Are you looking ahead to the new VPS server for your needs? Of course, the VPS hosting is the next stage that you would need to go with if you have outgrown the shared hosting capabilities of your organization. You may also look to it if you are a developer and need it for your research and development requirements. In either case, a VPS is indeed one of the best options you can go with and can be a valuable investment for growing your business. With a host of VPS solutions available, it might be confusing enough to choose the best options among the lot available. Among a series of comparisons available online, we will cover a correlation between SSDNodes vs Digital Ocean in today’s post.

Also Read: Digital Ocean vs Vultr Cloud Services

SSDNodes – An Overview of a New Service

Of course, the service has been one of the newest entrants in the arena, but still – it has been able to carve a niche for itself. In fact, the affordable plans that they offer you are incredibly high to work with. Their plans come with much-loaded options packed within, so much that you can plan things beyond blogging. And yes, you also have the assurance of zero downtime if you are going with the higher plans or packages.Signing up is simple and more straightforward. Each of your orders is reviewed manually. There is also fraud protection involved, making it one of the security options to go with. You would only need to specify an OS to configure your VPS. However, you have the option of changing your OS if you change your mind later. The options available include CentOS, Ubuntu, and Debian.The speed is quite good. Our tests offered a rate of around 80 to 90 MB per sec. Of course, the performance would be dependent upon the data center you have chosen. One of the features we loved the most with the service includes the excellent customer support provided. The service offers you replies to your queries within a few hours. And yes, the responses written are also quite explanatory – no matter what kind of questions do you have.

Digital Ocean – A Service that has lived up To Expectations

Digital Ocean is one of the best options for your needs for robust and straightforward cloud computing solution for all your needs. The cheaper, trustworthy and sincere services are what would make it one of the excellent choices for obvious reasons.You have access to a wide range of services including floating IP services, shared private networking, Tier -1 bandwidth, team accounts, and SSD hard drive support are what would make it one of the excellent options you can go with.The Cloud Servers are provided within 55 seconds and are referred to as droplets. The control panel is much easy to navigate with. Whether you are a developer or a regular user, you would find the service best to work with. The API functionality would be one of the best you can go with. It will offer you a personalized experience.Even the payment functionality is one of the best to work with. Digital Ocean offers you billing only for the actual usage. So, in case you have available hours, you need not worry about them being charged to you.

VPS Plans Comparison:

8GB plans	Vultr	Digital Ocean	Linode	SSD Nodes
RAM	16GB	16GB	16GB	16GB
CPU	6-core	6-core	1-core	4-core
Disk	200GB SSD	320GB SSD	20GB SSD	80GB SSD
Transfer	5TB	6TB	5TB	8TB
Price	$80/mo	$80/mo	$60/mo	$9.99/mo

	Vultr	Digital Ocean	Linode	SSD Nodes
Disk (GB) per dollar ($)	2.5 GB/$	4 GB/$	0.33 GB/$	9.99

Vultr	Digital Ocean	Linode	SSD Nodes
RAM (MB) per dollar ($)	200 MB/$	200 MB/$	266.66 MB/$	9.99

Source

The Pros and Cons That Matter – SSDNodes vs Digital Ocean

Well, the essence of any service includes the positives and negatives that each of the hosting companies offer you. In fact, that would provide you with an insight into what you can expect from a particular service. Check out the Pros and Con for each of those services in more exquisite detail.

Digital Ocean

The Pros

• The best documentation in the industry is what would make Digital Ocean an undisputed king in the realm of VPS hosting.
• One of the best options for the developers. The interface and the functions are entirely developer friendly.
• The user interface offers you a user-friendly option as well.
• Easy integration is offered with other Digital Ocean droplets.

The Cons

• Support is not up to the mark. What we mean is the lack of paid support options. It can be an issue for the larger customers who need to have access to more critical data.
• The storage data is billed at the plan value whether or not you are using it to the fullest. Even when you are using just a fraction of the total storage, you will end up paying the same amount.

SSD Nodes

The Pros

• It offers you a completely down to earth experience.
• An excellent customer service option.
• Excellent disk read and write speed performance
• It comes with a free option for lets Encrypt SSL certification

The Cons

• A little lower performance compared to the high-end plans

Which One Should You Go With?

Well, that isn’t something you can work straightaway into. Check out your preferences and requirements before you can decide to opt for either of them. From what we have found from the reviews, we would consider SSDNodes to be one of the excellent alternatives to Digital Ocean. Not that it offers you any exceptional features that Digital Ocean does not, but still – the support and ease of signing up are a couple of features that attracted us more than anything else.Digital Ocean can be one of the best alternatives if you are looking from a developer’s perspective. You would probably need technical knowledge to work through it. Of course, they have the best in class documentation and offer a tutorial for practically everything on the service; no dedicated or assured helpline may be helpful in scenarios when you are stuck somewhere. SSDNodes provides an excellent response time for almost any kind of query. The customer service team knows what business they are in and how would you be able to resolve a particular issue.Even cost wise, we would consider SSDNodes a better and affordable service when compared to Digital Ocean. In short, if you are not a developer and do not need access to high-end functionality – you can go with SSDNodes as an alternative to Digital Ocean.

A good VPS solution for your hosting needs could be difficult to find, not because there are no choices, but, because there are choices beyond boundaries. Yes, it could overwhelm you with a host of options available at your disposal, including the likes of Digital Ocean, AWS and Vultr. However, in this article, we will compare the two most promising options you can try out, Digital Ocean vs  Vultr. We will differentiate Digital Ocean and Vultr in this brief, concise comparison.

Digital Ocean vs Vultr – Which among them Is Best?

