Hostgator Review The “Pizza” of Web Hosting

 

Nobody's favorite snack is pizza. However, it isn't the worst! When you can't settle on anything else or don't want to think too hard, this is an ideal meal. That's how Hostgator works. It's like web hosting's pizza. It's nothing extraordinary, but it's cheap and reliable. It doesn't have a lot of flaws.

For years, Hostgator has been the go-to web hosting provider for those looking for a low-cost solution. In terms of functionality, it doesn't have anything to offer as compared to competitors like SiteGround or even Bluehost. The price, on the other hand, is unbeatable. Some hosts are also less expensive than Hostgator. However, they take too many shortcuts to be considered a serious web host. With Hostgator, you get a low-cost, reliable service. That's what there is to it.

Hostgator Pricing, Discounts, and Coupon Codes

Coupons are used by Hostgator rather than any other provider for discounts. Even GoDaddy, which offers the most affordable hosting, does not offer the same range and variety of discounts. Here you'll find a comprehensive list of Hostgator coupon codes, as well as advice on the coupon to use with each hosting package.

Here's how Hostgator stacks up against competitors such as SiteGround, NameHero, and Bluehost:

Hostgator	$2.64/m
Bluehost	$2.95/m
NameHero	$3.13/m
SiteGround	$6.99/m
Hostgator Pricing vs Other Web Hosting Companies

Hostgator is, as you can see, less expensive than any of the other big web hosts. Bluehost is the only one that comes near. However, if you just want to host for a year, Bluehost's rates are considerably higher. For example, Bluehost charges $5 per month for a year of hosting, while Hostgator charges just $3 per month.

Hostgator, in particular, has a “1c” for the first-month plan that is better than any other plan on the market when you use the “PENNY” coupon code. The catch is that it's only for one month, as opposed to GoDaddy's $1/month hosting package, which you can get for up to a year. So, even though you pay a penny for a month of hosting, you'll have to pay full price the next month to renew it. It's not a good way to save money!

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Frequently Asked Questions:

• Hostgator Compared to SiteGround
• Hostgator vs Bluehost
• What’s the Difference Between Hostgator Hatchling vs Baby vs Business Plans?
• Does Hostgator Provide Free SSL?
• Is Hostgator CodeGuard Worth it?
• What is the Hostgator Website Builder?
• What About Bad Hostgator Reviews?
• Is There a Hostgator Forum?
• What Are the Hostgator Add-Ons?
• Free Website Builder
• SEO Services
• Does Hostgator Have Green Datacenters?
• Is Hostgator “WordPress Hosting” Worth it?
• Does Hostgator Provide Managed or UnManaged Servers?
• Where are the Hostgator Data Centers Located?
• In Summary

Hostgator Compared to SiteGround

Comparing Hostgator and SiteGround isn't really fair. The latter costs more than twice as much as the former! When compared to Hostgator, SiteGround offers a lot of functionality, such as improved backups, server caching, and superior architecture. That is, however, to be anticipated! A more detailed description of the differences between Hostgator and SiteGround can be found here.

SiteGround is clearly a bad choice if you're looking for the cheapest options. Indeed, I've written extensively about SiteGround's price increases, and I've stopped recommending them as a result. If you're looking for premium hosting, I recommend NameHero instead. When it comes to pricing, however, Hostgator clearly outperforms SiteGround.

The following is a list of the differences:

Features	Hostgator	SiteGround
Price	$2.64/m	$6.99/m
Storage	Unlimited	10 GB – 40 GB
SSD	No. MySQL servers only	Yes
Server Caching	No	Yes
E-mail Storage	Unlimited	10 GB
Support	Basic	Excellent customer service
Architecture	Apache/MySQL	Optimized NGINX
Backups	None. Need to purchase separately	Automated 30-days backup
Comparison of Hostgator and SiteGround Features

SiteGround, as you can see, has a lot more functionality. You do, however, pay a high price for them. If you just want basic, low-cost web hosting with no frills, Hostgator is the way to go.

Hostgator vs Bluehost

The most significant distinction between Hostgator and Bluehost is the cost. Hostgator is less expensive not only for long-term hosting but also for 12-month hosting. The price difference is important. Bluehost, on the other hand, has a slew of extra features that contribute to a higher-quality hosting experience. The differences between Hostgator and Bluehost are detailed below.

