HostGator, a renowned name in the hosting world, brings forth a diverse suite of offerings, from shared to dedicated hosting solutions. Catering to a vast clientele, whether you're a budding blogger or a large enterprise, their expansive range of services, including a user-friendly website builder, ensures that your digital needs are met with expertise and precision.
In this brand review, I will share my experience as a web developer using HostGator. This review on HostGator hosting will focus on critical parameters such as customer support, hosting features, web performance, and pricing. I will also discuss ease of use for users without a tech background.
Founded in 2002 by Brent Oxley in Florida, HostGator quickly expanded, relocating to Texas by 2006 and launching its first international branch in Canada. Recognized for its rapid growth, it was acquired by Endurance International Group in 2012 for nearly $300 million. Since then, HostGator has solidified its global presence, catering to clients in regions like Brazil, Russia, and India.
HostGator’s comprehensive plan lineup, including shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting, is tailored to accommodate diverse web needs. From individual bloggers setting their first site to large corporations seeking robust performance, HostGator’s offerings provide a fitting solution for every digital journey.
HostGator’s reputation in the hosting community is quite diverse. On HostAdvice, they hold a rating of 3.7 based on 570 reviews, indicating some areas of improvement. However, Trustpilot paints a brighter picture with a commendable 4.3 rating garnered from a hefty 4,401 reviews. It’s worth noting that HostGator doesn’t have a BBB listing due to its non-U.S. origin, so potential users may need to weigh the existing feedback from these prominent platforms when considering their services.
From my experience, HostGator’s storied history and consistent service make it a top choice for webmasters seeking reliable and expansive hosting solutions.
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.
WHM/cPanel for easier server configuration and management
Navigation-friendly and intuitive website builder
Unlimited bandwidth for shared hosting plans
Great for anyone learning how to build a business website
Free SSL certificates and email accounts
Cons
Security features cost extra
Expensive renewal cost
Servers are only available in the US
Rating Breakdown
We use a standardized methodology to guide our web hosting provider ratings. Read more about the rating here.
Parameter
Score
Why did we give this score?
Prices
8.0
HostGator hosting plans are affordable. The extra features such as SSL certificates, website builder, and unlimited bandwidth make these plans worth every dollar. We scored the web host 8.0 because of the higher renewal prices.
Features
9.0
HostGator offers outstanding features, including customization options, free migration, beginner-friendly website builder, email accounts,and free SSL. We remove a point because they offer only US-based servers.
Performance
7.0
Hostgator gets only 7.0 for performance because of their industry average 99.9% uptime guarantee. We wish the provider had provided at least 99.95% uptime as other web hosts within its league.
User-friendly
10
HostGator gets full points for user-friendliness. It provides an easy-to-use control panel, many tutorials, and excellent customer support to assist its customers. Creating an account, setting up domains, and installing WordPress are easy.
Support
10
HostGator gets maximum points for customer support. They offer instant live chat support round the clock and are willing to assist with customer issues even on other review websites. Their agents are polite and solution-oriented.
Overall score
8.4
HostGator is an excellent provider. Their sterling qualities are customer support, user-friendliness, and feature-rich hosting plans. However, they must work on their low uptime guarantee and higher renewal prices.
HostGator Prices & Plans – 2023
HostGator offers fabulous entry prices on all its hosting services. These include cheap shared hosting plans, optimized WordPress solutions, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated server and reseller hosting. You can pay for hosting services via credit cards, PayPal, checks, money orders, and bank wires. They also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on their shared WordPress, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. However, there is no money-back guarantee for dedicated hosting, setup fees, or domain name purchases.
A shared hosting plan offers convenience and low prices. It is great for small brands, personal websites and beginners.
TipTip: The Business Plan offers more security tools and Cloudflare CDN. The Cloudflare CDN is beneficial if most of your target audience is outside North America.
Cloud hosting offers fast loading times, instant scalability, and better performance. It is perfect for growing websites and brands that experience regular traffic spikes.
TipTip: The Business Cloud option is the best here. It offers far more hosting resources at cost-effective pricing.
VPS hosting offers full customization, fast performance, and isolated hosting environment. It is perfect for developers, ecommerce websites, and fast growing sites.
TipTip: More resources translate to better server performance from a web developer’s perspective. However, unless you are hosting a resource-hungry website or application, you get good value for money with the Snappy 2000 plan.
Dedicated hosting provides the best web hosting experience, but it is expensive in terms of cost, server setup, and maintenance. It is the only option for mission-critical sites, international ecommerce sites, and large-scale web applications.
TipTip: The Enterprise Plan offers more processor power, RAM, and SSD storage for faster processing times and loading speeds.
Features
HostGator’s main features include a 99.9% uptime guarantee, a free SSL certificate, easy WordPress installs, and a free domain for a year. Other features include free website transfers, unmetered bandwidth, one-click installs, and 24/7 live chat support. One standout feature about HostGator is its easy-to-use website builder.
