Hostgator is the best-shared hosting option for new blogs. They offer three different plans that are perfect for any form of WordPress blog. Their price starts at $2.75 a month, which is one of the lowest. Like anyone looking for cheap hosting, Hostgator is an idle option.
There are many Web hosting companies out there, and each has its own pros and cons. I mostly deal with WordPress web hosting, and several companies provide top-notch hosting for a WordPress blog when it comes to the best hosting. One such hosting company is Hostgator.
In this Hostgator review, I will explain when it’s a good idea to get hosting from Hostgator. Then, I’ll also share some of the specific features that help make Hostgator so popular and well-rated.
Hostgator has created a name for itself with outstanding server performance in the past 18 years, they have contributed a lot to the WordPress eco-system. Today I will be sharing a detailed analysis & complete review of Hostgator hosting, and you can decide if this hosting is right for you or not.
How to choose the right web hosting provider
Being a blogger, I know that some of the things we look for in a web hosting service are:
- Reliability to keep the site always running
- Affordability so that it doesn’t screw up our budget
- Support when we face technical issues.
- Hardware offering to ensure we are using the best server quality
Keeping in mind all these concerns, we will look into:
- Reliability: Will your website be available 24/7/365 without any downtime?
- Performance: How fast will your website load on HostGator? We will run our own performance tests to analyze this.
- Customer Support: Can you count on their customer support? Will you be able to easily get help when needed?
- Features: Do their features help you easily create and manage your website?
- Pricing: Do they offer the best pricing in the industry? Are there any HostGator deals that can save you money?
Who owns Hostgator hosting?
Hostgator is owned by the Endurance International Group (EIG). It is an independent web-hosting company that was founded in 2004 and rapidly became one of the largest hosting companies in the world. You can attribute monstrous growth to their excellent shared hosting arrangements, secure web hosting, and high-quality customer support.
The company is based in Houston, Texas, and they serve users worldwide. HostGator.com is currently using more than one data center to house its servers. Most of their servers are based in Provo, Utah, and Houston, Texas, with some in other locations.
They have more than 850 workers who provide assistance around the clock and represent companies of all sizes.
Hostgator Review: The Good & Bad
Selecting a hosting service based on the functionality it has to offer is the best way to do so. However, knowing whether or not hosting supports your platform is of utmost importance.
(I’m here sharing this review of Hostgator exclusively as a WordPress user.)
Hostgator offers shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, and dedicated hosting plans. If you’re just starting out, then their shared hosting plans will be a great match for your needs. But, your site will inevitably expand, and you want to make sure they have other plans that you can move to.
Before I get into detail regarding Hostgator, let me start with the basics. As a WordPress blogger, whenever I evaluate a hosting company I measure its value based on several parameters:
- Hosting optimized for WordPress
- Pricing
- Disk space
- Ease of use
- Custom Support
A bad host can create chaos for bloggers like us, and this is why it is important to host our website with a good quality web host. Today, I’m going to share my review of the HostGator web hosting, where I’m hosting a couple of my tech blogs.
I was apprehensive at the beginning, but with strong HostGator baby plan servers and a combination of Cloudflare and WP Rocket plugins, my Hostgator sites are doing pretty well.
Is Hostgator a reliable hosting for WordPress?
If you want a fast and reliable web hosting service with great customer support, then Hostgator is perfect for you. They have hosting services for every budget and every plan comes with a wide variety of features.
Over 2 million customers have now trusted HostGator. Whether you are a seasoned Internet pro, or just starting out with your first website, you’ll find every necessary tool to bring your website to the next level.
All their shared hosting plans include unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, easy setup of Let’s Encrypt free SSL and Cloudflare CDN service, 1-click WordPress installer, and free migration.
The best thing about Hostgator is that their servers are well optimized for a WordPress blog, and this is one of the reasons they are a top-recommended hosting service.
