Scala Hosting Review: The $100 Commission I'm Taking

I make +$100/sale from Scala Hosting. Same as ChemiCloud, double what SiteGround offered at their base tier.

Why recommend Scala over ChemiCloud despite equal commission?

Scala is VPS-focused (managed cloud servers), while ChemiCloud is shared hosting-focused. If you’re outgrowing shared or escaping SiteGround’s CPU limits, you need managed VPS power, not just better shared hosting.

This is my Scala Hosting review after watching people get trapped in SiteGround’s forced upgrades and Bluehost’s 340% renewal scams.

⚡ 30-Second Verdict

• Founded: 2007 (Dallas, Texas - independently owned, NOT EIG/Newfold)
• What to use: Managed VPS only (skip their shared hosting - 237% renewal increase)
• Managed VPS Pricing: $44.95/mo (Build #2: 4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe, unmetered bandwidth, 0% renewal increase)
• Hardware: AMD EPYC 9474F (4.1 GHz, ranked #28/1146 CPUs), DDR5 RAM, PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs
• SPanel: Proprietary cPanel replacement (uses 1 less CPU core + 8x less RAM)
• OpenLiteSpeed: Free LiteSpeed alternative (faster than Apache)
• Security: SShield included (AI-powered malware protection)
• Locations: 13 data centers globally
• Target Audience: WordPress users outgrowing shared hosting, need VPS without server management
• Commission: +$100/sale (I’m biased, but here’s why I recommend them anyway)

Bottom line: Scala is the sweet spot between Hetzner (unmanaged, cheap, requires tech skills) and SiteGround (managed, predatory pricing and CPU limits). If you’re migrating from SiteGround/Bluehost or outgrowing shared hosting, Scala offers modern hardware without the forced upgrade scams.

Full Transparency on Bias

Let me show you the exact money involved:

Commission from Scala Hosting: +$100/sale (tiered, varies by plan)

What I make from alternatives:

• ChemiCloud: ~$100/sale (similar commission, has cPanel instead of SPanel)
• Hetzner: $0 (no affiliate program, unmanaged VPS)
• SiteGround: $50-$100/sale tiered (rejected, they’re predatory)
• Bluehost/HostGator: $65-$150 tiered (rejected, Newfold ruins everything)
• GoDaddy: +$100/sale (rejected, avoid like the Bubonic plague)

If I were purely mercenary, I’d push the hosts paying $150/sale.

But here’s the thing: I used to recommend SiteGround and Bluehost. Took their commissions. Watched people:

• Get trapped in SiteGround’s CPU limit forced upgrades ($14.99/mo → $100+/mo cloud)
• Pay Bluehost’s 340% renewal increases ($5.45/mo → $23.99/mo)
• Discover “unlimited” hosting had hidden limits (100k files, 10% CPU)

I was part of the problem.

Now I recommend:

• Hetzner ($0/sale, best unmanaged VPS, I make nothing)
• Scala Hosting (+$100/sale, best managed VPS for WordPress)
• ChemiCloud (~$100/sale, managed alternative with cPanel)

You probably shouldn’t trust me blindly. But here’s what changed:

1. I rank Hetzner #1 for VPS despite earning $0 (if I were greedy, I’d hide Hetzner)
2. I’m honest about renewal prices (Scala has 237% increase on shared, 0% on VPS)
3. I document everything - all claims link to sources you can verify
4. I tell you when NOT to use Scala (absolute beginners or those needing cPanel)

My ask: Use my research, verify my sources, make your own decision. If you choose Scala through my links, I get paid. If you go with Hetzner, I don’t. I’m showing you the best options regardless.

What Scala Hosting Actually Is

Scala is NOT the cheapest option. That’s Hetzner (€3.79/mo unmanaged VPS).

Scala is NOT cPanel hosting. They built their own control panel (SPanel) to avoid $15/mo cPanel license fees.

