Overview

Hostinger is a relatively new but popular web host based in Europe. The company was founded in Kaunas, Lithuania in 2004 under the brand name “Hosting Media”. Since then, it has grown exponentially to become one of the largest web hosting companies not only in Europe but also across the world.

Hostinger shot to the limelight in 2007 when it launched a free web hosting platform under the domain name 000webhost.com. This platform was freely accessible to anyone for free, and as a result attracted millions of users in months. It also functioned as a stepping stone for the company to offer paid hosting services.

Today, Hostinger has over 29 million users from all over the world, and about 15 thousand clients register for its service every day. It also has a presence across the globe, 8 next-generation data centers, and over 200 employees.

This review will go into details about everything there is to know about Hostinger: its hosting packages, primary and secondary features, strengths and weaknesses, and frequently asked questions, among others.

Hostinger’s Hosting Plans

Hostinger offers 4 web hosting packages, and each package has several plans under it. Each package and plan has something different to offer and the primary goal is to cater to everyone’s needs. Following are insights into each package and the plans they have to offer.

Shared Web Hosting

The shared hosting package is designed for those with basic hosting needs. It is suitable for personal as well as e-commerce websites. It comes with three plans: single, premium, and business shared web hosting. Each plan has something unique to offer, but some features are common across all plans. They include a powerful control panel, a website builder, and email accounts.

-          Single Shared Hosting

Shared web hosting comes with all the highlighted features and more. Extra features include 1 website per user, 10GB of SSD space, 100GB of bandwidth, and 1 MYSQL database. Its features, however, are limited when it comes to domain name registration, SSL security, and backups – you have to pay an extra fee to enjoy these features. It is also important to note that users are limited to 1 email account under this plan.

The single shared hosting plan is billed at $0.80 per month, one of the lowest rates in the market. 

-          Premium Shared Hosting

The premium shared hosting plan offers everything available in the single shared plan and more. It also gives users more units of some features for better performance. For starters, it offers unlimited units of SSD space, bandwidth, email accounts, and MYSQL databases unlike the latter plan. It also affords users the option of developing and hosting an unlimited number of websites. It also offers free domain name registration.

However, users still have to incur extra costs for SSL security features and daily website backups. It is also important to note that this plan comes with twice the processing power and memory, thus guaranteeing greater speeds and performance.

The premium shared hosting plan is billed at is billed at $3.49 per month. 

-          Business Shared Hosting

The business shared hosting plan offers all the features on the list in greater quantities when compared to the previous two plans. These features include the ability to host an unlimited number of websites, MYSQL databases, and email accounts. SSD space and bandwidth also come without limits. Domain name registration is free, and so are SSL security features and daily backup services. Notably, this plan also offers four times as much processing power and memory capacities as the previous two plans.

The business shared hosting plan is billed at $7.95 per month.

WordPress Hosting

Hostinger also offers its hosting services on the WordPress platform. WordPress has come a long way in a short time. Today, it is the biggest platform for blogs and websites. It offers a wide variety of resources designed to offer its users reliable online presence, and it is easy to use even by those without sufficient technical knowhow.

There are three plans under the WordPress hosting package:

-          Single WordPress Hosting

This plan is designed for small online projects, but it comes with enough resources to run a standard website. Features include the capability to host 1 website, 10GB of disk space, an easy website builder, 100GB of bandwidth, a user-friendly access manager, and a powerful control panel. You get all this for only $0.80 per month.

-          Premium WordPress Hosting

This plan is the best seller not only for this package but for other packages as well. It offers enough features to comfortable run a competitive website or blog. It is especially ideal for medium websites seeking to grow and expand.

Features offered under this plan include the option to host an unlimited number of websites, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited SSD disk space. It also comes with an easy website builder as well as a user-friendly access manager. The final platform also comes with a powerful control panel that makes modifying the website quick and easy. Finally, clients in this plan can enjoy twice the speed of the single plan.

This plan is billed at $3.49 per month. Clients can also get a free domain name if they apply to the annual plan. 

-          Business WordPress Hosting

This is the highest plan in the package. It is designed for professional websites and online businesses seeking optimal stability, speed, and security. It offers many more features compared to the previous two plans.