A VPS Hosting is the best when it comes to your needs in working with your e-commerce website. A high degree of customization would be one of the best options you would want, and VPS service would be what would provide you with the best in class services.We will compare them based on the few compelling parameters. Which among them would offer you the best functionality and service? We will find out.

The Operations

Vultr offers you 100GB SSD with 4TB transfer options for the 8 GB package. The service runs on four core CPU. The cost would be around $40 per month. Digital Ocean is a little expensive and would cost $ 80 for 80 GGB storage and 5 TB data transfer. It works on four core CPU as well.In essence, you stand to gain n terms of data transfer quota but will need to spend almost double for the benefit. Rest of the features are identical enough. From that perspective, we would consider Vultr a useful and cost-effective solution when compared to Digital Ocean.

Features and Interface

Well, both of them come with the hourly billing option. There is no DDoS protection available across them. They appear to be almost equivalent regarding the functionalities that they offer you.If you are checking put the backup options for security, Vultr offers the functionality while you would not find it on Digital Ocean. Checking out the control panels, we found that the one on Vultr is excellent with its features. You have access to a simplified interface that lets you check out a few critical metrics like CPU usage and disk operations.Not to fall far behind, Digital Ocean indeed comes a close second and provides you with an easy to use interface. That too has access to a wide range of metrics but goes a little pale in front of the functionality that Vultr would provide you.

Flexibility

You will find KVM Virtualisation on both the offerings. If you are into virtualization to a subtler extent, you would be aware that KVM offers the best in class flexibility options concerning virtualization. You get access to built-in virtualization structures meeting process specific modules.Moreover, KVM Virtualisation is much cheaper than the other options to run on your system. Given the fact that both of them make use of KVM, we would consider their functionality to be one of the excellent. Even then, under practical conditions – we found Vultr offering a better deal in being more flexible than Digital Ocean.

Operating System Support

Vultr has supported on Windows Server 2012 R2 and Server 2016. Moreover, it comes with a custom ISO option and offers you load whatever version you would like to. Most of the applications supported would be on CentOS. Have a  look at the image below for all the supported applications –On the other hand, Digital Ocean does not offer you many options regarding apps. Of course, the choices you have at your disposal are indeed practical and useful, even when they may be limited in number.

Ease of Use

Well, both Digital Ocean and Vultr do come with their own set of functionalities that make them one of the best-suited options for all your requirements. Digital Ocean excels regarding the One-Click applications that it supports, while Vultr would be a great option with its opportunity for uploading any ISO easily onto its interface.One of the complaints that Digital Ocean users have always had include the frequent database errors you tend to face quite frequently. Vultr can be a good option in those circumstances as it does not bring up any similar issues.

The data centers

Vultr has over 15 data centers across the globe whereas Digital Ocean has around 8 of them. The number may not have any bearing on the functionality as such though. For India centric users, Digital Ocean has recently launched its data center in India, while Vultr has two of its servers in the Asia region – Tokyo and Singapore. In any case, Vultr is known to offer cost-effective options in terms of data center utilization and can be a good option.

A Few Pros and Cons for Either of them: (Digital Ocean vs Vultr)

Analysing the two competing hosting service providers based on the pros and Cons that they offer would give us a greater input into what we can expect from either of them. Here we go with a few pros and Cons of both Vultr and Digital Ocean.

Digital Ocean Pros

• A better-designed control panel. It can be easy to work with if you are a newbie
• You can save an unlimited number of snapshots on it.
• You have access to a monitoring service available for free.

Vultr Pros

• Excellent Support mechanism that responds to your queries faster
• You can opt for either bare metal or dedicated servers.
• It has servers across more regions than those supported by Digital Ocean.
• Support for Windows Server OS should be one of the most positive aspects.
• It lets you upload any custom ISO with ease.

Digital Ocean Cons

• Slower support channels.
• No lower priced plans available
• Does not have servers located at many locations
• No Windows server support

Vultr Cons

• The control panels are best on Digital Ocean than on Vultr
• Less number of snapshots supported.

The Concluding Thoughts

Digital Ocean has been a clear leader in the realm of VPS hosting for years. Of course, Vultr has been winning heart in the recent years; we would not be able to write off the Digital ocean as yet. There are several features that Digital Ocean does excel with.We assume that the complete comparison between the two services in the above listing should provide you with a better input into the best aspects of either of the services. Analyse the features and go with the one that best meets your needs. Do share your contributions with us if you have already been using either of those two services. Use the comments section below to let us know.Thanks for visiting us. Cheers!

Before we compare RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge, let us understand the cloud market first.Cloud has been the top trending thing these days. Whether hosting, productivity solutions or for that matter anything related to IT – we find the importance of cloud being all pervasive. Looking at the development that is taking place in the realm of cloud computing, one thing is sure – cloud is replacing all the in house IT tasks. We would see it to be the future of the IT industry.

What Is the Real Cause for the Shift towards Cloud Computing?

Well, it has everything to do with the cost-effectiveness that cloud computing offers you. You would need to spend enormous capital cost for the hardware and then on their maintenance. Of course, outsourcing your requirements may be one of the right options, but eventually migrating to the cloud would indeed be the best you can go with.Shared hosting can be one of the options that can compensate for the cost, but what if your website outgrows the limitations of the shared hosting capabilities? When that happens, you have no other option than moving to cloud or VPS.Another option that can be helpful in these circumstances is the SaaS tools that can be helpful in deploying your sites on any VPS and cloud-based platforms. You can use them for configuring, monitoring and managing your sites on cloud hosting services. Prime among a host of services available is RunCloud, ServerPilot, and Forge. Let us compare the functionalities of these three tools in finer detail.

RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge – A Complete Comparison

How do these three competitors fare against each other? We will analyze each of these players for a clear understanding of the features and functionality that they offer.

