Comparison
Ready-made news script or cloud news software?
Buying a script is only the beginning: hosting, updates, security and traffic spikes are on you. With cloud news software, infrastructure, maintenance and new features are part of the subscription. Compare the two, point by point.
Pricing model
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Monthly or yearly subscription
- News script
- One-time license, often a yearly support fee
Server and hosting
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Included
- News script
- Rented and managed separately
Setup
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Minutes, no technical skills
- News script
- Server installation and configuration
Updates
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Automatic; everyone on the latest version
- News script
- Manual; customizations may break
Security patches
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Central and instant
- News script
- Depends on the vendor and on you
Traffic spikes (breaking news)
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Scales automatically
- News script
- Limited by server capacity
Google News technical setup
- Ulakom (cloud)
- News script
- Partly
Web push, news bots, analytics
- Ulakom (cloud)
- Built in
- News script
- Often add-ons or extra fees
Source code access
- Ulakom (cloud)
- News script
- Usually (sometimes encrypted)
Content export
- Ulakom (cloud)
- News script
Ulakom (cloud)Features and license terms of news scripts vary by vendor; the table summarizes the typical case.
What is a news script and how is it different from cloud software?
A news script is a packaged software you buy to run a news website. It is usually written in PHP, licensed once, installed on a server you rent, and keeping it running is your responsibility.
Cloud news software (SaaS) lets you use the software as a service instead of buying it. The provider runs servers, security, backups and updates; you publish from the dashboard and new features arrive automatically.
The difference rarely shows in the first month; it shows over the years, as hosting, update and support fees and the cost of security incidents add up. Use the news site cost calculator to compare with your own numbers.
Ask before buying a script
- How many domains does the license cover?
- For how long are updates and support free?
- When was the last security update released?
- Are a news sitemap and structured data included?
- What server will you need when traffic grows?
Which one fits?
When to choose which
A script may make sense
If you have your own developers, need deep source code changes and can take on server management.
Cloud software fits better
If your team wants to focus on journalism, you have no technical staff and staying online during breaking news is critical.
If you run several sites
Every script install means another server and more maintenance. In the cloud, you manage all your sites from one dashboard.
Hidden costs
Common problems with news scripts
Nulled scripts
Problem
Cracked scripts shared for free can hide malicious code; the site may serve spam, get flagged by Google and raise copyright issues.
With Ulakom
No license hassle; your site always runs the official, current version.
Fear of updating
Problem
Customized scripts can break on update, so sites stay on old versions and vulnerabilities stay open.
With Ulakom
Updates are automatic; your design settings and content are preserved.
Crashing on breaking news
Problem
A script on shared hosting slows down or goes offline exactly when traffic peaks.
With Ulakom
Runs on Cloudflare Workers and scales automatically with traffic spikes.
Missing modules
Problem
Web push, news bots and advanced ad management are sold separately or missing.
With Ulakom
Web push, news bots, analytics and ad management are included.
FAQ
Questions you might have
Price depends on how many domains the license covers, support and update periods, included modules and the number of themes. Add hosting, SSL, CDN, security and maintenance to the license fee; the cost calculator shows the total.
Yes. Unlicensed scripts infringe copyright and often contain backdoors or hidden spam links. The site can be taken over, readers redirected to harmful pages and Google may flag your site.
Yes. Articles, categories, images and authors are migrated, and old URLs are redirected so your search traffic is preserved.
No, Ulakom is a cloud service. Instead, you can connect your own apps via API and MCP and export your content at any time.
A script can look cheaper in month one, but once hosting, updates, security and support are added, the multi-year total often exceeds a cloud subscription. Calculate with your own traffic and needs.
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