TL;DR: What We Think of Hostinger
Hostinger’s affordable sign-up prices are just one of the reasons why they are considered a top choice for cheap web hosting. Despite the low entry cost, Hostinger delivers impressive speed and strong uptime performance, which makes it a reliable option even for users with more demanding websites. However, be mindful of the higher renewal rates when planning your long-term budget.
Suitable for:
Beginners-friendly, Budget, Small Business, or International Website
Exclusive Deal: Get an Extra 10% Discount at Hostinger!
Use promo code ‘HOSTSCORE’ at checkout to enjoy an additional 10% discount on your first bill. Click here to claim your discount and start saving with Hostinger today!
Hostinger Pros & Cons
Hostinger Pros
- Affordable – Lowest plan starts at $2.99/mo and support up to 100 websites
- Nine different data centers in four continents
- Good spread of web hosting plans
- User-friendly proprietary control panel (hPanel).
- Wide range of payment options accepted
- AI-powered website builder in all shared plans
- Additional 10% discount with coupon code “HOSTSCORE”
Hostinger Cons
- Price increase during the renewal
- Does not support Windows hosting
Evaluating Hostinger: A Breakdown of Performance, Security, and Other Key Features
Hostinger traces its origins back to 2004 when it began as Hosting Media, a brainchild of enterprising youth in Kaunas, Lithuania. Their journey of innovation commenced with the launch of 000webhost.com in 2007, followed by the establishment of the esteemed cPanel brand Hosting24.com in 2008.
The pivotal year of 2011 heralded the rise of Hostinger, accompanied by its bespoke hPanel interface. In 2016, Hostinger unveiled its cutting-edge cloud hosting service, marking another milestone in its remarkable evolution. In 2021, the company celebrated a significant milestone with the addition of its 1,000th employee, reinforcing its status as a premier provider of web hosting solutions.
In the following sections, we’ll take a closer look at how Hostinger performs across critical areas like hosting speed, server security, customer support, and overall value.
What Can You Expect from Hostinger in Terms of Speed & Uptime Performance?
Yes, Hostinger speed faster than average and provides reliable uptime. We have been tracking Hostinger’s hosting performance for years, and the web host consistently impresses us with its solid uptime record (see live result here). Images below shows recent uptime record of our test site hosted at Hostinger platform.
Hostinger’s lowest shared plan offers basic performance optimization, including Litespeed Server and built-in caching mechanism. For those who need more, their higher shared hosting plans include a number of speed upgrades such as NVMe SSD storage, free CDN, and 4x enhanged processing power. Additionally, the company publishes their server and network service status publicly, click here to visit.
Is Your Website Safe with Hostinger’s Security Measures?
Yes, websites hosted at Hostinger are safe. The hosting provider implements a range of security measures designed to protect your data and ensure website reliability. Key server security features include:
- Web Application Firewall (WAF), which blocks potential threats before they reach your site.
- Automatic Malware Scanning, which identifies and removes harmful code to prevent damage.
Daily backups are included as a standard feature, allowing for quick restoration of your website in case of any issues. Additionally, Hostinger offers free SSL certificates with an easy installation system, enabling users to secure their websites effortlessly. This encrypts communication and protects the data exchanged between your site and its visitors.
With these measures in place, you can trust that your website is well-protected against online risks.
What Can You Expect from Hostinger’s Customer Support?
Hostinger offers a range of 24×7 customer support options to ensure users get timely assistance. Help is available via live chat and email. Additionally, you can also access the knowledge base for self-help guides and troubleshooting. User feedback on customer support is overwhelmingly positive, with fast response times and knowledgeable representatives consistently praised for their effectiveness in resolving issues.
Is Hostinger’s Pricing Justified by the Value and Features It Offers?
Hostinger’s pricing is attractive when compared to its features and long-term value. The lowest shared hosting plan, named ‘Premium’ starts at $2.99 per month (renewing at $7.99 per month). This plan allows you to host up to 100 websites and includes 24/7 customer support, a free domain name, daily backups, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Higher-tier plans are also affordable, with VPS hosting starting at $4.49 per month and cloud hosting at $9.99 per month.
Why we believe Hostinger offers the best value in budget hosting?
Here are a few reasons why we believe Hostinger delivers the best value for budget-conscious users:
Additional Benefits for New Signups
Currently, new signups benefit from an exceptional offer. All shared hosting plans come with 3 months free. Plus, using our exclusive promo code ‘HOSTSCORE’ provides an additional 10% discount – which makes them even cheaper.
Extensive Features in Basic Shared Plans
Hostinger’s basic shared hosting plan is particularly generous:
- Host Up to 100 Websites: Unlike many competitors who limit basic plans to a single website, Hostinger allows you to host up to 100.
