MotoCMS Review

Laura Bernheim

By: Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

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Editor: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian brings more than 30 years of editing and journalism experience to our team. She has written and edited for major news organizations, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and the New York Times, and she previously served as an adjunct instructor at the University of Florida. Today, she edits HostingAdvice content for clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement.

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OVERALL RATING 4.7 / 5.0
★★★★★
Features4.8 / 5.0
Ease of Use4.9 / 5.0
Pricing4.6 / 5.0
Reliability & Support4.8 / 5.0
Discount for Our Users See Deals

With a refreshing approach to engaging web design templates and a website builder that is both nuanced and intuitive, MotoCMS enables site owners and online businesses to craft one-of-a-kind looks that showcase their brands and products. Combined with some of our favorite hosting providers, MotoCMS is a superb option to get your site online.

Category Ratings

We had one of our resident hosting experts, Laura Bernheim, sign up for a MotoCMS account and take it for a spin. Below are Laura’s ratings of the MotoCMS experience, broken down by the types of hosting MotoCMS offers.

If you decide to go with MotoCMS, you may get a discount by using our link to sign up. While we often make commissions on purchases made through our links, this had no bearing on Laura’s review.

Here’s what Laura found in reviewing MotoCMS:

Disclosure: When you sign up through links on our site, we often earn referral fees from partners. For more information, see our ad disclosure and review policy.

MotoCMS's Overall Rating (4.7 / 5.0)

Best Overall Rating

4.7
★★★★★

Price:

Setup Time:

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com):

As a sleek, modern website builder, MotoCMS is right on par with other well-known platforms, including Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace. We actually prefer the MotoCMS interface for its uncanny ability to pack in hundreds of features and options without losing the user-friendly, easy-to-navigate persona.

Users can choose from more than 2,500 templates, all of which have impressive, unique designs that boast mobile-friendly responsiveness, more than 100 customizable content blocks, and built-in blogging and eCommerce tools.

Unlike other builders, however, MotoCMS is a standalone platform that requires installation on a separate hosting account. Although we appreciate the flexibility and control given to users, the attribute adds an extra layer of complexity for the traditional website builder audience of beginners and first-time site owners.

The company affords users a 14-day free trial to get a head start on crafting a design and interacting with the template and will save uploaded content and customizations for a week after the trial expires. Moving the content to a permanent hosting solution, however, is sure to trip up inexperienced customers who might not want to spend $50 to have a MotoCMS technician take care of the installation.

All in all, MotoCMS is a fantastic option that stands apart in the crowded website builder market. Stunning templates and a modern interface are sure to impress novices, but the platform's best niche is with more developer-minded folks who can handle the more technical installation process and appreciate the nuanced designs.

  • Drag-and-drop template editor
  • FREE year of 24/7 support
  • FREE online store templates
  • Edit responsive designs on any device
  • SEO-friendly tools and URLs
  • Get started on MotoCMS now.
Money Back Guarantee
N/A
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited SSD
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)
Setup Time
5 minutes
MotoCMS's Cheap Hosting (4.8 / 5.0)

Cheap Rating

4.8
★★★★★

Price:

Setup Time:

With price tags commonly hovering around $150 or $200, the MotoCMS template license and included builder interface are certainly not among the most affordable website creation options — but the hosting used to power your MotoCMS site sure can be.

MotoCMS products are licensed to customers on a per-domain basis, meaning it can only be used on one website. Users purchase a license to use a specific template, which then comes with access to the visual WYSIWYG site editor and a year's worth of 24/7 support. The customer service component is certainly worth noting, as technical support is frequently a sore spot for other site builders. Instead of leaving support to a broad community of users, the MotoCMS team is responsive, friendly, and knowledgeable about the inner workings of the platform.

Following a 14-day free trial, customers looking to continue using MotoCMS will need to transfer their website to a separate hosting provider. Although the company maintains partnerships with InMotion Hosting and Bluehost — two of our all-time favorite providers — users can sign up with any host that supports PHP 5.4. 5.5, or 5.6, Zend Guard Loader, and MySQL databases.

InMotion, the choice of most MotoCMS customers, provides unlimited storage space powered by 20-times-faster solid-state drives, otherwise known as SSDs. In addition to around-the-clock support and a free domain registration, online store owners will appreciate unlimited email accounts, $250 in advertising credits, and a free SSL certificate.

Bluehost, on the other hand, provides an even more affordable option for those just getting their feet wet in the website creation and management pool. For less than $3 per month, Bluehost customers can enjoy up to 50GB of storage space, coupled with the same 24/7 support and free domain name registration features.

