For good reason, HostGator is one of our top-rated hosting companies. Its reliability, customer service, and shared plan features are (literally) unrivaled! Continue reading to see if HostGator is the right option for your website.
Is HostGator the Best Provider for Your Site?
So you're thinking about beginning with HostGator or moving to them. It's a well-known hosting company: HostGator was mentioned by 46 percent of the people we polled. You can't go wrong with this hosting provider, but we'll tell you what's good and what's bad so you can make the best decision possible.
To begin, here's a quick rundown of HostGator:
Pros & Cons
Pros
Uptime: HostGator offers an unbeatable uptime guarantee of 99.99%
Features: HostGator offers more features on its shared plans than most hosting providers, including free email marketing software to take your site to the next level
Help and support: HostGator’s customer support knowledge base is a searchable treasure trove, and its live chat function is fast and reliable
Cons
HostGator’s plans are slightly more expensive than those of other top competitors
HostGator’s the control panel and site design are a little dated, which makes for a clunky user experience
HostGator In Brief
In 2002, HostGator started in a dorm room at Florida Atlantic University (which explains the “Gator” in case you were wondering). Since then, the company has grown to over 8 million domains and has opened offices all over the world.
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Uptime
HostGator boasts a 99.99 percent uptime guarantee, which is among the highest in the industry (it's difficult to guarantee 100% uptime). This means that the website will be down for less than an hour every year. If you want to build an eCommerce store, HostGator is the best option. This level of consistency is perfect for any platform, but particularly for eCommerce stores. After all, time is money!
One of the reasons HostGator ranks first in our roundup of the Best Ecommerce Hosting Providers is its near-perfect uptime.
Features
- Shared hosting is the most straightforward and cost-effective hosting solution, as it involves sharing a server and its resources with other websites. Monthly rates begin at $2.75.
- The easiest and most integrated way to host a WordPress platform is with managed WordPress hosting. This plan includes free migration, so if you already have a WordPress account, you can transfer it to HostGator for free. Monthly plans start at $5.95.
- The most expensive form of hosting is dedicated hosting, which is only needed for large eCommerce businesses. If that describes you, dedicated hosting's scalability and capacity are unrivaled. Monthly rates begin at $89.98.
- Cloud hosting is a reimagined version of shared hosting that offers increased speed, reliability, and resource availability. Since cloud hosting is considered more reliable than shared hosting, it is slightly more costly. Monthly rates begin at $4.95.
Further information on hosting types
- Best Shared Hosting
- Best VPS Hosting
- Best Dedicated Hosting
- Best Cloud Hosting
HostGator Features
A free SSL certificate and unrestricted bandwidth are included with every HostGator plan. You'll also get a free domain name for the first year (you'll have to pay to renew it after that). These are standard features, but HostGator distinguishes itself by providing unrestricted email accounts, subdomains, and FTP accounts (which allow you to transfer files from a computer to a network). HostGator's shared hosting plans also provide unlimited storage, something most providers don't provide unless you move to more advanced hosting.
You can create your website with HostGator's own drag-and-drop website builder. The builder has a lot of models in 20 different categories, including art, restaurants, and personal portfolios. However, although these models are customizable, they are not really user-friendly – so you don't have to use HostGator's own website designer if you don't want to spend the time!
If you want to build a website with a content management system, you'll be happy to know that HostGator's WordPress hosting option includes one-click installation. It also supports Joomla and Drupal, as well as the Magento eCommerce platform.
Check out our in-depth look at WordPress.org and learn how to make the most of it.
The free email marketing program provided by HostGator's basic plan, Constant Contact, is a standout feature. This feature is extremely useful because it helps you to create an audience by sending out regular newsletters and sending out automated email campaigns. Email marketing, like good uptime, is a valuable asset for any platform, but it's especially beneficial for eCommerce sites.
Our top-rated hosting company, HostGator, offers a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Pricing
|
Time Frame |
Cost |
|
One month |
$10.95/month |
|
Three months |
$10.95/month |
|
Six months |
$10.95/month |
|
One year |
$5.95/month |
|
Two years |
$3.58/month |
|
Three years |
$2.75/month |
We believe that three years is a significant commitment, so we suggest opting for annual billing instead. You'll save money and won't be locked in for too long. You'll also have to pay for the whole year upfront since this is how most hosting companies set up their payment plans.
Heads up: promotional prices!
Any web hosting company will try to entice you in with low-cost special offers. If an asterisk appears next to a pricing plan on a provider's website, it means you'll pay more than the advertised price after the first word.
We've listed both the promotional and annual billed renewal rates of each of HostGator's plans in the table below so you can compare:
|
Hosting Type |
Promotional Price Range |
Renewal
Price, Billed Annually |
| Shared |
$2.75-5.95/month |
$6.95-8.95/month |
| Managed WordPress |
$5.95-9.95/month |
$7.95-11.95/month |
| VPS |
$29.95-49.95/month |
$49.95-69.95/month |
| Dedicated |
$89.98-139.99/month |
$189-289/month |
| Cloud |
$4.95-9.95/month |
$7.95-11.95/month |
In our study, HostGator received a 3.5/5 for value for money, putting it in the middle of the pack (6th place out of 12, to be exact). HostGator's promotional pricing is comparable to that of rivals Bluehost and A2 Hosting, which offer plans ranging from $2.95 to $1.98 per month and $1.98 to 141.09 per month, respectively.
