SiteHost vs Kapsule
SiteHost is the largest NZ-owned hosting provider. They focus on developers, agencies, and VPS. Kapsule covers the same ground at a lower entry price and bundles email + DNS + Protect from the same dashboard.
NZ-based
SiteHost
Virtual Container
Entry price
NZ$35/mo
3-year cost: ~$1,260 over 3 years
Kapsule Cloud
Web Hosting Start
Match for SiteHost
Entry price
NZ$5/mo
Renewal: NZ$5/mo (locked, clause 7.5)
3-year cost: ~NZ$180
Read the breakdown
The cost math
What you actually pay, year by year.
All bars normalised to NZD so length reflects real spend. USD prices show the NZD-equivalent in brackets.
Year 1
SiteHost
Kapsule
Year 2
SiteHost
Kapsule
Year 3
SiteHost
Kapsule
SiteHost 3-year cost
~NZ$1,260
~$1,260 over 3 years
Kapsule 3-year cost
~NZ$180
Locked at signup, never increases
You save with Kapsule
~NZ$1,080 (86%) over 3 years
NZD totals calculated at 1 USD ≈ 1.65 NZD. SiteHost pricing snapshot 2026-06-07; check their current rate before signup. Kapsule renewal price guaranteed at signup price in Terms of Service clause 7.5.
Scorecard
Where Kapsule wins vs SiteHost.
Entry from $5/mo, not $35
Kapsule Web Start is $5/mo. SiteHost's entry "Virtual Container" is $35/mo. Both are NZ-based and NZD-billed.
Locked at signup price
Clause 7.5 of our Terms: your renewal price is locked to whatever you signed up at. Forever. Not a marketing claim, a contract clause.
Mailboxes + Protect bundled
Mailboxes included with hosting plan (5 on Start, 25 on Pro). Premium DNS, off-site Backup, SSL all available in the same KPanel account. SiteHost charges separately for most of those.
Modern KPanel + Kora AI
Mobile-first KPanel built in 2026. Kora AI assistant on every page. SiteHost's panel is functional but older.
Free white-glove migration
Our team migrates your site, database, email, and DNS for you. Zero downtime, scheduled with you. Free.
Spec sheet
Feature by feature.
Honest note
Where SiteHost legitimately wins.
SiteHost has the bigger NZ customer base
They've been around since 2007. Brand maturity matters for some buyers, particularly agencies with procurement requirements.
NZ datacentres today
SiteHost hosts in Auckland and Wellington today. Kapsule's NZ origin tier ships Q3 2026; until then global edge with sub-150ms TTFB.
Developer-focus reputation
SiteHost has a long history with NZ devs. We're newer to that audience even though Orbit fits the same use case.
When to pick SiteHost
If you're a NZ agency with existing SiteHost reseller arrangements and your clients won't tolerate a change of host, stay where you are. Our reseller programme is newer.
Moving over
Free migration from SiteHost.
Free white-glove migration from SiteHost. We handle the container-to-Kapsule move: files, databases, email, DNS, all of it. Multi-site accounts migrate as a single coordinated cutover.
Q + A
What buyers ask us about SiteHost.
Will my workflow change much?
KPanel covers everything SiteHost's panel does: deploys, env vars, databases, DNS, mailboxes. Plus Kora AI, mobile-first design, and a unified billing view across products.
Is your reseller programme as mature?
Honest answer: no. SiteHost has been doing reseller for over a decade. We have a reseller programme with white-label DNS, branded panel, and revenue share, but the network and partnerships are newer. If reseller maturity is your priority, stay with SiteHost for now.
What's the migration story?
Free. We mirror your files, export your databases, pull email via IMAP, prepare a staging clone on Kapsule, cut DNS over outside business hours. Multi-site SiteHost containers migrate as a batch.
Ready?
Start on Web Hosting Start.
NZ$5/mo, locked at signup. Free migration from SiteHost. Cancel any time.