ScalaHosting vs. SiteGround: A Head-to-Head Plan Comparison
| Managed Cloud Services |
 $29.95 /mo
Build 1
|
 $100.00 /mo
Jump Start
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Name
|
||
|
CPU cores
|
2
|
4
|
|
RAM
|
4
|
8
|
|
Storage
|
50 GB
|
40 GB
|
|
Automatic Offsite Backups
|
yes (1 Daily, possible upgrade)
|
yes, yes 7 days
|
|
External backups support
|
yes
|
no
|
|
Includes Control Panel
|
yes
|
yes Site Tools
|
|
Free Website Migration
|
yes Unlimited
|
no ($30 per site)
|
|
Free WP Migration
|
yes Unlimited
|
Free (With plugin)
|
|
Free Email Migration
|
yes
|
yes Email Migrator
|
|
Free Global CDN Integration
|
yes Cloudflare integration
|
yes Own CDN
|
|
Malware Protection
|
yes
|
no (Site Scanner upsell)
|
|
Free OpenLiteSpeed Аcceleration
|
yes
|
no
|
|
Scalable Resources
|
yes
|
no No more than 33 CPU cores, jump from plan to plan
|
|
Dedicated IP
|
yes
|
yes + option to buy more
|
|
IP Blacklist Monitoring
|
yes
|
no
|
|
Free SSLs
|
yes
|
yes
|
|
Money-back Guarantee
|
Anytime
|
14 days
|
|
Bandwidth
|
Unmetered
|
5TB (soft limit)
|
|
Root Access
|
yes
|
no
|
|
Node.JS support
|
yes
|
no
|
|
Autoscaling
|
no
|
yes
|
There is a significant price difference between the lowest ScalaHosting and SiteGround cloud plans, which is largely due to the fact that the latter comes with twice the CPU and RAM. For a business looking for a first-step solution, that might be an overkill.
Upon reviewing the feature list, there are several similarities, but the ScalaHosting plan excels in a few key categories , which shows that ScalaHosting is the better SiteGround alternative. External backups, IP blacklist monitoring, and malware protection are part of the deal, while all those are paid features with SiteGround. Moving from another host to SG is another costly endeavor, coming at $30 per site. At Scala, you can move as many websites as you wish, absolutely free of charge.
The only aspect where SiteGround takes the cake is the autoscaling option. Still, you can easily add practically limitless system resources with ScalaHosting with a single click.
| Web Hosting |
$5.95 /mo
($12.95/mo when you renew)
Start
|
$4.99 /mo
($29.99/mo when you renew)
GrowBig
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Name
|
||
|
Number of Websites
|
No limit
|
No limit
|
|
Storage Space
|
50 GB
|
20 GB
|
|
Storage Type
|
NVMe SSD
|
NVMe SSD
|
|
Automatic Offsite Backups
|
yes
|
yes
|
|
Free SSLs
|
yes
|
yes
|
|
Free Website Migration
|
yes
|
1 migration
|
|
Free Email Migration
|
yes
|
Email Migrator
|
|
Email inbox size limit
|
no
|
10 GB per inbox
|
|
Free Global CDN Integration
|
yes
|
yes Own CDN
|
|
Malware Protection & Scanning
|
yes
|
yes + SiteScanner (per domain)
|
|
Uncapped Inodes
|
yes
|
400 000
|
|
Database Size
|
Unlimited
|
1GB per DB
|
|
Softaculous
|
Full list of scripts (400+)
|
Full list of scripts
|
|
Money-back Guarantee
|
Anytime
|
14-30 days (plan dependent)
|
Shared hosting does not have to be slow and full of limitations. The ScalaHosting shared plans clearly demonstrate how to kickstart a project the right way. Free data migrations, offsite backups, SSL certificates, and malware protection are just some of the lucrative extras you can expect from Scala. Not only that, but you get more and faster storage space, thanks to the agile NVMe technology.
