InterServer is less mainstream but it's hard to look past them once you get to know the company. The web host is a great bargain (shared hosting locked at $5/mo for life), highly scalable; and their server performs very well in our test.
Founded by Michael Lavrik and John Quaglieri, InterServer is a New Jersey-based company that’s been in the game since 1999. Initially launching as a virtual hosting account re-seller, the hosting provider has grown over the past 17 years and now operates two data centers in New Jersey and is in the process of expanding to additional locations, including Los Angeles.
Self-deemed (and widely proven) a budget-friendly provider, InterServer specializes in shared, VPS, and dedicated and co-location hosting solutions.
My experience with InterServer
This InterServer review is based on my experience with their VPS hosting and shared hosting service, which I still own at this point of writing.
One of my InterServer-hosted sites (the dummy test site) is located here – I'm monitoring the site performance (speed and uptime) using our in-house system named HostScore and publish its real-time server performance statistics on this page.
I also did an online interview with InterServer co-founder Michael in September 2014 and visited the company’s HQ in Secaucus, New Jersey in August 2016.
About InterServer, the Company
Headquarter: Secaucus, New Jersey
Established: 1999
Services: Shared, VPS, dedicated, and co-location hosting
About Michael Lavrik, InterServer Co-founder
Michael and I. Photo taken during my visit to InterServer HQ in August 2016.
Excerpt from my InterServer interview-
Hello Michael – can you tell us more about yourself and Interserver?
My name is Michael Lavrik and I’m an operating partner at InterServer, but my official title is Director of Business Development.
My colleagues and I work out of our office/datacenter in Secaucus, NJ. We started this business in 1999 -when I was only 15 years old- by reselling virtual hosting accounts for another provider. Then we bought our first dedicated server, switched to colocation, then a rack, then multiple racks. Fifteen years later we operate two datacenters in Secaucus NJ and are expanding rapidly into other locations like Los Angeles, CA.
After sitting in front of the computer at the office all day, I love to get dirty! In addition to the various maintenance and repair at the office, in my free time, I’m restoring a 1969 Pontiac GTO Convertible.
I have got multiple websites hosted at InterServer. In overall, I am impressed with the host performance. While most hosting sites shoot for a 99.9% uptime (and many fall short of that), InterServer managed to keep my site up 100% most of the time. The uptime history is published below.
InterServer Uptime January / February 2020
InterServer January 2020 uptime = 99.99%, February 2020 uptime = 100%.
InterServer Past Uptime Records (2015 – 2018)
February 2018: 100%March 2017: 99.97%.
February 2016: 99.99%.September 2015: 99.99%.
2. Fastest budget hosting around – TTFB below 220ms
InterServer Latest Performance
Image below shows Interserver speed for January and February 2020 – my InterServer-hosted test site took, on average, 116ms to respond.
We have built our own tracking system and measure hosting speed every four hours from 10 locations. Based on our record, InterServer hosting speed has been stable and fast for January and February 2020. You can also view latest InterServer speed test results here
InterServer Bitcatcha Speed Test
InterServer server response speed meets my expectation for a $5/mo host.
Recent server speed tests show that InterServer is one of the fastest budget hosting services around.
We ping our test site from 8 different locations using Bitcatcha and compare the server response times with other websites. As you can see in images below, the results were pretty good.
InterServer speed test results from 10 locations. Range = 7ms (United States East Coast) – 185ms (Bangalore, India). See actual test results here.
InterServer WebpageTest.org Speed Tests
Speed test at WebpageTest.org is equally impressive as well for InterServer. I have tested the site using three locations (U.S., U.K., Singapore), all three received a high A rating in First Byte Time. You can see actual results here, here, and here.
Side note: Why stress so much on server speed?
That's because 1) according to expert case studies, just 1 second decrease in site load time offers a 7% improvement in conversion rate and 11% bump in page views; and 2) Google is now using site speed as one of their ranking factors – you need a faster site (or at least a up to par server) to rank well.
3. Price lock guarantee
Many hosting providers lure in new customers with super low pricing for their initial term of service and then jack the rate upon renewal. The renewal prices increase for more than 200% fro some hosting companies. I love that InterServer avoids this practice and instead values loyalty. The company's price lock guarantee ensures that the price you start with will continue to be your price for as long as you keep your InterServer hosting account.
Unlike many other cheap hosting services, InterServer does not jack up their price on renewal – Shared hosting costs $5/mo for life.
4. Great support: Helpful + 100% In-house
InterServer customer support team doesn’t just say they’ll help you. They actually do.
