Hostmonster vs Interserver: guide for 2024

Hostmonster vs Interserver: Final verdict

Looking over HostMonster vs. InterServer, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

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  InterServer (Overall grade: 8.1)
  
  
  impresses with its advanced security features, extensive scalability options, and competitive pricing. The platform guarantees 99.9% uptime, supported by advanced technologies like Inter-Proxy Caching and Cloudflare CDN which enhance global loading speeds. Users particularly benefit from the flexible control panel options, which include cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, allowing for detailed management of website features and security measures. The free migration service, proactive backups, and prompt customer support add to its appeal, making it a solid choice for users who prioritize reliability and robust performance.
  
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  HostMonster (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  
  delivers reliable hosting with a broad range of features suitable for various user needs, including a free domain for the first year and an intuitive cPanel-based interface. The easy-to-use site builder and straightforward setup process make it beginner-friendly, while enhanced performance is available through their premium Pro plan. The platform guarantees high uptime with supportive customer service available 24/7. While it offers solid security measures, including two-factor authentication and spam blocking, it falls short in advanced features and scalability when compared to InterServer. Users have noted issues with occasional performance glitches and unexpected costs, which somewhat mar its otherwise reliable service.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner
InterServer: A highly reliable hosting service with exceptional uptime and advanced security features.

InterServer guarantees 99.9% uptime and showcases an impressive long-term performance with an actual uptime of 99.99%. Their server response time averages 662ms, with global loading speeds typically around 1.2 seconds. This performance is bolstered by partnerships with Cloudflare and proprietary technologies like route optimization and Inter-Proxy Caching. They also limit server capacity to 50% to ensure room for customer growth without performance issues.

HostMonster also offers impressive uptime, with no downtime observed in a 14-day test and minimal downtime over a longer period. Their maximum guaranteed uptime is either 100% or 99.9%, and their speed tests indicate a load time of 4.9 seconds. They further ensure reliability with technical support and backend protections like SSH access and spam blockers. Their 24/7 support and 30-day money-back guarantee add to their appeal, but they lack some of the advanced features seen in InterServer.

🏆 Winner
InterServer: Offers comprehensive speed optimization, high reliability, and flexible scalability.

When examining the general performance, InterServer showcases superior speed through ultra-fast web servers, SSD caching, and a route-optimized network bolstered by a 10GB Cisco network. Meanwhile, HostMonster relies heavily on standard performance servers unless you opt for their premium Pro plan. Both providers include free SSL certificates, but InterServer also integrates Cloudflare CDN for enhanced load times, whereas HostMonster does not mention a CDN. HostMonster offers a free domain with all plans, whereas InterServer provides low-cost domain registration. InterServer’s unlimited data transfer and storage also stand out compared to HostMonster’s capped resources on the Basic plan.

Website Speed

InterServer emphasizes speed with its ultra-fast web servers and SSD caching, ensuring faster load times. Additionally, the inclusion of Cloudflare CDN aids in reducing latency and improving page speed. HostMonster, by comparison, offers standard performance across most plans and only ramps up with the Pro plan. This discrepancy in speed optimization and resource allocation makes InterServer a more favorable option for those prioritizing website speed.

Scalability

InterServer excels in scalability, with easy transitions to VPS or dedicated servers without any downtime. This flexible approach allows you to scale automatically according to your needs. On the other hand, HostMonster offers various plans, but requires manual upgrades and there’s no mention of dedicated servers. The cost of scaling with HostMonster isn’t provided, making it challenging to assess compared to InterServer’s clear and efficient scaling options.

🏆 Winner InterServer: Offers diverse security features and high operational dependability.

Technical security measures:

HostMonster provides SSL certificates (free and premium) and supports custom PHP configurations, including PHP 5. InterServer, on the other hand, also includes free SSL certificates along with support for multiple PHP versions, up to PHP 8.3. HostMonster employs advanced tools like SiteLock for malware removal and 360-degree vulnerability scanning. InterServer’s specialized InterShield Security provides automatic virus scanning and machine learning firewalls. Both offer robust spam and virus protection, but InterServer’s end-to-end email encryption and Inter-Proxy Caching add extra layers of security.

