InterServer review 2024: Pros, cons and more
InterServer review 2024: Discover the pros and cons of InterServer's web hosting services, performance, customer support, and more.
Our Verdict
Our Verdict
Choosing the right web hosting provider can be challenging given the many options available. InterServer provides cost-effective plans suitable for small businesses, online portfolios, and e-commerce ventures. If you seek a dependable hosting service with a pay-as-you-go option, InterServer is worth considering.
Pros
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Unlimited business emails included
- Basic plan includes unlimited storage
- Cost-effective starting from $2.50 per month for the basic plan
Cons
- Outdated control dashboard
- Absence of a community forum
- Challenges in obtaining useful responses from live chat
Starting price
$2.5Web hosting services
YesDomain registration and management
InterServer provides domain registration servicesWhat is InterServer?
InterServer is a long-standing web hosting company catering to both individuals and businesses. Since its establishment in 1999, the company has offered a variety of hosting solutions, including standard web hosting, virtual private servers (VPS), and dedicated servers. With over two decades of experience, InterServer has developed a reputation for providing high-quality hosting services.
Whether you're a small business, a blogger, or an e-commerce store owner, InterServer offers hosting services tailored to your specific needs. Additionally, the company provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing customers to try out their hosting services with minimal risk and ensuring their satisfaction.
How InterServer works?
Selecting a web hosting provider is a crucial initial step in launching a website. Shared web hosting entails multiple websites being hosted on a single web server connected to the internet. For most businesses, shared web hosting is sufficient for their requirements.
A web hosting provider offers the option of having a custom domain name, such as www.yourbusinessname.com, for a monthly hosting fee. Alternatively, you can use a free subdomain from WordPress (or another platform), but this may result in a less professional URL containing a word like "WordPress" and may display non-removable standard advertisements. Opting for a paid subscription to shared web hosting is the most cost-effective method for establishing a professional website for your small business.
If you possess a domain name and wish to transfer it to a different provider, such as InterServer, this can be done effortlessly. InterServer charges $7.99 for domain name transfers.
Is InterServer the right choice for me?
InterServer could be a suitable option for your business if you seek shared web hosting with a flexible month-to-month payment plan. However, if you prefer having easy access to customer service via phone for website-related inquiries, you might want to explore other service providers.
InterServer is ideal for:
- Business owners focused on cost-effectiveness
- Those seeking a straightforward plan without additional add-ons or unexpected costs
- Website owners interested in utilizing a free website builder for site creation and design
InterServer is not recommended for:
- Individuals heavily reliant on live chat support, as the agents may not provide comprehensive answers during chats based on our experience.
What sets InterServer apart?
InterServer provides a single plan to fulfill all shared web hosting requirements, unlike other companies that offer tiered plans. This pricing structure simplifies the process, offering a one-size-fits-all approach. This can be advantageous if you seek a cost-effective plan with comprehensive features ($7 per month after the introductory offer). However, if you require more advanced features or extensive customer support, exploring other providers may be advisable.
InterServer features
Storage and bandwidth limits
InterServer provides unlimited storage and bandwidth across all its plans.
Extras and inclusions
With the Standard plan, InterServer offers a range of extras including a free SSL certificate, unlimited storage and business emails, as well as a website builder.
Ease of use
While InterServer's navigation is straightforward, it may not be as modern as some other web hosting platforms. If you're looking for a more contemporary design, you might want to explore alternatives to InterServer.
User Dashboard/cPanel
The base plan includes DirectAdmin as the control panel, providing necessary tools for website management. However, for more comprehensive control, you can purchase cPanel web hosting through InterServer. While this may be slightly confusing, as most providers do not offer a separate cPanel plan, the cost is only slightly higher than the standard web hosting plan. The prices are as follows:
- $2.50 for one month, renews at $8 for one month
- $15 for six months, renews at $48 for six months
- $30 for 12 months, renews at $96 for 12 months
Security
InterServer offers a free SSL certificate and includes Inter-Insurance at no extra cost. This service protects your website from potential compromises and hacking by restoring impacted websites, investigating the cause of the issue, and implementing fixes to prevent future occurrences.
