7 Best Web Hosting Money-Back Guarantees (Oct. 2023)

Paired with strong refund policies and uptime guarantees, the best web hosting money-back guarantees give site owners a lifeline in case a plan isn’t quite up to snuff.

In addition building consumer trust and remove any concerns about committing to a long-term plan, the policies are just some of the differentiators web hosting brands use to stand out from the crowd. They’re as important to online consumers as is the convenience of bypassing crowded shopping malls, cluttered dressing rooms, and slow-moving checkout counters.

We have scoured the internet for the best money-back guarantees, ranging from the relatively standard one-month trial to the truly risk-free 90-day grace period, that are sure to comfort even the most timid of web hosting shoppers. Take a look at our findings below and rest easy knowing you’ve got plenty of time to make sure your hosting provider is the right fit.

90 days | 45 days | 30 days | FAQs

Even though it sounds somewhat backward, a strong refund policy or money-back guarantee can actually increase sales — potentially by as much as 300%. Spending money is painful, and these promises that the customer will be pleased help make the transactions less intimidating.

During the money-back guarantee period, customers can receive a full refund on their purchase, even if they’ve been using the service for a few weeks. This gives site owners a chance to make sure that a hosting provider’s performance, security, and support is up to snuff. After the guarantee expires, customers may only receive a pro-rated refund — or none at all.

That’s why the longer a money-back guarantee, the stronger the confidence a customer should have in a product. In an industry where companies rarely stray outside the norms, these hosts’ money-back guarantees are three times longer than what you’ll typically find for shared web hosting. Be sure to take a deep look at their good reviews:

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Companies have tons of options to guarantee customer satisfaction (though, to be fair, they’re all rather similar). Most hosting providers tend to stick to the tried-and-true money-back guarantee that’s limited to a set number of days, as opposed to free trials or promises based on low prices or satisfaction.

Don’t get us wrong, though: Hosting providers are quite keen on making sure you’re happy with the services you’re getting. Customer service and technical assistance teams are usually on standby around the clock to answer any questions or help alleviate any issues you may have, and you can typically reach them via one of many convenient options, such as live chat, phone, email tickets, or even Twitter.

That’s why a money-back guarantee that extends beyond the usual 30 days really stands out. HostGator, which boasts a 45-day guarantee, has long enjoyed a stellar reputation when it comes to pairing forward-thinking technologies with personable, friendly support. Learn more below:

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Think of all you can accomplish in a month. Within those first four weeks of a new web hosting plan, there’s ample time to design, build, and run a website — or to take advantage of the free site migration your new host may offer. You could also move your website to the new host manually. You can set up your custom email addresses, register add-on domains, install a different content management system, set up analytics to track site metrics… the list goes on and on.

Beyond the basics of hosting a website, this introductory period also lets you become familiar with the company’s account management tools, billing system, and web hosting control panel. Are these platforms easy to navigate? Can you see yourself using them effectively for a year or more? If you keep finding yourself getting lost in backend interfaces and rolling your eyes at outdated icons, you may want to consider checking out some other hosting providers.

These hosts offer top-notch services and straightforward money-back guarantees. There are no gimmicks here or phony marketing messages, like supposedly “anytime” money-back guarantees that really cover the same 30 days as the companies listed below — just modern hardware, affordable prices, and user-friendly features.

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Even though the lengths may vary, the terms of web hosting money-back guarantees largely remain the same. You’ll have a set period of time after your initial purchase to request a refund and cancel your account. Each host operates a little differently, but you’ll typically start by notifying your host’s billing or customer support team of your intent to cancel services.

Where it gets tricky, though, is that your full refund may not be for the exact amount you spent. Money-back guarantees typically only apply specifically to web hosting services and not extra features. One-time setup fees associated with add-on services like domains, upgraded security certificates, site-building software, and SEO tools, for example, are likely not refundable. Some hosts may offer slightly more flexibility with some of these added costs if you cancel within the first few days of your plan.

Regardless of your specific situation, be aware of the pros and cons of money-back guarantees. We’ve covered the boost to sales, brand recognition, and customer trust at length, but stay vigilant for hosting providers that might be dangling that refund policy carrot to lure you into a trap. Check out expert and customer reviews to ensure your potential hosting partner has a strong reputation.

