6 Best HostGator Alternatives 2024: Cheaper & More Reliable
HostGator used to be one of the best web hosts, but those days are over. If you’re looking for the best alternatives to HostGator, here are our top five options:
Bluehost
SiteGround
Hostinger
WP Engine
A2 Hosting
Although HostGator has been a well-known host for a long time, it has slowly reduced in quality over the years. That is why most people and businesses consider alternatives to web hosting. Based on this, we've compiled the top alternatives to HostGator.
Different factors to consider when choosing an alternative to HostGator include speed, price, and security. HostGator is not a bad hosting provider, but it's not perfect. Keep on reading for alternatives to the web host.
What We Look for in the Best HostGator Alternatives
After reviewing HostGator, we compiled some factors that would improve the web host.
- Affordability: While HostGator has affordable entry-level plans, the web host has high renewal prices. It will cost even more if you don't choose the longest-term plans. Based on this, we considered web hosts with highly affordable plans, even after renewal.
- Value Features: The alternatives on our list come with premium features that will give you a great experience. The plans come with resources and value-adding features which boost security and performance.
- Customer Service: EIG purchased HostGator, and since then, the quality of customer support decreased. This is why we compiled web hosting companies with reliable customer service.
- Performance: We selected hosting providers that offer better performance than HostGator. The EIG takeover also decreased the hosting performance, so you need to keep that in mind when choosing your web host.
- Location of the Data Centers: HostGator has limited global coverage compared to some other web hosting providers. The web hosts on our list feature different hosting locations worldwide, so you can choose one close to your target audience.
Best HostGator Alternatives for Web Hosting
Here are the best HostGator alternatives for web hosting on our list:
- Bluehost: Best HostGator Alternative for Beginners
- SiteGround: High-Performance with Top Shared Hosting
- Hostinger: Cheap Host with More Value and Freebies
- WP Engine: WordPress-Optimized Host with Advanced Features
- A2 Hosting: Best HostGator Alternative for Speed and Performance
- GreenGeeks: Eco-Friendly Host with Intuitive Interface
1. Bluehost
Best Overall
Bluehost is the top alternative to HostGator on our list. Although Bluehost does not offer much better performance than HostGator, it is a reliable option with affordable prices, beginner-friendly features, and resources to handle websites with higher traffic.
On Bluehost, you get access to a wide range of plans. You can choose from shared hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS hosting, and WordPress hosting. Bluehost is also an official WordPress recommended host, so it is also a good choice for those who want to set up a WordPress site.
Key Features
Free and Unlimited Resources
Bluehost offers a free domain for the first year on all plans. On the entry-level plan, you get a free SSL for the first year, but the other plans give you a free SSL forever and unlimited websites. The web host also offers free Yoast SEO and daily website backups for one year on all plans except the first one. You also get free WordPress website migration and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
User-Friendly Dashboard
Beginners will find it easy to use Bluehost because of the dashboard and cPanel. It features an intuitive design that allows easy navigation and easy access to your cPanel. Bluehost Maestro is a highlight of the web host, allowing you to manage multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard.
Reliable Customer Support
Bluehost offers a dependable customer support system, unlike HostGator. The web host offers round-the-clock phone and live chat service on all plans, so you don't have to pay extra for priority support. The customer service agents offer quick responses and free migration services.
Top-notch Security
All plans from Bluehost come with a free SSL certificate and a free malware scanner on all but the Basic plan. While there is very little information about its security standards, the company has stated that it protects its servers and keeps them up to date. You can purchase add-ons like SiteLock for extra security.
Pricing
- Free Domain & SSL (1st Year)
- 20 SSD Storage
- Optimized WordPress Hosting
- 1 Website
- Daily Backups (1st Year)
- 40 SSD Storage
- Free Yoast SEO
- Unlimited Websites
- Unlimited Products
- Customer Accounts
- Store Analytics
- PayPal Support
- Optimized CPU Resources
- 100 SSD Storage
- Free Dedicated IP
- Malware Scanning
Read more Bluehost pricing or Bluehost review
Bluehost comes with four pricing plans that you can choose from. The plans are billed annually, and you can pay for 36 months to save money. Here are the pricing plans:
- Basic at $10.99 per month is ideal for those who want to host only one website. It gives you access to custom WP themes, a free CDN, and a free domain and SSL for the first year.