For a stable WordPress host, apart from running the latest versions of PHP and MYSQL, servers should be designed to manage the extra load that usually occurs with WordPress.
How Good is HostGator’s Customer Support?
Compared to other hosting services, I would rate Hostgator’s customer support as 4/5. You can get in contact with them through live chat, email, or phone. In most situations, the resolution time is 20-45 minutes, which is the typical support time for any shared hosting.
If you are just starting a website for the first time, then you will certainly appreciate Hostgator’s customer support. For general questions and issues, you can use HostGator’s email support, which is always available, and social media support on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Otherwise, seek answers from the company’s extensive knowledge base, which is full of FAQs, helpful articles, and video tutorials that walk you through some of the controls. HostGator also offers a forum where you can ask questions and answer those posed by other users of the web host.
Features of Hostgator hosting:
HostGator offers a range of plans. If you’re struggling to make a decision on which plan to choose, consider these features, which we’ll discuss below. Let’s take a look at these plans offered by HostGator.
- You manage your account using cPanel, the industry-standard interface
- To keep your account secure, you get a free Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate
- If you want to increase security and malware scanning, you will have to buy SiteLock
- Even the entry-level shared hosting plan comes with support for unlimited email accounts
- Monthly billing options are available
- One-click installs, even from the basic plan
- Access to the website builder – at a cost
- A Content Delivery Network (CDN) keeps your site fast
- Multiple support options including live chat
- Unlimited MySQL Databases
- Subversion Repository (SVN)
- Support for PHP 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.4
- HostGator Portal Control Panel
- Full Unix Shell
- Access to Raw Log Files
- Crontab Access
- Full CGI Access
Why select HostGator for all the other web hosting providers? Well, the fact is that no single host on the network is flawless. So, whether you’re a novice webmaster or looking to shift web hosts, here’s a fast look at the good and bad HostGator to help you make the right decision.
Hostgator Uptime:
There is one standard for any reliable hosting “Your website can never go down because of hosting problems.”
I have heard mixed reviews about Hostgator Uptime, fortunately, my experience on a Hostgator shared hosting package has been pleasant.
Here is my Hostgator website uptime:
Is Hostgator easy to use?
Hostgator uses cPanel, which is one of the simplest hosting panels I’ve ever seen. They reworked their dashboard in 2020 to make it WordPress-centric. You can still access cPanel from the Hostgator Dashboard, but you will never have to use it with a new advanced Hostgator dashboard.
Just for details, most shared hosting companies use the regular cPanel, and you won’t find it hard to use. In reality, cPanel makes it easier to manage your hosting account. Hostgator is also one of the very few shared webs hosting companies that will allow you to access SSH.
Here is what the Hostgator dashboard looks like:
How many resources Does Hostgator offer?
Hostgator offers unlimited hosting resources. This ensures that you can host limitless (Disk-space) files and use unlimited bandwidth. Remember, however, that they have certain fair usage policies (Hostgator limit). But the policy cap for fair use is so high that you would possibly find it to be the same as “unlimited.” For example, they allow the MySQL size of 3Gb, and here at DuniarTips, we have only 400 MB of the database after 7 and half years of usage!
If you’re running an auto-script, or auto-blogging, you’re unlikely to hit that limit. They have a CPU limit, but again that’s high compared to other hosting services, and in most cases, Hostgator will transfer you to a more powerful server if necessary.
Hosting Freebies
For example, each hosting package comes with many freebies. You get a free website builder and website building software, unlimited bandwidth and disk space, more than 4,000 website templates, free domain transfers, and unlimited MySQL databases.
You get a free website builder and website building software, unlimited bandwidth and disk space, and more than 4,000 website templates.
Hostgator Monthly payment option:
Hostgator only offers the following terms for hosting purchases:
- 1 month
- 3 months
- 6 months
- 12 months
- 24 months
- 36 months
How much does Hostgator cost per month?
