If you want an alternative to Site5, SupportHost is the most reliable option.
Some say Site5 has terrible online support, and reviews mention repeated site downs. Years ago Site5 was a good hosting service, but the price increase and the gradual deterioration of the level of service are leading many people to shop around for more reliable and less expensive alternatives.
From SupportHost you will find the most advantageous prices and a customer service always ready to help you.
Furthermore, we have included shared hosting, semi-dedicated hosting and CMS plans such as PrestaShop hosting in all plans, features that are completely missing in Site5’s solutions.
Let’s see all the differences between SupportHost and Site5.
Table of Contents
Resource management
The resources of the hosting plan are the RAM, the number of processes and the CPU that you will have available with your account.
When it comes to shared hosting, not all providers choose to show the resources associated with the plan.
In the case of SupportHost we decided to clearly show the resources associated with each plan. Whether you choose one of our shared hostings or a specific CMS plan, you will know exactly how many resources you will have at your disposal.
When multiple accounts are hosted on a server, just as happens in shared hosting, limits must be in place so that all sites have sufficient resources. This system prevents server-wide issues from a single site experiencing a spike in traffic or overusing resources.
Precisely for this reason all providers apply limits in a shared environment. The problem is that they don’t always inform you of the resources you will have access to.
Site5’s shared plans don’t show the resources, but they do specify that there are restrictions and that you must respect their resource usage policy, where you can find these limits:
- 10% CPU usage;
- 5% of memory usage or 512MB.
It doesn’t specify whether these limits apply to all plans.
At SupportHost we prefer to clearly indicate the resources associated with each plan, just visit the pages of each product to find out what we offer. Depending on the plan you choose, your account will have different resources available and you can switch from one plan to another by requesting an upgrade or downgrade.
Easy hosting
As you can guess from the name we chose, SupportHost is all about support. To meet your needs, not only do we provide you with 24-hour assistance with a team of experts, but all our choices are designed to make your life easier.
Some examples:
- Do you want to migrate and don’t know how to do it? We take care of the transfer of your site for free.
- You can access cPanel, the easiest to use control panel and find a tutorial for each available feature.
- Is there something not explained and you need some help? You can ask us for a tutorial on demand and we will write it for you.
If you are looking for easy hosting, SupportHost is the best alternative to Site5.
PHP versions
With all SupportHost plans you have the option to change the PHP version in use. You can choose whether to use different versions based on the folder, for example to test subdomains.
Changing the version in use is simple and you can do it yourself from cPanel. Whenever a new version is released you will always find the latest one available. Versions available at the moment are: 4.4 / 5.1 / 5.2 / 5.3 / 5.4 / 5.5 / 5.6 / 7.0 / 7.1 / 7.2 / 7.3 / 7.4 / 8.0 / 8.1 / 8.2 / 8.3.
Site5 does not indicate if it is possible to change the PHP version. It also does not state whether the latest version will be available, the plans page still refers to PHP versions 5.3, 5.4, 5.5 and 5.6.
Staging
Staging is the function that allows you to create a test environment in which to replicate your website and make tests or changes. This way you can test an update before making live site changes or making other types of changes.
SupportHost provides you this tool for free with all plans.
Site5 does not include this feature in its plans.
Backups
Backups on many occasions are a real lifesaver. Even if before important operations such as an update it is always good to make a manual backup, automatic backups are a resource not to be underestimated.
To make your life easier we include the backup service with all SupporHost plans. We perform daily backups and keep the last 30 copies. Our service is included in the cost of the plan, so you never have to pay extra.
Site5 hosting plans include automatic backups performed every night, but it does not indicate how many days the copies are kept.
SSL certificate
We know how frustrating it can be to go through tedious and complicated procedures. This is why SupportHost’s goal is to offer an easy and suitable web hosting service for everyone.
We go the extra mile to give you the tools to build your own site, for example a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt is included with every plan.
The installation and renewal of the certificate take place automatically, so you won’t have to worry about anything.
If you want to use a different certificate, for example to create an ecommerce site, you can purchase one of our paid SSL certificates when ordering the plan or later.
Site5 plans do not provide any free SSL certificate and when ordering you are asked if you want to add a paid certificate.
Another possibility would be to try to install the certificate yourself, but as indicated by the Let’s Encrypt community, you will not be provided with any support from the provider.
It’s also not clear if you can install it with shared plans or if you can only do it with VPS plans. There are several discussions on how to install SSL certificate on Site5 and none lead to a solution.
If you want a Site5 alternative that will make your life easier, try SupportHost.
More advanced options
Often the offer of hosting plans provides that the advanced functions are included only in the more expensive plans.
SupportHost does not do this type of marketing, and in fact we have chosen to include advanced tools in all plans.
With all, absolutely all, plans you will have:
- SSH access;
- git;
- WP-CLI.
