10 Pros + Cons of InMotion Hosting
I’ve had either a client or my own portfolio site on InMotion Hosting since 2013. They are one of those weird private companies that has never gone into hypergrowth mode or been acquired by private equity. They’ve just been chugging along providing a good product for a personal & business websites. Here are a few pros & cons from using them over the years.
InMotion Hosting consistently delivers reliable performance, strong customer support, and fair pricing without hidden fees. While they might not be the fastest or cheapest option out there, their overall value is impressive. Just keep in mind their storage limits and scalability might not suit everyone, especially if you expect rapid growth. Overall, if you need dependable hosting, InMotion is worth a look!
- Focused on business and agency customers
- Consistent support quality over time
- Excellent overall product with strong performance
- Sustainable and transparent pricing options
- Not the best in any single feature or product-set
- Struggles against managed cloud hosting scalability
- Storage caps on lower-tier plans are limiting
Pros
Business & Agency Focused
I particularly appreciate InMotion’s clear focus on business & agency customers. It’s not that they don’t appeal to other market segments (bloggers, developers, etc), it’s that they are pretty stable & predictable with their feature-set and pricing.
Unlike hosts that try to be everything to everyone InMotion has built their infrastructure specifically for business workloads…which happens to also work for a lot of other segments.
Excellent Overall Product
While InMotion might not be the absolute fastest or the cheapest host they consistently deliver strong performance & value across all crucial areas. They have solid uptime and resource allocation. TTFB times averaged 689ms which puts them comfortably in the top tier of hosts. I’ve found their cPanel interface familiar and their server response times remain stable even during peak traffic hours. The WordPress optimization features have improved over the years.
Consistent Customer Service Over Time
What sets InMotion apart is their remarkably consistent support quality. I’ve contacted their team at various times of day and during peak times & slow times over the last 12 years – and received equally useful assistance. Technical support staff have solved complex issues like database optimization and SSL certificate installation without transferring me between departments. Their US-based support team has demonstrated deep knowledge of both basic and advanced hosting concepts.
Sustainable Solid Pricing Options
The pricing structure at InMotion offers genuine value without hidden catches.
I appreciate that they don’t lock you into extremely long contracts to get the best rates. Their renewal prices remain competitive and they include valuable add-ons like free backups and security features that other hosts charge extra for.
Cons
Everybody has tradeoffs, including InMotion.
Not #1 on Any Single Feature or Product-Set
InMotion Hosting takes a jack-of-all-trades approach which creates some limitations. Depending on the day and what host has done recent upgrades, I’ll occasionally find hosts with a faster load time. I’ve found their WordPress optimization good but not quite matching a managed WordPress hosts’ specialized features.
The storage caps on lower-tier plans (50GB-100GB) fall short of competitors offering unlimited space. While their uptime is reliable it doesn’t match the 100% guarantees from premium providers like Kinsta. Their starting price points sit in the middle range – not the most expensive but definitely not the cheapest option available (e.g., vs. Namecheap).
Difficult Competing Against Managed Cloud Hosting
I’ve noticed InMotion struggles to match the scalability of cloud hosts like DigitalOcean or AWS. Their traditional hosting architecture means resource allocation isn’t as flexible or instantly scalable.
During traffic spikes I’ve seen performance dips that cloud platforms handle more smoothly. While InMotion offers some cloud features their infrastructure isn’t built for the same level of orchestration. Advanced developers might find the lack of containerization options and automated scaling limiting. The fixed resource allocations on shared plans can’t compete with the pay-as-you-go model of pure cloud providers that lets you scale resources up or down instantly based on demand.
Next Steps
If you’re looking for dependable business hosting with room to grow, InMotion is worth looking at. Just make sure to evaluate your specific needs especially regarding storage limitations and scalability requirements before making your decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is InMotion Hosting good for business websites?
Yes, InMotion Hosting is well-suited for business websites. They offer essential business tools like G Suite integration, premium backups, and advanced security features. The Business Pro plan includes unlimited email accounts and marketing credits, making it particularly valuable for agencies managing multiple client sites.
What’s the average uptime and page load speed with InMotion Hosting?
InMotion Hosting maintains a 99.97% uptime and average page load times of 689ms. While these numbers aren’t industry-leading, they represent reliable performance suitable for most business websites and blogs.
How good is InMotion’s customer support?
InMotion provides excellent customer support with US-based teams available 24/7 through live chat and phone. Support staff are knowledgeable, capable of handling complex issues, and offer quick response times without unnecessary transfers.
Can I use WordPress with InMotion Hosting?
Yes, InMotion Hosting offers excellent WordPress optimization features and comes with an intuitive cPanel interface. They provide specialized WordPress hosting plans with pre-installed plugins and themes for easier website management.
Is there a money-back guarantee?
Yes, InMotion Hosting offers a transparent pricing structure and a money-back guarantee. They don’t lock customers into long contracts and provide flexible hosting options with valuable add-ons.