NoteNote: The site builder comes with limits depending on your plan. The highest plan has more features than the starter plan.
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.
HostGator offers decent speed and stability and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which means your website will be down for about 8-9 hours in 65 days. However, real-life testing shows up to 99.99% uptime which translates to just 5 minutes of downtime. Regarding average server response time, HostGator’s response time of 525ms falls in the midrange category of 400-700 ms. You can reduce the time with server optimization tools, Cloudflare CDN, or go for the VPS or dedicated server plans.
Level of Support
To assist with all hosting, billing, and technical issues, HostGator offers 24/7 live chat and phone support. They also provide a comprehensive knowledge base that answers almost any question you need.
While preparing my review, I checked out HostGator customer reviews. One recurring complaint was that the web host customer agents could not handle specific issues such as data backup. However, from my findings, HostGator’s support staff are experts in different areas. If you are willing to wait a while, someone with the proper knowledge will reach out to you.
Generally, I recommend using the knowledge base to get answers to any question you have. You might eventually have to use the support channel if the articles aren’t helpful.
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.
Let’s talk about how easy it is to set up an account and use HostGator web hosting services.
Registration
Registering an account with HostGator is straightforward. Choose the plan you want to use, and you will get a form to set up your account and hosting package.
Once you’ve signed in, you will arrive at the dashboard. This dashboard provides basic features like WordPress installation and Email Accounts.
HostGator Control Panel
HostGator uses the traditional cPanel skin with minor customization.
You can easily find all the advanced options that aren’t available on the dashboard. The cPanel provides options for setting up email accounts or managing domains and subdomains. You can also use it to install other content management systems.
Installing WordPress on HostGator
To install WordPress, click on the “Install WordPress” button in the Control Panel column and follow the prompt. You can install WordPress from cPanel, but it will redirect you to the same installation window. To install WordPress from the cPanel, click on the “WordPress” icon in the Software section.
TipTip: HostGator offers two ways of installing WordPress. Using the “Install WordPress” button in the Control Panel column is the best option while going through Marketplace > One-Click Installs will give you an outdated WordPress version.
TipTip: If you are hosting a WordPress website, go for the managed WordPress hosting plans. They have advanced security, WordPress-specific features, and a simplified control panel.
Add an email account with HostGator
HostGator offers free unlimited email accounts for all shared hosting plans. Just click on the “Email Accounts” button on your HostGator dashboard or the “Email Account” icon in the Email section in your cPanel. Click on the “Create” button, fill out the form, and you’re good to go.
Conclusion: Do We Recommend HostGator?
My experience with HostGator was pleasant all through. Their servers were straightforward to use, and the plans were well-priced. Of course, HostGator has flaws, but for basic web hosting, there is nothing to worry about. Its shared hosting plans, starting at $2.75/month, offer everything you need to create a website.
I recommend HostGator to beginners and those who want a simple-to-use hosting plan. You can set up your website and email accounts without using the cPanel. In addition, experienced users can also benefit from using HostGator. A web developer like me can carry out more advanced customizations thanks to the cPanel. Plus, customer support is available 24/7 and always eager to help.
Overall, HostGator is a reliable web hosting provider with affordable fees and an easy-to-use dashboard. The provider has no outstanding features but offers enough to complete the job.
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.
Excellent service from the staff . Happy to get my host from hostgator . Good flexible service especially when using the shared plan . I would recommend using it . Excellent host
We have to wait for half an hour each time to find someone to response on chatting, and finally nothing solved in our problem!! If you have an issue in your site and in need for support you will face with a very incurious team.
Hosting rarely down, but support take like 1h or 2h to reach
I am really frustrated with his hosting, I am using it quit long as they have a really up time and rarely down, but these last few times, when I have any issue that I need support urgently, I have to wait 1h or 2h for their support staff to reply my chat.
Host gator destroy my work, break my dream.. first they park my site cus there server down, with advertising to another competitors while i make a big campaign on facebook, so i lost my money and drive costumer to another site !!!! second , I never send email, or receive one , all their IP is blocked to privacy form yahoo, am sue they gain money from advertising so always your site will be down and with some adds to your competitors..
you cant make 404 page, always to there own page to drive your customer to them ... you cant see the page if its 403 error to determine the problem, also sent back to them ... you cant contact support , only as new customer ... if you contact them with the email registered on Cpanel you will always directed to FAQ or QA...
sales process - (you will be happy) setup process - (you will be happy) its the same cpanel / nothing special Up-scaling - (you get suspicious) you will mysteriously get some php infections. Up-scaling2 - (you loose all trust) apparently they sell the perfect solution to your problem.
General support - (you will begin to get upset) the waiting time, the usual we are sorry etc..
