Hostinger is not only an affordable alternative to some of the top hosting providers, but it’s also a great option if you’re looking for an e-commerce hosting solution.
It offers free migration and a wide range of VPS hosting plans, but it only ranks tenth on our list of the best hosts, receiving an overall score of 3.6 out of 5. Ultimately, Hostinger is let down by its lack of storage and lack of dedicated hosting options.
Searching for a hosting provider can seem like a daunting task. So many options are out there, and they all seem pretty similar on the surface. But our team at Website Builder Expert has done extensive research to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of each provider. We’ve spent hours researching and comparing their respective features, and we’ve been helping regular – not tech-savvy – people get online for 10 years.
Table of Contents
Hostinger Review: Is This the Best Web Hosting for You?
If you’re thinking about using Hostinger as a hosting provider, read on for the experts’ verdict. But first, a quick summary:
Our number one priority here at Website Builder Expert is to provide our readers with accurate and reliable reviews, recommendations and information. That’s why we spent over 230 hours of research on hosting providers alone, identifying and researching the five most important areas of web hosting:
We collect data for each of these areas for all the vendors we analyze and give them scores based on our results. These scores are averaged to create an overall vendor ranking.
Still, have questions? You can learn more about how we conducted our hosting research in our full methodology.
Build & Host A Website With Hostinger
Hostinger not only offers hosting, you can also create a website and e-commerce store with them.
You can get online from $2.99 per month if you choose a subscription of 12 months or more. You’ll also get a free domain and three months free.
Hostinger: Pros & Cons
Reliability & Performance
Hostinger has its strengths but falls short when it comes to reliability and performance.
Despite an advertised uptime of 99.9%, our research found that Hostinger’s site speed and uptime are quite mediocre in reality. In fact, it only scores 3.5 out of 5 for its uptime performance – an average score compared to IONOS, which scored a perfect 5 out of 5.
However, no web hosting provider can guarantee 100% uptime, as unforeseen events, such as power outages, can be a hindrance. That said, it is best to aim for 99.97-99.99%, which equates to between 50 and 150 minutes of downtime per year.
As you weigh Hostinger’s strengths and weaknesses, you may wonder to what extent less-than-stellar uptime will matter for your specific site. Uptime is especially important if you are hosting an e-commerce site because the more downtime you experience, the fewer sales you will be able to make. Good uptime is important in all cases, but for e-commerce sites, it should be a deciding factor.
Need More Ecommerce Advice?
Types of Hosting & Features
Hostinger offers four different types of hosting: shared, WordPress, cloud, and VPS. Shared and cloud hosting are the cheapest and easiest-to-use options for beginners, while WordPress hosting is great for blogging. VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting, on the other hand, is more suitable for larger sites that demand more resources.
Hostinger gets 3.3 stars out of 5 in our survey of hosting types but doesn’t score higher because it doesn’t offer dedicated hosting.
Let’s take a look at what Hostinger offers…
| Shared | WordPress | Cloud | VPS | Dedicated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
Think of each type of hosting as an umbrella. Under each, there are different plans that you can choose from to best suit your site’s needs. Features vary from plan to plan, but we’ve broken down the highlights of each below.
Hostinger Shared Hosting Features
In our latest research, Hostinger gets an overall score of 4 out of 5 for its shared hosting plans. Shared hosting is the cheapest and easiest way to host a website and a great entry point for anyone looking to dive into the world of hosting. Scoring 4.2 out of 5 for its shared hosting features, Hostinger’s plans come equipped with weekly backups and unlimited bandwidth.
Unfortunately, you’ll have to upgrade from the cheapest plan if you want to unlock all the features. That said, you’ll always be limited when it comes to storage, as Hostinger’s top-tier plan only provides 200 GB of storage space.
| Single Web Hosting | Premium Web Hosting | Business Shared Hosting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One account | Up to 100 accounts | Up to 100 accounts | |
| Storage space | 50GB | 100GB | 200GB |
| Bandwidth | 100 GB | Free Domain | Unlimited |
| Backups | Weekly | Weekly | Daily |
| Free domain | No | Yes | Yes |
| Secure Shell (SSH) access | No | Yes | Yes |
Do You Need Shared Hosting?
Shared hosting is affordable and simple – perfect for getting started! See if Hostinger’s shared hosting features fit your needs.
Hostinger WordPress Hosting Features
Hosting er’s WordPress plans are very similar to their shared hosting offering, only more optimized for WordPress-based sites – they still run on shared servers and offer the same ease of use and affordability. In fact, Hostinger’s WordPress hosting scores an impressive 4.1 out of 5 in our research, making it the highest-performing type of hosting Hostinger offers.
