Hostgator Reviews – 10 Pros & Cons You Should Know in 2024
If you’re looking for a hosting provider for your website, I’m sure you’ve come across HostGator among the most recommended service providers in the market.
Choosing a hosting provider is complicated, and because you have so many options and thousands of online reviews that swing from Bluehost to HostGator to Dreamhost to something else, it is even harder to come to a conclusion.
In this blog, I’m going to focus on one hosting provider, which is HostGator, and give you a detailed analysis of the different features, benefits, and limitations of the services provided by HostGator.
I’m going to tell you about the wide variety of hosting options provided by HostGator, and also give you the best alternatives if you have very specific requirements.
Let’s get straight to it!
Brief Overview of Hostgator
HostGator is a Texas-based web hosting company that was founded by Brent Oxley in a dorm room in Florida and has now grown to become one of the world’s largest hosting companies.
HostGator has been in business since 2002 and was acquired by Endurance International Group (EIG) in 2012.
Alongside HostGator, EIG is associated with other well-established service providers like Bluehost, iPage, and SiteBuilder.
In these past 18 years, HostGator has hosted over 8 million domains and has customers in more than 200 countries.
HostGator provides hosting packages that serve a wide range of customers, right from individual freelancers to Fortune 500 companies. Therefore, it doesn’t matter if you are a computer noob or a technical wizard, HostGator has a hosting option for you.
Choosing the right hosting package is very significant in ensuring that your visitors have an excellent experience and that your website runs smoothly even during peak traffic seasons.
Let’s now talk about the different plans offered by HostGator, their price range, and the features included in each of them.
What Web Hosting Services Does Hostgator Offer? Pricing and Plans
1. HostGator's Shared Web Hosting
The reason why it's so cheap is that you are sharing the server’s space and resources with other users.
While there is a possibility that some users may use more resources than others, HostGator ensures that every user has a fair amount of resources when required.
Breakdown of HostGator’s Shared Hosting pricing plans
- 1 Website
- Unmetered Bandwidth
- Unlimited Email
- 10GB Storage Space
- Chat Support
- 5 Websites
- $500 Google Ads Credit
- Unlimited Add-on Domains
- 40GB Storage Space
- Chat & Phone Support
- Unlimited Websites
- Free Assisted Migration
- Positive SSL
- Unlimited Storage Space
- Dedicated IP Address
If you are new to the whole website business, you may want to start with the Hatchling plan and upgrade to another plan once your website gains more traffic.
HostGator offers a discount introductory price only with packages for 12 months, 24 months, and 36 months.
Who should use Shared Hosting?
Shared Hosting is a perfect fit for beginners. This is because the server maintenance and other necessary tasks are handled by HostGator, all you are responsible for is your own website.
You should opt for shared hosting if you don’t have any experience with blogging, want to create a personal website/blog, or just want to create a website so that your business has an online presence.
2. HostGator's Cloud Hosting
Instead of the traditional way where your website is hosted on a single server, with cloud hosting, your site is hosted on multiple remote servers.
HostGator’s Cloud Hosting has an exceptionally high page loading speed and uptime. You also get unmetered bandwidth and storage with every single HostGator Cloud plan.
Breakdown of HostGator’s Cloud Hosting pricing plans
- 1 Website
- 2GB RAM
- 2 CPU Cores
- Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
- Unlimited Websites
- 4GB RAM
- 4 CPU Cores
- Unlimited Storage & Bandwidth
- Free Positive SSL
- 6GB RAM
- 6 CPU Cores
- Dedicated IP
Again, HostGator offers a discount introductory price only with their 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month packages.
Who should use Cloud Hosting?
Though cloud hosting has a wide range of benefits, it is not perfect for every website.
For websites that are growing quickly or have variable traffic levels, you should consider cloud hosting.
Cloud Hosting is a great option if you want on-demand scalability. This is possible because, with cloud hosting, your website is hosted on multiple servers, so you have an entire network of servers at your disposal that you can use at any given time.
3. HostGator's Optimized WordPress Hosting
HostGator’s Optimized WordPress Hosting is designed specifically for a managed WordPress environment.
It comes with a global CDN and pre-installed WordPress. If you already have a WordPress site, HostGator also provides a free migration service.
Additionally, given that OWP only deals with WordPress platform, you will get customer support from experts who specialize in WordPress.
