What is HostGator?
HostGator is a web hosting service powerful that offers the widest choice of hosting, for everyone, from beginner to expert.
Its strength lies in the specificity of their hosting offers and in the fact that they allow you to really customize what you want in your hosting package.
That's probably why 2 million other people use them for reliable hosting. For this reason, and more, HostGator is on my list of the best web hosting services.
HostGator had a humble start in a dorm room at Florida Atlantic University in 2002 (which explains the “Gator,” in case you're wondering).
Since then, the company has opened offices around the world and hosts over 8 million domains.
Who is HostGator for?
HostGator is the best choice for newbies looking for a hosting service with a low entry barrier. If you're looking for one of the easiest and most affordable website hosts to help you launch your site, HostGator is a great place to start.
Features
HostGator is a hosting solutions provider that is known for its reliability, flexibility, and excellent value for money.
It offers a full range of hosting services adapted to all types of users, from individual bloggers to large e-commerce and non-e-commerce businesses.
Here's a detailed review of HostGator's core features, with a critical conclusion for each.
1. Shared web hosting
Shared hosting is a cost-effective solution for small websites and blogs, offering space on a server shared with other users.
- Ease of Use: cPanel for easy site management and an automatic installer for popular applications like WordPress.
- 24/7 Support: Technical support available via live chat, phone, and email.
HostGator shared hosting is ideal for beginners and small projects because of its affordability and ease of use. However, high-traffic sites may encounter limitations in terms of performance and resources.
2. VPS hosting
VPS hosting offers more control and resources than shared hosting, with a dedicated virtual environment for each user.
- Dedicated Resources: More CPU, RAM, and disk space compared to shared hosting.
- Full Customization: Full root access for advanced customization and the ability to install any software.
HostGator VPS hosting is a great option for growing websites that require more resources and greater customization. However, it requires a higher level of technical skill to manage the server.
3. Dedicated hosting
Dedicated hosting offers the highest level of resources and control, with a server that is entirely dedicated to a single client.
- Optimal Performance: This web host is ideal for high-traffic sites and demanding applications.
- Enhanced Security: Security configuration options according to the specific needs of the company.
While HostGator's dedicated hosting offers unparalleled performance and security, its higher cost makes it more suitable for large-scale businesses and websites.
4. Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting combines the ease of use of shared hosting with the flexibility and scalability of cloud computing.
- Scalability: Easily adjustable to manage traffic peaks.
- Simplified Management: This web host has an intuitive interface for monitoring performance and managing resources.
HostGator Cloud Hosting is a versatile solution that balances cost, performance, and scalability, suitable for a variety of websites. However, for very specific needs or for extremely heavy sites, more specialized solutions may be necessary.
5. Site builder
HostGator offers an easy to use website builder with predefined templates and a drag-and-drop interface.
- Easy Site Creation: Ideal for users with no experience in web development.
- Customizable models: Wide range of models adapted to different sectors and needs.
HostGator's website builder makes it easy to create engaging sites without technical skills. However, projects that are more complex or require advanced customization may find this solution limited.
6. Free SSL certificates
HostGator includes free SSL certificates with its hosting plans, increasing the security and trust of websites.
- Enhanced Security: Encryption of data transferred between the server and visitors' browsers.
- Higher SEO ranking: Sites secured by SSL are favored by search engines.
The offer of free SSL certificates by HostGator is a significant advantage for all websites, improving security and SEO. It's important to note that some projects may require more advanced SSL certificates that are not covered by the free offer.
7. CodeGuard for Automatic Backups
CodeGuard offers an automated backup and recovery solution in case of data loss, protecting websites from unexpected incidents.
- Automatic Backups: Perform daily backups of your website, ensuring that your data is always up to date and secure.
- Easy recovery: Allows easy and fast restoration of the website to a previous state when needed.
CodeGuard's automatic backup feature is essential for maintaining the integrity of website data without constant manual effort. However, this feature may incur additional costs and its initial configuration requires careful attention to ensure that all critical data is covered.
8. Domain Name Management
HostGator offers a comprehensive domain name management service, making it easy to buy, transfer, and manage domains associated with hosting accounts.
- Registration and Transfer: Make it easy to register new domain names or transfer existing domains to your HostGator account.
- Centralized Management: Manage all aspects of your domain names directly from the HostGator cPanel, including renewal and DNS settings.
Integrated domain name management makes it easier for users to centralize their web services, but selecting an optimal domain requires planning and research to avoid brand issues and optimize SEO.
Pricing
There's no shortage of HostGator hosting options out there. As I mentioned before, they offer you a buffet of accommodation options.
To get started, HostGator includes the following options regardless of what plans you choose:
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- A 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- 24/7 server monitoring
- Unlimited number of FTP users
- One-click installation
- 24/7/365 customer support
- Unmeasured bandwidth
- cPanel control panel
- Free migration
Once you know that all of these are included, here are the types of hosting services that HostGator offers:
- Web hosting
- Cloud hosting
- WordPress hosting
- VPS hosting
- Dedicated server hosting
Web hosting
- Hatching plan - $2.75 per month
- Baby Plan - $3.95 per month
- Business plan - $5.95 per month
The price of each plan is calculated over a 36-month billing cycle. But you can always adapt it to shorter billing cycles, but remember that it will change your monthly prices. For the sake of simplicity, I chose the longest billing cycle because it's the cheapest option.