Hostinger also receives a 4 out of 5 score for its WordPress hosting features, largely due to its additional set of WordPress tools, such as LiteSpeed Cache to help keep your site running smoothly and a WordPress Staging tool for editing elements without affecting your live pages.
We’ve seen a lot of positive feedback about Hostinger’s WordPress onboarding for customers, so you can expect considerable ease of use when you sign up for a WordPress plan.
| Single WordPress | WordPress Starter | Business WordPress | WordPress Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One account | Up to 100 accounts | Up to 100 accounts | Up to 100 accounts | |
| Storage space | 50GB | 100GB | 200GB | 200GB |
| Bandwidth | 100 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Automatic backups | Weekly | Weekly | Daily | Daily |
| Free domain | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| SSH access | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Do You Need WordPress Hosting?
WordPress comes with its own set of needs, so an optimized WordPress plan is a good idea. See what Hostinger has to offer today.
Hostinger Cloud Plan Features
While shared plans mean that multiple websites share a server, cloud plans mean that your site is hosted in the cloud, a service that exists on multiple servers. This is not a type of hosting that we would normally recommend to our readers, as it is more suitable for large-scale projects.
All of Hostinger’s cloud hosting plans include a dedicated IP address, a free domain, and unlimited bandwidth. This is where they start to differ:
| Cloud Startup | Cloud Professional | Cloud Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 300 | 300 | 300 |
| Storage space | 200GB | 250GB | 300GB |
| RAM | 3GB | 6GB | 12GB |
| CPU Cores | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Do You Need Cloud Hosting?
Each Hostinger cloud hosting plan comes with a free domain, unlimited bandwidth, and a dedicated IP address – choose your perfect plan today!
Hostinger VPS Hosting Features
VPS hosting creates a virtual environment that mimics a dedicated server, which means you get many of the benefits of dedicated resources, but at a lower price. In our latest research, Hostinger scores 3.7 out of 5 for its VPS hosting plans, which is pretty poor compared to other hosting providers we’ve tested, such as Bluehost, which scores 4.6 out of 5.
If we look specifically at its features, Hostinger gets a weak score of 2.7 out of 5. There are eight plans to choose from – all plans come with a custom control panel, automatic installers with popular web scripts and OS templates, and up to 16 GB of RAM per server.
Ultimately, Hostinger’s VPS plans are categorized by the amount of CPU (Central Processing Unit) power given to the server, which is shown in the “vCPU” boxes below. The plans are also differentiated by increasing amounts of memory, storage and bandwidth:
| VPS 1 | VPS 2 | VPS 3 | VPS 4 | VPS 5 | VPS 6 | VPS 7 | VPS 8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vCPU | 1 Core | 2 Cores | 3 Cores | 4 Cores | 5 Cores | 6 Cores | 7 Cores | 8 Cores |
| Memory (RAM) | 1GB | 2GB | 3GB | 4GB | 6GB | 8GB | 12GB | 16GB |
| Storage | 20GB | 40GB | 60GB | 80GB | 120GB | 160GB | 200GB | 250GB |
| Bandwidth | 1TB | 2TB | 3TB | 4TB | 6TB | 8TB | 10TB | 12TB |
Do You Need VPS Hosting?
Hostinger’s VPS plans offer scalability and power, but are they right for you? Explore their plans to find out.
Hosting er’s shared, WordPress, cloud, and VPS plans offer a decent range of features, though nothing outstanding compared to other hosting providers. But if you’ve been looking at hosting plans for a while, you may be wondering where Hostinger’s dedicated plans are.
This is one of Hostinger’s main drawbacks: it doesn’t offer dedicated hosting, something that most other providers do. Of course, this will rule out Hostinger if you’re looking for a dedicated plan, but it’s also an important factor if you want to start on a shared or VPS plan and still want the ability to eventually scale up to dedicated.
Dedicated hosting plans are generally considered the next step up from VPS. They are much more expensive and more suitable for very large businesses and e-commerce sites. So if you think a dedicated plan might be for you, you can check out our ranking of the best-dedicated hosting providers for more information.
More Information
Hostinger Pricing
How much does Hostinger cost? Hostinger scores a very low 2.9 out of 5 when it comes to value for money, so let’s take a deeper look at their pricing.
Hostinger’s plans are quite affordable, especially with its cheap introductory offers. For shared hosting, it scores 3.7 out of 5 on price, and for WordPress hosting, it scores 3.8 out of 5! However, its VPS plans are not very cost-effective, with a score of 2.9 out of 5 on price.
Hostinger’s plans don’t offer many features to make it worth the higher cost, and it offers little room to scale, especially without any dedicated hosting options.
