InterServer Review: The 18+ Web Host With A Special Guarantee!
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The Brand
Founded in 1999 by two tech-savvy high school students, Mike Lavrik and John Quaglieri, InterServer, for 21 years now, has been committed to providing quality web hosting to its clients at affordable prices. Its services have grown to include shared hosting, cloud hosting, quick servers, and dedicated servers that are powered by a network of 10Gbps Ethernet connections.
There are plenty of reasons why InterServer is considered a leading web host. Let’s dive into them below.
Pros
99.9% Uptime Guarantee
Like most web hosts, InterServer guarantees 100% power uptime and 99.9% network uptime. With an uptime averaging 99.92%, InterServer performs better than many hosts charging similar rates. A study conducted by Portent concludes that “the first 5 seconds of page load time have the highest impact on conversion rates” as website conversion rates drop by 4.42%, on average, with “each additional second of load time (between 0-5 seconds).” InterServer closely meets the threshold with its average page loading time of 0.48 seconds.
Big on Basics
InterServer provides free site migration, weekly backups, as well as unlimited email accounts, bandwidth, domains (more on this later), and ULTRA SSD storage (for shared hosting plans). You can also make use of its expansive knowledgebase that has well above 2000 articles ranging from account basics and app-specific information (they have 49 articles for Joomla alone) to WooCommerce and billing details. In terms of customer support, InterServer has not only 24/7 live chat, but in-house support engineers who can fix any server issue that may crop up.
Multiple Data-centers in US
With multiple data centers in Secaucus, NJ, and one in Los Angeles, InterServer allows its customers to choose their preferred server. Multiple data centers ensure that your site(s) will load fast no matter where they’re accessed from, especially, within the US.
User-friendly cPanel
InterServer utilizes the user-friendly, easy-to-use cPanel that allows you to manage domain(s), emails, billing information, MySQL database(s), backups, and monitor resource usage.
Free Cloudflare CDN and SSL Certificate
Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and SSL certificates make your site(s) fast and secure. Cloudflare CDN reduces site loading time for users across the globe by storing large-sized files, such as images, on servers in different regions. InterServer plans also feature a free SSL certificate that proves your site is secure and improves its SEO rankings.
InterShield Security for Shared Hosting
A malware detection and removal system built specifically for shared hosting users, InterServer’s InterShield provides multiple layers of security against different kinds of malware. It includes web application firewall, file upload scanner, malware detection, outbound email protection, and automatic scan of running scripts.
Global Content Caching
Caching involves storing copies of files to ensure faster delivery where they are needed. Global caching, which stores files under 2MB in RAM, is even more effective as it loads pages quickly for first-time visitors, too.
450+ Cloud Apps and Free Web Site Builder
InterServer provides access to more than 450 cloud apps. You can install any app in a single click through the Softaculous script installer. In fact, its free website builder, SitePad, gives you around 300 themes to choose from.
Pricing Policy
One of the few hosts to do so, InterServer features a price-lock guarantee on all its plans. This means that even after your plan ends, you won’t be charged higher renewal rates. You’ll pay the same as a first-year user. Interestingly, InterServer has a free plan for not-for-profit organizations and does not charge student users in the first year.
But InterServer’s refund policy isn’t the greatest. Its 30-day money-back guarantee applies only to shared hosting plans. Also, its one-click add-ons aren’t cheap ($5/month).
Of course, no web host is ideal. You might even think that InterServer’s shared hosting plans are pricier compared to other hosts. There are, however, two key points why InterServer may not be right for you.
Cons
No Free Domains
If you’re looking for a web host that provides a free domain, InterServer probably won’t work for you. InterServer charges around $1.99 for a domain.
No Data-centers Outside US
Most web hosts have data-centers in multiple countries, especially, in both Europe and the US. InterServer’s data-centers are only US-based, so if your target audience is based outside the US, it would be better for you to choose a host with a data-center closer to the country/ies of your target audience. You can go for Kinsta or Liquid Web hosting providers.
That Said, Is InterServer Still Worth it?
Yes, it is! It’s probably more suited to experienced users, but that shouldn’t turn you away if you’re a beginner. We agree that InterServer is definitely more affordable for non-shared hosting users, but still, in terms of performance and support, shared hosting or not, it won’t disappoint.
InterServer Deal
Get Up to 90% OFF for 3 months for HostingCrush users.
Final Score
4.7/5
- Unlimited SSD Storage & Email Accounts
- Price Lock Guarantee
- Free SSL & Site Migration
- 1-Click installs for 450+ Cloud Apps
- Support by phone, email, live chat
- No Free Domains
- No data centers outside USA
Reliability
98%
Features
97%
User Friendly
92%
Customer Support
90%
Pricing
88%
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