Scala IS:

• Managed cloud VPS hosting (you get VPS power with shared hosting simplicity)
• Founded 2007 in Dallas, Texas (independently owned, NOT part of EIG/Newfold monopoly)
• For WordPress users outgrowing shared hosting
• Modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, NVMe) without predatory pricing
• SPanel: Proprietary control panel (cPanel alternative that uses fewer resources)
• OpenLiteSpeed web server (faster than Apache, free LiteSpeed alternative)
• 13 global data centers

Who started Scala:

• Founded by Chris Rusev (2007)
• Independently owned, not private equity
• ~100+ employees
• Focused on managed cloud VPS, not shared hosting overselling

Their target market: Users who need:

• More power than shared hosting (no overselling bullshit)
• Easier management than unmanaged VPS (Hetzner requires Linux skills)
• No CPU limit scams (looking at you, SiteGround)
• Modern hardware without $100+/mo cloud pricing

The Business Model

What Scala does differently:

1. No overselling on VPS plans - Your 4 CPUs are YOUR 4 CPUs, not shared with 500 other sites
2. SPanel instead of cPanel - Avoids $15/mo license fees, uses fewer resources
3. OpenLiteSpeed included - LiteSpeed performance without $15/mo license
4. Free migrations - Move your sites without paying $30/site like SiteGround
5. Transparent VPS pricing - Build #2 VPS is $44.95/mo forever (no renewal increases)

What Scala does that I’m NOT happy about:

1. Shared hosting renewal increases: $2.95/mo → $9.95/mo (237% increase)
   • To be fair: Still cheaper than Bluehost’s 340% or SiteGround’s 167%
   • VPS plans have 0% renewal increases
2. Support can be hit or miss - occasional support inconsistencies
3. Generic documentation - Not as extensive as DigitalOcean’s tutorials

Why I still recommend them despite these issues:

Compare renewal pricing:

Scala’s renewal increase sucks. But they don’t have CPU limit forced upgrades pushing you to $100+/mo cloud hosting like SiteGround.

For VPS plans (Build #2):

• Intro: $44.95/mo
• Renewal: $44.95/mo
• Increase: 0%

That’s honest pricing. Pay the same price every month forever.

SPanel: The cPanel Alternative

This is Scala’s killer feature.

SPanel is their proprietary control panel, built in-house as a cPanel alternative.

Why this matters:

cPanel licenses cost ~$15/mo per server. When you’re on shared hosting, that cost is spread across hundreds of users. On VPS, YOU pay that license fee.

cPanel VPS pricing:

• Hetzner CPX31 (4 CPU, 8GB): €13.60/mo + €15/mo cPanel = €28.60/mo (~$31)
• Scala Build #2 (4 CPU, 8GB): $44.95/mo with SPanel included

SPanel resource efficiency (per Scala’s claims):

• Uses ~1 less CPU core than cPanel
• Uses 8x less RAM than cPanel
• Built for cloud VPS infrastructure

What SPanel includes:

• Full root access (like cPanel)
• OpenLiteSpeed web server (no $15/mo LiteSpeed license)
• SShield security (AI-powered malware protection, free)
• WordPress Manager (one-click installs, auto-updates)
• Email management (unlimited email accounts)
• DNS management (built-in)
• File manager (FTP alternative)
• Database management (phpMyAdmin equivalent)
• Backup manager (automated daily backups)

The learning curve:

If you’re used to cPanel, SPanel feels 90% familiar but with different layout.

Pros:

• Cleaner interface (less cluttered than cPanel)
• Better resource monitoring (CPU, RAM, disk usage in real-time)
• Faster performance (uses fewer resources)
• No license fees

Cons:

• Slightly different workflow (takes a few hours to adapt)
• Less third-party plugin ecosystem than cPanel
• Smaller community (fewer tutorials online)

My take: The learning curve is minimal. You save $15/mo in license fees, get better performance, and avoid resource overhead. Worth it.

If you MUST have cPanel: Use ChemiCloud instead (comparable pricing, includes cPanel).

Pricing Breakdown: The Good, The Bad, and The Honest

Scala has two main product lines: Shared Hosting and Managed VPS.

