InMotion Hosting vs WP Engine

Shared Hosting is a web hosting solution where multiple websites share resources on a single server, making it a cost-effective option for businesses with moderate traffic levels. With Shared Hosting, your website resides alongside other sites on the same server infrastructure, while the hosting provider manages all server maintenance, security updates, and hardware management.

Shared hosting is the right fit if you’re launching a new site, running a business site with predictable traffic, or want a fully managed environment without the overhead of a VPS or dedicated server. The Pro plan extends that further for growing agencies, with WHM access, up to 4 isolated cPanel accounts, and a dedicated IP for managing multiple client sites under one plan. If you’re running a high-traffic ecommerce store, a resource-intensive web application, or a site regularly exceeding 500,

The number of websites you can host on your Shared Hosting plan varies depending on the plan you choose. Launch plans include 2 websites, Power plans support up to 10, and Pro plans cover up to 40 websites. The Pro plan also includes WHM access and multi-account isolation, which makes it the practical choice for agencies hosting client sites.

The Pro plan is built for exactly this use case. It supports up to 40 websites across up to 4 isolated cPanel accounts, includes WHM access for account-level management, and comes with a dedicated IP. That account isolation matters: it keeps client sites separated for both security and performance, without requiring a full reseller or VPS setup. For agencies managing a moderate number of client sites, it covers the core operational requirements cleanly.

No. InMotion does not use LiteSpeed, and that’s a deliberate choice. LiteSpeed is a proprietary, licensed web server. Hosting providers that use it are bound by its licensing terms, which limits how they can configure and optimize it for individual customer environments. InMotion runs UltraStack, a proprietary performance configuration built on open source software: NGINX, PHP-FPM, and OPcache. Because every component is open source, our engineering team can modify, tune, and optimize the stack

InMotion operates data centers in Virginia, California, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. During setup, you choose the location closest to your primary audience. Data center proximity can have a noticeable impact on the quality of your web hosting experience including speed, latency, infrastructure, and even SEO.

Three worth knowing before you buy: Shared resources. CPU, RAM, and bandwidth are distributed across accounts on the same server. A traffic spike from a neighboring site can create latency for yours. Shared IP address. Your site shares an IP with others on the server. If a neighboring site gets flagged for spam, that can affect email deliverability for your domain. The Pro plan includes a dedicated IP, which eliminates this. Software restrictions. Shared environments have limits on what applica

InMotion’s shared hosting is backed by a 99.99% credit-backed uptime SLA, 24/7 security monitoring, and infrastructure we own and operate directly. That last part matters: because we manage the hardware and network ourselves, security and performance issues can be addressed at the infrastructure level without routing through third parties.

VPS Hosting is the natural next step. With a VPS, your resources are no longer shared; you get dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage, along with root access and more control over your server environment. InMotion’s migrations team can handle the transfer using a cPanel backup, and 24/7 human support is available throughout the process. All website migration services are available via our migrations team. If you choose to transfer your website, we have a comprehensive support center with extensive step

VPS Hosting, short for Virtual Private Server Hosting, is a versatile solution that balances the benefits of shared hosting and dedicated servers. It involves dividing a physical server into multiple virtual servers, each with its dedicated resources like CPU, RAM, and storage. VPS hosting is ideal for businesses needing more control and resources than shared hosting but without the complexity of a dedicated server. As the stepping stone between Shared Web Hosting and Dedicated Hosting, VPS Host

You or your business needs VPS hosting when you have a large website or online application that requires more resources, control, security, and scalability. Here are some situations where VPS hosting may be necessary: Your website or application receives high traffic: If your website or application receives a large amount of traffic, shared hosting may not be able to handle the load. VPS hosting can provide dedicated resources to ensure that your website or application runs smoothly even during

Managed VPS Hosting is a plan that offers complete hands-off management of your server. The management of the server such as OS security patches, cPanel or CWP, and WHM updates, is overseen by a team of in-house experts. Managed VPS plans also include Premier 24/7 Live Support, Launch Assist, cPanel, and Web Host Manager (WHM). Self-managed VPS has cheaper options, as they do not come with cPanel, nor other graphical user interface (GUI) software for server management, only SSH. These servers ar

InMotion Hosting offers new customers access to High Availability server clusters, delivering exceptional speed and performance at no extra cost. Our cutting-edge NVMe technology provides more than double the link speed of traditional HDD drives, with 3-6x faster data transfer rates between storage devices and hardware components. With InMotion’s VPS infrastructure, businesses can significantly enhance the performance of their website or web application. For small businesses, developers, and des

The number of websites you can run on a VPS depends on the plan you choose and the resources required by each site. A robust VPS web hosting plan can host multiple websites, including those with dynamic content, high traffic, or complex applications. With VPS hosting with cPanel, managing multiple domains is simple, and you can efficiently allocate resources across websites, making it an excellent option for businesses, agencies, or developers.