RunCloud – The New Entrant

RunCloud has been one of the capable web management application that has its origins in Malaysia. It has been one of the upcoming players in the realm of cloud management applications and has gained a name for itself in PHP and web hosting management.With over 4500 servers globally, it hosts more than 10000 databases and 23500 domains across the world. What makes it one of the best options is the ease of functionality that you can work with it. It is quite familiar and offers you the similar appearance like the older cPanel for your shared hosting accounts. Moreover, it has been one of the cheapest options you can go with.

ServerPilot – An Old Horse

ServerPilot is probably one of the oldest options for VPS and web site management tools. However, we would consider them a little slower regarding development and opting for the newest improvements or updates.Their Admin panel has remained the same over the years. However, they have recently tied up with Lets Encrypt, and that could be one of the excellent options. The interface is quite quick, easy and straightforward to navigate. Setting up WordPress should be one of the most straightforward options with ServerPilot.

Forge – Can it Beat the Competition?

Well, not to be left behind – the Laravel Forge is one of the capable web management application in its own right. The strongest point that goes in their favor is the server performance. Among the three competing platforms we are reviewing today, Forge offers you the server performance far better than the rest two.The service works with the API integration, and Forge offers you a high degree of API integration. The panel and other features can be a little difficult and not accurately at par with the ones observed on RunCloud. However, we found it better than the options on ServerPilot.

The Actual Comparison

We will compare the services based on a few key parameters. This will help us understand the functions in a better manner.

Connecting with the Tool

Well, RunCloud simplifies the task altogether. You can register quite easily. You do not need to share your credit or debit card details while signing up. You can sign up with your Facebook, Google or any other social profiles. If you not keen on them, go with your email address as usual.ServerPilot has been one of the long-standing web management tools. What makes it quite a good option is the fact that it offers you a free account to work with. No, we are not talking about the trial account, but a full-fledged free account that would be available as long as you wish to use it.Connecting with the server is similar across both ServerPilot and RunCloud. You will need to install an Ubuntu 16.04 VPS server from the start. Server deployment on both of them is simple and easy to work with.Forge, the third option we are discussing here does not offer you a free or trial account, to begin with. Connectivity is in sharp contrast to RunCloud and ServerPilot is it works through the means of API integration. You need not deploy the server in your cloud hosting provider before connecting to it. Forge will do it for you and currently supports DigitalOcean, AWS, and Linode.

Server Management

Creating and working with your RunCloud application should be ideally quite simple. The interface is quite easy to follow and simple to operate with. It offers you script installers for WordPress, Joomla, Concrete5, PHPMyAdmin and a few other PHP options. If you are aware of PHP development and want to use Git, RunCloud lets you deploy your script using GitHub, Bitbucket, and Gitlab efficiently.Server Management is one of the best on ServerPilot when compared to RunCloud. However, it does support WordPress alone. There is no support for other tools like Joomla. You do not have access to GitHub as well. Of course, even when you have GitHub and looking to install it, you will need to do it through SSH.Managing your server is a most simple task in Forge when compared to RunCloud and ServerPilot. You can make use of WordPress. Being developed by a PHP developer makes it one of the best options for installing your applications through GitHub. When setting up your site, you can configure domain name in addition to the wildcard subdomain as well.

Our Thoughts On Comparison

When it comes to the features, we will treat RunCloud to be one of the best options. It has the best in class web panel that is comparable to the old cPanel and thus quite simple and easy to work with. It offers you a great deal of information across different genres. Some of the worthy inclusions include Git implementation, information on server health, virtual host, database management, file manager and multiple domains.It can also be quite cost-effective in more ways than one. You spend just $ 10 per month for unlimited server deployments. One of the missing options is the team management. Even regarding the overall performance, it leaves a little to be desired.ServerPilot disappoints when compared to RunCloud regarding performance. Lack of features in the web panel interface is yet another issue you may be disappointed with. You would not find many features available. There is no support for many PHP tools except for WordPress.Pricing can be a massive concern for ServerPilot. You are charged at $ 10 per server deployment. If you are opting for multiple server deployments, it can be quite expensive. Imagine spending $ 100 for ten servers. This is in sharp contrast to $ 10 per month pricing for multiple servers deployment.If server performance is your sole deciding factor, Forge should ideally be the best you can go with. They beat both ServerPilot and RunCloud regarding performing your server to the fullest of your capabilities. The API integration is one of the excellent features for installing server. It helps you work with ease as almost all the tasks are completed without you having to do anything as such. As long as you have been trying to install your servers on AWS, DigitalOcean or Linode, the service will help you install it easily without any issues.If you are looking for the features, they can be quite basic – but way better than what you are getting with ServerPilot. There is an option for Git deployment and scheduling as well. However, if you are looking for server health information, you may be at a loss.

The Parting Thoughts

That was a complete comparison between the three capable options for web management applications. Of course, ServerPilot is one of the long-standing services, but RunCloud and Forge to are competent enough. They offer Serverpilot a more robust competition.Check out the features of each of these services and choose the one that best meets your exact requirements. If you are using any of them, share your thoughts, experiences, and opinions with us.

Before we dig deep into our RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge comparison, let us first understand the real business case to move to the cloud service providers.Cloud has been the in thing these days. Whether hosting, productivity solutions or for that matter anything related to IT – we find the importance of cloud being all pervasive. Looking at the development that is taking place in the realm of cloud computing, one thing is for sure – cloud is replacing all the in-house IT tasks. We would see it to be the future of the IT industry.

What Is the Real Cause for the Shift towards Cloud Computing?