- Choice Plus at $19.99 per month is recommended for those who want to host multiple websites, and it comes with added security and marketing features.
- Online Store at $24.95 per month is ideal for those who want to host multiple online stores, as it comes with exclusive store themes and analytics. It features eCommerce freebies like unlimited products, gift cards, shipping labels, and more.
- Pro at $28.99 monthly is ideal for more performance and web resources. It comes with a free dedicated IP and optimized CPU resources.
Bluehost is the best alternative to HostGator, with a user-friendly dashboard, domain manager, and Maestro platform for managing multiple sites.
2. SiteGround
Best for Shared Hosting
- All plans come with free SSL, CDN, email, and unmetered traffic.
- Includes a SuperCacher and CDN.
- Free daily backups on all plans.
- Quick loading times with servers on four continents.
- Different security tools and protected URLs.
- There is no free domain.
- Priority customer support only on the GoGeek plan.
SiteGround is a great choice if you're looking for quick and reliable web hosting, especially regarding their shared hosting plans. While the web host is expensive, it offers exceptional performance with technology like LiteSpeed web servers and Google Cloud infrastructure. The web hosting company also has in-house security features.
SiteGround is a popular web hosting company that offers quality plans for personal websites and small businesses. The web host offers quality shared hosting plans with free SSL, free CDN, free email, and free email migrator. With shared hosting, you get unmetered traffic and unlimited databases from the cheapest plan.
SiteGround is an excellent choice for individuals and small businesses, with free added value on all plans. It also has a free CDN to make the sites load faster. The web hosting provider is very easy to use, although the plans are a bit more expensive than other HostGator alternatives on our list.
Key Features
Boost in Performance
The most significant advantage of SiteGround over HostGator is the performance and speed. It offers a CDN and caching, which increase your site loading time. SiteGround has a SuperCacher and a global network of servers that allows you to reach a wide audience.
Easy to Use with Custom cPanel
SiteGround is easy to use, making it an ideal choice for beginners. You can choose a plan easily and even select your term length. SiteGround also has a marketplace with different extras like a dedicated IP, premium CDN, and domain privacy. The dashboard is a customized cPanel, with the most often used tools pinned to the top.
Ideal for WordPress
Another highlight of SiteGround is that WordPress recommends it. The web host offers all you need to install and manage WordPress on the main dashboard. You can also use the WP Migrator plugin to move your website from another host to SiteGround.
Multiple Security Features
On SiteGround, you get security features like backups, site scanners, and SSL certificates. There is a protected URLs option so you can password-protect pages from your website viewers, add a premium SSL certificate, and block specific IPs.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 10 GB Disk Storage
- Free SSL & Domain
- Site Capacity: 10000 Visits
- Daily Backups
- Unlimited Websites
- 20 GB Disk Storage
- On-demand Site Backups
- Site Capacity: 100000 Visits
- Site Staging
- Priority Customer Support
- 40 GB Disk Storage
- White Label Access
- Site Capacity: 400000 Visits
- Increased Server Resources
SiteGround offers three pricing plans and a 73% introductory price discount. Keep in mind that it renews at the original price.
- StartUp at $14.99 per month is ideal for hosting one website, and it comes with a wide range of freebies like SSL, CDN, email, and unlimited resources. It can withstand about 10,000 visits monthly.
- GrowBig at $24.99 per month allows you to host unlimited websites and can withstand about 100,000 visits monthly. It also comes with on-demand backups and staging.
- GoGeek at $39.99 monthly is great for large websites as it withstands about 400,000 monthly visits. The plan offers priority support, free private DNS, and white-label clients.
SiteGround is a fantastic web host with feature-packed shared hosting plans, speed and performance-boosting features, and WordPress support.
3. Hostinger
Best Affordable Host
- Free daily or weekly backups.
- Most affordable shared hosting plans.
- Easy to use with generous resources.
- Top performance with LiteSpeed Web Servers and the cache engine.
- Includes a free website builder.
- Control panel loads slowly.
- Customer service does not respond quickly.
Hostinger is the best option if you want a web hosting alternative to HostGator that will give you more value for your money. It is one of the most affordable hosts on the market, with plans starting at $1.99 per month. The web host also has a convenient interface that is easy to navigate and automatic wizards that take care of the setup process.
