Liquid Web vs Hostgator (Jul 2024): Which Web Host Wins?

Liquid Web vs Hostgator: Discover The Best Choice

Comparison foxes

 2. Prices and Plans Comparison

 WordPress Hosting

 
Entry-Level
Spark: $21
Baby Plan: $3.28
Mid-Tier
Spark+: $43
Business Plan: $5.04
Advanced
Maker: $47.85
Pro Plan: $11.70
Premium
Designer: $54

 WordPress Hosting Entry-Level Plans

The Liquid Web Spark plan, which costs $21 per month, is designed for small websites and personal blogs. It includes managed WordPress hosting, automated upgrades, daily backups, free SSL certificates, and 24/7 Heroic Support. It has 15GB storage, 2TB bandwidth, 10 PHP workers per site, and 20 autoscaled PHP workers per site, and can support only one site.

In contrast, the HostGator Baby Plan costs $3.28 per month and includes unlimited domains, 20GB of SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth, free SSL, WordPress pre-installed, and Cloudflare CDN. It supports up to two websites.

 WordPress Hosting Mid-Tier Plans

The Liquid Web Spark+ plan, priced at $43/month, is meant for growing websites that require additional resources. It combines all Spark plan features with greater SSD storage and bandwidth.

The HostGator Business Plan costs $5.04 per month and features the Baby Plan plus a dedicated IP address, free SEO tools, and an upgrade to Positive SSL.

 WordPress Hosting Advanced Plans

The Liquid Web Maker plan comes at $47.85 per month. This plan is designed for larger websites that require excellent performance and has advanced features such as extra SSD storage, more bandwidth, and premium add-ons like greater security.

The HostGator Pro Plan, which costs $11.70 per month, has all of the Business Plan features plus greater CPU and memory, faster performance servers, and priority support.

 Premium Plans

The Liquid Web Designer plan, priced at $54 per month, focuses on resource-intensive websites and e-commerce platforms. It provides maximum SSD storage, bandwidth, powerful performance features, and top-tier support.

Liquid Web’s Designer plan is ideal for those who want huge resources and top-tier performance. HostGator does not provide a similar high-end alternative since its other plans are sufficient.

Dedicated Hosting

 
Entry-Level
INTEL E-2356G: $199
Value Server: $91.98
Mid-Tier
INTEL XEON GOLD 6226R: $299
Power Server: $121.88
Advanced
INTEL XEON GOLD 6226R Dual: $499
Enterprise Server: $141.99

 Dedicated Hosting Entry-Level Plans

The Liquid Web INTEL E-2356G plan costs $199 per month and is excellent for high-traffic sites, many websites, small apps, and resellers. It has a 6-core CPU at 3.2 GHz (5.0 Max Turbo), 32 GB of RAM, two 960 GB SSDs for primary storage, one 2 TB SSD for backup, 10 TB of bandwidth, and 500 GB of Acronis Cyber Backup.

The HostGator Value Server, on the other hand, is less expensive at $91.98 a month and offers a 4-core/8-thread Intel Xeon-D CPU, 8 GB RAM, a choice of 1 TB HDD or 512 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth. HostGator also provides free migration.

Dedicated Hosting Mid-Tier Plans

The Liquid Web XEON GOLD 6226R plan costs $299 per month. It features a 16-core CPU @ 2.9 GHz (3.9 Max Turbo), 64 GB RAM, 2 x 960 GB SSD for main storage, 1 x 4 TB SATA for backup, 10 TB bandwidth, and 500 GB of Acronis Cyber Backups.

In contrast, the HostGator Power Server costs $121.88 per month and includes an 8-core/16-thread Intel Xeon-D CPU, 16 GB RAM, a choice of 2 TB HDD or 512 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth. HostGator also provides free migration.

 Dedicated Hosting Advanced Plans

The Liquid Web XEON GOLD 6226R Dual plan comes at $499/month. It features a 32-core CPU at 2.9 GHz (3.9 Max Turbo), 128 GB RAM, 2 x 960 GB SSD for primary storage, 1 x 4 TB SATA for backup, 15 TB bandwidth, and 500 GB Acronis Cyber Backups.

