Hostmetro Review: Affordable Hosting With Fixed Renewal Rates

HostMetro Overview

The company launched in 2012 and is based in Arlington Heights, Illinois. From the outset, they positioned themselves as a low-cost web hosting provider catering to individuals, bloggers, and small business owners. Their goal has always been to make hosting accessible and uncomplicated for users who want to get online quickly without dealing with overly technical setups or premium pricing. While they primarily operate in the United States, their services are available worldwide, attracting users looking for budget-friendly hosting with essential features.
Their approach to hosting emphasizes simplicity, transparency, and stability. One of their key highlights is the Price Lock Guarantee, which ensures that customers pay the same renewal price they signed up for—an uncommon feature in the hosting industry. They also provide a 30-day money-back guarantee for new customers, allowing them to try the service risk-free. 

Other features include free website migration, unlimited email accounts, and cPanel access for intuitive site management. They advertise 99% uptime and offer credits if performance drops below that threshold, reflecting their commitment to dependable service for smaller websites.
In terms of reputation, HostMetro has maintained a modest presence in the hosting market with mixed customer feedback. Users often praise their fixed renewal rates and responsive customer support, but note that performance can fluctuate under heavy loads. Independent testers recorded uptime at around 98.2% in one six-month trial—slightly below industry averages. The company is listed on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) but is not accredited. 

What Types of Hosting Are Offered?

HostMetro specializes primarily in shared hosting, keeping their offerings simple and affordable for individuals and small businesses. Unlike larger competitors that branch into VPS, dedicated, or cloud hosting, they’ve chosen to focus on one core service model—making setup and management easier for everyday users.

That said, their shared hosting comes in two main plan options, each designed to meet different levels of website demand:

• Mega Max Hosting: Includes unlimited disk space, bandwidth, and domain hosting. It’s suitable for users running multiple small websites or blogs that don’t require advanced technical resources
• Super Max Hosting: Offers all the features of the Mega Max plan, plus premium support, faster server response times, and additional tools for moderate to high-traffic websites

Both plans include cPanel access, a free website builder, free website transfers, and email hosting with unlimited accounts, providing flexibility for users who want to manage their sites with minimal hassle. 

Company’s Features & Services

HostMetro’s shared hosting plans focus on simplicity, transparency, and affordability while still offering a full range of tools for building, managing, and protecting websites. Their two main plans—Mega Max and Super Max—share many features, with a few premium additions in the higher tier.

General hosting features

• Hosting space and bandwidth: Both plans come with maximum storage and bandwidth, allowing users to host multiple websites without hitting strict resource limits
• Free site transfer: HostMetro offers free website migration to help users move their sites from another provider without downtime or data loss
• Free site builder: The included drag-and-drop website builder features ready-made templates, enabling quick site creation for beginners
• Unlimited websites, FTP accounts, and MySQL databases: Users can host as many websites as they need, create multiple FTP accounts for file access, and manage unlimited databases for their projects
• Price lock guarantee: Customers keep the same renewal rate for as long as they remain subscribed—no unexpected price hikes
• Free domain registration: Every new hosting account includes one free domain for the first year, helping users start their online presence at no extra cost
• cPanel control panel: HostMetro provides cPanel access, a popular interface for managing websites, emails, and databases efficiently
• One-click app installation: Through Mojo Marketplace, users can install WordPress, Joomla, and other CMS platforms in seconds

Domain features

• Addon, parked, and subdomains: Both plans include unlimited add-ons, parked, and subdomains—ideal for users who manage multiple brands or sections under one hosting account
• Domain renewal: After the first year, domains renew at standard industry rates depending on the chosen extension

Email features

• Unlimited email accounts: Each plan supports unlimited professional email addresses connected to your domain
• Email forwarders & auto-responders: These tools simplify email management and customer communication
• Webmail & POP3/IMAP support: Users can access emails through any device or email client
• Catch-alls & mailing lists: Users can collect misaddressed messages and manage newsletters directly from their hosting dashboard

E-Commerce and security features

• SSL certificate by GeoTrust: Included for free with the Super Max Plan and available for $2.50/month on the Mega Max Plan
• SiteLock security seal: Optional for $2.50/month, providing malware scanning and a trust badge to reassure visitors
• Advanced firewall & password-protected directories: Built-in server protections safeguard websites from malicious activity and unauthorized access
• Payment gateway support: HostMetro supports PayPal, Google Checkout, ZenCart, and osCommerce, allowing easy setup of online stores
• 99% uptime guarantee: They promise consistent uptime and offer credits if service drops below the advertised level
• Instant account provisioning: Accounts activate immediately after payment, letting users start building their sites right away