Shared Hosting (Web Hosting Plans)

Start Plan:

• Intro: $2.95/mo (3-year commitment)
• Renewal: $9.95/mo
• Increase: 237%

What you get:

• Unlimited websites
• Unmetered SSD storage
• Free SSL certificates
• Daily backups
• SPanel control panel
• Free website migration
• CloudFlare CDN

Who it’s for: Small sites, blogs, portfolios

Honest take: The 237% renewal increase is shitty. But:

• Still cheaper than Bluehost/HostGator renewals
• No CPU limit forced upgrades like SiteGround
• Actual SSD storage (not oversold spinning disks)

⚠️ Why I Don’t Recommend Scala for Shared Hosting

Be honest with yourself: If 237% renewal increases are “shitty” (my words), then I shouldn’t recommend this plan.

Here’s what I actually recommend:

• Need shared hosting? → ChemiCloud (~$100/sale, better shared plans. P.S. I have reviewed ChemiCloud here)
• Need managed VPS? → Scala (+$100/sale, VPS has 0% increases)
• Can handle unmanaged VPS? → Hetzner ($0/sale, 70% cheaper)

Don’t use Scala’s shared hosting. Use their VPS where pricing is flat and honest.

I make the same commission either way, so this isn’t about money, it’s about not being a hypocrite after calling out SiteGround’s renewal games.

Managed VPS (Cloud Hosting Plans)

Build #2 VPS:

• Intro: $44.95/mo
• Renewal: $44.95/mo
• Increase: 0%

Specs:

• CPU: 4 cores (AMD EPYC 9474F, 4.1 GHz)
• RAM: 8GB DDR5
• Storage: 100GB NVMe PCIe 5.0
• Bandwidth: Unmetered
• Control Panel: SPanel included
• Managed: Yes (security updates, monitoring, support)

Compare to competitors:

Analysis:

• Scala is 62% cheaper than Cloudways, 55% cheaper than SiteGround Cloud
• Hetzner is 70% cheaper than Scala, but unmanaged (you do everything yourself)
• Scala is the managed middle ground: More expensive than Hetzner, way cheaper than SiteGround/Cloudways

Who it’s for: WordPress users who:

• Need VPS power (outgrowing shared)
• Want managed services (don’t want to learn server admin)
• Hate CPU limit scams (migrating from SiteGround)
• Value modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F beats SiteGround’s older CPUs)

Infrastructure & Hardware: Modern Specs

Data Centers (13 locations):

• USA: Dallas, New York, Los Angeles
• Europe: Amsterdam, London, Sofia, Bucharest
• Asia: Singapore, Bangalore
• Other: Toronto, São Paulo, Sydney, Johannesburg

Hardware (2025 upgrade):

Scala upgraded to cutting-edge enterprise hardware in early 2025:

CPUs:

• AMD EPYC 9474F (Genoa, 5nm, 4th gen)
• Clock speed: 4.1 GHz
• Ranking: #28 out of 1,146 server CPUs
• vs SiteGround: SiteGround uses older AMD EPYC 7002/Intel Xeon (slower clocks)

RAM:

• DDR5 (latest generation, faster than DDR4)

Storage:

• PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs (cutting-edge, 2x faster than PCIe 4.0)
• 10x faster than SATA SSDs (what Bluehost/HostGator use)

Web Server:

• OpenLiteSpeed (free LiteSpeed alternative)
• Faster than Apache (what most hosts use)
• No license fees (LiteSpeed costs $15/mo separately)

Network:

• Unmetered bandwidth on VPS plans
• CloudFlare CDN included free

Comparison:

Bottom line: Scala’s hardware is top-tier (comparable to Hetzner, better than SiteGround/Bluehost).

Performance: What You Actually Get

I’m not going to bullshit you with marketing claims. Here’s real data:

CPU Performance:

AMD EPYC 9474F benchmarks:

• Single-core: ~3,800 GeekBench score
• Multi-core: ~15,000+ GeekBench score (4-core instances)
• Consistent performance: No CPU throttling like SiteGround

What this means: Your WordPress site won’t randomly slow down when you hit arbitrary “CPU limits.”

Uptime:

Scala advertises 99.9% uptime SLA.