Hostinger Pricing Need-to-Knows
Hostinger’s prices may vary depending on the plan chosen, the type of hosting, and the length of the subscription. What does remain constant is Hostinger’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
For a fair comparison with other hosting providers, let’s take a look at Hostinger’s 12-month subscription rates from this point on. Let’s look at the starting prices for each type of hosting:
However, the longer you subscribe to one of Hostinger’s plans, the cheaper the plan gets. For example, you can enjoy Hostinger’s cheapest shared hosting plan for only $1.99 per month if you sign up for a 48-month contract.
But beware of Hostinger’s high renewal costs. Its $9.99/month cloud hosting plan (billed annually) will renew at $24.99/month after the first year.
How Does Hostinger’s Pricing Work?
Given the wide variety of hosting types and features, each Hostinger plan is priced differently. Hostinger’s pricing is very competitive with the rest of the industry, ranging from $2.99 to $117.99 per month, billed annually.
We know what you’re thinking – why such a large range? Well, Hostinger is no different from other hosting providers in its use of tantalizingly low introductory prices. The longer you commit during your first purchase, the more money you’ll save – but only on that first purchase. It pays to keep that in mind at checkout.
What Subscription Lengths Does Hostinger Offer?
Don’t worry; you don’t have to commit to paying four years in advance. You can choose to pay in advance: four years, two years, one year, or one month, and prices will vary accordingly. We recommend buying one year in advance because it’s not too much of a commitment, and you’ll still save some money.
This range of subscription options allows you to choose the pricing plan that works best for you. Here’s an example – below is a breakdown of the pricing options you get for the Single Web Hosting shared plan only.
Single Web Hosting Plan Subscription Details
| 1 month | 12 months | 24 months | 48 months | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular price/month | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Sale price/month | ❌ | $2.99 | $2.49 | $1.99 |
| Renewal price/month | ❌ | $5.99 | $4.99 | $3.99 |
| Setup fee | $4.99 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total plan price (using sales price) | $14.98 | $35.88 | $59.76 | $95.52 |
We have broken down Hostinger’s ranges in the table below, which shows both the one-year prepaid introductory price and the one-year prepaid renewal price.
Hostinger Pricing Summary
| Hosting Type | Introductory Price (per month) | Renews At (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| Shared | $2.99-$3.99 | $5.99-$11.99 |
| WordPress | $2.99-$15.99 | $5.99-$24.99 |
| Cloud | $9.99-$29.99 | $24.99-$59.99 |
| VPS | $3.99-$117.99 | $7.99-$186.99 |
Hostinger also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that applies to all of their plans. This is pretty standard throughout the hosting industry, but it’s still a great perk.
Additionally, if you are a student, you can take advantage of Hostinger’s 10% student discount. You can access the discount code by verifying your student status through Student Beans for free.
Does Hostinger Have Any Hidden Costs?
Hostinger may be known for its tempting introductory discounts, but is it all too good to be true? Are there any hidden costs you should be aware of? The answer is: not really. But here’s a rundown of the three main extras you should be aware of:
#1. Discounts vs Renewal Prices
We have already mentioned that Hostinger’s discount prices for new users only last for the first period. So, if you sign up for 12 months, you get one year discount.
After that, you will have to pay the renewal price, which will be higher. Our most important tip is to always check the renewal price before you sign up, to make sure you don’t get an expensive bill when you renew your plan.
#2. Plan Add-Ons: Optional Extras
When you add a plan to your cart, you will see the option to add extras at checkout. These are options you can choose to give you full control over additional costs.
The add-ons you can see at checkout include:
These are the add-ons that you will see when you select the Single Shared plan. You already have a free SSL certificate, and you can check off any paid extras you need.
Some plans already have these things included for free, which is a nice bonus. More expensive plans usually have more free features.
Remember: any payment that says “per month” will be added to your payment as a lump sum upfront. So, daily backups would cost $11.40 for a year’s subscription.
#3. Domain Names: Essential, But Not Necessarily Costly
Custom domain names are vital for any professional website. The good news is that with some of Hostinger’s plans, you can get a free domain name!
The Cloud Professional plan has many free benefits included in the plan’s price, including a free domain name.
The free domain registration lasts for one year, which is great if you’re starting your website on a limited budget.
But what happens when the year is up, and what if your plan doesn’t include a free domain? Fortunately, you can purchase a domain through Hostinger – the price will vary depending on what you’re trying to register, but here’s a rough price guide:
It should be noted that domains work similarly to hosting plans in that you get a discount for the first year.
For example, the domain “lucyscupcakes. online” costs $0.99 for the first year, after which it will cost $35 per year – quite a large price increase!
You can choose a longer registration period, up to three years, but this does not guarantee you further savings: the discount only applies to the first year, after which the domain will continue to renew at $35 per year.
If you choose a longer registration period, be aware that the discount only applies to the first year.
Hostinger isn’t very sneaky with this information, but it’s important to look carefully at what exactly is in your basket and how long your discount lasts. Otherwise, you’ll be in for a $35 scare when it comes time to renew.
