Rocket.net Review 2026: Real Speed & Performance Data

Mangesh Supe

by Mangesh Supeยท Updated February 27 2026


Rocket.net Review 2026: Real Speed & Performance Data

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

Rocket.net markets itself as "the fastest WordPress hosting." I tested it for 12 months. Here's what I found: the marketing is built on Cloudflare CDN speed, not server hardware speed. The origin server runs 2013 Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 CPUs โ€” hardware from the Obama administration's first term โ€” ranked #433 out of 1,190 server CPUs on PassMark.

For cached static pages, Rocket.net's Cloudflare Enterprise CDN delivers ~85ms globally. That's genuinely fast. But for WooCommerce checkout pages, logged-in users, and any dynamic content that bypasses CDN cache, you're hitting a 310ms origin server. That's the hardware truth behind the marketing.

This review covers 12 months of continuous monitoring, load tests at 10โ€“100 concurrent users, WooCommerce-specific performance tests, PHP benchmarks, and 6 support interactions. Every data point is disclosed.

๐Ÿ“Š 12-Month Test Summary (Feb 2025 โ€“ Feb 2026)

  • Origin TTFB (No CDN): 310ms average from Dulles VA โ€” consistent across 3 runs
  • CDN TTFB (Cloudflare Enterprise): ~85ms globally for cached pages
  • Load stability: 310ms โ†’ 480ms at 100 concurrent users (+55% degradation)
  • Uptime: 99.97% (158 minutes total downtime, 4 incidents)
  • WooCommerce checkout TTFB: 310ms (CDN bypassed โ€” always hits origin)
  • PHP benchmark score: 4.2/10 (WP Hosting Benchmark plugin)
  • CPU: Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 โ€” PassMark #433/1,190 โ€” released 2013

60-Second Verdict: Who Rocket.net Is (and Is NOT) For

Speed / Performance
6.5/10
Value for Money
5.8/10
Features
7.2/10
Support Quality
7.5/10
Renewal Fairness
5.5/10

โœ… Rocket.net IS For:

  • Non-technical WordPress users who want managed simplicity โ€” no server management required
  • Simple blogs and brochure sites where CDN-cached pages are the majority of traffic
  • Users who want Cloudflare Enterprise CDN without configuring it themselves
  • Sites with mostly static content โ€” the CDN advantage is real for cached pages
  • Users migrating from shared hosting who want a step up without VPS complexity

โŒ Rocket.net Is NOT For:

  • WooCommerce stores โ€” checkout pages bypass CDN, hit 310ms origin server
  • Sites with >100GB/mo bandwidth โ€” overage fees on $30 plan
  • Developers needing SSH/server access โ€” not available on standard plans
  • Agencies managing 10+ sites โ€” per-site pricing gets expensive fast
  • Anyone needing email hosting โ€” not included
  • Sites expecting traffic spikes โ€” CPU throttling under sustained load
  • Performance-critical applications โ€” 2013 hardware is the ceiling

Test Environment & Methodology

Every data point in this review comes from a standardized test environment. No cherry-picked results, no one-off tests. All tests were run with CDN disabled unless explicitly stated.

๐Ÿ”ฌ Test Environment Specs

  • Rocket.net Plan: Starter ($30/mo, 1 site, 100GB bandwidth)
  • WordPress Version: 6.7.2
  • PHP Version: 8.3 (latest stable)
  • Theme: Hello Starter (lightweight โ€” eliminates theme as variable)
  • Plugins (12): Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, Contact Form 7, Wordfence, WP Mail SMTP, MonsterInsights, Elementor, UpdraftPlus, Smush, WPForms Lite, Rank Math, LiteSpeed Cache
  • WooCommerce Products: 25 (with images, variations, categories)
  • Server Region: US East (Rocket.net auto-assigns)
  • CDN: Disabled for all TTFB tests; enabled separately for CDN analysis section
  • Testing Period: February 2025 โ€“ February 2026 (continuous monitoring)
  • TTFB testing: WebPageTest from Dulles VA (Chrome, Cable connection). 3 consecutive runs per test. CDN disabled. Page caching disabled for raw server measurement.
  • Load testing tool: Loader.io from US East. Tested at 10, 25, 50, and 100 simultaneous users. 60-second ramp-up, 60-second sustained load.
  • Uptime monitoring: UptimeRobot Pro โ€” 1-minute check intervals, 12 months continuous. HTTP monitoring on homepage.
  • CPU verification: Confirmed via support ticket (E5-2667 v2) + PassMark cross-reference.
  • PHP benchmark: WP Hosting Benchmark plugin (standardized PHP/MySQL test suite).
  • WooCommerce test: Checkout page TTFB measured with caching disabled (checkout is always dynamic).
  • Support testing: 6 separate interactions โ€” 4 live chat, 2 tickets โ€” with different technical questions.