It doesn't matter if your plans change 1, 10, or 100 days after signing up with ScalaHosting - you will always be eligible for a refund of the unused time. This reimbursement is available only for 14-30 days with SiteGround.
Support Comparison
Real Experts. Real Answers. No Waiting.
Both ScalaHosting and SiteGround have established a reputation in the industry for providing some of the most helpful and efficient support services. Web hosting companies often rely on automated or templated assistance, so genuine human help is always greatly appreciated, as evidenced by the high scores on review websites.
ScalaHosting offers very straightforward support - you can connect with a real person almost instantly with just a single click. SiteGround, meanwhile, relies more on AI to guide you initially, covering the "easy questions". You have to go through a few steps, selecting specific topics related to your issue, before reaching a human agent. If the AI can't help, a chat representative will then be available to assist.
| Support Response Time |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Chat Response Time
|
Instant, for both tech support and sales/billing
|
Instant, for both basic tech support and sales/billing
|
|
Ticket Response Time
|
10-15 minutes usual response time
|
10-15 minutes usual time to first reply
|
Performance Comparison
| Performance Benchmarks |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Name
|
||
|
Storage read speed
|
400MB/s
|
165MB/s
|
|
Storage random read & write IOPS
|
104,000 IOPS
|
42,000 IOPS
|
|
CPU power
|
10012 events per second
|
7917 events per second
|
|
Litespeed web server
|
Web server manager for clouds- OpenLiteSpeed included
|
No option included
|
|
Redis cache
|
Redis manager for all SPanel users on cloud plans
|
No option included
|
|
Network speed
|
200+ Mbps
|
100 Mbps
|
One of the biggest differences between ScalaHosting and SiteGround is the ability to choose your web server with Scala, an option that is locked with SG. This is especially important for performance-based projects, as you can select a LiteSpeed/OpenLiteSpeed option, the fastest server solution out of the box.
When it comes to network speed, SiteGround claims it is practically limitless, but our personal tests with various files showed results that never exceeded 100 Mbps. On the other hand, the NVMe storage at Scala allows users to reach unprecedented read speeds (400MB/s) and random read/write IOPS (104,000 IOPS).
Migrations Comparison
See Why ScalaHosting Is the SiteGround Alternative with Truly Free Migrations.
Migration Requests
Тhe ScalaHosting Migrations team works 24/7. You can schedule your site transfer at the most convenient time (nights and weekends included). The free migration will be initiated immediately after our team receives valid login credentials to your old server. Post-migration checks are included to ensure everything works as expected.
SiteGround provides one free professional migration for new accounts on GrowBig (and higher) plans. Beyond that, you can only employ a self-service approach: you get a free SiteGround Migrator plugin to move WordPress sites yourself. If you require additional migrations from the Support Team, SiteGround charges a flat fee of $30 per site.
Conditions
No conditions:
We will move you from any host, panel, or type of website, as long as we have access to the files and database. The size, type, and number of websites don't matter as well - the migration is always free and guaranteed.
One free migration as a courtesy
Cost
Free migration for all new hosting accounts,
regardless if shared, email, reseller, or managed cloud
Shared Hosting:
StartUp - no free migrations;
GrowBig & GoGeek - 1 free transfer and $30/site fee for every subsequent professional migration.
Mail Transfer
Scala offers free email migrations as a support service. Once your account is active, you can open a ticket and provide the old email server credentials. Our Support Team will then transfer your mailboxes and messages for you. We handle the transfer at no extra cost (as part of the migration service) and include post-migration checks.
SiteGround does not have a staffed migration for email. Instead, you can utilize a self-service Email Migrator tool (built into Site Tools) that customers run themselves. The add-on automates copying email accounts and messages from the old server. According to SiteGround, "Each hosting plan includes a free email migrator tool so you can transfer your emails to SiteGround. The tool requires only a few clicks, and the interface is simple".