Real-world performance (per user reports):

• Typical uptime: 99.9%+ (comparable to SiteGround, Hetzner)
• Rare downtime: Usually during planned maintenance (announced in advance)

Speed:

OpenLiteSpeed performance:

• Faster than Apache (what Bluehost uses)
• Comparable to LiteSpeed Enterprise (what costs $15/mo extra)
• Good for WordPress (built-in caching, gzip compression)

Comparison:

• vs SiteGround: Similar performance until you hit CPU limits (then SiteGround throttles)
• vs Bluehost: Significantly faster (Bluehost uses outdated hardware)

The honest take:

Scala’s performance is excellent FOR THE PRICE. You get:

• Modern AMD EPYC CPUs (top-tier)
• NVMe SSDs (10x faster than SATA)
• OpenLiteSpeed (faster than Apache)
• No artificial CPU throttling

Is it faster than Hetzner with custom optimization? No. But it’s managed, and you don’t need to be a sysadmin.

The Honest Cons: What Sucks About Scala

No service is perfect. Here’s what I don’t like:

1. Shared Hosting Has Deceptive Renewal Pricing (Don’t Use It)

The problem: Start plan goes from $2.95/mo → $9.95/mo renewal (237% increase).

Why it’s shitty: After calling out SiteGround’s 167% renewal scams, I can’t recommend Scala’s 237% shared hosting increases.

My recommendation: Skip Scala’s shared hosting entirely. Use:

• ChemiCloud for managed shared hosting (better shared plans)
• Scala’s VPS plans where pricing is honest (0% renewal increase)

I make the same +$100 commission either way, so this isn’t about money. It’s about not being a hypocrite.

2. Support Can Be Hit or Miss

The problem: “Support can be inconsistent” and “sometimes overlook technical details.” This is a legitimate concern, and something Scala needs to address pronto!

What this means:

• 24/7 support exists (chat, ticket, phone)
• Response times are decent
• Quality varies (some techs are great, some are generic)

Compare to competitors:

• Better than: Bluehost/HostGator (outsourced to script-readers)
• Worse than: SiteGround premium tiers (when you pay for top support)
• Similar to: ChemiCloud (small company, human support, occasional inconsistencies)

My take: You’re getting human support from a small company, not outsourced Indian call centers. Quality varies, but they’ll actually help you (not just upsell you).

3. Generic Documentation

The problem: Scala’s knowledge base isn’t as extensive as DigitalOcean’s tutorials or cPanel’s documentation.

Why this matters: If you’re learning SPanel or troubleshooting issues, fewer resources available.

Workarounds:

• SPanel is similar enough to cPanel that cPanel tutorials usually work
• Support can help with technical issues
• Community is growing (more tutorials appearing)

My take: Not a dealbreaker. DigitalOcean has best-in-class docs, but Scala’s are adequate.

4. Not the Cheapest Option

The problem: Hetzner offers 4 CPU/8GB VPS for €13.60/mo (~$15). Scala charges $44.95/mo.

Why Scala costs more:

• Managed (Hetzner is unmanaged)
• SPanel included (saves $15/mo cPanel license)
• Support included (Hetzner only helps with infrastructure)
• OpenLiteSpeed pre-configured (Hetzner requires setup)

My take: You’re paying for management. If you can handle your own server, Hetzner is 70% cheaper. If you need hand-holding, Scala’s $45/mo is fair.

Scala vs Competitors: The Honest Comparison

Scala vs Hetzner

Pricing:

• Scala Build #2: $44.95/mo (4 CPU, 8GB, managed)
• Hetzner CPX31: €13.60/mo (~$15, unmanaged)

Winner: Hetzner (70% cheaper)

Management:

• Scala: Fully managed (SPanel, support, updates)
• Hetzner: Unmanaged (you do everything via SSH)

Winner: Scala (if you need management)

Performance:

• Scala: AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 NVMe
• Hetzner: AMD EPYC 9004/Intel Xeon, NVMe

Winner: Tie (both modern hardware)

Bottom line: Hetzner for developers who can manage servers. Scala for WordPress users who need VPS power with shared hosting simplicity.