  • Seamlessly pair MotoCMS with InMotion Hosting or Bluehost
  • FREE email accounts connect you with customers
  • SSD-powered for fast performance
  • Technical support available 24/7/365
  • FREE SSL certificate available
  • Get started on MotoCMS now.
Money Back Guarantee
N/A
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited SSD
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)
Setup Time
6 minutes
MotoCMS's Dedicated Hosting (not yet rated)

"We haven't evaluated MotoCMS for this type of hosting service — yet. Either the company didn't offer this option at the time this review was written or this section of the review hasn't made it to the top of our editorial queue just yet. Either way, check back later, as we're always working to keep our reviews up to date and as comprehensive as possible!"

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Tech Expert

Want Laura to review your hosting service? Request a review.

MotoCMS's VPS Hosting (not yet rated)

"We haven't evaluated MotoCMS for this type of hosting service — yet. Either the company didn't offer this option at the time this review was written or this section of the review hasn't made it to the top of our editorial queue just yet. Either way, check back later, as we're always working to keep our reviews up to date and as comprehensive as possible!"

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Tech Expert

Want Laura to review your hosting service? Request a review.

MotoCMS's WordPress Hosting (not yet rated)

"We haven't evaluated MotoCMS for this type of hosting service — yet. Either the company didn't offer this option at the time this review was written or this section of the review hasn't made it to the top of our editorial queue just yet. Either way, check back later, as we're always working to keep our reviews up to date and as comprehensive as possible!"

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Tech Expert

Want Laura to review your hosting service? Request a review.

MotoCMS's Website Builder (4.8 / 5.0)

Website Builder Rating

4.8
★★★★★

Price:

Setup Time:

Despite the impression that website builders are solely for technology-averse beginners, MotoCMS excels by appealing to developers and businesses looking for the ability to whip up impressive, fully functioning websites with stellar designs in a fraction of the time needed to code it from scratch.

Out of the box, the MotoCMS platform includes a modern, streamlined blogging interface with basic search engine optimization tools and the same comfortable drag-and-drop design interface. Writers will find the MotoCMS blogging system quite easy to use, though it's quite simple when compared with high-powered platforms such as WordPress.

Where MotoCMS truly shines, however, is with the company's eStore templates. All 60 designs are responsive and equipped with an impressive native online store management dashboard. Other website builders typically include online selling abilities as an add-on service, but we love how well MotoCMS seamlessly integrates eCommerce into the administrative portal.

Sellers can offer an unlimited number of products and services for sale and add granular information and filters that ensure potential customers can find exactly what they're looking for. MotoCMS is compatible with a variety of payment processing options, and the dashboard greets entrepreneurs with an stellar visual representation of their business success. Store owners can easily check order status and track customers' behavior, all from the same drag-and-drop interface used to tweak their store's design.

  • Custom templates for 60 industries
  • FREE 14-day trial for online store
  • Easy dashboard for managing order, customers, and products
  • Unlimited products with built-in searches and filters
  • Multiple payment options and widgets
  • Get started on MotoCMS now.
Money Back Guarantee
N/A
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited SSD
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)
Setup Time
7 minutes

Features

(4.8 / 5.0)

Site Builder Combines Flexibility & Functionality

  • First-time users will appreciate the various pop-up windows that guide new site owners through the MotoCMS platform. The screens advise customers how to add and edit content, modify page designs, and change overall site settings, among other features.
  • Not only does MotoCMS allow users to preview their websites on desktop, tablet, or smartphone screen configurations, the platform even distinguishes between phones held in landscape or portrait mode. This feature adds on to a service we already love and enables site owners to have ultimate, fine-grain control.
  • Impressively, the MotoCMS website builder includes areas for managing both a blog and an eCommerce store. All units work flawlessly together while still providing distinct functionality tailored to each purpose.

Show Off & Sell Products via eStore Templates

  • From the first screen of the eCommerce dashboard, MotoCMS users can quickly access data on customers, orders, products, and shipping status. The company's administrative panel is visually appealing and digestible without scrimping on information.
  • MotoCMS templates equipped with eStores provide room to display an unlimited number of products, with the ability to filter items by size, color, price, and other metrics. Sellers can organize products by category and set shipping options, as well.
  • In addition to being able to set custom discounts on particular products, store owners can accept payments online through PayPal, 2Checkout, PostFinance, or other methods. MotoCMS customers can set tax rates and collect them based on a shopper's location.

MotoCMS Provides Ultimate Hosting Flexibility

  • Use the 14-day free trial to craft your new site, then transfer it to the hosting provider of your choice when you're ready. MotoCMS runs on any host that supports PHP 5.4, 5.5, or 5.6, Zend Guard Loader, and MySQL databases.
  • MotoCMS recommends pairing the platform with InMotion Hosting, also one of our favorite hosting providers. For less than $5 per month, users enjoy unlimited storage and email, along with $250 in advertising credits. InMotion is a great choice for those looking to craft an eCommerce store, as the host includes high-powered solid-state drives and a free SSL certificate.
  • For MotoCMS customers looking for more of a bargain, Bluehost offers a superb $3-per-month plan for up to 50GB of storage, 24/7 support, and a free domain registration. One of the mainstays in web hosting, Bluehost excels at beginner-friendly solutions and support.