The Hardware Truth: 2013 CPUs in 2026

Rocket.net's support confirmed via ticket: the origin servers run Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 processors. This CPU was released in Q3 2013 โ€” 13 years ago. On PassMark, it ranks #433 out of 1,190 server CPUs with a multithread score of approximately 12,000.

Here's what that means in context:

CPU Rankings (Feb 2026)

CPU
PassMark Rank
Multithread Score
Year
Used By
CPUAMD EPYC 9474FAMD EPYC 9354PAMD EPYC 9354Intel Xeon Gold 6268CLIntel Xeon Gold 6253CLIntel Xeon E5-2667 v2AMD Opteron 6376
PassMark Rank#31 / 1,190#58 / 1,190#62 / 1,190#226 / 1,190#280 / 1,190#433 / 1,190#827 / 1,190
Multithread Score~102,107~87,000~85,000~21,500~18,000~12,000~4,200
Year2023 (Gen 4)2023 (Gen 4)2023 (Gen 4)201920192013 โš ๏ธ2012
Used ByScalaHostingCloudways (Vultr HF)ChemiCloudSiteGroundWP EngineRocket.netHostGator

โš ๏ธ The 480% Performance Gap

ScalaHosting's AMD EPYC 9474F scores ~102,107 on PassMark. Rocket.net's Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 scores ~12,000. That's a 480% difference in raw CPU performance. Every PHP function call, every MySQL query, every plugin hook executes on this hardware. The CPU determines your TTFB ceiling โ€” and Rocket.net's ceiling is a 2013 server.

The E5-2667 v2 was released when the iPhone 5s was new. It predates Docker, Kubernetes, and modern PHP 8.x optimizations. Rocket.net's marketing claims "fastest WordPress hosting" โ€” but the hardware is from the Obama administration's first term.

Why does Cloudflare CDN mask this? For cached static pages (homepage, blog posts, product pages), Cloudflare serves the content from its edge network โ€” the origin server is never touched. This is why Rocket.net's CDN TTFB is ~85ms globally. But for any dynamic content โ€” WooCommerce checkout, logged-in users, WordPress admin โ€” the CDN cache is bypassed and the request hits the 2013 origin server at 310ms.


TTFB Results: 3 Locations, 3 Runs

All TTFB tests were run with CDN disabled and page caching disabled. This measures pure server response time โ€” the baseline that no amount of CDN or caching can improve beyond.

TTFB Test Data (Feb 2026)

Test Run
TTFB
Full Load Time
Location
Notes
Test RunRun 1Run 2Run 3AverageLondon (no CDN)Sydney (no CDN)
TTFB305ms310ms315ms310ms~380ms~520ms
Full Load Time2.1s2.0s2.2s2.1s2.8s3.6s
LocationDulles VADulles VADulles VADulles VALondon UKSydney AU
NotesCDN off, cache offCDN off, cache offCDN off, cache offConsistent โ€” low varianceCross-Atlantic latencyCross-Pacific latency

The 310ms TTFB from Dulles VA is the raw server response. For context: Google considers TTFB under 200ms as "good" for Core Web Vitals. Rocket.net's 310ms is in the "needs improvement" range โ€” before any CDN is applied.

Compare this to ScalaHosting's 143ms origin TTFB โ€” already in the "good" range without CDN. With FlyingCDN enabled, ScalaHosting's global TTFB drops to under 50ms from all locations.

TTFB Comparison: Origin vs CDN (Feb 2026)

Host
Origin TTFB (No CDN)
CDN TTFB
CPU
Notes
HostScalaHostingCloudways (Vultr HF)SiteGroundRocket.netHostinger VPS
Origin TTFB (No CDN)143ms127ms247ms310ms268ms
CDN TTFB~35ms (FlyingCDN)~45ms (Cloudflare)~90ms (Cloudflare)~85ms (Cloudflare Enterprise)~80ms (Cloudflare)
CPUEPYC 9474F (#31)EPYC 9354P (#58)Xeon 6268CL (#226)Xeon E5-2667 v2 (#433, 2013)EPYC 9354P (#58)
NotesBest origin TTFB testedLowest idle TTFB testedI/O limits under loadCDN masks slow originCPU steal limits

Load Test: 10 โ†’ 100 Concurrent Users

TTFB at idle tells you nothing about how a host performs when real traffic hits. I ran load tests at 10, 25, 50, and 100 simultaneous users using Loader.io from US East. 60-second ramp-up, 60-second sustained load. CDN disabled for all tests.

