After conducting a detailed Bluehost vs HostGator comparison, I’d recommend HostGator. HostGator consistently maintains high uptime rates, which is crucial for website reliability and performance. Additionally, HostGator provides a more diverse range of hosting plans with lower prices and more frequent discounts. Keep reading to see the facts for yourself.
Only WordPress websites within the first 30 days after signup
Only on VPS and Dedicated hosting plans within 30 days of signup
Starting Price
$2.95/month
$3.75 / month
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
30 days
Storage
Up to 100 GB on Shared hosting and up to 240 GB on VPS hosting
Up to 40 GB on Shared hosting and up to 240 GB in VPS hosting
Bandwidth
Unmetered
Unmetered
Free Domain Name
Yes
Yes
Free SSL Certificate
Yes
Yes
Free One-Click WordPress Installation
Yes
Yes
Uptime Guarantee
99.99%
99.99%
Average Page Load Speed
2.3 sec
2.2 sec
Customer Support
24/7 support, live chat, email support, video guides, ticket support, and knowledgebase.
24/7 technical support via live chat, phone, Twitter, blog, FAQs, tutorials, knowledgebase
Server location
Orem, Utah, Provo, USA
Houston, Provo, Dallas, Austin, Hong King, Mumbai
DDoS Protection
Yes
Yes
Daily Backups
Yes, except basic plan
Yes
HostGator
HostGator rates 3.7/5 stars with 571 reviews on Hostadvice and 4.1/5 stars from 5,265 reviews on Trustpilot. By contrast, Bluehost rates 2.8/5 stars with 376 reviews on Hostadvice, and 4.0/5 starts with 10,608 reviews on Trustpilot. The high scores of HostGator reflect the quality and reliability of their services.
Bluehost is a web hosting firm that was started in 2003 and is owned by Endurance International Group.
Bluehost hosting has long been a popular choice for people just getting started and needing a service that can supply all the essentials for launching a website or blog.
Tip Although Bluehost and HostGator are both owned by the same parent company and provide similar services, there are differences in their user interfaces, performance, and even pricing.
Up to 100 GB on Shared hosting and up to 240 GB on VPS hosting
Up to 40 GB on Shared hosting and up to 240 GB in VPS hosting
High-performance SSD storage
Yes
Yes
Free daily backups and restore
Yes, except basic plan
Yes
Free WordPress installation
Yes
Yes
Free site migration
Only WordPress websites within the first 30 days after signup
Only on VPS and Dedicated hosting plans within 30 days of signup
Free website builder
Yes
Yes
Free SSL
Yes
Yes
Bandwidth
Unmetered
Unmetered
Bluehost Features
Disk space and bandwidth
Bluehost offers a range of hosting plans with varied disk space.
Shared hosting starts from 10 GB SSD storage on the basic plan to 100 GB SSD on the Pro plan.
VPS hosting starts from 120 GB on the Standard plan to 240 GB on the Ultimate plan.
The dedicated server hosting goes up to 2 TB of HDD storage.
The bandwidth is unmetered on all plans, allowing websites to handle significant traffic without bandwidth overage charges.
Website migration and backups
Bluehost also provides daily backups and restore options, though these might vary based on the plan chosen. The most basic shared hosting plan does not include free daily backups.
Website migration services are available, but they might come with an additional cost.
WordPress & website building features
For WordPress users, Bluehost offers easy one-click installation and features like a WordPress-centric dashboard, and a selection of themes and plugins for customization.
Bluehost’s hosting plans also include a website builder tool, making it easier for beginners to create and customize their websites.
Bluehost provides a content delivery network (CDN)powered by Cloudflare. Thus, all traffic to your website is routed over a worldwide network geared for the fastest content delivery. But is Bluehost better than HostGator?
HostGator Features
Disk space and bandwidth
HostGator’s shared hosting plans start with 10 GB of SSD storage on the basic plan to 40 GB of SSD storage on the business plan.
VPS hosting starts with 120 GB to 240 GB of SSD storage.
The bandwidth is also unmetered, allowing websites to handle significant traffic.
WordPress & website building features
HostGator provides easy one-click installation and WordPress-optimized features for enhanced performance.
HostGator also includes a HostGator Website Builder with drag-and-drop functionality, making site creation accessible to beginners. Additionally, all plans come equipped with a free SSL certificate, which is essential for website security and SEO rankings.
Website migration and backups
HostGator offers free daily backup and restore services only on the highest plans. On other plans, you’ll need to pay extra for daily backups.