From a web hosting perspective, all three plans include one-click installations and unlimited email. The Business plan offers a bit more. This means that if you opt for it, you will have a private SSL, a dedicated IP address, and free VoIP phone service.
In this category, the most basic plan you can choose is the Hatchling plan, and it only allows you to host one domain. That's what makes HostGator a great entry-level hosting provider if you want to get your unique site up and running quickly.
Cloud hosting
- Hatchling Cloud - $4.95 per month
- Baby Cloud - $6.57 per month
- Business Cloud - $9.95 per month
HostGator is establishing itself as a reliable cloud hosting provider, with three different options to choose from. First, you'll need to decide how much RAM you'll need. Their Hatchling plan with 2GB can be a solid starting option.
But you can go all the way to the Business Cloud option with 6GB RAM. The highest tier of their cloud hosting plan includes a dedicated IP and VoIP phone service for as low as $9.95 per month. Learn more about HostGator cloud hosting.
WordPress hosting
- Starter plan - $5.95 per month
- Standard plan - $7.95 per month
- Business plan - $9.95 per month
If you already know that you're going to host your site with WordPress, you'll want to pay close attention to HostGator's WordPress hosting solutions. It's easy to choose between each level. All you need to consider is the volume of traffic on your site and whether you are trying to host one or more sites.
The Starter plan is ideal for around 100,000 monthly visitors, while the Standard plan can handle up to 200,000 visitors. If you have a popular site that receives around 500,000 visits per month or more, it's safer to choose the Business Plan.
Each tier is reasonably priced and accessible for the amount of web traffic it can handle. This is another reason why I highly recommend HostGator as a hosting provider for startup sites.
VPS hosting
- Snappy 2000 - $19.95 per month
- Snappy 4000 - $29.95 per month
- Snappy 8000 - $39.95 per month
With HostGator's VPS hosting plan, you get fewer service limitations and a host of additional features. As you grow, you can easily add more RAM, CPU, or disk space to meet the needs of your site.
A virtual server dedicated to your site allows you to have better control over the hosting environment of your site in a cost-effective manner. This is another example of HostGator's flexibility as a hosting provider, which is one of my favorite features.
Dedicated hosting
- Value Server - $89.98 per month
- Power Server - $119.89 per month
- Enterprise Server - $139.99 per month
HostGator's dedicated hosting category can be summed up in one word: maximization. You choose a hard drive and the amount of RAM you want according to the needs of your site. Then, they provide you with IP-based firewall protection.
Dedicated servers are equipped to accommodate fast-growing sites. They need powerful features that allow them to grow while minimizing downtime, space limitations, and technical difficulties that could occur with a less robust hosting plan.
If you decide to go for dedicated hosting, you can be sure that HostGator offers you all the hosting and site management tools you could ask for. And again, their ability to customize their offerings to suit your needs sets them apart as a powerful web hosting provider.
Security
In addition to the free SSL certificate that comes with each plan, HostGator also protects against distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which occur when a large volume of fake traffic floods a web server and overwhelms its resources so that repeat visitors cannot access the site.
HostGator data centers can enable flood protection to avoid DDoS attacks. The provider also promises that its data centers themselves (i.e. where the physical servers are hosted) are highly secure facilities with restricted access.
If you want to make sure your site is particularly secure, HostGator offers a SiteLock security add-on starting at $1.94 per month. SiteLock is a tool that scans your website for potential threats and vulnerabilities, and which can also fix most of the security issues it detects. When a SiteLock analysis finds something suspicious on your site, you are notified by email and on your HostGator control panel.
There's no question that SiteLock is a great tool to have in your arsenal.
But be careful: promotional prices still apply here. Those $1.94/month only applies to the purchase of a three-year plan, while the cheapest SiteLock plan you can buy from HostGator is billed $2.08/month for one year.
The most expensive plan costs $41.67/month for one year, but most smaller websites won't need to spend as much for their protection.
Customer Support
HostGator gets a perfect score of 5 out of 5 in our help and customer service searches.
The provider offers a chat service and telephone service (free) 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is great.
We put HostGator's chat and knowledge base to the test and overall HostGator did well - in fact, it exceeded our expectations.
The searchable customer service knowledge base covers everything from domains to design, and also offers forums where you can hear directly from other HostGator users.
So how did HostGator's chat service perform during our test? Honestly, it did not live up to our expectations.
Overall, though, HostGator's chat service really leaves something to be desired. If you need support from HostGator, we strongly recommend that you try their knowledge base first before turning to their chat service.
HostGator's impressive knowledge base was able to repair the damage caused by the chat, and overall HostGator support exceeded our expectations by 3%.
We've looked at HostGator's support in detail, but what about its ease of use? Well, when it comes to ease of use, HostGator's design is a bit outdated.