Load Test Results (Loader.io, US East, Feb 2026)

Concurrent Users
Rocket.net
ScalaHosting
Cloudways (Vultr HF)
SiteGround
Concurrent Users10 users25 users50 users100 usersError rate at 100
Rocket.net310ms360ms (+16%)420ms (+35%)480ms (+55%)3.2%
ScalaHosting143ms148ms (+3%)158ms (+10%)171ms (+19%)0%
Cloudways (Vultr HF)127ms135ms (+6%)142ms (+12%)168ms (+32%)0%
SiteGround247ms290ms (+17%)340ms (+38%)410ms (+66%)2.1%

โš ๏ธ Key Finding: Rocket.net Has the Worst Load Stability

Rocket.net's TTFB increased 55% from idle to 100 concurrent users (310ms โ†’ 480ms). ScalaHosting degraded only 19% (143ms โ†’ 171ms). Cloudways degraded 32%. SiteGround degraded 66%. Rocket.net's 3.2% error rate at 100 users is also the highest โ€” meaning 3 out of every 100 requests failed entirely. The shared resource model and 2013 CPU are the root causes.

What 55% degradation means in practice: A WooCommerce store that normally loads checkout in 310ms will load it in 480ms during a flash sale or product launch. That's a 170ms increase on the most conversion-critical page โ€” at exactly the moment when traffic is highest and performance matters most.


CPU Throttling Under Sustained Load

Beyond the standard load test, I ran a 5-minute sustained load test at 50 concurrent users to observe CPU throttling behavior. The results reveal a pattern that standard load tests miss.

What I observed:

  • Minutes 0-1: TTFB at ~420ms (consistent with standard load test)
  • Minutes 2-3: TTFB spikes to 600-650ms โ€” CPU throttling kicks in as shared resources are exhausted
  • Minutes 3-4: TTFB drops back to ~420ms as throttling releases
  • Minutes 4-5: Second spike to ~580ms โ€” sawtooth pattern indicating resource contention

ScalaHosting under the same test: flat at ~158ms throughout. No spikes, no sawtooth pattern. The dedicated PHP workers (30+) and low-density VPS nodes prevent the resource contention that causes Rocket.net's throttling.

Why This Happens on Rocket.net

Rocket.net is managed shared hosting โ€” not a VPS. Multiple WordPress sites share the same physical server resources. When your site's traffic spikes, it competes with other sites on the same server for CPU time. The 2013 Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 has limited headroom for concurrent PHP execution. When the shared CPU pool is exhausted, the hosting platform throttles individual sites โ€” causing the TTFB spikes observed.

This throttling behavior is particularly damaging for WooCommerce stores during sales events, news sites during breaking stories, and any site that experiences sudden traffic spikes. The CDN handles cached pages fine โ€” but the moment dynamic requests hit the origin, throttling becomes visible to users.


Uptime: 12-Month Monitoring Data

I monitored Rocket.net with UptimeRobot Pro (1-minute check intervals) for 12 months. Here are the results:

12-Month Uptime Comparison

Metric
Rocket.net
ScalaHosting
Cloudways
MetricUptime %Total downtimeNumber of incidentsLongest incidentMonitoring periodCheck interval
Rocket.net99.97%~158 min452 minFeb 2025 โ€“ Feb 20261 minute
ScalaHosting99.993%37 min318 minJan 2025 โ€“ Feb 20261 minute
Cloudways99.981%101 min531 minJan 2025 โ€“ Feb 20261 minute

99.97% uptime is decent โ€” it exceeds Rocket.net's 99.9% guarantee. But the 52-minute incident is concerning for business sites. A 52-minute outage during business hours on a WooCommerce store can mean thousands of dollars in lost sales.

For comparison: ScalaHosting achieved 99.993% uptime (37 minutes total downtime) โ€” the best of all hosts tested. Cloudways achieved 99.981% (101 minutes). Bluehost recorded 5+ hours downtime in the same period.


Cloudflare Enterprise CDN: What It Hides

Rocket.net's Cloudflare Enterprise CDN is the product's strongest feature โ€” and its most effective marketing tool. Understanding what it does (and doesn't do) is essential for evaluating whether Rocket.net is right for your site.

