HostGator

All businesses require a website, whether you want a simple blog for your daily updates or running a functional e-commerce setup.

Whichever way you swing, a web hosting service is critical.

HostGator is a favorite provider for many as it offers plenty of features for all businesses and niches.

The hosting provider is not only one of the biggest in the industry but also offers competitive pricing, cheeky marketing, and promises to make your site amazing.

What is HostGator?

HostGator is a provider of dedicated, virtual private server, reseller, and shared website hosting services that help businesses and bloggers set up and maintain their websites.

HostGator also offers powerful tools to ensure your website is available to people looking for you online.

What is HostGator Used For?

HostGator provides services for hosting blogs and websites online and can also help you purchase domain names.

A website or blog requires web hosting and a domain name to be live on the web.

HostGator offers both services for a website.

How HostGator Works

Purchasing a hosting service from HostGator means you’re buying space to store files related to your website for access via a web browser on the internet.

HostGator stores all website databases, files, media, and anything else your website requires to function.

The exact storage amount you get depends on the plan.

Signing up for a HostGator web hosting package offers you access to the server using solutions like cPanel, so you can easily upload files to the server and install WordPress.

HostGator also helps you purchase and register a domain name, which lets web browsers know where files for the website are.

When a person types the domain name or clicks a link online, the browser retrieves files from the HostGator server and displays them.

The process takes a few seconds or less.

Notable Features of HostGator

The hosting provider comes packed with multiple features, but the most notable are:

• Domain registration
• Unmetered bandwidth
• Site security and SSL
• Easy integration with apps
• Unlimited storage
• Shared hosting
• Virtual Private Server (VPS) web hosting
• Dedicated web hosting
• Cloud hosting
• Drag-and-drop website builder
• Email marketing software

Are There Any Minimum Requirements Necessary to Use HostGator?

There are no minimum requirements to use HostGator.

The service provider makes it easy for anyone to start and maintain their website.

Basic site creation, designing, and maintenance skills are handy if you want to take advantage of all the tools HostGator offers.

How Much Does HostGator Cost?

There are multiple pricing plans to meet different requirements.

HostGator offers a buffet-style of hosting options.

Features in each plan include:

• A 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Unlimited FTP usage
• Round-the-clock customer support
• Unlimited MySQL databases
• Round-the-clock server monitoring
• One-click installation
• Limitless bandwidth
• Free migration

Here are the hosting services HostGator offers and their pricing.

• Shared web hosting:
  • Hatchling Plan: $2.75/mo—allows hosting one domain only.
  • Baby Plan: $3.50/mo—you can host unlimited websites.
  • Business Plan: $5.25/mo—unlimited websites, free Positive SSL upgrade, free SEO tools, and a free, dedicated IP.

• Cloud hosting:
  • Hatchling Cloud: $4.95/mo—one domain, 2 GB of memory, and a 2-core CPU.
  • Baby Cloud: $6.57/mo—unlimited domains, 4 GB of memory, and a 4-core CPU.
  • Business Cloud: $9.95/mo—unlimited domains, 6 GB of memory, 6-core CPU, and advanced features in the shared hosting business plan.

• WordPress hosting:
  • Starter Plan: $5.95/mo—one site, 100k visits a month, and 1 GB of backups.
  • Standard Plan: $7.95/mo—two websites, 200k visits monthly, and 2 GB of backups.
  • Business Plan: $9.95/mo—three websites, 500k monthly visits, and 3 GB for backups.

• Reseller hosting:
  • Aluminum Plan: $19.95/mo—60 GB of disk space and 600 GB bandwidth
  • Copper Plan: $24.95/mo—90 GB space and 900 GB of bandwidth
  • Silver Plan: $24.95/mo—140 GB of disk space and bandwidth at 1,400 GB

• VPS hosting:
  • Snappy 2000: $23.95/mo—2 GB of RAM, a 2-core CPU, and 120 GB SSD
  • Snappy 4000: $34.95/mo—4 GB RAM, 2-core CPU, and a 165 GB SSD
  • Snappy 8000: $59.95/mo—8 GB of RAM, 4-core CPU, and 240 GB of SSD

• Dedicated hosting:
  • Value Server: $89.98/mo—a 4-core and 8-thread Intel CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 1 TB of storage space
  • Power Server: $119.89/mo—8-core and 16-thread Intel CPU with 16 GB RAM, 2 TB hard disk, or 512 GB SSD
  • Enterprise Server: an 8-core and 16-thread Intel CPU, 30 GB RAM, and 1 TB of SSD

• Windows hosting:
  • Personal Plan: $4.76/mo—one domain
  • Enterprise Plan: $14.36/mo—five domains

• Website builder:
  • Express Start: $3.84/mo—3 email campaigns monthly and a 3-product online store
  • Express Site: $5.99/mo—5 monthly email campaigns, a 10-product store, priority support, and appointment booking
  • Express Store: $9.22/mo—10 email campaigns each month, an unlimited product online store, priority support, zero transaction fees, and appointment booking

Here’s a detailed look at the pricing table from the HostGator website:

Does HostGator Have an Enterprise Version Available?

Yes, HostGator has plans for businesses and individuals with major demands.

Each product has a business or enterprise plan to fulfill the requirements of large-scale businesses and e-commerce websites.

HostGator Promotions & Savings

HostGator is not the cheapest hosting provider on the market, but there are several opportunities for savings.