Resources and Scalability
| Shared Hosting Limits Comparison More Power. Fewer Restrictions with ScalaHosting. |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Name
|
||
|
CPU usage
|
You are allowed peaks (3% to 7% typical)
No processes killed
Notification if you exceed 17% CPU for 7 consecutive days
|
1000 to 4000 CPU seconds monthly
Notification sent at 90% usage, up to 800,000 CPU executions monthly
|
|
Simultaneous processes
|
No limit
|
25
|
|
Inodes limit
|
No limit
|
200K to 600K
|
|
Max Database size
|
No limit
|
1000MB
|
|
Max Database Usage
|
No limit
|
N/A
|
|
Max Database Tables
|
No limit
|
N/A
|
|
Emails per hour
|
500-1000/hour per domain
|
SU/GB: 400/hour; GG: 800/hr
|
|
IMAP/POP checks
|
No limit
|
N/A
|
Cloud VPS Hosting Limits Comparison
True Cloud Freedom Starts with ScalaHosting.
Cloud VPS solutions with guaranteed resources.
No overselling - the Scalahosting plans guarantee you can use what you have paid for at all times.
Fully scalable - you can add just 1 CPU core or 10 GB storage space. You will not be charged for redundant resources.
Does not provide Cloud VPS solutions but pure VPSs. Their virtualization (LXC) allows overselling, which means SiteGround can sell more resources than the physical server allows.
Not scalable. If you wish to add specific resources, such as 2 CPU cores or 10 GB of storage space, you must upgrade to a higher hosting plan, even if you do not need all the resource upgrades it offers. No more than 33 cores are allowed, with no clustering. If you outgrow this setup, you have no further VPS solution.
Security Comparison
ScalaHosting — a SiteGround Alternative with a Broader, Proactive Approach to Security.
| Security |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature Name
|
||
|
Free SSL Certificates
|
Included
|
Included
|
|
Malware Protection
|
SShield AI — always active
|
SG Site Scanner (paid add-on)
|
|
Backups
|
Daily + remote option
|
Free daily backups + paid premium backup
|
|
WordPress antimalware
|
WP-lock on all SPanels
|
N/A
|
|
IP Blacklist Monitoring
|
Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo integrated
|
Not included
|
|
Isolation & Multi-site Safety
|
SPanel-level session isolation
|
Shared hosting vulnerable to cross-contamination
|
|
Security Response
|
Proactive + real-time alerts
|
Reactive with SG Scanner only (?)
|
|
Managed Security on VPS
|
Standard for VPS plans
|
Same as their shared hosting (?)
|
Both ScalaHosting and SiteGround invest a significant amount of effort into securing their servers and the underlying client accounts. But where SG puts crucial tools behind a paywall, Scala takes things a step further and offers all protection measures free of charge.
A good example is malware protection, a key element for preventing hacker attacks. You can opt in for the SG Site Scanner for $2.49/mo upon signup or add it later at an even higher price. At the same time, ScalaHosting integrates SShield right into the SPanel at no added cost. No activation or configuration needed - your traffic is secured from the get-go. The same goes for the daily/remote backups and the WP Lock option for WordPress sites (though you have to manually turn on the latter).
Some ScalaHosting features are unique to our infrastructure. The IP Blacklist Monitoring is one such feat, watching over Gmail/Yahoo/Hotmail blacklists at all times.
Reliability Comparison
Trust the Host That Never Lets You Down.
Тop-tier data centers in three U.S. locations and one in the EU are available for shared hosting, while Cloud VPS clients can choose from 13 global locations across four continents for optimal speed and connectivity.
ScalaHosting Cloud servers run on latest-generation AMD EPYC processors with burst speeds of up to 4.1 GHz, ensuring exceptional performance for dynamic websites and eCommerce stores. These CPUs deliver higher efficiency and up to 30% lower power consumption compared to typical Intel setups—boosting both speed and sustainability.
Clients can also choose between Apache, Nginx, or OpenLiteSpeed servers, giving greater control over performance tuning.
SiteGround operates on Google Cloud infrastructure with data centers in Iowa, London, Amsterdam, Singapore, and other regions, offering solid redundancy in power, cooling, and networking. Their servers use NVMe storage and Google N2 CPUs (2.8–3.4 GHz), which deliver around 40% better performance than the previous generation.