Hostinger is the best cheap alternative to HostGator, with generous resources in the plans like large storage, unlimited bandwidth, automatic updates, free domain and SSL, and professional email accounts. With this web host, you get a customized control panel that makes it easy for beginners to manage their websites.
As a quality web host, Hostinger offers one-click installation for WordPress and automatic account setup. The hosting service also uses a LiteSpeed web server, which speeds up your website's loading and response time. Hostinger also comes with a website builder that you can use if you're making your site from scratch.
Key Features
Generous Resources on All Plans
Hostinger is one of the cheapest web hosts for those with a tight budget. You get weekly backups, unlimited free SSL, and even 100GB of bandwidth from the first plan. The second plan is a huge upgrade with unlimited bandwidth, 100 websites, and unlimited free SSL.
Automatic Backups and Restoration
On Hostinger, you get weekly automatic backups. If you want to restore your data, you simply need one click. You can also pay for a daily automatic backup as an add-on.
Custom hPanel
Unlike most web hosting providers that use cPanel, Hostinger features hPanel instead. This is their custom control panel that is easy to navigate with a clean design. While the hPanel can be slow sometimes, finding the tools and features you are looking for is easy.
One Click Installer
When using Hostinger, you can access over 100 apps through one-click installation. You can install different CMSs like Joomla or Drupal, database management apps, message boards, and more. With popular apps at your disposal, Hostinger allows you to extend its functionality.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 50 GB SSD Storage
- 100GB Bandwidth
- 1 Email Account
- Managed WordPress
- 100 Websites
- 100GB SSD Storage
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- 100 Email Accounts
- Free Domain Name
- Unlimited FTP Accounts
- 200GB SSD Storage
- 2 CPU Cores
- 1.5GB RAM
- 100 Parked Domains & Subdomains
Read more Hostinger pricing or Hostinger review
Hostinger has three pricing plans and discounts between 73% and 80% on your first purchase. You also get three months free on the second and third plans.
- Single Web Hosting at $3.99 per month is ideal for hosting only one website, but you must pay for the domain. It comes with unlimited free SSL, malware scanning, and managed WordPress.
- Premium Web Hosting at $6.99 per month is excellent for multiple sites, as it comes with 100 websites, a free domain, WP-CLI, and WordPress Multisite.
- Business Web Hosting at $8.99 per month is suitable for small to mid-sized businesses, as it comes with daily backups, a WordPress staging tool, and Object Cache for WordPress.
Hostinger is the best affordable alternative to HostGator, with a customized hPanel, automatic daily or weekly backups, and ample resources with free and unlimited features.
4. WP Engine
Best for WordPress Hosting
- High-end hosting performance and cloud infrastructure.
- Top-notch security features.
- Advanced control panel for WordPress features.
- Offers managed WordPress and easy use.
- Reliable customer service.
- Plans are a bit expensive.
- No free domain.
If you're looking for an ideal web host alternative to HostGator for WordPress, you should choose WP Engine. This is a WordPress-specific web host that offers optimized and managed plans. The pricing is not the cheapest on our list, but it comes packed with features and manages your WordPress website for you.
WP Engine is a performance-oriented web host that allows you to easily host and manage your WordPress website. It is more advanced than standard shared hosting services on our list and does some hosting functions automatically. For the tasks you don't understand, there are explanations and steps to help you.
The WP Engine dashboard is clean and organized, and you benefit from the platform's flexibility, excellent uptime, and daily backups. Remember that when using WP Engine, you must get your domain name and email account from another service.
Key Features
WordPress-Specific Features
WP Engine has features ideal for your WordPress website. There is quick and easy migration from your previous host, support for staging sites, a free SSL certificate, and different performance tracking features.
Top Hosting Performance
The web host increases the performance of your website with its enhancing features like a Page Performance tool for testing your site, a free Content Delivery Network service on all sites, and GeoTarget, an add-on for optimizing your site for particular regions.
Extensive Security Features
WP Engine has multiple security features on all its plans, starting with a free SSL certificate from Let's Encrypt. It also features server monitoring, threat detection and prevention, a proprietary firewall, daily automatic backups, global edge security, and plugin management.