Well, it has everything to do with the cost-effectiveness that cloud computing offers you. You would need to spend enormous capital cost for the hardware and then on their maintenance. Of course, outsourcing your requirements may be one of the right options, but eventually migrating to the cloud would indeed be the best you can go with.Shared hosting can be one of the options that can compensate for the cost, but what if your website outgrows the limitations of the shared hosting capabilities? When that happens, you have no other option than moving to cloud or VPS.Another option that can be helpful in these circumstances is the SaaS tools that can be helpful in deploying your sites on any VPS and cloud-based platforms. You can use them for configuring, monitoring and managing your sites on cloud hosting services. Prime among a host of services available is RunCloud, ServerPilot, and Forge. Let us compare the functionalities of these three tools in more exquisite detail.

RunCloud vs ServerPilot vs Forge – A Complete Comparison

How do these three competitors fare against each other? We will analyze each of these players for a clear understanding of the features and functionality that they offer.

RunCloud – The New Entrant

RunCloud has been one of the capable web management application that has its origins in Malaysia. It has been one of the upcoming players in the realm of cloud management applications and has gained a name for itself in PHP and web hosting management.With over 4500 servers globally, it hosts more than 10000 databases and 23500 domains across the world. What makes it one of the best options is the ease of functionality that you can work with it. It is quite familiar and offers you the similar appearance like the older cPanel for your shared hosting accounts. Moreover, it has been one of the cheapest options you can go with.

ServerPilot – An Old Horse

ServerPilot is probably one of the oldest options for VPS and web site management tools. However, we would consider them a little slower regarding development and opting for the newest improvements or updates.Their Admin panel has remained the same over the years. However, they have recently tied up with Lets Encrypt, and that could be one of the excellent options. The interface is quite quick, easy and straightforward to navigate. Setting up WordPress should be one of the most straightforward options with ServerPilot.

Forge – Can it Beat the Competition?

Well, not to be left behind – the Laravel Forge is one of the capable web management application in its own right. The strongest point that goes in their favor is the server performance. Among the three competing platforms we are reviewing today, Forge offers you the server performance far better than the rest two.The service works with the API integration, and Forge offers you a high degree of API integration. The panel and other features can be a little difficult and not accurately at par with the ones observed on RunCloud. However, we found it better than the options on ServerPilot.

The Actual Comparison

We will compare the services based on a few key parameters. This will help us understand the functions in a better manner.

Connecting with the Tool

Well, RunCloud simplifies the task altogether. You can register quite easily. You do not need to share your credit or debit card details while registering. You can sign up with your Facebook, Google or any other social profiles. If you not keen on them, go with your email address as usual.ServerPilot has been one of the long-standing web management tools. What makes it such a good option is the fact that it offers you a free account to start getting hands-on experience. No, we are not talking about the trial account, but a full-fledged free hosting account which would be available as long as you wish to use it.Connecting with the server is similar across both ServerPilot and RunCloud. You will need to install an Ubuntu 16.04 VPS server from the start. Server deployment on both of them is simple and easy to work with.Forge, the third option we are discussing here does not offer you a free or trial account, to begin with. Connectivity is in sharp contrast to RunCloud and ServerPilot is it works through the means of API integration. You need not deploy the server in your cloud hosting provider before connecting to it. Forge will do it for you and currently supports DigitalOcean, AWS, and Linode.

Server Management

Creating and working with your RunCloud application should be ideally quite simple. The interface is quite easy to follow and simple to operate with. It offers you script installers for WordPress, Joomla, Concrete5, PHPMyAdmin and a few other PHP options. If you are aware of PHP development and want to use Git, RunCloud lets you deploy your script using GitHub, Bitbucket, and Gitlab efficiently.Server Management is one of the best on ServerPilot when compared to RunCloud. However, it does support WordPress alone. There is no support for other tools like Joomla. You do not have access to GitHub as well. Of course, even when you have GitHub and looking to install it, you will need to do it through SSH.Managing your server is a most simple task in Forge when compared to RunCloud and ServerPilot. You can make use of WordPress. Being developed by a PHP developer makes it one of the best options for installing your applications through GitHub. When setting up your site, you can configure domain name in addition to the wildcard subdomain as well.

Our Thoughts On Comparison

When it comes to the features, we will treat RunCloud to be one of the best options. It has the best in class web panel that is comparable to the old cPanel and thus quite simple and easy to work with. It offers you a great deal of information across different genres. Some of the worthy inclusions include Git implementation, information on server health, virtual host, database management, file manager and multiple domains.It can also be quite cost-effective in more ways than one. You spend just $ 10 per month for unlimited server deployments. One of the missing options is the team management. Even regarding the overall performance, it leaves a little to be desired.ServerPilot disappoints when compared to RunCloud regarding performance. Lack of features in the web panel interface is yet another issue you may be disappointed with. You would not find many features available. There is no support for many PHP tools except for WordPress.Pricing can be a huge concern for ServerPilot. You are charged at $ 10 per server deployment. If you are opting for multiple server deployments, it can be quite expensive. Imagine spending $ 100 for ten servers. This is in sharp contrast to $ 10 per month pricing for multiple servers deployment.If server performance is your sole deciding factor, Forge should ideally be the best you can go with. They beat both ServerPilot and RunCloud regarding performing your server to the fullest of your capabilities. The API integration is one of the excellent features for installing server. It helps you work with ease as almost all the tasks are completed without you having to do anything as such. As long as you have been trying to install your servers on AWS, DigitalOcean or Linode, the service will help you set it up quickly without any issues.If you are looking for the features, they can be quite basic – but way better than what you are getting with ServerPilot. There is an option for Git deployment and scheduling as well. However, if you are looking for server health information, you may be at a loss.

The Parting Thoughts

That was a complete comparison between the three capable options for web management applications. Of course, ServerPilot is one of the long-standing services, but RunCloud and Forge are competent enough. They offer Serverpilot a more robust competition.Check out the features of each of these services and choose the one that best meets your exact requirements. If you are using any of them, share your thoughts, experiences, and opinions with us.

