Our Expert Opinion
InterServer gives you a chance to start with several types of hosting on a very limited budget for hosting costs. The flexibility is great, and the 30-day money-back guarantee on some plans is a nice safety valve, but extras like cPanel and the sometimes slow customer support can eat into your budget and patience at times. Still, InterServer packs in a lot of features with budget-friendly shared hosting that you find with many other shared hosting providers, even some of the best shared hosting companies.
Featured Partners
1
IONOS
$1 per month
Yes
Yes
2
Wix
$17 per month
Yes
Yes
3
Hostinger
$2.69 per month
10% off w/ code: FORBES10
free domain, free email, free website backups
Multiple Hosting Types
InterServer offers advanced and basic hosting so you can scale easily as your business grows.
While most websites start out on shared hosting plans, most businesses will eventually need more stability, resources and performance than shared hosting provides. InterServer does promise to keep shared servers at 50% capacity or less, which is a help, but having the option to upgrade without swapping hosts is a big plus.
InterServer offers a nice variety of hosting options to fit a pretty wide range of needs as you scale your business without making huge jumps between plans. Shared hosting is the entry-level set of plans, and then it moves to an upgraded performance shared hosting (branded Boost), Cloud VPS plans and then Dedicated Servers. Within each type, there is a nice selection of plans optimized for different use cases such as gaming and e-commerce hosting. InterServer also offers reseller hosting suitable for agencies to start small and grow over time, and is one of our top reseller hosting provider picks.
Security
InterServer includes hack fixes and compromised website restoration on some plans with its Inter-Insurance plan.
Even if you are very comfortable with (almost) all things hosting and website management, tracing compromised website issues and fixing them is probably not your main skill set. InterServer stands out with its InterInsurance hack fix feature.
Whether you have an existing website with InterServer or are using the free migration service, the included InterInsurance package means InterServer will investigate, restore and help prevent future hacks. Itβs a lot of peace of mind that sets InterServer apart in an industry where the majority of hosts donβt provide any hack fix services, especially without extra costs.
While email availability varies by plan, some plans offer unlimited emails through InterServer.
I am the first to call out unlimited features as being limited (check the TOS any time you see βunlimitedβ; there are limits somewhere), but with email, seeing unlimited is a nice signal that you arenβt held to the one to five email addresses most of the top email hosting providers offer. Thatβs especially helpful when you are working with multiple websites on one account or have a reseller business. However, bear in mind that email isnβt included with dedicated or VPS hosting from InterServer, only shared hosting.
Control Panel Options
InterServer offers several control panel options, such as DirectAdmin, that vary by package and cost.
Personally, Iβm not a huge fan of cPanel. Yes, it has a lot of power, but there are newer and more user-friendly options at a fraction of the cost as well. InterServer includes some of these other control panels, such as DirectAdmin and Webuzo, with most hosting plans and charges extra if you prefer cPanel or Plesk instead.
It really all boils down to choice (which Iβm a big fan of, as it gives hosting beginners and experts the tools they need), and cPanel plans have minimal extra cost, as low as $1 per month extra on shared plans.
SitePad Website Builder
SitePad is not exclusive to InterServer but offers a free option for SMBs just getting started without coding a website.
While certainly not exclusive to InterServer, SitePad is available through Softaculous if you need website builder functions. Itβs not one of my best website builder picks, but it is certainly a workable starting point for SMBs just getting started with a fairly smooth visual interface that beginners can get started with quickly. Plus, for resellers working with small business clients, SitePad integrates with WHMCS.
InterServer Pricing and Value
| ο»Ώ | Standard Web Hosting | Cloud VPS | Dedicated Server |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Monthly Price | $7 | $3 | $64 |
| Email | Unlimited | Email servers installed with control panel plans | Customer must manage |
| Starting Storage | Unlimited | 40GB | 5TB |
| SSL | Included | Not included | Not included |
| Included Control Panel | DirectAdmin | DirectAdmin | Depends on plan purchased |
InterServer positions itself on the lower end of website hosting costs, but that comes at the expense of quality for general support. Iβve regularly been given answers from live chat support personnel that directly contradict published documentation. However, the security and hack fix service is top-notch, adding a lot of value to plans for SMBs with their own cybersecurity personnel.
Is InterServer Right for Your Business?
No one web host will be right for all companies. InterServer has very attractive upfront pricing, but most services beyond shared hosting require more technical know-how than many small businesses have at their disposal. Still, there are plenty of use cases where InterServer is a great option.
We recommend InterServer for:
- Shared hosting for those who need included email on a budget.
- Reseller hosting for agencies needing a budget solution.
- SMBs needing to recover a compromised website.
We do not recommend InterServer for:
- Hosting beginners who need strong technical support frequently. A host that focuses on white glove service and strong managed hosting, like ScalaHosting, might be a better choice if you need strong technical support.
- Anyone not quite sure what platform they want to build on yet. Hostinger offers multiple sites under a single plan allowance, making it easy to try its AI builder, WordPress or other platforms like HTML or Joomla without having to purchase multiple accounts.
- Dedicated e-commerce. If youβre building an e-commerce site, itβs often to your advantage to choose one of the best e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce or Shopify.
Featured Partners
1
IONOS
$1 per month
Yes
Yes
2
Wix
$17 per month
Yes
Yes
3
Hostinger
$2.69 per month
10% off w/ code: FORBES10
free domain, free email, free website backups
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Whatβs the difference between an e-commerce website and an informational website?
E-commerce websites are online stores; they facilitate shopping for and buying products or services. Informational sites are more like a company brochure and are generally simpler. There are also many other types of websites that meet specialized needs.
Who is the best VPS hosting provider?
Our picks for best VPS hosting include ScalaHosting, InterServer and IONOS.
Does InterServer offer domain registration?
Yes, InterServer offers domain registration services. However, many prefer to keep hosting and domain registration separate by using one of the best domain registrars to simplify matters when changing web hosts.