Some of the basic features offered under this plan include an unlimited number of websites, SSD disk space capacity, and bandwidth capacity. Additional features also available in previous plans are an easy website builder, a user-friendly access manager, and a powerful control panel. Extra features include deluxe live customer support, daily backups, twice the processing power and memory of other plans, a free SSL certificate for security purposes, and 4-times as much speed as other plans.

This plan is billed at $7.95 per month. Clients also get free domain name registration if they sign up for the annual plan. 

Cloud Hosting

Cloud hosting is a new package on Hostinger. It promises greater power, speed, and performance. It promises 3 times more speed compared to shared hosting as well as plenty room to grow and expand your online business. Considering the dedicated resources including space, speed, and storage capacities, the company says it is close to having one’s own server. Backend tasks are also fully managed by the company’s technicians. 

There are 3 plans under this package. Each plan differs from the other in terms of features offered, but they all share certain features. Common features include:

-          Isolated resources

-          Free dedicated IP address

-          Free domain registration

-          Cloudflare integration

-          Free SSL certificate

-          Daily backups

-          Cache manager

-          Unlimited email accounts

-          Access manager

-          Multiple versions of PHP

-          Powerful control panel

-          1-click app installer

The three plans under this package come with extra features offered at varying quantities. Here is an insight into each plan:

-          Startup Cloud Hosting

Startup cloud hosting may be the lowest on the hierarchy, but it still offers everything one would need to run a sizeable online business. For starters, clients can host an unlimited number of websites and enjoy unlimited bandwidth. SSD storage capacity is set at 40GB. Additionally, random access memory (RAM) is set at 3GB and each client gets 2 CPU cores – combined, these two features guarantee excellent speed and performance. 

This plan is billed at $15.90 per month.

-          Professional Cloud Hosting

Like the startup plan, professional cloud hosting also offers unlimited bandwidth and the option of hosting an unlimited number of websites. Additionally, it offers more of everything else.

RAM memory capacity is increased to 6GB and clients get 4 dedicated CPU cores, thus guaranteeing more speed and power. What’s more, SSD storage capacity is doubled to 80GB. The plan also goes an extra mile by offering twice the speed boost of the startup plan. The plan is billed at $31.80 per month.

-          Enterprise Cloud Hosting

Enterprise cloud hosting offers the best of this package. RAM memory capacity is doubled from 6GB to 12GB. Combined with 6 CPU cores, this goes a long way in offering unmatched speed and performance capacities. SSD storage is also increased to 120GB, thus allowing you to store as much data as you may like. Finally, the plan offers a boost of 3-times the speed of the startup plan.

This plan is billed at $71.55 per month.

Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting

VPS hosting is designed for those looking for the best of web hosting services. It offers up to 30-times as much speed and performance capacities compared to premium shared hosting packages. It also guarantees 100% uptime.

This package does not have rigid plans like the previous two packages. Instead, it offers more units of every feature – you get what you pay for. The different offers include:

In addition to these features, Hostinger also offers additional features meant to boost performance and convenience. They include:

-          VPS Hosting Control

Hostinger enables you to host your VPS server like a pro with its easy-to-use VPS hosting control. All commands can be executed with a simple click. The list of commands that can be executed using this control panel is versatile. For instance, the servers can be rebooted, web scripts can be installed, operating systems can be modified and changed, and a great variety of VPS resources can be modified.

Clients are also guaranteed dedicated live chat customer support in case they run into any complications.

-          Dedicated IP Address

Having a dedicated IP address goes a long way in improving your connections and operations. For instance, it eliminates all hitches in extensions and scripts. Hostinger offers a dedicated IP address with IPv4 and IPv6 internet protocols, thus enabling you to map features for custom port connections.

-          Data Backups

Hostinger is very keen on security. For its VPS hosting clients, one of the security options offered is an automatic backup schedule. It complements this feature with RAID protection to further ensure that your data stays out of hackers’ reach. Users can backup and restore all their data with a few clicks thanks to advanced features on the control panel. 