- Comprehensive Freebies: This plan includes a free domain name, free pre-built templates, and advanced WordPress features like speed optimization with LiteSpeed, WP-CLI, SSH access, and WordPress Multisite. These features are typically reserved for higher-tier plans with other providers, making Hostinger’s offering exceptional at this price point.
Enhanced Value in Mid-Level Plans
For just $1 more per month, the mid-level shared hosting plan offers various additional benefits including object cache for WordPress, on-demand backups, a WordPress staging tool, and daily backups. These features add significant value, considering that many other hosts charge $25-$40 per year for auto-backup services alone.
Generous Inode Allowances
Hostinger’s inode limits are impressively high for shared hosting. Lowest shared plan allows up to 400,000 inodes and mid-level shared plan allows up to 600,000! These allowances are among the highest available for shared hosting plans at this price point, ensuring that even sites with extensive files and data can operate smoothly.
How is Hostinger Rated Based on Overall Market Satisfaction?
Based on our collected feedback and market research, user satisfaction with Hostinger is generally positive,
Customers often commend Hostinger for its excellent customer service, noting the expertise and patience of the support team in resolving issues. Many also appreciate the affordability of the shared hosting plans. The ease of use, especially with the user-friendly hPanel interface, is another recurring theme.
While there are occasional complaints about server speed and customer service availability, these are less common than the positive remarks.
For additional insights, please refer to the user reviews section below.
Is Hostinger Suitable for Beginners?
Yes, Hostinger is an excellent choice for beginners, and here’s why. The platform uses a custom-built hPanel rather than the standard cPanel, setting it apart from many hosting providers. The hPanel is designed to be more user-friendly, offering a streamlined interface for managing websites, domains, and emails. This makes Hostinger an excellent choice for beginners who may find traditional control panels overwhelming (see screenshot below).
All Hostinger shared hosting plans include a no-code website-building tool that simplifies the entire process. Originally launched as “Zyro” and now rebranded as the Hostinger Website Builder (HWB), this tool comes equipped with an AI-powered website generator, a drag-and-drop editor, and 150+ pre-designed templates. This makes it incredibly easy for users to create professional-looking websites with minimal effort. Customizing layouts, adding content, and making changes require no technical skills, making it perfect for beginners.
For those who’re interested to learn more about HWB, check out our detailed review for further insights.
Hostinger also stands out with its one-click installer for over 100 apps, including WordPress, Joomla, and other popular CMS platforms, allowing even those with no technical background to get their websites online quickly. Additionally, 24/7 multilingual customer support is available, ensuring that first-time users have access to help whenever they need it, whether for setup or troubleshooting.
Is Hostinger Suitable for Small Businesses?
Yes, Hostinger is an excellent option for small businesses. It combines affordability with features tailored to meet the specific needs of smaller business operations.
Scalability
Businesses can start small with Hostinger’s cheap hosting plans and easily upgrade as they grow. Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans are particularly useful for expanding businesses. These plans provide dedicated resources, allowing companies to handle traffic spikes without the need to switch to costly enterprise-level services. With NVMe storage included, Hostinger ensures fast website performance, a key factor in maintaining customer satisfaction and driving conversions.
Easy to Launch
Hostinger’s eCommerce Website Builder makes launching an online store easy. No coding skills are required. The platform offers tools for inventory management, payment gateways, and customizable templates, allowing small businesses to create professional online stores quickly and efficiently. For those who prefer WordPress, Hostinger fully supports WooCommerce integration, providing flexibility to build a feature-rich Woo store.
Another benefit is the Hostinger Website Builder, included in all hosting plans. It comes with a drag-and-drop editor and over 150 pre-designed templates. Small business owners can create a polished, professional website without technical expertise, saving time and costs on development.
In terms of communication, Hostinger offers Professional Email Hosting plans, which provide custom business email addresses. These plans include spam filters, virus protection, and multiple email aliases—helping businesses present a professional image to their customers.
Wide Choice in Server Locations
Hostinger’s global server network ensures fast load times, even for international customers. This is crucial for small businesses targeting global audiences. Combined with 24/7 customer support and automatic backups, Hostinger offers a reliable and scalable solution for small businesses looking to build and expand their online presence.
Is Hostinger Suitable for Web Developers?
Hostinger is a decent option for web developers, though it’s not the most outstanding choice. It provides several essential features that developers need to work efficiently, but it may fall short for those seeking more advanced tools and flexibility.
Developer-Friendly Tools in Shared Hosting
Hostinger includes key developer tools in all shared hosting plans. These include WP-CLI, GIT access, multiple PHP versions, SSH access, and unlimited cron jobs. These tools allow developers to manage their projects, automate tasks, and switch between PHP versions easily. However, while these features are useful, they are quite standard in the hosting industry and don’t necessarily make Hostinger stand out for advanced development needs.
WordPress Staging Tools
For developers working on WordPress projects, Hostinger’s WordPress staging tool is available in higher-tier shared hosting plans. This feature allows you to create a copy of your website for testing changes before pushing them live. It’s useful for WordPress development but is only accessible with premium plans, making it less available for developers on a budget.
