HostGator and BlueHost are two of the most popular web hosting providers on the market. Check out our reviews of both.
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January 22, 2023
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HostGator and Bluehost are considered two of the best web hosting providers on the market today. Each provides an affordable means of hosting your website on a reliable server with a solid customer support team to back it up. So how do you decide which one to use?
According to our research of these two web hosting providers, Bluehost is just slightly better than HostGator thanks to a wider range of plans and more comprehensive shared hosting plans. Bluehost is a bit more expensive though (although regular Bluehost discounts often make up for this), so it’s worth taking a look at each of them in a bit more details to make the decision clear.
So how did we rank these web hosting providers? Take a look at our thorough comparison below and you’ll get a better idea of exactly how we matched up these two services.
HostGator vs Bluehost – Head to Head
To be clear, both of these web hosting providers are excellent options for any number of individuals and organizations. They do, however, have a wide range of differences, ranging from plans to features available. Give this basic comparison a glance, then continue on for a more in-depth look at the two of them side by side.
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Plan name
Score
Verdict
Starting Price
Type
SSL Certificate
An SSL Certificate allows for more secure connections from a server to a browser
Sites included
Email account
Dedicated IP Addresses
Up Time Performance
See Deals
Bluehost
HostGator
Starter
Baby
4.5
4.0
A feature-rich, cost-effective hosting service with lots of plans
HostGator vs Bluehost – Which Hosting Provider Is Best?
Picking a web hosting service can be difficult due to the wide range of features, plans, and types of hosting available between each one. Doing thorough research is the best way to guarantee you’ve got the right service for you.
As we’ve mentioned, both of these web hosting providers will more than get the job done; they’ll provide an easy-to-use service that will have you website online in no time. Bluehost, however, does hold the edge, for a few key reasons:
Bluehost provides a wide range of plans
Unlike HostGator, Bluehost service comes with a free domain
Excluding the Basic plan, Bluehost provides very generous storage options
HostGator is a bit cheaper, but has limited features
HostGator has better up time performance, but the difference is barely noticeable
Truthfully, these web hosting providers both have a stellar reputation for providing comprehensive 24/7 customer support for their users, so it’s hard to pick a winner in regards to that. But based on a select few differences, Bluehost itches out HostGator for which web hosting provider is best.
HostGator
Incredibly reliable
Highest possible up time performance
More affordable than Bluehost
Limited features
No free domain
Founded in Florida (obviously), HostGator is one of the most reliable web hosting providers on the market. With an up time percentage of 99.99%, you can’t really beat them in that regard. Plus, with a 24/7 customer support team, and comparatively low prices, it’s easy to see why HostGator is considered to be one of those companies at the top of the pack.
However, the low price compared to Bluehost is for good reason; they’re missing a few key features that are standard in web hosting plans. For one, they don’t provide a free domain, which is quite uncommon as far as web hosting providers are concerned. Additionally, they don’t provide free backup, which can seriously burden your storage resources.
Verdict: Simply put, HostGator is a great option. However, when stacked up against Bluehost, the slightly improved up time performance and lower price don’t really make up for the gaps in their features and their added costs for domains and backups.
Bluehost is typically considered one of the absolute best web hosting providers out there today. Their platform is comprehensive and full of features that make hosting a website easy and consistent. Plus, with generous storage and data options — outside the Basic plan that is — you’ll be able to scale your operation easily.
With four unique pricing plans instead of three, you’ll have more options as far as what kind of features you are willing to pay for. Plus, Bluehost comes with a free domain and free backups, so you won’t be spending your resources on necessary add-ons.
Verdict: You really can’t go wrong with Bluehost. It stacks up against all the best web hosting providers and performs admirably, and this matchup is no different. Yes, the price is a smidge higher compared to HostGator, but the benefits far outweigh that cost, if that is what you’re looking for.
BlueHost
4.5
A feature-rich, cost-effective hosting service with lots of plans
Both Bluehost and HostGator offer shared hosting plans within their platforms. And, according to our research, Bluehost has the edge on HostGator as far as this affordable option is concerned.
The two providers are actually quite similar within the shared hosting category, with both offering 24/7 customer support and generous storage options, particularly in their more expensive packages. HostGator does offer a bit more storage and monthly visitors.
However, Bluehost offers free domains and free backup with their shared hosting plan, which HostGator does not. Plus, with limited features, you’ll have less control of exactly how your website is hosted with HostGator, making the lower price not nearly as worth it.
