Hetzner vs Inmotion Hosting: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Hetzner vs. InMotion, both hosting providers offer reliable and feature-rich solutions, but they cater to slightly different user needs.

• 
  Hetzner (Overall grade: 7.9)
  
  
  excels in providing a solid uptime guarantee and a strong performance with its data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA. Their services include shared hosting, cloud hosting, and VPS hosting, but they lack specific WordPress and ecommerce hosting options. Hetzner stands out with its comprehensive security measures, including GDPR compliance, multiple PHP version support, and ISO 27001-certified data centers. However, their unique konsoleH interface may require an adjustment period for new users, and the absence of specific WordPress hosting might be a drawback for some.
  
• 
  InMotion (Overall grade: 8.4)
  
  
  is notable for its wide array of hosting options, including dedicated hosting and specialized WordPress and ecommerce plans. They offer a highly user-friendly experience with cPanel, making it accessible for users of all skill levels. InMotion provides reliable 24/7 customer support through multiple channels, enhancing user confidence and support. Their performance is solid, with advanced caching and multiple global data centers. Still, some users have reported occasional slow servers and high prices for premium features, but the comprehensive package and strong customer service often outweigh these issues.
  

	Overall grade:7.9	Overall grade:8.4
Uptime and Availability	9.0	8.2
Hosting Performance	8.3	8.3
Hosting Security	8.8	8.7
Price	7.9	7.9
Hosting Features	7.5	8.2
Ease Of Setup	8.0	8.6
User Management	7.8	8.7
Customer Support	6.3	8.3
User feedback	4.6/5	3.9/5

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Shared hosting
Cloud hosting
WordPress hosting
Ecommerce hosting
VPS hosting
Dedicated hosting

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

9.0

8.2

Hetzner Online offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, providing dependable performance in their data centers located in Germany, Finland, and the USA. They employ 24/7 monitoring and DDoS protection, ensuring consistent network availability. Their use of Juniper backbone technology further contributes to network redundancy, enhancing reliability.

InMotion Hosting offers varying uptime across different hosting plans without explicit guarantees for most. While their Managed WordPress and VPS hosting environments claim high availability, only the shared Business Pro plans come with a firm uptime claim. Historical uptime data is impressive but lacks consistent guarantees.

Given the detailed uptime guarantees and consistent performance monitoring, Hetzner Online stands out. Their structured approach towards uptime and reliability positions them as a preferable choice for those seeking stable hosting solutions.

8.3

8.3

When comparing Hetzner and InMotion Hosting in terms of general performance, both offer NVMe SSD storage, significantly enhancing load times and overall speed. Hetzner boasts data centers in Germany, Finland, and the USA, while InMotion Hosting operates data centers in Los Angeles, Ashburn, and Amsterdam. Hetzner provides extensive caching options, unlimited traffic, and comprehensive security, including GDPR compliance. In contrast, InMotion includes advanced caching and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Both benefit from premium hardware, but Hetzner’s network is distinguished by its high total bandwidth.

Website Speed

Hetzner and InMotion Hosting both aim to optimize website speed through advanced storage solutions and robust caching. Hetzner employs NVMe SSDs with daily backups, promising faster disk operations and load times. Meanwhile, InMotion adopts UltraStack technology and NVMe SSDs, claiming up to 20x faster website speeds. Both integrate advanced caching, but InMotion’s UltraStack and object caching may provide a slight edge for resource-intensive sites.

Scalability

Both providers offer flexible scaling options. Hetzner features shared and dedicated vCPU options and manages resources without a minimum contract period, simplifying the upgrade process. InMotion offers scalability through various web hosting plans, including VPS hosting and dedicated servers priced from $14.99/mo and $35.00/mo, respectively. Both support elastic scaling through hardware upgrades, but specific automatic scaling details for Hetzner are not provided.