Are you on WordPress and looking for the best experience in the hosting services for it? Managed cloud hosting services are what would help you work seamlessly with a focus on improving your productivity without having to worry about how to configure your hosting. If you are looking for the best options in the genre, ServerPilot vs Cloudways has been the two capable and strong contenders. If you are unable to make up your mind on which among the two to opt for, we present a comparison between the two capable services. Hopefully, this comparison will help you arrive at an educated decision regarding the best option for your cloud hosting requirements.

ServerPilot Hosting – An Overview

If you are looking for a faster hosting option to work with the PHP sites or WordPress, ServerPilot should be one of the excellent options you can go with. Also, what makes it an outstanding choice is the fact that it has a modern layout and functionality.It is your one-stop action place so that you can control every server and app across your entire cloud network. However, please note that ServerPilot is only the platform for managing your servers. It does not provide you with servers. ServerPilot lets you choose the PHP version you would want to use with each of your apps and servers. Even installing it should be the most straightforward task as such even when you are a newbie.The control panel on the ServerPilot would be one of the most straightforward options you would be using. Add your apps, users, databases, and certificate with simplicity. Even installing WordPress on your site should be quite simple and easy task. You can also install additional modules as well.What we loved the most is the availability of a massive number of user guides. You also have access to support and help sections if you are looking for personalized support for any of your issues. However, the support is available only during office hours.

The Pros

• It is an On The Top service for a VPS service you are opting for.
• The pricing of the service is quite affordable if you are opting for a paid plan
• ServerPilot lets you install or modify your server as per your preferences
• An easy to use interface and control panel that can be used even by the newbies

The Cons

• You may need to have enough knowledge of Linux
• Lack of varnish Cache can be a huge issue if you need it. Of course, you may install it separately.
• Backup functionality does not by default. You will need to configure it separately
• There are no options for database management. Command line approach can be an issue. However, you may install PhpMyAdmin if you need to.

Cloudways – An Introduction

If uniformity is what you are looking for in your hosting service, Cloudways should be the best option for your needs. The Web App management option is what would make it stand apart from the other alternative options like ServerPilot.The service is wholly streamlined and offers you an easy to use option for deploying cloud servers and cloud apps. Cloudways integrates seamlessly with a host of services like Vultr, DigitalOcean, Google, Amazon, and Kyup. Apart from WordPress, Cloudways also supports a lot of content management services like Magento, Drupal, and Stack. Cloudways offers you login options for the standard functions like WordPress, SSH, and MySQL. The interface also consists of several other options like CRON jobs, domain names, and SSL certificates. Almost all your applications are supported with the Varnish cache. Thus you will find your sites loading faster.The support options available on the service are entirely up to the mark. The live chat support is available for 24×7. If you are looking for the email support channel, get assured of faster response times. There are no free plans as with the Serverpilot though.

The Pros

• Cloudways is an entirely managed service
• You should be able to use it even when you are a beginner
• One click option for app deployment
• Options available for Varnish cache option. This will help your sites load faster.
• Full management functionality including backup and restore functionality

The Cons

• You will need no root access or server modification to work with Cloudways
• The data management is not up to the mark
• You will need to use a single PHP version. No option for using different versions as in the case of Serverpilot.
• No option for downgrading the server

Serverpilot vs Cloudways – The Comparison

How do the two services compare with each other? We would be able to arrive at the right differentiation if we could examine them based on a few key features.

Ease of Use

Setting up your account on the Serverpilot is much easier than on Cloudways. You need to visit the Serverpilot service and connect your server. Getting n account on Serverpilot does not take much of your time and efforts.While doing it on Cloudways takes a whole lot of time. You are mandated to have a chat with the customer service executive to get your account activated. And to think this is for enabling a trial account on Cloudways!But, the same cannot be said about setting up an app. You can set up your account through a few simple steps right away. Serverpilot needs you to have some sort of technical expertise to set up your app.

Speed

Speed would be what will be dependent upon the cache. Cloudways comes with varnish cache option. This will speed up your services effectively. While on the Serverpilot, you are expected to set up the varnish cache yourself. If you are not someone who is well versed with technical tasks, it may be a little difficult for you.

Pricing

Serverpilot lets you opt for free plans. However, it is quite apparent that the free plans come with a limitation regarding functionality, but then the free program is entirely free – no matter how many apps you have been configuring on it. Cloudways, on the other hand, does not offer any free plan. Of course, you have a free trial period, but once it expires, you are left with no option than opting for any of the paid plans.However, the cost for the servers on the Serverpilot is billed separately. That would indeed be an additional cost. Cloudways offers the server cost built into the plan, and thus you do not need to pay anything extra.

A Few Other Salient Differences between the Two Services

Some features worth mentioning could be

• You would not get the backup functionality with Serverpilot. In fact, from a hosting perspective, that should be one of the most important aspects to be missed. Cloudways comes with the backup feature built within, and you do not need to have any technical expertise.
• Infrastructure optimization should be one of the excellent features that Cloudways offers you. The concept is built within the service, and you do not need to configure anything separately. Doing the same with Serverpilot can be a little cumbersome.
• The layout and usability of Serverpilot expect you to be tech savvy and have enough technical expertise. Cloudways can be the best option for those who do not possess the kind of technical knowledge.
• Serverpilot lets you have complete access to your server. You may even have the root access. Cloudways, on the other hand, does not allow you to have root access. Of course, that should be understandable given the fact that Serverpilot is designed for the tech experts, while Cloudways is for those who do not possess enough of the technical experience.

