Inmotion Hosting vs A2 Hosting: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over InMotion vs. A2 Hosting, both providers offer unique strengths tailored to different user needs.

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  InMotion Hosting (Overall grade: 8.4)
  
  
  excels with its range of hosting plans, solid performance metrics, and strong security measures. With features like advanced caching, NVMe SSD storage, and a 99.99% uptime guarantee, it ensures high-speed performance and reliability. Additionally, InMotion provides robust security through automatic malware scanning, DDoS protection, and GDPR compliance, making it ideal for e-commerce sites, agencies, and businesses requiring top-notch security. However, some users have reported slower performance on lower-tier plans and occasionally sluggish customer support.
  
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  A2 Hosting (Overall grade: 8.1)
  
  
  is renowned for its exceptional uptime, versatile hosting options, and customer support. Their Turbo plans, featuring Turbo Cache and NVMe drives, ensure up to 20x faster page loads, backed by a 99.9% uptime guarantee. A2 Hosting also stands out for providing extended support services, including Imunify360 security and Patchman for vulnerability fixes. The provider offers flexible and cost-effective plans suitable for a variety of needs, although the higher pricing tiers may deter smaller businesses or individual users on a budget. Users appreciate its performance and support but note occasional issues with pricing and support consistency.
  

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: A2 Hosting: A2 Hosting guarantees 99.9% uptime and has shown exceptional uptime performance in recent years.

A2 Hosting ensures a consistent hosting experience with a 99.9% uptime guarantee for all their clients. Historical data backs this up, showing impressive uptime percentages of 99.99% in both 2020 and 2022, with 2021 close behind at 99.98%. In specific testing periods, A2 Hosting achieved a flawless 100% uptime, reinforcing their reliability.

InMotion Hosting offers a variety of hosting plans with strong uptime claims but lacks explicit guarantees for many of their services. Managed WordPress hosting boasts a 99.99% uptime claim, and 2022 saw a perfect 100% uptime for shared hosting plans. Historical data shows dependable performance, gradually improving from 99.73% in 2020 to 100% uptime in 2022.

InMotion Hosting delivers good performance but falls short of A2 Hosting’s consistent uptime. With a clear 99.9% uptime guarantee and near-perfect historical uptime, A2 Hosting stands out as the more reliable choice for website hosting.

🏆 Winner
InMotion Hosting: For users who prioritize speed and advanced technological infrastructure, InMotion Hosting is more suitable for high-demand websites that require reliable and fast global access.

InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting both offer SSD storage and free CDN integration to enhance hosting performance and speed. InMotion Hosting, however, showcases faster load times with a heavyweight theme clocked at 1.69 seconds, compared to A2 Hosting’s 4.85 seconds. InMotion Hosting operates 11 global data centers, which surpasses A2 Hosting’s six, potentially offering better local loading speeds and content delivery. Moreover, InMotion Hosting’s technology is more up-to-date, which may contribute to its superior performance.

Website Speed

InMotion Hosting excels in website speed with up to 20x faster website speeds through UltraStack Technology and NVMe SSD, 40x faster I/O with High-Performance VPS, and advanced caching which ensures rapid load times. A2 Hosting, while also quick, uses Turbo Cache and up to 3x faster NVMe drives, with a 40% faster CPU performance. Both providers excel in speed but InMotion’s technology offers a slight edge in throughput and page loading efficiency.

Scalability

Both hosting providers offer scalability options tailored to varying needs; however, InMotion Hosting provides a more customized approach with its custom cloud plans where resources can be configured to user requirements. A2 Hosting also offers a variety of hosting types, including shared and dedicated servers, with tiered pricing to accommodate different user levels.

🏆 Winner InMotion Hosting: Offers an extensive range of security features and regulatory compliance.
Both InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

In terms of technical security measures, both InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting provide free SSL certificates with their plans to secure transactions and customer data. InMotion Hosting supports PHP 7 and PHP 8, whereas A2 Hosting supports various PHP versions and extensions. A2 Hosting employs the Imunify360 security suite, which includes an Intrusion Prevention and Detection system, while InMotion Hosting offers DDoS protection with Corero’s technology and automatic malware detection. Both offer SSH access for secure file transfers, but A2 Hosting adds ModSecurity for real-time traffic monitoring. Additionally, InMotion includes a Backup Manager for automatic backups, which enhances data recovery.