Operational security measures:

HostMonster implements two-factor authentication and SSH access to enhance user security. It also offers hotlink protection and comprehensive antivirus support for different operating systems. InterServer focuses on physical data center security with features such as 24/7 surveillance and redundant systems. Their brute-force protection and anonymous email accounts further enhance operational security. InterServer also ensures account cleanup through its Inter-Insurance service when accounts are compromised. Thus, InterServer’s broader suite of operational measures provides extensive protection from a variety of threats.

Compliance and certifications:

HostMonster is GDPR compliant and supports PCI compliance on all accounts for A and B compliance levels. They offer user rights under GDPR, including the right to access and the right to be forgotten. InterServer emphasizes privacy and security but offers no specific details about GDPR or HIPAA compliance. PCI compliance is also not mentioned by InterServer. In terms of compliance, HostMonster’s clear adherence to GDPR and PCI standards.

🏆 Winner
HostMonster: A reliable hosting solution with a broad range of features.

Both HostMonster and InterServer offer robust hosting services tailored to different user needs. HostMonster provides a free drag-and-drop site builder, making it user-friendly for beginners. This tool enables users to easily set up their websites without much hassle. On the other hand, InterServer offers cloud apps and SSD caching servers, which cater more to advanced users seeking enhanced performance and speed optimization.

A key difference lies in their domain registration policies. HostMonster includes a free domain name for the first year, which can be a significant cost-saving for new users. InterServer does not mention a free domain as part of their package. Both offer robust storage solutions, but InterServer’s RAID-10 storage provides an added layer of data redundancy and performance. For users needing more back-end control, HostMonster supports SSH access, while InterServer’s SSH availability is not explicitly mentioned, although they do offer FTP and SFTP.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both HostMonster and InterServer offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Email services at HostMonster and InterServer both offer extensive email hosting services with unlimited accounts and secure options. HostMonster supports POP3, IMAP, and three different webmail solutions, addressing various user preferences. InterServer, while not detailed in terms of specific email protocols, provides robust transactional and campaign email capabilities. HostMonster stands out with unlimited forwarding email accounts and comprehensive spam protection, features that can be crucial for business users. In contrast, further details about InterServer’s email services and any potential external integrations remain unspecified.

🏆 Winner
InterServer: A comprehensive range of hosting plans with competitive pricing and extensive features.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Both HostMonster and InterServer offer a variety of hosting plans designed to suit different needs. HostMonster provides options like Basic, Plus, Choice Plus, and Pro plans with scaling features and prices, whereas InterServer offers various plans like Standard Web Hosting and specialized plans such as Windows Hosting and WordPress Hosting. HostMonster plans often require long-term commitments, whereas InterServer provides more flexible month-to-month pricing, making it easier to switch plans or providers. HostMonster includes features like a free domain registration and SSL certificates, while InterServer includes unlimited resources and free migration in its base offering. Given these nuances, InterServer provides more economical choices and greater flexibility.

Enterprise plans

HostMonster’s Pro Plan, at $33.99 per month, offers unlimited websites, high performance, dedicated IP, and automated backups, making it suitable for enterprises needing robust features and significant resources. InterServer’s VPS Special, priced at $6.00 monthly, provides 2GB RAM with scalable options, and their higher-tier WordPress plans cater to enterprises needing tailored resources and performance boosts. Both providers offer 99.9% uptime guarantees, but InterServer stands out with its lower prices and flexibility for scaling up as enterprise needs grow.

🏆 Winner InterServer: Offers a wide range of easy-to-use features and services.

HostMonster relies on a standard cPanel for managing websites, making it highly accessible for both technical and non-technical users. The cPanel interface is familiar to many and allows users to perform various tasks like setting up emails, managing files, and controlling databases with relative ease. HostMonster also provides a free site builder for users who may not be comfortable with coding, and this can be a significant advantage for beginners. The instant setup process and 1-click WordPress installation further simplify the initial stages of building a website.