Does HostGator Have a Free Trial?

HostGator does not offer a free trial.

Instead, the provider has special introductory rates that increase after the first term.

HostGator also offers several free tools with each plan, including free:

• Security tools
• Gator website builder
• SSL certificate
• Domain for 12 months
• Dedicated IP address
• Migrations
• Unlimited email accounts

Does HostGator Offer Coupon Codes?

Yes, HostGator offers coupon codes on web hosting, pro hosting, and domains.

The coupon codes are only valid for new customers and not redeemable if you have an existing renewal, service, product, or package.

Further, users can only use one coupon while signing up.

Does HostGator Have a Lifetime Deal?

HostGator is not offering a lifetime deal.

Who Are HostGator’s Main Alternatives?

Here are some of HostGator’s top competitors, along with a description of how they work.

1. Bluehost

Bluehost is a reputable website hosting provider providing shared and VPS hosting services, powering over two million websites globally.

How is HostGator Different From Bluehost?

HostGator is easier to use and more friendly for beginners since they also offer more features, including free site integration and transfers.

The HostGator refund policy is also more generous than Bluehost.

Also, HostGator offers an uptime guarantee with their shared and reseller accounts, so you get a month of credit to your account if the server doesn’t meet the 99.9% uptime guarantee.

2. DreamHost

DreamHost is another web hosting provider offering a full set of web development solutions.

The most popular services include WordPress hosting, VPS plans, cloud hosting, shared hosting, and domain management.

How is HostGator Different From DreamHost?

HostGator customer support is available at all times of the year via Twitter, live chat, and phone.

Further, customers can request a callback if the lines are busy.

While both are easy to use, HostGator offers a more intuitive interface than DreamHost.

Setting up and running a website with HostGator takes less than an hour while allowing anyone to create a professional-looking product.

3. GoDaddy

GoDaddy is a popular web hosting space managing one of the world’s leading domain name registrars with over 17 million users worldwide.

The platform also offers a range of hosting plans, but shared hosting is what most users use.

How is HostGator Different From GoDaddy?

Unlike GoDaddy, HostGator offers manageable monthly hosting plans.

HostGator also offers a 45-day money-back guarantee while GoDaddy’s is 30 days.

Summary: How Does HostGator Differentiate Itself From Competitors?

HostGator is a unique hosting provider offering an unbeatable uptime guarantee.

Further, the service offers customers lots of features, even on shared plans, and excellent customer support.

Users also have access to an extensive knowledge base a few clicks away.

So, you won’t bother with call transfers and dial tones when looking for information.

These qualities make HostGator an excellent hosting platform for anyone that wants to ensure their online marketing efforts are as effective as possible.

Who is HostGator Best For?

We highly recommend HostGator for anyone who wants to start a website.

One-click installations, essential plugins, and templates during setup make HostGator an excellent platform for the retail sector.

Further, 24/7 customer support comes in handy for beginners.

Why is HostGator Best For Retail?

HostGator is great for businesses in the retail industry because of its ability to scale.

The platform is ideal for setting up single profile websites and blogs, and can also help businesses within the middle sector spread the word about their products and services.

HostGator is also helpful for anyone looking for an affordable web hosting solution with more features than other similar providers.

Is HostGator Easy to Use?

HostGator is very easy to use.

The platform has a plethora of walkthroughs, tutorials, and much more to help navigate the confusing world of data centers and DNS.

Beginners also have access to extra features, so designing, building, and managing their websites is hassle-free—without hiring outside help.

The Gator website builder tool is among the best in the industry.

Users get free hosting and a domain name, so you only purchase a single account with all the necessities.

Templates in the builder are modern and a drag-and-drop feature means easy site customization.

You also have access to site analytics and a free SSL certificate to safeguard visitor personal information.

HostGator relies on cPanel as the control panel.

The control panel is one of the most popular in the hosting industry and is easy to navigate—even for the beginner.

What Features Do Some Users Love?

HostGator makes migrating user sites free, which is especially handy for users who don’t want to deal with the migrations and associated fees.

The platform also offers 24/7 support through a live chat feature.

Few hosting providers offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, but HostGator does. Uptime is essential if you want Google to rank your website, maintain a good online reputation, and ensure the site is available to the audience at all times.

HostGator also allows users to register a free domain name for the first year.

What Features Do Some Users Find Frustrating?

While HostGator offers entry-level prices to get a foot through the door, the renewal prices are high.

The platform also doesn’t offer a staging option, especially critical for developers testing changes or fixing bugs. Users must install a third-party staging plugin if they want to test their sites before making them live.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most popular questions about HostGator.  

Wrapping Up

HostGator has a variety of hosting plans to fit all requirements and budgets.

The hosting provider has user-friendly tools for building a website from scratch.

You also gain access to extra perks, such as free domain registration and SSL certification.

You can start small with HostGator and switch hosting tiers as your website grows without migrating to another provider if you’re happy with the services.

However, the extra pricing hikes may make it more expensive for some small businesses and freelancers.

Now it’s your turn. Let us know your experiences and thoughts about using HostGator below.

By Brett Helling

Brett has been starting, growing, and monetizing websites since 2014. While in college, he began to learn about digital marketing. After graduating, he continued to build a diverse portfolio of websites while working a full time job. After years of building the portfolio on the side, he made the jump to run his websites full time.