At the top of the window are tabs for all the different components you need for hosting websites:
- My account,
- Invoicing,
- Lodging,
- Domains,
- Support and
- Marketing.
All of this is easily accessible, which is the most important thing. But the layout would need a modern revision. The good news is that only you will see your site's admin pages on HostGator - these pages won't affect how visitors perceive your site!
Another thing to keep in mind when using HostGator is that, like most hosting providers, HostGator will automatically include certain items in your cart at checkout.
This means that if you buy, for example, the “Hatchling” shared plan for one year, non-essential additions like SiteLock protection and CodeGuard backups will be added to your cart. This can be easily undone - just uncheck these boxes - and HostGator includes these items because they are great complements to any hosting plan.
But keep an eye out to make sure you're not unaware that you're not paying for supplements!
Alternatives to HostGator
1. Hostinger
Hostinger stands out in the world of web hosting for its extremely competitive prices, its intuitive user interface and its commitment to providing reliable and fast performance for websites of all sizes.
Features
- Shared, cloud, and VPS hosting : Various accommodation options adapted to different needs and budgets.
- Easy WordPress installation : One-click installation functionality for WordPress and other popular CMS.
- Access to the Zyro site builder : Allows you to easily create aesthetic websites without technical skills.
- 24/7 customer support : Support available anytime via live chat.
Pricing
- Shared web hosting plans : Start at $1.39/month for the basic plan, one of the lowest rates on the market for initial hosting.
Hostinger is an attractive HostGator alternative for those who are new to creating websites or who have strict budget constraints. Its cost-effective web hosting plans, combined with solid performance and responsive customer support, make it an ideal option for small businesses, bloggers, and personal projects.
Compared to HostGator, Hostinger offers exceptional value, especially for users who are looking for low-cost web hosting without compromising on quality or performance.
SEE MORE >> Try Hostinger Now
2. SiteGround
SiteGround is renowned for its superior performance, cutting-edge security, and exceptional customer support. It is a great option for those looking for reliable and fast web hosting with competent technical support.
Features
- Speed technologies : Uses advanced technologies like NGINX, PHP7, and SSDs to improve site speed.
- Expert WordPress Customer Support : Specialized technical support for WordPress available 24/7.
- Free daily backups : Offers automatic daily backups to ensure data security.
- Free SSL certificates : Provides free Let's Encrypt SSL for all plans and updates
Pricing
- Shared hosting plans : Prices start at $6.99/month for the starter plan.
SiteGround stands out for its reliability, performance, and excellent customer support.
Although generally more expensive than HostGator, SiteGround justifies its price with superior service quality and advanced security and speed features, making it a preferred option for businesses and websites that require high availability and performance.
SEE MORE >> Try SiteGround Now
3. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is known for its fast loading speeds and its commitment to the environment, offering a range of web hosting services optimized for performance and sustainability.
Features
- Performance Turbo : Turbo plans offer up to 20x more speed thanks to optimized servers.
- Green commitment : Uses green data centers and offsets carbon emissions.
- Free site migration : Free support to transfer the database from your existing site to A2 Hosting.
- Anytime money-back guarantee : Offers unique flexibility in customer satisfaction.
Pricing
- Shared web hosting plans : Start at $2.99/month for the basic plan, with Turbo options for increased performance.
A2 Hosting is a great HostGator alternative for users who value fast loading speeds and commitment to the environment.
While Turbo plans are more expensive, they offer significantly better performance, which can be crucial for high-traffic sites or online stores. A2 Hosting is also an attractive option for those looking for a hosting provider that is committed to sustainability.
SEE MORE >> Try A2 Hosting Now
FAQs
Can I change the web hosting plan I originally chose?
Yes. You can upgrade your HostGator plan to any type at any time by completing a simple upgrade form on the site.
The only cost would be the price difference between the plans.
This easy upgrade system is a great reason to start with a cheaper shared plan.
What type of website is HostGator best suited for?
You can create any type of website with HostGator, including a blog, photo gallery, e-commerce store, and more. HostGator is equipped to store and power anything you can imagine!
What is the difference between shared hosting and cloud hosting?
On a cloud web hosting plan, website files exist on multiple shared servers rather than on a single shared server.
The main difference is reliability: if a server hosted in the cloud goes down, the other servers ensure that the website will always be available.
Final Verdict
I encourage you to read my detailed guide to the best hosting providers. You will see how each host is positioned compared to the others. This way, you will be well-informed enough to make the best possible decision.
For now, here's a list of my top picks so you can see where HostGator ranks overall:
- Hostinger - Cheap shared web hosting options for startups
- Bluehost - The best for WordPress hosting
- Nexcess - Best ecommerce hosting
- Contabo - Best VPS value for money
HostGator offers a robust and diverse web hosting platform that is tailored to a wide range of needs and technical skills.
Its comprehensive solutions, ranging from affordable shared hosting to dedicated and cloud web hosting solutions, to additional services like CodeGuard and domain name management, make HostGator a solid choice for individuals and businesses looking to establish or expand their online presence.
It is important for potential users to assess their specific needs and consider the costs associated with additional features to build a hosting solution that best fits their goals.
