Hostinger Website Builder Review: Is It Right for Your Web Design Studio?

18 Mar

In this post, Elwyn weighs up Hostinger Website Builder to see if it suits web design studios like yours.

Here’s the Full Lowdown to Help You Decide

I’ve been building and project managing websites for over twenty years, with more than 4,000 sites under my belt. I’d spend weeks wrestling with bespoke setups when I started, trying to knit every pixel together.

It was like fiddling with Lego without the instructions. Satisfying when it worked. It drove me up the wall when it didn’t. These days, tools like Hostinger Website Builder promise to cut the faff and get you results fast. Sounds brilliant. Does it hold water for a proper studio?

Today, I’m looking into Hostinger to see what it’s made of. We’ll cover its new features for 2024 and 2025. We’ll pit it against Wix and Squarespace. We’ll dig into a cost-saving perk that’s got a sneaky catch. I’ll also weave in how it powers our Project Genesis system at Pixelhaze Academy. It’s a bit of a beast. Grab a cuppa and let’s crack on.

What Hostinger Website Builder Brings to the Table

Hostinger Website Builder has climbed into my top five picks over the years. It’s not hard to see why. It’s an all-in-one job. Hosting, builder, and domain options come in one tidy package. The drag-and-drop editor is simple and resembles other platforms like Squarespace and Wix.

Then there’s the AI. Answer a few questions about your business. It spits out an entire site in under a minute. I’ve tested it and I cannot fully recommend this over human inspiration, at least not at this stage.

Pricing starts at £2.99 a month for the basic plan. It jumps to £12-£14 on a four-year renewal. Not bad for what you get. Hosting-wise, you’ve got shared, cloud, or VPS options. The Premium plan gives you 100 GB SSD storage. It lets you host up to 100 sites on one server. The Business plan bumps that to 200 GB with NVMe storage for faster loading. Occasionally, a tool makes you sit up and take notice. This one’s got my attention.

The Big Perk and the Catch You Need to Watch

Here’s one of the main selling points: With Hostinger, you can host up to 100 sites on one server. That’s a massive win for studios like ours at Pixelhaze, where we still work with start-ups and micro businesses needing a professional but simple brochure website. Your hosting cost per site drops to a fraction of what you’d pay on other platforms.

This is a standout for keeping overheads low when managing a stack of client projects. As an added bonus, you get unlimited bandwidth on higher plans. Traffic spikes shouldn’t throw a spanner in the works.

But there’s a catch. A big catch.

If you let clients log into the hPanel (the admin area), they could see every site on that server. This will not be GDPR compliant and it’s a security headache waiting to happen.

If your clients expect full control, or need to update the website themselves, this setup might not work for you. For us, it’s a fair trade-off when you take a horses-for-courses approach.

It’s also pretty simple to differentiate with one question for clients on a budget:

Q: Do you need admin access?

A1: No.
Solution: Project Genesis pay monthly plans (Hostinger Website Builder), from $30 per month.

A2: Yes.
Solution: Squarespace workshop, from $1,800, one-off fee (excluding Squarespace fees)

What’s New in 2024 and 2025

Hostinger has been tinkering away over the last couple of years. In 2024, they rolled out some handy AI tools. There’s a content generator that churns out basic text based on your answers. It’s not bad for a quick fix, but it won’t replace a proper designer’s touch just yet.

For 2025, they’ve upped the ante. There’s an AI image background remover now, which is brilliant for e-commerce sites if you’re prepping product photos. The CSV product uploader is another gem. It lets you bulk-add stock to an online shop without faffing about manually. Then there’s the AI Troubleshooter. It flags up common site hiccups like broken links or sluggish pages and nudges you with fixes. It’s not perfect, but it’s saved me a headache or two already.

They’ve also opened new data centres. One in Boston has sharpened up load times for users over there. Security’s got a boost too, with automatic filtering of dodgy visitors and tougher malware scans. It’s clear they’re not just sitting on their hands. These updates keep Hostinger in the mix for studios needing practical tools that don’t break the bank.

How It Holds Up Against Wix and Squarespace

Picking a platform can feel like wading through mud with so many options out there. I’ve been around the block enough to cut through the noise. Here’s how Hostinger stacks up against Wix and Squarespace for studio work.