Your site is down - (you will freak out) they will park a page with links to your competitors, this drives your clients to the pages you definitely dont want them to visit. your competitors.
Support to serious issues - at this point for hostgator you are just one of the bunch, one of the millions of clients, the sale is already done. you will begin pulling your hair during almost every chat section speaking with level 1 ordinary individuals that know nothing.
Then one day you decide to migrate, find a new host, discover how fast your website loads at the new provider.
Then you come to review boards like this-one to release your frustrations.
Hostgator is an old sinking ship. just look around and see all the new innovative companies. the problem is you seek and find these reviews after the fact, people should read these comments before they purchase their hosting account.
Since its not really that much money, and some of these companies offer a few days money back, what i did was sign up to 3 of them, to test them out.
FastComet did the trick for me, i then upgraded to dedicated server, and all working perfectly.
Why?
1) the ticket system, intuitive, fast, it just works.
2) the instant chat support, no waiting or filling in all sorts of details, just straight forward to the support team in a flash.
3) these are smart individuals, i am not chatting with someone that has a canned script or someone with limited information. Jack Mason setup my server in minutes; Ivan Penishev migrated my sites and they loaded with-ought even a hick-up, all perfect, a lady by the name of Valeria guided me to select the right plan, they are all synchronized, it all just works.
I did not even look at prices because i do not worry about this, so no feedback... for me the price of a dedicated server or one of these accounts per month cost less than going out to burger king with my family. so why not pay the best for this such important service that is vital to my online business.
Good luck in your search. and tanks to hostadvice. com for referring me to some of the good hosting companies and also for maintaining this website.
All Endurance International Group hosting is scam, apparently run run by online chat hookers from India ... See https://hostadvice.com/hosting-company/arvixe-reviews/. In the past, I used to avoid Godaddy like plague, too arrogant. Now, I am avoiding anything EIG - Chat Scam masquerading as hosting company LOL
I bought 3 years of hosting, and without ANY notice, they did a server maintenance, which took my site off line for 3 days (as of today, it's still down, so may be more before it's up and running again). My income depends on my site, and without it working, I'm out of business. All they say is "they apologize", but that doesn't help bring my site up again. They can't give me any answers, they don't communicate with me, except with the forum that they upgrade every 12 hours. I hate this company, and I WILL be switching soon.
Draconian administrators turn of your website without warning
That's the really infuriating thing about the Hostgator process is that Hostgator can, without warning, stop serving all of your websites. They provide nothing more than a blanket statement about what can be fixed, and they can do that in an instant. But, to get it turned back on again takes an act of God. Twice now they have simply turned off all of my sites, after 4 years of working without issue. The first time took 24 hours of wrangling with poor documentation to get the sites back to a point where the almighty Admins would turn the sites back on again. Then, just 1 week later, after following each and every rule to the letter, they turned the sites off again. Apparently an undocumented feature was not followed and their precious little CPUs were burning themselves out. Argh!
I'm beginning to notice that most of the high ratings I saw for HostGator are from affiliates who make money by referring new customers. I paid for a domain for a year and when I didn't want it anymore, forgot about it. A year later, I got billed for renewing the domain for another year, despite never agreeing to automatic billing. I went into my account and cancelled so I wouldn't get charged again for a domain I don't want or need. Fast forward another year, and surprise surprise guess what shows up on my bank statement? ANOTHER RENEWAL CHARGE. Their "money back guarantee" doesn't apply to any of this, of course, and they refuse to refund any renewal charges no matter how wrong they were. I went on chat to cancel AGAIN, and their website is set up to make it extremely difficult to really cancel. I still haven't gotten a confirmation email, which means they're probably going to keep charging me as long as they can get away with it. I wish I could give a zero score. DO NOT use this company, they WILL keep charging you even after you cancel services.
hi, i have been invoiced 15 days prior the date of my plan renewal (almost 200 usd) for a site i don't use since over 10 months. I cancelled but they say they need to check if i will get the refund... what can i do to get my money back? I never FLAGGED something to allow the AUTO RENEWAL
Endurance International Group is a confirmed scam/fraud/bully ... at least unethical.
Try these ...
How to File a Complaint Most of these agencies allow complaints to be filed online at their websites. Some complaints can be filed only by mail or over the phone (see below). Most of the complaint forms are straight forward and easy to use. Just fill in the information they ask for and submit. Some also allow you to revisit the site and view the progress of the complaint.
When filing a complaint by mail, remember to include your full name, the name and location of the business you are filing against, and a detailed description of what happened, including identifying specific employees, if that applies. If you are filing by phone, email, or online, have all of that information ready.