What Cloudflare Enterprise CDN does:

  • Caches static pages at Cloudflare's 300+ global edge locations
  • Delivers cached pages at ~85ms globally โ€” regardless of origin server speed
  • Handles DDoS protection, bot filtering, and SSL termination at the edge
  • Reduces origin server load for cached content

What Cloudflare Enterprise CDN does NOT do:

  • Cache dynamic pages โ€” WooCommerce checkout, cart, account pages, logged-in users
  • Improve origin server speed โ€” the 2013 Xeon is still the origin
  • Cache WordPress admin pages
  • Cache any page with user-specific cookies set

CDN Cache: Which Pages Are Fast vs Slow

Page Type
CDN Cached?
TTFB
Notes
Page TypeHomepage (static)Blog posts (static)Product pages (static)WooCommerce cartWooCommerce checkoutAccount pagesLogged-in users (any page)WordPress admin
CDN Cached?โœ… Yesโœ… Yesโœ… YesโŒ NoโŒ NoโŒ NoโŒ NoโŒ No
TTFB~85ms~85ms~88ms310ms310ms310ms310ms310ms
NotesServed from Cloudflare edgeServed from Cloudflare edgeServed from Cloudflare edgeDynamic โ€” bypasses CDNDynamic โ€” bypasses CDNUser-specific โ€” bypasses CDNCookie set โ€” bypasses CDNAdmin โ€” bypasses CDN

The marketing trick: Rocket.net's speed claims are based on CDN-cached page performance. Their homepage shows ~85ms TTFB โ€” which is accurate for cached pages. But this number is Cloudflare's speed, not Rocket.net's server speed. Any CDN in front of any server will deliver similar cached-page performance.

Comparison: ScalaHosting + FlyingCDN achieves ~35ms CDN TTFB + 143ms origin TTFB. Rocket.net achieves ~85ms CDN TTFB + 310ms origin TTFB. For cached pages, Rocket.net is slower. For dynamic pages, Rocket.net is 2x slower.


Bandwidth Limits: The Hidden Cost

Rocket.net imposes bandwidth limits on all plans. This is one of the most significant hidden costs โ€” and one that most reviews don't calculate for real-world usage.

Rocket.net Bandwidth Limits vs ScalaHosting

Plan
Price
Sites
Bandwidth
Overage Rate
PlanStarterProBusinessAgencyScalaHosting VPS
Price$30/mo$65/mo$125/mo$250/mo$29.95/mo
Sites131025Unlimited
Bandwidth100GB/mo250GB/mo500GB/mo1TB/moUnlimited
Overage Rate~$0.10/GB~$0.10/GB~$0.10/GB~$0.10/GBNo overages

Real-world bandwidth usage:

  • A blog with 10,000 monthly visitors and average page size of 2MB = ~20GB/mo (within 100GB limit)
  • A WooCommerce store with 50,000 monthly visitors and average page size of 3MB = ~150GB/mo (exceeds 100GB limit by 50GB = $5/mo overage)
  • A news site with 100,000 monthly visitors and average page size of 2.5MB = ~250GB/mo (exceeds 100GB limit by 150GB = $15/mo overage)

At $0.10/GB overage, a site that consistently uses 200GB/mo on the Starter plan pays $30 + $10 = $40/mo โ€” more than ScalaHosting's unlimited VPS at $29.95/mo.

Comparison: Cloudways charges $1/100GB for bandwidth overages โ€” 10x cheaper than Rocket.net's rate. ScalaHosting VPS has no bandwidth limits at all.


Rocket.net Pricing: True Cost Breakdown

Rocket.net's pricing appears straightforward โ€” but the true cost depends on your site's bandwidth usage and number of sites.

Rocket.net Plans (Feb 2026)

Plan
Price
Sites
Bandwidth
Includes
PlanStarterProBusinessAgency
Price$30/mo$65/mo$125/mo$250/mo
Sites131025
Bandwidth100GB/mo250GB/mo500GB/mo1TB/mo
IncludesCloudflare Enterprise CDN, SSL, staging, backupsEverything in Starter + 2 more sitesEverything in Pro + 7 more sitesEverything in Business + 15 more sites

What's NOT included in any Rocket.net plan:

  • Email hosting โ€” you'll need Google Workspace ($6/mo) or Zoho Mail separately
  • SSH access โ€” not available on standard plans
  • cPanel โ€” Rocket.net uses a custom dashboard only
  • Bandwidth overages โ€” charged at ~$0.10/GB above plan limit

True Cost Comparison: Rocket.net vs ScalaHosting

Scenario
Rocket.net Cost
ScalaHosting Cost
Notes
Scenario1 site, 80GB/mo bandwidth1 site, 150GB/mo bandwidth3 sites, 300GB/mo total10 sites, 600GB/mo totalAdd email hosting
Rocket.net Cost$30/mo$35/mo ($30 + $5 overage)$65/mo (Pro)$125/mo (Business)+$6-12/mo
ScalaHosting Cost$29.95/mo$29.95/mo$29.95/mo$29.95/moIncluded
NotesSimilar cost โ€” ScalaHosting has better hardwareScalaHosting cheaper โ€” no bandwidth limitsScalaHosting unlimited sites on one VPSScalaHosting 4x cheaper for same scaleScalaHosting includes email on VPS

The value gap widens significantly as you add sites or exceed bandwidth limits. For a single low-traffic blog under 100GB/mo, Rocket.net and ScalaHosting are similarly priced. For anything beyond that, ScalaHosting's unlimited model is substantially cheaper.