Helpful and Reliable Customer Support
The hosting company offers reliable 24/7 customer service through phone, email, and live chat. You can access customer service through the user portal once you sign up. The customer service agents quickly respond and have enough knowledge to answer your questions.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 25000 Visits/Mo
- 10 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat Support
- 50GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 3 Websites
- 75000 Visits/Mo
- 15 GB Disk Space
- WordPress Multisite
- 125GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 10 Websites
- 100000 Visits/Mo
- 20 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat & Phone Support
- 200GB Bandwidth/Mo
- 30 Websites
- 400000 Visits/Mo
- 50 GB Disk Space
- 24/7 Chat & Phone Support
- 500GB Bandwidth/Mo
Read more WP Engine pricing or WP Engine review
WP Engine features managed WordPress hosting plans with discounts on your first purchase. You can also get four months free if you pay annually.
- Startup at $24 per month is ideal for hosting one website as it comes with 10 GB of storage and 50GB of bandwidth per month. It also allows for 25,000 visits per month.
- Professional at $47 per month allows you to host three websites with 15GB of storage, 125GB of bandwidth, and 75,000 visits per month.
- Growth at $92 per month is best for hosting ten websites with up to 100,000 visits monthly. There is 20GB of storage and 200 GB of bandwidth per month.
- Scale at $232 per month is ideal for hosting over 30 websites and is suitable for business sites and online stores. It has 400,000 visits per month, 500GB of bandwidth, and 50GB of storage.
WP Engine is ideal for managed WordPress hosting over HostGator, with high-end cloud infrastructure, cutting-edge security measures, and WordPress-specific features.
5. A2 Hosting
Best for Speed
- Secure and speedy servers with enhancing features.
- Responsive customer support.
- 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Automatic server backups with easy restoration.
- Pricing plans are on the pricey side.
A2 Hosting boasts some of the best loading speeds you can get from a web host, giving it a major edge over HostGator. The web host has speed and performance-enhancing features, a top-notch uptime guarantee, and a highly-rated customer service team. While the prices are high, A2 Hosting offers a money-back guarantee if you change your mind.
A2 Hosting is the best HostGator alternative for those looking for a quick web hosting company with impressive performance. The hosting provider has a 99.9% uptime commitment and is known for its Turbo servers. Although you must pay more for the Turbo plans, they will significantly increase your website's performance.
The web host makes use of top-tier servers to power their services. On A2 Hosting, each server is optimized for speed, so the company promises 20x faster page load times than other web hosts. Also, if you are hosting your site on a different platform, A2 Hosting allows you to move free of charge. The Guru support is always available 24/7.
Key Features
Turbo Servers
The highlight of A2 Hosting is the turbo servers which promise to make your site load 20x faster than average. It is powered by LiteSpeed and top-tier hardware to give you top speed. The web host also makes use of a content delivery network from Cloudflare. The uptime guarantee is 99.9%.
Reliable Security Features
Your website will remain secure with the SSL certificate available on all plans for free and other features. These include dual hosting firewalls, limited server access, reinforced DDoS protection, and server hardening. There are also automatic server backups; you can also make backups on demand.
Highly Rated Customer Service
A2 Hosting is known for its Guru support, which is available via email and live chat. There is an extensive knowledge base you can check for help using the web host. The agents respond quickly, even through email, although the live chat can feel impersonal.
A2 Optimized Plugin
You can add the A2 Optimized plugin to your website when hosting for even better speed. This WordPress plugin comes with other apps like Jetpack and W3 Total Cache and pre-configured WordPress installation.
Pricing
- 1 Website
- 100GB SSD Storage
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 CPU Core
- Unlimited Websites
- Unlimited Storage
- 1 GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- LightSpeed Web Server
- HTTP/2 & HTTP/3
- 2 GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- LightSpeed Web Server
- HTTP/2 & HTTP/3
- 4 GB RAM
- 4 CPU Cores
A2 Hosting comes with four pricing plans, with the most expensive options offering the Turbo server. You can pay monthly, every 12 months, or every 36 months.
- Startup at $9.99 monthly is ideal for hosting a single site and comes with 100GB SSD storage. It is an ideal choice for personal sites and blogs.
- Drive at $12.99 per month allows unlimited websites, SSD storage, and free automatic backups. It's recommended for users on a budget.
- Turbo Boost at $19.99 per month is ideal for users that want even more power, with the Turbo servers and unlimited NVMe SSD storage.
- Turbo Max at $24.99 per month offers five times more resources than the other plans, which is excellent for websites expecting a lot of traffic.
