8 Pros + Cons of Rocket.net Hosting

Back in 2021, I sold my site with my 10 years of website hosting reviews and basically stopped paying attention to the industry…until my own & my clients’ hosting contract came up for renewal. I wanted a managed cloud setup that wasn’t WP Engine.

I went with Rocket.net. I have no idea if they are “the best” (or even whatever that means anymore). But FWIW, here are my personal pros & cons from using them for the past 3 years.

Pros

They Are Actually Fast

I’ve seen countless hosts claim to be “blazing fast” but Rocket.net actually delivers. My sites consistently load in under 1 second globally thanks to their enterprise CDN powered by Cloudflare.

During my testing the Time to First Byte (TTFB) averaged 60ms which is pretty solid – or at least enough to worry about other parts of my website speed. The performance isn’t just marketing hype – I’ve monitored real-world load times across different geographic locations and the results have been consistently impressive.

Understandable & Useful Interface

The dashboard is refreshingly simple while still providing all the essential tools. I particularly appreciate how they’ve organized the key features – everything from SSL management to caching controls is exactly where you’d expect to find it. The interface strikes an excellent balance between functionality and ease of use. Even tasks like staging sites and managing backups take just a few clicks without having to dig through complex menus.

Few of the Typical Managed Host Restrictions

Unlike many managed WordPress hosts I’ve tried, Rocket.net doesn’t lock down basic functionality. I can install any plugins I want enable PHP modules and modify PHP settings directly from the dashboard. They don’t maintain a blocked plugins list* and I’ve had zero issues running resource-intensive tools like backup plugins or page builders. This flexibility has made development work much smoother.

*they just have a general abuse clause. If you are gonna run a spambot, you’re gonna get banned.

Accessible & Fast Customer Support

The support team consistently resolves my tickets within 5 minutes. I’ve tested their response times at different hours and they maintain 24/7 availability through chat and ticket system. What impressed me most is that I generally get connected directly to experienced engineers – tier 1 support to wade through. They’ve helped me solve odd configuration issues (usually when migrating sites from other managed hosting setups) and performance optimizations quickly.

Excellent Per-Site Pricing on Higher Tiers

Their pricing structure becomes increasingly competitive as you scale up. The per-site cost drops significantly on higher tiers:

Plan	Sites Allowed	Cost Per Site
Starter	1	$30/month
Pro	3	$20/month
Business	10	$10/month

I find this particularly valuable for agencies and developers managing multiple client sites.

Cons

Everybody has tradeoffs, including Rocket.net Hosting

Expensive Per-Site on Lower Tiers

The entry-level pricing can be a significant hurdle for smaller websites or bloggers. At $30 per month for a single site the cost is wayyyy higher than basic shared hosting options. I found this especially apparent when comparing it to hosts like Namecheap or InMotion which offer multi-site hosting for under $10 monthly. For anyone managing just one or two small WordPress sites the premium pricing structure might be hard to justify despite the superior performance. The real value kicks in only at higher tiers where the per-site cost drops significantly.

Occasional Cloud Hosting Technical Issues

During my six months with Rocket.net I’ve experienced a few technical hiccups related to their cloud infrastructure. I noticed brief connection timeouts during scheduled maintenance windows and occasional CDN cache clearing delays. While these issues were minor and quickly resolved they can be frustrating when they occur. The platform’s reliance on Cloudflare Enterprise means that when Cloudflare experiences problems your site might be affected. I’ve had two instances where DNS propagation took longer than expected after making changes.

Focused Only on WordPress Websites

The platform’s WordPress-only approach can be limiting if you need to host different types of websites. I couldn’t upload simple HTML landing pages or use the server for redirect files. This specialization means you’ll need separate hosting solutions if you manage non-WordPress projects. For agencies handling diverse client needs this single-platform focus might require maintaining multiple hosting relationships. While the WordPress optimization is impressive the lack of flexibility for other web technologies feels restrictive especially when competitors offer more versatile hosting options.

Best Use Cases

High-Traffic WordPress Sites

I’ve seen Rocket.net handle traffic spikes of 100000+ monthly visitors without breaking a sweat. The enterprise CDN infrastructure makes it perfect for:

• News and media websites
• Popular blogs
• High-volume ecommerce stores
• Membership sites with regular user activity

WordPress Agencies

The platform offers compelling benefits for agencies:

• Bulk site management tools
• White-label hosting options
• Volume-based pricing discounts
• Staging environments for each site

Resource-Intensive WordPress Sites

I’ve successfully hosted complex sites running:

• WooCommerce stores with 1000+ products
• BuddyPress communities
• LMS platforms with heavy video content
• Sites using page builders like Elementor

However I would not recommend Rocket.net for:

• Basic brochure websites
• Personal blogs with low traffic
• Non-WordPress projects
• Sites with extremely tight budgets under $30/month (look at InMotion or Namecheap for those)

The platform delivers maximum value when its enterprise-grade features align with sophisticated WordPress hosting needs rather than basic website requirements.

Next Steps

Again, I don’t know enough about the world of WordPress hosting anymore to say if it’s “THE BEST” or not, but Rocket.net has definitely been better than WP Engine and they definitely have a solid product worth paying for if you have a more resource-intense site.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Rocket.net different from other WordPress hosts?

Rocket.net stands out by combining enterprise-grade Cloudflare CDN technology with advanced server infrastructure. They offer unrestricted plugin installation, flexible PHP settings, and exceptional customer support with response times under five minutes. Their platform consistently delivers sub-second loading speeds globally.

Is Rocket.net worth the $30/month entry price?

For high-traffic WordPress sites, performance-critical applications, and agencies managing multiple sites, the price is justified by the enterprise features and superior performance. However, for small personal blogs or basic brochure sites, more affordable hosting options might be more suitable.

Are there any limitations when using Rocket.net?

Yes. Rocket.net only hosts WordPress sites, so you’ll need separate hosting for non-WordPress projects. Some users report occasional technical issues like brief connection timeouts and CDN cache clearing delays. The platform is also much more expensive than basic shared hosting options.

Is Rocket.net suitable for agencies and developers?

Absolutely. Rocket.net offers competitive pricing for higher tiers, making it cost-effective for agencies managing multiple client sites. They provide bulk site management tools and volume-based pricing discounts, along with enterprise-grade features that benefit professional developers.

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