Depending on the plan you pick, it could cost you from $2.75/month to $5.95/month. Since Hostgator’s introductory price is applicable only in the first term, you should get hosting for 2-3 years term to make the most out of this special pricing.
HostGator Hosting Plan, Pricing In Comparison To Others:
HostGator provides three different hosting plans to select from under the shared hosting category. Apart from shared hosting, they also have cloud hosting, dedicated servers, and reseller hosting. For a new WordPress blog, shared hosting is strong enough to manage the website. HostGator provides Linux-or Windows-based shared hosting packages that give small and medium-sized companies space to expand.
Shared Web Hosting
HostGator offers Linux- or Windows-based shared hosting packages that give small- and medium-sized businesses room to grow.
Their shared hosting comes in three different packages, and you can choose the one that is right for you according to your unique needs. Hostgator offers three shared hosting plans: Hatchling, Baby, and Business. For a new WordPress blog, shared hosting is powerful enough to handle your website.
All of the HostGator shared hostings come with features such as:
- 99.99% uptime
- Free SSL
- Unlimited MySql database
- Hotlink Protection (Security)
- 24*7 Customer Support
- 45 Days money-back guarantee
- Ruby on Rails
- Unlimited bandwidth, Storage, Addons
- domain
- IP deny Manager ( Security)
- Unlimited FTP
To simplify the plan selection, I have listed down the plans suitable for various needs.
- Hatchling plan: This plan is suitable for those who need to have only one site. A business blog or a personal blog. At $2.75/month, it is the cheapest in the hosting industry.
- Baby plan: This plan is suitable for bloggers like me and you, who need more server resources. Here you can host multiple websites and get access to their Unmetered Bandwidth too.
- Business plan: This plan comes with 4 times more server resources and offers to-stage features. Also, your website will be hosted on a server with a limited number of websites. I would suggest this plan if you require Git/staging features and free backup & restore, free Positive SSL, Dedicated I.P, and SEO tools.
The most simple bundle, the “Hatchling Plan,” comes with one domain support, unlimited bandwidth, disk space, databases, a shared SSL certificate, a lot of email addresses, and support for third-party applications like content management systems.
The Hostgator Baby plan, like other shared plans, offers cPanel, unlimited space, unlimited bandwidth, free $150 AdWords credit, WordPress compatibility, site builder, free setup, unlimited add-on domains, unlimited FTP, unlimited databases, Ruby on Rails, SSH, PHP7, Fast CGI, and more.
Which HostGator Shared Hosting Plan Is Best For You?
Summing up all shared hosting plans quickly:
- Hatchling: Perfect for a single blog (2.75$/month)
- Baby Plan: Perfect for multiple Blogs (3.95$/month)
- Business: Multiple Blogs + Private IP + Toll-free Number (5.95$/month)
( 65% Discount Coupon for duniartips readers: PVO )
With our most valued coupon “PVO” you will get 65% off your total bill. I would suggest buying hosting for a 2-3 year term to save maximum (since the hosting discount is applicable only on the first bill). You will also be getting one free domain, which will help you to save even more money.
My personal recommendation would be the Baby plan, but if you need a Private I.P (SEO purpose) with a Toll-free number, you can opt for the Business plan.
WordPress Hosting
This is their shared hosting plan optimized for WordPress-powered websites. It optimizes performance and protects your website from some common WordPress attacks.
HostGator lets you install the WordPress content management system (CMS) onto any of its servers, but the web host also offers three tiers of managed WordPress web hosting: Starter, Standard, and Business.
- Starter plan is single domain hosting
- Starter (starting at $5.95 per month) offers 100k Visits Per Month, the ability to host just one WordPress site, 50GB of storage, 1GB of backups, and unlimited email.
- Standerd plan is two domain hosting
- Standard (starting at $7.95) ups things to two WordPress sites, 200,000 monthly visits, 2GB backups, and 150GB of disk space.