HostGator says that they will make migrating your site to them as simple as possible. Each new hosting account and newly upgraded one will receive a free migration of WordPress/cPanel website files, including databases, scripts, and one domain registration transfer, within 30 days of sign-up. For one cPanel or WordPress-based website, the service is free.
And the Winner Is HostGator
Both HostGator and Bluehost offer daily backups, one-click WordPress installation, but HostGator wins because they offer free website migration for all users, not only WordPress websites.
Bluehost’s four shared & WordPress hosting plans are Basic, Choice Plus, Online Store, and Pro. Prices range from $2.95 to $13.95 per month.
You have access to:
An unlimited number of websites
SSD storage is limitless
Themes that you can customize
24/7 customer support
Bluehost will provide a free domain and unlimited SSL certificates for a year.
VPS Hosting Plans
Standard, Enhanced, and Ultimate are Bluehost’s three VPS hosting plans. Prices range from $29.99 to $69.99 per month.
You can get from 2 GB to 8 GB RAM, and SSD storage from 120 GB to 240 GB.
Dedicated Hosting Plans
Standard, Enhanced, and Premium are Bluehost’s three dedicated hosting plans. Prices range from $89.99 to $119.88 each month.
Bluehost’s dedicated hosting plans include the following features:
Multi-server administration allows you to add multiple VPS, Shared, or Dedicated hosting services to your account and manage them all from one location
Everything from the operating system to Apache can be accessed and controlled by unmanaged servers
cPanel has been improved to allow you to manage your websites, domains, emails, resources, and more from a single area
Mirroring your data in RAID storage enhances security and protection
Full root access is an optional feature that offers you unrestricted ability to perform custom installs and other tasks
Each new plan includes one year of domain registration
TipTip: You should choose the Plus plan with a 3-year subscription to obtain the best deal with Bluehost. Although the first payment is more extensive, you will save money over time.
Bluehost provides a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can get a full refund if you cancel your hosting package during the first 30 days. You will receive a full refund on your hosting service only if you cancel within 30 days.
HostGator Pricing Plans
With shared hosting starting at $3.75/month, HostGator is less expensive than Bluehost. HostGator provides shared virtual private server, dedicated, and WordPress hosting. Let’s take a look at what HostGator has to offer.
Shared Hosting Plans
Shared hosting is typically advised for new websites because it is the most cost-effective method to get started. Hatchling, Baby, and Business are HostGator’s three shared hosting plans.
Prices range from $3.75 to $6.25 per month. You’ll get:
WordPress installs in a single click
Website migration from WordPress to cPanel is free
Unlimited bandwidth
SSL certificate for free
Free domain
In addition, the Business plan includes a free dedicated IP address, free SEO tools, and a free domain.
VPS Hosting Plans
VPS hosting is recommended for sophisticated users that require the installation of particular programs or software that are not available on shared hosting.
HostGator has three VPS hosting plans: Snappy 2000, Snappy 4000, and Snappy 8000. You’ll receive up to 240 GB of SSD storage, and up to 8 GB RAM.
Dedicated hosting is the best option for websites with a high volume of visitors (traffic) or custom requirements you cannot meet in a shared hosting environment.
HostGator has three dedicated hosting plans: Value, Power, and Enterprise Server. Prices range from $89.99 to $139.99 per month.
You’ll receive:
All dedicated servers are hosted in a Tier 3 data center in the United States
You have the option of having HostGator administer your server entirely or partially
Up to 2 TB HDD or 1 TB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth
You’ll have complete control over your server settings
WordPress Hosting Plans
Starter, Standard, and Business are HostGator’s three WordPress hosting plans.
Prices range from $4.50 to $13.95 per month.
Customers can get a refund from HostGator if they terminate their services. This policy pertains to the 30-day money-back promise, as cancellations after that time are rarely refunded. You may be eligible for a prorated refund if you have prepaid services.
And the Winner Is HostGator
When it comes to pricing, HostGator comes out on top. HostGator is much less expensive than Bluehost and other HostGator competitors while providing comparable resources. There’s no point in looking for HostGator alternatives since HostGator is clearly, the cheapest solution.
ImportantImportant: Bluehost and HostGator both do not provide server location options. Their private servers are based in the United States and will function best for North American audiences.
Bluehost Uptime & Speed Test
In comparison to HostGator, Bluehost proved to be the slower platform.
Pingdom Test of Sydney, Australia showed the slowest load speed of 5.97 seconds.
A GTmetrix test of Vancouver, Canada showed the fastest load speed of 1.2 seconds.
PageSpeed Insights Test
PageSpeed Insights Test that showed a loading speed of 2.3 seconds, with time to interact of 4.0 seconds.
