Bluehost Vs HostGator: Who Wins Our Head-To-Head Comparison?
When choosing your web hosting company, you must research in advance and choose the most suitable one for your needs. After all, the website will be representing your business, and we know you want the best for it.
A properly designed and hosted website is one of the principles of successful and well-done development. When it comes to deciding which is the best web hosting platform, things can become a bit harder than it looks.
BlueHost and HostGator are some of the most successful and well-known companies for web hosting. They are very similar to each other. Although, at the same time, very different. This is why we have made an honest head-to-head comparison to help you decide which one of them will be the best for you based on some of the most critical aspects. Keep on scrolling down to decide which one will suit your needs the best.
1. BlueHost vs. HostGator: Ease of use for beginners
It is essential that your hosting website is easy to use and makes you feel comfortable creating your site. This is why ease of use is one of the main things to check before deciding.
Not sure if you will like the hosting provider? Check the funds-back guarantee option.
Already have a website, but want to change the web hosting? Consider the website migration/transfer.
Want to get more from your website? “Plugins” is the answer.
The good news is that both of those suggestions among the best domain providers have these pros.
Money-Back Guarantee
Bluehost has a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Gatorhost will return your subscription fee if you decide to quit 45 days after signing up. Keep in mind that with both platforms, the money-back applies only to the hosting, excluding additional add-ons, domain name, etc.
The truth is that both timeframes are entirely enough to decide whether you like it or not. It is only your choice!
Free Domain Name
Bluehost provides you with a free domain name when signing up for hosting services. The domain name is registered for a 12-month period, and it will be renewed as soon as you renew your subscription.
Choosing HostGator will provide you with a domain name when signing up for a year as well. After the initial subscription, it will be renewed at the usual price.
If you already have a working site and domain, but you want to transfer the data to your new domain provider, this is possible with both BlueHost and Hostgator.
HostGator has the service included with each of the plans – they promise to migrate all the WordPress/cPanel websites with ease, for every new hosting account, in the first 30 days of your contract with them.
BlueHost offers site transfer services and will migrate your site from the previous domain provider, with a one-time cost of 150USD.
PlugIns and apps
Plugins and apps allow your website to do different things. Depending on what you will use the site for and its type, these may vary. With both BlueHost and HostGator, you can create your dream website that will help your business grow.
Website builder
Having a reliable helper on the side is very important not only if you are a newbie, but if you want a fresh idea – website builders are an easy and effective way to customize your site according to your preferences.
With the intuitive website builder, GatorHost will make the creation of your website feel like a summer breeze – you just answer a few questions and leave the rest to the builder. It can even create your logo! If you want to get paid via your website – try eCommerce builder.
BlueHost offers a great and easy-to-use builder with different templates, colors, and themes. Accessing it is effortless and using it – even more. You can choose between different layouts, menus, links, sections, and many more. Furthermore, if you want your website to become a successful e-shop, you can do it with eCommerce.
Try BlueHost now!
2.BlueHost vs. HostGator: WordPress
Did you know that WordPress empowers more than 35% of all of the websites in the world? WordPress is considered easy enough for total beginners and powerful enough for advanced developers.
WP proves itself capable of handling everything – from large business sites to huge-traffic magazine writings. All of the hosting providers should provide hassle-free and secure ways of using it. And the first thing to start with is the installation of WordPress.
Installation
BlueHost has made an effort to make WordPress’s installation easy and straightforward, and you can even set it up from the cPanel dashboard. It is one click away from being installed.
The cPanel is a control panel that allows you to build your website instantly. As soon as you get the WordPress installed, you can quickly get your WordPress website up and running in no time.
Host gator not only offers ease of installing WordPress but even tutorials and “how-to” when it comes to setting it up. If you want to install an optimized site, check the special tips provided by this hosting provider.
If you already have a website powered by WordPress, you could take advantage of the free migration services. If not – you can create your new site with just a click. Once done so, you can easily manage it from the cPanel.
WordPress Security
When we are referring to your website, security is essential. This is why both hosting providers have made everything to protect your website.
With BlueHost, you get an SSL certificate for free, a WordPress control panel, and a Cloudflare CDN. It is directly installed on your website, with no codes needed. Moreover, the premium WordPress hosting offers Jetpack site analytics, malware detection and removal, and scheduled backups.
On the HostGator’s side, you get a free SSL certificate along with global CDN and automated malware removal with the SiteLock security feature. You can schedule daily automated backups for all files and database.
Speed of WordPress
Bluehost’s managed WordPress hosting is developed on a VPS platform with a custom structure designed to produce an unparalleled speed performance. At the same time, HostGator promises a rapid speed, without even configuring your caching and CDN.
Interested in BlueHost? View our full review here.
Range of Hosting Price Plans
Bluehost
BlueHost and HostGator both have pretty tempting price plans suitable for all users’ needs – regardless of whether you want to run a blog or find an enterprise hosting provider.
