Hostwinds vs ScalaHosting: Complete 2026 Comparison
Hostwinds and ScalaHosting are both shared hosting providers, but they suit different priorities. Across our 7-category breakdown, ScalaHosting comes out ahead, winning 4 of them — including Price, WordPress and Developers.
Data last updated June 2026
Overall Winner
ScalaHosting
- Wins in 4 of 7 categories
- Top in: Best Price, Best for WordPress, Best for Developers
- 4.3/5 overall rating
Hostwinds vs ScalaHosting: Overview
On entry pricing, ScalaHosting is the cheaper option at $2.95/mo versus $4.54/mo for Hostwinds. Renewal tells the real story: Hostwinds marks prices up about 10% at renewal versus roughly 305% for ScalaHosting, making it the better long-term value. ScalaHosting also gives you a longer 30-day money-back window to test risk-free.
Hostwinds's standout is 99 — a natural fit for developer wanting customizable VPS with transparent pricing and strong uptime guarantee. ScalaHosting, by contrast, leans on free SPanel control panel eliminating cPanel licensing costs plus SShield AI security, ideal for user wanting managed VPS performance without cPanel licensing costs and strong security.
Category Winners
ScalaHosting
$2.95/mo vs $4.54/mo
Hostwinds
Lower renewal markup (10% vs 305%)
Hostwinds
99.9999% uptime, 4.0/5 rating
Tie
Similar support options
ScalaHosting
Optimized, Staging, WooCommerce, LiteSpeed
ScalaHosting
SSH, Git, Staging, Node.js
ScalaHosting
Higher ease of use score (8.0/10)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Essential Info | ||
| Hosting Type | Shared Hosting | Shared Hosting |
| Monthly Price | $4.54/mo | $2.95/mo |
| Renewal Price | $4.99 | $11.95 |
| Renewal Markup | 10% | 305% |
| Overall Rating | 4.0/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9999% | 99.9% |
| Trustpilot Rating | 2.9/5 | 4.9/5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 716 | 2,137 |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free Domain | ||
| Free Migration | ||
| Pricing Details | ||
| First Year Cost | $54.48 | $35.40 |
| Second Year Cost | $59.88 | $143.40 |
| Money Back Guarantee | 3 days | 30 days |
| Setup Fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly Billing | ||
| Minimum Contract | 1 months | 1 months |
| Technical Specs | ||
| Storage | Unlimited | 10 GB |
| Storage Type | SSD | NVME SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unmetered GB |
| Max Websites | 1 | 1 |
| Max Databases | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| PHP Versions | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 |
| SSH Access | ||
| Git Deployment | ||
| Staging Environment | ||
| Cron Jobs | ||
| Redis Available | ||
| Programming Languages | ||
| Node.js Support | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Ruby Support | ||
| WordPress Features | ||
| WordPress Optimized | ||
| WordPress Auto-Install | ||
| WordPress Auto-Updates | ||
| WordPress Staging | ||
| WooCommerce Optimized | ||
| LiteSpeed Cache | ||
| Object Caching | ||
| WP Multisite | ||
| WP-CLI Access | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| DDoS Protection Level | Enterprise-level DDoS protection included | Advanced DDoS protection on all plans |
| Malware Scanning | ||
| Malware Removal | ||
| Firewall Included | ||
| Backup Frequency | Nightly (automated) | Daily (7-day retention on shared; 30-day on VPS) |
| Backup Retention | — | 7 days |
| Backup Restore Fee | Free | Free |
| On-Demand Backup | ||
| Two-Factor Auth | ||
| Wildcard SSL | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Support | ||
| Support Channels | Live Chat, Phone, Ticket, Knowledge Base | Live Chat, Ticket, Phone, Knowledge Base |
| Live Chat | ||
| Live Chat Hours | 24/7/365 | 24/7/365 |
| Phone Support | ||
| Phone Support Hours | 24/7/365 | 24/7/365 |
| Ticket Support | ||
| Priority Support | ||
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Knowledge Base Quality | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Avg Support Wait | — | — |
| Email Accounts | ||
| Email Account Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Mailbox Size | — | — |
| Webmail Access | ||
| Spam Filter | ||
| Email Forwarding | ||
| Performance | ||
| CDN Included | ||
| CDN Provider | — | Free CDN included |
| Server Locations | Seattle, WA (US), Dallas, TX (US), Amsterdam (Netherlands) | Dallas, TX (US), New York, NY (US), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bangalore (India), London (UK), Frankfurt (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Tokyo (Japan), Toronto (Canada), Sao Paulo (Brazil) |