The Acquisition: World Host Group

Rocket.net was acquired by World Host Group (WHG), a private equity-backed hosting conglomerate. This acquisition has significant implications for long-term quality and pricing.

World Host Group's portfolio includes:

  • Rocket.net (managed WordPress)
  • A2 Hosting (shared/VPS hosting)
  • FastComet (shared/cloud hosting)
  • And other hosting brands

The PE acquisition pattern: Private equity-backed hosting conglomerates historically follow a predictable pattern after acquisition:

  1. Maintain quality for 12-18 months post-acquisition to retain customers
  2. Reduce infrastructure investment to improve margins
  3. Increase renewal pricing
  4. Reduce support staffing or outsource to lower-cost providers
  5. Prepare for resale to another PE firm or strategic buyer

This pattern is well-documented with Newfold Digital (which owns Bluehost, HostGator, Web.com, and others). Post-acquisition, Bluehost's support quality declined significantly, renewal pricing increased, and infrastructure investment slowed. Reddit's r/webhosting documents this pattern extensively.

Independent Ownership: The ScalaHosting Contrast

ScalaHosting is independently owned by founders Chris T. (CEO) and Vlad T. (CTO). Not PE-backed. Not part of a conglomerate. This means infrastructure decisions are made by engineers who use the product, not by financial analysts optimizing for exit multiples. The AMD EPYC 9474F hardware investment โ€” the most expensive server CPU available โ€” is a decision an independent founder makes. A PE-backed conglomerate optimizes for margin, not for PassMark rank.

This doesn't mean Rocket.net will definitely decline under WHG ownership. But it's a risk factor that most reviews don't mention โ€” and one that matters for long-term hosting decisions.


WordPress Performance Stack

Rocket.net's WordPress stack is well-configured for managed hosting. Here's what's included and what's not:

What's included:

  • Cloudflare Enterprise CDN: Included on all plans โ€” the primary performance feature
  • Nginx web server: Faster than Apache for WordPress workloads
  • PHP-FPM: Process manager for PHP execution
  • MySQL/MariaDB: Standard WordPress database
  • Automatic WordPress updates: Configurable โ€” can be set to auto-update core, plugins, themes
  • Daily backups: 30-day retention on all plans
  • 1-click staging: Available on all plans
  • Free SSL certificates: Unlimited, auto-renewed via Cloudflare
  • Free site migration: Rocket.net's team handles the transfer

What's NOT included:

  • Email hosting: Not available โ€” use Google Workspace or Zoho Mail separately
  • SSH access: Not available on standard plans
  • cPanel: Custom dashboard only โ€” no cPanel or Plesk
  • Redis Object Cache: Not available on standard plans
  • Custom PHP configuration: Limited โ€” managed environment restricts server-level changes
  • WP-CLI: Not available on standard plans

Redis availability: Redis Object Cache is available on higher-tier plans. For WooCommerce stores, Redis is essential for session management and object caching. The absence of Redis on the $30 Starter plan is a significant limitation for WooCommerce performance.


Dashboard & User Experience

Rocket.net's dashboard is genuinely well-designed for non-technical users. It's the product's strongest feature after the Cloudflare CDN.

What the dashboard does well:

  • Clean, minimal interface: No overwhelming options โ€” focused on WordPress management
  • CDN toggle: Enable/disable Cloudflare CDN with one click
  • 1-click staging: Create a staging environment without technical knowledge
  • Backup management: View, restore, and download backups from the dashboard
  • WordPress version indicator: Shows current WordPress version and available updates
  • SSL status: Visual indicator of SSL certificate status
  • Site health overview: Basic performance and security status

Dashboard limitations:

  • No server-level access: You can't view PHP error logs, server resource usage, or MySQL slow query logs
  • No SSH: Standard plans don't include SSH access โ€” you're limited to the dashboard and WordPress admin
  • No custom PHP configuration: Can't modify php.ini settings directly
  • No email management: No email accounts, no DNS management for email
  • Limited plugin management: Can update plugins but can't install/delete from the dashboard (must use WordPress admin)

Who this dashboard is right for: Non-technical WordPress users who want to manage their site without learning server administration. If you've never used cPanel and don't want to, Rocket.net's dashboard is easier to navigate than SPanel or cPanel.

Who this dashboard is wrong for: Developers, agencies, or anyone who needs server-level access, custom PHP configuration, or email management. For these use cases, ScalaHosting's SPanel or Cloudways' developer dashboard are better options.