In comparison, the HostGator Enterprise Server is $141.99/month and includes an 8-core/16-thread Intel Xeon-D CPU, 30 GB RAM, a choice of 2 TB HDD or 1 TB SSD for storage, and unmetered bandwidth. HostGator offers free migration as well.

VPS Hosting

 
Entry-Level
Essential: $20
Snappy 2000: $36.99
Mid-Tier
Advanced: $30
Snappy 4000: $53.99
Advanced
Professional: $40
Snappy 8000: $95.99
Premium
Elite: $50

 VPS Hosting Entry-Level Plans

The Liquid Web Essential plan comes at $20/month. It offers 2 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 40 GB SSD storage, and 10 TB bandwidth, and it runs on AlmaLinux.

The HostGator Snappy 2000 plan, priced at $36.99/month, comes with 2 GB RAM, 2 Core CPU, 120 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth with free migration.

 VPS Hosting Mid-Tier Plans

The Liquid Web Advanced subscription costs $30 per month and has 4 vCPUs, 4 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD storage, 10 TB bandwidth, and AlmaLinux. This plan is perfect for scaling websites and apps.

The HostGator Snappy 4000 plan, priced at $53.99 per month, has 4 GB RAM, a 2 Core CPU, 165 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth with free migration. HostGator’s plan offers higher storage space and unmetered bandwidth, appealing to consumers who want substantial storage and data transfer capabilities.

 VPS Hosting Advanced Plans

The Liquid Web Professional package costs $40 per month and contains 8 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 150 GB SSD storage, and 10 TB bandwidth. However, the HostGator Snappy 8000 plan costs $95.99 per month and includes 8 GB RAM, 4 Core CPUs, 240 GB SSD storage, and unmetered bandwidth with free migration.

 VPS Hosting Premium Plans

The Liquid Web Elite plan, at $50/month, offers 12 vCPU, 12 GB RAM, 200 GB SSD storage, and 10 TB bandwidth, and it operates on AlmaLinux. It’s designed for the most demanding applications and large-scale websites.

HostGator does not have a comparable premium VPS plan.

And the winner is HostGator!
HostGator matches Liquid Web hosting features while charging a fraction of Liquid Web hosting fees. Even after factoring in renewal rates, HostGator is still the more affordable option
Visit HostGator

 3. Website Performance Comparison (Uptime & Speed)

 
GT Metrix
16.5s
3.7s
PageSpeed Insights
98%
99%

 Liquid Web Uptime & Speed Test

Liquid Web has a good first-server response. It scored a 98% as evaluated by PageSpeed Insights, indicating a fast start in loading web pages. The entire load time, as measured by GT Metrix, is much longer, at 16.5 seconds.

 HostGator Uptime & Speed Test

According to GT Metrix, HostGator had an overall load time of 3.7 seconds. Whereas, the website performance is 99%. This is really impressive!

And the winner is HostGator!
The verdict from GTMetrix and Google’s PageSped Insights is clear: HostGator offers faster loading speeds and better performance.
Visit HostGator

 4. Customer Support Comparison: Who’s Got Your Back?

 
24/7 support
Yes
Yes
Phone Support
Yes
Yes
Live chat
Yes
Yes
Email Support
Yes
Yes
Ticket support
Yes
No
Forum Support
No
No
Video guides
No
Yes
Knowledgebase
Yes
Yes

 Liquid Web Customer Support

Liquid Web provides 24-hour customer service by live chat, phone, and email. The live chat service is responsive. During a test contact, Nina, the chat agent, replied and gave friendly support but took some time to react to each question. Despite this, the support was comprehensive and helpful.

 HostGator Customer Support

HostGator offers 24/7 customer service via live chat, phone, and email. The live chat service is very fast, with agent Prajwal who responded to inquiries in seconds. The enquiry went well, and the agent was professional and knowledgeable, offering useful responses to all inquiries.

The live chat interface is also easy to use, so customers can get the help they need without having to wait significant periods of time. This level of speed and competence demonstrates HostGator’s dedication to providing exceptional customer support and quick issue resolution.