Scala vs SiteGround

Renewal Pricing:

• Scala Build #2: $44.95/mo intro = $44.95/mo renewal (0% increase)
• SiteGround GoGeek: $14.99/mo intro → $39.99/mo renewal (167% increase)

Winner: Scala (honest pricing)

CPU Limits:

• Scala: No artificial CPU throttling, dedicated resources
• SiteGround: CPU limits force upgrades to $100+/mo cloud plans

Winner: Scala (no scam forced upgrades)

Hardware:

• Scala: AMD EPYC 9474F (4.1 GHz, 2025 hardware)
• SiteGround: AMD EPYC 7002/Intel Xeon (older, slower)

Winner: Scala

Support:

• Scala: Human support, occasionally inconsistent
• SiteGround: 24/7 support (if you pay for premium tiers)

Winner: SiteGround (if you pay extra)

Bottom line: SiteGround is a predatory business model with CPU limit forced upgrades. Scala is honest VPS hosting with modern hardware. Not even a contest.

Scala vs ChemiCloud

Target Use Case:

• Scala: Managed VPS (outgrowing shared, need dedicated resources)
• ChemiCloud: Managed shared hosting (upgrade from Bluehost/SiteGround shared)

Winner: Different markets (not direct competitors)

Pricing:

• Scala Build #2 VPS: $44.95/mo (4 CPU, 8GB, dedicated resources)
• ChemiCloud Turbo: $4.49/mo → $19.95/mo renewal (shared resources)

Winner: ChemiCloud (cheaper, but apples-to-oranges comparison)

Control Panel:

• Scala: SPanel (proprietary, uses fewer resources)
• ChemiCloud: cPanel (familiar, more third-party plugins)

Winner: Tie (preference-based)

Hardware:

• Scala: AMD EPYC 9474F (4.1 GHz), dedicated CPU cores
• ChemiCloud: AMD EPYC 9354 (3.8 GHz), shared CPU resources

Winner: Scala (faster CPU + dedicated resources)

Commission:

• Scala: +$100/sale
• ChemiCloud: ~$100/sale

Winner: Tie (I’m equally biased)

Bottom line: Scala for managed VPS (outgrowing shared, need dedicated resources, SPanel). ChemiCloud for managed shared hosting (better than Bluehost/SiteGround, cPanel included). Choose based on whether you need VPS power or shared hosting simplicity.

The Reddit Reality

From r/webhosting and user reviews:

“Left Rocket.net and Cloudways for ScalaHosting due to faster CPUs, SPanel, and better value in terms of price vs. resources.” - Real user

“Been using Scala for 2 years. No surprise charges, no forced upgrades. Just solid hosting.” - Reddit user

“SPanel took about a day to learn coming from cPanel. Now I prefer it - cleaner interface, better monitoring.” - User review

Common praise:

• Modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, NVMe)
• No CPU limit scams (unlike SiteGround)
• SPanel resource efficiency
• Transparent VPS pricing (no renewal increases)
• Free migrations

Common complaints:

• Support quality varies
• Documentation could be better
• Shared hosting renewal increases (237% - why I don’t recommend their shared plans)
• Learning curve for SPanel (minor)

The pattern: Users migrating from SiteGround, Cloudways, or Bluehost to Scala’s VPS plans report significant improvements in performance and value. Main complaints are support inconsistency.

My take: The Reddit consensus aligns with my experience. Scala is excellent for managed VPS, skip their shared hosting.

🔍 Verify This Yourself

Don’t trust me. Here’s how to fact-check everything I’ve said:

1. Pricing:

• Visit ScalaHosting pricing page
• Check Build #2 VPS: $44.95/mo (verify no renewal increase)
• Compare to SiteGround, Cloudways, Hetzner

2. Hardware Specs:

• Verify AMD EPYC 9474F CPUs (#28/1146 ranking)
• Compare to SiteGround’s older AMD EPYC 7002

3. Reddit Sentiment:

• Search r/webhosting: “Scala Hosting review”
• Read unfiltered user experiences
• Check TrustPilot: 4.9/5 stars

4. Commission Claims:

• Check Scala affiliate program (exists, pays ~$100/sale)
• Compare to Hetzner (no affiliate program)
• Verify SiteGround affiliate rates ($50-$100 tiered)

5. SPanel vs cPanel:

• Sign up for Scala trial (30-day money-back guarantee)
• Test SPanel interface
• Compare resource usage to cPanel VPS

I’m not asking you to trust me blindly. Verify the facts, make your own decision.

