Comparing BlaqPanel vs cloud-based hosts…Cloudways, RunCloud, GridPane, SpinupWP, etc.
BlaqPanel SIMILARITIES:
- Important to establish since BlaqPanel competes directly with this market.
- BlaqPanel is similar in performance…using lean high-performance stack and allowing full use of server resources.
- BlaqPanel is similar in user demographic…catering to regular users as well as hardcore devs/admins.
- BlaqPanel has many of the same features…except with different limitations and different UI (which does greatly affect the user experience).
BlaqPanel PROS:
- BP cleverly incorporates a handful of features (or in ways) that the other cloud panels simply don’t have.
- BP uses OpenLiteSpeed server (whereas many cloud platforms don’t offer that yet). Main benefit of OLS is its native WordPress caching plugin (called LiteSpeed Cache…and is Johnny’s favorite cache plugin).
- BP has a much simpler UI. Fewer features and fewer options to muck through. Focused on things you actually use instead of gimmicky features only meant to outshine competitors in comparison tables.
- BP is easier/faster to setup for 1st-time cloud users.
- BP is cheaper in some ways and more expensive in other ways. You’ll have to compare individually with each competitor. Regardless, we aim to be an economical situation. Saving you money and offering tons of value.
BlaqPanel CONS:
- The servers are signed up through our accounts, rather than your own provider’s account. This makes for a more seamless setup process but some people prefer having their server on their own account. The end result is the same either way.
- Other cloud hosts offer better free support. Our free support is only documentation and group support; anything else is paid. But this keeps our costs way down.
- Other cloud hosts may offer features we don’t have…server-specific tasks, clustering, server-sync, etc. We simply don’t feel those features are essential or needed in 99% of use-cases.
- BP is arguably less proven. New stack, new platform just newly launched and doesn’t have the years of hard trench work like our competitors. However…BP is run by a team with lots of experience web-hosting and server-management.
- Other cloud panels let you choose from a wider variety of providers. We currently only offer Linode (and might offer UpCloud one day). Again…we stand by this limitation as we don’t feel it’s critical to support all providers.
Specific comparisons:
- Cloudways – BP is faster server stack and simpler UI, also cheaper. CW has better 24/7 newbie support.
- RunCloud – performance and pricing is comparable, but BP allows unlimited staging on lowest plans. RC has some cool features that we don’t. RC UI is arguably a little more complex. RC offers included support. RC backups can get pricey ($1/site), whereas BP lets you backup however many you want free of charge (using your S3 account).
- GridPane – BP is much cheaper and arguably simpler to use. GP has many more enterprise level features (that we think 99% of users don’t need).
- SpinupWP – SPIN interface is too simple, lacking features and only offers limited support hours/coverage. Has a monthly plan.