Final verdict
Looking over InMotion vs. Leaseweb, 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.
-
Leaseweb (Overall grade: 8.0)
impresses with a high-performance infrastructure, including a 99.999% uptime guarantee and data centers in key global locations. The platform’s robust network capacity and vigilant monitoring ensure excellent reliability and swift problem resolution. Leaseweb provides managed cyber security services and scalable VPS hosting, catering to enterprises and high-traffic websites. However, user management and ease of use may require a learning curve due to more detailed configurations and fewer out-of-the-box solutions compared to its competitor. Hosting plans from Leaseweb are competitively priced, particularly for enterprise solutions, despite noted areas for improvement in user experience and additional costs.
InMotion Hosting (Overall grade: 8.4)
stands out with its user-friendly cPanel, NVMe SSD storage for faster speeds, and advanced WordPress and eCommerce hosting features. The platform excels in customer support availability, offering 24/7 U.S.-based service and free migration tools. Security measures are extensive, including free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and comprehensive compliance guidance. While having mixed reviews on server speed for lower-tier plans and occasional high premium feature costs, InMotion provides a highly accessible, scalable, and secure hosting option, proving particularly favorable for multimedia websites and businesses prioritizing usability and security.
 Overall grade:8.4 |
 Overall grade:8.0 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Uptime and Availability | 8.2 | 8.7 |
| Hosting Performance | 8.3 | 8.6 |
| Hosting Security | 8.7 | 8.3 |
| Price | 7.9 | 8.3 |
| Hosting Features | 8.2 | 6.8 |
| Ease Of Setup | 8.6 | 7.1 |
| User Management | 8.7 | 7.0 |
| Customer Support | 8.3 | 9.1 |
| User feedback | 3.9/5 | 2.8/5 |
Hosting types offered
Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Shared hosting | ||
| Cloud hosting | ||
| WordPress hosting | ||
| Ecommerce hosting | ||
| VPS hosting | ||
| Dedicated hosting |
Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.
features, making it a better choice for businesses prioritizing long-term growth and stability in their ecommerce endeavors.
Detailed comparison
Uptime and availability
Evaluates the average uptime statistics, uptime guarantee and overall availability of the hosting
provider
Score Components:
- Uptime percentage (30%): evaluates the uptime statistics in given period of time
- Uptime guarantee (20%): Assesses if the platform offers an uptime guarantee and
whether the actual uptime matches the promised guarantee. - General performance (25%): Evaluates how fast is the average response time and overall
it’s stability. - Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Availability (25%): Reflects the total downtime and number of outages.
8.2
8.7
🏆 Winner
Leaseweb: Leaseweb stands out with its 99.999% core uptime guarantee and robust infrastructure. Its data centers in key global locations enhance availability and performance. The extensive network capacity and vigilant monitoring ensure high reliability. Incident resolution and daily configuration backups contribute to data security.
InMotion Hosting demonstrates consistent uptime performance across various plans but lacks explicit guarantees. Its shared hosting achieved 100% uptime in 2022, and managed WordPress hosting claims 99.99% uptime. Historical data shows a positive trend, yet detailed guarantees are not fully defined across all services.
Hosting performance
Score Components:
- Hosting speed (30%): This includes SSD quality, Load times, PageSpeed score ranges,
additional information on website speed, built-in plugins for performance enhancement, available caching
methods, and CPU/RAM options - CDN (20%): Considers whether CDN is available or not, whether it’s free or paid, and
the quality of the CDN service - Available data centers (30%): Evaluates the number of data centers and their locations
globally. - Scalibility (20%): Looks at whether elastic scaling is available, the process required
to scale (manual upgrade vs. automatic scaling), the presence of dedicated servers, and the costs
associated with scaling.
8.3
8.6
🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Leaseweb offers top-tier high-performance servers and extensive global connectivity.
When comparing hosting speed, InMotion utilizes UltraStack Technology with NVMe SSD storage, ensuring up to 20x faster website speeds. Leaseweb boasts powerful compute capabilities with CPUs up to 64 cores and top-tier hardware, resulting in high performance and attractive pricing. InMotion offers advanced caching methods, including object caching, while Leaseweb provides flexible configurations and high IOPS. Both providers have multiple data centers, but Leaseweb’s network is more extensive with 43 points of presence globally compared to InMotion’s data centers in the USA and Europe.
Website Speed
InMotion uses UltraStack Technology and advanced caching to boost website speed, claiming up to 20x faster performance. Additionally, NVMe SSD storage further enhances load times. Leaseweb, on the other hand, leverages high-tier data center hardware and dedicated single-tenant physical servers, eliminating hypervisor taxes and noisy neighbors. Standard port speeds of up to 100Gbps also ensure faster data handling compared to InMotion’s offerings.