8.8

8.7

Both Hetzner Online and InMotion Hosting, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Hetzner supports a comprehensive range of SSL certificates, including free Symantec Basic and Let’s Encrypt certificates, while InMotion also offers free SSL certificates. Both providers support PHP7 and PHP8, but Hetzner extends this support to PHP5 as well. In terms of additional security measures, Hetzner includes a variety of PHP extensions such as APCu, ImageMagick, and OPcache. Both companies ensure secure connections with SSL encryption, though Hetzner offers FTPS/SFTP for FTP access and detailed mail security measures like DKIM and SPF.

Operational security measures:

Hetzner provides ISO 27001-certified data centers in multiple locations and robust DDoS protection. InMotion equips servers with Corero’s DDoS protection and provides additional malware detection and firewall software. Hetzner implements automated defense mechanisms against attacks and system integrity checks, while InMotion includes features like hack and malware protection, along with Spam Experts for email security. Both companies offer SSH access for secure remote diagnostics, but Hetzner enhances this with multiple layers of encrypted connections.

Compliance and certifications:

Both hosting providers comply with GDPR, with Hetzner offering a detailed Data Processing Agreement in accordance with Article 28. InMotion has specific sections for GDPR and ensures rights like data portability and deletion. PCI compliance is more supported by InMotion, offering guidance and assisting with necessary changes despite not providing PCI compliance scans. Hetzner doesn’t provide specifics on PCI compliance or HIPAA, while InMotion addresses multiple regulations, including CCPA and DMCA.

SSL certificate	Symantec & Let’s Encrypt for free	Free SSL certificates
Additional security features	ISO 27001, DDoS Protection, Multiple PHP Extensions	DDoS Protection, Malware Detection, Firewall Software
PHP versions	PHP5, PHP7, PHP8	PHP7, PHP8
GDPR compliance	Yes	Yes
HIPAA compliance	Not specified	Not specified
PCI compliance	Not specified	Guidance available

7.5

8.2

Both Hetzner and InMotion Hosting offer a plethora of impressive features catering to different user requirements. Hetzner provides unique benefits like unlimited traffic, extensive email forwarding options, and robust network availability with a score of 99.9%. It excels with its PHP support including PHP5, PHP7, and PHP8, making it suitable for CMS platforms like WordPress. Hetzner’s policy of no minimum contract period with a flexible range of payment options such as PayPal and credit card is also a plus. Key differences include Hetzner’s extensive PHP and email support and a higher option of domain registration flexibility, which can be beneficial for users requiring multiple domains or more email forwards.

InMotion Hosting, however, has certain advantages that give it a slight edge, scoring 8.2 compared to Hetzner’s 7.5. InMotion offers a highly user-friendly experience with its cPanel, an industry-standard control panel, making it simpler for users to manage their websites. Its standout features include a free SSL certificate, unlimited bandwidth, and automatic backups ensuring high security and reliability. InMotion also includes a free website builder, which is highly beneficial for users who need to build websites without extensive coding knowledge. InMotion’s customer support is notable as well, with 24/7/365 availability through multiple channels, ensuring robust user support. The inclusion of advanced caching and multiple data centers, especially in the USA and Europe, enhances performance and redundancy for users.

Free domain	Yes	Yes
Free SSL	Yes	Yes
Email hosting	Yes	Yes
Website builder	No	Yes
Staging environment	No	No
FTP & SFTP accounts	Yes	Yes
Git and SSH access	Yes	Yes
Free backup	Yes (14 Days)	Yes
Money back guarantee	No	Yes

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Hetzner and InMotion Hosting offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Hetzner provides a comprehensive email service with 100 to unlimited mailboxes and supports email synchronization through multiple protocols and an auto-responder feature. InMotion Hosting, while robust in its email offerings, doesn’t extensively list transactional email capabilities but supports creating and managing professional email addresses. It does not mention reselling third-party services like Google Workspace, which can be a deciding factor for some users. Both providers ensure secure email transactions with SSL encryption, but Hetzner stands out with more extensive email forwarding options.

