uSkinned Hosted and Umbraco Cloud comparison.
Introduction
Choosing the right hosting platform is crucial for the success of your website. Whether you are building a small blog, a portfolio, or a complex enterprise solution, selecting a hosting solution that meets your needs is key to a seamless experience.
uSkinned Hosted and Umbraco Cloud are two excellent options, each offering unique advantages depending on your requirements. In this comparison, we will break down the differences between the two platforms, highlighting their key features, ideal use cases, and the overall user experience.
By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of which platform is right for you based on your technical requirements, budget, and business needs.
What is uSkinned Hosted?
uSkinned Hosted is an all-in-one, fully managed hosting solution designed for users of uSkinned Site Builder and Umbraco CMS. Hosted on Microsoft Azure, uSkinned Hosted gives you everything you need to get started with your Umbraco-powered website.
Key Features
Pre-installed Umbraco and uSkinned Site Builder
Get started instantly with the latest release of uSkinned Site Builder and Umbraco (long-term support version).
Visual Editor and Visual Designer
Speed up your website creation with uSkinned's intuitive visual tools. Effortlessly design and customise your site using our powerful, user-friendly interfaces, allowing you to bring your vision to life faster than ever before.
Fully Managed Hosting
No need to worry about server management, security patches, or infrastructure – it’s all taken care of by the uSkinned team.
Auto Upgrades
uSkinned offers automatic updates for both uSkinned Site Builder and Umbraco CMS, ensuring your site is always up-to-date with the latest features and security improvements.
Global CDN and SSL Certificate
Improve performance worldwide with a Content Delivery Network (CDN) and enjoy free SSL encryption for secure browsing.
Automated Backups
Regular backups ensure your website’s data is safe and recoverable.
24/7 Support
uSkinned Hosted offers round-the-clock support to help resolve any issues or questions you may have, making it ideal for users without technical expertise.
Simplified Pricing
With a flat monthly fee, there are no hidden costs or additional license purchases required. The pricing includes hosting, uSkinned Site Builder, updates, and support.
Our Thoughts
uSkinned Hosted is ideal for any user type — from small businesses to freelancers, agencies, and individuals — looking for a simple, secure, and reliable hosting solution with minimal maintenance. Whether you're a developer or a novice, uSkinned Hosted provides everything you need to create and manage your website.
Get up and running with uSkinned Hosted in under two minutes.
What is Umbraco Cloud?
Umbraco Cloud offers a flexible, developer-focused platform that allows you to host your Umbraco website in the cloud. While it offers more control and customisation options, it also requires more hands-on management, especially for setting up and configuring your website.
Key Features
Full Control Over Infrastructure
With Umbraco Cloud, you have complete flexibility to configure your site, including hosting, environments, and integrations.
Scalable Cloud Hosting
Built for growth, Umbraco Cloud scales with your business needs and can handle complex configurations.
Minor Version Auto Updates
Umbraco Cloud automatically handles minor version updates for Umbraco, but major upgrades need to be managed manually and require additional environments that may incur further costs.
Developer Tool
It’s a great option for developers looking to build custom functionality, manage version control, and set up complex workflows.
Our Thoughts
Umbraco Cloud is best suited for businesses that are tax registered, and it provides the flexibility for large, customisable projects that require more development resources and a tailored solution. If you need greater control over infrastructure and complex configurations, Umbraco Cloud is a great choice — but it’s important to note that only tax registered businesses can sign up for Umbraco Cloud.
| uSkinned Hosted | Umbraco Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
Setup |
Pre-installed latest version of uSkinned Site Builder and Umbraco | Blank installation of Umbraco |
Hosting |
Fully managed, hosted on Microsoft Azure Green Hosting | Managed hosting, but requires more control over infrastructure |
Upgrades |
Automatic upgrades | Manual upgrades |
Ease of Use |
Simple, no technical skills required | Requires technical expertise for setup |
Redirect Management |
Available | Third-party plugin required |
Customisation |
CSS, Javascript and Third-party Embeddable Scripts | Full customisation through Umbraco |
Support |
24/7 support from uSkinned | Community forum and business hours |
Pricing |
Simple monthly fee, no additional licenses required | Tiered pricing based on resources and environments |
Eligibility |
Open to any user type (businesses, freelancers, individuals and more) | Only organisations registered for tax |
Compare the key features and differences of uSkinned Hosted and Umbraco Cloud out-of-the-box.
Which One is Right for You?
uSkinned Hosted
uSkinned Hosted is ideal for any user type — whether you’re an individual, freelancer, small business, or agency. If you want a fully managed solution that’s easy to set up and requires no technical skills, uSkinned Hosted is the best choice.
Umbraco Cloud
Umbraco Cloud is best suited for larger businesses that need more control over their website's infrastructure. It’s great for larger, more complex projects that require customisation, but keep in mind that only organisations with correct tax registration can sign up.
Using uSkinned Site Builder with Both Platforms
One of the great benefits of uSkinned Site Builder is that it can be used seamlessly across both uSkinned Hosted and Umbraco Cloud, providing you with the flexibility to switch platforms as your needs evolve.
Start on uSkinned Hosted
If you're just getting started with your site and want a hassle-free setup experience, uSkinned Hosted is the perfect choice. With uSkinned Site Builder pre-installed and the platform fully managed, you can have your site up and running in under two minutes. uSkinned Hosted is designed to provide everything you need — fast setup, automatic updates, backups, and 24/7 support — making it ideal for, but not limited to, those without technical expertise or those who need a reliable, managed solution without the complexity.
Move to Umbraco Cloud at Any Time
As your website grows, you might find that you need more control or flexibility. That’s where Umbraco Cloud comes in. uSkinned Site Builder is compatible with Umbraco Cloud, and you can move your site from uSkinned Hosted to Umbraco Cloud at any time.
If you start on uSkinned Hosted and later decide you want more control over your hosting environment or wish to integrate more complex customisations, you can easily migrate your site to Umbraco Cloud. The only step you need to take is to purchase a Self-Hosted license for uSkinned Site Builder and install it on your Umbraco Cloud instance. Once that’s done, you can continue building and expanding your site with the same tools and interface, but now on a cloud platform that gives you full control over your infrastructure.
Best of Both Worlds Approach
This flexibility allows you to scale your site based on your needs, whether you want a simple, fully-managed solution to start with, or you require more control and customisation as your business grows. Moving from uSkinned Hosted to Umbraco Cloud ensures that you’re never locked into one platform, and it provides a seamless transition as you evolve.
Get Started Today
Deciding between uSkinned Hosted and Umbraco Cloud depends on your website’s complexity, your team’s technical capabilities, and even whether you're a tax registered business. Whether you’re looking for a simple, fully managed solution or a more customisable cloud platform, both options offer excellent hosting for your website.
Explore more and get started today with uSkinned Hosted or uSkinned Self-Hosted license on Umbraco Cloud to find the perfect solution for your website needs.
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Step 3
Create
Create content with the Visual Editor and utilise built-in eCommerce and integrations.
About the author
Paul Daly
I am a co-founder and the Creative Lead at uSkinned. It's my responsibility to lead the design and frontend coding efforts for all of our products as well as across each team, including Marketing, Branding, Content and Support.