Picking the right web host can be tricky, especially when choosing between Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting) and SiteGround. Both are popular and trusted and offer fast and secure hosting. But which one is a better fit for your needs, budget, and skill level?
In this easy-to-follow comparison, we’ll help you find out. Whether you’re just starting your first website or running a growing business online, we’ve got you covered.
We’ll compare Hosting.com and SiteGround in six simple areas:
- 💰 Plans and Pricing – Which host gives more value for your money?
- ⚙️ Features – What tools and extras do you get?
- 🏎️ Performance – Which host is faster and more reliable?
- 🙋 User Experience – Which one is easier to use?
- 🔐 Website Security – How safe is your site with each host?
- 📞 Support – Who gives better help when you need it?
By the end of this post, you’ll know which one is right for you. Let’s get started!
Plans and Pricing
Hosting.com (A2 Hosting)
Hosting.com keeps things budget-friendly with plans starting as low as $1.99/month. Both the Starter and Plus plans are priced at $1.99, with the Starter supporting 1 website and 15GB of space, and the Plus plan offering 2 websites and 30GB of space.
The Pro plan is $3.99/month with support for 10 websites, while the Max plan goes up to $4.99/month for 50 websites and 100GB of space.
All plans include a free domain, email accounts, staging sites, and are powered by their “Turbo” speed feature. These plans offer strong value for beginners and those managing multiple small-to-medium websites.
SiteGround
SiteGround offers three main hosting plans—StartUp, GrowBig, and GoGeek. The StartUp plan is priced at $3.99/month and is ideal for one website with up to 10,000 monthly visits.
The GrowBig plan, which is their most recommended, costs $6.69/month and supports unlimited websites with about 100,000 visits. If you need more power, the GoGeek plan is $10.69/month and is geared toward bigger sites with higher traffic and advanced features.
All plans come with essentials like free SSL, daily backup, CDN, email, and SiteGround’s AI-powered website builder. The GrowBig and GoGeek plans also offer extras like staging, faster PHP, and priority support (in GoGeek).
Verdict
After comparing both SiteGround and Hosting.com, I can honestly say Hosting.com gives you more for less. You get more websites, more storage, free email accounts, and even a free domain—all at a much lower monthly cost. SiteGround is still a solid option if you need advanced features and top-tier support, but for beginners or anyone on a budget, it might be a bit too pricey.
If you’re just starting or want reliable hosting without spending a lot, Hosting.com is the better deal. Check out Hosting.com here and see how much you can save on your hosting plan today!
Also Read: GreenGeeks vs SiteGround
Features Comparison
| Feature | Hosting.com | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $1.99/month | $3.99/month |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30-day full refund; anytime prorated refund for unused services | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Storage | 100 GB SSD (Startup); Unlimited in higher plans | 10 GB SSD (StartUp); up to 40 GB in higher plans |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | 10,000 – 100,000 Monthly visits |
| Number of Websites | 1 (Startup); Unlimited in higher plans | 1 (StartUp); Unlimited in higher plans |
| Free Domain | Yes | No |
| Free CDN | Yes | Yes |
| Email Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Site Migration | Yes | Multiple locations, including the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia |
| SSL Certificate | Free RapidSSL | Free Let’s Encrypt SSL |
| Backups | Automated backups in higher-tier plans | Daily automated backups included in all plans |
| Caching | LiteSpeed caching (Turbo plans) | Built-in caching with SuperCacher |
| Security Features | Imunify360, ModSecurity, Virus Scanner, DDoS protection | AI anti-bot system, Smart WAF, daily backups, Google Cloud infrastructure |
| Control Panel | cPanel | Custom Site Tools (replacing cPanel) |
| Customer Support | 24/7 support via chat, phone, and email | 24/7 support via chat, phone, and email; includes AI chatbot for instant resolutions |
| Data Centers | USA (Michigan, Arizona), Europe (Amsterdam), Asia (Singapore) | Multiple locations including USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia |
| Performance (Speed) | Turbo Servers offer up to 20x faster speeds | Excellent speed with built-in caching |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Hosting Types | Shared, Managed WordPress, VPS, Dedicated, Reseller | Shared, Managed WordPress, WooCommerce, Cloud, Reseller |
| GDPR Compliance | Yes | Yes |
| PCI Compliance | Offers guidance for PCI compliance through third-party APIs | Not PCI compliant |
| Speed Technologies | Utilizes LiteSpeed servers with HTTP/3, Anycast DNS, AMD EPYC CPUs, and Samsung NVMe SSDs. Optional Redis cache available. | Employs NGINX/Apache stack with multi-level caching (static/dynamic/Memcached), “Ultrafast” PHP, and a free global CDN. |
When it comes to web hosting, both Hosting.com and SiteGround are popular choices. But if you’re looking for more features at a lower price, Hosting.com is the better option. It gives you 100 GB SSD storage, unlimited email accounts, and free site migration—all for just $1.99/month. In comparison, SiteGround also starts at $3.99/month but only offers 10 GB storage and fewer advanced features. Hosting.com also uses cPanel, which many people are already familiar with, and its Turbo Servers (on higher plans) can make your website load much faster.