Scalability
InMotion provides a range of scalable plans from shared to dedicated servers, allowing businesses to upgrade as needed. Their dedicated hosting starts at $35.00 per month and includes managed or unmanaged options. Leaseweb offers flexible server configurations and high-performance servers with scalable bandwidth options, but specific information about the cost of scaling is not provided. Both offer dedicated servers, but scaling with Leaseweb involves configurable servers, which might require manual upgrades for specific needs.
Hosting security
and regulatory requirements
Score Components:
- Technical security measures (40%): This includes encryption, firewalls, DDoS
protection, secure configurations, server monitoring, access control and availability of security addons
(e.g Sitelock security). - Operational security measures (30%): Encompasses data privacy, backups and data
redundancy. - Compliance and certifications (20%): Adherence to legal and regulatory requirements
(e.g., GDPR, HIPAA) and possession of certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, SOC 2). - Business and reliability (10%): Factors in the provider’s reputation, uptime
guarantees, and customer support.
8.7
8.3
🏆 Winner
InMotion Hosting: Offers robust security measures and comprehensive compliance features for its users.
Both InMotion Hosting and Leaseweb, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.
Technical security measures:
InMotion Hosting provides free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, automatic malware detection, and firewall software including Modsec Firewall. It supports both PHP 7 and PHP 8, enabling JIT compilation and enhanced security features. On the other hand, Leaseweb offers SSL certificates and similar DDoS protection using scrubbing centers to reroute attacks. In terms of customizable security, Leaseweb provides custom profiles and rules, along with integrated dashboards for monitoring. However, Leaseweb does not specify the PHP versions it supports.
Operational security measures:
InMotion Hosting includes a backup manager with automatic, off-server backups, SSH access for secure server connections, and tools for spam protection. Additionally, it has safe application roll-backs and offers guidance for PCI compliance. Leaseweb offers managed cyber security services, including a SIEM SOC service with 24/7 monitoring and penetration testing through their collaboration with Northwave. Leaseweb’s managed cyber security solutions provide a proactive approach to threat detection, but it does not offer comprehensive spam protection or safe app roll-backs like InMotion.
Compliance and certifications:
InMotion Hosting is compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and provides guidance for PCI compliance. It also addresses DMCA, trademark, and doxxing violations. Leaseweb complies with GDPR and PCI DSS and outlines a detailed cookie policy for transparency. Both hosting providers take considerable steps to ensure compliance with various regulatory requirements, albeit with some differences in their scope and additional certifications.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
SSL certificate |
Free SSL certificates included with all plans |
Yes |
Additional security features |
DDoS protection, Malware detection, Firewall, SSH Access, Backup Manager, Spam Experts |
Managed Cyber Security, Penetration Testing, Custom Profiles, Dashboards |
PHP versions |
PHP 7, PHP 8 |
Not specified |
GDPR compliance |
Yes |
Yes |
HIPAA compliance |
Not specified |
Not specified |
PCI compliance |
Guidance provided, upgrade to VPS or Dedicated recommended |
Yes |
Hosting features
Score Components:
- Domains (20%): Assesses the availability of a free domain, domain purchase options, and
pricing - Email (15%): Considers if the provider offers full email hosting, or is reselling
third-party service, and if the email is only transactional or not - Website builder (15%): Checks if website builder is available, and it’s user
friendliness and overall the level of customization allowed. - Staging environment (20%): Determines if a staging environment is available, allowing
for testing changes before going live. - FTP & SFTP accounts (10%): Evaluates if and how easily users can access FTP and
SFTP accounts - Git and SSH access (20%): Assess whether Git is integrated into the hosting service and
if SSH access is provided
8.2
6.8
Price
Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
7.9
8.3
🏆 Winner Leaseweb: Competitive pricing with a wide range of enterprise solutions to meet varied 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.
Comparing the price plans of InMotion Hosting and Leaseweb reveals distinct differences. InMotion’s WordPress hosting starts at $3.69 per month, offering extensive features like free domain, SSL, and website builder, and reaches up to $13.49 per month for advanced performance. Leaseweb’s web hosting starts at €5.99 (~$6.96) per month but offers varying storage capacities and limited mailboxes. The Dedicated Hosting from Leaseweb begins at $44.61 per month with significant hardware, while InMotion starts at $35.00 per month for configurable servers and has multiple advanced options. For enterprises seeking higher bandwidth and better resource allocation, Leaseweb provides high-end dedicated server options up to $303.21 per month, whereas InMotion offers a more structured but less varied dedicated hosting portfolio.