Thousands of Responsive Templates Available

  • MotoCMS templates include a 14-day free trial for users to try out the WYSIWYG editor and play with different templates. All content uploaded to the platform during the trial will be saved for a week after the trial, should you decide to purchase the full license and transfer your work to a permanent site.
  • Choose from more than 2,500 impressively designed templates, which are organized into 60 different categories and business types. Each template is created with mobile-friendly responsiveness in mind, and the builder allows users to preview the site across multiple devices.
  • The MotoCMS platform includes tons of drag-and-drop widgets that add structure, interactivity, and functionality to your website. Choose from a variety of galleries, forms, social media integrations, and other visual tools to customize your design and show off your brand.

Ease of Use

(4.9 / 5.0)
Drag-and-Drop Template Editor
MotoCMS Review
Comprehensive Store Analytics
MotoCMS Review
Detailed Product Management
MotoCMS Review

In an effort to curry favor with the most technology-averse customers, many site builders opt for ultra-simple designs and tools that appeal to the mass market or first-time site owners. MotoCMS, however, wraps complex flexibility and functionality in a platform that is extremely easy to use and navigate. The end result is a website builder that is intuitive enough for beginners while also giving more experienced developers a chance to extend their website's functionality without starting from scratch.

We particularly loved how seamlessly MotoCMS integrates online store management with the rest of the website builder platform. Store owners can quickly view analytics, manage orders, and update product listings with just a few flicks, meaning MotoCMS truly provides a one-stop-shop for all website management needs.

Pricing

(4.6 / 5.0)

Bluehost

InMotion Hosting

Choose Your Own Host

Varies »

Customers can expect to spend around $200 for a template license and the MotoCMS site builder, although the company frequently slashes prices to less than $150. Yes, the one-time fee seems steep, especially when considering you'll also need to purchase a separate hosting plan and domain name to house your site. However, the one-time fee lasts as long as you want to use that particular theme and includes a year of technical support and free updates. In addition, customers can try out templates with a 14-day free trial to see if MotoCMS is worth the investment.

Similar to WordPress, Joomla, and other popular content management systems, you will need to purchase a separate web hosting plan to use MotoCMS. The company recommends InMotion Hosting and Bluehost, two titans of affordable and reliable web hosting. Although we love both of those hosting options, customers can shop around to find even cheaper options. MotoCMS requires support for PHP versions 5.4, 5.5, and 5.6, Zend Guard Loader, and MySQL databases.

Reliability & Support

(4.8 / 5.0)

Major improvements to the MotoCMS server base a few years ago now enable the company to pledge the standard 99.9% network uptime guarantee most hosting customers will find with providers across the industry. Uptime with MotoCMS ensures a stable environment in which to customize your templates and websites, along with always-available access to the administrative control panel for managing an online store, boosting the site's search engine optimization, and studying traffic metrics and behaviors.

To track uptime, MotoCMS equips customers with an available uptime monitor subscription that tracks site availability and notifies customers by email when something is amiss or running slowly. Customers can then use the notification to alert their hosting provider, and MotoCMS will let the site owner know when everything is back online. Uptime monitors cost $1 per month for one website, up to $4 per month to monitor unlimited MotoCMS sites.

Overall, we were impressed by the number of resources available to customers, including engaged community forums and several helpful knowledgebase articles. The template and builder come with a year of engaged live support through tickets, live chat, or phone callbacks, which we appreciate and wish the company would extend longer, but we imagine most users will fare perfectly well after the introductory period.

MotoCMS Includes:

One Year of FREE Support via Online Tickets or Live Chat; 99.9% Network Uptime Guarantee and Optional Uptime Monitor; Extensive Knowledgebase, eBooks, and Community Forums

Does Not Include

Web Hosting

The Rundown

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Hosting Expert:

To recap, here's a rundown on what MotoCMS has to offer

MotoCMS provides an interesting, visually appealing alternative to site owners and developers wanting to look beyond the likes of the open-source content management systems or full-service website builders, such as Wix, Weebly, and Squarespace. The company provides the intuitively usable and headache-free creativity tools on par with most drag-and-drop editors, while adding more impressive theme options. With dedicated platform technical support and the ultimate hosting flexibility, MotoCMS even outshines the likes of WordPress and Joomla. Users certainly pay a bit of a premium for the level of support and design, but businesses that need more help getting off the ground will appreciate the extra assistance.

MotoCMS review

Overall Rating

4.7 / 5.0
★★★★★

About The Author

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.
Laura Bernheim
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