Software Alternatives & Startups

Coinhive VS CloudLinux

Compare Coinhive VS CloudLinux and see what are their differences

Coinhive

Coinhive offers a JavaScript miner for the Monero Blockchain that you can embed in your website.

Rating
0 reviews
CloudLinux

Making Linux secure, stable, and profitable for thousands of hosting providers and data centers worldwide.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Coinhive
CloudLinux
Website coinhive.com cloudlinux.com
Pricing —
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Coinhive 4 features
CloudLinux 5 features
  • Monetization
    Coinhive allowed website owners to monetize their websites through cryptocurrency mining, providing an alternative to traditional ad revenue.
  • No Ads
    By using Coinhive, website administrators could offer an ad-free experience to their visitors, improving user satisfaction.
  • Crypto Mining Integration
    Coinhive provided an easy way to integrate crypto mining into websites, requiring minimal technical knowledge from webmasters.
  • Passive Income
    For website visitors, Coinhive offered the possibility to support their favorite sites passively without making direct donations.

Possible disadvantages

  • High CPU Usage
    Coinhive often caused significant increases in CPU usage for end-users, leading to slower performance and potential overheating issues.
  • Privacy Concerns
    There were concerns about user privacy, as Coinhive mining scripts could run without explicit user consent, essentially using their resources without their knowledge.
  • Browser Security
    Due to its nature, Coinhive scripts sometimes triggered security warnings and could be blocked by ad-blockers or antivirus software.
  • Public Perception
    Coinhive gained a negative reputation as it was frequently associated with malware and unethical mining practices, damaging the trust and reputation of websites using it.
  • Legal and Ethical Issues
    Without user consent, the use of Coinhive scripts could be considered illegal or unethical, leading to potential legal ramifications for website owners.
  • Enhanced Server Stability
    CloudLinux uses its lightweight virtualization technology (LVE) to isolate each tenant on a shared hosting server, preventing any single user from consuming excessive resources and crashing the server for everyone else. This ensures consistent uptime and performance.
  • Improved Security with HardenedPHP and KernelCare
    CloudLinux offers HardenedPHP, which patches old and unsupported PHP versions against known vulnerabilities, and KernelCare, which provides live kernel patching without requiring server reboots. These features significantly enhance server security posture.
  • Resource Limit Management
    Administrators can set granular resource limits (CPU, memory, I/O, number of processes, etc.) per user account using LVE Manager. This makes it easy to manage shared hosting environments and ensure fair resource distribution among tenants.
  • CageFS File System Virtualization
    CageFS creates a virtualized file system for each user, preventing them from seeing other users on the server, viewing sensitive configuration files, or exploiting server vulnerabilities. This adds an important layer of isolation and security.
  • Wide Compatibility with Hosting Panels
    CloudLinux integrates seamlessly with popular hosting control panels such as cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, making it straightforward for hosting providers to adopt without overhauling their existing infrastructure or workflows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Additional Licensing Cost
    CloudLinux requires a paid monthly or annual license on top of the base server cost. For smaller hosting providers or individual server owners, this additional expense can add up and may not always be justifiable compared to free alternatives.
  • Limited to CentOS/RHEL-Based Systems
    CloudLinux is built on top of RHEL/CentOS and does not support other Linux distributions like Ubuntu or Debian. This limits its adoption for hosting providers who prefer or already run non-RHEL-based environments.
  • Learning Curve for Configuration
    While CloudLinux provides powerful resource management tools, properly configuring LVE limits, CageFS, PHP Selector, and other features requires a solid understanding of the platform. Misconfiguration can lead to users being unnecessarily restricted or resources being poorly allocated.
  • Potential Performance Overhead
    The additional layers of virtualization, resource monitoring, and file system isolation introduced by CloudLinux can impose a slight performance overhead on the server compared to running a bare, unmodified Linux distribution without these controls.
  • Dependency on CloudLinux Ecosystem
    Adopting CloudLinux means relying on their ecosystem for kernel updates, PHP patches, and security fixes. If the company experiences delays in releasing patches or changes its pricing/licensing model, hosting providers may find themselves locked into a dependency that is difficult to migrate away from.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Coinhive
CloudLinux

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Coinhive was not considered a good practice due to its potential for misuse, lack of transparency with users, and the ethical concerns it raised regarding consent and resource exploitation. The service was discontinued in 2019, but during its operation, it was generally seen as controversial and problematic within the cybersecurity and web user communities.

Why this product is good

  • Coinhive was a service that allowed website owners to monetize their content by using visitor's CPU power for mining cryptocurrency, specifically Monero. While this might seem like an innovative way to generate revenue without ads, it raised significant ethical and technical concerns. Many websites implemented Coinhive without informing users, leading to unauthorized use of computing resources, increased power consumption, and degraded device performance. Furthermore, it quickly became a tool for malicious actors who inserted the script into compromised websites or distributed it through malware, effectively hijacking users' computing power without consent.

Recommended for

    Given its history and the ethical concerns associated with its use, Coinhive—or similar mining scripts—would not be recommended for legitimate websites seeking monetization methods. It's crucial for website owners to seek transparent and ethical monetization strategies, ensuring users are informed and consent to any use of their resources.

Overall verdict

  • CloudLinux is a well-regarded, mature Linux OS distribution and toolset specifically designed for shared hosting and multi-tenant server environments, offering strong isolation, resource management, and security features that make it a solid choice for hosting providers.

Why this product is good

  • Provides LVE (Lightweight Virtual Environment) technology for per-tenant resource isolation, preventing 'bad neighbor' effects on shared servers
  • Enhances server stability and security by isolating users so that one account's issues (crashes, resource spikes) don't affect others
  • Offers extended lifecycle support (longer than standard CentOS/RHEL support windows), which is valuable for legacy systems
  • Includes tools like CloudLinux OS Shield, Imunify360 integration, and hardened kernel options for improved security
  • Compatible with popular control panels like cPanel and Plesk, making it easy to integrate into existing hosting stacks
  • Backed by an established company with a long track record in the hosting industry and responsive support
  • Offers granular control over CPU, memory, I/O, and other resources per user account
  • Provides PHP Selector and multiple PHP version support, useful for hosting providers serving diverse client needs

Recommended for

  • Web hosting companies running shared or reseller hosting environments
  • Hosting providers needing to isolate customer accounts on the same physical server
  • Businesses requiring extended OS support lifecycles beyond standard RHEL/CentOS EOL dates
  • Enterprises using cPanel or Plesk that want tighter security and resource control
  • Hosting companies looking to reduce support tickets caused by noisy-neighbor resource contention
  • IT teams managing multi-tenant infrastructure who need governance and monitoring tools built into the OS layer

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Coinhive 3 videos + Add
CloudLinux 3 videos + Add

Mining Dengan Webiste Coinhive Review 1JT PERHARI! [Indonesia]

More videos

  • - Try It Free - How To Cloud Mining Coin XMR COINHIVE [Review]
  • - 🔴 Crypto Mining with Google Tag Manager? Cryptojacking and Coinhive

When To Use Cloudlinux On Your Virtual Private Server (VPS)

More videos

  • - CloudLinux OS+ in a minute: Explore Features
  • - How CloudLinux Plans to Keep CentOS 6 Alive

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Coinhive
CloudLinux
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

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Alternatives to Coinhive and CloudLinux

When comparing Coinhive and CloudLinux, you can also consider the following products.