Our verdict · 8.3/10 Excellent
Outstanding value for small sites and side projects. Commit to longer terms only after confirming renewal prices.
Key takeaways
- Best for: Budget hosting.
- Strongest area: Value for money (9.2/10). Weakest: Integrations & ecosystem (7.6/10).
- Price: Introductory from a few dollars / month on long terms.
- Watch out for: Best prices require long terms.
What is Hostinger?
Hostinger offers affordable shared, cloud and VPS hosting, a custom hPanel control panel and an AI-assisted website builder. It is a strong value choice for small sites.
Hostinger is made by Hostinger and is reviewed here as a web host (it also appears in our 1 other category). It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 8.3 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Hostinger if
- Budget hosting
- Small business sites
- VPS on a budget
Not for you if
- Mission-critical high-traffic sites
Key features
Simple custom control panel.
AI-assisted site creation.
Web server with caching.
Upgrade path for developers.
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Cloudflare
Pros & cons
What we like
- Very competitive pricing
- Modern control panel
- AI website builder
- Wide range of plans
Watch out for
- Best prices require long terms
- Support primarily chat
- Renewal increases
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Premium | ≈ $3 / mo | Introductory on long terms |
| Business | ≈ $4 / mo | Introductory on long terms |
| Cloud Startup | ≈ $8 / mo | Introductory on long terms |
Pricing watch-out: Renewal prices are higher.
Pricing watch-outs
- No free plan or trial. Ask for a demo account, a pilot or money-back terms before committing.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 20% | 8.2 | 1.60 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 8.8 | 1.30 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 9.2 | 1.80 | |
| Support & reliability | 20% | 7.6 | 1.50 | |
| Security & privacy | 15% | 7.8 | 1.20 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 10% | 7.6 | 0.80 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for web hosting products | 8.3 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Hostinger |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Hostinger against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Hostinger’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any web host
Check Hostinger against the same list we use for every web host — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Renewal price, not just intro price
- Daily backups and restore
- Free SSL and CDN
- Staging environments
- Support channels and hours
See every ranked option in Web Hosting.
Hostinger alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Namecheap≈ $1/mo vs $3/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Better integrations
KinstaIntegrations score 8.4 vs 7.6 - Stronger on securityKinstaSecurity & privacy score 9.0 vs 7.8
- Higher overall scoreKinstaOverall 8.6 vs 8.3
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Hostinger. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Beginner-friendly WordPress hosting with low introductory prices.
Premium shared and WordPress hosting with excellent support and built-in speed tools.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best Web Hosting for Small Business, Best Website Builders for Small Business, Best WordPress Hosting, Best Cheap Web Hosting
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Hostinger FAQ
Is Hostinger good for WordPress?
Yes, with WordPress-optimised plans and LiteSpeed caching.
Does Hostinger have a free plan?
No, Hostinger does not offer a permanent free plan. Pricing starts at Introductory from a few dollars / month on long terms (indicative).
Who is Hostinger best for?
Hostinger is best for: budget hosting; small business sites; VPS on a budget.
How is the Hostinger score calculated?
The 8.3/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for hosting products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Hostinger?
Popular alternatives include Bluehost, SiteGround. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.