Breakdown of HostGator’s Optimized WordPress Hosting pricing plans
- 1 Website
- 100K Visits/Mo
- 1 WordPress Site Migration
- 1GB Backups
- 2 Websites
- 200K Visits/Mo
- 2 WordPress Site Migrations
- 2GB Backups
- 3 Websites
- 500K Visits/Mo
- 3 WordPress Site Migrations
- 3GB Backups
While HostGator’s main page for Optimized WordPress Hosting only shows three plans, HostGator actually offers 6 packages depending on the number of blogs you can host with each package.
Who should use Optimized WordPress Hosting?
If you already know that WordPress is the Content Management System (CMS) that you want to use, then this is perfect for you. However, if you are a beginner, you don’t need Optimized WordPress Hosting.
4. Hostgator's VPS Hosting
In VPS hosting, a single physical server is divided into several virtual servers where each server provides a dedicated server environment. This means that unlike shared hosting, you are guaranteed the resources that you pay for.
VPS Hosting is great if you want to enjoy the benefits of a dedicated server without paying as much for it.
HostGator does not offer free domain registration for VPS Hosting. However, all VPS plans come with:
- Unlimited Domains
- Weekly Backups
- Full Root Access
- Unlimited Email
- Unlimited FTP Users
- Unlimited MySQL Databases
- Private Name Servers
Breakdown of HostGator’s VPS Hosting pricing plans
- 2 vCPU Cores
- 2GB RAM
- 120GB SSD Storage
- 2 Dedicated IPs
- 2 vCPU Cores
- 4GB RAM
- 165GB SSD Storage
- 2 Dedicated IPs
- 4 vCPU Cores
- 8GB RAM
- 240GB SSD Storage
- 2 Dedicated IPs
Unlike Shared, Cloud, and Optimized WordPress Hosting, HostGator’s VPS Hosting comes with promotional pricing for even its one-month billing term.
Who should use VPS Hosting?
Managing VPS Hosting requires technical knowledge, so if you are not a tech-geek or have a specialist who can manage VPS Hosting, this is not for you.
VPS Hosting comes with advanced functionality. It is an ideal choice for those who want to have more control and flexibility over their server configuration.
5. HostGator's Dedicated Hosting
With Dedicated Hosting, you have a physical server that is assigned only for your business. It is pricier than others but offers exclusive features to make up for it.
Compared to other hosting options, this is the fastest option since you will not be sharing your server resources with other customers. Dedicated Server Hosting is powerful and provides complete control of your server configuration.
You can optimize it based on your specific requirements, like security, performance, and flexibility. HostGator also provides full and semi-managed hosting options.
With Hostgator’s Dedicated Hosting, you can choose between Linux and Windows OS.
All HostGator’s Dedicated Hosting plans include:
- 3 Dedicated IPv4 IPs
- RAID-1 Configuration
- Full Root Access
- DDOS Protection
- 24/7/365 Live Support
- Unlimited Databases
- Fully Redundant Network
Breakdown of HostGator’s Dedicated Hosting pricing plans
- Managed Dedicated Hosting
- 4 Core/8 Thread CPU
- 8GB RAM
- 1TB HDD
- Managed Dedicated Hosting
- 8 Core/16 Thread CPU
- 16GB RAM
- 2TB HDD or 512GB SSD
- Managed Dedicated Hosting
- 8 Core/16 Thread CPU
- 30GB RAM
- 1TB SDD
Who should use Dedicated Hosting?
Dedicated Hosting is ideal for big enterprises who need powerful hosting. You need some amount of technical knowledge to manage dedicated hosting.
You should use Dedicated Hosting if you have a fast-growing website, large customer database, or handle confidential information and require high security.
6. Gator Website Builder Hosting
While Gator is a drag-and-drop website builder exclusive to HostGator, it isn’t exactly a type of hosting.
The reason why I’ve included this here is because
- HostGator lists it amongst its hosting packages.
- Website Builder packages include cloud hosting within the price.
Free website builder is a feature that is mentioned amongst many other HostGator’s hosting plans.
So, why do you have to purchase Gator Website Builder Hosting?
Unless you purchase the Website Builder, you can’t access all features of Gator like the Gator control panel, professionally-designed templates, and the eCommerce functionality.
HostGator’s Website Builder offers eCommerce functionalities that include elements like shopping cart, checkout, and integrated shipping. It also includes management tools for inventory, taxes, and more.
It has over 200 professionally-designed templates that you can sort according to your niche.
These templates are fully customizable so you can optimize them according to your brand.
Here are a few other features offered with Website Builder packages.
Breakdown of HostGator’s Gator Website Builder Hosting pricing plans
The Express Start plan costs $3.84 per month, the Express Site plan costs $5.99 per month, and the Express Store plan costs $9.22 per month.