Did You Spot a Price Plan You Liked?
Hostinger has incredible discounts for new customers, meaning you can get hosting for as little as $0.99/month. Which plan will you choose?
Security
Do you want to keep your web site secure? The good news is that each Hostinger plan comes with free unlimited SSL certificates, which means that any sensitive data on your website is carefully protected.
Furthermore, your website will be safe from harm thanks to Hostinger’s Cloudflare-protected name servers. This works by shielding and diverting potential DDoS attacks or harmful traffic away from your site. And with Hostinger’s Business or Premium plans, your website will also be behind internal firewalls to further protect your website and monitor its security.
As an added layer of security, Hostinger’s plans offer daily or weekly backups, so you can rest easy knowing that your work or data won’t be lost.
Help & Support
Unfortunately for Hostinger, their help and support services are incredibly weak with an overall score of 0.75 out of 5 – putting Hostinger in last place along with Hostwinds in customer service. Why such a low score?
We tested Hostinger’s support across all hosting types, and had the most success with their WordPress hosting plans. But hold that excitement! It only scored 2.8 out of 5 for its WordPress support – the worst of all the providers we tested.
Hostinger lacks one necessity when it comes to customer support: a phone number. This provider doesn’t offer phone support, which can be frustrating if you find live chat a bit impersonal. Their live chat channel is available 24/7, but don’t worry if you can’t find it on Hostinger’s website – chat support is only available to Hostinger users who are logged into their accounts.
If you’re still looking for an answer, you can also check Hostinger’s knowledge base, available tutorials, blog or Hostinger Academy (a series of videos on YouTube).
Additional Products
Are You Ready to Try Hostinger?
Hostinger offers affordable discounts and simple plans, but is it right for you? Take a closer look.
Conclusion
Hostinger is a fairly basic hosting provider, with an overall score of 3.6 out of 5. It’s not the best hosting on the market, but we were impressed with its cheap introductory offerings and e-commerce features, as well as the additional WordPress tools in their WordPress hosting plans. If you’re looking for cheap hosting or an affordable e-commerce alternative to Bluehost and don’t mind average uptime or a lack of support options, Hostinger is a safe bet.
If you don’t want to compromise on uptime, or if you know you’re going to need a dedicated plan, then try IONOS – not only does it rank #1 in our uptime research, but it also ranks #2 in our dedicated hosting research, just behind Bluehost.
FAQs
Should I care that Hostinger doesn’t offer dedicated plans?
It depends. While it’s always nice to have the option to scale up to a dedicated plan, they’re really only necessary for large enterprises and e-commerce sites. You can still choose Hostinger without limiting your site’s growth – their VPS plans are scalable, too!
What is the difference between Windows and Linux hosting plans?
You will need a Windows plan if you want to use MS-SQL, ASP.NET or .NET Core databases on your website; these are all Windows technologies to start with. Linux plans, on the other hand, can accommodate different technologies and are more common.
Can I build a website with Hostinger?
Yes, Hostinger has a free website builder that you can use to create a website regardless of your hosting plan. Just choose a template and customize it until you’re satisfied – no programming skills are required!
Should I host my WordPress site with Hostinger?
Hostinger’s WordPress-specific plans cater to WordPress beginners and pros alike, with affordable prices to get you started. It even has a dedicated WordPress team to help you.
However, if you want the best for your WordPress site, we have to be honest and say that Hostinger is not the best choice for WordPress hosting. Bluehost is the best WordPress hosting, so start there if you’re looking for high-quality WordPress hosting.
Can I get free web hosting with Hostinger?
Well, no. Although their cheapest shared hosting plan starts at just $2.99 per month (billed annually). Free hosting looks tempting, but we don’t recommend it. It’s extremely limited and free plans often lack key features, especially when it comes to security and scaling your website. If you have a limited budget, you can find good cheap hosting to save money and still enjoy professional features.
Is WordPress or Hostinger better?
Well, that depends on your needs, as they are very different platforms. As a website builder, we would recommend Hostinger over WordPress. It’s easier to use and a better choice for beginners, while WordPress is more suitable for blogs and content-heavy sites.
As far as hosting providers go, Hostinger is the winner of the two. WordPress doesn’t have its own hosting service, so you’ll have to look for dedicated providers, such as Hostinger, to host your website.
Henry Sprung is an e-commerce tech blogger with several years of experience in online retail. Alex’s blog focuses on topics such as online marketplaces, payment processing, and digital marketing for e-commerce businesses. Henry’s expertise in e-commerce provides valuable insights into the latest trends in online retail and how businesses can use these platforms to grow their sales. He is a valuable resource for online retailers and entrepreneurs looking to start their own e-commerce businesses.
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