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ToolGPA

InterServer vs ScalaHosting

We give InterServer a 2.0 GPA and ScalaHosting a 2.2, out of 4.0. ScalaHosting grades higher on features. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

InterServer

One shared hosting plan plus cloud VPS sold in $3 slices

From $3/mo
Full detailsinterserver.net

ScalaHosting

Shared and cloud VPS hosting with its own SPanel control panel

From $11.95/mo
Full detailsscalahosting.com

How we grade them

2.0GPAInterServerFair2.2GPAScalaHostingFair
Value for money
AThe 24-month first term is $60, so two years cost $60, about $2.50 a month, well under the $5.97 an A needs. It renews at $7 a month, $84 a year, which is still cheap. Students can get the first year free after approval.
AMini is $106.20 upfront for 36 months, so two years cost $106.20, about $4.43 a month, under the $5.97 an A needs, with a third year thrown in. A 12-month term plus a year at $11.95 would be $178.80. Monthly is $11.95.
Free plan and trial
FNothing free for most people: no free plan and no trial. Students with a qualifying school email can get first-year credits after approval.
FNo free plan and no trial on record. Monthly billing has no intro price either, so the cheapest way in still means paying.
Features
CUnmetered storage and email, InterShield security with hacked-site cleanup, LSCache, a free Cloudflare CDN, SitePad and 461 one-click scripts. The gaps the listing names: weekly backups, not daily, and a domain costs $7.99.
BDaily offsite backups, SShield real-time protection, a malware scanner, WordPress Manager with staging, an AI site builder and unlimited mailboxes with blacklist monitoring. Mini has no free domain, but the core job is covered.
Ease of use
CNo app store rating to go on. It runs on DirectAdmin with SitePad for building, but there's still a domain, a site and email to set up.
CNo app store rating to go on. SPanel or cPanel with one-click restores, but there's still a site, email and maybe a domain to set up.
Platforms and integrations
CA web panel only. The named integrations are DirectAdmin, Cloudflare, SitePad, LiteSpeed Cache and phpMyAdmin, with no API on record.
CA web panel only. Cloudflare, Google Lighthouse, Softaculous and the apps it installs are named, but no API is on record.
Best forone simple cheap plan with no storage capsmall business sites with hosting and email

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: InterServer and ScalaHosting. How we grade

Price against what you get

InterServer starts at $3 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ScalaHosting starts at $2.95 a month and scores 2.3.

ScalaHosting scores higher and starts $0.05 a month lower. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 5 score higher than InterServer for less, and none scores higher than ScalaHosting for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

C2.0B3.0A4.0$1$2$5$10$20$50More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessInterServerScalaHosting

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of web hosts, and the best at every price

Where they differ

  • InterServer starts at $3 per month (1-slice VPS); web hosting $7 a month after a first term at $2.50. ScalaHosting starts at $11.95 per month (Mini), or $2.95 a month for a first term of 12 or 36 months.
  • InterServer also covers no-code.
  • ScalaHosting also covers managed WordPress.
In commonWebMalware protection

At a glance

InterServerScalaHosting
PricingPaidPaid
Starts at$3 per month (1-slice VPS); web hosting $7 a month after a first term at $2.50$11.95 per month (Mini), or $2.95 a month for a first term of 12 or 36 months
Free planNoneNone
Free trialNone listedNone listed
Web
Made byInterServerScalaHosting
Price read frominterserver.netscalahosting.com
CheckedOct 17, 2026Oct 17, 2026

Who each one suits

InterServer

  • Small sites and blogs that want one simple plan with unmetered storage
  • Developers who want a cheap self-managed VPS they can grow a slice at a time
  • Students building portfolio or class sites

ScalaHosting

  • Small business sites that want hosting and email on one plan
  • Sites expected to move from shared hosting to a cloud VPS later
  • Buyers who would rather not pay for cPanel licenses

Worth knowing

InterServer

  • The $2.50 a month covers the first term only; every term then renews at $7 a month, or $84 a year.
  • Backups on the shared plan are weekly, not daily, and a domain costs $7.99 to register or transfer.
  • VPS plans under 8 slices are self-managed; managed support starts at 8 slices, $24 a month.
  • The shared plan is meant for websites and email, not for file or backup storage or reselling hosting.

ScalaHosting

  • The $2.95 a month needs a 12- or 36-month term paid upfront; Mini renews at $11.95, Start at $14.95 and Advanced at $19.95 a month.
  • Mini hosts one website and has no free domain; a domain comes with Start and higher plans.
  • Several tools, including SShield, the AI site builder and the WordPress malware scan, work only with SPanel, not cPanel.
  • Managed cloud plans start at $29.95 a month, and reseller hosting and larger VPS plans are sold separately.

