fatcow vs ScalaHosting

FatCow was founded in 1998 in New Mexico and is now headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts. They built their reputation on simplicity, offering one shared hosting plan with unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, and a free domain name for the first year. Their platform includes practical tools like a point-and-click website builder, one-click app installers, daily backups, unlimited email hosting with spam filtering, and ShopSite eCommerce integration for small business owners. Their WordPress WP Essential plan adds SSD infrastructure for faster performance and SiteLock protection to help prevent security threats. Pricing starts at $4.08 per month for the main shared hosting plan during the first term, with WordPress hosting options starting at $3.75 per month. This competitive pricing makes them appealing to individuals and small businesses looking for a budget-friendly hosting provider. Customer feedback over the years has shifted, with many users praising the easy setup and affordable introductory pricing but raising concerns about limited hosting options, slow support, and billing issues. FatCow’s lack of VPS, dedicated, or cloud hosting plans can be restrictive for larger projects, but for those who need a straightforward, low-cost way to get a website online, they offer a simple and functional solution.

ScalaHosting, founded in 2007 and based in Dallas, Texas, with an international office in Sofia, Bulgaria, has steadily built a reputation for delivering reliable and innovative hosting solutions. They offer a range of services including shared hosting, managed VPS hosting, WordPress hosting, and reseller options, making them a versatile choice for individuals, small businesses, and developers. What really sets them apart is their proprietary SPanel control panel, a cost-effective alternative to cPanel that comes with built-in tools for security, WordPress management, and backups. Their hosting plans focus heavily on performance and protection, featuring SShield AI-powered threat detection, daily offsite backups, and strategically placed global data centers to ensure fast, stable websites. Customers frequently praise their 24/7 live chat and ticket support for being responsive and knowledgeable, while also highlighting the platform’s ease of use and reliable uptime. While there are occasional mentions of a learning curve with SPanel and higher costs when scaling cloud resources, ScalaHosting maintains high ratings on sites like Trustpilot and G2. With a strong mix of innovation, security, and customer-first service, they’ve positioned themselves as a compelling choice for anyone looking to build or grow an online presence.