Linode (Akamai Cloud) vs ScalaHosting (2026): Pricing, Features & Verdict
Linode (Akamai Cloud) is our pick, scoring 7/10 against 6.1/10 for ScalaHosting on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria. Its biggest advantage: higher Integration score (7/10 vs 5/10). For 10 users, Linode (Akamai Cloud) costs about $5/mo, against $25/mo for ScalaHosting; neither Linode (Akamai Cloud) nor ScalaHosting lists a free plan.
Last updated: November 2026
Linode (Akamai Cloud)
7/10
Developer-focused cloud platform, now run by Akamai, offering VPS compute, managed Kubernetes, managed databases and object storage at flat, predictable prices.
ScalaHosting
6.1/10
Web hosting provider selling shared, managed cloud VPS and self-managed cloud VPS plans, built around its own SPanel control panel and SShield security tool.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | | |
|---|---|---|
| Scores | ||
| Overall Rating | 7/10 | 6.1/10 |
| Integration | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Support | 6/10 | 7/10 |
| Cost | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Customization | 8/10 | 6/10 |
| Security | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Reliability | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 | 7/10 |
| Analytics | 5/10 | 4/10 |
| Scalability | 7/10 | 5/10 |
| Pricing | ||
| Free plan | No | No |
| Cheapest paid plan | $5/mo Nanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $24.95/mo Self-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| Estimated cost for 10 users | $5/mo Nanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/mo Self-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| Features | ||
| Automatic Backups | ||
| Multiple Regions | ||
| Uptime SLA | ||
| VPS Hosting | ||
| API and CLI | Not listed | |
| Cloud Compute | Not listed | |
| Content Delivery Network | Not listed | |
| DDoS Protection | Not listed | |
| Free SSL Certificates | Not listed | |
| Managed Databases | Not listed | |
| Managed Kubernetes | Not listed | |
| Object Storage | Not listed | |
| Shared Hosting | Not listed | |
Linode (Akamai Cloud) vs ScalaHosting cost by team size
Linode (Akamai Cloud) costs less at every team size we checked.
| Team size | Linode (Akamai Cloud) | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| 1 user | $5/moNanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/moSelf-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| 5 users | $5/moNanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/moSelf-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| 10 users | $5/moNanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/moSelf-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| 25 users | $5/moNanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/moSelf-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
| 50 users | $5/moNanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) | $25/moSelf-Managed Cloud Config 1 |
The plan that fits each team size, billed monthly, before add-ons and usage charges. Each cost opens that tool's pricing calculator for the team size.
Who Linode (Akamai Cloud) and ScalaHosting suit
Linode (Akamai Cloud) fits developers better; ScalaHosting fits small business better.
| Audience | Linode (Akamai Cloud) | ScalaHosting |
|---|---|---|
| Developers | 9/10The platform is built around self-managed VMs, an API, a CLI and Terraform, and its documentation is widely praised. | 6/10Self-managed cloud VPS plans give root access and a choice of operating system, and SPanel adds SSH, WP-CLI and Git, but there is no infrastructure API or Terraform support. |
| Small Business | 5/10It is affordable, but customers need technical skills because servers are unmanaged by default. | 8/10Shared and managed VPS plans come with free migration, backups, SSL and support for the server stack, aimed at owners without in-house admins. |
| Agencies | Not rated | 7/10Managed VPS plans add client permission roles, collaborators, white labeling and WHMCS integration for reselling client sites. |
| E-commerce | Not rated | 6/10Plans are marketed as ecommerce-enabled on PCI-compliant infrastructure, though the entry cloud tier has limited RAM. |
| Enterprise | 5/10Akamai backing and LKE Enterprise help, but reviewers say advanced enterprise services are limited. | Not rated |
| Freelancers | Not rated | 7/10A user review describes a developer running client sites and a WooCommerce store on one account, managed through SPanel. |
| SaaS Companies | 7/10LKE, managed databases and object storage cover typical SaaS backends at predictable cost. | Not rated |
| Startups | 8/10Plans start at 5 dollars, billing is hourly, and new accounts get a 100 dollar credit. | Not rated |
Which One Should You Choose?
Why choose Linode (Akamai Cloud)
- Lower estimated cost for 10 users: $5/mo vs $25/mo
- Higher Integration score (7/10 vs 5/10)
- Higher Cost score (8/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for developers (9/10 vs 6/10)
Why choose ScalaHosting
- Higher Support score (7/10 vs 6/10)
- Better fit for small business (8/10 vs 5/10)
Pros & Cons
Linode (Akamai Cloud)
Pros
- Flat published prices, starting at 5 dollars a month for a 1 GB Nanode, with hourly billing
- The standard Kubernetes control plane in LKE is free
- Egress overage costs only 0.005 dollars per GB, and most shared plans include 1 to 5 TB of transfer
- Its documentation, API, CLI and Terraform support are strong, which suits developers who automate their infrastructure
- DDoS protection is included, and inbound bandwidth is 40 Gbps on all plans
Cons
- Some 2025 reviews report new accounts flagged as fraud or suspended, with tickets taking 24 to 48 hours
- No live chat support is offered, and standard support has no published response-time SLA
- Reviewers say managed services and advanced enterprise features are fewer than on the hyperscalers
- Managed databases cost more than on budget providers, with HA starting around 246 dollars a month according to one third-party guide
- The Akamai rebrand has confused some customers and, by their account, hurt trust
ScalaHosting
Pros
- SPanel is included free on managed VPS plans, so customers avoid cPanel licence fees that other VPS hosts pass on.
- Managed VPS plans include daily offsite backups, a dedicated IP, SShield malware and brute-force protection, and free migrations at no extra cost.
- An anytime money-back guarantee refunds unused time, with a full refund in the first 30 days for web, reseller and VPS hosting.
- Resources can be scaled one component at a time (CPU, RAM, storage) with clear per-unit add-on prices.
- Strong user ratings, with about 4.8 on G2 and 4.9 on Trustpilot from thousands of reviews.
Cons
- Renewal prices are roughly two to four times the intro rates, and the lowest prices need a 36-month prepayment.
- Billing and pre-sales support is not 24/7, and there is no phone support.
- Only three company-owned data centers. Other regions run on partner clouds.
- There is no infrastructure API, Terraform provider, managed Kubernetes or object storage, which limits it for developer platform use.
- WPBeginner's tests found slower page loads than several shared-hosting rivals on the entry cloud plan.
Not sold on either?
Frequently Asked Questions
Linode (Akamai Cloud) scores higher on our Hosting & Infrastructure criteria: 7/10 against 6.1/10 for ScalaHosting. The largest gap is in Cost: 8/10 for Linode (Akamai Cloud) and 6/10 for ScalaHosting.
Linode (Akamai Cloud) costs less for 10 users: about $5/mo on its Nanode 1 GB (Shared CPU) plan, against about $25/mo on its Self-Managed Cloud Config 1 plan for ScalaHosting, billed monthly.
No, neither Linode (Akamai Cloud) nor ScalaHosting lists a free plan.
Linode (Akamai Cloud) is the better fit for developers: we rate it 9/10 for them, against 6/10 for ScalaHosting.