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
WP Launch $4.99
Free domain & SSL, 25 websites, unlimited NVMe SSD, unlimited bandwidth, 6x UltaStack speed & performance, unlimited email addresses, security suite, free SSL, hack & malware protection, DDoS protection, automatic backups, Monarx security, marketing tools, website builder, email on any device, free advertising credits, customer management tools, 4 PHP workers per site, advanced caching, dedicated opcode cache pool, hosting plus (Python, Node.JS, Ruby and GIT version control), WordPress Multisite, WordPress staging tool, choice of data center location, live phone and chat support from helpful humans. Value for price:8.0
|
Small – Linux €5.99 (~$6.96)
1 domain, 25GB SSD, 5 MySQL databases, 10 mailboxes, 1-day delivery. Value for price:7.2
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
Web Hosting $12.99
Free domain & SSL, free website builder, free premium themes & plugins, advanced caching, unlimited email addresses. Value for price:7.8
|
Medium – Linux €8.99 (~$10.45)
1 domain, 100GB SSD, 10 MySQL databases, 50 mailboxes, 1-day delivery. Value for price:7.7
|
|
Core $3.19
2 websites, 100GB SSD, unlimited bandwidth, 2x speed and performance, 10 email addresses, security suite, free SSL, hack & malware protection, DDoS protection, automatic backups available, Monarx security, marketing tools, website builder, email on any device, free advertising credits, customer management tools, hosting plus (Python, Node.JS, Ruby and GIT version control), choice of data center location, live chat support from helpful humans. Value for price:8.0
|
Large – Linux €10.99 (~$12.78)
1 domain, 250GB SSD, 50 MySQL databases, 250 mailboxes, 1-day delivery. Value for price:7.9
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
|
N/A
|
Public Cloud
Scalability on demand, advanced API automation, robust data sovereignty, no upfront investment, enhanced performance and availability with load-balancer. Value for price:8.3
|
Enterprise plans
InMotion offers Dedicated Hosting starting from $35.00 per month to $45.00 per month, with options for managed or unmanaged servers, 99.99% uptime, and Free SSL. These plans include security features, cPanel support, and a choice of data center locations. Leaseweb’s Dedicated Server Hosting spans from $44.61 to $80.79, featuring advanced hardware options like Intel Xeon processors, ample RAM, and large drives, with setup fees applicable. Leaseweb provides significant high-end options such as the Intel Octa-Core Xeon E-2388G for $203.69, accommodating enterprises with substantial resource needs. Overall, Leaseweb offers more extensive enterprise plans with higher-tier hardware, making it a decisive winner for enterprise-level hosting.
Ease of setup
platform.
Score Components:
- Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration,
either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. - Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the
standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both
technical and non-technical users. - Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup
features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN
configuration. - Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s
help center resources, including articles and tutorials.
8.6
7.1
🏆 Winner InMotion Hosting: A user-friendly hosting provider with extensive support and easy setup options.
InMotion Hosting features the standard cPanel, which is known for its accessibility and ease of use. It includes a demo for users to get accustomed to the interface and provides one-click installs for popular applications like WordPress and Laravel. This makes it beneficial for both technical and non-technical users, as the interface is straightforward and features are easily accessible. Leaseweb, on the other hand, offers a customer portal that requires setup after account creation. While functional, it might not be as immediately intuitive for those unfamiliar with hosting environments. The user-friendliness might take a hit as it doesn’t feature one-click installs, and it requires users to follow up with more detailed configurations manually.
Comparing the overall accessibility, InMotion’s cPanel is more user-friendly, especially with its one-click installations and pre-configured settings. Leaseweb’s customer portal, despite being detailed, requires more steps and time to get accustomed to, which can be a hurdle for non-technical users. While both providers offer effective control panels, InMotion simplifies the process with fewer steps and a more engaging user interface.
InMotion Hosting stands out with free migration tools, enabling a quick and seamless website transfer. Users can move their websites without any downtime using the provided cPanel backup. For complex migrations, their Launch Assist service offers to transfer all files and databases. Leaseweb does not highlight any specific free migration tools, which suggests manual intervention might be required. This can introduce potential hurdles and added costs for users looking to switch their hosting to Leaseweb.
InMotion Hosting provides 24/7 U.S.-based support via multiple channels, including live chat, phone, and ticketing. Their online support center offers step-by-step education channels, forums, and WordPress tutorials. Advanced needs are met with premier support services, and managed hosting covers various technical aspects. Leaseweb’s comprehensive knowledge base spans multiple products and services but lacks specialized tutorials like those for WordPress offered by InMotion. This disparity suggests users might find InMotion’s support more accessible and tailored to diverse needs.
User management
accessibility.
Score Components:
- Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
8.7
7.0
🏆 Winner InMotion: A comprehensive user management system with customizable roles for improved workflow efficiency.
When comparing the user management features of InMotion Hosting and Leaseweb, InMotion clearly provides a more detailed approach to managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. InMotion’s WordPress integration allows for the creation of various user roles such as administrators, editors, authors, contributors, and subscribers, each with specific permissions. This detailed system facilitates better workflow and ensures that users can be assigned roles that match their level of engagement and responsibility. Leaseweb, while offering various control panels like Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta, and a Customer Portal, does not provide explicit details on the customizability and depth of user roles. The use of control panels implies some level of user management, but the specifics are not as clear or extensive as those provided by InMotion.