While the setup ensures reliability and speed, hardware customization isn’t available, as SiteGround relies entirely on Google’s predefined environment and stack. Their hosting architecture uses Google Cloud load balancers and SSD storage but doesn’t support choosing web server types or configurations.
Scala offers failover options for both Shared and Cloud hosting. Even the shared hosting infrastructure is clustered. Although this setup is more expensive, it is worth the investment as the site data is replicated across multiple separate servers in the cluster.
If a hardware failure occurs on one node, your website automatically switches to a working replica.
The transition happens without downtime or manual intervention for typical hardware issues.
SiteGround operates on Google Cloud's infrastructure across multiple data centers (EU, Asia-Pacific, USA), but individual accounts are tied to a single region. Each data center offers redundant power, cooling, and hardware, and SiteGround has implemented geographically distributed backups to protect data.
However, SG does not offer automatic live failover for a single shared or cloud account. If a SiteGround server fails, they typically restore the site from backups or manually migrate it to another region. This strategy relies on regular backups and rerouting DNS, not an instant cluster switch.
ScalaHosting offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee calculated on a monthly basis. This means we do not allow downtime of more than 43 minutes per month and have a clear credit compensation scheme for your benefit if we breach this promise.
The company advertises 99.9% uptime by design and utilizes Google's reliable network; however, no on-the-fly multi-region failover mechanism is exposed to customers in the event of a more serious problem. A Service-Level Agreement (SLA) is available, and compensation is equal to 5% of their hosting fees.
Reliability is one of the most sought-after qualities in a web hosting provider. While any host can promise you the world, it's important to put your money where your mouth is. Apart from the rock-solid data centers and redundant network, ScalaHosting has a clear refund policy for any unplanned downtimes. Receiving compensation from SiteGround, despite being backed by a written SLA, may be harder due to the fixed compensation amount, which does not always correspond with the severity or duration of the issue.
Control Panel Comparison
Meet SPanel — the SiteGround Alternative to Site Tools with Greater Flexibility and Control.
| Control panels |
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Feature / Tool
|
||
|
Control Panel Type
|
Proprietary: SPanel (cPanel-compatible)
|
Site Tools (cPanel non-compatible)
|
|
License Fee
|
Free with all plans (no per-account cost)
|
Free with all plans (no per-account cost)
|
|
Account Management
|
Full admin/reseller/client separation, unlimited accounts
|
Separate account management, no support for reseller automation
|
|
Email Management
|
Webmail, filters, autoresponders, Gmail blacklist check
|
Standard email tools (no blacklist monitoring)
|
|
DNS Editor
|
Built-in
|
Built-in
|
|
File Manager
|
With root and user-level access
|
Standard file manager
|
|
1-Click App Installer
|
WordPress Manager, Softaculous (full)
|
Softaculous
|
|
WordPress Manager
|
WordPress Manager: auto updates, security, staging
|
Via Softaculous, limited automation
|
|
Node.js Manager
|
Native SPanel support + N8N integration
|
Not available at all
|
|
Redis Manager
|
GUI for enabling and monitoring Redis per site for Clouds
|
Not available at all
|
|
Server Monitoring
|
Real-time resource monitoring (RAM, CPU, Redis usage)
|
Basic metrics via Site Tools
|
|
Security Suite
|
SShield AI-based protection, malware scanning, firewall
|
No native malware protection, addons cost extra
|
|
Automatic Backups
|
Daily backups + remote options (Hetzner, AWS S3 supported)
|
Free but has a premium backup addon
|
|
API available
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
External backup option
|
Yes
|
No
|
|
Changelog & Update Logs
|
Built-in changelog system inside the panel
|
No built-in log viewer
|
|
Uptime Monitoring
|
Available with SLA and alerting
|
Not included – use external tools
|
|
Cloud/Failover Clustering
|
Clustered infrastructure (even for shared hosting)
|
Not available
|
|
Customization & White-label
|
White-labeled for resellers
|
Available in some plans (GoGeek & Cloud)
|
The control panel is often the most utilized system in any hosting account. Most people are well familiar with cPanel, but both ScalaHosting and SiteGround have developed viable cPanel alternatives - SPanel for Scala and Site Tools for SG.