Now, SiteGround isn’t a bad choice—it’s great for beginners. Its control panel (Site Tools) is very easy to use, and it comes with strong security features like daily backups, AI anti-bot protection, and automatic updates. If you’re not very tech-savvy and want a simple, secure hosting experience, SiteGround might be better for you. But if you want more storage, faster speeds (on higher plans), and more features without paying extra, A2 Hosting gives you more value for your money.
Hosting.com vs SiteGround: Website Speed
Speed matters a lot when it comes to web hosting. A slow website can frustrate your visitors and hurt your Google rankings. So, I decided to test both Hosting.com and SiteGround using GTmetrix to see which one performs better.
Here’s what I found (yes, I ran these tests myself).
Hosting.com Speed Test Results
Hosting.com gave a strong performance in the GTmetrix test. It scored a Performance Grade of 83% (Grade B) and a Structure Score of 99%. That means the site is built well and loads quickly.
The Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) was 852ms. In simple terms, this tells us the main content of the page loads in under 1 second — and that’s excellent.
Time to Interactive (TTI) was just 1.2 seconds. So, visitors can start clicking around almost instantly.
The Fully Loaded Time was 1.6 seconds, which is fast. And the Total Blocking Time was 0ms — meaning there were no delays caused by scripts.
The only small issue was the Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), which was 0.3. It’s a bit higher than Google’s preferred score (0.1), but still acceptable.
From my testing, Hosting.com focuses on speed. If you want your site to load fast and run smoothly, this hosting provider gets the job done.
SiteGround Speed Test Results
Now let’s talk about SiteGround. It scored a Performance Grade of 76% (Grade C) and a Structure Score of 80%.
The LCP was 1.4 seconds — not bad, but slower than Hosting.com. The real concern was the Time to Interactive (TTI), which was 3.7 seconds. That’s a noticeable delay before the page is fully usable.
The biggest downside? Fully Loaded Time came in at 12.4 seconds. That’s very slow. It suggests the site has heavy scripts or is not well optimized.
Total Blocking Time was 188ms, which is still within Google’s limits but not ideal. On the plus side, CLS was 0, which means the layout stays stable as the page loads.
So, based on my test, SiteGround is reliable but not as fast as Hosting.com. The long load time could lead to higher bounce rates, especially on mobile devices or slower connections.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Hosting.com | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|
| GTmetrix Grade | B | C |
| Performance Score | 83% | 76% |
| Structure Score | 99% | 80% |
| Largest Contentful Paint | 852ms | 1.4s |
| Time to Interactive | 1.2s | 3.7s |
| Fully Loaded Time | 1.6s | 12.4s |
| Total Blocking Time | 0ms | 188ms |
| Cumulative Layout Shift | 0.3 | 0 |
My Recommendation
After testing both hosting providers myself, one thing became obvious — Hosting.com is faster and better optimized than SiteGround.
It loads quickly, lets users interact with the page almost instantly, and doesn’t get bogged down by heavy scripts. That’s exactly what Google looks for when ranking websites — and it’s what your visitors expect, too.
Now, SiteGround is still a dependable host. But when it comes to pure speed and smooth performance, Hosting.com comes out ahead.
So, if speed is high on your list — and honestly, it should be — Hosting.com is the smarter pick. It’s fast, efficient, and meets most of Google’s Core Web Vitals right out of the box. Whether you’re running a blog, a business site, or an online store, faster loading times mean better SEO, more satisfied visitors, and a higher chance they’ll stick around (or even buy something!).
Ease of Use – Hosting.com cPanel vs. SiteGround Site Tools
When it comes to managing your website, the control panel can make a big difference. I’ve used both Hosting.com and SiteGround, and from my experience, there’s a clear winner when it comes to ease of use.