- Business plan is multiple domain hosting
- Business (starting at $9.95 per month) grants three WordPress sites, 300,000 monthly visits, 3GB backups and unlimited storage.
All plans come with page caching and an optimized WordPress hosting environment. WordPress is easy to set up on HostGator even if you don’t go the managed-WordPress route. The customer portal has an option called Quick Links that opens a dedicated interface for installing third-party applications.
There’s also a handy shortcut called Get Started With WordPress Today that leads to the Quick Links interface. I set the path to my blog’s installation, entered the username for the WordPress administrator account, and clicked on the install button. As easy as that, my site was up and running. HostGator also automatically installed the WP-Super-Cache WordPress plug-in to help improve blog performance.
With the above special link, you can get Hostgator WordPress hosting for as low as $5.95 if you pick up the basic package for 3 years term. You will also be getting one free domain, which will help you to save even more money.
HostGator are Generous with Valuable Extras
Other extras that you can look forward to with HostGator include:
- $150 worth of Google Adwords or Bing/Yahoo advertising credits.
- Free site transfers when you want to move your website from another host to HostGator. And the best part is that your website can be upgraded during the transfer at no cost. However, the said migration has to be done within 45 days from the day you sign up.
- A free domain name for the first term when you transfer and set up a new account.
- 1-click installs are available for all major open-source projects such as WordPress, Magento, and Joomla.
- A 45-day money-back guarantee for all HostGator hosting plans. Most web hosting companies only give you a 30-day window to cancel your account and get your money back.
- A getting-started email with links to all of the resources you will need to build your website and get it up and running.
Let’s take a look at pro plans offered by HostGator.
- Cloud hosting: While a shared hosting account is limited to a single server, cloud hosting utilizes multiple servers. This plan is suitable if your website gets frequent traffic spikes.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server): Virtual Private Server allows you to manage your virtual resources on a cloud hosting platform. It is suitable for growing websites with frequent traffic spikes.
- Dedicated server: With dedicated hosting, you get a server solely for hosting your website. But it also comes with great responsibility because you’ll have to maintain it by yourself.
Hostgator Reseller Web Hosting
If you’re looking to get into the web hosting business, but you don’t want to deal with infrastructure matters, check out HostGator’s reseller hosting packages. Hostgator offers three reseller plans Aluminum, Copper, and Silver which are designed for you to earn money.
- Aluminum
- 60GB Disk Space
- 600GB Bandwidth
- Copper
- 90GB Disk Space
- 900GB Bandwidth
- Silver
- 140G Disk Space
- 1400GB Bandwidth
You will get Unlimited Domains and Free SSL Certificates for each package.
The plans, beginning at $19.95 a month, boast unrestricted email across the board. Shared, dedicated, and VPS products are both Linux and Windows, but HostGator does not provide them with unrestricted storage and monthly data transfers at each level, as the Reseller Editors’ Choice Hostwinds does with its offerings. On the upside, HostGator lets you add your own branding to the servers you rent, and it also offers 24/7 technical support.
How to Get Hosting from HostGator with Discounted Price
Time needed: 5 minutes
Usually, service costs are dependent on the package you order. The cost of hosting increases with the level of the package you purchase. For example, cloud and dedicated servers are the most expensive types of hosting, followed by VPS, and then shared hosting.
For beginners, I always recommend buying a shared hosting package because of the low cost. So let’s start with our beginner’s guide to the purchase of a hosting service:
Go to the Hostgator homepage, click on Webhosting in the navbar or click on get started now (follow the screenshots below).
- Select your domain name
If you already own a domain, select the part which says “I already own this domain.” Otherwise, click on Register a New Domain. You are getting 1 (one) domain free. So input the domain name you prefer. Check the availability of your domain. And don’t forget to uncheck domain privacy protection.