Operational security measures:

On the operational front, InMotion Hosting has robust protection measures such as Modsec Firewall and automatic malware scanning. It also offers tools like Spam Experts to filter spam and Backup Manager for data redundancy. A2 Hosting, on the other hand, provides Two-Factor Authentication for an added layer of security and Patchman for automatic vulnerability fixes. They both support secure file access via SSH, but A2 Hosting includes protections like reCAPTCHA on comments and login and the ability to change login URLs. Both ensure safe application rollback features to mitigate impacts of updates or attacks.

Compliance and certifications:

In the realm of regulatory compliance, InMotion Hosting is GDPR and CCPA compliant and has policies for DMCA, trademark, and doxxing violations. It guides on meeting PCI compliance, recommending VPS or dedicated servers for full compliance. A2 Hosting supports GDPR and provides options for PCI compliance through third-party providers but does not claim HIPAA or SSAE 16 compliance.

🏆 Winner
InMotion Hosting: A highly reliable and feature-rich host that shines in performance and security.

Both InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting offer competitive features across their various hosting plans. InMotion Hosting stands out with its advanced features such as NVMe SSD storage for fast website speeds, automatic backups for data security, and multiple data centers strategically placed in the USA and Europe. InMotion also includes a robust cPanel, ensuring user-friendly management, and comprehensive developer tools like support with Python, Node.JS, Ruby, and Git version control, making it a versatile option for different user groups. Additionally, InMotion’s security suite provides extensive protection against hacks and malware, coupled with DDoS prevention for enhanced security.

A2 Hosting, on the other hand, offers an array of specialized hosting plans such as Shared, Managed WordPress, VPS, Dedicated Server, and Reseller Hosting, catering to a wide range of user needs. A2’s unique selling points include free website migration, TurboServers for up to 20 times faster page loads, and a 99.9% uptime commitment. A2 Hosting also offers a choice of data center locations, free SSL certificates, and the Imunify360 security suite. Although A2 Hosting provides solid performance and a variety of options, its higher pricing tiers could be a drawback for smaller businesses or individual users on a budget.

Email services:

InMotion Hosting allows users to create and manage professional email addresses as part of their hosting plans, making it suitable for businesses that require transactional emails and email hosting under their domain. A2 Hosting, powered by Titan, offers comprehensive email hosting features, including multi-account access, configurable webmail & mobile app, and shareable contacts, making it ideal for businesses that need robust email management capabilities. Both hosts excel in providing reliable and feature-rich email services, but A2 Hosting’s enhanced email platform powered by Titan may appeal to users needing extensive collaboration functionalities.

🏆 Winner
A2 Hosting: A versatile hosting provider with flexible and cost-effective plans that cater to a wide range of needs.

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.

InMotion Hosting offers a variety of plans across different hosting categories, including web hosting starting at $12.99/mo and WordPress hosting starting at $3.69/mo. They provide robust features such as free domain and SSL certificates, advanced caching, and multiple email addresses. Conversely, A2 Hosting focuses on shared hosting plans like Startup, Drive, Turbo Boost, and Turbo Max, with prices starting from $2.99/mo and unique features such as Turbo servers for faster speed, unlimited NVMe SSD storage, and extensive support options. A2 Hosting’s diversified and economically appealing plans make them a preferred choice for many.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, InMotion Hosting’s top-end plans like their $49.99/mo Reseller Hosting and $45.00/mo Dedicated Hosting offer high storage, unlimited bandwidth, multiple IP addresses, and advanced security features. A2 Hosting, with their $249.99 Warp 1 Dedicated Server plan, provides powerful servers, extensive SSD storage, and comprehensive management and support services. Among these, the A2 Hosting Warp 1 plan, although pricier, delivers superior resources and management, ideal for large-scale enterprise needs.

🏆 Winner A2 Hosting: A2 Hosting provides quicker site setups with great pre-installed options and comprehensive admin tools.