Pricing is the first big difference. Hostinger starts at £2.99 a month, renewing at £12-£14. Wix kicks off at £17 a month. Squarespace is £16 if you pay yearly. Hostinger wins on cost every time.

All three have AI site builders. Hostinger’s is quick and simple, spitting out a site in under a minute. Wix goes further with AI image generation and writing tools. Squarespace keeps it template-driven, polished but less bendy. I’d still take human creativity over any of them for a standout job.

Customisation is where they split. Wix lets you tweak every corner like you’re designing from scratch. Squarespace locks you into sleek templates that look great but don’t budge much. Hostinger sits in the middle. Its drag-and-drop editor is decent and easy to use, but it won’t let you go wild like Wix.

E-commerce is another angle. Hostinger handles up to 500 products with no extra fees. It’s solid for small shops. Wix and Squarespace offer more, like abandoned cart recovery and fancy analytics. They charge a premium for it though.

Multiple sites? Hostinger’s the champ. Up to 100 sites on one plan. Wix and Squarespace bill you per site, so it adds up fast if you’re running a stack of projects.

Support-wise, Hostinger gives you email, live chat, and a chunky knowledge base. Wix adds phone support into the mix. Squarespace sticks to email and chat with a lighter touch.

“After twenty years, I’ve learned you pick the tool that fits the job, not just the cheapest one on the shelf.” – Elwyn Davies

Hostinger’s a budget star with that multiple-site trick. Wix is for custom heavyweights. Squarespace is your design polish pick. For studios, Hostinger’s scale tips it for me.

Tying It Into Project Genesis at Pixelhaze Academy

At Pixelhaze Academy, we’ve built our Project Genesis system around Hostinger Website Builder. It’s a web design service that works like a mobile phone contract. Hosting, support, design, and build all come in one monthly fee on a two-year deal. We use Hostinger’s AI to construct a professional website in four hours flat, then host it on one of our existing servers.

It’s spot-on for clients who want a simple brochure site and don’t fuss with it after launch. I call them “build and forget” types. Start-ups and micro businesses love it. The low hosting cost per site keeps our monthly fees down—starting at £25. We don’t give clients hPanel access for security, but FTP sorts any file tweaks they need.

It’s also a great setup if you’re stuck in a day job and want to dip your toe into web design over the next 6-12 months. Not a great deal of upfront cash is required to purchase a server.

Then it’s about finding and converting clients who are happy to pay monthly. It’s not for everyone. Some want full control or a one-off payout. For small gigs or new designers cutting their teeth, it’s a low-risk winner. Dig into the details at Pixelhaze Academy.

Takeaway Notes

Hostinger’s AI builds sites fast. It’s a decent start for quick jobs, but human flair still wins and I cannot recommend it just yet.
Host up to 100 sites on one server. It slashes costs. For GDPR, keep clients out of hPanel with FTP.
2025 features like the AI Troubleshooter and CSV uploader save time on e-commerce gigs.
It beats Wix and Squarespace on price. It trades off some custom depth though.
Project Genesis uses it for pay-monthly plans. Perfect for simple sites or newbies starting out.
Storage is 100 GB on Premium, 200 GB on Business. Watch it with big portfolios.
E-commerce works for small shops. Wix and Squarespace lead for bigger online stores.

Wrapping It Up

I’ve tried them over the years, and Hostinger Website Builder has a knack for sticking around. Its 2024 and 2025 updates keep it fresh. Think AI Troubleshooter and e-commerce tools. Multiple-site hosting is a gem for studios, even with the security catch. It won’t outdo Wix for custom work or Squarespace for design polish. For keeping costs low and churning out simple sites fast, it’s hard to fault.

At Pixelhaze Academy, it’s the engine behind Project Genesis. It suits “build and forget” clients and new designers looking for a steady start. If you’re after practical over flashy, it’s worth a look.

Don’t panic if it’s not perfect for every job. Match it to your needs, and you’ll be fine.

Join our free community at Pixelhaze Academy if you want to ask us any follow-up questions on Hostinger Website Builder or more…

Cheers,
Elwyn