HostGator Review

 HostGator has a long history, and it's easy to see why: it's quick and simple to use. The price tag, on the other hand, leaves a lot to be desired, and you can get even better services for less money. For more details, read our complete HostGator analysis.

HostGator is a well-known brand in the web hosting industry, and you've probably seen it at the top of many best web hosting guides online. HostGator does not impress as much as it should with such a big name. The pace and variety of plans are excellent, but the high price tag does not seem to be justified until all is in place.

We'll talk about our experience with HostGator's Hatchling shared hosting plan in this HostGator analysis. We'll talk about what we liked and didn't like about features, price, protection, ease of use, pace, and more in the review, and then we'll give our verdict.

HostGator did not achieve its current position as a result of poor service. It's a solid offering, with high speeds, a great user experience, and a variety of plans to choose from. However, it seems that some of your money goes to the name, making it seem less valuable.

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths: Easy to use Wide range of services Excellent managed WordPress hosting Great paid security features Modern cPanel implementation Fast Free ad credits

Weaknesses: Expensive Lack of free security features Privacy needs work No phone support Dated knowledgebase

Alternatives for HostGator

Features

HostGator, including the security features we'll discuss later, has a lot to give in terms of standard features. However, unless you're prepared to pay for them, there aren't many noteworthy features on low-cost plans.

The marketplace, which you can navigate from your account dashboard, provides the majority of the functionality. Many utilities, such as HostGator's website builder, SEO Tools, Constant Contact, and Weebly, can be added to your website.

As you can see in our Gator by HostGator analysis, the website builder isn't bad, but Weebly is the better option. Wix, which comes in first place in our website builder reviews, is even better (read our Wix review). Shared plans have certain perks, but nothing that makes a significant difference. You'll get $200 in ad credits split between Bing and Google, plus 52 one-click installers. We like the one-click installers, but on joint plans, we'd be happy to exchange ad credits for solid-state drive storage.

You'll get a few more features if you choose a controlled WordPress package, which is easily the best of the bunch. You'll get caching and a content delivery network in addition to CodeGuard and SiteLock, which we'll discuss in the "security" section. You can get caching on your own, as we show in our WordPress beginner's guide, but getting it included isn't a bad thing.

But it's all getting a little old. The small extras are appealing, but we'd rather have SSD storage and malware scanning on shared plans than flashy features. The higher-priced plans are jam-packed with features, as they should be, but the low-cost options leave a lot to be desired.

HostGator Features Overview

Server Types Shared Hosting VPS Hosting Managed WordPress Cloud Hosting Dedicated Hosting Reseller Hosting: No

Usability FTP Access SSH Access cPanel Root Access: No Daily Backups: No Website Builder

Services SEO: No Marketing: No Website Design: No

Security Domain Privacy: Paid SSL Encryption Malware Removal: No Web Application Firewall: No Two-Factor Authentication DDoS Protection: No sFTP

Support Email Support: No Telephone Support Live Chat Support Tutorials User forum Knowledgebase 24/7 Support

Table of Contents

Strengths & Weaknesses Alternatives for HostGator Features HostGator Features Overview Pricing Ease of Use Hosting Types Speed & Uptime Security Privacy Support The Verdict

Pricing

HostGator is a perfect example of why we don't want to see pricing like this. It has some good points, which we'll discuss, but it also follows other web hosts' outdated and deceptive pricing policies, as well as our favorite antivirus apps.

When you first visit the website, the rates seem to be reasonable. Shared plans start at $3, controlled WordPress plans start at $10, and a good VPS plan costs about $30. However, those rates are only valid if you pay for three years in advance. The price more than doubles if you want to buy for less than a year — HostGator has one, three, and six-month plans.

The most affordable shared plan now costs about $11 a month, which is more than the majority of the web hosting industry. A2 Hosting costs half as much when renewed and the same when purchased for the first time, and DreamHost costs even less (read our A2 Hosting review and DreamHost review).

