Compare · veldhost and Hostnet
Hostnet alternative: veldhost and Hostnet compared honestly
Hostnet is an established Dutch provider with web hosting packages that include mailboxes and daily backups, domain registration and a customer service that answers seven days a week. veldhost is a small managed host: we look after the technology and move your site for you, free, on servers in Germany. Here is what you get with each, and when Hostnet is the better fit.
Side by side
veldhost and Hostnet, topic by topic
All prices ex VAT, as both providers show them. Where there is an introductory price, the price after it is shown too.
| Topic | veldhost | Hostnet |
|---|---|---|
| Managed or do it yourself | Managed: we run the server, PHP, security updates, HTTPS, DNS, backups and monitoring; every site in its own container. No control panel to learn. | Shared web hosting on Hostnet’s cluster platform, managed through Mijn Hostnet. Managed Hosting for WordPress is a separate product. |
| Entry price (ex VAT) | Starter: €5 a month ex VAT (€6.05 incl. VAT). No introductory rate: the same price from the first month. 10 GB storage, 1 site. | Lite: €4.99 a month ex VAT for the first contract period, then €9.99 a month. 25 GB storage. |
| Email on your domain | Not in the plan price: mailboxes on your own domain are €2 each a month ex VAT, 1 GB each (more storage as an add-on), with webmail, IMAP/SMTP, calendar and contacts. | Included: 5 mailboxes on Lite. |
| Backups | Weekly on every plan, encrypted and copied to a second location, with one-click restore. Daily backups kept for 30 days are an add-on at €4 a month per site. | One automatic backup a day of website and mailboxes; manual backups as well from Core up. |
| Moving your site in | Free on every plan: we copy files, database, mailboxes and DNS, you check the result on a preview address, then we switch. Or import a backup yourself. | Hostnet moves your website for €95 ex VAT, on a best-effort basis; email is moved for €95 ex VAT per mailbox, or you move it yourself. |
| Server location | Germany (Falkenstein and Nuremberg), not the Netherlands: servers rented from Hetzner and operated by veldhost. | Hostnet advertises green data centres; we did not find their location on the pages we checked. |
| Company | veldhost, a Dutch sole proprietorship in Enschede (KvK 98167820). | Hostnet bv, Amsterdam; listed as a Benelux brand of group.one. |
| Trial and contract | 14-day free trial (card required; cancel during the trial and you pay nothing). Monthly or annual billing; cancel any time, effective at the end of the paid period. | 30-day “not satisfied, money back” guarantee. |
| Domain names | We do not sell domain names: keep yours at your registrar and point its DNS at us. Registration only on request. | Registers domain names. |
| Support | By email, in English and Dutch; first reply within one business day. No phone line. | Chat and phone on weekdays; email seven days a week. |
Prices and features of Hostnet checked on 2 October 2026 — check the current situation at hostnet.nl.
Sources for the Hostnet column: hostnet.nl/webhosting, hostnet.nl/contact, group.one. The veldhost column comes from our own plans, terms and data processing agreement. veldhost is not affiliated with Hostnet. Trademarks belong to their owners.
When Hostnet is the better choice
- You want mailboxes included. Lite includes 5; with us every mailbox is €2 a month extra.
- You want a daily backup without paying extra. Hostnet makes one every day; ours are weekly, daily as an add-on.
- You want to phone or chat with someone: Hostnet offers phone and chat on weekdays. We work by email only.
- You want domain registration and hosting on one invoice. We do not sell domain names.
- You want the lowest price in your first contract period: Lite starts at €4.99 a month ex VAT.
When veldhost fits better
- You want the move done for you without a fee. Our migration of site, database, mailboxes and DNS is free on every plan; Hostnet charges €95 ex VAT for a site and €95 per mailbox.
- You want one price from the start: Starter is €5 a month ex VAT with no introductory rate; Lite is €9.99 after its first contract period.
- You would rather not touch a control panel. We run the server, updates, HTTPS, DNS and backups.
- You want to try it first: 14 days free on every plan.
Switching
Switching from Hostnet to veldhost
Your old hosting keeps running until you are happy. The move is free on every plan.
- Pick a plan and start the 14-day free trial. Your site at Hostnet keeps running as it is.
- Request a free migration with the form, or import it yourself: upload a backup (a plugin export, or your files plus a database export), paste a download link, or let the importer pull it over SFTP.
- We copy files, database and mailboxes and put the site on a preview address. Nothing changes at Hostnet yet.
- Check the preview. Then point your domain at us: the domain stays registered where it is, you only change its nameservers, and the dashboard copies your existing DNS records first.
- Once the site runs and your email arrives here, cancel the hosting at Hostnet, but keep the domain registration: we do not sell domain names.
Switching from Hostnet: export your site with a backup plugin or download your files over SFTP (Hostnet web hosting supports SFTP and SSH), or let us fetch it. Your domain can stay registered at Hostnet.
Move my site for freeQuestions
Questions about Hostnet and veldhost
Is veldhost cheaper than Hostnet?
Compared like for like, ex VAT: veldhost Starter is €5 a month from the first month. Hostnet Lite is €4.99 a month in the first contract period and €9.99 after that (checked on 2 October 2026). Lite includes 5 mailboxes; with us each mailbox is €2 a month. Moving in is free with us and €95 ex VAT at Hostnet.
How do I switch from Hostnet?
Start a trial, request the free migration and we copy your site, database and mailboxes to a preview address. When it looks right you change the nameservers of your domain; it can stay registered at Hostnet. Cancel your Hostnet hosting only after your site and email run here.
Can I keep my domain name at Hostnet?
Yes. We do not sell domain names, so your domain stays registered where it is. You only point its DNS at us: the dashboard copies your current records first and tells you which nameservers to enter. Keep paying Hostnet (or any registrar) for the domain registration itself.
Do you move my email as well?
Yes. The free migration covers your files, database, mailboxes and DNS. On veldhost each mailbox is an add-on of €2 a month ex VAT, so count the mailboxes you really use before you switch.
Is veldhost connected to Hostnet?
No. veldhost is an independent Dutch sole proprietorship in Enschede and has no connection with Hostnet. The facts about Hostnet on this page come from its own website, checked on 2 October 2026; prices and packages change, so check its site for the current situation.