Final Verdict: 8/10

What Scala does right:

• Modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, PCIe 5.0 NVMe)
• Transparent VPS pricing ($44.95/mo stays $44.95/mo, no renewal scams)
• SPanel efficiency (cPanel alternative, uses fewer resources, no license fees)
• No CPU limit scams (unlike SiteGround’s forced upgrades)
• Managed VPS (VPS power with shared hosting simplicity)
• Free migrations (move from SiteGround/Bluehost)
• OpenLiteSpeed included (faster than Apache, free)

What Scala doesn’t do well:

• Shared hosting has deceptive renewal pricing (237% increase - don’t use it, use ChemiCloud for shared instead)
• Support inconsistency (human support, but quality varies)
• Generic documentation (adequate but not extensive)
• More expensive than Hetzner (70% more, but managed vs unmanaged)
• SPanel learning curve (minor, takes a day to adapt from cPanel)

Points deducted:

• -1.0 for having deceptive shared hosting plans (237% renewal increase - hypocritical after criticizing SiteGround)
• -0.5 for support inconsistency (not dealbreaker, but worth noting)
• -0.5 for not being cheapest option (Hetzner is 70% cheaper for unmanaged)

Why this score matters:

If you’re migrating from SiteGround/Bluehost or outgrowing shared hosting, Scala is 9/10 for managed VPS. Best value for WordPress users who need VPS without learning server admin.

If you’re comfortable managing your own server, Hetzner is better value (€13.60/mo vs $44.95/mo).

Rating: 8/10 - Best managed VPS for WordPress, honest pricing on VPS plans (0% renewal increase), modern hardware without predatory forced upgrades.

Who Should Use Scala Hosting

Use Scala if:

• You’re outgrowing shared hosting (need VPS power)
• You’re migrating from SiteGround/Bluehost (escape CPU limits/renewal scams)
• You want managed VPS (don’t want to learn server administration)
• You value modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, NVMe)
• You hate renewal price games (VPS pricing is flat)
• You’re comfortable with slight learning curve (SPanel vs cPanel)
• You need WordPress performance without $100+/mo cloud hosting

Examples of good Scala use cases:

• WooCommerce sites needing more resources
• Blogs with growing traffic (outgrowing shared)
• Agencies managing multiple client sites
• WordPress multisite networks
• Sites throttled by SiteGround’s CPU limits

Use Alternatives if:

• You can manage servers yourself → Hetzner (70% cheaper, unmanaged VPS)
• You only need shared hosting → ChemiCloud (better shared plans, no renewal scams, cPanel included)
• You’re a complete beginner → ChemiCloud shared hosting (learn basics first)
• You demand perfect support → Pay for premium managed WordPress hosting

Bad Scala use cases:

• “I want absolute cheapest VPS” (Hetzner is 70% cheaper, unmanaged)
• “I don’t need VPS power, just better shared hosting” (ChemiCloud is better value for shared)
• “I need cPanel and refuse to learn SPanel” (ChemiCloud has cPanel)

Bottom line: Scala is for WordPress users who need VPS performance with managed simplicity. If you fit that profile, it’s the best value between Hetzner (too technical) and SiteGround (too predatory).

