HostGator Review: Pros, Cons, & Features

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As one of the crucial common and respected web hosting service providers on the earth, HostGator affords shared internet hosting, VPS internet hosting, devoted internet hosting, and managed WordPress internet hosting. Therefore, HostGator has a variety of internet hosting providers appropriate for any particular person or small enterprise.

Our complete HostGator evaluation discusses all the pieces it’s essential to find out about this internet host to make an knowledgeable buying determination.

HostGator Review: Summary

This HostGator evaluation offers an in-depth rationalization of HostGator’s professionals, cons, pricing, and options. We additionally talk about a couple of various choices and reply some associated questions in a while on this information. In essence, HostGator is a dependable internet host with wonderful efficiency and buyer assist. Some notable options embody unmetered storage and bandwidth, in addition to 24/7 reside chat buyer assist.

Pros

• 99.9% uptime assure
• Round-the-clock buyer assist
• Unmetered bandwidth and storage

Cons

• Relatively greater month-to-month pricing
• Aggressive advertising and marketing
• Limited free safety instruments

HostGator Review – At a Glance

Founded in 2002, HostGator skilled meteoric progress to rise into one of many largest internet hosting corporations worldwide. You can attribute this substantial progress to HostGator’s wonderful shared internet hosting plans, dependable uptime, and useful customer support. This firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and hosts greater than 2 million domains.

Who HostGator is Best For

Since HostGator affords internet hosting providers for all sorts of internet sites, this internet hosting firm is appropriate for each particular person and enterprise. HostGator even affords a website builder plan that gives an all-in-one resolution to construct eCommerce web sites. However, HostGator’s servers are situated in Utah and Texas. Therefore, HostGator is good for web sites that need to entice primarily US site visitors.

HostGator Pricing

In normal, you obtain discounted charges in the event you select an extended subscription interval. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of HostGator’s shared hosting pricing plans:

Hatchling Plan:

• Monthly: $11.95
• 3 Months: $35.85
• 6 Months: $71.70
• 1 Year: $107.40
• 2 Years: $190.80
• 3 Years: $250.20

Baby Plan:

• Monthly: $12.95
• 3 Months: $38.85
• 6 Months: $77.70
• 1 Year: $143.40
• 2 Years: $262.80
• 3 Years: $358.20

Business Plan:

• Monthly: $17.95
• 3 Months: $53.85
• 6 Months: $107.70
• 1 Year: $203.40
• 2 Years: $382.8
• 3 Years: $582.20

Keep in thoughts that HostGator additionally affords plans for Website Builder Hosting, Optimized WordPress Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Server Hosting, Windows Shared Hosting, Reseller Hosting, and Cloud Web Hosting.

HostGator Features

Now that you’ve a transparent overview of HostGator and what it affords, let’s dive into every core characteristic. This means, you possibly can see how HostGator compares to different high internet hosting suppliers. In abstract, every HostGator plan is filled with helpful and intuitive options.

Website Speeds and Uptime

The most essential characteristic of any internet hosting supplier is its pace and uptime charges. This is since you want quick web site load occasions to have a aggressive web site. According to a research, nearly 32% of mobile users will depart your website if it takes too lengthy to load.

Fortunately, HostGator’s common web page loading time is 234ms, which is without doubt one of the fastest web hosts we’ve examined this yr. Best of all, HostGator repeatedly improves its web page loading occasions and affords fixed updates.

In phrases of uptime, HostGator posted a mean of 99.98% uptime over the previous six months. This is the business normal since not one of the high web site internet hosting corporations tends ever to go down abruptly. Furthermore, HostGator has an uptime assure. This assure offers a free month of credit score into your account if the uptime drops under 99.90%.

Storage and Bandwidth

One of the perfect options HostGator affords is unmetered bandwidth and storage on every internet hosting plan. This means that you’ve limitless bandwidth and cupboard space with HostGator. You can retailer as many information as you need, which is essential for corporations with a number of property to add onto the cloud.

