Quick verdict
InMotion Hosting is a long-running US company with offices in Virginia and Los Angeles. Its shared plans are perfectly capable, but its real strength is everything above them: managed and self-managed VPS, and a wide range of dedicated servers. That’s why it’s our pick for dedicated hosting.
The appeal is that you can start small and move up without changing companies. The downsides are a less polished experience on entry plans, data centers concentrated in the US, and renewal rates well above the intro price. If you only need one small blog, cheaper and simpler hosts exist.
Start on InMotion Launch if you want cPanel shared hosting with a clear upgrade path. If you already need dedicated resources, go straight to its VPS or dedicated servers, which is where InMotion stands out.
Pros & cons
What we liked
- Wide range of VPS and dedicated servers, managed or self-managed
- Standard cPanel on shared hosting
- Long money-back window on shared plans
- 24/7 US-based phone, chat and ticket support
- Easy upgrade path from shared to VPS to dedicated
What we didn’t
- Renewals cost noticeably more than the intro price
- Lowest prices need a long prepay
- Data centers mainly in the US
- Entry shared plan is fairly limited
- Dashboard feels busier than newer hosts
Pricing & plans
The table covers InMotion’s shared plans, the usual starting point. Core is aimed at a single small site; Launch gives you room for several sites and more resources, which suits most people. VPS and dedicated servers are priced separately on InMotion’s site, and those prices vary by hardware and management level.
| Plan | Intro price | Renews at | Websites | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Core | $2.29/mo | $9.99/mo | 2 | Small sites |
| LaunchOur pick | $3.49/mo | $14.99/mo | Unlimited | Business sites |
Intro prices are for a 36-month term. Prices checked Oct 4, 2026 — InMotion changes them often, so check the live price before you buy.
Terms and renewals
The headline shared price needs a multi-year prepay, and every plan renews at a higher rate. Shorter terms cost more per month but let you test the service before committing. On VPS and dedicated servers, check whether a price is for managed or self-managed hosting, since the difference is significant. Our guide to hosting renewal prices explains how to compare properly, and our InMotion coupons page lists current deals.
Speed test results
InMotion uses SSD and NVMe storage and a tuned server stack it calls UltraStack, which adds caching layers for WordPress on top of the web server. On VPS and dedicated plans, the resources are reserved for you, so performance depends far more on the hardware you choose than on neighbors. Our testing method explains what we measure.
Average TTFB, 180 days
The chart compares InMotion’s shared hosting with the other hosts we track. Its servers are in the US, so visitors in North America see the quickest responses. If your site has outgrown shared hosting, moving to a VPS is usually a bigger speed gain than switching shared hosts.
Uptime
InMotion runs its servers in US data centers on the east and west coasts and backs its hosting with an uptime guarantee. The meter above shows what our monitor recorded for the shared plan. On dedicated servers, uptime also depends on how you manage the machine, so pick a managed plan if you don’t want to handle updates yourself.
Ease of use
Shared plans use cPanel, the standard panel most tutorials assume, with InMotion’s own account dashboard for billing and services. It’s not the friendliest setup for a total beginner, but it’s familiar to anyone who has hosted a site before, and it scales up cleanly to VPS.
- Control panel: cPanel on shared hosting and managed VPS, so skills carry over as you grow.
- Dedicated servers: choose fully managed or self-managed bare metal, depending on how hands-on you want to be.
- Migration: InMotion offers website transfer help when you sign up; confirm what’s free for your plan.
- WordPress: one-click installs and WordPress-tuned plans if you want them.
The bigger ease-of-use question is which server tier to pick. Managed VPS and managed dedicated servers mean InMotion handles the operating system, security patches and control panel, while you look after your sites. Self-managed servers give you root access and full control, but every update and fix is your job. If you’ve never run a server before, start managed.
Customer support
Support is available around the clock by phone, live chat and tickets, from US-based teams. Phone support is a genuine advantage for business owners who prefer to talk a problem through. InMotion’s support is generally well regarded, especially for server-level questions on VPS and dedicated plans, where managed tiers include more hands-on help.
Before you buy a dedicated server, it’s worth a pre-sales chat or call to match the hardware to your workload. Tell them what you run, how much traffic you expect and whether you need a specific operating system, and ask what level of management is included. That conversation saves you from paying for more server than you need.
Who InMotion is for
Choose InMotion if you…
- need a dedicated server or a managed VPS
- want to start on shared hosting and upgrade later
- prefer cPanel and phone support
- serve visitors mainly in North America
Look elsewhere if you…
- only need one small, cheap site
- have an audience mostly in Europe or Asia
- want the simplest beginner dashboard
- prefer pay-as-you-go cloud billing (see Cloudways)
InMotion alternatives
Best overall, from $2.69/mo.
Read review →Best for developers, from $2.99/mo.
Read review →Best European hosting, from $1/mo.
Read review →The right alternative depends on why you’re looking. If InMotion’s shared plans feel like more than you need, a cheaper beginner-focused host will do the job. If it’s the servers you want, compare management levels, data center locations and contract terms side by side, not just the monthly price.
If you want managed cloud servers billed by the hour instead, read our Cloudways review. Comparing server options more broadly? See our best dedicated servers and best VPS hosting lists.
Frequently asked questions
Is InMotion good for dedicated servers?
Yes, it’s one of the strongest mainstream hosts for them. You can choose managed or self-managed servers across a range of hardware, with US-based support behind them.
Does InMotion use cPanel?
Yes. Shared hosting and managed VPS plans come with cPanel, so most hosting tutorials apply directly.
What is InMotion’s money-back guarantee?
InMotion is known for a long money-back window on shared hosting, much longer than the industry norm. VPS and dedicated servers have different terms, so check the details for the product you buy.
Can I upgrade from shared hosting to a VPS?
Yes. Staying with InMotion makes the move simpler, since your account, billing and support stay the same. Ask support about migration help when you upgrade.
Is there an InMotion coupon code?
See our InMotion coupons page for the deals we’ve checked recently. Coupons apply to the first term only, not renewals.