InMotion Hosting vs ScalaHosting: Complete 2026 Comparison
InMotion Hosting and ScalaHosting are both shared hosting providers, but they suit different priorities. Across our 7-category breakdown, InMotion Hosting comes out ahead, winning 3 of them — including Value, Performance and Support.
Data last updated June 2026
Overall Winner
InMotion Hosting
- Wins in 3 of 7 categories
- Top in: Best Value, Best Performance, Best Support
- 3.9/5 overall rating
InMotion Hosting vs ScalaHosting: Overview
On entry pricing, ScalaHosting is the cheaper option at $2.95/mo versus $4.79/mo for InMotion Hosting. Renewal tells the real story: InMotion Hosting marks prices up about 213% at renewal versus roughly 305% for ScalaHosting, making it the better long-term value. InMotion Hosting also gives you a longer 90-day money-back window to test risk-free.
InMotion Hosting's standout is employee-owned US host with 90-day money-back, US-based support, and 99 — a natural fit for US business wanting American support, long refund period, and BBB A+ rated company. ScalaHosting, by contrast, leans on free SPanel control panel eliminating cPanel licensing costs plus SShield AI security, ideal for user wanting managed VPS performance without cPanel licensing costs and strong security.
Category Winners
ScalaHosting
$2.95/mo vs $4.79/mo
InMotion Hosting
Lower renewal markup (213% vs 305%)
InMotion Hosting
99.99% uptime, 3.9/5 rating
InMotion Hosting
Live chat, Phone, 24/7
ScalaHosting
Optimized, Staging, WooCommerce, LiteSpeed
Tie
Similar developer features
Tie
Similar beginner-friendliness
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Essential Info | ||
| Hosting Type | Shared Hosting | Shared Hosting |
| Monthly Price | $4.79/mo | $2.95/mo |
| Renewal Price | $14.99 | $11.95 |
| Renewal Markup | 213% | 305% |
| Overall Rating | 3.9/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.9% |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.9/5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 2,513 | 2,137 |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free Domain | ||
| Free Migration | ||
| Pricing Details | ||
| First Year Cost | $57.48 | $35.40 |
| Second Year Cost | $179.88 | $143.40 |
| Money Back Guarantee | 90 days | 30 days |
| Setup Fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly Billing | — | |
| Minimum Contract | — | 1 months |
| Technical Specs | ||
| Storage | 100 GB | 10 GB |
| Storage Type | NVME SSD | NVME SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited | Unmetered GB |
| Max Websites | 2 | 1 |
| Max Databases | — | Unlimited |
| PHP Versions | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 |
| SSH Access | ||
| Git Deployment | ||
| Staging Environment | ||
| Cron Jobs | ||
| Redis Available | — | |
| Programming Languages | ||
| Node.js Support | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Ruby Support | ||
| WordPress Features | ||
| WordPress Optimized | ||
| WordPress Auto-Install | ||
| WordPress Auto-Updates | ||
| WordPress Staging | ||
| WooCommerce Optimized | ||
| LiteSpeed Cache | ||
| Object Caching | ||
| WP Multisite | — | |
| WP-CLI Access | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| DDoS Protection Level | Advanced | Advanced DDoS protection on all plans |
| Malware Scanning | ||
| Malware Removal | ||
| Firewall Included | ||
| Backup Frequency | Daily (higher plans), Manual (basic plans) | Daily (7-day retention on shared; 30-day on VPS) |
| Backup Retention | — | 7 days |
| Backup Restore Fee | Free | Free |
| On-Demand Backup | ||
| Two-Factor Auth | ||
| Wildcard SSL | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Support | ||
| Support Channels | Phone, Live Chat, Email/Ticket, Knowledge Base | Live Chat, Ticket, Phone, Knowledge Base |
| Live Chat | ||
| Live Chat Hours | 24/7 | 24/7/365 |
| Phone Support | ||
| Phone Support Hours | 9AM-9PM ET Monday-Friday (live chat/ticket 24/7) | 24/7/365 |
| Ticket Support | ||
| Priority Support | ||
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Knowledge Base Quality | 5.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Avg Support Wait | — | — |
| Email Accounts | ||
| Email Account Limit | — | Unlimited |
| Mailbox Size | — | — |
| Webmail Access | ||
| Spam Filter | ||
| Email Forwarding | ||
| Performance | ||
| CDN Included | ||
| CDN Provider | InMotion CDN | Free CDN included |