In terms of user interfaces and tools, InMotion utilizes WordPress plugins such as the User Role Editor, which provides an intuitive interface for creating and managing user roles. Additionally, InMotion supports the use of WP-CLI for command-line management of user roles, adding another layer of flexibility. Leaseweb’s control panels (Plesk, cPanel, and Vesta) provide standard interfaces for user and website management, but without specific details on user role editor functionality, it is harder to gauge their effectiveness compared to InMotion’s tailored WordPress tools.
When assessing access control measures and the capacity to manage a growing number of users, InMotion demonstrates robust capabilities through its defined WordPress roles and the ability to add role-specific capabilities via plugins or WP-CLI. This ensures scalable user management as the website grows. Leaseweb’s infrastructure management through the Customer Portal or API likely includes user management, but without explicit details on access control measures and scalability, it is challenging to consider it on par with InMotion’s offerings.
InMotion user roles table:
| Role | Description | Access highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Administrator | Full access to all site administration features. | Can manage all aspects of the site, including user roles. |
| Editor | Can publish and manage all users’ posts. | Full content management capabilities, excluding user roles. |
| Author | Can publish and manage their own posts. | Limited to their content but has publishing rights. |
| Contributor | Can write and manage their own posts, but cannot publish. | Can save drafts and manage their content, needs approval. |
| Subscriber | Can manage their profile. | Only profile management, no content creation capabilities. |
Customer support
hosting provider.
Score Components:
- Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types
provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) - Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7
support options. - Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive
technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web
server configuration changes. - Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services
for enterprise-level customers.
8.3
9.1
🏆 Winner Leaseweb: A high-performing hosting provider with a strong focus on customer service.
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Phone support |
||
Live chat support |
||
Chatbot |
||
Email/ticket support |
||
Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) |
InMotion Hosting provides extensive customer support through 24/7 phone and live chat, supplemented by email support and a detailed knowledge base. Their U.S.-based team offers routine monitoring and premier managed hosting services, which support fast issue resolution and customer satisfaction. While they offer a 90-day money-back guarantee and multiple data center locations, some users have reported unprofessional behavior and slow ticket responses.
Leaseweb also offers 24/7 support across various channels, including live chat, email, and phone. Their response time is highly dependent on the chosen service level agreement, varying from 30 minutes to 12 hours. In addition to standard support, they provide advanced services like incident monitoring, configuration changes, and managed software updates. Discounts are available for annual payments, and they have a multilingual website, which broadens their accessibility. Leaseweb’s comprehensive service level agreements and fast response times make them the preferable option in terms of customer support.
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.
The hosting provider excels in offering comprehensive services with impressive billing and contract flexibility, making it easier for businesses to manage their finances. Users appreciate the choice between “Volume” and “Premium” network options, which cater to different performance needs, and find the support and user interface to be intuitive and straightforward. However, customers have raised concerns about high charges for excess traffic, restrictive password policies, inconvenient login procedures, limited payment gateways, and a lack of variety in available system distributions. Overall, while the service is robust and user-friendly, there are areas in need of improvement to enhance the customer experience.
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites?
InMotion Hosting is better suited for hosting WordPress websites due to its specialized WordPress tools, easy setup, superior performance optimizations focused on speed and security, and its user-friendly cPanel. Leaseweb does not offer specific WordPress hosting plans, making InMotion the preferred choice for WordPress users.
Are both platforms suitable for beginners?
InMotion Hosting is more suitable for beginners due to its user-friendly cPanel interface, free website migration tools, and extensive customer support resources like 24/7 live chat and phone support. Leaseweb’s more detailed configurations and lack of out-of-the-box solutions may present a learning curve for beginners.
Which hosting service offers better security features?
InMotion Hosting offers better security features with free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, automatic malware detection, and comprehensive compliance guidance. Leaseweb also provides strong security measures including SSL and managed cyber security services, but InMotion’s extensive suite of built-in security tools and features gives it an edge.
Which platform offers better customer support?
InMotion Hosting stands out with 24/7 U.S.-based customer support available via phone, live chat, and email, complemented by a detailed knowledge base and managed hosting services. Leaseweb also offers 24/7 support but response times vary depending on service level agreements, making InMotion slightly more consistent in terms of customer support.
What are the differences in the control panels offered by each hosting service?
InMotion Hosting utilizes the popular and user-friendly cPanel, which simplifies website management with one-click installations and pre-configured settings. Leaseweb offers control panels like Plesk and a Customer Portal, which provide detailed configurations but may not be as immediately intuitive for users unfamiliar with hosting environments.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