7.9

7.9

🏆 Winner
Hetzner Online GmbH: A broad selection of pricing plans for different needs and exceptional support options.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Hetzner and InMotion Hosting offer a variety of plans tailored to different user needs. Hetzner’s web hosting plans start from as low as €2.09 per month, with features such as unlimited traffic and a wide range of supported domains. InMotion’s web hosting, starting at $12.99 per month, includes free domain registration and SSL, along with enhanced security features. For WordPress hosting, InMotion provides options starting at $3.69 per month, including specialized features like advanced caching and migration tools, whereas Hetzner does not specifically offer a distinct WordPress plan. Hetzner’s cloud hosting provides diverse configurations starting at €4.51 per month, catering from low to high resource requirements, while InMotion’s VPS hosting starts at $14.99 per month, with cloud-powered reliability and isolated resources for better performance.

N/A	Basic €3.69/month 1 website, Unlimited storage/websites, Unlimited bandwidth, Free domain & SSL, Free migration tools Value for price:9.0
	Standard €3.49/month Similar features to Basic, slightly lower cost Value for price:8.8
	Pro €13.49/month 5 websites, Unlimited storage/websites, Unlimited bandwidth, Advanced caching, Free domain & SSL Value for price:9.2

Level 1 €2.09/month 1 website, 10 GB SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, SSH access Value for price:8.5	Core $3.19/month 2 websites, 100 GB SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, Free SSL, Hack & malware protection Value for price:9.0
Level 4 €5.39/month 1 website, 50 GB SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, SSH access Value for price:9.0	Launch $4.99/month 25 websites, Unlimited NVMe SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, Free domain & SSL, Advanced caching Value for price:9.2
Level 9 €10.90/month 1 website, 100 GB SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, SSH access Value for price:9.3	WP Pro $11.49/month Unlimited websites, Unlimited NVMe SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, Free domain & SSL, Pro-level support Value for price:9.5
Level 19 €21.90/month 1 website, 300 GB SSD, Unlimited bandwidth, SSH access Value for price:9.5	Web Hosting $12.99/month Unlimited websites, Unlimited storage/websites, Unlimited bandwidth, Free domain & SSL, Advanced caching Value for price:9.0