| Server Locations | Los Angeles, CA (US), Ashburn, VA (US), Amsterdam (Netherlands) | Dallas, TX (US), New York, NY (US), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bangalore (India), London (UK), Frankfurt (Germany), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Singapore, Sydney (Australia), Tokyo (Japan), Toronto (Canada), Sao Paulo (Brazil) |
| Server Location Count | 3 | 16 |
| Choose Server Location | ||
| HTTP/2 Support | — | |
| Brotli Compression | — | |
| Uptime SLA Credit | ||
| Platform Support | ||
| Drupal Support | ||
| Joomla Support | ||
| Magento Support | ||
| Laravel Support | ||
| Django Support | ||
| Next.js Support | ||
| Rails Support | ||
| Static Site Support | ||
| Control Panel | ||
| cPanel Included | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | SPanel |
| Softaculous | ||
| Website Builder | ||
| Builder Name | BoldGrid Website Builder | SiteBuilder |
| Migration | ||
| Migration Websites Limit | 1 | Unlimited |
| Migration Turnaround | — | 2 days |
| Paid Migration Cost | — | Free |
| Migration Quality | 5.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
| Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
| HIPAA Compliant | ||
| Data Center Certs | — | SOC 2 (via AWS) |
| Ratings | ||
| Value for Money | 3.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Performance Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Support Quality | 4.5/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Security Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Features Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Transparency Rating | 3.0/10 | 4.5/10 |
| Suitability Scores | ||
| For Bloggers | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For E-commerce | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Agencies | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Developers | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Beginners | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Enterprise | 4.0/10 | 3.0/10 |
| Policies | ||
| Bandwidth Overage | Unlimited within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade | Unmetered within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade |
| Storage Overage | Hard limits apply; must upgrade plan | Must upgrade plan |
| Adult Content Allowed | ||
| Gambling Sites Allowed | ||
| Crypto Sites Allowed | ||
| Reseller Hosting | ||
| White Label | ||
| API Access | ||
| Company Info | ||
| Year Founded | 2001 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Parent Company | Privately held (employee-owned, founded by Sunil Saxena and Todd Robinson) | Independent (privately held; founded in Bulgaria, HQ moved to Dallas, TX) |
| Green Hosting | — | — |
| Instant Activation | — | |
| Managed WordPress | ||
| Managed WP Available | ||
| Pricing Model | — | — |
| Monthly Visit Limit | — | — |
| Visit Overage Cost | — | — |
| PHP Workers | — | — |
| Plugin Restrictions | — | — |
| Dev Environment | — | — |
| Dev Env Name | — | — |
| Regional Info | ||
| Best Countries | United States, Netherlands, Singapore | United States, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Bulgaria |
| Local Currencies | USD | USD, EUR, GBP |
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Data Sovereignty | GDPR, PCI DSS | GDPR |
| External Ratings | ||
| G2 Rating | 4.1/5 | 4.8/5 |
| BBB Rating | A+ | NR (A+ claimed on third-party sites) |
| Advanced Technical | ||
| Inode Limit | 50,000 | — |
| Max DB Size | — | — |
| Max Upload Size | — | — |
| Database Type | — | MySQL/MariaDB |
| Elasticsearch | — | |
| Image Optimization | — | |
| PHP Switching | ||
| Subdomains | — | Unlimited |
| FTP Accounts | — | Unlimited |
| Additional Pricing | ||
| Free Domain Duration | 12 months | 12 months |
| Money Back Exclusions | Month-to-month VPS/Dedicated plans only get 30 days; Domain registrations non-refundable; SSL certificates non-refundable; Add-on services non-refundable | 30-day full refund; Domain fees non-refundable; VPS/cloud services eligible for prorated refund |
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal |
| Auto Renewal Default | ||
| Domain Privacy Included | — | |
| Domain Privacy Cost | — | — |
| SSL Provider | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed every 3 months) | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed) |
| Dedicated IP Cost | — | $3/mo |
| Additional Support | ||
| Phone Support Countries | United States | United States |
| Priority Support Cost | — | — |
| Community Forum | ||
| Support Outsourced | — | |
| Object Cache Type | NGINX proxy cache | Memcached/OPcache |
| Business & Affiliate | ||
| Affiliate Program | ||
| Commission Type | Tiered (based on product and volume) | Per sale (tiered) |
