ChemiCloud Review: LiteSpeed Hosting With More CPU/RAM, NVMe SSDs, cPanel, And ~100ms Global TTFB (For Static Sites)

For shared hosting, I’ll take ChemiCloud over the SiteGround/Hostingers any day.

They use LiteSpeed servers which use less resources (CPU/RAM). With LiteSpeed Cache and QUIC.cloud CDN’s top-tier performance, static sites should be able to get a 100ms global TTFB.

Combine this with 3 CPU cores + 3 GB RAM on their WordPress Turbo plan and you’re already getting more resources and better performance than most shared hosts. Hostinger’s highest shared plan has 2 CPU cores +  1.536 GB RAM, SiteGround limits processes to 768 MB RAM (and limits CPU seconds), and GoDaddy’s highest web hosting plan has 2 CPU cores + 2 GB RAM. So unless you like paying more for 5xx errors and unexpected upgrades, get the extra CPU + RAM. And if for some reason you max them out, ChemiCloud is one of the only shared hosts that let you scale these by adding another 3 CPU cores + 3 GB RAM through their Turbo+ Boost add-on.

But just like the number of cores/RAM won’t directly make your personal computer faster, same applies to your hosting. You need a host who uses fast CPUs. ChemiCloud has been adding new 3.8 GHz processors (currently in their Portland and Washington DC server locations) with other locations on the way. 3.8 GHz is significantly faster than clock speeds on most shared hosts who usually won’t disclose this number. Just ask yours! But when they don’t give you an answer, you can probably guess why your site/TTFB are slow. Since TTFB is 40% of LCP, fast CPUs are critical.

Let’s talk more numbers.

Despite SiteGround/Hostinger having 20x more TrustPilot reviews due to solicitations and marketing budget, 0 people moved to them from ChemiCloud. That’s because most of their customers come from bottom of the barrel hosts. Even with 20x less reviews, 10 people have moved to ChemiCloud from SiteGround/Hostinger, not including Facebook group members:

Here’s why they’re WAY cheaper. At checkout, you can get the cheaper intro price for up to 3 years, you don’t have to pay for migrations (they do 10-200 for free), and there’s no need for expensive cache plugins/CDNs. LiteSpeed Cache is free and QUIC.cloud includes free monthly credits (with ChemiCloud’s LiteSpeed Enterprise), then standard bandwidth pricing after that.

Performance, resources, and price… really the only thing left is support which I think is great (fast, helpful, actually helps without upselling). But you can reach out to them and see yourself.

Recommended Set Up

• Hosting: ChemiCloud (e.g. WordPress Turbo plan) for $5-7/mo at 1 or 3 years.
• Cache plugin: LiteSpeed Cache (free and used to add QUIC.cloud + object cache).
• CDN: QUIC.cloud (paid) or Super Page Cache (free full page caching from Cloudflare).
• CSS/JS unloading: Asset CleanUp (or similar) to disable plugins on specific pages (free).

 

1. LiteSpeed Servers

ChemiCloud uses LiteSpeed servers which have a ton of benefits in terms of performance, caching, resource usage, and of course being able to use LiteSpeed Cache + QUIC.cloud CDN.

Efficient Resource Usage – LiteSpeed can handle 2x the capacity of Apache which means less CPU/memory usage. This is a common problem on many hosts and used to make you upgrade.

LiteSpeed’s PHP Outperforms FastCGI/FPM – LiteSpeed PHP is more efficient than FastCGI (used on SiteGround) and FPM (used on Cloudways). Even PHP.net says “LSAPI is similar to FCGI, but is more efficient” and that it’s a “highly optimized API.” WordPress is built on PHP!

LiteSpeed Cache – there’s a reason it has 6M installs with a 4.8/5 star rating (and is free). Here are a few features LiteSpeed Cache includes which WP Rocket and SiteGround Optimizer don’t:

• Preload LCP images.
• Server-side caching (faster).
• Lazy load HTML selectors.
• Guest mode + guest optimization.
• Connects to object cache (Redis or Memcached).
• Remove unused CSS using the faster file method.
• Host third-party code locally, like fonts and Gravatars.
• Automatically exclude viewport/LCP images from lazy load.
• Limit post revisions while keeping a certain amount (instead of deleting them all).

 

2. More CPU/RAM (And Optional Turbo+ Boost Add-On)

Their WordPress Turbo plan includes 3 CPU cores + 3GB RAM with 100% of CPU resources.

Several hosts also limit your CPU usage. SiteGround limits CPU seconds, Bluehost limits CPU time, and many other hosts limit it: NameHero is 25%, MechanicWeb is 60%, FastComet is 80%.

ChemiCloud also has a Turbo+ Boost add-on to double it to 6 cores + 6 GB RAM for $6-7/mo. Which means if your resource usage increases, you don’t have to buy a new plan. This add-on can be much cheaper since hosts aren’t likely to give you the cheap intro price when upgrading.