Bluehost have a good track record with 99.99 percent uptime. Because no web host can guarantee 100 percent uptime, 99.99 percent is an impressive achievement. It equals to only one hour and 45 minutes of downtime yearly.
HostGator Uptime & Speed Test
In all of our testing, HostGator outperformed Bluehost.
Pingdom Test of Sydney, Australia showed the slowest loading time of 3.99 seconds.
GTmetrix test showed performance the fastest loading time of 1.5s, which is outstanding.
NoteNote: HostGator claims a 99.99 percent uptime. If your downtime is less, you will receive a one-month credit on your bill.
PageSpeed Insights Test
PageSpeed Insights Test showed a loading speed of 2.2 seconds, and the time to interact 2.8 seconds, which is much better than Bluhost.
And the Winner Is HostGator
HostGator is better than Bluehost! In the category of “Website Performance,†HostGator comes out on top as the fastest provider.
Most users have reported that the customer service is beneficial when they require instant assistance. There’s a reasonable probability that you’ll be connected to Bluehost’s Live Chat system within five minutes of waiting.
You don’t have to worry about time zones because its entire support base is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bluehost also provides phone and email assistance with varying wait times.
You can always explore an extensive knowledge base, which contains many FAQs, videos, in-depth articles, and support resources on everything web hosting.
HostGator Customer Support
You can contact HostGator via email, live chat, or phone if you have any problems with their service.
You can also receive a rapid response by using the live chat option. If you prefer email, write an email to HostGator outlining your problem, and you will receive a response as quickly as possible.
The HostGator Knowledge Base is another excellent resource for finding answers to your questions.
Their extensive knowledge collection includes how-to manuals, valuable articles, and a FAQ area.
HostGator
While I didn’t have the best experience with customer support from either HostGator or Bluehost, I consider HostGator as the winner due to their accessible video tutorials, which are especially useful for users with limited technical knowledge.
Bluehost walks you through an automatic WordPress installation and setup when you first log in.
After the installation, you’ll see all your websites in the dashboard’s homepage displays.
The user interfaces are simple, uncluttered, and easy to use. The left-side menu has many valuable features, such as:
In the “My Sites†option, you can manage existing websites and access individual site administration panels
The “Marketplace†allows you to add new services or features, such as WordPress, alternative CMSs, website builders, email marketing choices, and WordPress themes and plugins.
Manage and access email accounts – the “Email & Office†menu item gives you access to both settings and mailboxes.
“Domains†allows you to manage domain names, including adding and purchasing new ones and subdomains.
Under the “Advanced†menu, you can go to cPanel.
Most users won’t need to learn cPanel because all the capabilities are accessible from the main menu.
You can do everything from logging onto your WordPress dashboard to configuring your CDN using this interface. And Bluehost allowins you to turn on Cloudflare CDN with only two clicks.
Bluehost offers a backup mechanism that runs on all of its servers regularly to safeguard the data of the websites it hosts. However, even with Bluehost’s backup, there is still a chance that your site will lose data. Luckily, you can create a backup of your WordPress site and files in just a few clicks.
HostGator Ease-Of-Use
HostGator sets up your website for you, so the main user interface is the first thing you see when you log in. The dashboard of HostGator is a little more business-like than Bluehost’s, with a less inviting appearance.
Click “Install WordPress†to install a CMS, “Email Accounts†to add a professional email account, and “SSL Management†to see if SSL was automatically installed.
These are the most common activities that every website owner must complete, and HostGator has made them all very simple.
HostGator also provides a website management area, although it isn’t as robust as Bluehost’s.
HostGator likewise has a cPanel that is very basic in appearance. Aside from that, you’ll find all the usual suspects — file management, email settings, databases, and utilities like PHP manager – in there.Overall, HostGator provides a more standard-looking cPanel that is simple to use.
Unlike HostGator competitors, the automatic backup service runs once a week on a random day, overwriting any prior backups. At any given time, just one week’s worth of backups is stored. Depending on the hosting account, the parameters of the backup policy differ.
And the Winner Is HostGator
When it comes to user interfaces and convenience of use, HostGator is a step forward. It offers a more user-friendly interface, a cleaner control panel, and a website builder that can save you a lot of time and effort.
Bluehost provides a solid complementary security solution. However, more comprehensive protection is suggested by purchasing add-ons like CodeGuard and SiteLock, which better secure your site from hackers and constantly take care of your site’s backups.