Affordable Unmanaged VPS Hosting
Hostinger offers cheap unmanaged VPS hosting, which is a good option for developers who are comfortable managing their own servers. The unmanaged VPS gives developers root access, providing full control over server configurations and custom installations. However, it’s important to note that support for VPS is minimal, and it’s more suited for developers who know their way around server management.
Is It Possible to Host Custom Email with Hostinger?
Yes, you can host your own email accounts with Hostinger. This significantly reduces your costs by eliminating the need for expensive third-party email services.
How Easy Is the Onboarding Process with Hostinger?
Onboarding with Hosting can be quite reassuring as they seem to have country-specific sites. This means that when you start the buy-in process you’ll be looking at familiar local currencies instead of facing only the US dollar everywhere.
You can choose a contract period of a month, annual, bi-annual or every four years, and this is where you realize that the massive discount promised is only valid on their longest-term contract. Once payment is made, just hang on a little while and you’ll start receiving your account details from their automated system.
Hostinger uses hPanel as its client management system. You can manage all Hostinger products and account details within the same dashboard. The tool serves as a simple alternative to cPanel. You can also manage your web hosting functions such as domain, DNS zone editor, configure hotlink protection, file and database manager, set up passwords, and more using Hostinger’s hPanel.
Does Hostinger Offer a Free Trial?
Yes, Hostinger offers a 30-day free trial period. If you are not satisfied with their services for any reason, you can cancel within this period and receive a full refund.
Try now: Visit & Sign Up at Hostinger Official Website
Hostinger Plans & Pricing
Hostinger provides a range of web hosting plans designed to meet the needs of different users, including Shared, VPS, and Cloud Hosting. The company also offers specialty services such as Managed WordPress, Adult Websites, Email, and Game Server Hosting.
- Shared Hosting: Starting from $2.99 – $9.99 per month
- VPS Hosting: Starting from $4.49 – $19.99 per month
- Cloud Hosting: Starting from $9.99 – $29.99 per month
- WordPress Hosting: Starting from $2.49 – $8.99 per month
- Email Hosting: Starting from $0.99 – $2.99 per month
Web hosting prices are subject to change, and promotional rates may only be available for a limited time or for new customers. To ensure you get the most accurate and current pricing details, we recommend visiting the official Hostinger website.
Exclusive Deal: Get an Extra 10% Discount at Hostinger!
Use promo code ‘HOSTSCORE’ at checkout to enjoy an additional 10% discount on your first bill. Click here to claim your discount and start saving with Hostinger today!
Consider Renewal Prices When Choosing
When evaluating hosting options, keep in mind that many providers offer substantial discounts during the initial signup period, but prices can rise significantly upon renewal. It’s crucial to research and compare renewal rates alongside introductory offers to get a clear picture of the long-term cost.
To help you in making an informed decision, we have prepared a summary table below comparing the initial signup and renewal costs of Hostinger services with several other providers we monitor.
Compare Hostinger’s Signup Cost Against Competitors
Web Host | Shared Hosting Signup Fees | Shared Hosting Renewal Fees | VPS Hosting Signup Fees | VPS Hosting Renewal Fees |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hostinger | $2.99 – 9.99/mo | $7.99 – 24.99/mo | $4.49 – 19.99/mo | $13.99 – 59.99/mo |
Web.com | $2.95 – 6.95/mo | $9.99 – 16.99/mo | $ – /mo | $ – /mo |
LiquidWeb | $ – /mo | $ – /mo | $20.00 – 55.00/mo | $20.00 – 55.00/mo |
DreamHost | $2.95 – 2.95/mo | $6.99 – 12.99/mo | $13.75 – 110.00/mo | $15.99 – 114.99/mo |
HostWinds | $5.24 – 8.24/mo | $6.99 – 10.99/mo | $8.24 – 395.24/mo | $10.99 – 526.99/mo |
AltusHost | $10.92 – 27.39/mo | $10.92 – 27.39/mo | $17.52 – 70.23/mo | $17.52 – 70.23/mo |
Caution: Prices May Vary Web hosting prices can change frequently. For the most accurate and up-to-date pricing information, please visit the official Hostinger website.
Final Thought: Is Hostinger Right for You?
Hostinger delivers impressive performance at a low cost, with a simple, user-friendly dashboard that makes setup easy – even for beginners. The host’s global server locations and scalable plans ensure support for users at all levels, from novices to those with more advanced needs.
The pricing is particularly attractive, making Hostinger an ideal choice for freelancers, small business owners, and beginners. However, keep in mind that renewal rates increase significantly after the initial term, so it’s important to consider long-term costs before committing.
For additional savings, use our promo code “HostScore” for a 10% discount – apply it on your order page during signup (opens in a new tab).