WooCommerce Performance Test

WooCommerce checkout pages cannot be cached โ€” they're dynamic per-user. This means raw server speed matters more for WooCommerce than for any other WordPress use case. I tested with 25 products, 10 concurrent shoppers, and caching disabled on all dynamic pages.

WooCommerce TTFB by Page Type (CDN off for dynamic, Feb 2026)

Page Type
Rocket.net
ScalaHosting
CDN Cached?
Notes
Page TypeHomepageShop pageProduct pageCart pageCheckout pageOrder confirmationLogged-in user pages
Rocket.net85ms88ms87ms310ms310ms315ms310ms
ScalaHosting43ms51ms48ms165ms187ms201ms165ms
CDN Cached?โœ… Yes (CDN)โœ… Yes (CDN)โœ… Yes (CDN)โŒ No (dynamic)โŒ No (dynamic)โŒ No (dynamic)โŒ No (cookies)
NotesCDN serves Rocket.net โ€” fastCDN serves Rocket.net โ€” fastCDN serves Rocket.net โ€” fastBypasses CDN โ€” hits originMost critical โ€” bypasses CDNPost-purchase โ€” bypasses CDNAlways bypasses CDN

โš ๏ธ The WooCommerce Problem: CDN Advantage Disappears Where It Matters Most

Rocket.net's CDN delivers fast homepage loads (85ms) โ€” but WooCommerce checkout is 310ms. ScalaHosting's checkout is 187ms โ€” 66% faster. For a store doing $10,000/mo, a 100ms improvement in checkout TTFB correlates with approximately 1% higher conversion rate (Google/Deloitte research). The 123ms difference between Rocket.net and ScalaHosting on checkout could mean $1,200/mo in additional revenue โ€” more than the cost of either hosting plan.

The fundamental issue: Rocket.net's marketing is built on CDN speed. But WooCommerce's most important pages โ€” the ones that determine whether a visitor becomes a customer โ€” always bypass the CDN. For WooCommerce, you're paying for Cloudflare Enterprise CDN that doesn't help on the pages that matter most.


PHP Benchmark: Requests/Sec

I used the WP Hosting Benchmark plugin to measure PHP execution speed and MySQL query performance. This plugin runs a standardized suite of PHP operations and database queries, returning a score out of 10.

PHP Benchmark Results (WP Hosting Benchmark Plugin, Feb 2026)

Host
WP Benchmark Score
PHP Requests/sec
MySQL Queries/sec
PHP Workers
HostScalaHosting VPSCloudways Vultr HFKinstaSiteGroundHostinger VPSRocket.net
WP Benchmark Score8.3 / 107.9 / 107.2 / 105.1 / 104.8 / 104.2 / 10
PHP Requests/sec~847 req/s~810 req/s~740 req/s~520 req/s~490 req/s~430 req/s
MySQL Queries/sec~2,100 q/s~1,980 q/s~1,820 q/s~1,280 q/s~1,210 q/s~1,060 q/s
PHP Workers30+ dedicatedConfigurable4-16 (plan-dep.)4 (shared)2 (shared)Varies (shared)

Rocket.net's 4.2/10 PHP benchmark score is the lowest of all managed WordPress hosts tested. ScalaHosting scores 8.3/10 โ€” nearly double. The gap is directly attributable to the CPU: AMD EPYC 9474F (#31 PassMark) vs Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 (#433 PassMark).

PHP Workers explained: Each uncached WordPress request occupies one PHP worker for 200-500ms. Rocket.net's shared hosting model means PHP workers are shared with other sites on the same server. Under concurrent traffic, workers queue โ€” causing TTFB spikes. ScalaHosting's 30+ dedicated PHP workers handle concurrent requests without queuing.


Support Quality: 6 Tests

I contacted Rocket.net support 6 times with different technical questions. Here are the results:

Support Test Results (6 Interactions, Feb 2025 โ€“ Feb 2026)

Test #
Channel
Question
Response Time
Quality (1-5)
Notes
Test #123456
ChannelLive chatLive chatTicketLive chatTicketLive chat
QuestionHow to add a staging siteWooCommerce checkout slow โ€” why?Bandwidth overage questionPHP version changeCPU throttling investigationMigration assistance
Response Time4 min6 min28 min5 min45 min3 min
Quality (1-5)4/53/54/54/53/55/5
NotesClear, accurate answer with stepsBlamed plugin, not hardware โ€” inaccurateHonest about limits and overage ratesHandled correctly, clear instructionsDenied throttling, blamed traffic spikesExcellent โ€” offered to handle migration

Summary: Live chat averages 4-6 minutes response time โ€” fast. Quality is inconsistent: simple questions (staging, PHP version, migration) get good answers. Technical questions about performance issues get deflected โ€” support blamed a plugin for slow WooCommerce checkout (Test #2) and denied CPU throttling (Test #5) rather than acknowledging the hardware limitations.

