HostGator Web Hosting Review

HostGator Web Hosting Review - strategies for successIn this HostGator Web Hosting Review I bring to you the details of this product, and an insight into where it stands along side one other competitor. Lets dive in!

OVERVIEW

HostGator is a provider of shared, reseller, virtual private server, and dedicated web hosting based in Houston, and with an additional presence in Austin, Texas. The company is one of the largest web hosting service providers on the planet, hosting more than nine million websites. The web hosting firm is not to be taken lightly because it takes pride in being partners with tech titans Linux and Cisco.

HostGator Web Hosting Review

  • Name:     HostGator
  • Type:     Web Hosting, Domain Registrar
  • Website:     www.hostgator.com
  • Price:     Starting at $2.75/mo (renews at $6.95/mo)
  • Founder:     Brent Oxley
  • Overall Ranking:     78 out of 100 (3.9/5)
  • Verdict:     Legitimate

Who is HostGator for?

The HostGator web hosting service is ideal for any individual at the initial stage of starting their first website. It is also suitable for organizations with already multiple domains, but wanting to switch hosting services.

About HostGator

HostGator was founded in 2001 by Brent Oxley, then a student at Florida Atlantic University. The web hosting company, with an alligator as its mascot, only had 112 customers, until it scaled past 1000 client accounts a year later. In 2006, HostGator moved to its official location from Boca Raton, Florida to Houston, Texas to launch a new data centre with 50 employees.HostGator Web Hosting Review - Server

In 2008, HostGator was among one of America’s fastest growing companies ranked by Inc. Magazine. Since then, HostGator continued to grow, opening up another office in Austin, Texas. They now have over 500 staff with offices in Canada, Brazil and India. In 2012, the company was acquired by EIG (Endurance International Group). EIG’s venture in web hosting was not new at all since it also owns Bluehost, iPage, FatCow and JustHost.

With two data centres in Utah and Houston, HostGator has seen some great success over the years and has churned out hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers as it dominates a big market share in the web hosting industry. With over 9 million client domains and more than 400,000 customers, HostGator is hailed as a world-wide leader in web hosting.

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HostGator Premium Features

  • Hosting Options for Every Website – A variety of hosting plans are available to cater to virtually every single kind of website owner. Regardless of how large your site becomes, or the type of site you are building, HostGator supports you every step of the way.
  • A Ton of Cool Add-Ons – Upon signing up for any hosting plan, you will get a lot more than just a server to store your site’s files. This includes hosting features like unlimited storage and bandwidth, access to an intuitive website builder, free website migration, and more. You also get access to hundreds of different applications you can install on your site like WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and many others. In addition, you get $100 free Google AdWords credit to use to market your site once you sign up for a hosting account.
  • Solid Guarantees – Your site is provided with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, meaning it will be online 99.9% of the time, and the only time your site will be offline is when it is undergoing routine maintenance. If you are after perfect time, consider upgrading to one of the more expensive hosting packages. HostGator also offers a 45-day money back guarantee, regardless of your selected hosting package. This guarantee gives you plenty of time to test out the service. If you opt to get your refund you need to stay in alignment with the terms of service.
  • Useful Control Panels – The intuitive and powerful cPanel software can be accessed with almost every HostGator hosting plan, making it very easy to manage your site and server environment. Windows users can get access to the Plesk control panel, which can be a great help with tasks like email and website management, server configuration, and software installation.

Support ServicesHostGator Web Hosting Review - Ask

HostGator’s customer support is available 24/7, which includes phone and live chat, as well as ticket-based email support. Inside the hosting dashboard you will find their support portal that can help you find quick answers from a knowledge base of 680+ articles and 500+ video tutorials.

All HostGator accounts are fully guaranteed by the CEO, Adam Farrar. In case you have a problem with the regular support, you can ask your ticket to be assigned to Adam, who will actually respond personally to each ticket assigned to him.

Hosting Plans and Pricing

HostGator offers a large number of data centre services which include a wide variety of hosting plans on Linux and Windows, their own proprietary cloud hosting platform. The hosting plans are offered to suit almost every kind of website owner.