When it comes to resource protection, Bluehost really shines. This is their key selling point. It isolates servers that consume a lot of resources on shared hosting and allows them time to work out their problems. This safeguards other users on the server and reduces the risk that comes with shared hosting.

The main differences between Hostgator and Bluehost are summarized below:

Features	Hostgator Hatchling	Bluehost Basic
Price	$2.64/m	$2.95/m
Storage	Unlimited	50 GB
SSD	No. MySQL servers only	Yes
Subdomains	Unlimited	25
Server Caching	No	No
E-mail Storage	Unlimited	100 MB
Support	Basic	Basic
Architecture	Apache/MySQL	Optimized NGINX
Free Backups	No	No
Comparison of Hostgator and Bluehost Features

As you can see, Bluehost's basic plan has a lot more restrictions than Hostgator's. That's because they're trying to compete on price with Hostgator, so they have to make sacrifices on items like storage. Having only 100 MB of e-mail capacity, for example, can be very limited, particularly if you receive a lot of spam. If you're looking for a low-cost hosting option, I recommend Hostgator over Bluehost. Their infrastructure is designed to handle it.

By contrast, both Bluehost and Hostgator have poor backup systems. For automatic backups, you'll need to buy an extra CodeGuard kit, and even then, CodeGuard isn't really worth it.

👉 Also, you can read: HostGator Review

What’s the Difference Between Hostgator Hatchling vs Baby vs Business Plans?

Hostgator has three shared hosting plans:

1. Hatchling (Hatchling plan review)
2. Baby (Baby plan review)
3. Business (Business plan review)

Many of them have the following characteristics:

• Unmetered disk space
• Unmetered bandwidth
• Unlimited sub-domains
• Free SSL
• Unlimited FTP accounts
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• SSH Access
• Unlimited POP3 Accounts
• cPanel

The following are the distinctions between these three:

Number of domains allowed Dedicated IP addresses Anonymous FTP access Positive SSL A quick word about SSL.

Does Hostgator Provide Free SSL?

On the 28th of June 2018, Hostgator revealed that all of their shared hosting customers would receive a free SSL certificate. This is a huge deal, and it finally puts Hostgator on par with companies like SiteGround, DreamHost, and InMotion, who have been providing free SSL to their customers for years. So much for the costs. Let us now turn our attention to consumer concerns.

Is Hostgator CodeGuard Worth it?

CodeGuard, a backup service offered by HostGator, costs $23.95 per year. The basic plan, in my view, is not worth the money because it has so many drawbacks. Here's a compilation of CodeGuard alternatives, as well as several explanations why I don't think it's so nice.

What is the Hostgator Website Builder?

The Hostgator website builder is a unique kit that offers a variety of features in addition to hosting. It's an end-to-end solution that includes a CMS, stock photo integration, analytics, SSL, and an eCommerce shop, to name a few features. If you're new to hosting, it's a good idea to look into it because it eliminates a lot of the headaches that come with building a website from the ground up. To get a better idea of what to expect, read my full overview of the Gator website creator.

What About Bad Hostgator Reviews?

Unfortunately, there have been quite a few of these. On a daily basis, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) compiles a checked list of consumer grievances against businesses. Hostgator earns a dismal “C+” with a miserable 2.43 out of 4-star rating from them. None of the concerns was about Hostgator's service's technological aspects. All of the issues revolve around customer support and how difficult it is to get appropriate feedback from company representatives. There are problems with domain name changes, returns in accordance with their 45-day money-back guarantee, and funds not being returned for a long time. Some have also accused it of being a ruse.

After being purchased by EIG in 2012, it appears that Hostgator's overall quality of service has deteriorated. However, it is difficult to tell if the grievances are the product of the acquisition from an objective standpoint. It may also be attributed to the fact that the business has expanded to such a size. It's an unavoidable consequence of a corporation's growth – particularly in a customer-centric industry like web hosting – for it to become less personal.