The honest assessment: Rocket.net's support is good for managed WordPress tasks (staging, migration, SSL, backups). It's not equipped to diagnose or acknowledge hardware-level performance limitations. If you're experiencing slow WooCommerce checkout, support will suggest plugin optimization โ€” not "our 2013 CPU is the bottleneck."

Comparison: ScalaHosting's ticket support (senior engineers) proactively identified and fixed an OPcache misconfiguration in our tests. Cloudways' support is developer-oriented and handles server-level issues well. For technical performance issues, both are stronger than Rocket.net's support.


Rocket.net vs ScalaHosting

Rocket.net vs ScalaHosting โ€” Full Comparison

Factor
Rocket.net
ScalaHosting
FactorOrigin TTFB (No CDN)CDN TTFBLoad test (100 users)CPUCPU speed differenceWooCommerce checkoutPHP benchmarkBandwidthSitesEmail hostingSSH accessControl panelOwnershipPriceUptime (12 months)Best for
Rocket.net310ms~85ms (Cloudflare Enterprise)480ms (+55%)Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 (#433, 2013)Baseline310ms (CDN bypassed)4.2/10100GB/mo limit ($30 plan)1 site ($30 plan)โŒ Not includedโŒ Not availableCustom (limited)World Host Group (PE-backed)$30/mo99.97%Managed WordPress simplicity
ScalaHosting143ms~35ms (FlyingCDN)171ms (+19%)AMD EPYC 9474F (#31, 2023)480% faster187ms8.3/10UnlimitedUnlimited sitesโœ… Includedโœ… AvailableSPanel (full VPS access)Independent (Chris & Vlad)$29.95/mo99.993%Performance, WooCommerce, agencies

Bottom line: At the same price ($30/mo), ScalaHosting delivers 480% faster CPU, 2x faster origin TTFB, better load stability, no bandwidth limits, unlimited sites, email hosting, SSH access, and independent ownership. The only area where Rocket.net wins: managed WordPress simplicity โ€” no server management required. If you want to avoid server administration entirely, Rocket.net's dashboard is easier. If performance matters, ScalaHosting wins on every metric.

Try ScalaHosting โ€” Same Price, Better Hardware โžฆ


Rocket.net vs Cloudways

Rocket.net vs Cloudways โ€” Full Comparison

Factor
Rocket.net
Cloudways (Vultr HF)
FactorOrigin TTFB (No CDN)Load test (100 users)CPUBandwidthPrice (entry)SSH accessGit deploymentWP-CLIEmail hostingOwnershipBest for
Rocket.net310ms480ms (+55%)Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 (#433, 2013)100GB/mo limit$30/mo (1 site)โŒ Not availableโŒ Not availableโŒ Not availableโŒ Not includedWorld Host Group (PE-backed)Non-technical WordPress users
Cloudways (Vultr HF)127ms168ms (+32%)AMD EPYC 9354P (#58, 2023)Unlimited$14/mo (unlimited sites)โœ… Availableโœ… Availableโœ… AvailableโŒ Not included (add-on)DigitalOcean-ownedDeveloper teams, cloud flexibility

Cloudways wins on: TTFB (127ms vs 310ms), developer features (SSH, Git, WP-CLI), price ($14/mo vs $30/mo for unlimited sites), and load stability (32% vs 55% degradation).

Rocket.net wins on: Managed simplicity โ€” no server configuration required. Cloudways requires more technical knowledge to configure PHP workers, Redis, and caching optimally.

Neither includes email hosting. Both require a separate email provider (Google Workspace, Zoho Mail).

For a full Cloudways analysis, see our Cloudways review with 12-month benchmark data.


Rocket.net vs Kinsta

Rocket.net vs Kinsta โ€” Full Comparison

Factor
Rocket.net
Kinsta
FactorOrigin TTFB (No CDN)CDNCPUPHP benchmarkPrice (1 site)Price (3 sites)Price (10 sites)SSH accessWP-CLIEmail hostingStagingBackupsBest for
Rocket.net310msCloudflare Enterprise (included)Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 (#433, 2013)4.2/10$30/mo$65/mo (Pro)$125/mo (Business)โŒ Not availableโŒ Not availableโŒ Not includedโœ… 1-clickDaily (30-day retention)Non-technical users, simple sites
Kinsta~120msCloudflare (included)Google Cloud C2 (modern)7.2/10$35/mo$115/mo (Business)$230/mo (Business 2)โœ… Availableโœ… AvailableโŒ Not includedโœ… 1-clickDaily (14-day retention)High-value single sites, agencies

Kinsta wins on: Performance (120ms vs 310ms origin TTFB), developer features (SSH, WP-CLI), and support quality (Kinsta's support is consistently rated among the best in managed WordPress hosting).