CX11 €4.51/month 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 20 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:8.0	VPS $14.99/month High availability, free website transfers, cloud-powered reliability Value for price:9.1
CPX11 €5.18/month 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:8.3
CX21 €6.37/month 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:8.5
CPX21 €8.98/month 3 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 80 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:8.7
CX31 €29.99/month 2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 240 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:8.8
CPX31 €16.18/month 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 160 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:9.0
CX41 €20.71/month 4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 160 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:9.2
CPX41 €29.99/month 8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 240 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:9.5
CX51 €39.15/month 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 240 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:9.0
CPX51 €65.33/month 16 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 360 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic Value for price:9.2
CAX11 €4.51/month 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic (Ampere) Value for price:8.2
CAX21 €7.72/month 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic (Ampere) Value for price:8.5
CAX31 €14.86/month 8 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 160 GB Disk Space, 20 TB Traffic (Ampere) Value for price:8.9
CAX41 €29.14/month Ease of setup Evaluates the ease of setting up and migrating websites on the hosting platform. Score Components: Site migration (25%): Assesses whether the provider offers tools for site migration, either automated or manual, and whether these services are free or require a fee. Admin panel usability (35%): Evaluates the type of admin panel provided, such as the standard cPanel or a custom solution, focusing on its accessibility and user-friendliness for both technical and non-technical users. Setup features (20%): Examines the availability and ease of use of various setup features, including FTP accounts, file managers, email account setup, PHPMyAdmin, and easy CDN configuration. Help center quality (20%): Measures the quality and accessibility of the provider’s help center resources, including articles and tutorials. 8.0 8.6 🏆 Winner InMotion Hosting: Offers a streamlined setup process with extensive support options. Hetzner Online uses their custom konsoleH administration interface for account management tasks, whereas InMotion Hosting employs the widely recognized cPanel. KonsoleH allows users to manage various aspects of their hosting accounts, including domains, emails, and websites, although its unique interface may require some time for new users to get used to. The setup process, handled by technicians within one workday, provides a hassle-free start but lacks the immediate user control seen in more standardized panels. konsoleH is functional and comes with comprehensive documentation and customization options, making it useful for both beginners and advanced users who are willing to spend some time familiarizing themselves with the system. In contrast, InMotion Hosting simplifies the process significantly by using the familiar cPanel interface, known for its user-friendly design and wide adoption. The inclusion of a demo version helps non-technical users get accustomed to navigating the control panel before making any changes. With one-click installations for popular applications, setting up websites becomes straightforward. This makes it accessible for users of all skill levels. The standardization of cPanel across multiple hosting environments ensures that users who switch hosts or manage multiple sites can do so efficiently. In terms of migration tools, Hetzner Online offers detailed guides and support for migrating domains, websites, emails, and databases, but the process tends to be more manual and reliant on the user following documentation. Support is available 24/7, but the effectiveness of the migration largely depends on the user’s familiarity with the konsoleH interface and the complexity of their setup. On the other hand, InMotion Hosting provides free automated migration tools making the transition smoother and quicker, with their Launch Assist service available for more complex migrations, ensuring minimal downtime and reducing the need for technical know-how. Hetzner’s help center resources include comprehensive documentation, detailed guides, and tutorials, supported by 24/7 telephone and email support, and a community contribution model where users can earn credit for writing helpful guides. This structured approach provides a wealth of knowledge accessible to all users. InMotion Hosting boasts a similarly extensive online support center, complete with step-by-step educational channels, forums, and specialized WordPress tutorials. Their 24/7 U.S.-based support and a tiered system of support options ensure that users can find answers quickly and efficiently, regardless of their technical expertise. Hetzner help center InMotion Hosting help center The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. Hetzner offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 telephone and email support. InMotion Hosting also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support. User management Assesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. Score Components: Role customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and permissions. Ease of management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users. Access control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user levels. Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently. 7.8 8.7 🏆 Winner InMotion Hosting: Superior user management tools and customization options. Hetzner Online and InMotion Hosting offer distinct approaches to user management that cater to diverse user needs. Hetzner focuses on a clear-cut method of creating and managing user groups, offering straightforward options for adding, grouping, and monitoring user activities. InMotion Hosting, leveraging WordPress, emphasizes the granularity of user roles and permissions, allowing for detailed role distinctions that cater to various levels of user engagement. InMotion stands out with its ability to manage specific user roles through plugins like the User Role Editor and command-line tools like WP-CLI, providing enhanced flexibility and control. Hetzner provides a straightforward user interface for user management. Users can navigate the “User Settings” to add new groups or users, assign storage quotas, and check user activities. The ability to manage user roles and storage in a single dashboard simplifies the overall management process. InMotion Hosting, integrated with WordPress, offers a familiar and user-friendly interface that lets administrators easily add and manage user roles and permissions. The availability of