You might believe that a hosting service that has been in the game for over 20 years and is regarded as a veteran within the industry would offer one of the best services and features to its client. HostMonster is one such hosting service that has been in the field for decades and easily overshadows other hosting service providers in terms of experience and operating years.
However, despite being an OG website hosting service provider, does HostMonster provide a service that is better or comparable to other leading contemporaries, or does it lack the features and services we expect from a modern website host? In this HostMonster review, we try to examine the facts and give you the answers to these pressing questions.
First, let’s take a look at HostMonster and then weigh the pros and cons of their services:
About HostMonster
Founded in 1996, HostMonster is a web-hosting provider for nearly two and a half decades that is now a part of the Endurance International Group (EIG), which provides website hosting services from various brands aimed at small businesses.
HostMonster’s technology comprises of a few virtual private servers (VPS). You can also get dedicated server hosting plans and affordable shared hosting plans that are suitable for SMEs.
Additionally, HostMonster’s web hosting services include:
- Dual Quad Processor servers
- Diesel-powered backup power generators
- Linux OS hosting
- 24/7 monitoring of network
The promise of delivering some robust features and the long history of providing hosting services to the small and medium-sized businesses may attract you into trusting HostMonster with your website. But is it worth the money and does it deliver on its promises, let’s find out:
Short-Term Plans
The pricing of plans is both a strong point and a weak point of Host Monster. The fantastic discounted pricing for the first year of service is something that attracts new clients. In the beginning, going with HostMonster as your website host will save you money, especially when compared to the first-year pricing of other comparable web hosting brands.
With the discount, you can get the basic plan for as low as $4.95/month and their premium Choice Plus plan for $6.95/month. However, these affordable plans might not have a ton of features to offer, especially the basic plan. Nonetheless, straightforward features may be perfect for freshly made websites.
HostMonster Plans
HostMonster does not provide every potential hosting type and instead concentrates on the three most popular. Let us look deeper at the Shared, Dedicated, and VPS plans.
Shared Hosting
HostMonster offers three simple plans for shared hosting, the most popular type of hosting for newcomers. You can compare the conditions in the screenshot below and select the best option for your project.
As you can see, each hosting plan comes standard with a Free SSL Certificate. It demonstrates that the organization is concerned about the security and protection of your websites. You can select the Basic plan to become acquainted with the service’s essential functions.
We propose the Plus plan if you are already certain this is the perfect hosting plan. It will be the best solution for small and medium-sized organizations due to its minor differences from more expensive alternatives. Costlier plans will be appropriate for larger businesses that require more power and resources. Attaching specific extensions to each plan for an additional price if you need that extension is possible. For example, SpamExperts Mail Filtering is available for $2.99 per month. More information can be seen in the screenshot below:
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated servers from this service are custom-built using the most incredible software, such as industrial-grade Intel® Xeon CPUs with the most recent CentOS. HostMonster offers three manageable price levels to its customers: Standard, Enhanced, and Premium. Enhanced cPanel, Instant provisioning, and advanced caching are among the benefits. You can get cutting-edge guidance on your business needs from the support staff.
VPS hosting
HostMonster employs cloud technologies such as OpenStack and KVM, which give a solid platform for upgrading and improving customer servers. One advantage is that the provisioning process for your site does not take long. It happens in a flash. Advanced cPanel gives users a plethora of options for self-managing hosting.
Solid Uptimes
Uptime is where HostMonster outshines the competition and comes out as one of the strongest contenders. It maintains a near-perfect uptime of 99.94%, which means that you will not be worrying about your website users facing unpleasant downtime that can have a significant impact on the user experience.
HostMonster ensures a solid uptime rate by maintaining its servers, 24/7 monitoring, and prompt resolution of issues.
Easy to Use Backend
Because HostMonster’s services are aimed at small business website owners who might not be the most tech-savvy people, the host provides a simple yet effective backend that is user-friendly even for the beginners.
The lack of a custom control panel may strike some as a drawback, and we believe that HostMonster’s use of cPanel simplifies things largely and makes it easy to use and learn. The cPanel gives users the power to control various functions in one place. Its standard features mean that if you come across something that you don’t understand, you can easily find a tutorial or solution through a Google search.