If you want an affordable plan suitable for your blog or website, with BlueHost, you can get it for $2.95 per month for the first year. The plan includes 50 GB SSD webspace – it is how much they can keep on the server for managing your site. You get customized themes, CND, and 24/7 customer support.
When signing up for shared hosting, you get the SSL certificate and chosen domain name, but at an affordable price. Even though it is shared hosting, that does not mean that the speed will be slower, or you will have to worry about the server supervision and platform patches.
The other plans include unlimited SSD storage and free office 365, starting from $5.45 per month. Also, the 2 plans are perfect for running multiple websites, as they offer unlimited site management.
With the PRO plan for $13.95 per month, along with all the benefits mentioned above, you get optimized CPU resources, dedicated IP, and automated backup.
HostGator
HostGator provides three different pricing plans starting from $2.75 per month.
The cheapest plan offers a free domain, SSL certificate, booking, email campaigns, and a 3-product online store.
The other plans are respectively $3.50 and $5.25 per month. With them, you can get unlimited domains and unmetered bandwidth & disk space, which means you wоn’t be charged according to the amount of space or bandwidth you use.
The business plan grants you access to a dedicated IP, SEO tools, and a Positive SSL upgrade.
It is essential to say that each of the HostGator’s subscriptions offers free WordPress/cPanel website transfer services.
Short on budget? Here’s our review for the best cheap web hosting.
3. HostGator vs. BlueHost: Speed and Uptime
How do you know when a web host is a good choice? If your website is loading quickly and up all the time, you found one of the right hosting providers.
Page speed and uptime can be considered as one of the essentials for hosting – they will ensure a smooth process and fewer issues with your website. Following that – it is crucial to check them carefully.
SSD drivers
Bluehost shared hosting plans offer solid-state drives (SSD), and their server base is powered by high-level database storage. On the other hand, the shared hosting plans powered by HostGator do not come with such, but MySQL databases are stored on SSD hardware.
Datacenters
Only HostGator discloses their datacenters’ locations. They are based in Texas and Utah, and the strategic utilization of these allows HostGator to offer the flexibility you need and the production and reliability that your business needs. The datacenters, in general, are extremely secured amenities that have restricted access.
Infrastructure and Technology
When referring to this section, it is needed to say that Tier 4 is the highest certification possible. Bluehost operates at Tier 3, which can ensure up to 99.98% of uptime. Therefore, the average downtime can reach up to 1.6 hours per year.
On the other hand, part of HostGator’s service guarantee is at least 99.9% uptime. HostGator use exclusive technologies that have built-in redundancy for higher security levels. Both of them have high performance and uptime, but HostGator’s uptime guarantee is something that should not be missed.
Content Delivery Network – CND
Both Bluehost and HostGator offer delivery networks integrated with Cloudflare. This is combined with WordPress plans to Cloudflare. This means your site’s traffic is routed within a global network that is optimized and ensures rapid and content delivery.
4.HostGator vs. BlueHost: Security
You should strongly pay attention to the security features when it comes to choosing your web host. Choosing one that has the tools, apps, and system can only be in your favor. Such tools will protect your site from being scammed, malware, hacked, or even taken over. To ensure you will not face issues regarding the matter, there are a few things to check before purchasing your web hosting.
Backups
On BlueHost pricing plans, each user can schedule backups on a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly basis, depending on the traffic and information. Plus, manual backups are an option as well! These will allow users to save their data whenever they need to do so.
HostGator, on the other hand, offers you to automatically create weekly backups as well as make a manual backup at a chosen time.
HostGator and BlueHost work with a feature called CodeGuard, which can generate daily programmed backups for all your web files with one-click restoration. This is included with most WordPress plans.
SSL Certificates
Basically, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is kind of a digital license that gives authentication for the site and allows an encrypted connection.
But why do you need such? It encrypts and secures the data going from your computer to the target website (web host) and vice versa. Each time you enter some information on your website, this certification ensures it can securely move from the browser to the webserver.
Bluehost offers the SSL certificate for free for each of the accounts with shared IP as well. For higher-priced plans, you can get dedicated IPs and more SSL certificates because there will be multiple control panels created in the account itself when having multiple domains.
HostGator offers a free SSL certificate with every one of the plans as well – there are also some different types of SSL that you can purchase.
Malware Scans
There are many malicious software variants, such as viruses, ransomware, and spyware that can threaten your website. These are called, in short, Malware.
Both BlueHost and HostGator offer malware scanning services on their paid plans. They are really useful daily, and by regularly checking your website, you will get an instant notification as soon as the system detects viruses, malicious codes, or spam. Both hosting providers work with an add-on called SiteLock, which offers reliable and powerful scans.
DDoS protection
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is a way of flooding the network with so much traffic that it cannot operate and communicate normally. They are usually harder to initially recognize before it gets too late. This is why your web hosting should be secured and protected against such.
DDoS protection is within BlueHost’s structure. Even though a DDoS attack could occur, and if so, BlueHost promises to do the impossible to resolve any issues as quickly as possible and get your site back on track in no time.