plugins enhances the customization of user roles, making it suited for users who prefer a more detailed control structure. Regarding access control, both providers offer effective solutions but in different ways. Hetzner’s approach to user groups and activity monitoring ensures administrators can maintain control over user permissions and storage allocation efficiently. It is suitable for environments where strict control and allocation of resources are essential. InMotion Hosting, with its WordPress-centric user role management, excels in environments that need detailed permission settings and workflows involving multiple content creators and managers. Both platforms can handle a growing number of users, but InMotion’s ability to customize and expand role capabilities gives it an edge. Hetzner user roles table: Role Description Access highlights Administrator Manages all aspects of Storage Share and user accounts Full access to user settings, storage quotas, and support Standard User Regular user under a specific group with assigned storage limits Limited access based on group settings and quotas InMotion user roles table: Role Description Access highlights Administrator Full access to all administration features Manage posts, pages, plugins, themes, and users Editor Publishes and manages posts from all users Edit, publish, and delete any posts, moderate comments Author Publishes and manages their own posts Create, edit, and publish their own posts Contributor Writes and manages their own posts without publishing them Create and edit their own posts, but can’t publish Subscriber Manages their profile only View and comment on posts Customer support Evaluates the quality, availability, and scope of the customer support offered by the hosting provider. Score Components: Support communication channels (30%): Measures the variety of customer support types provided (live chat, chatbot, email, phone, etc.) Availability (20%): Assesses the availability hours for each channel, including 24/7 support options. Technical support quality (30%): Assesses whether the provider offers comprehensive technical support, including hardware upgrades (e.g., HDD to SSD), software installations, and web server configuration changes. Enterprise support (20%): Checks if there are dedicated or priority support services for enterprise-level customers. 6.3 8.3 🏆 Winner InMotion Hosting: Extensive customer service options with 24/7 live chat and phone support, ensuring responsive and reliable assistance. Phone support Live chat support Chatbot Email/ticket support Enterprise support (dedicated agent, priority support) Hetzner Online offers various customer service channels, including email, ticketing system, and phone support during specific hours. Their support team delivers prompt responses through the ticketing system, but some users experience delays and unsatisfactory account issue resolutions. The absence of live chat support is a notable limitation for those seeking real-time assistance, though extensive documentation is available for self-service. InMotion Hosting stands out with 24/7 availability for both phone and live chat support, complemented by email support, a comprehensive knowledge base, and community forums. Their U.S.-based customer service team is praised for being responsive and clear in communication. Customers can expect quick and reliable help, although some have reported occasional slow ticket responses and unprofessional behavior from sales representatives. The company also offers a money-back guarantee, which adds to their appeal. User feedback Hetzner 6 reviews 4.6 out of 5 stars Inmotion Hosting 59 reviews 3.9 out of 5 stars Users generally find the hosting provider to be cost-effective with robust performance capabilities, able to handle demanding tasks reliably. Many reviewers appreciate the competitive pricing, ease of use, and the fast, reliable infrastructure. While customer support is often praised for its availability and helpfulness, some users believe it could still see improvements. The platform’s dashboard and additional features could benefit from enhancements, but overall, users are satisfied with the value and quality of service provided. InMotion Hosting receives mixed reviews from users, highlighting several strengths and weaknesses. Customers appreciate the variety of hosting plans, transparent pricing, robust uptime, and exceptional customer support. On the downside, some users experience slow servers on lower-tier plans and encounter long waiting times for customer support. Additionally, the platform’s user interface has received criticism for being somewhat difficult to navigate, and there are concerns about service outages and higher prices for premium features. FAQ Which platform is better suited for hosting WordPress websites? InMotion is better suited for hosting WordPress websites as it offers specialized WordPress hosting plans with advanced security, optimized performance, and dedicated support. Hetzner does not specifically provide distinct WordPress hosting options, making InMotion the preferable choice for WordPress users. Which hosting service offers better security features? Hetzner provides comprehensive security features such as ISO 27001-certified data centers, GDPR compliance, free SSL certificates, and a variety of PHP extensions including APCu, ImageMagick, and OPcache. InMotion also offers robust security features including DDoS protection, malware detection, and firewall software, making both platforms strong in security but Hetzner slightly edges out with more extensive measures. Which platform offers better customer support? InMotion Hosting excels in customer support with 24/7 availability for both phone and live chat support, in addition to email support and a comprehensive knowledge base. Hetzner offers phone support during specific hours and email/ticket support, but lacks live chat, making InMotion a superior choice for users seeking responsive and reliable assistance. What are the major differences in pricing and value between hetzner and inmotion? Hetzner offers more budget-friendly plans starting from as low as €2.09 per month with features like unlimited traffic and various domain support. In contrast, InMotion’s web hosting plans start at $12.99 per month, including free domain registration and SSL, along with enhanced security features. InMotion provides specialized WordPress hosting plans starting at $3.69 per month, which Hetzner does not offer, potentially offering better value for WordPress users despite higher pricing. Which hosting service offers more scalability options for growing websites? Both Hetzner and InMotion offer comprehensive scalability options, with Hetzner providing shared and dedicated vCPU options without a minimum contract period. InMotion offers a variety of scalable web hosting plans including VPS and dedicated servers, starting at $14.99/mo and $35.00/mo respectively. Both support elastic scaling, but InMotion provides more detailed automatic scaling solutions. The making of this blog We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article. 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