HostGator is ranked second overall (out of the same 12 providers) due to its affordable pricing plans and unbeatable uptime. Many people prefer features over money as well; for those looking to move hosting services, the most significant consideration was “hosting features,” which accounted for 32 percent of those we polled. With 27 percent of the vote, “pricing” was ranked second. This demonstrates that people with prior website hosting experience have discovered that you really get what you pay for, and it's worth paying a little more for the right plan and help.
How much does it cost to host a website?
In addition, HostGator provides a 45-day money-back guarantee, which is far longer than the industry norm of one month. However, there is some fine print: the rebate does not extend to dedicated server plans, and plans paid via check, money order, or bank wire transfer are also ineligible.
For a more in-depth look at the costs of this provider, read our HostGator Pricing Review.
Security
HostGator defends against distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which occur when a large amount of fake traffic floods a web server and overwhelms its resources, preventing frequent users from accessing the site. To avoid DDoS attacks, HostGator's data centers may allow flood protection. The provider also claims that its data centers (i.e., the locations where physical servers are kept) are highly secure and have limited access.
HostGator provides a SiteLock protection add-on for $1.94/month if you want to make sure your site is extra safe. SiteLock is a tool that searches the website for threats and bugs, as well as fixes many of the problems it finds. You'll be notified via email and your HostGator control panel if a SiteLock scan detects something unusual on your site.
SiteLock is undeniably a useful tool to have in your toolbox. However, keep in mind that promotional prices still apply. The $1.94/month price applies only if you purchase a three-year contract, while HostGator's cheapest SiteLock plan costs $2.08/month for one year. The most expensive plan costs $41.67 a month for a year, but most smaller websites won't need to spend that much on security.
Support & Ease of Use
In our study, HostGator earned a perfect 5 out of 5 for help and support. In theory, the provider provides live chat and toll-free phone service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which is fantastic. However, we decided to see how HostGator's customer service is when you need real answers to real questions. As a result, we put it to the test!
We put HostGator's live chat and knowledge base to the test, and it performed admirably – in reality, it outperformed our expectations by 3%. That might not seem like much, but it was one of only two hosts who exceeded our standards. In the same support testing, it outperformed both InMotion and A2 Hosting!
The searchable knowledge base includes topics ranging from domains to architecture, as well as forums where you can get direct feedback from other HostGator customers.
👉 Also, you can read: Website Hosting- Growing Popularity and Emerging Trends in the Market | DreamHost, GoDaddy, Earthlink, HostGator
So, how did HostGator's live chat fair during our evaluation? To be honest, it didn't meet our standards. HostGator's live chat support fell 11 percent short of our customer service goals. Unfortunately, support agents were slow to respond to our inquiries, and we were often left confused about the details we were given, prompting one user to say:
“My agent didn't seem to have a complete understanding of HostGator's offerings. I never got a straight answer to any questions, and at times I even doubted the details I was given.”
While we would have preferred simpler and more confident responses from HostGator's support agents, we must commend them for being respectful and not pushy, as some other live chats we've tried have been.
Overall, though, HostGator's live chat falls short. If you need assistance from HostGator, we suggest that you first check out its Knowledge Base before contacting them through live chat.
HostGator's impressive Knowledge Base almost made up for the damage done by its live chat, and overall, HostGator's supported exceeded our expectations by 3%.
We've looked at HostGator's help, but what about its usability? HostGator's style is a little dated when it comes to ease of use.
There are tabs at the top of the window for all of the different aspects of website hosting: My Account, Billing, Hosting, Domains, Support, and Marketing. The most important aspect is that everything is readily available. The style, on the other hand, could use an update. The good news is that your site administration pages on HostGator will only be visible to you; they will have no impact on how visitors perceive your site!
Another thing to remember about HostGator is that, like most hosting services, it will automatically add those add-ons to your cart at checkout. This means that if you buy a one-year subscription to the shared "Hatchling" package, non-essential add-ons like SiteLock security and CodeGuard backups will be added to your cart. This is simple to undo – simply untick the boxes – and HostGator adds these things because they are excellent additions to every hosting plan. But keep an eye out to make sure you don't pay for something extra unintentionally!
HostGator Review: Is It Right for You?
For good reason, HostGator is ranked second overall in our rankings – its unbeatable uptime guarantee alone makes it a strong contender. Furthermore, HostGator's excellent customer service and extensive feature set (even on shared plans) make it a choice we would suggest to everyone.
So, while HostGator can't go wrong, it's not the only way to go right. If WordPress integration is a top priority for you, Bluehost could be the best option. If you're able to bypass the shared plans and go straight to VPS, InMotion is a good option to consider. Let us know what your top goals are in the comments section below!
FAQs
The aim of a Website Builder Expert is to provide you with accurate information. That's why we do our own analysis and gather firsthand information. This article's analyses and graphics are focused on reliable sources that have been cross-validated by our in-house experts.
We go to great lengths to ensure that the information we publish is accurate and reliable. WBE, on the other hand, disclaims all liability for inaccuracies in the information provided by users, study participants, or other organizations.
Please keep in mind that the information provided in this article is for educational purposes only. We'd be happy to answer any questions you have about this article or the research that supports it. Please contact Website Builder Expert directly at info@websitebuilderexpert.com for more information.
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