HostGator’s Gator Website Builder Hosting payment options
Term | Express Start | Express Site | Express Store |
---|---|---|---|
1 month | $4.99 per month | $6.49 per month | $12.49 per month |
12 months | $4.61 per month | $6.14 per month | $9.99 per month |
24 months | $3.84 per month | $5.99 per month | $9.22 per month |
Who should use Gator Website Builder Hosting?
While WordPress is the most widely used CMS in the world, if you have zero experience with WordPress, you will need some time to get a hang of it. If you want to build a website quickly, drag-and-drop website builders are great to get your website going within a few hours.
If you are looking for a quick solution and have no knowledge of coding, Gator Website Builder Hosting is for you.
Gator is also a great option if you want to build your online store.
7. HostGator's Reseller Hosting
This hosting service is different from the other hosting services mentioned above.
With Reseller Hosting, you can build your own web hosting business. You can rent hosting services to people, and earn a profit.
If you run an agency that provides services like web designing or web development, you can add web hosting to the services you offer and become a one-stop destination for all their website needs.
Most important features offered by HostGator’s Reseller Hosting.
- Unlimited Domains and subdomains
- Free SSL Certificate
- Unlimited FTP accounts
- Unlimited email accounts
- Unlimited SQL databases
- 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
- White-label Hosting
- Free Billing Systems
- Free domain reseller account
- Plan customizations
Breakdown of HostGator’s Reseller Hosting pricing plans
The Aluminum plan costs $19.95 per month, the Copper plan costs $24.95 per month, and the Silver plan costs $24.95 per month.
HostGator’s Reseller Hosting payment options
Term | Aluminum | Copper | Silver |
---|---|---|---|
1 month | $29.95 per month | $41.95 per month | $59.95 per month |
3 months | $29.95 per month | $41.95 per month | $59.95 per month |
6 months | $29.95 per month | $41.95 per month | $59.95 per month |
12 months | $24.95 per month | $29.95 per month | $29.95 per month |
24 months | $21.95 per month | $26.95 per month | $26.94 per month |
36 months | $19.95 per month | $24.95 per month | $54.95 per month |
Who should use Reseller Hosting?
Reseller Hosting is for digital agencies and freelancers who manage their client’s websites and hosting.
Quick Facts
Factor | Facts |
---|---|
45-day money-back guarantee | Refund policy applies only to shared, reseller, or VPS hosting. |
Site Migration | Free site migrations if you apply within 30 days of signing up. Site transfer services available for a fee after the 30-day period. |
Domain Registration | Free for the first year. Only available for Cloud, Shared, and Optimized WordPress hosting. |
Uptime Guarantee | Applicable for Shared and Reseller hosting only. |
Network Guarantee | Applicable for VPS and Dedicated Server hosting only. |
cPanel | Easy-to-use and simple user interface. |
WordPress Installation | Extremely straightforward. |
Operating System | Windows and Linux-based. |
Payment Gateway | Credit Card and PayPal. |
Best Features and Pros of Hostgator
Most Prominent Features Offered By Hostgator
Windows and Linux-based Hosting.
It is crucial to figure out which type of hosting suits your business the best, and for any hosting you choose, you have various operating systems you can use with your servers.
HostGator offers two Operating systems that you can choose from; Windows and Linux.
Linux-based hosting is more popular amongst the two, and if a hosting provider doesn’t specify which operating system they offer, it is safe to assume that it is Linux-based Hosting.
However, given that HostGator offers both Linux and Windows on selected server types, it is essential to understand the difference between the two so you don’t make a mistake down the lane while selecting your hosting package.
The main reason why people buy Windows Hosting is if their business depends more on Windows programs.
Here is a list of Windows applications that require a Windows server.
- ASP Classic
- ASP.NET
- MSSQL (Microsoft SQL Server)
- MS Access (Microsoft Access)
- Visual Basic Development
- C#
- Remote Desktop (dedicated server only)
Windows Dedicated Servers can support other Windows-specific applications like Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Sharepoint.
If your business does not operate on any of the aforementioned applications, you are good to go with Linux-based Hosting.
Another noteworthy difference is that Windows Hosting and Linux Hosting use different Control Panels.
- cPanel. This is an industry-standard Control Panel. It is available on all HostGator’s Linux-based hosting plans, such as Linux Shared, Reseller, VPS, and Linux Dedicated Servers.
- WHM (Web Host Manager). It is available on Linux Reseller, VPS, and Dedicated Servers.
- Plesk. This is available on Windows Shared and Dedicated Servers
As I mentioned above, HostGator offers Windows on a select few hosting packages – Shared and Dedicated Hosting.