Tabulated Comparison between Serverpilot and Cloudways

Here is a detailed comparison between the two competing services in the hosting service providers. This can provide you with a better input into what to expect from either of these services.

Features / Particulars	Cloudways	Serverpilot
Multiple Billing	No	Yes
Fully Managed Hosting	Yes	No
Security Management	Yes	No
Live Chat Support	Yes, 24 x 7	Yes, Only Office Hours
Application Support	Yes, available	No
Multiple Infrastructure Support	Yes	Yes
Server Customisation	Yes	Yes
Multiple PH versions	No	Yes
Support for API	Yes	Yes
Multiple Add-Ons	Yes	No
SSL Availability	Yes, free on all plan	No, to be obtained separately
One click customization	Yes	No
One Click Deployment	Yes	No
Free Plan	No, only trial for 15 days	Yes

The Concluding Thoughts

Well, that was a complete comparison between ServerPilot and Cloudways. As we have repeatedly been stating, ServerPilot is for those who have enough information about technical matters. If you fit the bill, you can go with ServerPilot, and if you are not, you can go with Cloudways.Choose the option best suited to you. We assume you will benefit from the comparison we have presented in the above discussion.

CloudFlare offers you free CDN service and also provides the free SSL services. If you are opting for the SSL certification on your CloudFlare settings, you may get confused between the different options available for you. Don’t worry; we will help you make the correct choices without leaving any confusion.

What is CloudFlare?

CloudFlare is a caching and security as a service. This service will help you protect and accelerate your online websites. The web traffic is routed through the global network of CloudFlare with an acceleration of static and dynamic content. The CloudFlare service helps you block the threats and limits the abusive bots and crawlers.When you opt for SSL in CloudFlare, you will find four different options to configure. What do these SSL options mean? We will find out in the following description about each of the different options.

What are the SSL Options?

You will have four options to choose from if you are going with the options for setting up the SSL – SSL Off, Flexible, Full and Full Strict. What does the SSL  do to your connection?The SSL options let you have control over your connectivity –

• It allows your visitors to browse your website over a secure connection
• When your visitors connect with you, the SSL option controls the way CloudFlare connects to your web server.

The SSL options are listed from the least secure to the most secure. The possibilities are available on all plans provided by CloudFlare. The Off option is least reliable, while the Full Strict option is the most secure among the total options available.

Which Options should you go for?

Let us now explain what each of these CloudFlare SSL certifications does? Which circumstances do you use them for? Let us understand the differences between each of these setting options and what they do.

Off

This option will turn the secure connectivity off. That would make your connectivity completely disabled between you and your visitor. Regarding technical language, there won’t be any secure connection between your visitor and CloudFlare, as also there will not be any secure connection between CloudFlare and your web server.This will make your visitors connect to you only over HTTP. If any of your visitors attempt connecting to your site over HTTPs, they will get a 301 redirect to the HTTP version of your site.

Flexible SSL

This SSL option ensures a secure connection between the visitor to your website and CloudFlare, but there will not be any secure connection between your web server and CloudFlare. This option will be a good one if you do not have an SSL certificate available on your web server.However, your visitor will see your website as HTTPS enabled. We do not recommend opting for this setting if you have any sensitive information on your site. The Flexible SSL option will only work for the port 443 and 80. All traffic between your visitor and the CloudFlare is encrypted, but there will not be any encryption between your web server and CloudFlare.We would recommend opting for the Flexible SSL option only if you are unable to set up SSL on your web server for any reason.

Full SSL

As it should be evident by now, Full SSL will mean a completely secure connection. You will have a fully secure connection between your visitor and CloudFlare and also a secure connection between your web server and CloudFlare.If you want this connectivity option to work, you need to have SSL certification on your web server. You will also need to configure your server to answer the HTTPS requests from your visitors. However, you need not have an authentic certificate as such. Even a self-signed certificate should do.

Full SSL – Strict

This is the most secure connectivity option you would ever opt for. In this connectivity option, you will have a secure SSL connection between the visitor to your site and CloudFlare in addition to a secure connection between your web server and CloudFlare as well.The significant difference between the Full SSL connection and a Full Strict Connection is the latter would need you to have an authenticated certification installed on your web server. Your server should be configured to answer the HTTPS requests. But, the SSL certificate needs to be a valid one. A self-signed certificate will not work here. You need to go with an SSL certificate that is signed by a certificate authority. The certificate authority must be the one trusted by CloudFlare.If you are using an SSL certificate generated and trusted by CloudFlare, you may not need to install it on your web server. You can create a self-signed certificate and make use of it on your server for an end to end encryption.

Strict SSL – Only Origin Pull

This mode is available for Enterprises only. The SSL option will work similarly as the Full SSL Strict option. The choice will upgrade all your connections between CloudFlare the origin of your web content from HTTP to HTTPS. The link will be over HTTPs even if the request is over HTTP.You can use the Origin CA certificates for both Full and Full Strict modes> The Origin CA certificates are generated by CloudFlare and are also trusted by CloudFlare.

The Concluding Thoughts

Well, we assume we have been of help in understanding the differences between different SSL options on CloudFlare SSL. We presume the inputs provided in the above discussion would have provided you with a bright idea on how to use the different SSL options with your CloudFlare settings.If still in doubt, do share your issues with us through the comments section here below.

If you are into building websites, you should be aware of the cPanel and similar other options. These are the hosting control panels that help you perform a host of tasks in creating g your website. Some of the functions you can have included creating subdomains, managing the FTP users and handling several other automated tasks. However, several hosting platforms may not allow you have access to Hosting control panels. This is where tools like ServerPilot and similar other tools (ServerPilot Alternatives) help you out.

What is ServerPilot?