Where to Go First choice agencies:
Better Business Bureau (link is external) BBB Online Complaint Form (link is external)
Federal Trade Commission (link is external) FTC Online Complaint Form (link is external)
Maine State Attorney General’s Office (link is external) Mail the Attorney General at:
Attorney General's Consumer Information and Mediation Service 6 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333
Call the CMS at: 207-626-8849 Toll-free at: 1-800-436-2131 (open 9 am - 12 noon and 1 pm - 4 pm, Monday – Friday) E-mail CMS at: consumer.mediation@maine.gov (link sends e-mail) For Lemon Law complaints, email: lemon.law@maine.gov (link sends e-mail)
More federal agencies:
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (link is external) CFPB Online Complaint Form (link is external)
Food and Drug Administration (link is external) The FDA has its complaints handled by the Consumer Complaint Coordinators (CCC): Maine Phone: 800-891-8295 Full List of All Numbers for the CCC by State (link is external)
Federal Communication Commission (link is external) FCC Online Complaint Form (link is external)
Maine state agencies:
Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation (link is external) OPOR Online Complaint Form (link is external)
Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection (link is external) Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection Online Complaint Form (link is external) Print a Complaint Form (link is external), and mail the Maine Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection at:
Department of Professional & Financial Regulation Bureau of Consumer Credit Protection 35 State House Station Augusta, Maine 04333
Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions (link is external) Print a Complaint Form (link is external), and mail the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions at:
Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions Consumer Outreach Program 36 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-003
Call the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions at: 207-624-8570 Toll free at: 800-965-5235 E-mail the Maine Bureau of Financial Institutions at: BFI.info@maine.gov (link sends e-mail)
Maine Public Utilities Commission (link is external) MPUC Online Complaint Form (link is external) Mail MPUC at:
Maine Public Utilities Commission Consumer Assistance Division 18 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0018
Maine Bureau of Insurance (link is external) Maine Bureau of Insurance Online Complaint Form for: Health, Life, Annuity, Long Term Care, Disability, and Medicare Supplement Insurance (link is external) Maine Bureau of Insurnace Online Complaint Form for: Property & Casualty Insurance (link is external) Print Complaint Form for: Health, etc. Insurance (link is external) or Print Complaint Form for: Property & Casualty Insurance (link is external), and mail the Maine Bureau of Insurance at:
Bureau of Insurance 34 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333
Maine Office of Securities (link is external) Maine Office of Securities Online Complaint Form (link is external) Call at the Maine Office of Securities at: 877-624-8551
They pulled the same unethical practices on me at this moment. I cancelled my account with them within in a month after signing up and now 1 and half years later they still billing throught automatic renewal. Regardless I have no domain or account. How do you overcome this dirty practices they pulled on the consumers? I just need some advice to defending myself. Thank you.
If you're looking for a cloud hosting provider than Hostgator is best because their plans are very affordable and feature are great. Previously I was on BlueHost's shared hosting, due to some reasons I wasn't satisfied with them and there resources limit was also very low. I've migrated my site to Hostgator now I'm enjoying the great features and stability of Cloud Hosting.
Yes, it is! HostGator is suitable for WordPress, and I highly recommend it to those who consider using WordPress as their website builder, as this web host offers a simple one-click installation that takes no time.
Where are HostGator’s servers located?
HostGator servers are mainly located in Provo, Utah, and Houston, Texas, but they do have data centers in other locations worldwide.
Does HostGator have a cPanel?
We’re happy to say that HostGator does come with a cPanel, which is organized and easy to use. You will find many features that can only improve your websites.
Is HostGator the right choice for eCommerce?
HostGator is good for many things, and one of them is eCommerce. You can efficiently run an eCommerce or a WooCommerce platform store. However, if your business grows in terms of page traffic, using the VPS hosting plan is a better option.
Is the discount valid throughout the lifetime purchases made on HostGator?
Unfortunately, the discount is only valid for the initial purchase. But, if you are on a budget, or you simply want to save as much money as you can, it would be best if you purchase the most extended plan, as you won’t have to pay for renewals pretty quickly.
Is HostGator reliable?
HostGator is 100% reliable in both performance and overall as a company. Speaking of performance, the users will get an uptime of 99.98%, a website speed of 431 ms, and a page loading speed of an average of 660 ms. In terms of company, HostGator hosting is pretty reliable as it has been on the market for two decades, and it still ranks high.
Can I try HostGator for free?
HostGator doesn’t come with a free trial, but it does provide a 45-day money-back guarantee. Due to this, you can purchase some of their services, and if you aren’t satisfied with them, you can contact their friendly support team and ask for a refund. However, remember that the domain is non-refundable.
Is HostGator a good web host?
Yes, HostGator is a good web hosting provider. Their servers offer >99.9% uptime, and the company ensures ease of use, excellent customer support, and affordable pricing.
Can I transfer my website and domain to HostGator?
Yes. HostGator offers free website and domain migrations. Contact customer support or check the knowledge base for a complete guide on transferring your domain.
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.