After the Windows and Linux-based Hosting, here are the top HostGator features.
- cPanel. It is easy to navigate and manage your resources. Even if you’re a beginner, there is no learning curve for you to take full advantage of HostGator’s cPanel.
- Free Site Builder. Free Basic HostGator Website Builder is included in all Linux Shared and Cloud Hosting plans.
- Free Domain Registration. This is applicable only for Cloud, Shared, or Optimized WordPress hosting plans on a 12-, 24-, or 36-month renewal cycle. Additionally, the domain name is free only for the first year.
- One-Click WordPress Installation.
- Free SSL Certificate. It is available for every domain registered with your hosting package.
- Free Email Marketing Software. It is available for all Hatchling, Baby, and Business plans for three months.
- 45 Day Money Back Guarantee. Applicable only for the shared, reseller, or VPS hosting.
- $100 Google Ads credits. This offer is available for new Ads accounts and is applicable to Linux Shared Web Hosting plans. This includes HostGator’s Web Hosting, Cloud Hosting, and Reseller Hosting plans.
- $100 Bing Network ad credits. This is applicable only for users with a new Bing Ads account who have created their account less than 30 days prior to coupon redemption. Additionally, this offer is not available for Windows hosting, Resellers, Optimized WordPress, VPS, or Dedicated Server Hosting.
Here are a few other noteworthy features offered by HostGator.
- Manage Multiple Domains.
- Unlimited Bandwidth.
- Unlimited Email Accounts.
- Unlimited Sub-domains.
- Unlimited FTP Accounts.
- Unlimited Disk Space.
Pros of Using Hostgator Web Hosting
1. Easy-to-use Interface
It is easy to navigate HostGator’s cPanel.
Its layout is an industry-standard design; therefore, if you have ever used one before, it will be effortless for you to work with HostGator’s cPanel.
Even if you have zero experience with other hosting service providers, HostGator’s cPanel interface is very straightforward.
It is uncomplicated and straightforward; hence, you don’t have to waste precious time trying to figure out how to access its tools and features.
Additionally, HostGator’s Knowledge Base is full of guides and tutorials to help you through any sticky patches you come across.
2. Flexible Billing Terms
HostGator offers various subscription options even for its cheapest Hatchling plan – 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, or 36 months.
But just because HostGator allows for monthly payment doesn’t mean you should go for it. These short-term duration plans are not the most cost-effective solutions.
While the Hatchling plan does cost $2.75 per month, you have to opt for the 36-month subscription option to take advantage of HostGator’s discount pricing.
3. 45-day money-back policy
The customary refund period is 30 days for most web service providers; however, HostGator offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.
This means that you can purchase a hosting plan, try it out, and apply for a refund provided that you cancel within 45 days of signing up.
It is important to note that you will be eligible for a refund only if you are a first-time customer. If you have already purchased hosting from HostGator and canceled your subscription, you will not get a refund.
HostGator has its own Terms and Conditions for its money-back guarantee. Here is a quick overview of the most important terms you need to know about HostGator’s money-back guarantee.
- HostGator refund policy does not apply to dedicated server hosting. Its 45-day money-back guarantee is applicable only for the shared, reseller, or VPS hosting.
- The refund only applies to web hosting costs and not additional add-on services.
- If your plan includes a free domain name, $17.99 will be deducted from your refund for the same.
4. 99.9% Guaranteed Uptime
For any website, Uptime is one of the most critical metrics. If your website is down often, this affects your business severely.
But, with HostGator, you don’t have to worry about your website downtime.
HostGator has a solid reputation for providing a consistent uptime of at least 99.98%.
If their reputation isn’t enough, they also provide an Uptime Guarantee; if your server doesn’t fulfill the 99.9% uptime guarantee, you will receive one month’s worth of credit depending on your package.
The Uptime Guarantee is applicable only for Shared and Reseller Hosting plans.
While HostGator doesn’t provide an Uptime Guarantee for its other Hosting plans, it does have a Network Guarantee for the VPS and Dedicated server plans.
According to the Network Guarantee, you will receive credit as stated in the Uptime Guarantee; however, this credit will be prorated for the time your server was down.
The Network Guarantee has a few other terms you should take note of.
5. Site Security Features
HostGator has measures in place to prevent your site security from being compromised.
Besides a custom firewall and ModSecurity, HostGator offers a few additional products and services you can leverage to protect your data.
- SiteLock. SiteLock proactively scans your website regularly for malware and other cyber threats. It is completely automated and has features like Malware Scanning, TrueShield Web Application Firewall (WAF), Blacklist Monitoring, and others. HostGator has three plans for SiteLock depending on what features you require and starts at $1.99 per month.
