Antagonist vs Hostnet: Extensive Comparison 2025

Antagonist and Hostnet are two established names in the Dutch hosting market. Both target the business market, but with different emphases. In this comparison, we help you make the right choice.

Quick Overview

Antagonist: Speed First

Antagonist distinguishes itself through its focus on performance. As one of the few Dutch providers, they use LiteSpeed web servers in combination with Redis caching. This results in noticeably faster loading times, especially for WordPress sites.

Antagonist Packages

• Webhosting Slim (€2.49/mo): 25 GB SSD, 25 email addresses, 5 databases
• Webhosting Plus (€4.99/mo): 75 GB SSD, 50 email addresses, 15 databases, SSH
• Webhosting Pro (€9.99/mo): 200 GB SSD, 100 email addresses, 30 databases
• Webhosting Pro+ (€29.99/mo): 500 GB SSD, 250 email addresses, 50 databases

Why Choose Antagonist?

1. LiteSpeed web server: Up to 10x faster than Apache for PHP sites
2. Redis caching: In-memory caching for database queries
3. Competitive prices: More features for less money
4. Node.js & Python: Support for modern frameworks
5. Daily backups: Automatic, at no extra cost

Antagonist Disadvantages

• Relatively younger company than Hostnet
• Less brand recognition among large corporates
• Support can sometimes be slow during peak times

Hostnet: Reliable Veteran

Hostnet has been around since 1999 and has built a solid reputation in the business market. They focus on reliability and support over cutting-edge features.

Hostnet Packages

• Lite (€9.99/mo): 25 GB SSD, 5 email accounts, 5 databases
• Core (€13.99/mo): 50 GB SSD, 50 email accounts, 50 databases
• Boost (€16.99/mo): 100 GB SSD, 100 email accounts, 75 databases
• Power (€22.99/mo): 200 GB SSD, 200 email accounts, 100 databases, SSH

Note: Hostnet often offers promotional rates of €4.99/mo for the first period.

Why Choose Hostnet?

1. 25+ years experience: Proven track record
2. Excellent uptime: Very reliable infrastructure
3. Dutch support: Available 7 days a week
4. WordPress expertise: Good one-click installation and optimization
5. Professional appearance: Suitable for corporate websites

Hostnet Disadvantages

• Higher prices than competitors
• No SSH on cheapest packages
• Less innovative in terms of technology
• No LiteSpeed or comparable caching

Head-to-Head Comparison

Price per Feature

Looking at what you get for your money, Antagonist wins convincingly:

• For €9.99/mo at Antagonist you get the Pro package (200 GB, 100 emails, SSH, LiteSpeed)
• For €9.99/mo at Hostnet you get the Lite package (25 GB, 5 emails, no SSH)

That's a factor 8 difference in storage and 20 in email accounts.

Performance

Antagonist wins thanks to LiteSpeed and Redis. In benchmarks, an average WordPress site loads 40-60% faster on Antagonist than on traditional Apache hosting.

Reliability

Hostnet scores slightly better here. Their longer track record and focus on stability over innovation results in slightly fewer unexpected issues.

Support Quality

Draw. Both offer good Dutch support. Hostnet has slightly longer opening hours, Antagonist often has faster response times.

Scalability

Antagonist wins with more packages and smoother upgrade paths. They also offer Node.js and Python support for modern applications.

When to Choose Antagonist?

• You want the best price-quality ratio
• Website speed is important to you
• You have a WordPress site that needs to load fast
• You're a developer and want modern tools (Node.js, Python, SSH)
• Budget is a consideration

When to Choose Hostnet?

• You work for a corporate organization that prefers well-known names
• Maximum reliability is more important than innovation
• You want a provider with 25+ years of experience
• You have simple hosting needs without special requirements
• Budget is not a primary consideration

Our Verdict

For most users, Antagonist is the better choice in 2025. The combination of LiteSpeed, Redis caching, and competitive prices makes it an excellent option for both beginners and advanced users.

Hostnet remains a solid choice for those willing to pay more for an established name with a focus on reliability over innovation.

Compare the current packages yourself at Antagonist and Hostnet.