In all honesty, customer reviews of hosting services are almost always negative. This is due to selection bias, in which people only leave reviews when something goes wrong. You never quit leaving great reviews if your site has been running smoothly for years! However, in light of these reviews, Hostgator appears to have recently increased its emphasis on customer service. They have a large "Live Chat" button right on their home page, indicating that they want to be approachable. In either case, Hostgator seems to have its work cut out for it. After all, changing consumer perception is a long-term operation.

Is There a Hostgator Forum?

The Hostgator forum is a good place to ask questions and vent. Thousands of users enter the forum to ask questions, answer questions, and provide service. You've heard it said that misery loves business. If you have a concern, simply check the forums; there will be hundreds of people who have experienced the same issue. You should talk about different approaches to solving the problem and see what works. Many of the concerns posed in this Hostgator analysis can be found there as well. In certain instances, the Hostgator forum will serve as a backup customer service center!

What Are the Hostgator Add-Ons?

In addition to its hosting plans, Hostgator offers a variety of add-on services. Some of these may be useful, whereas others are questionable.

Free Website Builder

They have a free website builder, for example, that they built in-house. Although the concept of a drag-and-drop interface for quickly building your site can appeal to you, there are several drawbacks. What if you want to move your hosting to a different provider? Hostgator isn't going to give you a simple way to export your data so you can move on! And, based on the service's functionality, I would recommend that you create your site using WordPress instead. It has the same features as the original and can be moved at any time.

SEO Services

Even on other hosting providers, I'm not a major fan of these services, and some of them are borderline scams. No one, for example, can "index your site faster." Google, Bing, and other search engines can index your site when they're ready, and Hostgator can't help them. Furthermore, their keyword ranking tracking packages are exorbitantly priced and only allow you to track a pitifully small number of keywords.

Here's a detailed look at Hostgator's SEO strategy, as well as free alternatives to some of the services offered. There are no compelling reasons to buy one of these SEO bundles. If you're serious about getting serious, you'll need to watch more than 10 keywords. Get a complete kit from a company that specializes in SEO keyword monitoring!

Does Hostgator Have Green Datacenters?

This is a significant advantage of Hostgator. Though their data centers do not use green energy directly, they do buy "Renewable Energy Credits," or RECs. These are renewable energy certificates, and Hostgator has purchased RECs for 130 percent of their power. As a result, they can legitimately say renewable energy datacenters. These green credits are purchased to offset not just their immediate hosting activities, but also related carbon emissions from items like employee commutes and other sources. Hostgator, on the other hand, does not provide you with a "green badge" to display on your website. It's a shame because it would have been great!

Is Hostgator “WordPress Hosting” Worth it?

Typically, the term "WordPress Hosting" refers to servers that have been specifically designed to run WordPress. Occasionally, with specially designed servers and caching solutions. Furthermore, reputable WordPress hosting companies such as Bluehost offer you access to premium theme stores and plugins that you would otherwise have to pay for.

None of this is provided by Hostgator. According to what I can tell, it's just a standard shared hosting environment with WordPress installed – something that can be done with a single click using an automated script anyway. One of the reasons their WordPress plans are so inexpensive is because actual WordPress hosting services are far more costly. Take a look at Bluehost, for instance.

Does Hostgator Provide Managed or UnManaged Servers?

Unlike some other providers, Hostgator offers completely managed and semi-managed VPS hosting options. You'll have full root SSH access, but you'll be on your own if anything goes wrong with the semi-managed solution. The completely controlled solution, on the other hand, includes cPanel, making your life that much simpler. Dedicated hosting has the same choices as shared hosting.

Where are the Hostgator Data Centers Located?

Hostgator is much more straightforward than Bluehost, which does not reveal the locations of its data centers. The following is a detailed overview of their data centers. They currently have centers in the following cities in the United States:

1. Houston, TX
2. Provo, Utah

In Summary

Choosing Hostgator necessitates considering two contradictory pieces of facts. On the one hand, it's a major player in the hosting industry, with tens of millions of dollars in sales. They're obviously doing something right. However, this Hostgator analysis would be incomplete if it didn't mention the customers who had bad experiences. No one is denying that those customers are right, nor is anyone disputing their arguments. However, the question is how many customers aren't having problems, and if they are, why is Hostgator still in business?