Developer and performance features

• CGI-BIN & PHP support: Servers support CGI scripts and multiple PHP versions for dynamic sites
• SSI (server-side includes) & cron jobs: Automate tasks or add dynamic functionality to your pages
• Log files & website analytics: Monitor traffic and site performance with built-in analytics
• WordPress & CMS compatibility: One-click installations for WordPress, b2evolution, and forums are available through Mojo Marketplace
• Streaming audio & video support: Users can host or embed media content directly on their sites

Support and additional perks

• Free website migration: New customers can transfer an existing site at no charge
• 24/7 customer support: Support is available via live chat and email, backed by a detailed knowledge base
• 30-day money-back guarantee: New users can test the service risk-free and request a refund within 30 days if unsatisfied
• Marketing tools: Integration with Google Ads and other marketing services helps users promote their websites

Plans & Prices

This provider offers transparent pricing for their shared hosting and email-hosting services, so you don’t need to request a quote. You’ll find costs, features, and terms listed on their website.

Shared Hosting Plans

Here are the two main shared-hosting plans that they promote:

• Mega Max Plan
  • Starting at $2.95/month (for a 3-year term)
  • Includes: free domain registration (first year), “MAXIMUM” hosting space and bandwidth, unlimited websites, FTP accounts, and MySQL databases
  • Renewal rate stays the same as your signup rate (via their Price Lock Guarantee)
• Super Max Plan
  • Starting at $6.95/month (for a 3-year term)
  • Includes everything in the Mega Max plan plus: free SSL certificate, free SiteLock security seal, daily malware scan

Email Hosting

They also offer a dedicated email-hosting service (branded “MetroMail”) with separate pricing.

• Price: $5/ 5/month for the email-hosting plan
• Features include: unlimited secure email accounts, webmail access, real-time spam & virus filtering, and a total disk space of 10 GB

Additional fees and terms to consider

• The “free domain registration” applies only for the first year; domain renewal follows standard domain-registration rates afterwards
• The “MAXIMUM” storage and bandwidth are subject to a fair-use policy: they state 95% of users don’t exceed the quota, and if you exceed certain thresholds (e.g., storing > 2 GB of email or multimedia), you may be asked to reduce usage
• Billing cycles: you can choose 1-year, 2-year, or 3-year terms; shorter terms cost more per month
• Payments: major credit cards and PayPal are accepted

Advantages

• Fixed renewal rates through Price Lock Guarantee: Customers pay the same renewal price they signed up for, eliminating unexpected cost increases. This consistency helps small businesses and freelancers plan budgets with confidence
• Simple, beginner-friendly hosting setup: With cPanel, one-click app installation, and a drag-and-drop website builder, HostMetro makes it easy for beginners to launch and manage their websites without technical knowledge
• Free website migration for new users: The provider handles site transfers at no cost, saving time and reducing the risk of errors when moving from another host
• Unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts: Both hosting plans offer generous resource allocations under fair-use conditions, allowing users to manage multiple websites and email accounts affordably
• Free domain registration for the first year: New customers receive a domain name at no additional cost, making it easier to establish an online presence immediately
• 30-day money-back guarantee: Users can test the service risk-free and request a refund if performance or support doesn’t meet their expectations
• Responsive and U.S.-based support team: HostMetro’s support team provides 24/7 assistance through live chat and email, helping users resolve issues quickly and efficiently
• Secure e-commerce compatibility: The hosting environment supports major payment gateways like PayPal, Google Checkout, ZenCart, and osCommerce, giving small online stores an easy path to sell products securely

Disadvantages

• Limited hosting options beyond shared hosting: The provider focuses only on shared hosting and doesn’t offer VPS, dedicated, or cloud plans, limiting scalability for growing websites
• Inconsistent performance under heavy load: Some independent tests report uptime around 98.2%, slightly below the industry standard, which may affect businesses relying on consistent availability
• Add-on costs for key security features: Essential tools like SSL certificates and SiteLock protection are free only on the Super Max plan, adding extra monthly fees for Mega Max users
• No free daily backups: Backups are available as a paid add-on, leaving users responsible for managing their own data protection unless they purchase the upgrade
• Fair-use restrictions on “unlimited” resources: While plans are marketed as unlimited, HostMetro enforces usage limits to prevent resource abuse, which can be restrictive for large or media-heavy websites
• No BBB accreditation: HostMetro is listed on the Better Business Bureau website, but is not accredited, which may concern users who rely on certification as a sign of business reliability

Customer Experience

Customer opinions on HostMetro vary across review platforms. On Trustpilot, they maintain an average score of 2.8 out of 5, suggesting a mix of satisfied and dissatisfied users. TechRadar describes them as a fair choice for beginners who value simplicity and low-cost hosting but not the highest performance levels, and they maintain an average score of 3.5 out of 5. Meanwhile, HostingInfo gives them an overall rating of 3 out of 5, noting that their offerings align with entry-level expectations and provide decent value for basic website needs.