Price:

• 12 months (7% Discount) $77.40 ($6.45/mo)
• 24 months (10% Discount) $150 ($6.25/mo)
• 36 months (14% Discount) $214.20 ($5.95/mo)

Just be careful about long contracts with a fixed amount of resources, especially if they don’t include much CPU/RAM. Resource usage should ideally be under 50% for optimal performance.

You can also view their TOS resource limits.

 

3. 3.8 GHz CPUs + NVMe SSDs

Ask for better servers and you shall receive!

I’ve been asking Dragos for newer CPUs, so their new AMD EPYC 9354 processors are a big win for anyone using their Portland or Washington server location. For reference, most VPS and managed cloud hosts don’t use CPUs this fast (see spreadsheets) – let alone on shared hosting.

Click “General Specifications” to see the specs.

We know how important hosting is for TTFB, LCP, and wp-admin speed. It’s pretty crazy how many hosts brag about performance but don’t list their CPU model(s). Just like ANY machine (whether it’s your web server or personal computer), CPUs have a huge impact on performance.

ChemiCloud uses PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSDs which have ∼10x faster read/write speeds than SATA SSDs. PCIe 5.0 is even faster but is also overkill in most cases (lower generations are obviously slower). It’s difficult to compare hosts because like CPUs, most don’t list generations. The only way I found out is because they updated me via email, but it’s not listed on the NVMe SSD page.

 

4. Choose A Plan, Billing Cycle, Server Location

I recommend the WordPress Turbo plan because of the extra resources (CPU cores, RAM, inodes, and storage). Do not use their WordPress Starter plan because 1GB of RAM is too low.

At checkout, you can sign up for 1 year (more expensive) or 3 years (less expensive), then choose your locations. You shouldn’t need anything else. 1 year is $77.88, 3 years is $161.64.

 

5. 10-200 Free Migrations

You get 200 cPanel + 10 non-cPanel migrations and you have 60 days to request them. Open a ticket, select the migrations department, and fill out your details in the form. You can search “migrations” in their TrustPilot profile to see reviews, but they’ve always been quick & painless. Or use a migrator plugin to do this yourself, or start fresh and install WordPress via Softaculous.

 

6. cPanel (With Imunify360)

Site Tools, hPanel, and other custom panels usually have limited functionality and bugs. They also tend to have worse security since a security suite (like Imunify360) is usually replaced with their ‘own’ security measures. Hosts likely did this to save money after cPanel increased prices.

It’s also harder to migrate away since ‘cPanel hosts’ usually offer unlimited cPanel migrations, but only 1 non-cPanel migration. ChemiCloud also takes daily backups that are stored off-site.

 

7. Upgrade To PHP 8.3

Login to your ChemiCloud cPanel → Select PHP Version. Update to the latest version while testing your site for broken elements, which probably means a specific plugin isn’t compatible.

 

8. Configure LiteSpeed Cache

Once you have a plan, we’ll start configuring things.

Install LiteSpeed Cache and use my tutorial to configure the settings (currently the most popular article on my site). You can always select one of LiteSpeed Cache’s preset settings (shown below), but I suggest configuring the settings manually (don’t worry, I color coded everything). Since ChemiCloud uses LiteSpeed servers, you get LiteSpeed exclusive features.

It’s an upgrade from WP Rocket, and an even bigger one from SiteGround Speed Optimizer which can’t even delay JavaScript or remove unused CSS. The developers do an awesome job releasing new features which you can follow in the LiteSpeed WordPress Community FB group.

Configure Redis (Or Memcached)

Step 1: Go cPanel → Redis Object Cache.

Step 2: Enable Redis and copy the socket path.

Step 3: Go to LiteSpeed Cache → Cache → Object. Enable object cache + Redis and paste the socket path. Port will always be 0. Save changes, then make sure you pass the connection test.

When setting up Redis on multiple sites, each site should have a unique Redis Database ID (0-100). For example, site 1 is “1” and site 2 is “2.” You can also read ChemiCloud’s Redis tutorial.

 

9. Configure QUIC.cloud Or Cloudflare

You’ll want to use QUIC.cloud’s standard plan (paid) or the free Super Page Cache plugin.

Both support dynamic caching (the main benefit). While Cloudflare has a much larger network, QUIC.cloud is needed for certain LiteSpeed Cache features to work, specifically critical CSS and image optimizations. While QUIC.cloud optimizes images, you would need to pay for Cloudflare Mirage/Polish for this. They also use geo-routing when using their DNS. Since ChemiCloud uses LiteSpeed Enterprise, you get free credits every month with QUIC.cloud, then it’s $.02 – $.08/GB depending on your region(s). Super Page Cache is free. You can also try both while testing TTFB.

Both are also excellent CDNs and usually top performers in SpeedVitals’ CDN Performance Tracker. Which is good considering Google lists your CDN as the 2nd best way to improve TTFB!

QUIC.cloud

Step 1: In the LSC General settings, request a domain key and add your Server IP.