For example, during a recent crackdown of another hosting company (Arvixe), InterServer stepped in to help the unhappy customers. It set up a special team to help the people migrate their sites over to the InterServer hosting platform, making the transition seamless. You won’t get that type of service with many hosting companies.
All customer supports are done from InterServer office at Secaucus, NJ. I was at their office and witnessed the team answering users requests – The new client list and support requests are shown in the screens hanging at the ceiling.
5. 99.9% uptime backed by SLA
InterServer service is backed by clear writing SLA (see image). Should they fail to meet the guarantee in a given month, they’ll credit clients on a case by case basis.
Going beyond the uptime guarantee, InterServer also gives a 100% guarantee of uninterrupted electricity.
6. InterServer free site migration service
One big plus for InterServer is their free, white-glove site migration service.
For those who are too busy to move your web host, just contact InterServer and get their support staffs to do it for you.
No matter what control panel or account access you have on your old host, the folks at InterServer are there to migrate your sites for free. To initiate account / site migration, visit this page.
7. Highly customizable VPS hosting plan
I tried InterServer’s VPS plan in 2014 and quickly appreciated how its flexibility.
InterServer VPS clients can customize just about everything, from their preferred operating system to the software, control panels, and server capacity.
Operating system options at InterServer – there are 15 of them to choose from.
There are 16 sets of pre-configured VPS plans at InterServer for both Linux Cloud VPS and Windows Cloud VPS. Users can choose the number of needed CPU cores, RAM, as well as storage and data transfer capacity.
Also, unlike many other VPS hosting providers that require users to pay for bundled software and apps, InterServer only requires its clients to pay for what they need and use.
VPS Upgrades
Additional Cost
Additional IP
Add $3/mo/IP
Fantastico
Add $4/mo
cPanel
Add $15/mo
Softculous
Add $2/mo
Direct Admin
Add $8/mo
Ksplice
Add $3.95/mo
* Note: Usually what many other VPS hosting providers do is to include the cost of these features into their VPS plans and claim that they are free. With InterServer, you get the choice to go without these additional softwares.
8. 20 years of proven business track record
With over 20 years of experience under their belt, InterSever has established themselves as one of the best hosting providers today with a business track record that's equally impressive.
They've often been the choice for bloggers and website owners who want a great performing web host that is still affordable.
One of the server blocks in InterServer's data center. “Everything is built and managed in-house at InterServer – including the power and room cooling system. This is how the company manage to keep their prices low, ” said Mike during our meeting.Play room for the geeks? InterServer servers are built from scratch by the team in this “Builders” room.
This will always be the case with any provider, though… and, like with any provider, InterServer users are bound by server usage rules and terms. However, unlike many other hosts, InterServer gives users a clear foray into what those limits are, providing them in the ToS (quoted below).
No single shared hosting account is permitted to use more that 20% of the server resources at a time. A single account is limited to 250,000 inodes at any given time. Clients on the Unlimited SSD shared hosting platform using more then 1GB of space will be moved to SATA.
2. VPS hosting not for newbie or non-techie
Because InterServer does not bundle the usual software (like cPanel and Softculous) into their VPS plans – the initial setup process maybe overwhelming for newbies and non-techies who switch to VPS hosting. I tested InterServer VPS in 2014, the setup process was very manual and took longer time than I expected.
If you plan to go with InterServer VPS, I recommend allocating a bit of additional time for the learning curve and setup process.
3. Host in the United States East Coast only
InterServer operates on only one data center – which is the one they built in their Secaucus, New Jersey office. If majority of your website traffic is non-U.S., you will need a content delivery network (CDN) to ensure that they can access your website quickly.
The InterServer shared hosting plan is a budget-friendly option, at just $5 per month with discounts available for longer-term contracts. If you use promo code WHSRPENNY and pre-order 3 years, the price drops to $3.88/mo.
The service includes a wealth of handy features, including one-click installs, 24/7 customer support, a free migration service, SitePad site builder, “unlimited” features (more on that later), and more. InterServer shared hosting features, server specifications and other details are shown in the table on the right sidebar.
InterServer offers a variety of VPS and cloud hosting plans to provide the flexibility and scalability its clients are looking for.
Linux cloud VPS begins at $6 per month, while Windows cloud VPS starts at $10 per month. Both offer a variety of options, based on your needs for CPU cores, memory, storage, and transfer caps.
All five hosting companies offer wide range hosting solutions (shared, VPS, managed WP, dedicated) and performed well in our server tests. A2, Hostinger, and TMD Hosting are relatively cheaper where users get to host multiple sites with them for less than $5/mo (first bill). SiteGround and InMotion Hosting are slightly pricier but they do come with additional advanced features and good customer support.