As we stated above, there are a few cloud-based hosting platforms that would not let you have a hosting control panel. Platforms like DigitalOcean have dropped their prices considerably and thus have become an affordable option for the wannabe bloggers.But using them will need you to know command line tools for managing the hosting. This can be quite complicated. Moreover, if you are someone who is a newbie and not well versed with the technical aspects of a hosting platform, ServerPilot makes it easier to control and manage your cloud servers.Promoted and founded by Justin Samuel and Kevin Luikens, ServerPilot offers you an optimized solution for running PHP websites on cloud-based hosting platforms like DigitalOcean and Amazon Web Services. It provides you with a centralized control panel to perform basic tasks on your server.If you are DigitalOcean or any similar hosting platform, ServerPilot can be your best option to host WordPress and similar other PHP sites. It merely converts a server into an optimized WordPress hosting platform.

The Best ServerPilot Alternatives

Of course, you may be using ServerPilot, but looking for a few alternative options you can use in replacement to it for some reason, we may be of some help to you in looking for the best ServerPilot alternatives.

1. RunCloud

RunCloud Minimises the risks and pain of setting up of a PHP server on cloud hosting platforms. Setting up a PHP server needs you to have a robust knowledge of  Linux, DevOps, and security.RunCloud minimizes all the pain associated with this and handles the task on its own. You can concentrate on developing your content and focus on delivering the best results to your clients and audiences.We would consider it to be an improved version of ServerPilot and one of the best alternatives to it. A few features that it offers you include

• Support for cloud platforms like Vultr, Rackspace, DigitalOcean, Linode, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform.
• It has an easy script for installing new age CMSs like WordPress and Joomla.
• Web-based database management.
• An automatic firewall that can also be customized.
• Free SSL certification powered by Lets Encrypt.

Managing web servers is an essential element you would want to work with when you have not enough of coding knowledge. If you are looking ahead for easy management of web servers without those complicated command lines, RunCloud can be the easiest option for managing your webservers. What features does it come with? Let us check out the best and top features that RunCloud offers you.

RunCloud – What it is?

RunCloud is a modern web server panel that you can use to work with the PHP web applications. It is one of the best options as a SaaS control panel for cloud servers and VPS. Some of the services supported by RunCloud include Dedicated servers, Digital Ocean, Linode, AWS, Vultr, and Amazon Lightsail.RunCloud is an excellent option for managing your web servers. You do not need to have any command lines. It does not require you to spend unnecessary time on configuring the web servers. This would help you focus on developing the web application for your needs. It also offers you a rich set of features that would mostly make it a great choice in almost all respects.

The Top features of RunCloud

Of course, RunCloud offers you excellent features in every aspect. We will list out a few top features to find and explore why it is one of the most preferred web server management services.

Ability to edit files online

At times, you may also need to have quick access to the data folders inside your web application. In such situations, if you are forced to launch another window for editing those files – it may not be something that would be a perfect setting.That is where RunCloud lets you focus on the easier functionality of editing your files. It does not need you to download a file through an FTP client and re-upload it. RunCloud makes it easy to edit your data with the web-based file manager. It offers you almost all the editing functionalities like adding, editing, deleting or renaming the files.

Use Multiple PHP version within each web application

RunCloud lets you make use of the multiple PHP versions for each of your web applications. Your web server can be configured with various web applications, and each of them can have different versions of the PHP applications.Changing your PHP version too is not much difficult. Just go into your web application settings and choose the PHP version you want to use the application with. Click on Update PHP Version, and you are good to go.

It offers you free SSL/TLS certificates

The encryption for your website is quite essential as Google will mark all the sites with no SSL certification as not secure shortly. If you are not yet using the HTTPS encryption on your site, you run the risk of getting marked Non-Secure.If you are on RunCloud, you will find it easy enough to apply for SSL/TLS certification. It lets you set up your free SSL/TLS certification through Lets Encrypt. It helps you comply with the PCI-DSS, NIST and HIPAA standards.

Choose Your Web Server Stack

You have the option for running your web applications in any of the web application stacks you would want to. RunCloud offers you two separate web application stacks through your Web Application Settings. It provides you with an option to use either NGINX+Apache2 Hybrid Stack or the Native NGINX Stack.The NGINX+Apache2 Hybrid Stack has been considered to be offering high compatibility with web applications. In case your web application uses an Apache web server, it would be essential to opt for the hybrid stack. However, when it comes to NGINX, it is one of the fastest regarding performance if you compare it to hybrid stack. It does not need a .htaccess file.

An Easier PHP Installation

It does not take more than a few clicks to install PHP applications in RunCloud. You do not need to download the configuration files, unzip them and then upload them back to the server. You can connect your PHP applications right away.The script installer on RunCloud can install the following PHP applications – Concrete, Drupal, MyBB, phpBB, phpMyAdmin and WordPress among a host others. It offers you one of the most accessible options for installing your favorite PHP applications.

Autopilot Functionality for server manipulation

The complete autopilot mode for the server manipulation for your web applications makes RunCloud an excellent option in every respect. Instead of spending time in configuring the server, the autopilot mode lets you make the task easier. Meanwhile, it also provides you an option for flexibility and enough control. Built-in server manipulation is another area that would make it an excellent choice on many counts.

Options for Git Deployment

If you are using the Git repository for building your website, RunCloud is an excellent option for your needs. You can configure the GitHub repository to aid RunCloud to pull the changes into the server automatically.

Other notable features worth the consideration

Apart from the highlights and vital elements we explained above that make RunCloud an excellent option; there are a few other features that would speak for the web server management tool.Some of them can be summed up as

• It will let you connect with an unlimited number of servers.
• You can deploy an unlimited number of web applications.
• The simplicity to create and configure various Open Source databases.