InMotion Hosting utilizes cPanel, a widely-used control panel appreciated for its user-friendly interface and accessibility. Their control panel comes with a demo mode, making it easier for new users to become acquainted with its functions. The demo mode aids in reducing the learning curve for non-technical users. Moreover, InMotion’s straightforward navigation and organized structure ensure that both technical and non-technical users can operate smoothly.

on the other hand, offers a dual interface that combines a cPanel with its TurboHub, a dedicated WordPress control panel. This extra layer of management provides a streamlined approach for WordPress users. Pre-installed WordPress features reduce setup time, ensuring that even those with limited technical expertise can have a website running quickly. The user-friendly interface of both the cPanel and TurboHub makes the management of websites accessible and efficient.

Both InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting offer free site migration tools. InMotion Hosting provides free migration tools alongside their Launch Assist service, which transfers all files and databases for more intricate migrations. Similarly, A2 Hosting offers complimentary site migration service, ensuring minimal downtime and a smooth transition. Both solutions facilitate easy website migration processes, catering to users of varied technical skill levels.

The help center resources of each provider are comprehensive and focused on user support. InMotion Hosting offers a 24/7 U.S.-based support system, including live chat, ticketing, and phone support, alongside an extensive online support center and WordPress tutorials. A2 Hosting also features a rich knowledge base with various articles and categories, supplemented by their “Guru Crew Support” available 24/7/365 through multiple channels. Both hosting providers focus on providing ample resources and accessible support for their users.

🏆 Winner InMotion: A versatile hosting provider with advanced user role management for WordPress.

Both InMotion Hosting and A2 Hosting offer efficient user management capabilities, but they cater to different user needs. InMotion focuses on WordPress, allowing for the creation and customization of various user roles, such as administrators, editors, authors, contributors, and subscribers. These roles permit a wide range of interactions with the site, from full administrative control to simply managing a personal profile. On the other hand, A2 Hosting uses the Plesk control panel for user management, where roles can be created and managed with specific access to Plesk services. Users can grant or deny access to these services, allowing for a flexible yet straightforward approach to role management.

The user interfaces provided by both platforms are intuitive and effective but differ in their approach. InMotion Hosting’s WordPress interface is well-integrated, making the addition and management of user roles straightforward. Plugins like the User Role Editor further simplify role customization. Meanwhile, A2 Hosting’s use of the Plesk control panel offers a clean and accessible interface for managing user roles, with a dedicated section for creating, editing, and removing roles efficiently.

When it comes to access control and managing a growing number of users, InMotion’s WordPress capabilities allow for detailed control over user interactions. The ability to customize roles and their permissions via plugins or WP-CLI ensures flexibility and scalability. A2 Hosting, leveraging Plesk, provides efficient access control by allowing or denying service permissions. This method ensures that users have only the necessary access, which can be crucial for maintaining security and operational efficiency as the user base expands.

InMotion user roles table:

A2 Hosting user roles table:

🏆 Winner
A2 Hosting: Offering exceptional customer support options and ease of assistance.

A2 Hosting and InMotion Hosting both provide extensive 24/7 customer support services. A2 Hosting offers phone support, live chat, email support, and a knowledgebase, with their Guru Crew Support available around-the-clock. They also have a strong commitment to uptime and customer satisfaction, highlighted in their reviews.

InMotion Hosting matches these offerings with 24/7 phone support, live chat, email, and a comprehensive knowledge base. Additionally, their U.S.-based customer service team and step-by-step educational resources enhance the customer experience. Despite some reports of slow ticket responses, InMotion is appreciated for its reliability and dedicated service.

User feedback

InMotion Hosting receives mixed reviews from users, highlighting several strengths and weaknesses. Customers appreciate the variety of hosting plans, transparent pricing, robust uptime, and exceptional customer support. On the downside, some users experience slow servers on lower-tier plans and encounter long waiting times for customer support. Additionally, the platform’s user interface has received criticism for being somewhat difficult to navigate, and there are concerns about service outages and higher prices for premium features.

User feedback for the hosting provider shows a strong appreciation for their reliable performance, swift customer support, and user-friendly interface, making it a popular choice among many users. Several users praised the speed, uptime, and technical efficacy of their services, as well as the knowledgeable and responsive customer support. However, some users expressed concerns about the higher pricing, especially after the initial discounted period, and highlighted occasional issues with the responsiveness or expertise of support staff. Overall, the hosting provider has received positive reviews, but improvements in support consistency and pricing transparency could enhance user satisfaction further.

FAQ