A2 Hosting is the best alternative to HostGator if you're worried about speed, with LiteSpeed servers, an optimized plugin, and reliable customer service.
6. GreenGeeks
Best for Small Businesses
Rounding up our list is GreenGeeks, which is a good alternative to HostGator, especially for small to mid-sized businesses. The web host is highly reliable and has many hosting plans. Not only this, but it focuses on eco-friendly web hosting, which is an excellent look for any environment-conscious small business.
Despite being a green hosting company, GreenGeeks comes with fantastic value for its money. It offers a free domain name, a free SSL certificate, and highly affordable plans. All the servers are powered by LiteSpeed, which is a much faster solution than other web servers like Apache.
Key Features
Eco-Friendly Hosting Service
GreenGeeks focuses on combating carbon emissions caused by hosting, so even Environmental Protection Agency has recognized it. It calculates its annual consumption and carbon footprint and then purchases thrice the number of renewable energy credits. This is why it promises a 300% green energy match.
Website Security and Backup
On the web host, you can access SSL certificates, automatic backups every night, server monitoring, DDoS protection, malware scanning, and cleanup. It also features a website application firewall, spam protection, automatic app updates, and more.
Easy-to-Use Control Panel
GreenGeeks uses cPanel, but some parts are customized to make it beginner-friendly. You get WordPress installation, the Softaculous one-click app installer, domain management, and options to set up professional email accounts. There are tools for database and file management too.
Pricing
GreenGeeks offers three pricing plans with a 30-day money-back guarantee. There is an introductory price discount that you can take advantage of too.
- Lite, at $10.95 per month, allows you to host only one website, with freebies like an SSL certificate, CDN, and domain name for the first year. It has unmetered transfer and unlimited databases.
- Pro at $15.95 per month offers unlimited websites, unlimited web space, and unlimited email accounts. There are on-demand backups and WordPress repair tools.
- Premium at $25.95 monthly offers the best hosting performance with a free dedicated IP, object caching, and free AlphaSSL.
Pros
- It is an eco-friendly web hosting platform.
- Free domain on all plans for the first year.
- Easy to use with an intuitive interface.
- Data centers are located around the world.
- Robust security features.
Cons
- Poor customer support.
GreenGeeks is a carbon-reducing company ideal for small businesses, with free resources, robust security features, and a user-friendly control panel.
FAQ
HostGator is a well-known web hosting provider offering shared, reseller, virtual private server, and dedicated web hosting. It also features a DIY website builder for small businesses and personal projects. While it offers plenty of storage, it also comes with hidden fees, tricky prices, and low uptime.
The best HostGator alternative depends on your specific needs. If you're unsure what to choose, you should consider Bluehost, which is the best option on our list. It is WordPress-friendly hosting, ideal for beginners, affordable, and comes with decent performance.
There are free alternatives to HostGator, but working with free web hosts is not advisable because it will not offer the quality you need. If you're working with a tight budget, you can choose Hostinger. This is the most affordable option on our list, allowing you to host for as low as $1.99.
To cancel your HostGator subscription, log into the Customer Portal. Then, click the Hosting tab on the left-hand menu and select the Billing option. You will see the option Cancel Package, and you should fill out the details. Then, your HostGator account will be canceled.
The cheapest and most reliable alternative to HostGator is Hostinger. With this web host, you get fast loading speeds, superior uptime, and more features than you would on HostGator. It also comes with managed WordPress hosting for easier use.
Find the Best Alternative to HostGator
Our complete guide lets you choose an alternative to HostGator if you're unsatisfied with the web host. These web hosts are more affordable, with better performance, uptime, and security features. While HostGator is a decent web host that you can work with, it also comes with a couple of downsides that may be too much for you.
Here are the top five options we recommended:
Bluehost
SiteGround
Hostinger
WP Engine
A2 Hosting
Before you get started, check out these helpful resources:
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Martin Luenendonk
Martin loves entrepreneurship and has helped dozens of entrepreneurs by validating the business idea, finding scalable customer acquisition channels, and building a data-driven organization. During his time working in investment banking, tech startups, and industry-leading companies he gained extensive knowledge in using different software tools to optimize business processes.
This insights and his love for researching SaaS products enables him to provide in-depth, fact-based software reviews to enable software buyers make better decisions.