwieldy due to manual role adjustments needed for each new team member. OVHcloud, on the other hand, excels in catering to rich infrastructure needs with features like multiple access points and an unlimited user cap. The capacity to disable any access swiftly and manage role-based permissions through the OpenStack API proves vital for dynamic scaling and ongoing security management.

SiteGround user roles table:

OVHcloud user roles table:

🏆 Winner
SiteGround: Superior customer service with extensive support channels and highly trained, responsive staff.

SiteGround offers comprehensive customer support, including 24/7 live chat, phone support, helpdesk tickets with an average response time of 15 minutes, and an AI assistant. Their agents are proficient, friendly, and undergo intensive training to ensure customer satisfaction, boasting a 98% satisfaction rate. Priority support is available for their top-tier package, promising even faster resolution. They also provide professional site migrations and celebrate customer success stories.

OVHcloud, in contrast, provides various support levels depending on the plan. Standard support is limited to regular working hours, while premium and business support offer quicker responses at higher costs. Their top-tier enterprise support provides 24/7 access and key account expertise. Contact options include email, telephone available on weekdays, and an active community forum. Live chat is mentioned but not yet available. Refund policies and automatic renewals are less flexible compared to SiteGround.

User feedback

SiteGround garners consistently high praise for its exceptional customer support and user-friendly tools, frequently being described as reliable and straightforward to use. Users commend the fast and knowledgeable technical assistance, which is available through various channels like chat and phone, often highlighting the effectiveness and patience of support representatives. Despite these positive aspects, some users find renewal pricing relatively expensive and note that navigating to the support section can be cumbersome. Issues with specific features, such as webmail interface and certain plugins, are also mentioned, but overall, SiteGround is recommended for its strong support and ease of use, especially for beginners and small businesses.

User feedback for this hosting provider reveals a stark contrast in experiences. On one hand, users appreciate the competitive pricing, diverse range of services, multiple datacenter locations, and solid server performance when issues do not arise, reflecting a favorable cost-benefit ratio. On the other hand, many users criticize the provider’s customer service, highlighting slow response times, inadequate technical support, and unresolved billing discrepancies, with some experiencing significant delays and lack of assistance in critical situations. Overall, while the hosting services can be robust and reliable, the customer support and service delivery times need considerable improvement.

FAQ