However, though you get unmetered bandwidth, you possibly can’t use greater than 25% of HostGator’s system sources for greater than 90 seconds. Luckily, this received’t be doable for almost each enterprise or particular person.

Server Network

HostGator has two completely different information facilities, and each of them are within the United States. One is situated in Provo, Utah and the opposite is in Houston, Texas. This means HostGator doesn’t have any servers or information facilities outdoors of the United States.

More importantly, HostGator’s information servers characteristic top-notch infrastructure and safety protocols. You can depend on HostGator servers to maintain your web site up and information protected. Furthermore, HostGator servers maintain their efficiency even in case you have a number of customers in your web site concurrently.

Site Migration

If it’s essential to switch an current web site, HostGator makes the method extremely straightforward. Once you enroll, you might have 30 days to contact HostGator and have them transfer your website information, area, scripts, and databases to your new internet hosting heart. This features a full cPanel switch as nicely. Each HostGator shared plan affords single-site migration. Other plans can migrate as much as 30 websites totally free.

Ease of Use

HostGator is good for any ability degree, from newbie bloggers to skilled site owners. This is as a result of HostGator offers dozens of walkthroughs, tutorials, and helpful sources that will help you navigate the world of domains and information facilities. HostGator additionally offers extra newbie options if you wish to construct and design a brand new web site.

Furthermore, HostGator makes use of cPanel because the management panel. Since cPanel is without doubt one of the hottest panels within the internet hosting business, it’s additionally straightforward to make use of and navigate. An extra useful characteristic is a one-click WordPress set up.

Security Protocols

You obtain fundamental web site safety with the Hatchling or Baby plan. Both plans provide a free SSL certificates and a server-level firewall. However, that’s all you anticipate out of the 2 fundamental plans, which is greater than sufficient for many web sites. An SSL certificates encrypted communication between your guests and the server, defending your web site area.

If you need to spend a bit extra, you will get superior safety protocols, together with SiteLock, automated backups, and a optimistic SSL improve.

HostGator Customer Support

HostGator offers a information base, electronic mail, cellphone, and reside chat assist. The reside chat is accessible 24/7/365, so you will get the allow you to want anytime. Furthermore, HostGator’s cellphone assist is accessible between 11 am and 9 pm Eastern time. You can ship an electronic mail to [email protected], however we advocate utilizing the reside chat Hostgator buyer assist for the quickest response.

Alternatives to HostGator

Before you make an affirmative determination, it could assist to find out about a couple of alternatives to HostGator. Even although HostGator is without doubt one of the greatest internet hosting corporations on the earth, you might be able to discover the identical options at extra reasonably priced charges from various internet hosting suppliers.

So, listed below are three different choices price taking an in depth have a look at:

1. Bluehost

Founded in 2003, Bluehost is one other long-standing member of the higher echelon of internet hosting suppliers. This internet host is thought for its versatile pricing and extra options resembling an internet site builder and eCommerce instruments. Furthermore, Bluehost affords internet hosting plans for any small companies or startups to giant enterprises.

Some of Bluehost’s key options embody unmetered bandwidth, SSL certificates, free information backups, and a world Content Delivery Network (CDN). In addition, Bluehost affords among the quickest server response occasions and web page load occasions we’ve ever recorded. Overall, Bluehost is simply pretty much as good as HostGator, with reasonably priced pricing packages and wonderful options.

Pricing:

Bluehost affords 4 completely different pricing packages for its shared internet hosting plans:

• Basic: Starts at $2.95 per 30 days
• Plus: Starts at $5.45 per 30 days
• Choice Plus: Starts at $5.45 per 30 days
• Pro: Starts at $13.95 per 30 days

However, Bluehost additionally affords VPN internet hosting and Dedicated internet hosting plans.