First impressions matter and HostGator takes advantage of this by claiming to be less costly than the competition despite actually being more expensive. We understand that companies must do what they must to survive, but in this situation, it is at the cost of the consumer.

However, HostGator provides more versatility than other web hosts by offering plans for one, three, and six months, as well as one, two, and three years. However, the discount is only extended to annual and multi-year packages, so three and six-month plans aren't affected.

You have 45 days to change your mind, which is a decent amount of time. While it pales in comparison to InMotion Hosting's 90-day refund policy and Dreamhost's 97-day policy, a month and a half is still plenty of time to get your money back (read our InMotion Hosting review).

Ease of Use

Signing up for HostGator isn't challenging in and of itself, but coming up with a strategy is. It offers almost every form of hosting available, as we'll see in the next section, and trying to make sense of it all can be daunting. It's clear that HostGator is doing all it can to streamline the website, but there are still some obstacles to overcome.

The different forms of hosting, for example, are listed in the top menu, with shared hosting at the top. That part is appealing, but in addition to shared hosting, there is a website builder option with a different pricing structure. Unlike GoDaddy, which bundles a website builder with your hosting, HostGator offers its own website builder (read our GoDaddy GoCentral review).

The Gator builder has its own login area as well, but what's confusing is that you can use a free Weebly account for your shared hosting plan (read our Weebly review). Weebly's inclusion, despite being one of the best website builders, is odd, particularly because HostGator has its own website builder.

Finding what you need can be difficult due to the sheer volume of items available, which isn't ideal given how daunting web hosting can be. The website of HostGator isn't bad in terms of design or navigation, but the planned delivery is confusing. Checking out is easy once you've decided on a timetable. While HostGator's promotional pricing isn't always straightforward, and there are numerous, obnoxious add-ons to deal with on the checkout page, the process isn't difficult.

HostGator will give you a few emails after you've finished, one of which will include your login information. Though we aren't fans of that type of credential distribution, it isn't the worst. HostGator also goes to the trouble of including access to the billing area and control panel, as well as mutual account nameservers.

Since the password you're given is made up of numbers, letters, and special characters at random, make sure you save it with Dashlane, our best password manager (read our Dashlane review). The issue for us was that the password was incorrect. It did at first. We were able to log in, go to cPanel, and mess about with stuff, but the password failed when we tried to log in again. Notice that we double-checked the password against the email HostGator sent by using LastPass (read our LastPass review). Despite this, we had to restart.

However, after that snafu, we were able to log in. HostGator divides account management between a dashboard and cPanel (read our best web hosting with cPanel guide). HostGator's account dashboard is excellent, with fast links to key cPanel sections and a marketplace where you can buy SiteLock, an SSL/TLS certificate, and other services.

HostGator makes use of a modified version of cPanel, which is advantageous in this situation. HostGator does an outstanding job of presenting the most important information without being overwhelming, despite not being as integrated with other resources as Bluehost (read our Bluehost review).

HostGator is a pleasure to use, thanks to the account dashboard and a beefed-up cPanel. That is after you have signed up. Choosing a plan and understanding what you're getting is difficult and time-consuming, and our qualifications issue caused us problems. While HostGator makes the effort worthwhile, we do not believe that such effort should be needed.

Hosting Types

When it comes to hosting modes, HostGator is the norm. Despite the fact that this creates problems during sign-up, the sheer number of choices is undeniable. HostGator can handle any kind of website you want to build, no matter how big or small. We've already discussed the perplexing website creator and shared hosting conundrum, so we'll go over it again.

HostGator provides three levels of shared hosting, which allows you to save money by putting multiple users on the same server, and you can use either a free or paid version of Weebly for your shared plan. There's also the Gator website creator, which is similar in terms of hosting but not in terms of construction.

The next step up is to handle cloud WordPress hosting. It's less expensive than Kinsta and Pagely (read our reviews of Kinsta and Pagely), but it lacks the dedicated WordPress features of more expensive alternatives. Despite this, it made our list of the best web hosting for WordPress. There are VPS and dedicated plans available if you need more processing capacity.