While so, HostGator’s web hosting has a built-in firewall that protects the servers from many different forms of DDoS attacks.
The site declares that they have achieved and applied an expanded system firewall ruleset, which protects the servers from various forms of attacks. Moreover, their data center has enabled network-level flood protection.
Looking for web hosting? Check our list for the best web hosting!
5.BlueHost vs. HostGator: Customer Service and Support
Ways to get in touch with the support
Both BlueHost and HostGator have spectacular support. There are different ways to get in touch with agents. There is an open line if you want to call them, or you can quickly get in touch with the live chat support directly from their websites. Moreover, there are special teams for all your questions.
If you want to get more information on billing, building your website, WordPress, or anything that comes to your mind – regardless of the topic, you will always find someone that can assist you properly via the phone or the live chat option.
Response time and working hours of support
Regardless of which one you will choose between Bluehost and HostGator, you will receive 24/7/365 customer support. The agents are experienced in the fields in question and will answer your request in less than a minute. Live chat and Support responses take less than a minute, so you will never have to worry that there is an unresolved issue or question.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who owns BlueHost and HostGator?
HostGator and Bluehost are brands owned by the same company. Their parent company is the Endurance International Group (EIG). It is experienced in web hosting and technologies. There are many other famous companies owned by the group as well.
Q: BlueHost vs. HostGator: which of these web hosting companies is cheaper?
A: The hosting plans of both HostGator and BlueHost are similar, but starter packs with BlueHost are 2. 95 per month, compared with the cheapest one in HostGator – 2. 75 / monthly.
It is important to say, though, that after the first year, you will renew the contract at regular prices: HostGator’s cheapest plan at regular price is 3. 84 per month, and with BlueHost, you get the basic plan for 8. 99 per month.
Q: Is WordPress free?
A: Yes, with each plan of both HostGator and BlueHost, you get free WordPress hosting and installation. WordPress can easily be installed from the control panel.
Q: What is WordPress, and what do you use it for?
Basically, WordPress is the most simple and easy way to build your blog or website. It is the most popular content management system in the world, and more than 35% of the websites globally are powered by it. A WordPress website is easy to create, manage, and maintain.
Q: Are HostGator and BlueHost reliable?
Considering the guaranteed uptime, security, protection, and speed, both web hosts can be considered reliable and powerful. Their characteristics are way beyond the average ones for most of the other web hosts.
Q: What if I don’t like it?
Whether you will choose BlueHost or HostGator, you are covered by the money-back guarantee. You will have respectively 30 or 45 days to delete your subscription and get your funds back. This will give you enough time to see if you will get used to the hosting platform, or you will explore your options further. Even though it is not likely that you will give up – you have that choice.
HostGator versus BlueHost, who is the winner?
Comparing HostGator and BlueHost is a hard thing to do, as both of the hosting platforms have their strong advantages.
When considering the ease of use for beginners, HostGator is a step ahead with the longer money-back guarantee, more tutorials, and their beautiful website builder.
It is beginner-friendly and effortless to operate with. And the best thing is that all of these can easily be managed through the control panel. Last but not least – you get website migration for free for all plans, while BlueHost offers this service for 150 USD.
Regarding managed WordPress hosting and pricing plans, our winner is BlueHost. This site is recommended by WordPress, which can be quickly established from the control panel. Even more – it uses a VPN platform and cloud hosting. The shared hosting plans at HostGator are cheaper, but with BlueHost, you get more different options and features to choose from.
Considering speed and uptime, BlueHost is considered the winner. With SSD drivers offered for all hosting plans and Tier 3 operations, BlueHost can ensure no more than 1,6 hours of downtime per whole year!
When it comes to security features, the score is even. Both of these web hosts are performing spectacularly. Each of them offers scheduled automatic and manual backups, malware protection and scans, and free SSL certificates.
Most importantly, as well as BlueHost, HostGator has a reliable DDoS protection system that will ensure your peace of mind.
Last but not least, the customer support in both is incredible. The support on phone and live chat is responding rapidly, and they can assist on whatever query you might have – quick and easy.
Having reliable support is very important in case of issues when acting on time is crucial. After all, there is not a single person that wants to find themselves waiting for hours to get in touch.
The final result is in favor of BlueHost, winning in 2 of the categories. WordPress and Speed and Uptime. Even though HostGator takes the lead convincingly in ease of use. It is a tie between them in the last two sections, which also means that they can be considered winners.
Wrap Up
In conclusion, we can say that comparing BlueHost vs. HostGator was a difficult task. But the victory goes to BlueHost with just a point ahead. It is a close call, though.
Regardless of whether you choose HostGator or BlueHost, you cannot go wrong – they both have their advantages and will not let you down. And when choosing the web hosting that will help you develop your blog, website, or an online store – you need to be sure that all the processes will go smooth and hassle-free.
Further reading: 7 Best Node.js Hosting Providers in 2023