- Spamassassin. Spamassassin is a free anti-spam tool that helps filter through your email.
6. Highly responsive customer support
HostGator’s customer support is available 24/7, and you can get in touch via Live Chat, email, or phone.
But before you reach out to their customer support, check out their Knowledge Base, for it addresses most of the issues HostGator’s customers generally face.
You may face some delay with their telephone medium; however, you can get hold of an agent within minutes with their Live Chat system.
7. Free site & cPanel migration
HostGator offers Free Site Migration services if you apply for a site transfer within 30 days of signing up. This also includes one free domain registration transfer.
All plans have at least one free site transfer included in their plans. However, depending on your hosting plan, you may get up to 30 free site transfers.
If your previous hosting used a cPanel, HostGator will also transfer your cPanel for free. This means that not only can you transfer all your subdomains, but HostGator will also migrate your existing email accounts.
If you want to transfer your site after the 30-day window, you can fill out a transfer form requesting HostGator’s services. A representative will get in touch with you and give you a quote depending on your requirements.
8. E-Commerce Tools
HostGator has partnered with MOJO Marketplace, which provides various tools, including HostGator’s one-click installer, QuickInstall.
You can access premium graphics, logos, themes, templates, plugins, and extensions from MOJO Marketplace.
The design tools may seem a little overwhelming; however, you can use all the MOJO Marketplace tools to create an eCommerce store with ease.
9. Web Design Services
HostGator offers professional web design services where HostGator experts will build your website for you.
If you want to build your website as a large platform with custom features, this is perfect for you.
10. Free Email Marketing Software
Email Marketing is an excellent way to reach your target audience, and cost-effectively increase your business.
HostGator has partnered with Constant Contact to provide its customers with email marketing services. You can use their highly responsive templates to launch a product, announce an event, provide seasonal offers, or anything you may wish.
They have a robust system with real-time tracking and detailed metrics.
HostGator offers email marketing services for free for three months. It is available for all Shared Hosting customers.
Cons of Using Hostgator Web Hosting
1. Poor Backup
HostGator provides insubstantial account backup features. HostGator only offers once a week default backup that is carried out on any day at random.
Each backup overwrites the previous week's backup, so only one backup is kept at any given time. Additionally, a backup is taken only if your account is less than 20GM (and 100,000 inodes)
This is what HostGator has to say for its Backup Policy.
You can’t rely on HostGator’s backup features, but you can purchase CodeGuard to get regular and automated backup. CodeGuard costs $32.95 per year for its basic plan.
2. High Renewal Prices
Most web service providers offer low introductory prices to attract more customers and hike up their prices; HostGator is no different.
For the cheapest plan of $2.75 per month with introductory pricing, you have to purchase the 3-year subscription and pay upfront to take advantage of this offer.
For the same plan, the cost of renewal is $6.95/month (or $250.20 per year), which is exceptionally high.
The promotional pricing is not just for the hosting packages; many additional add-ons also offer discount prices. These extra add-ons hike up the renewal price even more as they go back to their regular pricing.
3. Shady Uptime Guarantee
HostGator does have some shady terms that don't instill much confidence.
The approval of any credit is at the sole discretion of HostGator statement essentially means that if they don’t feel like carrying through the guarantee, they won’t.
4. Constant Upsells
HostGator continually pushes you to purchase a new product or upgrade an existing product on the backend, which may get pretty bothersome.
Be it your Dashboard or individual plugin pages, HostGator has ads plastered everywhere. My guess for why this happens is that the plugins are either freemium or affiliate-based.
You may experience this with most service providers in the market.
5. Unskilled Customer Support
While it is good that HostGator has been silently getting rid of the ticket system, some complicated problems may still require you to get a ticket. With a ticket system, you may have to wait for a while to get a representative to get back to you.
HostGator’s customer support is available 24/7; however, that doesn’t imply they are reliable.
Most web service providers outsource their customer support, and I understand that it is crucial to have local support agents (plus, it’s a cheap solution).
However, HostGator’s customer service has individuals who are not qualified enough to solve technical issues. This has been a steady complaint from various customers and has led many to quit using HostGator’s services.
How to Sign Up with Hostgator
1. Visit Hostgator.com
When you go to HostGator’s Homepage, you will see a Get Started button.
The first step is to click on the Get Started button.
2. Choose a Hosting Plan
By default, HostGator redirects you to its shared hosting plans.
If you don’t want to go ahead with Shared Hosting, you can choose from the other types of hosting provided by HostGator on its homepage.