InterServer uses both cPanel and DirectAdmin for their control panels, offering a flexible choice for users. This feature can be particularly appealing for those who have specific preferences or needs when it comes to admin interfaces. The control panels are designed to be user-friendly, providing tools for seamless management of websites through a web browser. With access to 461 one-click script installations, including popular CMSs, InterServer makes it straightforward for users to set up various kinds of sites, from blogs to e-commerce stores, further enhancing its user experience for both novices and experts.

HostMonster provides a Getting Started Guide and has tools for automatic setups, but it does not explicitly mention a dedicated migration service. Users might need to rely on manual processes or external services for migrating existing sites. In contrast, InterServer stands out by offering a free migration service for standard shared hosting. This benefit is significant for users looking to transfer their websites without incurring extra costs and without the hassle of manual migration. However, users need to ensure that the current InterServer account has no data as the migration process will overwrite any existing data.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. HostMonster offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. InterServer also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.

🏆 Winner InterServer: A flexible hosting solution with comprehensive user management features.

Both platforms utilize cPanel for user and account management, but InterServer expands its offerings with additional control panels like Plesk and DirectAdmin. HostMonster, using a modified version of cPanel, provides a baseline capability for managing user roles and permissions, although specifics are lacking. InterServer, by incorporating multiple control panel options, allows greater flexibility in creating detailed user roles and permissions. Resellers using InterServer’s DirectAdmin can manage client accounts directly, while HostMonster’s capabilities in this regard remain unexplored.

InterServer’s user interface benefits from the availability of cPanel, Plesk, and DirectAdmin, providing varied management tools to suit different user preferences. Its dedicated File Manager and private email hosting features further enrich the user experience. In contrast, HostMonster’s modified cPanel offers fewer insights into user-specific management tools beyond basic functions like account creation and permission settings. However, both platforms afford some level of user administration, albeit more comprehensively detailed in InterServer’s case.

Access control measures in InterServer accommodate a wider array of user roles due to the various control panels it supports. The system can efficiently manage a growing number of users, as indicated by its reseller client management through DirectAdmin. HostMonster’s modified cPanel offers a streamlined approach but lacks the detailed user role and access control mentioned in InterServer’s description. Therefore, for scaling up and maintaining optimum access controls for numerous users, InterServer provides a more substantial solution.

InterServer user roles table:

🏆 Winner InterServer: Comprehensive 24/7 support, user-friendly control panels, and an extensive knowledgebase make InterServer a standout choice for hosting.

HostMonster and InterServer both provide round-the-clock support through multiple channels, including phone, live chat, and email/ticket systems, ensuring users can get timely assistance. HostMonster also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, free domain names for the first year, and SSL certificates with its hosting plans, features which are beneficial for new and small websites. Their customer service is reachable via toll-free phone numbers for US residents and has a comprehensive knowledgebase for self-help.

InterServer, on the other hand, excels in additional support services like proactive backups, free website migrations, and multiple control panel options such as cPanel and DirectAdmin for ease of use. Its support response time is notably fast, typically resolving issues within 48 hours, and it includes features like unlimited email accounts with spam filtering and SSL encryption. The availability of cPanel, Webuzo, and Plesk for VPS, along with an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, makes InterServer the more robust choice for users seeking reliability and extensive support capabilities.

Hostmonster vs Interserver: User feedback

HostMonster receives mixed reviews from users, with positive feedback highlighting its affordable pricing, reliable uptime, and quick website loading times. Users also appreciate the extensive range of features such as addons for security, easy integration with MySQL, and a generally good customer service experience. However, many users find the user interface to be difficult to navigate, particularly for non-technical individuals, and note that technical support can be inconsistent, often more focused on sales than solving issues. Additionally, unexpected costs and technical limitations like frequent PHP updates and challenges with deploying large applications have also been pointed out as significant drawbacks.

User feedback on the hosting provider paints a mixed picture. Many users commend the provider for its affordable, straightforward pricing and extensive features like unlimited storage and bandwidth, free SSL certificates, and a user-friendly control panel. The customer support, while generally prompt and effective, has garnered both praise and criticism, especially due to the lack of a dedicated phone support line and sometimes long live chat wait times. However, performance issues such as inconsistent server speed, downtime, and occasional loss of data have been frequent points of frustration for users.

Hostmonster vs Interserver: FAQ