One-Click Installations
One of the benefits of being under the umbrella of EIG is that being a HostMonster user will give you access to the MOJO Marketplace, which is also owned by EIG. Therefore, all EIG owned brand users have the opportunity to use the vast range of open-sourced content, including WordPress themes, plug-ins, and scripts.
The best thing about having all this stuff is that you can install it with a single click and use them in various ways to give your website a better look and a competitive edge. The opportunities are limitless. There are plenty of useful things in the marketplace for everyone, including different content management systems.
Unmetered Bandwidth
Strict data caps can be extremely limiting, especially for small business websites that have excellent growth potential. HostMonster clients can sidestep the issue of data caps thanks to its unmetered bandwidth. It should be noted that they do not offer unlimited bandwidth, rather unmetered bandwidth.
As an owner of a website, unmetered bandwidth will take some pressure off your shoulders about your usage. However, you will have to mindful of the limits of the severs because HostMonster might close clients that use too much bandwidth.
Amazing Security Features
Everyone today who is using the internet should be mindful of online security measures, including website owners. An often overlooked aspect, HostMonster is serious about providing excellent security to its clients’ websites, which will protect them and their hard work from the severe threat of malware, hackers, and DDOS attacks.
Each HostMonster plans come with various security features, so almost everyone is protected.
Each website hosted on HostMonster’s servers gets a free SSL certificate that informs your website’s browsers that this website is safe and secure. With an SSL certificate, the browser can open an encrypted connection between the user and your website, which means all the information being exchanged is fully protected.
To top that, you also get daily cPanel account backups that you restore with a single click. You also get SiteLock’s basic version for additional protection. With SiteLock, your website has reliable antivirus protection, so no cybercrime attack can easily harm your website and its visitors. SiteLock Lite version provides basic scanning, so don’t expect it to remove malware from your website. The best thing is that you can upgrade your version of SiteLock for additional security.
The premium plans offer SpamExperts, SSH Access, and HotLink protection to keep websites and users safe. The overall security features of HostMonster are satisfactory; we would not recommend it over Bluehost or other popular hosting services.
The premium plans offer f SpamExperts, SSH Access, and HotLink protection to keep websites and its users safe.
Misleading Pricing
Pricing is one of the most significant parameters of deciding a hosting service, especially for newbies who are not willing to invest a hefty amount. If you are concern about the pricing plan, then we wouldn’t recommend HostMonster to you.
Why? Because not only are the pricing plans are confusing, but they are falsely advertised as well. Although it does seem like the monthly price is quite low, but in actual, if you will start using the HostMonster service for an extended time period, the service will cost you more than you will initially expect/calculate.
It feels like HostMonster’s pricing plans are more subjected to attracting new customers rather than establishing long term customer relationships with their existing customers.
The price plans are collectively billed at once for 12, 24, or 36 – so you do not have the option of paying for your hosting per month. Most of the discounts are for their new customers who will benefit from their “promotional period.”
If you want to be sure about their pricing plans, ensure that you dig deep into their website and do not fall prey to their misleading advertisements.
Additional Charges
Other hosting services, HostMonster charges for adding essential features like SiteLock security and other add-ons. So, if you think that you wouldn’t have to pay any additional amount after you have paid a hefty subscription fee, then be cautious! Because the charges will continue to add up.
Hefty Migration Charges
If you are planning to migrate from your current hosting service to HostMonster, you should think again! Why? Because unlike most other hosting services, HostMonster charges a hefty $149.99 (up to five sites migration support).
We can comprehend the reason behind this hefty fee because we have noticed that other hosting service providers offer free website migration to attract new customers.
If you talk about the File Transfer Protocol, you are allowed to perform the transfer. However, it can be a challenge if you are a newbie, as HostMonster does not offer migration support.
If you make any mistakes or any error occurs during the transfer, your migration charges go down the drain. So, we do not recommend HostMonster’s migration service, unless you are a professional.
No Free Trial
If you are a new user, you usually expect the hosting company to offer you a limited-time free trial. HostMonster disappoints us yet again! It does not provide any free trial, so the only option you are left with is the 30-day money-back guarantee.