Key features

InterServer

InterShield and Inter-Insurance
InterShield blocks web attacks and scans for malware using rules learned across InterServer's servers, and Inter-Insurance cleans and restores hacked accounts.
Caching and CDN
SSD and RAM caching, LSCache for dynamic pages and QUIC support, with a free Cloudflare CDN on the shared plan.
Email through smart hosts
Outgoing mail is scrubbed for spam and sent through separate smart hosts to protect its reputation, with unlimited mailboxes and forwarders.
SitePad and app installer
The SitePad drag-and-drop builder is included for sites built without code, and 461 scripts, including WordPress and store platforms, install in one click.
Cloud VPS in slices
VPS plans are sized from 1 to 32 slices, with Linux, Windows from $10 a month, storage servers and a WordPress stack on OpenLiteSpeed.
Free migration
New accounts can ask InterServer's team to move an existing site, database and email, including cleanup of problems found during the move.

ScalaHosting

SPanel or cPanel
Accounts can run on ScalaHosting's own SPanel, offered free, or on cPanel. Some tools, such as SShield and the AI site builder, come only with SPanel.
SShield and malware scanning
SShield watches for attacks in real time, and every shared plan lists real-time malware protection, brute-force protection and a WordPress malware scan tool.
WordPress Manager
Automatic WordPress updates, staging and cloning, a security lock for files, admin role controls and Google Lighthouse reports, managed from the panel.
AI WordPress site builder
An AI site builder for WordPress is included on every shared plan when it runs on SPanel.
Daily offsite backups
Backups run every day and are stored offsite, and archives can also be made by hand and restored in one click from the control panel.
Email with reputation tools
Unlimited mailboxes, forwarders and autoresponders, with blacklist monitoring and delivery tracking to help mail reach inboxes.

Plans

InterServer

  • Cloud VPS, 1 slice$3

    per month for 1 core and 2 GB RAM

    40 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer and root access, self-managed. Each extra slice adds the same resources for $3 a month, up to 32.

  • Standard Web Hosting$7

    per month at renewal, after a first term at $2.50 a month

    Unmetered storage, transfer and email on DirectAdmin. First term: 1 month $2.50, 6 months $15, 12 months $30 or 24 months $60.

  • Cloud VPS, 8 slices$24

    per month for 4 cores and 16 GB RAM

    320 GB SSD and 16 TB transfer. Eight slices is the smallest size that includes managed support.

ScalaHosting

  • Mini, 1 month$11.95

    per month, billed monthly

    1 website, 10 GB NVMe storage and no bandwidth limit, with SPanel or cPanel. Monthly billing has no introductory price.

  • Mini, 12 months$11.95

    per month at renewal, after a first year at $2.95 a month

    The same Mini plan. The first 12 months cost $35.40 ($2.95 a month), paid upfront, then $11.95 a month.

  • Mini, 36 months$11.95

    per month at renewal, after a first term of 36 months

    The same Mini plan. The first 36 months cost $106.20 ($2.95 a month), paid upfront, then $11.95 a month.

  • Start, 36 months$14.95

    per month at renewal, after a first term of 36 months

    Unlimited websites, 50 GB and a free domain. $5.95 a month for the first 36 months ($214.20), then $14.95; the same $5.95 on 12 months.

  • Advanced, 36 months$19.95

    per month at renewal, after a first term of 36 months

    Unlimited websites and 100 GB. $9.95 a month for the first 36 months ($358.20), then $19.95 a month.

  • Entry Cloud, 36 months$39.95

    per month at renewal, after a first term of 36 months

    Cloud VPS with 2 dedicated CPUs, 2 GB RAM and 50 GB NVMe. $24.95 a month for 36 months; a 12-month term starts at $14.95 a month.

Ways to pay less

InterServer

  • Other savings

    First term of web hosting at $2.50 a month

    The first term costs $2.50 for 1 month, $15 for 6 months, $30 for 12 months or $60 for 24 months, then renews at $7 a month.

  • Education

    Free first year of web hosting for students

    Students who sign up with a qualifying school email address get first-year credits for standard web hosting after approval.

ScalaHosting

  • Other savings

    Mini at $2.95 a month for the first term

    On a 12- or 36-month term Mini costs $2.95 a month, Start $5.95 and Advanced $9.95, paid upfront. They renew at $11.95, $14.95 and $19.95 a month.

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