The traffic your website can handle on a VPS depends on the plan’s allocated resources, such as CPU, RAM, and storage. High-performance VPS hosting is designed to manage more traffic than shared hosting, making it suitable for websites that experience regular spikes in visitors or have consistent high traffic. When you buy VPS hosting from a reliable VPS provider, you’ll get scalable resources that grow with your needs, ensuring your site remains fast and responsive even as traffic increases.

Yes, one of the main advantages of virtual server hosting is the ability to install custom software. With VPS hosting, especially Linux VPS hosting, you have root access to your server, giving you the freedom to install, configure, and run any software you need. This flexibility makes VPS hosting ideal for developers, businesses, and anyone requiring specific software not available on standard hosting plans.

All Managed VPS Hosting plans paired with cPanel or Control Web Panel include free website transfers and server setup through Launch Assist. Launch Assist is a service we offer for our high-end plans to help customers easily transfer or launch your site. A VPS with an added control panel comes with two free hours of dedicated support with a trained SysAdmin who can help migrate or customize your server. Take advantage of Launch Assist for zero-downtime, fully-managed website migrations, and cust

Upgrading and downgrading your VPS hosting plan is simple and easy. If you’ve outgrown or underutilized your current plan, you can easily sign in to your Account Management Panel to upgrade or downgrade your plan to match your current hosting needs. InMotion Hosting is more than just a VPS hosting provider. From WordPress and Shared Hosting to Dedicated Servers, our full suite of solutions is built to support your business at every stage. Flexible billing options make it easy to choose the plan

The choice between cPanel, CWP, or no panel depends on your specific business needs and preferences. If you prefer a more standardized and widely used control panel or if you require specific features that are only available in cPanel, then cPanel may be the better choice for you. If cost is a major consideration, then Control Web Panel (CWP) may be a better option for your business. Keep in mind, using any control panel can make it easier to manage your website and hosting environment, especia

InMotion Hosting offers VPS Hosting within our data center locations in California and Virginia, USA, as well as within a European data center in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Absolutely. Tier 3 support is our highest level of technical support, included with all InMotion Hosting VPS plans with Premier Care. Our Tier 3 team consists of senior system administrators who handle complex server issues like advanced configurations, application deployments, security hardening, and performance optimization. When you contact our Advanced Product Support (APS) team, your issue goes right to the Tier 3 experts who are available 24/7.

A dedicated server is a single-tenant physical server that is assigned to a single person or organization. InMotion Hosting dedicated servers have enterprise-grade hardware and software, high-bandwidth, and increased physical resources that outperform other web hosting products. All of InMotion Hosting dedicated web servers come with higher RAM and faster CPUs compared to our Virtual Private Servers or Shared Hosting servers. Dedicated Server grade CPUs have more features and have higher frequen

A dedicated server is a resource-rich machine that organizations with heavy traffic or multiple websites typically use. The dedicated server ensures end users have the best visit to your or your client’s website. With hyperfast load times, no downtime, and plenty of storage and memory available, your visitors enjoy fast website speeds. As your business grows, you also want to ensure your website has everything it needs to flourish, including memory, storage, and resources. Dedicated server hosti

InMotion Hosting has two types of dedicated hosting services, managed InMotion Hosting with Premier Care and unmanaged Bare Metal. With a Premier Care dedicated server plan, you have all the resources of the machine managed by a team of in-house technical professionals. In contrast, an unmanaged bare metal server is ideal for advanced users such as system administrators, web developers, and IT administrators. Bare metal server users control their entire server via command line code and are respo

InMotion Hosting provides Dedicated Servers in our data center facilities situated in California and Virginia within the United States, along with a European data center located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Yes, InMotion Hosting offers Managed Dedicated Server plans with Premier Care. These plans come with a high level of support and management, meaning we handle many operational responsibilities so you can focus on your business rather than server maintenance. Our managed dedicated servers with Premier Care include: Automated OS updates and patching Real-time network monitoring DDoS protection (via Corero) built in 24/7 human support Hardware-level maintenance and replacement Free migration setup

We make migration as smooth as possible. Here’s how the process works (and what you’ll need to plan): Choose a dedicated server plan Pick a configuration that meets or exceeds the requirements of your current website/application (CPU, memory, disk, bandwidth). Backup your website/data On your current host, take fresh backups of files, databases, email/router settings, and any configuration files. Transfer files & databases Import your files and databases into the new server (e.g. via cPanel/