The dropdown menu for Hosting and Pro Hosting options only shows six hosting plans altogether.
HostGator offers nine different types of hosting.
If you would like to check out all the hosting plans we’ve discussed, scroll down to the footer section of HostGator’s Homepage.
After choosing your hosting, the next step is to select a hosting package. For this tutorial, I will go ahead with the Shared Hosting plan.
Within HostGator’s Shared Hosting, you can choose between three different plans, Hatchling, Baby, and Business.
If you do not have any experience, you may want to start with the Hatchling or Baby plan (depending on how many domains you need) and upgrade to another plan once your website starts growing.
3. Choose your Domain Name
Depending on whether you already have a Domain name or would like to register a new domain, select the appropriate option.
Enter your Domain name and choose a domain extension.
Other than .com, HostGator offers 14 other domain extensions.
- online
- site
- store
- website
- tech
- space
- host
- net
- club
- info
- biz
- org
- me
- co
If the domain name you enter isn’t available, HostGator will present you with a number of suggestions.
However, these suggestions do not alter the domain name you entered, only available domain extensions.
These suggestions offered by HostGator are not always helpful, but you don't have to worry. There are several free online brand name generator platforms that you can use to find the perfect name for your website.
Your domain extension doesn’t necessarily have to be a .com; you can choose a different extension from the dropdown menu. However, most users enter the .com domain as default when they search for a website. Therefore, I would recommend that you stick to .com.
4. Select the HostGator Account Package Information
It goes without saying that you will get the most discounted price if you choose the longest subscription duration.
So I would suggest you either opt for the 24-month, or the 36-month billing cycle to get the most out of the promotional pricing offered by HostGator.
It is important to note that your renewal rate will jump back to the regular rates that HostGator charges after your term ends.
5. Create your HostGator Account
In this step, you have to enter your email address and set your account password.
Alongside a password, you also have to enter a 4-digit Security Pin that can’t begin with zero.
Note that HostGator will send your receipt and login credentials to the email address you enter.
6. Fill in your Personal Details and Payment Information
You need to enter your first name, last name, Company name, phone number, address, country, city, state, and zip code for your personal information.
You can make your payment via Credit Card or PayPal.
Enter your Tax Exception ID if it is applicable to you.
7. Select Additional HostGator Services (add-ons)
- SSL Certificate. An SSL certificate assures your visitors of your trustworthiness and protects your website from cyber threats. HostGator provides a Free SSL Certificate for its Cloud, Shared, and Optimized WordPress hosting plans. Otherwise, it costs $3.33 per month.
- SiteLock Essentials. This add-on service costs $1.99 per month (promotional pricing), and you can renew this for $5.99 per month. You should get this add-on to secure your site from malware. If security is a significant concern for your site, I would recommend getting this add-on.
- Professional Email. Some of HostGator’s hosting plans include business email within the cost; however, it’s Shared Hosting plans do not. So, you can pay $6.00 per month and get your own business email. You can either access your email from HostGator’s cPanel or invest in a third-party email client like G Suite, Office 365, or Mac Mail.
- Site Backup. HostGator uses CodeGuard for its site backup, which costs $2 per month. CodeGuard provides regular and automatic backup, and I would recommend getting this add-on. This comes in handy should your account get hacked and you want to restore it to a previous version.
- HostGator SEO Tools. This add-on costs $2.95 per month and is frankly not needed. There are various other platforms dedicated to SEO that you can go for instead of spending money with this add-on.
8. Review and Complete the Checkout Process
If you have a coupon code, you can enter the code and check its validity in this step.
You can then review your order and click on Checkout Now to complete the sign-up process.
Hostgator Alternatives
1. Bluehost
Best HostGator Alternative For Cost-Effective and Performance-based Hosting
Bluehost and HostGator are both top-rated service providers, but I have always recommended Bluehost above all others.
Both HostGator and Bluehost are under the same parent company, Endurance International Group (EIG).
Bluehost is highly recommended for beginners and has hosting packages that provide better overall performance than HostGator.
Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Unlike HostGator, Bluehost offers an explicit plan for eCommerce. Bluehost also provides better site security features even with its lower-level plans.
HostGator does offer free migration services for multiple sites, Bluehost charges $149 for site migration.
Additionally, both HostGator and Bluehost offer 24/7 live chat, e-mail, phone support, and knowledge bases when it comes to customer support.
2. SiteGround
Best HostGator Alternative For Recourse Intensive Websites
SiteGround has provided customized hosting solutions for the past 16 years.
SiteGround is one of the three hosting providers recommended by WordPress.
