In the world of web hosting, two major players have consistently stood out for their outstanding service and performance: Bluehost and HostGator.
In fact when Jo & I started our online lifestyle businesses back in 2010, our first web host was Hostgator, and we were with them for years. Nowadays there are so many great hosts to choose from, it can be tough knowing who to trust your online presence with.
That’s why I’ve created this Bluehost vs Hostgator review, to help you navigate the information available and choose the best host for yourself.
Quick Takeaways:
- Market Presence and Performance: Both Bluehost and HostGator are renowned for their reliable uptime and responsive customer support, with Bluehost hosting over 2 million websites and HostGator closely following.
- Ease of Use: Both platforms are beginner-friendly, featuring cPanel for easy website management and one-click installations for popular CMS like WordPress.
- Hosting Types and Pricing: They offer various hosting plans including shared, VPS, dedicated, and managed WordPress hosting, with Bluehost known for its fast servers and HostGator for its affordability.
- Security Measures: Both hosts provide robust security features like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, and malware scanning, ensuring website safety.
- Customer Support and Services: Bluehost and HostGator are known for their efficient customer support, offering 24/7 live chat, phone, and email support, along with extensive knowledge bases.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Comparison Overview
Bluehost and HostGator are renowned for their reliable uptime, responsive customer support, and user-friendly experience. Over the years, they have gained a significant following among website owners, with Bluehost currently hosting over 2 million websites and HostGator right behind them.
Performance-wise, both companies boast impressive uptime and fast page load times, which are crucial factors in providing a seamless user experience on your website.
Start Your Website Today!
- Free Domain for 1st Year
- Free SSL Certificate Included
- 1-Click WordPress Install
- Expert 24/7 Support
- Secure reliable hosting
Powering over 2 million websites and recommended as the No 1 hosting platform by Wordpress. Get started today with their special intro price!
Starting at $2.95/mo*
Regularly $10.99 12/mo term
*Special intro offer and 30-day money-back guarantee
Popularity and Market Share
Both Bluehost and HostGator are well-known web hosting companies with a large market presence. Bluehost is often hailed as a primary choice for those looking to host a WordPress site, while HostGator is considered an affordable option for users on a budget. In terms of market share, both companies hold significant portions of the web hosting industry:
- Bluehost: As of 2023, Bluehost reportedly has over 2 million websites hosted on their platform.
- HostGator: HostGator is estimated to be hosting around 1.3 million websites.
Endurance International Group (EIG) Connection
An important aspect to note when comparing Bluehost and HostGator is their connection to the Endurance International Group (EIG). EIG is a large corporation that owns numerous web hosting brands. Both Bluehost and HostGator are part of the EIG family, which could impact their operational strategies, pricing models, and user support.
While the EIG connection might be a source of concern for some users, overall, Bluehost and HostGator maintain their own unique features and services, creating their distinct offerings to customers.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Ease of Use
When comparing Bluehost and Hostgator, it’s important to consider how easy both web hosting platforms are for users, especially those who may be new to web hosting. Both Bluehost and Hostgator offer beginner-friendly experiences, making it simple to get started with website hosting.
One feature that contributes to the ease of use for both platforms is the inclusion of cPanel as their control panel. cPanel is a popular control panel option in the web hosting industry, known for its simplicity and user-friendly interface. This allows users to manage their websites, domains, and databases with relative ease.
In terms of installation, both Bluehost and Hostgator offer one-click installations for popular content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. This enables users to get their websites up and running quickly and with minimal technical knowledge required.
Features provided by both hosts:
- cPanel control panel
- One-click installations for popular CMS
When choosing between Bluehost and Hostgator, it’s crucial to consider their respective performance and reliability.
- Bluehost is known for its fast servers and provides a reliable uptime, allowing your website to load quickly for visitors.
- Hostgator also has a reputation for strong uptime and performance, though some users have reported slower site speeds compared to Bluehost.
Ultimately, both Bluehost and Hostgator offer effective, beginner-friendly options for website hosting. The use of cPanel as a control panel and the inclusion of one-click installations for popular CMS ensures that users can navigate the platforms with ease. Although both hosts deliver satisfactory performance and reliability, potential speed differences should be factored into your decision-making process.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Hosting Types and Plans
Shared Hosting Plans
Bluehost and HostGator both offer a variety of shared hosting plans suitable for different users. Shared hosting is the most basic and affordable type of hosting where multiple websites share a single server’s resources.