A2 Hosting cPanel:
Hosting.com uses cPanel, which is the standard control panel used by many hosting providers. It’s clean, well-organized, and easy to understand — even if you’re a beginner. You can quickly access things like your files, email accounts, databases, and backups without having to dig through menus. Everything is where you expect it to be, which makes managing your site much simpler.
SiteGround’s Site Tools:
SiteGround, on the other hand, uses its custom dashboard called Site Tools. It looks nice and modern, but it’s not as straightforward. Some options are hidden behind multiple tabs, and if you’re used to cPanel, it might take some time to adjust. It works fine once you get the hang of it, but it’s not as beginner-friendly.
Verdict: Which One Is Easier to Use?
If you want something simple and easy to use right away, Hosting.com’s cPanel is the better choice. It’s familiar, beginner-friendly, and lets you manage everything with just a few clicks.
Website Security: Hosting.com vs. SiteGround
Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting)
Hosting.com puts a strong focus on website security, using multiple layers of protection to keep your site safe. Every plan includes free SSL certificates, which secure the connection between your website and its visitors.
They partner with well-known security solutions like Monarx and Imunify360 to offer real-time malware scanning and automatic threat removal. This helps protect your site from viruses, hackers, and other online risks.
Hosting.com also provides daily automated backups, making it easy to restore your site if anything goes wrong. Plus, their servers are monitored 24/7, so potential vulnerabilities are spotted and fixed right away.
SiteGround
SiteGround is also known for having a strong, reliable security setup. Like Hosting.com, they include free SSL certificates (through Let’s Encrypt) to protect data sent between your site and your visitors.
Their custom Web Application Firewall (WAF) and AI-powered anti-bot system work together to block malicious traffic and stop brute-force attacks before they reach your site. SiteGround also takes daily automated backups and stores them for up to 30 days, so you can easily roll back changes if needed.
In addition, their Security Optimizer plugin adds another layer of defense. It includes features like two-factor authentication, login restrictions, and activity monitoring to help you manage access and keep your site safe.
Verdict: Which One Offers Better Security?
Both Hosting.com and SiteGround offer a solid set of security features designed to keep your website protected.
But Hosting.com shines with its advanced security partnerships, offering real-time threat detection and automatic malware removal. Their focus on constant monitoring and daily backups gives you peace of mind without needing to manage much yourself.
Customer Support: Hosting.com vs. SiteGround
Hosting.com (formerly A2 Hosting)
Hosting.com offers 24/7 support through live chat, phone, and ticketing systems. Their “Guru Crew Support” team is known for being knowledgeable and friendly, assisting with various hosting issues.
Additionally, Hosting.com provides free website migrations and a 99.9% uptime commitment, ensuring reliability for its users.
SiteGround
SiteGround also provides 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and tickets. Their support team undergoes regular training to stay updated with the latest technologies, ensuring they can handle a wide range of issues efficiently.
SiteGround emphasizes quick response times, with an average initial response time of just 15 minutes for tickets.
Verdict: Which One Offers Better Customer Support?
Both Hosting.com and SiteGround offer reliable, around-the-clock customer support with multiple channels for assistance. However, SiteGround stands out with its rapid response times and a highly trained support team, making it a strong choice for users who prioritize quick and expert assistance.
That said, Hosting.com remains a solid option, especially for users who value free migrations and an uptime commitment.
Final Verdict: Hosting.com vs SiteGround
- Choose Hosting.com if you want better speed, more storage, cPanel, and great value for money. It’s ideal for beginners and performance-focused users.
- Choose SiteGround if you prefer an easy-to-use dashboard and excellent customer support. Great for small business owners.
👉 Our Pick: Hosting.com wins for speed and features at a lower price.
FAQs
Which is faster: Hosting.com or SiteGround?
Hosting.com is faster in real-world speed tests and offers better performance under high traffic.
Which hosting is cheaper?
Hosting.com is more affordable and offers better value with higher storage and free extras.
Does Hosting.com use cPanel?
Yes, Hosting.com offers the classic cPanel, which many users prefer for managing their websites.
Which one is better for WordPress?
Both are good, but Hosting.com offers more power and resources for larger WordPress sites.
Is SiteGround’s support better?
Yes, SiteGround is known for its fast and friendly customer support.
Which host gives more storage?
Hosting.com gives significantly more SSD storage compared to SiteGround.
Bansidhar Kadiya is an experienced SEO specialist and the founder of Best Hosting Deal. With over nine years in blogging and digital marketing, he helps users find the best web hosting deals, reviews, and discounts. He aims to make web hosting affordable and hassle-free for bloggers, businesses, and developers.