Site5 vs SiteGround
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Site5 and SiteGround.
Quick Verdict
1.5/5
Site5
0 reviews
3.8/5
SiteGround
0 reviews
SiteGround is rated higher (3.8 vs 1.5). Site5 is an inactive hosting brand under Newfold Digital. site5.com now serves only a client-login and account shell; no plans or signup are offered. The developer-friendly shared hosting described in older material ended with the 2015 EIG acquisition. SiteGround is a WordPress.org-recommended host with fast SSD storage, built-in CDN, free SSL, daily backups, and excellent support. One of the most popular managed WordPress options for SMBs.
Site5 Inactive hosting brand — legacy accounts only under Newfold Digital | SiteGround The web host recommended by WordPress.org | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 1.5 (0 reviews) | 3.8 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | not sold — brand is an account/support shell under Newfold Digital | paid |
| Starting price | Free tier available | From $3/mo |
| Best for | No one shopping today. Legacy customers only — with off-platform backups and a migration target in hand. | Small businesses, bloggers and non-technical WordPress owners who want the WordPress.org-recommended host with strong support and global datacenter choice, and accept the renewal premium |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Tags | ||
| Tags | eu datacenterus datacenter | managed optionddos protectionbackups includedeu datacenterus datacenterapac datacenter |
| Visit Site5 → | Visit SiteGround → | |
Site5
Pros
- + Legacy accounts are still serviceable through the Newfold-operated login portal
- + Historically a genuinely developer-friendly host (SSH, Git, multiple PHP versions, location choice)
- + The domain and account infrastructure remain alive — no abrupt shutdown for existing customers
Cons
- - No plans, pricing or signup available — the brand cannot be purchased
- - Absorbed twice: EIG acquisition (2015) and the EIG/Web.com merger into Newfold Digital (2021)
- - No public SLA, network disclosure or documentation for anything beyond legacy account management
- - The database row materially misdescribes the product; older reviews of Site5 describe a business that no longer exists
SiteGround
Pros
- + 20+ years independent operation, WordPress.org-recommended, 3M+ domains — proven track record
- + Google Cloud infrastructure with 11 datacenter locations across US/EU/APAC and 170-point CDN
- + Support widely rated highly for shared hosting tiers; free expert migration included
- + 30 days of geo-distributed backup restore points, free SSL, daily backups on the lineup
- + Renewal rates are published openly in the KB rather than hidden
Cons
- - Renewals jump 4-5x from intro pricing (StartUp to $14.99-$17.99/mo standard)
- - StartUp plan limits: 1 site, 10 GB storage; daily backup coverage on StartUp is ambiguous
- - No root access or stack control — shared hosting economics at premium prices
- - Cores/RAM not published for shared plans; fair-use resource ceilings are opaque
- - Growing product surface (AI tools, email marketing) dilutes the hosting focus
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