The following are some of the top security plugins for your Bluehost site:
Free SSL certificate
Free SSH
Password-protected directories
Email and user account filters
Cloudflare
Three anti-spam tools you can choose from – Apache SpamAssassin, Spam Hammer, and Spam Experts
HostGator Privacy and Security
HostGator provides the fundamentals of web security, but it also includes some security enhancements for its customers, including:
Free SSL certificate
Server monitoring
DDoS protection
Automatic backups
Malware scans
Free SSH
NoteNote: HostGator not only provides the essentials of web security, such as SSL certificates, but it also includes a specialized firewall that guards against DDoS attacks. However, you’ll need to pay for third-party programs like SiteLock and CodeGuard essential if you want more reliable online protection and backup.
ImportantImportant: Automatic backups are not included with either Bluehost or HostGator, although they can be purchased separately as third-party software. Therefore, considering the Bluehost alternatives or HostGator alternatives is acceptable in this case since automatic backups are essential in hosting service.
And the Winner Is Bluehost
Both hosting providers give SSL certificates and two-factor authentication for enhanced account security, but I’d choose Bluehost because it offers three anti-spam technologies.
If your web hosting provider only offers servers in the United States, your website may operate poorly for users from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.
If your provider has additional server locations and data centers worldwide, your website’s overall performance, availability, and speed will improve for all visitors.
Bluehost Server Location
The primary and secondary Bluehost data centers and the most popular ones are in the United States. Bluehost does not mention the location of their servers anywhere on their website and doesn’t give additional information on whether they’re planning to have servers worldwide.
NoteNote: Bluehost does not allow you to change or select your server location. It is not possible to set it during the registration process or afterward.
HostGator Server Location
The majority of HostGator’s servers are located in the United States. You can turn on Cloudflare to transport your traffic through an extra 23 data centers worldwide.
NoteNote: You have no control over the data center your server is hosted. Furthermore, customers are not permitted access to HostGator’s data centers.
And the Winner Is HostGator
HostGator is better than Bluehost! HostGator’s servers, based in the United States, have a more reliable Tier 4 accreditation (along with 99.9% uptime).
HostGator is one of the most popular web hosting providers in the market, and you should choose it if you’re looking for:
If you’re creating and building a small company website that’s entirely based in the United States
For organizations that require an average level of service without too many complex bells and whistles
You want to focus more on developing your online business instead of worrying about technical things like uptime and website performance
HostGator
HostGator’s hosting reputation is undisputed. Their array of shared, private, and powerful website builders is why so many people select them. Their global reach and cutting-edge tools ensure organizations and people get the finest performance and scalability.
Bluehost is an excellent hosting service that you should choose if you’re looking for:
If you’re a WordPress user, Bluehost provides a straightforward set up, and a user-friendly WordPress website builder
If you’re a non-technical user, Bluehost’s cPanel makes managing and controlling multiple websites a breeze.
Bluehost provides immediate and dependable customer service, giving you a peace of mind
Bluehost
In the dynamic web hosting sector, BlueHost shines. Their WordPress-centric, open-source philosophy offers adaptability and performance. BlueHost provides adaptability and ease for beginners and specialists in shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting.
HostArmada focuses on speed, security, and reliability and offers features like SSD storage, free website migration, daily backups, and a user-friendly control panel.
ChemiCloud’s hosting services include SSD storage for faster website performance, a free domain name for the first year, a 45-day money-back guarantee, and easy WordPress installation.
Both Bluehost and HostGator are popular hosts, and a comparative comparison of the two hosts may leave you bewildered. Bluehost, however, captured the title by winning a few more significant categories. Small-to-medium business websites, as well as first-time users, will benefit the most from the service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does HostGator have SEO?
HostGator offers SEO tools and services as part of its hosting packages. These tools are designed to help improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. They include features for keyword optimization, analyzing your website’s SEO performance, and providing recommendations for improvements.
Is HostGator better than Wix?
hoosing between HostGator and Wix depends on your specific needs. HostGator is suited for a broader range of website requirements, while Wix excels in user-friendly design and simplicity.
Do Bluehost, and HostGator offer any free website migrations?
Yes, free website migrations are available from both providers. If you request the transfer within 30 days of signing up, HostGator will transfer your site for free from another provider. WordPress websites can use Bluehost’s migration service.
Are website builders included with Bluehost and HostGator?
Yes. Both providers include a free website builder. Both builders are simple to use, straightforward, and provide all of the essential features you’ll need to start your first website.
HostAdvice.com provides professional web hosting reviews fully independent of any other entity. Our reviews are unbiased, honest, and apply the same evaluation standards to all those reviewed.While monetary compensation is received from a few of the companies listed on this site, compensation of services and products have no influence on the direction or conclusions of our reviews. Nor does the compensation influence our rankings for certain host companies.This compensation covers account purchasing costs, testing costs and royalties paid to reviewers.
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