Pros:

• Ultra-fast web page load speeds
• Discounted charges for first-time prospects
• Excellent safety protocols

Cons:

• May expertise prolonged buyer assist wait occasions
• Site migration prices further
• Aggressive upsells

2. WP Engine

WP Engine is a devoted internet hosting service for WordPress web sites. Therefore, in the event you don’t have an current web site on WordPress or don’t plan on constructing your web site on WordPress, you possibly can’t use WP Engine. Instead, HostGator and Bluehost are your greatest choices.

Many high corporations resembling Yelp, AMD, and Petco use WP Engine to host their web sites. Therefore, you possibly can depend on WP Engine for reliability and efficiency. This internet hosting service supplier affords quick load occasions, superior safety instruments, and responsive buyer assist reps.

Pricing:

There are 5 completely different Managed WordPress internet hosting plans from WP Engine:

• Startup: Starts at $20 per 30 days
• Professional: Starts at $39 per 30 days
• Growth: Starts at $113 per 30 days
• Scale: Starts at $275 per 30 days
• Customer: Contact WP Engine for inquiry

Pros:

• Excellent WordPress host
• Expert buyer assist workers
• Innovative front-end system to deal with site visitors and keep uptime

Cons:

• Backups and caching plugins might create battle
• Relatively dearer than different choices
• No area registration supplied

3. Namecheap

Although Namecheap is thought for its reasonably priced domains, it additionally offers complete internet hosting providers. Therefore, Namecheap is a wonderful selection in the event you’re on a price range and need to go together with a low-cost internet hosting firm. Managing over 10 million domains around the globe, Namecheap is without doubt one of the most reliable internet hosting suppliers obtainable.

In addition, Namecheap makes use of Lightspeed expertise in a couple of of its server networks to supply speedy speeds and web page load occasions. NameCheap additionally has a 99.82% uptime price, which is among the many business normal. Overall, Namecheap offers cost-effective internet hosting and area identify registrar providers.

Pricing:

Namecheap carries three distinctive shared internet hosting pricing packages.

• Stellar: Starts at $1.48 per 30 days
• Stellar Plus: Starts at $2.18 per 30 days
• Stellar Business: Starts at $4.98 per 30 days

Pros:

• Known for its affordability
• Free web site migrations
• Automated information backups twice a day

Cons:

• No cellphone customer support
• Tricky to setup SSL certificates
• Beginners might discover it tough to navigate at first

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Before we conclude our HostGator evaluation, we need to reply a couple of frequent questions we obtain about HostGator. This will assist clear up any confusion you should still have surrounding this internet hosting supplier.

Is HostGator reliable?

HostGator has been in enterprise for over 20 years and has constructed a wonderful popularity for reliability and legitimacy. Therefore, HostGator is an extremely reliable internet host supplier. In addition, HostGator buyer assist is all the time obtainable to reply your questions or information you thru a setup course of.

Is HostGator good for newbies?

HostGator is a wonderful beginner-friendly internet hosting supplier with a low barrier to entry. This is as a result of HostGator affords a complete information base with lots of of useful tutorials and guides. If you want additional help, you possibly can contact a reside chat assist agent. These brokers can be found 24/7, so you will get the allow you to want regardless of the place you’re situated.

Which one is best: HostGator or GoDaddy?

Although GoDaddy is barely extra reasonably priced, HostGator affords higher options and ease of use. Furthermore, HostGator has a greater uptime rating, web page speeds, and buyer assist response occasions. Therefore, you possibly can’t go mistaken with HostGator in the event you want a top-notch internet hosting service with wonderful reliability.

Bottom Line on HostGator Review

There’s a purpose why tens of millions of companies host their web sites on HostGator. This high-quality internet host supplier affords a wonderful uptime assure and 24/7 HostGator buyer assist. With ultra-quick speeds and unmetered bandwidth and cupboard space, HostGator is a wonderful possibility for any enterprise, startup, or particular person seeking to construct an internet site.