From the hosts’ perspectives, money-back guarantees can also attract less-than-desirable customers who have no intention of sticking around past the initial signup time. Instead, some site owners may view the money-back guarantee as a pseudo free trial in an effort to achieve a specific task and immediately cancel the account.

Just like the decision to end a marriage, don’t rush to terminate your web hosting account. See what other options can help the partnership work. Having a hard time getting started with WordPress? Perhaps your host can set you up with an easier website builder. Not a fan of your host’s available webmail options? You may inquire about integrations with G Suite or Microsoft Office 365, or explore other options.

The lengthy money-back guarantees give you ample time to try other platforms or products that may be more to your liking. Don’t hesitate to contact a support agent, let them know your troubles, and see how they can help.

If you’re absolutely sure you want to cancel your services and move on, first make sure you’ve moved your website files and any other services to your next provider. Once you cancel, everything will go away. Each host’s process for canceling is a little different, but it’s probably best to contact your host first and notify them that you’d like to get a refund. Otherwise, most hosts will direct you to the billing section of your account management platform, where there will be a link or button to cancel your account.

Remember all those fees we said were usually included with the money-back guarantee? Domain name registrations are typically one of them. Many hosts — including the world’s leading registrar, GoDaddy — give you a small grace period of roughly two to five days to back out of a domain name purchase. Beyond that, however, the registration is typically nonrefundable.

Domain registrars must record ownership of domain names with ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. The international nonprofit organization is responsible for overseeing and maintaining the DNS, or domain name system, which essentially connects the URL you type into a web browser with a server’s numerical IP address.

Because of the certification and recording processes involved with reserving your domain name, the fee for those items are usually deducted from your refund — even if your host offers a free registration. Basically, you may lose your hosting account but will retain ownership of your domain.

The most common way to end ownership of a domain is simply by not renewing the registration after the usual one-year period, but some hosts allow you to remove your domain at any time — just without a refund.

You may have canceled your hosting account and domain registration, but what about the other tools and software programs you used? Even though you likely used your hosting provider’s one-click installation for WordPress (or Joomla or Drupal), those accounts exist separately from your server space.

You can easily delete your WordPress blog by navigating to your hosting control panel and opening the file manager. Locate the directory housing your WordPress blog and delete the files and folder. Pretty simple, huh?

Deleting your username gets surprisingly interesting depending on which flavor of WordPress you use. Users can close WordPress.com accounts (though they likely don’t have a separate web hosting account), but site owners who host WordPress on their own are part of WordPress.org — and those accounts can’t be deleted. Your best bet is to ask to have an account blocked from use.

Although you have to invest some money up front, a good money-back guarantee is a risk-free way to try a new technology. You can emerge unscathed and with your bank account intact by asking for a full refund during the introductory period.

Ideally, though, keep your eyes peeled for web hosting free trials. Although they’re largely promoting the same concept, free trials don’t require any upfront payment, or often even a credit card number. Free trials can attract loads of new consumers to a brand, but the cancellation rate is much higher.

Free trials are undoubtedly appealing, but much more difficult to find. If that sounds like the next route you want to explore on your web hosting journey, we highly recommend Wix, the ultra-popular website builder that allows users to have free access to its design tools before upgrading and launching on your own domain.

If you sign up with one of the strong, full-featured web hosting money-back guarantees offered by the companies we listed above, though, we’re confident you’ll want to stick around. With any luck, you won’t need to know much about how to use the refund policy!

Hopefully, our recommendation of InMotion fulfills all your web hosting needs. Starting at just $2.29 per month and rated 4.7 overall, InMotion gives users plenty of bang for the buck. Among our favorite features:

• FREE BoldGrid site builder and templates
• FREE website, domain, and cPanel migrations
• SSD storage makes your site load up to 20x faster
• Security suite includes SSL and hack protection
• Unlimited bandwidth and email accounts
• Get started on InMotion now.

If you’d like recommendations similar to InMotion and others in 7 Best Web Hosting Money-Back Guarantees (Oct. 2023), check out these popular guides. You’ll find comparisons of InMotion to other hosts on pricing, features, support and more:

• Cheap Hosting like InMotion
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And of course, if InMotion is your top choice, you can get started now at just $2.29/month. InMotion is easy to set up and scale, no matter the size of your next project.