The structure of a VPS, or virtual private server, is similar to shared hosting in that multiple users share a single server. Unlike shared hosting, however, you will have your own dedicated virtual server. Consider VPS hosting to be a cross between shared and dedicated hosting. You get a dedicated cloud environment and services without the physical server costs.

However, if you prefer a physical server, HostGator will accommodate you. You can choose from three server models, each of which can be configured with a hard disk drive or SSD storage, as well as Linux or Windows. If you don't like having your hands dirty, you can have the server completely controlled or semi-managed. Despite the confusing layout of shared plans with website designers, HostGator's lineup impresses us. The WordPress hosting is exceptional, but we wish HostGator offered non-WordPress cloud hosting as well. Overall, though, there isn't much to be unhappy about.

👉Also, you can read: 10 Best Free and Cheap Website Hosting Services The Top Sites For Website Hosting and More

Speed & Uptime

To test website pace, we use Load Impact and Pingdom Speed Test. We can get a good idea of how well a web host performs in comparison to its rivals by combining the two, but website speed isn't entirely dependent on the host. There's a lot to consider, so if you're having trouble, check out our guide on how to boost website loading times. As with all of our web hosting speed tests, we used HostGator's most affordable shared plan and a blank version of WordPress for both tests.

HostGator did a good job, but we've seen more. The Pingdom Speed Test gave it an 83 out of 100, with DNS requests accounting for the majority of the time. The “wait” metric, which is our primary concern, performed admirably. Despite this, HostGator lags behind SiteGround in terms of pace (read our SiteGround review).

The results of our Load Impact test, which sent 50 virtual users to the website over the course of five minutes, were less than ideal. As the user load grew, there was a significant difference in load times, indicating that HostGator's shared hosting isn't ideal for massive traffic spikes. SiteGround and A2 Hosting seem to be more consistent.

However, when it comes to the Load Impact evaluation, HostGator isn't the worst we've seen. There were just a few spikes, and the difference in load times wasn't important. Read our GreenGeeks analysis to see what an unreliable performer looks like.

HostGator, like other web hosting services, guarantees 99.9% uptime, but unlike HostMonster, which doesn't guarantee anything (read our HostMonster review), HostGator follows through. You'll get a one-month credit on your account if your shared or reseller hosting fails to meet the 99.9% threshold.

To get the credit, you'll have to contact them, which isn't shocking. The assurance is only valid for shared and reseller plans. Dedicated hosting is protected by a separate warranty that provides a prorated refund for any downtime the server experiences.

Security

While HostGator provides a high level of protection, you might not be able to get it for free. With several website protection partners, it's simple to find the resources you need to stay secure. However, some web hosts provide similar services for free, putting HostGator at a disadvantage.

That, however, is dependent on the plan you choose. A free SSL/TLS license, on the other hand, is not reliant on it. You can install an SSL certificate on any plan, which will inform browsers that your website is secure. If you're just getting started, make sure you read our guide on how to install an SSL certificate on WordPress. That's what there is to joint plans, but you can upgrade through your account dashboard's marketplace. HostGator charges extra for CodeGuard and SiteLock, and although we like the quality of those tools, other web hosts provide similar services for free.

CodeGuard is an automated backup service that backs up your files regularly and stores them off-site. Though the 1GB cap is laughable in comparison to our best online backup services, for about $2 a month, you get unlimited files and databases. You'll get 10GB of data, on-demand backups, and regular website tracking if you upgrade to the $8 a month subscription. For the money, it could be better to only backup manually or invest in a WordPress plugin that allows you to backup your website to cloud storage. Recommendations can be found in our cloud storage guide.