| Server Location Count | 3 | 16 |
| Choose Server Location | ||
| HTTP/2 Support | ||
| Brotli Compression | — | |
| Uptime SLA Credit | ||
| Platform Support | ||
| Drupal Support | ||
| Joomla Support | ||
| Magento Support | ||
| Laravel Support | ||
| Django Support | ||
| Next.js Support | ||
| Rails Support | ||
| Static Site Support | ||
| Control Panel | ||
| cPanel Included | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | SPanel |
| Softaculous | ||
| Website Builder | ||
| Builder Name | Weebly | SiteBuilder |
| Migration | ||
| Migration Websites Limit | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Migration Turnaround | 3 days | 2 days |
| Paid Migration Cost | Free | Free |
| Migration Quality | 4.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
| Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
| HIPAA Compliant | ||
| Data Center Certs | SOC 2 | SOC 2 (via AWS) |
| Ratings | ||
| Value for Money | 4.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Performance Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Support Quality | 4.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Security Rating | 3.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Features Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Transparency Rating | 4.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Suitability Scores | ||
| For Bloggers | 3.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For E-commerce | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Agencies | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Developers | 5.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Beginners | 3.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Enterprise | 3.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| Policies | ||
| Bandwidth Overage | Unlimited within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade | Unmetered within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade |
| Storage Overage | Unlimited within fair use; must upgrade for excessive use | Must upgrade plan |
| Adult Content Allowed | ||
| Gambling Sites Allowed | ||
| Crypto Sites Allowed | ||
| Reseller Hosting | ||
| White Label | ||
| API Access | ||
| Company Info | ||
| Year Founded | 2010 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Parent Company | HostPapa (acquired April 2026; previously independent, founded by Peter Holden) | Independent (privately held; founded in Bulgaria, HQ moved to Dallas, TX) |
| Green Hosting | — | — |
| Instant Activation | ||
| Managed WordPress | ||
| Managed WP Available | ||
| Pricing Model | — | — |
| Monthly Visit Limit | — | — |
| Visit Overage Cost | — | — |
| PHP Workers | — | — |
| Plugin Restrictions | — | — |
| Dev Environment | — | — |
| Dev Env Name | — | — |
| Regional Info | ||
| Best Countries | United States, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Bulgaria |
| Local Currencies | USD | USD, EUR, GBP |
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Data Sovereignty | GDPR | GDPR |
| External Ratings | ||
| G2 Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.8/5 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | NR (A+ claimed on third-party sites) |
| Advanced Technical | ||
| Inode Limit | — | — |
| Max DB Size | — | — |
| Max Upload Size | — | — |
| Database Type | MySQL/MariaDB | MySQL/MariaDB |
| Elasticsearch | ||
| Image Optimization | — | |
| PHP Switching | ||
| Subdomains | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| FTP Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Additional Pricing | ||
| Free Domain Duration | — | 12 months |
| Money Back Exclusions | 3-day money-back guarantee only; Short refund window; Domain fees non-refundable | 30-day full refund; Domain fees non-refundable; VPS/cloud services eligible for prorated refund |
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Bitcoin, Cryptocurrency | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal |
| Auto Renewal Default | ||
| Domain Privacy Included | ||
| Domain Privacy Cost | — | — |
| SSL Provider | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed) | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed) |
| Dedicated IP Cost | $3/mo | $3/mo |
| Additional Support | ||
| Phone Support Countries | United States | United States |
| Priority Support Cost | — | — |
| Community Forum | ||
| Support Outsourced | ||
| Object Cache Type | — | Memcached/OPcache |
| Business & Affiliate | ||
| Affiliate Program | ||