Positive feedback

Several customers appreciate the provider’s value for money and straightforward setup. They often highlight the benefits of fixed-renewal pricing, which keeps their costs predictable over time. Many mention that for small websites or personal projects, the provider “gets the job done” with minimal fuss—especially when it comes to basic hosting tools like cPanel and one-click installs. New users appear to feel supported when migrating from other hosts thanks to the free transfer offer. Customers also note that HostMetro’s support team is generally helpful with simple technical issues, offering guidance for basic configurations and account-related questions.

Critical feedback

Many customers express serious dissatisfaction with HostMetro’s overall reliability and performance. Reports describe extended periods of downtime that have left both websites and business email accounts inaccessible for days or even weeks. Several users believe this results from overloaded servers, claiming that the company hosts too many accounts on a single server to save costs, which leads to frequent outages and slow performance. These recurring issues have been described as more than minor technical glitches—some customers characterize them as “colossal disasters” that severely impact their business operations. Compensation, such as offering extra months of hosting, is viewed as inadequate when weighed against the losses caused by prolonged downtime. The pattern of repeated outages on the same servers has led many reviewers to question the company’s infrastructure stability and capacity management.

Customer service and billing practices are another major source of frustration. Reviewers describe interactions with support agents as dismissive, unhelpful, and sometimes even rude, with responses that fail to resolve ongoing issues. Multiple users report delays or a complete lack of replies when requesting cancellations or refunds, resulting in unauthorized charges or account lockouts. Others allege that files were deleted without warning or that they were given inaccurate technical advice. These concerns contribute to a broader perception that HostMetro lacks accountability and professionalism in handling customer complaints. Together, these experiences reflect a pattern of poor communication, limited transparency, and inconsistent service that has left many users unwilling to recommend the provider for business-critical websites.

While the website states 24/7 support is available, there’s limited visible evidence of the provider responding to user complaints on the review page. Because of this, potential customers may want to test the provider’s support responsiveness themselves before making long-term commitments.

Since the number of verified reviews is small and feedback is mixed, it’s wise for you to perform your own due diligence. Contact current or past users, ask the provider about support record and performance history, and evaluate whether their service aligns with your specific requirements.

Customer Support

The provider offers a range of support channels to assist you as a customer:

• 24/7 email support via support@hostmetro.com
• Phone support at +1 310 693 6200 during business hours
• Live-chat feature accessible from their website “Contact Us” page

In addition to direct support, they supply a comprehensive knowledge base and tutorial library to help you manage your hosting account and related features. Their knowledge base includes guides for cPanel, email setup, domains & DNS, getting started, e-commerce, and more. They also publish video tutorials to walk you through common tasks. 

These support options give you both direct access to staff and self-help resources to solve common issues or learn how to use their platform effectively.

Conclusion

HostMetro positions themself as a practical and affordable shared hosting provider, designed primarily for individuals, bloggers, and small businesses seeking simplicity and predictable costs. Their most defining feature, the Price Lock Guarantee, ensures long-term price stability—an uncommon benefit in the hosting industry. Paired with features like cPanel access, free website migration, unlimited email accounts, and one-click app installations, they provide users with an easy and accessible way to create and manage websites without requiring advanced technical knowledge. These qualities make HostMetro particularly suitable for first-time website owners or small-scale projects that value affordability and ease of setup over high-end performance.

Their advantages, such as transparent pricing, free domain registration, and responsive support for basic issues, contribute to a strong entry-level hosting experience. The service’s compatibility with popular tools and e-commerce platforms, such as WordPress, ZenCart, and PayPal, adds flexibility for small online stores and content creators. However, HostMetro’s limited scalability—they offer only shared hosting—and reports of inconsistent uptime and slower speeds can make them less appealing to businesses with demanding performance needs. Customer complaints about prolonged downtime, limited compensation for outages, and uneven support responsiveness highlight the trade-offs that come with choosing a low-cost provider.

Ultimately, HostMetro delivers decent value for users who want an affordable, beginner-friendly hosting option with transparent pricing. Those seeking higher uptime guarantees or more robust server resources may prefer exploring alternatives that offer VPS or cloud hosting plans.  If you’re still weighing your options, check out our hosting reviews and comparisons to see how different providers stack up, and explore our hosting blog for expert insights to help you make the best choice for your website.