Its customer support is reliable, and all its plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
SiteGround offers to migrate multiple WordPress sites for free. You can even have WordPress pre-installed while signing up for SiteGround.
While it is one of the pricier options in the market, it offers additional features with all its plans to make up for the cost.
While HostGator is geared towards beginners and small businesses, SiteGround is perfect for recourse intensive websites that require custom hosting solutions and excellent technical support.
3. InMotion Hosting
Best HostGator alternative for enterprise and business solutions with tech-heavy websites.
InMotion is a Los Angeles-based web service provider and was founded in 2001. Its hosting plans come with top-notch features and excellent customer service.
InMotion also has an Uptime Guarantee of 99.9%. Should your uptime fall lower than this threshold, InMotion will provide one month’s worth of credits into your account.
While HostGator has a 45-day money-back guarantee, InMotion comes with a generous 90-day money-back guarantee.
Unlike HostGator, you can choose your datacenter’s location when you sign up with InMotion.
Rather than beginners, InMotion Hosting is angled towards businesses that are looking to scale their online presence.
4. A2 Hosting
Best HostGator alternative for small businesses that require fast-loading websites.
A2 Hosting offers a 99.9% Uptime Guarantee and has plans that start as low as $2.99 per month.
A2 Hosting also has Managed VPS and Unmanaged VPS Hosting packages that many other hosting providers don’t offer.
You can even have WordPress pre-installed while signing up for A2 Hosting.
Unlike most web service providers’ standard money-back guarantees, A2 Hosting offers an Anytime Money-back Guarantee.
If you cancel your subscription within 30-days, A2 Hosting will provide a full refund. Additionally, if you cancel after 30-days, you are entitled to a prorated refund for all your unused services.
A2 Hosting prioritizes security much more than HostGator.
While A2 Hosting is slightly more expensive than HostGator, it does offer quality hosting solutions.
If you’re looking for fast hosting or WordPress oriented services specifically, A2 Hosting provides optimized hosting solutions with CDN and optional Turbo Servers if you are looking for even more speed.
Hostgator Reviews FAQ
HostGator is a top-rated brand with a robust system and powerful web hosting features.
HostGator’s customer support is available 24/7/365, and with their live chat feature, you can get in touch with a representative within seconds. They provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee and flexible billing terms.
They have a generous refund policy and offer one of the best pricing options in the industry.
Whether you are a beginner, a professional blogger, an enterprise, or anyone in between, Hostgator has a hosting plan for you.
Yes, HostGator is beginner-friendly. HostGator’s cPanel is very easy to use, and you can navigate effortlessly even with zero experience.
Hostgator also offers fantastic shared hosting options at very affordable prices.
If you don’t have any former experience with blogging or creating a website,
HostGator has hosting packages designed to make this a more straightforward process for you.
Their customer support is available 24/7, and you can take advantage of their Knowledge Base if you’re stuck at any point.
They also have one-click installation for your choice of CMS. Installing WordPress is extremely simple, and it doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to get through the installation process.
As your website gains traffic, you can upgrade to a higher package or even switch from one hosting to another effortlessly.
HostGator is a legitimate hosting company. In fact, HostGator is even older than Bluehost and has been around for the past 18 years. HostGator has hosted over 8 million domains and has customers in more than 200 countries.
However, just like every other service provider in the market, HostGator has both positive and negative reviews online.
If you feel HostGator is not the right choice for you after signing up, you can take advantage of their 45-day money-back guarantee.
Bluehost and Hostgator are incredibly well-known names in the industry. Technically they are both owned by the same company, Endurance International Group (EIG); however, they do have some notable differences.
I have analyzed both HostGator and Bluehost, and while they both have their pros and cons, Bluehost has the edge.
Both of them offer fantastic value for the price they charge; however, Bluehost provides better features and customer service than HostGator.
Bluehost is much more beginner-friendly than HostGator and provides superior security features even for its lower level plans.
Furthermore, Bluehost is one of the three web hosting providers officially recommended by WordPress.
HostGator is one of the oldest web hosting service providers and has a rock-solid reputation.
HostGator offers extremely flexible billing terms. While most hosting providers only give you the option to get a yearly subscription or more, you even get a month-to-month payment option with HostGator.
HostGator also has a generous 45-day money-back guarantee and provides one-click WordPress installation.
HostGator guarantees an uptime of 99.9%, and if you ever experience an uptime lower than 99.9%, you will receive one month’s worth of credit depending on your package.
HostGator provides free migration services, and depending on your choice of plan, you may get up to 30 free site transfers.