SiteLock is a better investment. It's essentially an antivirus for your website that can search for malware on a regular basis. However, the most simple kit, which costs about $3, only scans your website. To delete malware, you'll need to upgrade to a $7 kit. Plus, you'll need to upgrade to a $40 bundle if you want a web application firewall, which many web hosts have for free. While SiteLock is an excellent service that we believe is well worth the money, simple shared hosting now includes some sort of malware scanning for free.

That is, however, on shared hosting. For example, WordPress hosting comes with free versions of CodeGuard and SiteLock. On shared plans, we'd like to see at least weekly backups and malware testing. It doesn't make sense to pay an additional $10-$20 a month for something that other web hosts do for free.

Privacy

We always start with your domain when discussing website privacy. A WHOIS record is an information associated with your domain that is publicly searchable online. That means that anyone with an internet connection can see that you own a domain, as well as your address, phone number, and other details.

Domain protection, which replaces your details with the registrar's, is one way to get around this. Domain privacy is available from HostGator, but it is not secure. It costs $15 for a year, which is the same as registering a domain. Domain privacy should not be a service, despite its small size. Providers like DreamHost are leading the way by providing free domain privacy with every order, but even those that do fee, including InMotion Hosting, don't ask for nearly as much as HostGator. In the first place, it shouldn't be a paid service, and HostGator's tax isn't helping matters.

The privacy policy is also a source of concern. Your information can be shared with "the media, industry analysts, marketing and advertisement partners, suppliers, clients, potential customers, or partners," according to HostGator. The data isn't personally identifiable, so it's not a huge deal, but it's still there. The third parties with whom HostGator exchanges personally-identifying information is a source of concern. Amazon Web Services, Commission Junction, Facebook, Google AdWords, PayPal, Salesforce, Verizon, WPBeginner, Yahoo, and Bing are among the companies on the list. In other words, at the very least, your knowledge is sold to or exchanged with advertising platforms.

There's also Endurance International Group's worry. It's a web hosting conglomerate that includes companies including HostGator, Bluehost, SiteBuilder, MOJO Marketplace, iPage, and others (read our iPage review). Since your personal information is exchanged across sites, it's not unreasonable for MOJO Marketplace, for example, to be aware that you're looking for a WordPress theme. For HostGator, privacy isn't a big concern. Your personal details will be sold and shared with whoever it pleases in order to sell you more items.

Support

HostGator's customer service is available 24/7. There's a search bar for the knowledgebase and a connection to start live chat after logging in, no matter where you are. However, those aren't the only options for getting help. Customers in the United States and abroad can also take advantage of HostGator's live chat service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Though we appreciate how simple it is to get help, the assistance could be improved. HostGator's knowledge base is out of date, with cringe-worthy clip art and stock photos. While the copyright has been revised for the current year, it is clear that the knowledge base has not been abandoned, it remains an eyesore.

The fact that it has a dated appearance isn't a concern, but the consequences for user-friendliness are. In the knowledgebase, HostGator is using an outdated version of its website, so clicking any of the top bar items will take you back to the main website. That isn't exclusive to the top menu. Some posts have been revised in the knowledge base, but others still have the old look. We seem to have caught HostGator with its pants down as it attempts to transition to a more streamlined structure at the time of our analysis.

The framework seems to work, but it is not completely implemented, based on what we can see in the current knowledge base. We must judge based on what we see at any given time, so if you come across HostGator after its knowledge base has been updated, make the necessary adjustments.

Live chat isn't bad, but the representatives aren't always forthcoming. Though HostGator's support approach is less hands-on than, say, SiteGround's or InMotion Hosting's, it doesn't make for an inherently bad support experience, either. HostGator's customer service is adequate, but we've seen more.

The Verdict

HostGator has a disjointed feel to it. The plan selection is excellent, but the price is high, and the security features are excellent, but most users are unaware of them. Overall, it's a host that can provide good speed and a good user experience, but it comes at a high price and offers nothing in the way of functionality. It's not bad, but for the price, you can do better. Read our other web hosting reviews if you're looking for more options. What are your thoughts on HostGator? Please let us know in the comments section below, and thank you for reading.