InterServer pricing and plans
| Standard | |
| Introductory pricing | $2.50 for one month |
| Renewal pricing | $7 per month for the monthly plan |
| Contract lengths available | One month, half a year, a full year, and two years |
| Storage | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Free domain name | No, the cost to register or transfer a domain name is $7.99. |
| Free SSL certificate | Yes |
| cPanel | Available as a distinct plan known as "cPanel web hosting" |
| Security | Inter-Insurance |
| Business email | Unlimited |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.90% |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days |
| Customer support | Live chat, email and phone |
InterServer offers a single standard plan that includes unlimited storage and bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
The introductory rate is just $2.50 per month, which is competitive with other providers. The standard rate for this plan is $7 per month, whether you opt for a one-month or two-year term. This can be advantageous for those interested in monthly plans, but if you prefer long-term commitments, you may find better discounts with competitors offering multi-year plans.
Customer service and support
InterServer provides both live chat and 24/7 phone support. While live chat is available to both existing and prospective customers, we encountered difficulties using this feature. Initially, we were informed of an estimated wait time of 34 minutes. Subsequently, there was a delay in receiving a response to our follow-up question after the initial reply.
During subsequent interactions, we received more prompt responses from the live agent, but these were not always helpful and often did not directly address our queries.
In attempts to contact InterServer by phone on multiple occasions over two days, each call was placed on hold for six minutes before being disconnected. Overall, our experience with customer support was among the least satisfactory compared to other web hosting providers.
Additional features worth noting
InterServer provides reseller hosting services tailored for professionals managing and selling multiple websites. Priced at $19.95 per month, this plan includes 20 cPanel accounts, daily backups, and unlimited domains, along with all the features offered in the standard shared web hosting plan.
Additionally, InterServer offers private email hosting for $2.50 per month. Another advantage of choosing InterServer is its commitment to maintaining a 50% capacity policy to ensure it can effectively meet its customers' requirements.
InterServer alternatives and how they compare?
| InterServer | TMDHosting | GoDaddy | HostPapa | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $2.50 per month | $2.99 per month | $5.99 per month | $2.95 per month |
| Contract length | One year | From one month to three years | One month, one year, two years and three years | One month, three months, six months, twelve months, twenty-four months, and thirty-six months |
| Storage limit | Unlimited on all plans | 50GB to Unlimited | 25GB to 100GB | 100GB SSD to Unlimited |
| Bandwidth limit | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free domain name | No, the cost to register or transfer a domain name is $7.99. | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free SSL certificate | Yes | Yes | Yes, for one year | Yes |
| Business email | Yes, unlimited | Yes, unlimited | Yes | 10 free emails |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.90% | 99.99% | 99.90% | 99.90% |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Customer support | Live chat, email and phone | Live chat, email and phone support | Live chat, text and phone | Live chat, email and phone |
InterServer vs. TMDHosting
Both InterServer and TMDHosting received a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars. They offer competitive introductory offers, with TMDHosting at $2.99 per month and InterServer at $2.50 per month. However, TMDHosting allows you to sign up for the introductory offer for three years, whereas InterServer limits you to two years. Additionally, InterServer charges $7.99 to register or transfer a domain, while TMDHosting provides this service at no extra cost.
InterServer vs. GoDaddy
InterServer and GoDaddy both received a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars. However, GoDaddy is significantly more expensive, with an introductory plan starting at $5.99 per month, which is more than double the cost of InterServer's introductory plan. GoDaddy's plan renews at $9.99 per month for long-term plans, while InterServer renews at $7 per month. While GoDaddy's customer service is more reliable, some business owners may prefer the lower cost and features of InterServer.
InterServer vs. HostPapa
HostPapa received a higher rating of 4.1 out of 5 stars compared to InterServer's 3.7. HostPapa's email service is limited to 10 free emails, while InterServer offers unlimited emails. Both providers offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Our experience with HostPapa's customer support was more positive than our interactions with InterServer's customer support.
Our evaluation
InterServer is a reliable option for those seeking basic web hosting services. With an introductory rate of $2.50 per month, their initial offer is competitive. However, the standard monthly rate of $7 may not be ideal for those looking for a multi-year plan.
InterServer's Inter-Insurance provides added protection, including investigating and resolving issues. However, one significant drawback is their unreliable customer support.