So, if you are not satisfied with HostMonster’s service, you have to go through the lengthy process of requesting a refund. Additionally, don’t expect a full refund because you will be charged for your domain. Although you can keep your domain, the domain cannot be transferred to a new registrar before 60 days.
Poor Connection Speed and Performance
You can compromise on the shortcomings of other features and pricing, but when it comes to hosting, speed, and performance matters a lot! HostMonster, unfortunately, doesn’t live up to the mark when it comes to the speed and performance, especially if you compare the service with other hosting service providers.
Website visitors do not have the time or the patience to wait for ages for a single page to load. So, having a website that takes more than a few seconds to load can negatively impact your brand because thus ending up in an unsatisfactory/disappointing browsing experience.
If you expect that paying a HostMonster’s hefty subscription fee will get you reliable performance and ultra-fast speed, which is the requirement of your business, then be prepared for a disappointment.
HostMonster and Its Competition
Let’s first HostMonster with Just Host because both of these hosting services are the children of EIG. Hence they seem quite similar on the surface.
When it comes to offering a free domain, HostMonster offers it with all of its pricing plans. On the contrary, Just Host does not offer a free domain with its entry-level plan. Just Host also offers monthly billing, whereas, HostMonster does not.
If you compare HostMonster with HostGator, at first look, it may seem like hostmonster offers more cost-effective price plans and HostGator; however, that’s not the case! Use monster offers better features for a lesser price and 30 days money-back guarantee, hence the HostGator offers an overall better value for money.
Even if you talk about performance, the HostGator takes the show with its 3 tier data centres that are spread across the world.
If you compare HostMonster vs Bluehost, you will not find a monthly billing option in either of the two. However, Bluehost offers more affordable pricing plans and also offers an opportunity to register a domain later on, which adds more value to their service.
Now let’s compare HostNine with HostMonster; these US-based providers come with an experience of more than two decades. To add to that, both of these hosting service providers come under the umbrella of the EIG.
However, if you compare the features vs price, Hostmonster is a better option as it offers a wide range of features at a more affordable price than HostNine.
Decent Customer Support
Customer support is an indispensable part of every successful business, and hosting service companies are no exception. To be successful in the highly competitive industry of web hosting companies have to ensure that their clients are well taken care of, especially if they are facing any issues regarding the service or risk having them leave for another host.
HostMonster offers multiple forms of customer support, including a toll-free number for US customers and another dedicated like for international clients. Although customer support on calls is convenient, it isn’t available to customers 24/7, and you will have to check the status indicator on their website to know if HostMonster customer support is taking calls.
On the other hand, e-mail support and live chat support are available around the clock. However, getting a response can take some time. The customer support staff is knowledgeable and can respond to queries effectively.
If you need an immediate solution to your issue, you can always look at the detailed guides and tutorials present on the HostMonster website.
FAQs
Q: Is setting up a basic website with HostMonster an easy task?
HostMonster makes setting up a basic website a matter of a few minutes only. All you have to do is to decide a domain name, select and pay for a hosting plan, and you’ll be able to access the cPanel that’ll allow you to easily and quickly build your website.
Q: Is HostMonster a good option for Windows Hosting Plans?
HostMonster is more focused on providing efficient hosting to Linux OS users. If you are looking for the best option for Windows, there are better options than HostMonster, including HostGator, GoDaddy, or Liquid Web (for complex or enterprise Windows hosting).
Q: What’s the location of HostMonster’s datacenters?
HostMonster uses the Cloudflare CDN, but its data center location is not commonly known. It is suspected that HostMonster uses the same Provo, Utah datacenter that HostGator or Bluehost do because Endurance International Group owns all the three hosting services.
Does TechProReviewers Recommend HostMonster?
When it all comes down to the question: where or not TechProReviewers recommends HostMonster? Well, the answer is No! Although, HostMonster does provide some promising features like Solid Uptimes, Easy to Use Backend, One-Click Installations, and Reliable Security.
However, if you compare the overall performance with the pricing of HostMonster, it becomes apparent that other hosting service providers offer a more extensive range of features and a better hosting service at a competitive price.
Nonetheless, if you want a basic hosting service, that is easy to use so that your website can go live on a trustable hosting service within minutes only! HostMonster can be a reliable option.
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Abdul Wahab 
Bethany Wilson 
