InMotion Hosting is a US-based web host founded in 2001, headquartered in Los Angeles with two data centers (Los Angeles and Virginia Beach). Unlike hosts that rely entirely on third-party infrastructure, InMotion owns its own servers. The company hosts more than 300,000 domains and is best known for generous money-back terms, strong US-based phone support, and a solid track record for shared and VPS hosting. This review covers what InMotion does well, where it falls short, and who it is the right fit for in 2025.
InMotion Overview
InMotion was founded in 2001 and operates Web Hosting Hub as a sister brand aimed at bloggers and beginners. The core InMotion platform targets small to mid-size businesses and developers who want reliable shared or VPS hosting with real phone support, rather than a chat-only helpdesk. If you are comparing it against budget-first options, our Bluehost review covers a popular lower-cost alternative, and our Hostinger review covers the most aggressively priced option in the market.
InMotion Pricing
InMotion shared hosting uses introductory rates that are significantly lower than renewal prices. For the full breakdown of plans, renewal math, and how InMotion compares to other hosts, see our complete InMotion Hosting guide. As of 2025:
- Core: from around $2.99 to $3.99 per month (intro). Renews at $12.99 to $15.99 per month. Covers 2 websites, 100 GB SSD, and free SSL.
- Launch: from around $5.99 per month (intro). Renews at $15.99 to $19.99. Covers unlimited websites on shared hosting.
- Power: from around $7.99 per month (intro). Adds faster NVMe SSD and a UltraStack server environment for better performance.
- Pro: higher-tier shared hosting with priority support and up to 6x faster speeds than standard shared.
- VPS plans: from $39.99 per month at renewal. Provide dedicated resources and root access.
All plans include a free domain for the first year (on 12-month terms or longer), unlimited bandwidth, and a 90-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting. The 90-day guarantee is one of the longest in the industry.
Why Use InMotion?
InMotion performs well in three areas where it sets expectations: uptime, speed, and support.
Uptime: InMotion’s measured uptime sits around 99.93%, translating to roughly six hours of downtime over 12 months. That is below the 99.99% offered by some premium hosts but consistent with what most shared hosts deliver in practice.
Speed: Average TTFB on InMotion shared plans runs approximately 400 to 500ms. That is adequate for a small business site but slower than cloud-based options like Cloudways or managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta. Speed improves for visitors based near the Los Angeles or Virginia Beach data centers. If the majority of your audience is outside the US, InMotion is not the fastest choice.
Support: This is InMotion’s strongest differentiator. Support is available 24/7 via live chat, phone, email, and Skype, with US-based agents rather than offshore call centers. Response times are generally faster than comparable shared hosts, and the knowledge base covers both beginner and technical topics.
If you are comparing budget hosts before deciding, our DreamHost hosting guide covers the main differences, particularly around the custom control panel, the 97-day guarantee, and DreamPress managed WordPress.
For users who want cloud-grade performance beyond what traditional shared hosting provides, our guide to DigitalOcean hosting explains the Droplet cost model, server management options, and when a managed layer like Cloudways makes more sense than running a raw VPS.
Additional standout features:
- 90-day money-back guarantee on shared hosting, versus the 30-day window most hosts offer
- Free site migration with every plan (not guaranteed zero-downtime, but free)
- 300+ one-click application installs via Softaculous: WordPress, Joomla, Magento, WooCommerce, and more
- Sucuri integration on WordPress installs: adds remote backup, anti-spam, and anti-malware scanning
- Free domain for the first year on annual plans
InMotion for WordPress
InMotion is a solid choice for WordPress. Every plan includes a one-click WordPress installer, and the WordPress-optimized plans use BoldGrid as a front-end page builder (an alternative to Elementor). Support staff are generally knowledgeable about WordPress issues. InMotion also supports WordPress multisite, WooCommerce, and caching plugins like WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache. You do not get the server-level Varnish or Redis caching that managed cloud hosts offer, but for a small-to-medium WordPress site, InMotion’s stack is capable.
What are the Negatives of Using InMotion?
InMotion has a few pain points worth knowing before you sign up:
- Phone verification on signup: All new InMotion accounts require a phone-verified identity check. This adds a delay between payment and access, and customers outside the US report longer wait times and occasional requests for ID documentation.
- Renewal pricing gap: Introductory rates are three to four times lower than renewal prices. If you sign up at $2.99/month and renew at $15.99/month, the effective cost jumps significantly. Lock in the longest term you can to keep the promotional rate longer.
- No automated backups on base plan: Standard shared plans do not include automated daily backups. Backup storage is available as an add-on, and pricing scales with storage used. UpdraftPlus Free is a free WordPress plugin alternative.
- No monthly billing on some plans: Several InMotion plans require annual or biannual commitments upfront. If you need month-to-month flexibility, verify the billing options for the specific plan before purchasing.
- US data centers only: With no data centers outside the US, InMotion is a weaker choice for businesses primarily serving European, Asian, or Australian audiences.
InMotion Performance: Speed and Uptime
InMotion's UltraStack servers use LiteSpeed web server rather than Apache, which handles WordPress traffic more efficiently and supports the native LiteSpeed Cache plugin. LiteSpeed-powered plans typically produce TTFB (time to first byte) of 200ms to 450ms. Standard InMotion plans on Apache fall in the 300ms to 600ms range, competitive for shared hosting but slower than managed cloud alternatives.
Uptime reported by independent monitoring consistently comes in around 99.93%, or roughly 5 hours of cumulative downtime per year. That is solid for shared hosting but below the 99.99% SLA offered by managed cloud hosts. InMotion provides an uptime guarantee in its SLA, though scheduled maintenance windows are excluded.
Both InMotion data centers are US-only (Los Angeles and Virginia Beach). European or Asian visitors see higher latency compared to hosts with global infrastructure. If your audience is primarily outside North America, this is a meaningful limitation.
Verdict: Is InMotion a Good Choice?
InMotion is a well-run shared host with real phone support and a 90-day guarantee that gives you genuine time to evaluate it. It is a good fit for US-based small businesses, solo WordPress users, and developers who want solid VPS options with support accessible by phone.
If cost is the primary driver, Hostinger and Bluehost are cheaper at renewal. If performance is the driver, cloud hosting through Cloudways or managed WordPress through Kinsta delivers better TTFB and scalability. InMotion sits between those two tiers: better than rock-bottom shared hosting, cheaper than managed cloud, and backed by support infrastructure that is notably better than most budget hosts.
If you are comparing budget hosts before deciding, our DreamHost hosting guide covers the main differences, particularly around the custom control panel, the 97-day guarantee, and DreamPress managed WordPress.
For users who want cloud-grade performance beyond what traditional shared hosting provides, our guide to DigitalOcean hosting explains the Droplet cost model, server management options, and when a managed layer like Cloudways makes more sense than running a raw VPS.