In addition to these functions, you will be able to create cron jobs and you will have access to configuration files such as .htaccess and php.ini. You can see the whole list of included services on the pages of all plans.
Site5 includes SSH connection with its plans, but there’s no sign of any other advanced options.
Hosting features: Comparison of SupportHost and Site5
Let’s see a comparison between the shared hosting plans of SupportHost and those of Site5.
SupportHost shared and semi-dedicated plans
At SupportHost we have 4 shared hosting plans. Each plan has increasing resources and, to help you choose the ideal one, we have indicated an estimate of monthly visits for each one.
- Shared 1: 10,000 visits;
- Shared 2: 30,000 visits;
- Shared 3: 40,000 visits;
- Shared 4: 60,000 visits.
For multi-domain plans you can look at our semi-dedicated hosting offer, also in that case you can choose between 4 different plans according to your needs. We report here the estimate of the monthly visits that each plan can support.
- Semi-dedicated 1: 100,000 visits;
- Semi-dedicated 2: 200,000 visits;
- Semi-dedicated 3: 400,000 visits;
- Semi-dedicated 4: 600,000 visits.
Site5 web hosting plans
Site5 offers three shared plans.
- hostBasic: 1 site only – 10,000 visits;
- hostPro: unlimited sites – 25,000 visits;
- Pro + Turbo host: Unlimited sites – 100,000 visits.
In this case the resources are not indicated.
All the plans seem to have the same features and honestly at first glance it’s not clear what the differences are between the plans, excluding the website limit for the hostBasic plan. In fact, to see the monthly visits estimate that I have shown above, you need to add the plans to your cart.
Comparison of SupportHost vs Site5 web hosting plans
Since Site5 plans do not indicate associated resources, it is not possible to make a direct comparison of individual plans. We therefore only compare comparable plans based on estimated monthly visits to give you a clearer idea of what services are included.
Shared 1 vs hostBasic
| Features | Shared 1 (SupportHost) | hostBasic (Site5) |
|---|---|---|
| Regular price | 34 €/year | 133,92 €/year |
| Monthly visits | 10,000 Visits | 10.000 Visite |
| Web space | 15 GB SSD | Unlimited on HDD |
| Sites hosted | 1 | 1 |
| Monthly traffic | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free Domain | ||
| Hosting features | ||
| Account email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| MySQL Database | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Unlimited Subdomains | Unspecified | |
| Account FTP | Unlimited | Unspecified |
| cPanel and Softaculous | ||
| Free SSL Certificate | ||
| PHP version of your choice | ||
| Advanced features | ||
| Staging | ||
| GIT | Unspecified | |
| SSH connection | ||
| Free automatic backups | ||
| Free secondary MX | ||
| WP-CLI | ||
| Uptime | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Antivirus and Antispam (email) | Unspecified | |
| Resources allocated per account | ||
| Inodes | No limit | 150.000 |
| Maximum mailbox size | No limit | Unspecified |
Shared 1 vs hostPro+turbo
| Features | Semidedicated 1 (SupportHost) | host Pro + Turbo (Site5) |
|---|---|---|
| Regular price | 150 €/anno | 357,30€/year |
| Monthly visits | 100,000 Visits | 100,000 Visits |
| Web space | 60 GB SSD | Unlimited on HDD |
| Sites hosted | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Monthly traffic | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free Domain | ||
| Hosting features | ||
| Account email | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| MySQL Database | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Unlimited Subdomains | Unspecified | |
| Account FTP | Unlimited | Unspecified |
| cPanel and Softaculous | ||
| Free SSL Certificate | ||
| PHP version of your choice | ||
| Advanced features | ||
| Staging | ||
| GIT | Unspecified | |
| SSH connection | ||
| Free automatic backups | ||
| Free secondary MX | ||
| WP-CLI | ||
| Uptime | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| Antivirus and Antispam (email) | Unspecified | |
| Resources allocated per account | ||
| Inodes | No limit/tooltip] | 150,000 |
| Maximum mailbox size | No limit | Unspecified |
Among the main differences here are some features that you will find with SupportHost plans and that are absent with Site5.
- Free domain: the domain is included forever, you can register it or transfer it to SupportHost to take advantage of the promotion.
- SSD hosting – SSD disks are faster and offer better performance than the mechanical hard disks used by Site5.
- SSL certificate automatically installed and renewed, while with Site5 you will not have the SSL certificate included.
- Advanced tools: Git, WP-CLI, access to all cPanel features, with SupportHost you have 360 degree control over your account. Site5 does not include advanced options.
Site5 alternative: features of cloud VPS plans
If you are looking for a cloud VPS plan, SupportHost allows you to choose between two levels of service:
- unManaged, is the unmanaged service that allows you to take care of the server independently.
- Managed, you can choose this service if you want to delegate server management to SupportHost.