| Commission Amount | Tiered commission based on hosting product and sales volume; 90-day cookie duration | $50-$500 per sale based on performance; 60-day cookie; Monthly PayPal payments |
| Additional Policies | ||
| File Hosting Allowed | ||
| Proxy/VPN Allowed | ||
| Bandwidth Overage Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Account Suspension Policy | AUP violations may result in content deletion, suspension, or termination; InMotion reserves right to delete material deemed inappropriate | Violation of ToS; non-payment; resource abuse |
| Malware Removal Cost | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Downloadable Backups | ||
| Additional Platforms | ||
| PrestaShop | ||
| Ghost | ||
| Shopify Migration | ||
| Wix Migration | ||
| Squarespace Migration | ||
| Webflow Export | ||
| Editorial Info | ||
| Best For | Business users needing US-based support; Users wanting 90-day money-back guarantee; WordPress users (optimized with staging); cPanel users; Users needing 4 global data center locations; Users wanting employee-owned company | Users wanting cPanel alternative without license fees; Managed VPS hosting at affordable prices; WordPress users needing staging and optimization; Small businesses wanting reliable support; Users who value security features (SShield) |
| Avoid If | Budget-conscious at renewal time (5x markup); Need 24/7 phone support; Need low inode limits; Adult or adult-adjacent content; Need cheap monthly VPS plans | Need dedicated server hosting; Prefer traditional cPanel interface; Need HIPAA/PCI compliance; Want largest provider brand recognition; Need extensive data center choices |
| Known Issues | Renewal prices ~5x higher than promo ($2.62 → $12.49); Phone support limited to business hours (9AM-9PM ET M-F); Automated backups only on higher plans; Low inode limit (50,000) compared to competitors; 21% of Trustpilot reviews are 1-star; Domain renewal $19.99/yr is higher than competitors; Month-to-month VPS/dedicated only get 30-day refund | Smaller company compared to major hosts; SPanel learning curve for cPanel users; No dedicated servers offered; Some advanced features only on higher tiers; Limited phone support availability reported by some users |
| Unique Selling Point | Employee-owned US host with 90-day money-back, US-based support, and 99.99% uptime | Free SPanel control panel eliminating cPanel licensing costs plus SShield AI security |
| Ideal Customer | US business wanting American support, long refund period, and BBB A+ rated company | User wanting managed VPS performance without cPanel licensing costs and strong security |
| Best Alternative To | GoDaddy | SiteGround |
| Primary Competitors | DreamHost, Bluehost, A2 Hosting | SiteGround, A2 Hosting, InMotion Hosting |
We strive for accuracy, but pricing and features change frequently. Some data may be outdated. Report an error and we'll update it promptly.
Our Verdict
Choose InMotion Hosting if you...
- Prefer more predictable renewal pricing
- Require 24/7 live chat support
- Need enterprise-grade features
Choose ScalaHosting if you...
- Want to save money ($2.95/mo vs $4.79/mo)
- Want higher-rated hosting (4.3/5)
- Want LiteSpeed caching for WordPress
- Want more server locations (16 available)
InMotion Hosting vs ScalaHosting: Frequently Asked Questions
Is InMotion Hosting cheaper than ScalaHosting?
Yes — ScalaHosting is cheaper, starting at $2.95/mo compared with $4.79/mo for InMotion Hosting. Factor in renewals too: ScalaHosting marks up about 305% after the first term.
Which is better for WordPress, InMotion Hosting or ScalaHosting?
ScalaHosting is the stronger WordPress host thanks to WordPress-optimized servers, LiteSpeed caching, staging and WooCommerce tuning. If WordPress or WooCommerce is your main workload, it's the safer pick.
Does InMotion Hosting or ScalaHosting have better uptime?
InMotion Hosting edges out ScalaHosting on performance with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and a 3.9/5 overall rating. For uptime-sensitive sites, it's the more dependable choice.
Which has better customer support, InMotion Hosting or ScalaHosting?
InMotion Hosting has the edge on support offering 24/7 live chat, phone support and ticket support.
Should I choose InMotion Hosting or ScalaHosting?
For most users, InMotion Hosting is the better overall choice, winning 3 of our 7 categories (notably Value, Performance and Support). That said, the right host depends on your specific needs — check the category breakdown above for the factors that matter to you.