And the winner is HostGator!
HostGator wins this round because its customer support agents offer prompt answers. The provider also offers video guides for people who prefer learning via visuals.
Visit HostGator

 5. Ease of Use Comparison: Which Platform Is Easier to Use?

 
Account management dashboard
Medium
Easy
Control panel
Medium
Easy
Setup process (Install OS)
Medium
Easy
Transfer an existing website
Medium
Easy
Creation of backups
Medium
Easy
Emails
Easy
Easy
Enable CloudFlare
Easy
Easy

 Liquid Web Ease of Use

Liquid Web provides a user-friendly experience. Its dashboard and control panel are functional and accessible. However, it’s not so easy to set up the operating system and migrate to an existing website. You may need some technical expertise and thorough guides from its customer support.

 HostGator Ease of Use

HostGator has a simple, intuitive account management dashboard and control panel, making it accessible even to newbies. The procedure of installing an operating system is easy and well-documented. This allows for a speedy and efficient installation. Likewise, transferring an existing website is extremely straightforward.

And the winner is HostGator!
HostGator makes it easy for anyone to set up a new website. Their free hands-on migration services ensure you can transfer your website in a breeze without having to do anything.
Visit HostGator

 6. Privacy and Security Comparison: Which Platform Is More Secure?

 
Free SSL certificate
Yes
Yes
DDoS protection
Yes
Yes
Cloudflare
Yes
Yes
Daily backups
Yes
Yes
Malware scans
Yes
Yes
SiteLock Security
Yes
Yes
WAF (Web Application Firewall)
Yes
Yes

 Liquid Web Privacy and Security

Liquid Web provides powerful security with features like DDoS protection, firewalls, and frequent security upgrades. They provide virus screening and free SSL certificates to help protect transactions. To secure sensitive client information, its VPS hosting includes encryption technology, tight access restrictions, and security audits.

 HostGator Privacy and Security

HostGator offers extensive security features like custom firewall rules, DDoS protection, and mod security rule sets. They provide WHOIS privacy to disguise personal information and protect user data with strong password enforcement and frequent software updates.

And the winner is Liquid Web!
While both providers offer strong security features, Liquid Web’s virus scanning, encryption technology, and regular audits make it the winner in this round.
Visit Liquid Web

 7. Server Locations Comparison

 Liquid Web Server Location

Liquid Web’s server is located across three regions: US Central in Lansing, Michigan; US West in Phoenix, Arizona; and EU Central in Amsterdam, Netherlands. These data centers are built with modern redundancy measures and are in compliance with leading industry standards, assuring dependable hosting services.

 HostGator Server Location

HostGator’s servers are located in Provo, Utah and Atlanta, Georgia. They also provide the option to use Cloudflare’s CDN technology, which extends content delivery across an additional 23 data centers internationally. This helps to boost performance and lower latency for a worldwide audience.

And the winner is Liquid Web!
When it comes to counting data soccer locations, Liquid Web wins by three to two. (However, HostGator is still a great choice since it delivers fast loading speeds worldwide)
Visit Liquid Web

 Liquid Web vs HostGator: Final Recommendations

 Why Choose Liquid Web?

Liquid Web
$5.00 /mo
Starting price
Visit Liquid Web
Rating based on expert review
  • User Friendly
    3.8
  • Support
    4.8
  • Features
    4.5
  • Reliability
    4.6
  • Pricing
    3.8

 When to Consider HostGator

HostGator
$3.75 /mo
Starting price
Visit HostGator
Rating based on expert review
  • User Friendly
    5.0
  • Support
    5.0
  • Features
    4.5
  • Reliability
    3.5
  • Pricing
    4.0

 The Bottom Line

Overall, HostGator wins, owing to its affordable cost, ease of use, and extensive features. The hosting provider offers a user-friendly experience with customizable plans and unlimited resources. It’s a great option for individuals and small and large organizations. HostGator’s comprehensive support, free site migration, and additional marketing credits give outstanding value and ease to customers of all levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is HostGator good for web hosting?

Yes, HostGator is a reliable web hosting provider. It is known for delivering low costs, 24-hour customer service, and versatile web hosting choices, including WordPress hosting and e-commerce.

Does Liquid Web own Nexcess?

No. The CloudOne Digital/One Equity Partners own the Nexcess and Liquid Web trademarks.

Can I transfer my existing website to HostGator for free?

Yes, you can transfer your existing website to HostGator for free.  

Which hosting provider is more affordable, Liquid Web or HostGator?

HostGator is more affordable than Liquid Web. 

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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