-          OS and Web Script Installers

This is where a majority of the power and features lie. Hostinger provides a host of VPS installation containers developed by the best engineers to make it easier to install OS platforms and web scripts, along with so much more. Some of the capabilities afforded by these installation containers include: installing any version of Linux operating systems; developing VPN servers and building Minecraft; developing super-fast WordPress VPS servers; and integrating all-in-one LAMP with one click.

Email Hosting

Any online platform without an email portal would be incomplete. An email portal is necessary for communicating with one’s users to keep them updated, get their views and opinions, and even market, among other things. It is for these and other reasons that Hostinger also offers an email hosting package. There are two plans under this package:

-          Business Email

This email hosting plan is sufficient for ecommerce sites and most other online platforms. It offers a variety of features including a domain-based email address, 5GB of storage capacity, tasks manager, a calendar, multi-device support, an email migration tool, and cloudmark email protection to keep your mail safe. The plan is billed at $0.59 per month.

-          Enterprise Email

Hostinger Features

Hostinger differentiates its plans and packages with its list of features. However, some features are common across all packages and plans. This section will offer a deeper insight into these features and their benefits to users.

Performance and Speed

Considering the intense competition on the internet, having a better website than the competition is a great competitive edge. Better, in this context, means a website that is always operational and can execute complex tasks with ease.

For example, research shows that websites that take longer than 4 seconds to load get less traffic that those with faster loading speeds. As such, speed is an important factor to consider with any web hosting service. Hostinger takes several measures to ensure that its clients enjoy top speeds and great performance with their websites. We take a look at the most notable ones:

-          Dedicated Resources

Some of the packages offered by Hostinger, such as Cloud and VPS hosting, offer several dedicated resources in unlimited quantities. These resources include memory capacities, RAM storage, bandwidth, and SSD storage capacities, among others. Combined, these resources lessen the time it takes for your website to load regardless of the size of data and applications it holds. Notably, CPU cores and CPU power capacities available on Cloud hosting and VPS hosting respectively also boost speed. Shared hosting does not offer most of these dedicated resources, but it does offer the option of buying them separately.

-          Virtual Servers

Both Cloud hosting and VPS hosting packages rely on virtual servers for their hosting services. Virtual servers offer vast resources for a wide array of features, and this works well for speed. For instance, virtual servers have unlimited amounts of storage space and bandwidth. They also host a variety of other features dedicated solely to boosting speed and performance.

-          Speed Boosts

The Cloud hosting package is so advanced that it actually offers the capability to crank up speed and performance. Except the startup plan, all other plans under this package come with speed boosting capabilities. This makes loading time almost instant considering all the other features that the Cloud hosting package has to offer.

Note: Although most of the speed-boosting features highlighted here are offered in the Cloud and VPS packages, shared hosting also offers decent loading speeds ideal for those without complex hosting needs.

-          Uptime Guarantee

Hostinger has a 99.9% uptime guarantee. This means that your website will be operational and visible to your visitors nearly all the time – downtimes, although possible, are rare. Interestingly, Cloud hosting promises 100% uptime guarantee – this, however, is yet to be established considering that this package is still relatively new.

-          CPU Power & Cores

The Cloud hosting package offers CPU cores while VPS hosting offers varying CPU power capacities. Both of these features are designed to boost performance. For instance, two cores offer double the power of a server working with one core.

-          Backend Organization

Performance also has a lot to do with web and server maintenance. Technical issues are common in web hosting, and they often prove too technical for clients. Hostinger has a team of technicians dedicated to solving any backend issues especially in Cloud hosting, thus ensuring that the website performs optimally at all times.

-          Ease of Use

Hostinger also offers a wide range of tools and programs that make it easy for clients to customize their services and web hosting packages. For instance, the control panel offered in VPS hosting makes it possible to change and install operating systems and web scripts at the click of a button. With this kind of capability on their hands, clients can optimize their websites to give them more power over the competition.

-          Multiple Datacenters

Having started out as a small company in Europe, Hostinger has spread all over the world. It has over 200 employees all over the world and 8 datacenters scattered across Europe and North America. These datacenters are precisely located to serve clients on the basis of their proximity. They also employ the use of advanced technology to offer the best quality services. 