| Commission Type | Per sale (tiered) | Per sale (tiered) |
| Commission Amount | $65 (1-6 sales), $85 (7-12), $100 (13-19), $135 (19+); $25 for unmanaged only; 60-day cookie; $100 minimum payout | $50-$500 per sale based on performance; 60-day cookie; Monthly PayPal payments |
| Additional Policies | ||
| File Hosting Allowed | ||
| Proxy/VPN Allowed | ||
| Bandwidth Overage Cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Account Suspension Policy | Violation of ToS; non-payment; resource abuse; illegal content | Violation of ToS; non-payment; resource abuse |
| Malware Removal Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Downloadable Backups | ||
| Additional Platforms | ||
| PrestaShop | ||
| Ghost | ||
| Shopify Migration | ||
| Wix Migration | ||
| Squarespace Migration | ||
| Webflow Export | ||
| Editorial Info | ||
| Best For | Developers wanting highly customizable VPS options; Users who value transparent upfront pricing; Adult content websites (rare among hosts); Businesses needing 24/7 US-based phone support; Users wanting both managed and unmanaged options; PC Magazine readers who trust their Editors' Choice | Users wanting cPanel alternative without license fees; Managed VPS hosting at affordable prices; WordPress users needing staging and optimization; Small businesses wanting reliable support; Users who value security features (SShield) |
| Avoid If | Need longer money-back guarantee; Require many global server locations; Want included CDN; Need free domain; Prefer all-inclusive pricing; Concerned about mixed Trustpilot reviews; Want staging environments | Need dedicated server hosting; Prefer traditional cPanel interface; Need HIPAA/PCI compliance; Want largest provider brand recognition; Need extensive data center choices |
| Known Issues | Only 3-day money-back guarantee (extremely short); Low Trustpilot rating (2.9) despite good G2 rating; No free domain included; No staging environment; Limited to 3 data center locations; No CDN included; Renewal prices higher than promo; Some users report billing issues | Smaller company compared to major hosts; SPanel learning curve for cPanel users; No dedicated servers offered; Some advanced features only on higher tiers; Limited phone support availability reported by some users |
| Unique Selling Point | 99.9999% uptime guarantee with transparent pricing and adult content hosting allowed | Free SPanel control panel eliminating cPanel licensing costs plus SShield AI security |
| Ideal Customer | Developer wanting customizable VPS with transparent pricing and strong uptime guarantee | User wanting managed VPS performance without cPanel licensing costs and strong security |
| Best Alternative To | InMotion Hosting | SiteGround |
| Primary Competitors | InMotion Hosting, A2 Hosting, Liquid Web | SiteGround, A2 Hosting, InMotion Hosting |
We strive for accuracy, but pricing and features change frequently. Some data may be outdated. Report an error and we'll update it promptly.
Our Verdict
Choose Hostwinds if you...
- Prefer more predictable renewal pricing
Choose ScalaHosting if you...
- Want to save money ($2.95/mo vs $4.54/mo)
- Want higher-rated hosting (4.3/5)
- Want LiteSpeed caching for WordPress
- Need staging environments
- Are new to web hosting
Hostwinds vs ScalaHosting: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hostwinds cheaper than ScalaHosting?
Yes — ScalaHosting is cheaper, starting at $2.95/mo compared with $4.54/mo for Hostwinds. Factor in renewals too: ScalaHosting marks up about 305% after the first term.
Which is better for WordPress, Hostwinds or ScalaHosting?
ScalaHosting is the stronger WordPress host thanks to WordPress-optimized servers, LiteSpeed caching, staging and WooCommerce tuning. If WordPress or WooCommerce is your main workload, it's the safer pick.
Does Hostwinds or ScalaHosting have better uptime?
Hostwinds edges out ScalaHosting on performance with a 99.9999% uptime guarantee and a 4.0/5 overall rating. For uptime-sensitive sites, it's the more dependable choice.
Is Hostwinds or ScalaHosting better for beginners?
ScalaHosting is friendlier for beginners, scoring higher on ease of use in our assessment. New users will generally find it quicker to get started.
Should I choose Hostwinds or ScalaHosting?
For most users, ScalaHosting is the better overall choice, winning 4 of our 7 categories (notably Price, WordPress and Developers). That said, the right host depends on your specific needs — check the category breakdown above for the factors that matter to you.