Security is a major area we invest in. Here’s what you get when you host a dedicated server with InMotion Hosting: Corero-based DDoS protection All managed dedicated servers include real-time DDoS mitigation through Corero systems. We detect and block malicious traffic to protect server availability. Network monitoring & automated mitigation Our infrastructure is monitored 24/7. If an attack is detected, mitigation strategies are enacted immediately (e.g. traffic filtering, reroutes). Firewall

Tier 3 support is our highest level of technical support, included with all InMotion Hosting Dedicated Server plans with Premier Care. Our Tier 3 team consists of senior system administrators who handle complex server issues like kernel optimizations, security hardening, and complex application troubleshooting. When you contact our Advanced Product Support (APS) team, your issue goes right to the Tier 3 experts. Our Tier 3 specialists are available 24/7.

Yes — managed hosting is worth it if your site requires reliability, security, and performance beyond what shared or DIY hosting can deliver. Unlike basic hosting, managed hosting includes ongoing updates, advanced security, daily backups, performance tuning, and expert WordPress support. While it costs more upfront, it typically lowers total cost of ownership (TCO) by reducing downtime, improving site speed, and saving internal IT resources. For enterprises, agencies, and developers, the ROI co

Shared hosting provides basic server space at low cost, while managed hosting delivers a premium, optimized environment with expert support and ongoing management. With shared hosting, many sites share the same server resources, which can limit performance and security. Managed hosting is purpose-built for WordPress, with dedicated resources, proactive monitoring, automated updates, and 24/7 expert support. It’s the difference between renting an apartment in a crowded building (shared) versus ha

Yes — most managed hosting plans include free or assisted site migrations to make switching providers seamless. At WP Engine, migrations are supported through automated tools and expert guidance to ensure your site transitions smoothly with minimal downtime. This includes migrating files, databases, and configurations. For enterprises and agencies with complex setups, custom migration support is also available to reduce risk during the move.

Managed hosting typically ranges from about $30/month for entry plans to several hundred per month for enterprise-grade solutions. Pricing reflects the level of performance, support, and features included. While the upfront cost is higher than shared hosting, managed plans reduce hidden costs like downtime, developer hours, and security incidents — delivering stronger ROI for businesses that rely on WordPress at scale.

Yes — managed hosting platforms use server-level caching, CDN integration, and optimized infrastructure to significantly improve WordPress speed and Core Web Vitals. Many sites see lower TTFB, faster LCP, and more stable performance during traffic spikes; some providers also add edge delivery for even greater consistency under global demand.

Managed hosting adds advanced security with firewalls, malware scanning, automatic patches, and backups to reduce risk compared to self-managed environments. For enterprises, leading providers also offer compliance support (SOC2, HIPAA, GDPR) and proactive monitoring that helps meet both IT governance and regulatory standards.

Managed hosting usually includes performance optimizations, automated updates, backups, staging environments, and expert WordPress support. Enterprise-level packages may also feature SLAs, advanced developer tooling, dedicated account support, and integrations that go beyond basic site hosting.

Yes — most managed hosting platforms allow developer access with tools like SSH, Git, staging sites, and CI/CD pipelines. This means teams can deploy custom code, integrate workflows, and maintain flexibility while still benefiting from a secure, fully managed hosting foundation.

Switch when your WordPress site grows in traffic, complexity, or revenue, and downtime or manual maintenance starts costing more than hosting fees. Common signals include traffic above 50k monthly visits, eCommerce checkout failures, compliance requirements, or the need to scale multiple client sites — all situations where managed hosting delivers outsized value.

Error logs are necessary for most WordPress troubleshooting. You can access the most recent 24 hours of PHP/Apache error logs in two different ways: how to access WordPress error logs.

We’ve outlined two methods for resetting your password, a traditional method and a method directly from the database: two ways to reset a WordPress password.

Here you will find a comprehensive list of WP Engine platform settings. Please reach out to our 24-hour Support team with any questions.

This article will cover how to import a database file into your WP Engine environment.

Follow this link for detailed instructions about how to update WordPress URLs.

Follow this link to learn more about how to solve problems when updating WordPress URLs.

Follow this link to learn more about understanding the WP Engine Error Logs.

Learn more about WordPress Backups and Restoring your website.

Learn more about copying to staging.

Learn more about common errors that WordPress users face and how to resolve them.

Learn how to purge your site cache in this detailed article.

Learn more about Improving Cacheability for WordPress websites.

Yes, learn more about how WP Engine works with LargeFS: Configuring Unlimited Storage with Amazon S3.

WP Engine will make the services available 99.95% of the time, excluding any excused downtime. The WP Engine SLA amends the agreement between WP Engine and customer and addresses the uptime guarantees in relation to the services we provide to you and your remedies for our failure to meet such guarantees.