SiteTools is functional, offers a good number of features, and is user-friendly enough for novice users to master. Still, the limitations (such as the inability to easily move away from cPanel) and lack of significant updates may leave Site Tools clients wanting more.
SPanel is a next-generation platform developed by the ScalaHosting team. Our operators are well-versed in the system and all it has to offer. There is no additional financial burden on the client, and you can find various unique tools native to the control panel, including SShield, WordPress Manager, Joomla Manager, Redis Manager, and many more.
The best thing about SPanel is that users are actively involved in its development, proposing and voting on features that are later included in the system.
Refunds and Hidden Fees Comparison
Anytime money-back guarantee
No backup creation or restore fees
No migration fees
No preselected paid extras upon account order
No refunds on extra services
30-day money-back guarantee
Premium backup service (scheduled backups, on-demand, etc.)
$30 per site migration
A couple of premium extras on the order form
No refunds on extra services
Clear, transparent pricing. At ScalaHosting, what you see is exactly what you get — no hidden fees, no unexpected charges. Every hosting package includes all essential features right from the start, ensuring you have everything needed to run and grow your projects smoothly. Optional paid extras, such as Proactive Monitoring and Additional Backup Options, are clearly outlined so you can easily customize your plan to fit your business needs.
Renewal prices are displayed directly beneath each package, giving you full visibility and the ability to plan a sustainable, long-term hosting strategy without surprises. And because ScalaHosting runs on our own SPanel control panel, there are no external licensing costs, which keeps your expenses predictable and your profits higher.
All ScalaHosting managed plans come with anytime money-back guarantee, including our Cloud hosting services.
SiteGround's plans are mostly all-inclusive, but there are a few costs to be aware of.
Beyond their free WP migrator plugin, SiteGround charges $30 per site for professional migrations after the first site. This fee is easy to overlook if you assume that "all migrations are free." Additionally, the SG Site Scanner is a frequent upsell, despite the heavily advertised security benefits (something that should normally come for free).
Shared plans have a 30-day money-back guarantee, but SiteGround's cloud plans (e.g., Jump Start) have only a 14-day refund window.
Other than these, SiteGround advertises all core services (SSL, email hosting, daily backups, WP caching, CDN, etc.) as included.
Hidden fees are one of the most common covert problems in the world of web hosting. Countless are the cases where the client sees a lucrative price, hurries to sign up with a host, only to find out the end fee has been severely inflated. While a big corporation might not feel that extra investment, for a startup or SMB, it can be devastating.
What Our Customers Say About ScalaHosting
Support is absolutely the best feature of ScalaHosting. Ever problem we has has been successfully solved in few time by support team via ticketing and chat. We've tried also the Entry Cloud pack with OpenLiteSpeed and we've had the best results in Google core vitals metrics. Better global TTFB than Siteground and tech support for problems solving.
I have tried almost all the best hosting providers in the past 20 years. I have recently moved to ScalaHosting from a really good VPS provider. I have noticed a significant difference in speed since I switched to Scalahosting. I believe it is the best hosting provider available on the market
I've used various hosting services for the last 25 years. Most of them were good, but I was always just another customer. For the last 2 years, I've been with ScalaHosting. What sets them apart is their customer service. It is the best I've encountered anywhere. Always incredibly helpful, fast, and actually interested in helping you solve problems that pop up. Just fantastic!
Make the Smarter Move — Choose the #1 SiteGround Alternative
Join hundreds of thousands of websites that trust ScalaHosting for unmatched speed, security, and expert support that never sleeps.
Experience enterprise-grade performance, total transparency, and real value — all in one powerful hosting solution.
Sounds fair, right?
Start Your Free Migration Today