It’s features like these make HostGator one of the best hosting service providers in the market.
53% of mobile users abandon a website if it takes more than 3 seconds to load.
It should come across as no doubt that page speed is an important factor of user experience; additionally, search engines also take note of your page speed. It is a critical metric that directly affects your SERPs ranking.
HostGator websites (even the ones operating on its shared hosting plans) load extremely fast. Its server response time is remarkable, with less than 1 second for anywhere in the world.
However, it is essential to understand that you need to optimize your content to take advantage of HostGator’s blazing fast speed.
There are several ways to monetize your blog on HostGator.
Sell Ad Space. This is one of the most common and well-known methods of making money. You can apply for GoogleAdsense or Media.net and let them run ads on your site, or you can directly sell your ad space using platforms like BuySellAds.
Affiliate Marketing. Earning from ads is possible only if you have a sizable number of visitors every month. However, that isn’t the case with Affiliate Marketing. It is one of the quickest ways to make money even if you don’t have your own products or services to offer. You can find products to promote on sites like Commission junction, ShareASale, or Clickbank.
Online Courses. You don’t need to drive blind traffic to your site to earn money with online courses. Focus on quality, and you can earn a significant amount of money with limited users if you know how to do it right. Teachable and Thinkific are one of the best online course platforms.
Offer Services. You can provide services directly related to your blog’s niche. You can also offer freelance services like content writing or web designing.
Consulting. You can set up a private forum or offer one-on-one coaching services in your field of expertise.
Product reviews. There are numerous opportunities where you can get paid to test products and review them from home. Besides what you get paid from the company, you can also add affiliate links within your blog.
Webinars. You can use free webinars to promote your online courses or the products and services you offer. You can also host paid webinars and charge a fee for admission. I recommend using Demio or WebinarJam for hosting your webinars.
Dropship products. You can set up an eCommerce store using HostGator’s Website Builder.
There are hundreds of other ways you can make money with a website. You can sell your own ebooks or digital products or even accept donations from your visitors; you can sell sponsored posts or generate leads for other businesses; you just have to look for what suits you the best.
You can manually cancel your HostGator subscription anytime from your customer panel. However, Hostgator only offers a refund if you cancel within 45 days of signing up.
Furthermore, this refund policy is applicable only for the shared, reseller, or VPS hosting. HostGator will only reimburse web hosting costs; any additional add-on services you paid for are not included within the refund policy.
If your plan also includes a free domain name, HostGator will deduct $17.99 from your refund. But you can always choose to retain ownership of your domain name even if you cancel your Hostgator subscription.
This hugely depends on what specifications you are looking for. If you are a beginner, definitely go for HostGator’s Shared Hosting.
If you want to start a WordPress site and need specialized help from WordPress experts, choose between Optimized WordPress Hosting and Application Hosting depending on your requirements.
If you have a large business with a website that is growing exponentially, or if you have a massive customer base, go with HostGator’s Dedicated Hosting. If Dedicated Server Hosting is too expensive for you, check out HostGator’s VPS Hosting.
If your business uses Windows applications, HostGator also offers Windows-based Hosting for its Shared and Dedicated servers.
But if you want to know which of HostGator’s hosting plans offers the most value for money, it is, without a doubt, Hostgator’s Cloud Hosting.
HostGator’s Cloud Hosting is very fast and highly scalable. The uptime experience is excellent, and it doesn’t hold back when it comes to page load speed and server response time.
If Cloud Hosting is what you’re looking for, you can go ahead with HostGator without any doubt.
Depending on your hosting plan, Hostgator offers a limited number of free site transfers if you apply for site migration within 30 days of signing up.
All you need to do is fill a transfer form requesting HostGator’s migration services.
If you want to transfer an existing site to a new domain or change the URL of a current site, HostGator will charge a fee.
You can contact HostGator’s customer support via live chat or phone if you want to check whether or not you are eligible for a free site transfer.
If you want to transfer your site to HostGator after the 30-day window, you can still avail of their services for a fee.
Hostgator Reviews: Should You Buy It?
Choosing a web hosting provider is the most critical decision you have to take if you want to start your website.
Your hosting provider can make or break your online business, and if HostGator was one of the options you were considering, I’m sure you now have a much better idea about whether or not HostGator is for you.
I would recommend opting for HostGator if you are looking for a Cloud Hosting service. If not, Bluehost is my number one recommendation for you.
Bluehost offers superior features and functionalities for almost the same price range.
However, if you would still like to give HostGator a chance, you can always take advantage of HostGator’s 45-day money-back guarantee and go for it.