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Contents
Scala Hosting is a Bulgarian web hosting company that was founded in 2007. Over the years they have grown into one of the larger independent hosts in Europe, with data center presence in the United States, Europe, Australia, and Asia. They are most recognized for two things: SPanel, their in-house alternative to cPanel that is included free with their VPS plans, and an aggressive push into managed cloud VPS as a direct replacement for shared hosting.
SPanel is interesting because it removes cPanel's licensing costs from the VPS equation, which has allowed Scala Hosting to price managed cloud VPS plans at or near the cost of traditional shared hosting. The feature set is comparable to cPanel for most use cases, with some modern additions like built-in malware protection and site-isolation by default.
Let's look at what Scala Hosting actually offers.
Features of Scala Hosting
Scala Hosting shared plans use cPanel, SSD storage, LiteSpeed web server, and free SSL. Free migrations and daily backups are included. Features are comparable to other mid-market shared hosts.
Managed Cloud VPS
This is Scala Hosting's flagship product. Managed cloud VPS plans include SPanel free of charge, dedicated CPU and RAM, and full 24/7 support for the OS and web stack. The entry plan is competitive with entry shared hosting at most other hosts, which is unusual and genuinely changes the economics of managed hosting.
Reseller Hosting
Reseller plans are available on both cPanel and SPanel. Using SPanel reseller plans sidesteps cPanel licensing, which Scala Hosting passes along as lower pricing. WHMCS-equivalent billing and white-label branding are supported.
WordPress Hosting
WordPress-specific plans are layered on top of the SPanel VPS offering and include SShield malware protection, automatic WordPress updates, and staging environments.
Pros and Cons of Scala Hosting
Pros:
1. SPanel Removes cPanel Licensing
The disappearance of cPanel licensing costs is passed on to customers, which is why Scala Hosting can offer managed cloud VPS at shared-hosting prices.
2. Genuine Managed Cloud VPS at Entry Pricing
For many projects, a dedicated-resource VPS is a significant upgrade over crowded shared hosting. Scala Hosting makes that upgrade almost priceless.
3. Site Isolation and SShield
SPanel isolates sites from each other at the OS level and includes SShield for proactive malware protection. These are real security wins.
4. Global Data Centers
Deployments across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia make it easy to host close to your audience.
Cons:
1. Learning Curve for SPanel
If you are comfortable with cPanel, SPanel is similar but not identical. There is a short adjustment period.
2. Upsell Pressure
The checkout flow does push several add-ons. Pay attention during signup to avoid bundling features you do not need.
Conclusion
Scala Hosting is one of the most interesting hosts in the mid-market. If you are comfortable stepping away from cPanel, Scala Hosting's managed cloud VPS with SPanel is an unusually strong value.