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Basic | $2.95/month | 1 Website, 10 GB SSD Storage, Unmetered Bandwidth |
| HostGator | Hatchling | $2.75/month | 1 Website, 10GB Disk Space, Unmetered Bandwidth |
VPS Hosting
Virtual Private Servers (VPS) are an upgrade from shared hosting, providing more resources and scalability. Both hosting providers offer a range of VPS plans:
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Standard | $29.99/month | 2 Cores, 30 GB SSD Storage, 2 GB RAM, 1 TB Bandwidth |
| HostGator | Snappy 2000 | $23.95/month | 2 Cores, 120 GB Disk Space, 2 GB RAM, Unmetered Bandwidth |
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated hosting is the most powerful option where you get a full server to your website. It is ideal for high-traffic and resource-intensive websites.
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Standard | $89.98/month | 4 Cores, 500 GB Storage, 4 GB RAM, 5 TB Bandwidth |
| HostGator | Value | $89.98/month | 4 Cores, 1 TB HDD Storage, 8 GB RAM, Unmetered Bandwidth |
Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress hosting provides optimized hosting specifically for WordPress websites, with added benefits like automatic updates and backups.
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Basic | $2.95/month | 1 Website, 10 GB SSD Storage, Unmetered Bandwidth, Auto WP Install |
| HostGator | Starter Plan | $5.95/month | 1 Website, 100k visits/month, Unmetered Bandwidth, Free Migration |
WooCommerce Hosting
WooCommerce hosting is designed for online stores using the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress. This type of hosting comes with pre-installed WooCommerce and additional e-commerce features.
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Starter | $9.95/month | 1 Online Store, 100 GB SSD Storage, Storefront Theme, WooCommerce Pre-installed |
| HostGator | Not Available |
Cloud Hosting
Cloud hosting is a modern hosting solution that utilizes multiple servers, ensuring stability and scalability. Currently, only HostGator provides cloud hosting plans:
| Provider | Plan Name | Price (Starting From) | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| HostGator | Hatchling | $4.95/month | Single Domain, 2 GB RAM, 2 Cores, Unmetered Bandwidth and Storage |
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Performance and Uptime
When comparing Bluehost and HostGator, performance and server uptime are crucial factors for users. Here, we’ll discuss both aspects for both web hosting services.
Bluehost is well-known for its performance and delivers consistent server uptime. It guarantees a 99.9% uptime, which is essential for businesses and websites relying on uninterrupted online presence. Bluehost servers are built on a robust infrastructure, ensuring fast load times and swift server response time. Their data centers include high-performance servers, which efficiently handle traffic without causing downtime.
HostGator also performs well in terms of uptime and guarantees a 99.9% uptime for its users. They have invested in high-quality server hardware, ensuring load times and server response times remain optimal even during peak hours. Their data centers are equipped with the necessary equipment to maintain the reliability of their services.
| Hosting Service | Uptime Guarantee | Server Response Time | Load Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | 99.9% | Fast | Fast |
| HostGator | 99.9% | Fast | Fast |
Both Bluehost and HostGator excel in terms of performance, offering reliable services through their infrastructure and server uptime. Users can trust that their websites will be supported and run optimally through either provider.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Security Features
Bluehost and HostGator are both known for their security measures, ensuring the safety and integrity of users’ websites.
Bluehost Security Features:
- SSL Certificates: All plans come with a free SSL certificate, encrypting the connection between the website and its visitors.
- DDoS Protection: Bluehost employs advanced DDoS protection to safeguard your site from potential attacks.
- Firewall: The hosting provider has a strong built-in firewall preventing unauthorized access.
- CodeGuard: Optional CodeGuard addon as daily website backups BlueHost provides and with a one-click restore option.
- Malware Scanning: Bluehost periodically scans for malware detection and removal.
HostGator Security Features:
- SSL Certificates: Similar to Bluehost, HostGator offers free SSL certificates with every hosting plan.
- DDoS Protection: HostGator implements robust DDoS protection, ensuring your website’s uptime and availability.
- Firewall: The built-in firewall feature in HostGator ensures that unauthorized access remains blocked.
- CodeGuard: HostGator also offers the optional CodeGuard addon as a part of their security package, providing daily backups and easy restoration.
- Malware Scanning: HostGator’s SiteLock addon examines your website for malware, automatically removing it when found.
In terms of security features, both Bluehost and HostGator provide strong protection against cyber threats. Their security measures include free SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewalls, and optional addons for additional layers of security.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Customer Support
Both Bluehost and HostGator are well-known for their customer support offerings, as both companies strive to provide timely and efficient assistance to their clients.
Bluehost provides multiple customer support channels, including:
- 24/7 live chat
- Phone support
- Email support
- Knowledge base
Bluehost’s support staff is known for their professionalism and dedication to helping customers. The 24/7 live chat feature ensures that clients can get immediate assistance at any time, while phone support provides a more personalized touch.