Bluehost Shared Hosting Plans
For a full roundup of the various Shared hosting plans available from Bluehost, see our table below:
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Plan name
Starting Price
Money back guarantee
Sites included
Sub Domains
Email account
Monthly Visitor Limit
Disk Space
Plan verdict
Starter
Business
Ecommerce Essentials
$3.79 per month for 36-month term
$6.79 per month for 36-month term
$14.79 per month for 36-month term
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
10
50
100
25
Unlimited
Unlimited
5
Unlimited
Unlimited
~15,000
~200,000
~200,000
50GB
Unlimited
Unlimited
Simple, affordable plan for one site
Middle tier plan that adds security and backups
Unlimited feature plan for big companies
Hostgator Shared Hosting Plans
We feel Bluehost’s shared hosting lans have the edger on Hostgator’s shared hosting. But, it’s a close run thing – check out some of the features and prices of each shared hosting plan available from Hostgator, below:
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Plan name
Starting Price
Money back guarantee
Sites included
Monthly Visitor Limit
Disk Space
Plan verdict
Hatchling
Baby
Business
$10.99 ($3.75/mo for first year)
$16.49 ($4.50/mo for first year)
$21.99 ($6.25/mo for first year)
45 Days
45 Days
45 Days
10
20
50
“Ideal” for 40K
“Ideal” for 50K
“Ideal” for 200K
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
Very affordable plan, even for a starter
Popular middle-of-the-road plan for medium-sized businesses
Large business plan with lots of free add-ons
Best for VPS Hosting – Bluehost
Bluehost and HostGator both also offer VPS hosting, which is a slightly more expensive and more reliable means of hosting your website. Again, because of their feature flaws and price points, HostGator just can’t compete with Bluehost.
For one, HostGator’s VPS hosting plan still suffers all the same flaws as the shared hosting plan, namely the lack of a free domain. Yes, the up time is still impressive, but it hardly makes up for all these added costs.
Additionally, the VPS hosting plan is a significant jump in price, making it more expensive than Bluehost’s similar plan. This means you’re getting less for more, and that’s hard to justify when you’re trying to save resources. You do get a bit more storage with HostGator compared to Bluehost, but the sizes are large enough that it won’t matter as much down the line.
Bluehost VPS Hosting Plans
Bluehost has a large range of VPS hosting plans to choose between, also. See our table below for a comparison of their prices and features:
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Plan name
Starting Price
Money back guarantee
Email account
Dedicated IP Addresses
Available RAM
Storage
Bandwidth
Allowed Domains/Websites
CPU Cores
Plan verdict
Standard NVME 4
Enhanced NVME 8
Ultimate NVME 16
$46.99 per month for 36-month term
$65.99 per month for 36-month term
$94.99 per month for 36-month term
30 Days
30 Days
30 Days
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
1
1
1
4GB
8GB
16GB
100GB NVMe
200GB NVMe
450GB NVMe
Unmetered
Unmetered
Unmetered
Unlimited
Unlimited
N/A
2
4
8
Entry level plan for limited needs
Recommended plan for medium-sized businesses
Robust, expensive plan for large projects
Hostgator VPS Hosting Plans
If you’re after quality VPS hosting, Hostgator is a solid choice hosting provider. You can compare Hostgator’s VPS plans in our table, below:
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Plan name
Starting Price
Money back guarantee
Available RAM
Storage
Bandwidth
Allowed Domains/Websites
CPU Cores
Plan verdict
Snappy 2000
Snappy 4000
Snappy 8000
$53.99 ($34.99/mo for first year)
$83.99 ($53.99/mo for first year)
$128.99 ($82.99/mo for first year)
45 Days
45 Days
45 Days
4GB
8GB
16GB
100GB
200GB
450GB
Unmetered
Unmetered
Unmetered
Unlimited
Unlimited
Unlimited
2
4
8
Affordable start plan for VPS hosting
Recommended middle ground plan for any business
Reserved for large companies with pressing hosting needs
Best Range of Plans – HostGator
When it comes to web hosting, there are a lot of different options, features, plans, and types that you need to consider. With your business, finding the right one is key, and the best way to do that is to have options. And if you’re looking for options, HostGator has got them.
While Bluehost has an additional plan within their shared hosting platform, HostGator has them beat on types of hosting you can take advantage of. Their cloud hosting service in particularly sets them apart and opens the door for a less nailed-down server plan for your website.
Best Customer Support – Tie
Simply put, both of these web hosting providers have stellar customer support teams. Both work 24/7 to make sure their users are happy. With live phone, live chat, and ticket systems, you’ll be able to reach a real human being easily without jumping through a lot of hoops.
Additionally, each web hosting provider comes with a knowledge center filled with informative documents, virtual training courses, and wide range of other helpful tools to better understand your web hosting needs.
Final Verdict – HostGator vs Bluehost
Truthfully, it’s a close one, but Bluehost takes the crown by a hair. Their plentiful catalog of features combined with their low prices across all their plans makes for the best option for your growing business right now. Follow this link if you’re interested in getting discounted prices for Bluehost deals.
Sure, HostGator offers a wider range of plans, but remember, you’ll be without those helpful features, and paying a bit more for premium plans, particularly with costs like backups and domains adding up. Check out the discounted prices if you’re interested in HostGator now.
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Written By
Conor Cawley
Conor is the Lead Writer for Tech.co. For the last eight years, he’s covered everything from tech news and product reviews to digital marketing trends and business tech innovations. He’s a feature, reviews, and news contributor for Android Police, and he has hosted tech-focused events for SXSW, Tech in Motion, and General Assembly, to name a few. He also cannot pronounce the word “colloquially” correctly.
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