We offer hosting solutions for WordPress websites and businesses of all sizes, from SMB to enterprise. We also offer eCommerce hosting and advanced solutions with customizable packages. See which hosting plan is right for your needs.

If you’re experiencing a technical issue on your website, please reach out to our 24-hour Support team and give us the opportunity to help you resolve it. Per our terms of service, account cancellations require a 30 day notice via our cancellation form.

WP Engine provides everything a WordPress website needs. Learn more about our award-winning hosting platform.

WP Engine is the most trusted enterprise platform for WordPress. Learn more about our enterprise hosting plans.

It’s free to migrate a site to WP Engine. Our automated migration plugin makes it simple.

Yes! Here’s the information needed to do a manual site migration.

It’s easy to launch a site with WP Engine, here’s how.

It’s possible to test your site on WP Engine after migrating without changing your DNS, just by editing a file on your computer.

This guide will take you through the process of exporting your database from your previous host, so that you can then migrate it to WP Engine.

Once you’ve downloaded your wp-content folder from your previous host, you can easily upload this folder or zip file to our Support Team so we can help you with this step of the manual migration process.

Learn more about transferable sites and environments.

Learn how to manage user roles on WP Engine.

The billing menu in your User Portal provides access to several plan-related functions, such as invoices, modifying billing info or changing your plan level.

Our pricing is partially based on the number of monthly visits to your site, we’ve provided as clear of guidelines as possible about which visits are considered billable.

When your number of visits exceeds your plan limit (here’s how we count visits), we charge you a small overage for each 1,000 visitors over your limit. If you are on a Startup, Professional, Growth, or Scale plan, the overage is $2 per 1,000 extra monthly visitors.

The WP Engine User Portal enables users to make many adjustments to their plans through upgrades, downgrades, and add-on features.

Follow this link to learn more about WP Engine’s Automated Migration plugin.

Yes, we recommend following this link to update plugins automatically with Smart Plugin Manager.

Follow this link to see our list of essential WordPress eCommerce plugins.

Follow this link to see the top 10 WordPress plugins on WP Engine.

Yes, follow this link to learn more about creating geographically customized content.

When hosting your WordPress site on WP Engine, you may need to connect directly to your website’s file system. On other platforms you may already be used to using FTP. At WP Engine we use SFTP which works the same, except it uses a layer of encryption for security and is restricted to a secured port. Read more about using SFTP on WP Engine.

Once you’ve downloaded your wp-content folder from your previous host, you can easily upload this folder or zip file to our Support Team so we can help you with this step of the manual migration process.

Git is a powerful development tool which enables developers or a development team to securely push code changes from their local machine to their site on WP Engine with the benefit of version control. Read more about using Git Push on WP Engine.

Here’s how to setup and connect to SSH Gateway. SSH, also known as Secure Shell, is the method of connecting from your computer to the web server where your site is hosted.

SSL/TLS certificates enable visitors to connect to your site with HTTPS, a secure protocol for exchanging information on the Internet. See more information on SSL (secure sockets layer) certificates.

Click here to learn more about adding SSL to your WP Engine site.

Yes, learn more about how to upload 3rd Party SSL Certificates.

Learn more about securing all URLs with SSL.

Learn more about obtaining free SSL Certificates with Lets Encrypt.

While we manage many parts of your website hosting, default email functionality on WP Engine is limited. Normal emails, such as password resets, will not typically have any issues sending. However, for robust email functionality, monitoring and scalability, we highly suggest utilizing a 3rd party email host.

We typically recommend using a 3rd party transactional mail provider such as Mailgun, Gmail, or Sendinblue. These services allow you to send emails from a specialized mail IP and will include a higher level of customization, such as more robust logging. See our full list of recommended email providers.

Learn more about DMARC Policies for Email Deliverability.

Learn more about sending Email Blasts on WP Engine.

Yes! With a dedicated security team specializing in WordPress behind it, our platform’s enterprise-grade technology automates threat detection to block 72M attacks daily while keeping your website vulnerabilities up to date. See more about WP Engine security protocols.

Yes, learn more about WP Engine’s enterprise-grade security.

Learn more about how to handle the WordPress update process.

Multisite for WordPress is a feature that allows you to create a “network” of subsites within a single instance of WordPress. Learn more about multisite for WordPress.

/support/what-is-wordpress-multisite/#Custom_Main_Site_DomainFollow this link to learn more about how to Add New Sites and Map a Custom Domain.

Follow this link to learn more about changing your Multisite Primary Domain.

Follow this link to learn more about Enabling Multisite on your WordPress website.