Note: In order to qualify for (1) one free domain name registration, you must sign up for a 12, 24, or 36-month HostGator Shared, WordPress, or Cloud hosting plan. The offer only applies to .com, .net and .org domains, and on their initial purchase term.
- Choose a Hosting Plan
Here you can choose the hosting package that you want to have. By default, the hosting package that you selected in Step 1 would be selected.
What is very important is the billing period. My recommendation is to get hosting for a period of 24 to 36 months. You can adjust the length of your hosting.
Be that as you increase the tenure, the total expense decreases. In addition, in the next step, you can find a discount coupon worth 60% of the total bill. This is your only opportunity to earn a discount on your order.
- Create your HostGator Account
Enter an email and password for your account, as well as a security pin.
- Enter your Billing Info
In the “billing details” field, you need to include your address and phone number. I recommend that you double-check this information to make sure it is right, as they will call you on your given mobile number to verify the transaction you wish to purchase.
This is to ensure the security of your account. Here you can also select your payment method: PayPal or Credit card. If you select PayPal, on the next page, you will be redirected to the PayPal payment page. - Uncheck Additional Services
In the additional service section, ensure you uncheck everything. Most of the paid add-ons are not worth it as we have complementary free alternatives.
- Add coupon code & Verify your order
In the Hostgator coupon code field, add “PVO” and click on validate. This will give you a flat 60% off on your total order.
Below the billing info, you can see the complete details of your order. Before you move ahead with the order, be sure to verify your order.
- Checkout your order
If you are satisfied, check on Hostgator’s terms and conditions and click on the “Checkout Now!” button. Depending on your payment method, you will be taken to the PayPal payment page or the “Successful Order” page.
- Hostgator Login Information
In about a minute, you will receive an email from Hostgator confirming your order, and within an hour, you will receive a call with your new hosting account information.
Final Verdict
To round off this review, Hostgator Hosting is definitely a web host that I’m putting up with the likes of BlueHost and SiteGround. They are expected to deliver the best server speeds on the market and do so at a reasonable rate. But success is not their only power.
The vendor offers generous security features and software solutions to all their hosting plans. For the features on offer, you’re likely to get one of the best deals available, particularly if you subscribe to their long-term plans. However, even monthly pricing is still very competitive.
| Hostgator Pros | Hostgator Cons |
|---|---|
| Reliable hosting | Aggressive upselling |
| Outstanding uptime | not HIPAA-compliant |
| Quality Server | No Windows-based VPS hosting |
| Speedy WordPress-optimized servers | Nothing else I can think of. |
| Unlimited Bandwidth | |
| A variety of feature-packed hosting plans | |
| A great control panel with a ton of features | |
| Good customer service | |
| 45-day money-back guarantee | |
| Free SSL, automatic backups, and site migration |
Overall, Hostgator Hosting remains a stable, feature-packed web hosting solution for both beginners and experts alike. Irrespective of the size of your project, at least one of the options for a variety of scalable plans will come in handy.
FAQs about HostGator hosting:
No, you don’t need to transfer your existing domain to HostGator. You can update the nameserver of your domain to point to your HostGator hosting account. You can find the HostGator nameserver details in your cPanel.
Despite the type of account you have with HostGator, the welcome email sent when you signed up for web hosting will contain the names of the servers listed for your hosting account. These name servers can be used on all pages hosted on your HostGator web hosting account.
By default, their name servers are listed below.
Primary nameserver: ns1234.hostgator.com
Secondary nameserver: ns4321.hostgator.com
Many hosting plans (including those offered by HostGator) come with free email addresses – sometimes even an unlimited number of them.
Hostgator Hosting offers an outstanding back guarantee at any time. However, you will only receive a refund for the period of time left unused on your subscription. In order to obtain a full refund, you must send a request within the first 45 days of your subscription.
All shared and managed Hostgator Hosting WordPress hosting plans are provided with a free SSL certificate. You also get unlimited email accounts, free Cloudflare CDN, and free site transfer.