Migration Guide: Leaving SiteGround/Bluehost for Scala

Why migrate to Scala:

• Escape SiteGround’s CPU limit forced upgrades
• Escape Bluehost’s 340% renewal increases
• Get modern hardware (AMD EPYC 9474F vs their old CPUs)
• Pay flat VPS pricing ($44.95/mo stays $44.95/mo)

Step 1: Choose your Scala plan

If you’re on SiteGround GoGeek ($39.99/mo renewal):

• Scala Build #2 VPS: $44.95/mo (4 CPU, 8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe)
• $5 more expensive, but no CPU limits, better hardware

If you’re on Bluehost Choice Plus ($23.99/mo renewal):

• Scala Build #1 VPS: $29.95/mo (2 CPU, 4GB RAM, 50GB NVMe)
• More power, managed, similar price

Step 2: Sign up for Scala

1. Visit Scala Hosting
2. Choose Managed Cloud VPS plan
3. Select data center (closest to your audience)
4. Add domain (or transfer later)
5. Complete purchase

Step 3: Request free migration

Scala offers free website migration (performed by their support team):

1. Open support ticket: “Free migration request”
2. Provide:
   • Old host login credentials (FTP/cPanel)
   • Database credentials
   • Site URLs
3. Scala migrates for you (usually within 24-48 hours)

Alternatively: DIY migration

If you prefer manual control:

1. Export database from old host (phpMyAdmin)
2. Download wp-content folder (FTP/SFTP)
3. Import database to Scala (SPanel → MySQL)
4. Upload wp-content to Scala (SPanel → File Manager)
5. Update wp-config.php with new database credentials
6. Update site URL in database (if changed)

Step 4: Test before switching DNS

1. Use Scala’s temporary URL to test site
2. Verify all pages load correctly
3. Test forms, checkout (if WooCommerce)
4. Check SSL certificate (Let’s Encrypt auto-installed)

Step 5: Update DNS

1. Log into domain registrar (Namecheap, GoDaddy, etc.)
2. Update A record to point to Scala’s IP
3. Wait for DNS propagation (up to 48 hours)
4. Monitor old site for any final traffic

Step 6: Cancel old host

Don’t cancel immediately! Keep old host for 1-2 weeks to ensure smooth transition.

When ready:

• Download final backups from old host
• Cancel subscription (SiteGround: expect retention attempts)
• Request refund if within money-back period (unlikely but worth trying)

Migration cost:

My recommendation: Use Scala’s free migration. Let their support team handle it.

Conclusion: Why I Recommend Scala Despite $100 Commission

Let me spell this out one last time:

I make +$100/sale from Scala. Same as ChemiCloud. Double SiteGround’s base tier.

If I were purely greedy, I’d push Bluehost/HostGator at $150/sale.

But I used to do that. I watched people:

• Get trapped in SiteGround’s CPU limit forced upgrades
• Pay Bluehost’s 340% renewal increases
• Discover “unlimited” hosting had hidden limits

I was part of the problem.

Now I recommend:

• Hetzner ($0/sale, best unmanaged VPS, I make nothing)
• Scala Hosting (+$100/sale, best managed VPS for WordPress)
• ChemiCloud (~$100/sale, managed alternative with cPanel)

Am I still compromised? Yes. I’m taking +$100/sale from Scala.

The difference: I’m ranking Hetzner (a $0-commission option) as #1 for unmanaged VPS. I’m telling you NOT to use Scala’s shared hosting (237% renewal scam). I’m documenting the cons honestly.

This Scala Hosting review is based on:

• Years watching predatory hosts scam customers
• Direct comparison with Hetzner, SiteGround, ChemiCloud, Cloudways
• Actual hardware specs (AMD EPYC 9474F, DDR5, NVMe - all verifiable)
• Understanding my own bias (+$100/sale commission)

Bottom line for this Scala Hosting review: If you’re outgrowing shared hosting or migrating from SiteGround/Bluehost, Scala offers modern hardware, managed VPS, and flat renewal pricing without CPU limit scams. It costs more than Hetzner (unmanaged), but less than SiteGround/Cloudways (predatory/overpriced).

Rating: 8/10 - Best managed VPS for WordPress users who need performance without learning server administration.

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Legal Note: This review contains both documented facts (linked to sources) and my personal opinions based on those facts. All opinions are clearly marked as such.

Affiliate disclosure: I make money from affiliate links to Scala Hosting (+$100/sale), ChemiCloud (~$100/sale), and nothing from Hetzner ($0/sale) because they don’t have an affiliate program.