Rocket.net wins on: Price for multiple sites โ€” Rocket.net's Business plan ($125/mo for 10 sites) is significantly cheaper than Kinsta's equivalent ($230/mo). For agencies managing many sites, Rocket.net's per-plan pricing is more cost-effective than Kinsta's per-site model.

Neither is the best value: For the same $30-35/mo, ScalaHosting's VPS delivers better performance than both, with unlimited sites and no bandwidth limits.


Who Should NOT Use Rocket.net

Don't buy Rocket.net if:

  • You run WooCommerce โ€” Checkout pages bypass CDN and hit the 310ms origin server. ScalaHosting's 187ms checkout is 66% faster. For any store doing meaningful revenue, this performance gap directly impacts conversion rates.
  • Your site uses more than 100GB/mo bandwidth โ€” Overage fees at $0.10/GB add up quickly. A site using 200GB/mo pays $40/mo instead of $30/mo โ€” more than ScalaHosting's unlimited VPS.
  • You need SSH or server access โ€” Not available on standard plans. For developers who need WP-CLI, custom PHP configuration, or server-level debugging, Cloudways or ScalaHosting are better options.
  • You're managing more than 3 sites โ€” Rocket.net's per-site pricing model becomes expensive. The Business plan ($125/mo for 10 sites) vs ScalaHosting's unlimited sites on one VPS ($29.95/mo) is a 4x price difference.
  • You need email hosting โ€” Not included. Add Google Workspace ($6/mo) or Zoho Mail separately. ScalaHosting includes email on all VPS plans.
  • You expect traffic spikes โ€” CPU throttling under sustained load causes TTFB spikes to 600ms+. Flash sales, viral content, or product launches will expose the shared resource limitations.
  • You're concerned about PE ownership โ€” World Host Group's acquisition raises long-term quality and pricing concerns. If hosting stability over 3-5 years matters, independently-owned ScalaHosting is a lower-risk choice.
  • You need the fastest possible WordPress hosting โ€” Rocket.net's 2013 CPU is the hardware ceiling. No amount of CDN configuration changes the origin server speed for dynamic content.

Migrating from Rocket.net to ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting offers free migration for all new accounts. Their migration team handles the technical transfer โ€” you provide your Rocket.net credentials and they do the rest. Average migration time: 2-4 hours for a standard WordPress site. No downtime during migration.


FAQ: Rocket.net


Final Verdict

After 12 months of continuous monitoring, load testing, and real-world use, Rocket.net is a mediocre choice for most WordPress sites โ€” and a poor choice for WooCommerce.

The Cloudflare Enterprise CDN is genuinely valuable for cached static pages. The managed WordPress dashboard is genuinely easy to use. The support is fast for simple tasks. These are real strengths.

But the foundation is a 2013 Intel Xeon E5-2667 v2 CPU โ€” ranked #433 out of 1,190 server CPUs on PassMark. For any dynamic content that bypasses CDN cache, you're hitting a 310ms origin server. Under load, TTFB degrades 55% to 480ms. CPU throttling causes spikes to 600ms+ under sustained traffic. Bandwidth limits add hidden costs. World Host Group's PE acquisition raises long-term concerns.

At $30/mo โ€” the same price as ScalaHosting's VPS โ€” you get 480% slower CPU, 2x slower origin TTFB, bandwidth limits, and PE ownership risk. The only trade-off in Rocket.net's favor is managed simplicity: no server administration required.

๐Ÿ“Š Final Scores

  • Performance: 6.5/10 โ€” CDN is fast; origin server is 2013 hardware
  • Value for Money: 5.8/10 โ€” Same price as ScalaHosting with worse hardware and bandwidth limits
  • Features: 7.2/10 โ€” Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, staging, backups; no SSH, no email
  • Support: 7.5/10 โ€” Fast response times; deflects hardware-level performance questions
  • Renewal Fairness: 5.5/10 โ€” Flat pricing but bandwidth limits create hidden cost increases
  • Overall: 6.5/10

Our recommendation:

  • For non-technical WordPress blogs with mostly static content: Rocket.net is adequate. The CDN is fast, the dashboard is easy, and the managed environment removes server complexity.
  • For WooCommerce stores, high-traffic sites, or performance-critical applications: ScalaHosting โ€” same price, 480% faster CPU, no bandwidth limits, better load stability.
  • For developer teams needing cloud flexibility: Cloudways โ€” lower entry price, better developer tooling, faster origin TTFB.
  • For the best managed WordPress experience regardless of price: Kinsta โ€” better performance than Rocket.net, superior support, though more expensive for multiple sites.

Try ScalaHosting โ€” Same Price, Better Hardware โžฆ


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