HostGator, on the other hand, offers its customers the following support options:
- 24/7 live chat
- Phone support
- Email support
- Extensive knowledge base
Just like Bluehost, HostGator’s support team is available around the clock to assist clients with any issues or inquiries they may have. HostGator’s knowledge base is particularly comprehensive, covering a wide range of topics to help users resolve any potential problems.
In terms of response times, both Bluehost and HostGator aim to provide fast and efficient assistance. While response times may vary depending on the specific issue at hand, customers of both hosting providers can generally expect a swift resolution to their queries.
Overall, it’s evident that both Bluehost and HostGator prioritize customer satisfaction by offering a variety of support channels for their clients. The 24/7 availability of their support teams and the wealth of resources found in their respective knowledge bases demonstrate their ongoing commitment to providing top-notch customer service.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Website Builders and Integration
Bluehost and HostGator both offer website builders and integration options for their customers. However, the Hostgator website builder is no longer available for shared hosting plans. With Bluehost, users can enjoy the convenience of the Bluehost Builder, an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop builder that allows you to quickly create a professional-looking website.
Both Bluehost and HostGator support WordPress integration. This means that if you’d like to use WordPress as your content management system, you can easily install it on either hosting platform. Bluehost even offers a one-click WordPress installation feature, streamlining the process and making it simpler for beginners.
In terms of website migration, both Bluehost and HostGator provide options for users who wish to transfer their existing websites to their hosting platforms. HostGator offers free website migration, which includes the transfer of one website, one email account, and one domain registration. Bluehost, however, does not offer free website migration services. Instead, it charges a fee for website transfers.
To sum up the features of each platform, consider the following points:
Bluehost:
- Bluehost Builder for easy website creation
- One-click WordPress installation
- No free website migration services
HostGator:
- Gator Website Builder no longer available for shared hosting plans
- Supports WordPress integration
- Free website migration for one site, email, and domain
In conclusion, both Bluehost and HostGator provide website builders and integration options that cater to different user preferences. While Bluehost offers a one-click WordPress installation feature, HostGator provides a free website migration service, which can be an appealing feature for users looking to move their site to a new hosting provider.
Bluehost vs. HostGator: Pricing and Money-Back Guarantees
Bluehost and HostGator offer a variety of plans to cater to different website needs. Their pricing structures are quite competitive in the market.
Bluehost Pricing:
Bluehost offers four shared hosting plans:
- Basic: $2.95/month (1 website, 10 GB SSD storage)
- Plus: $5.45/month (unlimited websites, 20GB SSD storage)
- Choice Plus: $5.45/month (unlimited websites, 40GB SSD storage, domain privacy and protection)
- Pro: $13.95/month (unlimited websites, 100GB SSD storage, domain privacy and protection, optimized CPU resources)
All Bluehost shared hosting plans provide a free domain name for your first year.
HostGator Pricing:
HostGator has three shared hosting plans:
- Hatchling Plan: $2.75/month (1 website, 10GB Disk space, unmetered bandwidth)
- Baby Plan: $3.50/month (unlimited website, 40GB Disk space, unmetered bandwidth)
- Business Plan: $6.25/month (unlimited websites, unmetered disk space, free dedicated IP address, free SEO tools)
In addition to their shared hosting plans, HostGator also offers a free domain name for the first year.
Money-Back Guarantees:
In terms of money-back guarantees, both Bluehost & Hostgator provide a 30-day money-back guarantee for their hosting plans. This means that if you’re not satisfied with their service within the first 30 days, you can cancel your account and request a full refund.
It’s important to note that the money-back guarantees for both Bluehost and HostGator do not cover domain registrations. However, the free domain names provided with their plans are still an attractive offer for new customers.
Extras and Additional Features
Bluehost and HostGator both offer various extras and advanced features to their users. We will discuss the most relevant ones in this section.
- Domain name registration: Both Bluehost & Hostgator provide a free domain name for the first year with their yearly hosting plans.
- Privacy: Both companies provide domain privacy protection as an extra feature for an additional fee, which helps protect your personal information from being publicly available through WHOIS records.
- Windows hosting: Neither Bluehost nor HostGator offers Windows-based hosting. Both providers offer Linux hosting with cPanel as the control panel.
- Loading speed: Bluehost and HostGator are known for their fast loading speeds to ensure a seamless website experience. Both providers have data centers strategically located to optimize loading speeds for multiple geographic locations.
| Provider | Data Center Locations |
|---|---|
| Bluehost | USA (Utah) |
| HostGator | USA (Texas) |
- SSH: Both Bluehost and HostGator provide SSH access in their plans, allowing users to manage their hosting environment securely.
