This InterServer review seeks to lay down the facts of why this web hosting provider has such as large client base, and to dispel rumors that it’s merely another cheap domain hosting platform. Ultimately, InterServer does indeed offer cheap WordPress hosting as a specialty, but we found that after 20 years in the business this hasn’t meant any absence of quality. This superb web host delivers on its guarantee of excellence in service and support with a variety of plans that encompass shared, private VPS, and dedicated server solutions. Furthermore, with its own private datacenter, InterServer is able to back its long list of features up with IT that means business.
InterServer Pros and Cons
Pros
Independently Owned Datacenter
One of the most striking things about InterServer is that all hosting plans originate from its own hardware. This gives the company vastly more control over its environment, and customers tighter security and more proficient on-site technical support.
Emphasis on Migration
Though the website building tools are robust and easy to use, 70% of clients coming to InterServer do so because the company is great at migrating existing sites. Free migration within 48 hours and support for major CRM platforms is the default, and InterServer also helps with DNS and registration problems if they arise.
Freebies Galore
InterServer users gain access to stellar hosting services like unlimited storage and bandwidth for free with all plans. They’ll also enjoy unlimited domains, email addresses and databases, along with CDN caching by CloudFlare and SSL certificates. That’s a lot of value upfront.
Strong Support Team
Founded by a small group of friends who wanted more from their web hosts, clients still feel this commitment to service when dealing with InterServer today. The company features 24/7 support via tickets, live chat, and phone, with lightning fast response times.
Cons
Pricier on Low Tiers
Basic plans aren’t as price competitive as the upper-tier plans, though that isn’t to say they’re unaffordable. With an InterServer coupon this issue disappears entirely, and these aren’t uncommon.
No Money-Back Guarantee for VPS
On both the private VPS and dedicated server hosting plans offered by InterServer there is no money-back guarantee, so you need to be sure this is what you want before purchasing.
InterServer Prices and Payment Methods
Other hosting reviews might miss this fact, but one of the rarest things about InterServer hosting is that when you’re quoted a price, that’s the price you lock down. There’s no introductory deal to distract you, so the price you’ve claimed is your renewal price as well. In terms of relative prices, I found InterServer web hosting plans to be a bit more expensive for shared hosting, and much more competitive for VPS and dedicated server plans.
- Basic shared web hosting starts at $5.00 per month if you do the 1-year plan and is reduced to $4.00 per month for 3-year plans. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee that doesn’t apply to dedicated plans. All shared hosting comes with unlimited SSD storage, free website migration and the website builder, all 450+ cloud apps, unlimited email accounts, global CDN caching, and basic website protection.
- VPS plans offer faster loading speeds and dedicated resources, and if you buy more than 4 server slices InterServer will throw in free managed support. These plans start at $6.00 per month but go up to $96.00 per month for more cores, memory, storage, and transfer data. With more in-depth provisioning tools and support for countless CMS platforms, VPS plans offer more control. They start with a single core and 30GB SSD storage, up to 16 cores and 480GB.
- With an in-house datacenter InterServer gives total customization control to those who purchase a dedicated plan, which start at $50.00 per month for an Intel Dual-Core Atom with 250GB of hard drive space and 1GB of memory. From 2 to 24 cores, users will pay up to $640.00 per month for the exact hardware they need, though all plans include DDoS protection, managed support, 4 hours provisioning, 24/7 monitoring and more.
For payment methods, InterServer accepts all major credit cards plus PayPal.
InterServer User Experience
Both users who want to create and host a website with InterServer and those who want to migrate their existing site (and its traffic, apps, tools etc.) will find its hosting process to be simple. We were especially impressed with the SitePad website builder, which is a wysiwyg editor offering drag-and-drop simplicity, more than 300 great themes and 40 widgets that encompass most of what you’ll need in a site. It’s then a single click to publish the site via InterServer, and take full control using the familiar cPanel backend.
InterServer cPanel is also how one will easily migrate their site, by backing up and transferring via FTP, which takes no more than a few minutes. This migration is free, and the whole time I felt like I was in the loop, 24/7 thanks to my InterServer support team—which seemingly never sleeps.
For those migrating a site or who prefer a private VPS environment, InterServer plans support the CRM platforms and other tools you’ve already come to rely on. eCommerce sites will want to start with Magento VPS or OpenCart VPS plans for example, meaning the transition to InterServer won’t involve retooling their entire setup, including domain, database, and other assets. There are over 400 cloud apps for setting up these tools at any time.
InterServer Load Times and Reliability
One of the things that’s good to see when comparing the best web hosting services is an uptime guarantee. Many try to get away with estimating or making bold proclamations, while InterServer puts its money where its mouth is. It offers users up to half of their monthly fee back if uptime doesn’t stay above 99.9%, or if electricity availability dips below 100.0%. This is crucial for businesses and retail website owners alike.
In my own diagnostics I found that InterServer keeps its internal server farm in tip-top shape, and beside uptime which was virtually constant I noticed that even at half capacity the hardware performed well. InterServer scales to maximum capacity for clients if they need it at any time, but otherwise runs at 50% to keep everything cool and leave ample headroom should it be required.
InterServer Main Features
Unlimited Storage and Transfer
It’s nice to see that InterServer provides the dual bonus of unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth, even to the most basic shared hosting plans. This means that any site has room to scale upwards without feeling limited or constrained.
450+ Cloud Apps
Many hosting platforms offer a number of applications to choose from to plug into your site, but 484 await those who host with InterServer. These offer easy integration with the tools you’re used to, and optimization for them including all core software and plugins.
Free Migration, VPS by CRM
InterServer is friendly with nearly every CRM platform and other crucial web tool like Magento, WordPress, Joomla, PHP Fusion and countless others. It’s easy to move a website in mere minutes, but any size collection of web assets is efficiently moved to InterServer and retains its familiar functionality.
Precision With Dedicated Hosting
Because InterServer operates its own private datacenter, they have total control and in-depth information about the foundation of its hosting services. This information is passed onto clients, who can choose the exact model and specs of the InterServer servers available and customize accordingly.
InterServer Customer Support
InterServer support includes many of the standby methods but also a community forum, where users can go to discuss hosting and ask questions. It’s nice to see that the team pins popular ticket issues and addresses them transparently, but for those who would rather have personal support, I found the people who answer the phone to be as adept as they are friendly. It’s all in house—so these people know exactly the system and hardware you’re using.
In the course of my ticket testing I saw an average of about 12 minutes for a technical agent to respond and try to solve the issue I posed. When setting up a sample website I did run into one issue with installing an app, and the way that the InterServer support person diagnosed and solved the problem spoke to their degree of expertise.
InterServer Hosting for Free
While there isn’t a way to get a free InterServer login for regular users, students who are currently enrolled in college can get a free InterServer account to host a website at no cost. There’s also a number of free features and services on the basic InterServer account like a free domain transfer and unlimited bandwidth and storage. On shared and VPS accounts, the 30-day money back guarantee also provides a safety net for those who try and do not want to buy. Reseller hosting enables users to rent out their own space to others, and InterServer supports this explicitly as well.
My Conclusion About InterServer
InterServer is one of the best hosting sites for those who wish to know exactly what their website is built on, and that the team supporting it does too. It offers variable levels of privatization for clients in its own datacenter, from shared space at reasonable prices to private VPS and fully dedicated rack space. There are as many configurations for speed and storage as there are applications and CRM support, and with a handy website creator as well, this InterServer review concludes that beginners and fully-fledged web businesses can each benefit.