Step 2: Go to CDN → QUIC.cloud CDN Setup → “Begin QUIC.cloud CDN Setup.” Then click “Refresh CDN Setup Status” and you’ll get 2 nameservers (kevin.quicns.net and jon.quicns.org). QUIC’s DNS provides better performance when using LiteSpeed with more accurate geo-routing.

Step 3: Add your QUIC nameservers to ChemiCloud (Domains → Manage Domain → Nameservers → Custom Nameservers). Refresh CDN status again and you should be all good!

Step 4: Configure the “CDN Config” settings in QUIC.cloud’s dashboard. 3 things I would try:

• QUIC backend – lets QUIC connect to your server via QUIC and HTTP/3.
• Block Browser XML-RPC – most sites don’t use XML-RPC and can block it.
• Hotlink Protection – prevents sites from copying images and using your bandwidth.

Step 5: Use the standard plan, not the free plan! The free plan only uses 6 PoPs without DDoS protection while the standard plan uses all 84 PoPs with more features. It costs $.02 – $.08/GB depending on the region (similar to BunnyCDN). You also get a certain amount of free credits every month if you’re using a host that uses LiteSpeed Enterprise (i.e. ChemiCloud, NameHero) but not if you use OpenLiteSpeed. Credits are needed for UCSS, CCSS, and image optimizations.

Cloudflare Super Page Cache

Step 1: Change your DNS to Cloudflare which performs well on dnsperf.com. Add your website to Cloudflare, they will scan records, then provide you with 2 nameservers. In ChemiCloud, you will change these (Domains → Manage Domains → Nameservers → Use Custom Nameservers).

Step 2: Install the Super Page Cache For Cloudflare plugin. Add your Cloudflare email, global API key, domain, and enable page caching. According to the developer (iSaumya), follow these next steps. If you have additional questions, I recommend asking iSaumya in a support thread.

1. Disable LiteSpeed’s page caching and guest mode + guest optimization.
2. “Only use LiteSpeed Cache for static file optimization.” However, I believe you can still configure it normally except for the caching/CDN settings (including using it for object cache, crawler, database optimization, Heartbeat, and image/page optimization settings).
3. Do not enter your Cloudflare API details in LiteSpeed Cache (it’s handled by this plugin).
4. Do not use the official Cloudflare plugin and make sure APO is disabled in CF dashboard.
5. Enable fallback cache in Super Page Cache, then disable page caching in LiteSpeed Cache.

Step 3: Configure settings in your Cloudflare dashboard (I recommend the following):

 

10. ~100ms Global TTFB

They advertise sub-100ms on their managed WordPress hosting, but even on their shared hosting, static sites can get a 100ms global TTFB with QUIC.cloud CDN + LiteSpeed Cache.

Test the demo site in KeyCDN to measure TTFB in 10 locations or SpeedVitals to measure it in 40. Especially when using SpeedVitals, make sure you run 3 tests to ensure you get a cache HIT and that content is served from your CDN’s closest data center (recommended by SpeedVitals).

This test was taken before they added new CPUs (it used their New York data center).

This is why “choosing a host based on their server location” doesn’t always make sense (especially for static sites and if QUIC/Cloudflare have a close PoP to visitors). To get a similar TTFB on WooCommerce, you would ideally use CDN smart routing (such as Cloudflare Argo). Without a CDN, TTFB is fast for visitors close to the server location and slower in other locations:

While they promise a sub-100ms TTFB on their Managed WordPress Hosting, I would wait at least 1 year after any host launches a new service so they have time to improve it. But it does have promising specs (they’re one of the only managed WordPress hosts who use LiteSpeed).

 

11. Solid Support With 4.9/5 TrustPilot Rating

Search their profile for people who left SiteGround, Bluehost, HostGator, GoDaddy, etc.

 

12. 45-Day Money-Back Guarantee

For shared hosting, you can’t really beat ChemiCloud’s CPUs, price, and support.

If you decide to stick with them, ChemiCloud will renew your plan at the normal rate 7 days prior to your billing date (so put it in your calendar). SiteGround, Hostinger, Bluehost, and HostGator renew 14-15 days prior. Probably why renewals are one of their biggest complaints.

 

13. Thoughts On Managed WordPress Hosting + VPS Plans

There are better VPS options which also support OpenLiteSpeed (like Vultr High Frequency on xCloud, Scala Hosting, MechanicWeb). You can compare them in the managed VPS spreadsheet.

Their managed cloud hosting has great specs and besides Rocket.net, is the only host I know promising a ~100 TTFB and uses LiteSpeed. Just wish they were able to keep Object Cache Pro. Unless Rocket.net is too pricey with their bandwidth + storage limits, I’d stick with them due to their experience, robust Cloudflare Enterprise integration, and “set and forget” type of hosting.

 

14. ChemiCloud vs. Similar Hosts

You’ll see a similar pattern in Facebook groups:

 
Despite popular hosts having more reviews (which are often solicited), there’s a whole list of reasons people are searching for alternatives, many of which you can find in my spreadsheets.

Many of my readers move from SiteGround, so here ya go:

Give them a whirl and lmk how it goes! chemicloud.com

Cheers,
Tom