- Automatic backup: Bluehost and HostGator offer automatic backups for certain plans. Bluehost performs daily, weekly, and monthly backups, while HostGator offers weekly backups. Keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to have additional methods for backing up your website.
- Cloudflare CDN and MaxCDN: Bluehost and HostGator offer Cloudflare CDN integration for free, which helps improve loading speeds by caching and delivering content from a server located close to the user. Additionally, HostGator supports MaxCDN, another popular content delivery network.
- Jetpack: Bluehost includes Jetpack integration in its managed WordPress hosting plans. Jetpack is a suite of powerful features for your WordPress site, including analytics, security, and social sharing tools. HostGator does not provide Jetpack integration, but you can manually install Jetpack on your WordPress site if desired.
In summary, both Bluehost and HostGator come with many extras and advanced features to enhance your website performance, security, and management experience. Consider these factors along with your specific needs when choosing between the two hosting providers.
Start Your Website Today!
- Free Domain for 1st Year
- Free SSL Certificate Included
- 1-Click WordPress Install
- Expert 24/7 Support
- Secure reliable hosting
Powering over 2 million websites and recommended as the No 1 hosting platform by Wordpress. Get started today with their special intro price!
Starting at $2.95/mo*
Regularly $10.99 12/mo term
*Special intro offer and 30-day money-back guarantee
Bluehost vs Hostgator: Summary
In comparing Bluehost and HostGator, both web hosting providers offer a range of similar features and services. They provide shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting plans with varying levels of resources and pricing.
- Performance: Both Bluehost and HostGator perform well when it comes to page load speeds and server uptime. However, Bluehost holds an edge in terms of server performance, offering faster servers to ensure an optimal user experience.
- Security: Both companies prioritize security and offer essential features, including SSL certificates, daily backups, and malware protection. Bluehost offers additional security features in some plans.
- Ease of Use: Both hosting providers offer intuitive control panels and one-click installations for popular applications. However, Bluehost incorporates its services seamlessly within the WordPress ecosystem, making it the preferred choice for WordPress users.
- Customer Support: Both Bluehost and HostGator provide 24/7 customer support through live chat, phone, and ticket support. Users have reported that Bluehost’s support staff is responsive and knowledgeable, while HostGator’s support can sometimes be less than optimal.
Considering the above factors, choosing between HostGator or Bluehost primarily depends on your specific needs and hosting requirements.
If you are a WordPress user or prioritize performance, Bluehost is an excellent choice. On the other hand, if you’re looking for budget-friendly hosting options, HostGator’s wide range of plans may suit your needs better.
HostGator vs Bluehost: FAQs
Which is better Bluehost or HostGator?
In the Bluehost vs HostGator comparison, it primarily depends on your specific needs. While Bluehost hosts more than 2 million websites and is often recognized for its robust performance, HostGator is known for its budget-friendly hostgator plans. Bluehost is slightly pricier than HostGator, but it offers comprehensive features and reliable backup options.
What’s better than HostGator?
When considering what’s better than HostGator, Bluehost often comes up as a great option, especially for those requiring advanced features and strong support for WordPress. However, the best web hosting service for you depends on your individual needs, such as specific hosting packages or price considerations.
Who is Bluehost best for?
Bluehost is best for users who need reliable, high-performance hosting with a range of features. It’s particularly suited for WordPress users, given Bluehost’s seamless integration and management tools on the Bluehost website.
Is Bluehost better than GoDaddy?
Comparing Bluehost with GoDaddy, Bluehost generally offers more specialized hosting services, especially for WordPress. While GoDaddy has a broader range of web services, Bluehost provides more focused and optimized hosting solutions.
How does email marketing integrate with Bluehost and HostGator?
For email marketing, both Bluehost and HostGator offer solutions that can integrate seamlessly with popular email marketing platforms. Bluehost’s hosting packages often come with email accounts that can be used for marketing purposes, while HostGator also provides easy integrations for email campaigns.
Are there any cost-effective shared hosting plans with prices for startups?
Yes, both Bluehost and HostGator offer shared hosting plans with prices that are ideal for startups and small businesses. These plans provide a balance between cost and performance, making them a sensible choice for businesses just starting out.
What are the key differences in Bluehost plans vs HostGator plans?
The key differences between Bluehost plans vs HostGator plans typically revolve around pricing, storage capacity, and additional features. Bluehost plans are slightly higher in price but offer comprehensive features and robust performance, while HostGator plans are more budget-friendly.
How to start a website with Bluehost or HostGator?
To start a website with Bluehost or HostGator, first choose the hosting plan that fits your needs. Both web hosts offer user-friendly interfaces and one-click installations for CMS like WordPress. Once you’ve selected your plan, you can use their website builders or CMS platforms to design and launch your website.