Absolutely yes. InterServer is a rare gem in hosting market. The best thing about InterServer is their solid server performance, guaranteed email delivery, and locked-in signup price.
I spoke to Michael and John, the two founders, at length during my visit to their New Jersey office. It was clear that they’ve very serious about their customers and their business. They have a clear vision of how they’re going to take their business to the next level.
To put it simply, I strongly recommend this web host.
Where are InterServer Data Centers located?
InterServer houses servers in four data centers – three in Secaucus and one in Los Angeles
Is InterServer expensive?
InterServer shared hosting starts from $4/mo but these prices will remain the same on renewal, unlike many other hosts which undergo price hikes during renewal. InterServer also has a price lock guarantee, which means the price you buy-in won't change.
Does InterServer have a money-back policy?
Shared hosting plans on InterServer come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. To take advantage of this, you need to contact their support team within the 30-day period and request a refund.
Can I host email with InterServer
Web hosting plans at InterServer come with e-mail packaged in but if you wish, you can apply for just private email hosting with them for as little as $5/mo.
What is SitePad?
SitePad is the website building tool that is offered with InterServer hosting packages. It features rapid development options including a drag-and-drop builder along with pre-built themes which you can use ‘as is' or customize for to your liking.
Is InterServer good for beginners?
InterServer shared hosting is cheap and suitable for beginners; VPS plans, however, are not right for newbies.
Is InterServer good for small business?
Yes. In fact InterServer is one of the best small business hosting services in market. The company pledge that they will never increase their price during renewal and keep their server usage under 50% utilization for sudden traffic spikes. Also, the new Guaranteed Email Delivery feature ensure important business emails you sent will not be trapped in recipients' junk box.
Verdict: Should You Host at InterServer?
In short, I think InterServer is a rare gem in hosting market. I spoke to Michael and John, the two founders, at length during my visit to their New Jersey office.
It was clear that they’ve very serious about their customers and their business. They have a clear vision of how they’re going to take their business to the next level.
To put it simply, I strongly recommend this web host.
Who should use InterServer hosting?
InterServer shared hosting is good for small businesses and individual bloggers who want a cheap hosting solution. Keep in mind that InterServer does not jack up their price during renewal – this means your hosting cost will be stable for long term.
InterServer VPS, on the other hand, is a great solution for advanced users who are not afraid of handling their own server.
When not to use InterServer?
If most of website traffic are non-U.S. visitors.
Quick recap on my Interserver review
Here's a quick recap of the pros and cons about InterServer.
Not sure about InterServer? You can now try them out for just one cent. Use promo code “WHSRPENNY” when you order InterServer cloud or shared hosting and cut first month bill to $0.01.
Order page at InterServer.net – the promo code “WHSRPENNY' will be inserted automatically if you visit this special discount page.
P/S: Is this review helpful?
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About Jerry Low
Founder of WebHostingSecretRevealed.net (WHSR) - a hosting review trusted and used by 100,000's users. More than 15 years experience in web hosting, affiliate marketing, and SEO. Contributor to ProBlogger.net, Business.com, SocialMediaToday.com, and more.
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Services
Shared Hosting
Yes
VPS Hosting
Yes
Dedicated Hosting
Yes
Cloud Hosting
No
Managed WordPress Hosting
Yes
Managed Cloud Hosting
No
Domain Registration
Yes
Basic Features
Data Transfer
Unlimited
Storage Capacity
Unlimited
Control Panel
Cpanel
Extra Domain Reg.
$1.99/year for hosting customers
Private Domain Reg.
-
Auto Script Installer
In-House
Custom Cron Jobs
Yes
Site Backups
Weekly backup
Dedicated IP
$36/year
Free SSL
Yes
Built-in Site Builder
Yes
Server Locations
North America
Yes
South America
No
Asia
No
Europe
No
Oceania
No
Africa
No
Middle East
No
Speed Features
NGINX
No
HTTP/2
No
WP Optimized
Yes
Joomla Optimized
No
Drupal optimized
No
Email Features
Email Hosting
Yes
No. of Email Accounts
Unlimited
Webmail Support
Yes
Email Forwarder
Unlimited
e-Commerce Features
Cube Cart
Yes
Zen Shopping Cart
Yes
PrestaShop
Yes
Magento
Yes
Customer Care Policy
Server Usage Limitation
Very clear guidelines printed in TOS: No single shared hosting account is permitted to use more that 20% of the server resources at a time. A single account is limited to 250,000 inodes at any given time. Clients on the Unlimited SSD shared hosting platform using more then 1GB of space will be moved to SATA.