When we talk about managed plans, it should be noted that the cloud VPSs offered by SupportHost are fully managed. This means that all server side operations will be handled by our experts.
To give you some examples, these tasks include installing software and restoring backups. Just visit the SupportHost VPS plans page to see a comparison table with all the differences between the managed and unManaged service.
With Site5 you can only choose managed VPS plans.
In this case, however, not all operations will be included in the service, in fact the possibility of requesting additional installations or restoring backups is not mentioned. Furthermore, the backup service is not included in the Site5 plans.
In this table we have compared two comparable cloud VPS plans for resources included to give you an idea of the differences between SupportHost and Site5.
Cloud 2 Managed vs VPS4
| Features | Cloud 2 Managed (SupportHost) | VPS4 (Site5) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | 79.99 € | 187,92€ |
| RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| CPU | 4 vCPU | 4 vCPU |
| Disk space | 160 GB | 100 GB |
| Traffic | 20 TB | 2 TB |
| Dedicated IP | 1 | 2 |
| Backup | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | cPanel |
| Fully managed | ||
| Free domain | ||
| Datacenter choice |
Cloud 3 Managed vs VPS8
| Features | Cloud 3 Managed (SupportHost) | VPS8 (Site5) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | 92.99 € | 544,25€ |
| RAM | 16 GB | 10 GB |
| CPU | 8 vCPU | 8 vCPU |
| Disk space | 240 GB | 250 GB |
| Traffic | 20 TB | 5 TB |
| Dedicated IP | 1 | 2 |
| Backup | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | cPanel |
| Fully managed | ||
| Free domain | ||
| Datacenter choice |
Among the alternatives to Site5, SupportHost stands out for its lower prices, more resources and a fully managed service for VPS cloud hosting plans.
Free migration
With Site5, you can request site migration, but you need to contact them if you need clarification on the number of accounts that will be migrated.
With SupportHost you will find all this information in clear text on the services pages. For example, if you choose a VPS cloud hosting plan with an annual subscription, you will have the free transfer of up to 10 accounts.
If you think it’s time to move your site from Site5 to SupportHost, you can count on the free migration. We don’t just assist you in transferring your sites, we do more: our technical team will take care of the entire transfer process and there will be no site downs.
Expert support 24/7
We are proud of our support service, not surprisingly there is a good reason why we have chosen the name “SupportHost”.
Problems know no timetables or public holidays, which is why we guarantee you a service that is always active 24 hours a day.
We have chosen to use a ticket system for support, in this way our technicians will be able to view the problems you are having in a timely manner and help you as quickly as possible. We are the only provider to give you guarantees on response times and the efficiency of our customer service distinguishes us from the competition.
On paper, Site5 offers 24/7 support. However, many Site5 customers are not thrilled with customer service. Just read reviews on Trustpilot to find phrases like “Site5 terrible online support” and “Site5 down recurring”.
Affiliation
Site5 does not currently offer an affiliate program.
With SupportHost you can join the affiliate program even without being one of our customers. Simply sign up and start earning by recommending our plans.
You can choose between recurring or one-time commissions, depending on the plan.
SupportHost vs Site5: comparison at a glance
Let’s summarize the main differences between SupportHost and Site5.
| SupportHost | Site5 |
|---|---|
| Before choosing a plan, you can check the estimated monthly visits and know the resources (CPU, RAM and processes). | Resources for shared plans are not indicated. |
| You can choose between the datacenter in Europe and in the USA. | You can’t choose the datacenter. |
| On all plans we use SSD disks. | The plans still use mechanical HDDs (with lesser performance than SSDs). |
| You have the domain free for the first year with dedicated services and included forever with all other plans. | The domain is not included in the cost of the plan, not even for the first year. |
| You can change the PHP version to your choice. | It doesn’t specify whether you can choose the PHP version. |
| With all plans you will be able to create site staging. | Staging is not included. |
| With all plans you get daily backups. With shared plans you have daily backups kept for 30 days. | The included backup service is unclear. |
| All plans have an SSL certificate that is activated and renewed automatically. | The plans do not have the SSL certificate, they offer you to buy one for a fee. |
| Advanced options: SSH access, Git, WP-CLI and more. | There are no advanced tools except for SSH connection. |
| Support with guaranteed response times. | Technical support in English only. |
| You can join a profitable affiliate program. | There is no affiliate program. |
Try SupportHost
Do you want to leave Site5 for a better alternative? With SupportHost you can activate a trial plan in just a few minutes to test the service for yourself. With our free trial plans you can try most of our services for 14 days.
We’ve made activating your hosting plan as simple as possible and you won’t need to enter any payment information.
If you decide to activate a plan after the trial, you will be entitled to a 30-day money-back guarantee. Why don’t you try now?
If you decide to activate a plan after the trial, you will be entitled to a 30-day money-back guarantee. Why don’t you try now?
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