Security

Hacking has never been more rampant as it is today. Hackers have upped their game to the point where they can hack entire government systems and even millions of independent websites across the globe. For online businesses, security is a big deal considering the value of the data they possess on their websites and other online platforms. This is why Hostinger goes overboard on security by taking no chances. Common security features include:

-          SSL Certification

SSL certification is one of the most trusted security protocols for websites. Hostinger offers it as a free feature on most of its packages and plans unlike most other websites that demand additional fees. This assures even the average user of their online security.

-          Automatic Web Backups

Hostinger also offers automatic web backup plans for some of its plans in Cloud and VPS hosting packages. These plans run on a schedule that may be as frequent as daily. What’s more, clients can perform their own backup and restore old files by the click of a button thanks to the platform’s powerful control panel.

-          RAID Protection

Hostinger also offers RAID protection for some of its packages to protect users from malware and other security breaches.

Customer Service

Most companies are all about the money. Their main goal is to sell that hosting package – they do not care how you use it. This is a sure way to lose clients. For a company with as many as 29 million clients all over the world, Hostinger does a good job of customer care and support.

-          24/7 Customer Support

Hostinger is a global company with clients located all over the world. To cater for the different time zones, the company has a customer care department that is active all day, every day.

-          Multilingual, Technical Support

As mentioned, Hostinger is a global company. This means that its clients speak different languages. It caters for their needs by setting up a multi-lingual customer care department. The support team is well versed in a variety of languages including English, French, Russian, Greek, Arabic, Spanish, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Estonian, Finnish, and Turkish, among others. 

In addition to offering customer support in a variety of languages, the support team is also well versed with the Hostinger and web hosting in general. This means that agents can help you solve technical problems in real time.

-          Multichannel Support

Hostinger’s customer care department has several channels open for its clients. These include email tickets and live chats. In both channels, the technicians respond promptly and provide relevant information as best as they can. Unfortunately, the company does not provide customer support via the telephone, a preferred communication channel.

Self Help

Hostinger’s online platform is unique from other platforms. To this end, clients may come across challenges trying to access its resources. What’s more, most people are not very knowledgeable in web hosting. However, most aspects of both concepts are simple and anyone can get them. This is why Hostinger offers a host of educational resources to keep clients informed.

-          Knowledge Base

Hostinger has an entire page with links to numerous articles detailing the workings of the platform, its resources, and web hosting in general. These articles employ the use of simple language that is understandable to everyone. They also use an array of illustrations to get the message through. 

-          Tutorials

Hostinger also has an array of video tutorials meant to show clients how to get things done. These tutorials are highly engaging and show every step-by-step, thus making sure that you don’t get it wrong.

Money-back Guarantee

Hostinger is confident in the quality of its services – even more so considering that it is one of the most affordable companies. Nevertheless, it promises dissatisfied clients their money back as long as the submit complaints and withdrawal requests within 30 days of signing up. What’s more, the company does not have any hidden charges – you get all your money back.

Extras

-          Domain Checker

A good domain name is necessary to help your website identify with the public. With so many websites in similar niches out there, it may become difficult to find the ideal domain name. However, Hostinger helps make the search shorter and less complicated with its free domain checker. The checker is sophisticated than most other similar programs as it can check domain names for all prefixes. Hostinger also offers free domain name registration with most of its packages and plans.

-          Website Builder

Designing a website is a complex process that can take days and cost you – that is, depending on how you go about it. New clients seeking to build their own websites are enabled to do so using Hostinger’s website builder. The builder is complex enough to build a respectable site. However, it is also easy to use even for the inexperienced users. It offers access to a wide variety of tools and resources that enable you to customize your site exactly as you want it. Most of these resources are free and you can also integrate premium resources such as themes and add-ons.  This builder is so easy to use that you can build a functioning website in minutes or hours at no cost at all.

-          Diverse Payment Options

Not only are Hostinger’s products and services cheaper than most, payment options are also diverse to suit everyone. The company also uses only the safest payment channels to protect its clients from financial fraud. Payment channels include Visa, PayPal, Discover, Maestro, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB, among others. The company also accepts Bitcoin payments; convenient for those seeking anonymity.