Another exciting feature we loved is the instant notification for server health. All the information with respect to the server processes and health of your servers are pushed to you through Slack and Telegram. It lets you know about server health, server load, memory usage, and disk space usage.

Our Thoughts on RunCloud:

RunCloud is indeed an excellent option for deploying your servers with ease. The automatic configurations that it comes with should make it an excellent choice for you. What makes it stand apart from the other web server management tools is the flexibility and freedom that it offers in spite of having a complete automatic configuration.We assume you have found the features useful and practical in every respect. Use it once to experience all those features.

2. Cloud2SME Cloud

This is yet another excellent option for you if you are looking for ServerPilot alternatives. It provides you with an economical, fast and easy solution that should be suitable for your needs no matter whether you are a newbie or an expert.The performance of the platform clearly shows the experience that the company has put in cloud computing and virtualization. The service is available in several countries like UK, USA, Australia, Africa, France, UAE, and Japan to name just a few.A few excellent features that make it an attractive option include

• An assured safe deployment
• Full-scale virtualization support
• It supports platforms like Java, PHP, WinDev and Dot Net. There is no support for WordPress and Joomla though.
• Daily backups and disaster recovery options.
• You can manage it through web access
• Best in class chat, email, and phone support.

3. RapidWeaver

One of the best website building toolkits, it also offers you options like SEO health check-up. Whether newbies or a professional. You will indeed love the simplicity and high-end functionality that the toolkit provides you.The freestyle themes and stacks, you will get your website running within a few minutes. The service is specifically built for Mac and has been popular with the users globally.A few features we liked includes

• A 64-bit app for building more prominent websites with ease
• Multiple file upload options and a few other tricks, publishing your content has been faster than ever.
• A host of the responsive theme.
• The live preview features help you check how the site will look within the browser.
• You have access to the WYSIWYG interface and an excellent web building experience.

4. Yahoo Web Hosting

Yahoo has been one of the prominent service providers in the arena of web services. They also provide services in the realm of web hosting services.More straightforward design tools are what would ideally make it one of the excellent options you can go with. You do not need to have any technical expertise, downloads or specialized software.A few features worth the consideration include

• The online web design tool comes as part of all your plans with yahoo web hosting
• Choose a business style template and customize it with a host of colors and page layouts.
• The preview feature lets you test the site before it is live on the web.
• Ability to add slideshows, images, videos and a host of content right away.
• Access to site reporting tools and raw log files

5. Dnsimple

Dnsimple is another best ServerPilot alternative that can work elegantly to help you manage your website. Use it to register domains or buy SSL certificates.One of the good options if you are looking for the domain hosting services, it offers you simplified access to the controls, APIs, and a world-class customer support mechanism.Some features that we liked with them include

• An excellent domain and DNS API
• It offers you SSL certification hassle free from Lets Encrypt.
• Simplified DNS automation functionality.
• One click support for all services.

6. WP Engine

No matter whether you are planning a personal blog or opting for a full-fledged complicated website for your brand, working with your WordPress management is simplified beyond boundaries.Every plan you opt for comes with robust technological advancement in terms of functionality and excellent customer service functionality. Founded on the world’s most popular CMS, it offers you a wholly managed WordPress integration.Here are a few features we would indeed love with the tool are

• Built on over 30 open source technologies for offering you an innovative experience
• The tool is blended seamlessly with Google and AWS
• Award-Winning customer support with a 24 x 7 x 365 constant support mechanism.
• Everything right from site launch to migration to upgrades – works at your fingertips.
• Best suited for all your requirements for web hosting

7. Flywheel

Flywheel is one of the primary option specifically designed for designers. One of the robust WordPress management tools, it has everything you are looking for in your ServerPilot alternative.In case you are in a business that deals with web development and design, Flywheel is the best option you can go with. Some of the features we indeed liked with the tool include

• An optimized dashboard relieves from the clumsiness of a cPanel and helps you manage your WordPress installation
• One click staging option for staging your website. Staging helps you test the functionality of your site before you can make it live.
• Efficient nightly backups ensure that you do not lose any of the details.
• Ensure that your site is free from malware and virus attacks with a complete security package.

8. ZPanel

One of the best free option for controlling web hosting, the web control panel works perfectly with your Microsoft Windows and POSIX sites. The service is available in PHP and makes use of several open source packages.It has been gathering users in a considerable number over the years. The full-fledged system is easy to use and offers you an excellent web hosting functionality.Some of the features we loved with the ZPanel include

• It works with a host of open source programs like open source projects such as Apache, Mysql, PHP and Filezilla
• The panel can handle a host of tasks like domain names, DNS, Email boxes, FTP accounts, and Mysql Databases
• The simple installation functionality is what would make it an ideal solution.
• If you are working with unmanaged VPS servers, the ZPanel offers you a host of simple service configurations.
• You can install it if you are comfortable with programming.

9. Cloudways

Finally, before we wind up our list, we would like to end it with our personal favorite – Cloudways. Cloudways is both functional and affordable for most startups and individuals who want high-performance hosting from the first day!Cloudways delivers fully managed Hosting Services and promises no slower running WordPress sites and no more WordPress hosting setup headaches.Their platform-as-a-service (PAAS) cloud servers come with a fantastic feature set, and you can quickly scale hosting resources as your website grows. Their infrastructure is optimized for speed, performance, & security.If you’re still on the fence about using Cloudways as your managed WordPress host, then sign up for the 30-day Free trial that Cloudways offers to test their platform.

The Winding Up

Well, ServerPilot is indeed is an extremely functional service when it comes to managing your websites. However, if you are looking for the alternatives that offer you the same level of functionality, the options we shared above should ideally meet all your requirements. Do share your thoughts and experiences with us if you have used any of them. Also, share any other better alternatives if you have come across any.