Strengths and Weaknesses of Hostinger

Hostinger is better than most other web hosting websites in several aspects. However, it still has several shortcomings that may make it undesirable. Here is an insight at its pros and cons.

Pros

-          Fast loading speeds

Loading speed is one of the main factors that determine a website’s traffic. Websites that are slow to load get less traffic than those with fast loading speeds. Hostinger ensures that its clients are not at a disadvantage by providing several features that boost loading speeds. To this end, clients using this platform are assured of almost-instant loading speeds and, consequently, more visitors and leads.

-          Easy-to-use systems

Most clients prefer using web hosting services because they wouldn’t know where to begin with personal hosting. Ironically, they still come across obstacles when navigating their web hosting platforms. Hostinger tries to make things easy for its clients by developing an easy-to-use system that can execute complex commands at the click of a button. It also offers a host of educational resources to add to its clients’ web hosting skills.

-          Security and privacy

With cases of hacking on the rise, it pays to utilize the best security protocols you can find. This partly depends on the web hosting company you register with. Some companies charge extra fees for offering basic security protocols such as SSL certification while others go with the most basic. Hostinger, however, offers a variety of security protocols including SSSL certification, automated website backup plans, RAID Protection, and more. Combined, these security protocols safeguard your data from prying eyes.

-          Numerous resources

With so many clients around the world, Hostinger is forced to stock up on enough resources to satisfy all their needs. To this end, it has unlimited amounts of vital resources, and it offers them generously depending on the chosen package and plan. 

-          Admirable customer support

Hostinger has a reputable customer support department capable of communication in more than 10 languages. The customer care agents are available 24/7. They are also knowledgeable enough to help solve obstacles on the spot.

-          Affordability

Hostinger services were free at one point. They come at a fee nowadays, but they are still cheaper than most. This company ranks among the most affordable web hosting platforms in the market today. Notably, it provides better quality services and resources than most other web hosting companies.

Cons

-          Feature fees

Hostinger is generous with most of its resources, but it charges a premium for some. There are extra charges for domain transfers, ccTLD registries, and SSL certificates for some packages.

-          Lack of a telephone line

Hostinger has several customer support channels, but it does not have a telephone line like most other companies. This is unfortunate considering that most users prefer talking to customer care agents over the phone as it is easier to get the message across this way.

Hostinger Frequently Asked Questions

-          What is Hostinger?

Hostinger is a web hosting company based in Lithuania, Europe. It was founded in 2004 as a free hosting platform but later evolved into a premium service platform.

-          Does Hostinger specialize in any niche?

Hostinger does not specialize in any particular niche. It serves all clients’ needs and hosts all sorts of online platforms including blogs and websites for all niches.

-          Is the platform ideal for e-commerce sites?

Hostinger is particularly good for online business platforms thanks to its powerful resources. Its better-than-average speed and performance capacities are beneficial for business websites seeking to rank higher and get ahead of the competition. It also offers applications and programs that aid with search engine optimization, thus giving its clients more competitive edge over the competition.

-          What is Hostinger’s uptime guarantee?

Hostinger has an uptime guarantee of 99.99%. This figure was reached following consecutive tests over a period of one month. It is better than the industry average.

-          What happens in case of downtimes? Do I get compensated?

Downtimes are rare, but when they do occur the team of technicians scrambles to restore functionality. However, those affected by downtimes are entitled to 5% of their monthly premiums.

-          What security protocols does Hostinger offer?

Hostinger offers several security features either as stand-alone features or as complementary features depending on the package and plan. Security protocols include SSL certification, automatic website backup, and RAID protect, among others.

-          What payment options are available on Hostinger?

Hostinger accepts payments from a majority of credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, and Maestro, among others. It also accepts PayPal virtual cash. Interestingly, it also accepts payments via Bitcoin at real-time exchange rates.

-          Can I get my money back after signing up?

Yes, you can get your money back after signing up with Hostinger. However, this offer is only valid for 30 days after your initial sign-up date.

-          How can I reach Hostinger?