  • Shared Hosting – This hosting environment shares the same server other websites host on. The plan is suited for beginners who want to start a new website. All three Linux shared hosting plans are based on cPanel, WHM and CentOS, which provide a fairly standard level of services for web development using LAMP scripts.
  • Cloud Hosting – Ideal when your website starts getting the frequent traffic, this hosting environment utilizes multiple servers of HostGator and gives you everything from the Shared hosting plans with twice the performance speed, and more than four times the server resources of a shared post. You will also have access to a performance dashboard within cPanel for an improved website and server monitoring.
  • WordPress Hosting – The managed WordPress cloud hosting offered by HostGator promises up to 2.5 times faster load times due to super-charged cloud architecture, low-density servers, CDN, and multiple caching layers. It is a hosting solution that comes managed, which means the automatic updates to your WordPress core, plugins and themes are handled by HostGator, as well as site backups and malware removal. There is also a free CDN service to boost content delivery to your site visitors.
  • Reseller Hosting – The Reseller hosting plans at HostGator are traditionally preferred by many small web development firms and designers because they provide sufficient storage and bandwidth for development. If you are considering starting your own web hosting business and host many websites, the reseller hosting plans will provide all the features in the cheapest price to host unlimited domains. It comes with powerful tools to help build your clientele, maintain complete control over resource allocation, and upgrade as needed so your business can continue to grow. The reseller hosting plan is bundled with the WHM control panel with multi-language capability, 99.9% uptime guarantee, 400+ brandable video tutorials for your clients to refer, and unlimited MySQL databases with phpMyAdmin access.HostGator Web Hosting Review - Reseller
  • Dedicated Hosting – This is the priciest hosting plan that assigns you a physical server for all of your purposes. Your site’s data will be independently housed on your own dedicated server, meaning your resources will not be shared at any time. It runs on Linux or Windows, a choice between HDD and SSD hard disk options, receive data centre level DDOS protection and enjoy full root access, unlimited databases, RAID-1 configuration, and 3-5 dedicated IPv4 IPs.
  • VPS Hosting – In this hosting, the physical hardware is shared with other customers and your server is running as the virtual private machine. There are exhaustive features such as full root access for controlling your entire hosting environment, multiple network security layers to ensure server reliability, and instant scalability with a click of the button. In addition, your data is housed on servers that are protected with RAID 10 disk configuration and come with redundant power and HVAC units. Off-site backups of your entire website are run weekly along with a full suite of development tools to aid in site functionality and design.
  • Application Hosting – If you do not use WordPress as a CMS, HostGator has you covered by allowing platforms like Joomla, Magento, Drupal, Wiki, and phpBB Hosting to run on Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. In addition, there are features like unmetered bandwidth, email marketing, and one-click installs of other helpful applications included with any plan.
  • Windows Hosting – Most of businesses prefer shared Linux platform, but HostGator takes pride in being one of the few companies to maintain a Windows server platform to make Windows hosting available for those that need it. With the Parallels Plesk Panel, IIS, Microsoft SQL Server 2012 R2, and ASP.NET support, this hosting solution is sure to have everything you need to run a user-friendly website.

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Key Features Overview

Features Details
Price $5.95/month (Business Plan)
Number of Websites unlimited
Instant DNS Setup Yes
Hosting Speed 1007ms
Website Space unlimited
Bandwidth Included unmetered
SSL Certificates Positive SSL by Comodo
Site Builder Included HostGator website builder, called Gator, is available for free on all plans
Staging Environment
Full Redundancy Fully redundant network with no single point of failure
Enterprise Security Yes
Daily Website Backups instant backups
24/7 Access to Server Admins Yes
Email Accounts unlimited
BotNet Security Yes
Site Health and Performance Tracking
Site Comments
Website Feedback
Community Access
1 on 1 Marketing Mentorship

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Easy Signup process
  • A variety of feature-packed hosting plans
  • First time user discounts
  • Excellent shared hosting offering
  • User-friendly, good for novice webmasters
  • Useful site-building software
  • 45-day money guarantee
  • Free site migration and installs
  • Enhanced security
  • Nearly unlimited hosting
  • Search engine advertising credits
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Free website domain, and MYSQL and Script Transfer
  • Customized firewall against DDoS attacks
  • Free SSL Certificate with Let’s Encrypt
  • 24/7/365 phone, live chat, and ticket support system
  • Up to 2.5x faster servers
  • Global CDN
  • Daily backup and restore
  • Automatic malware removal (for Managed WordPress Hosting only)
  • 1-click WordPress installation

    HostGator Web Hosting Review - Pros and Cons

…and Cons

  • Below-average uptime
  • Below-average loading speed
  • Extra charges for backups
  • Standard pricing trick
  • Delayed online chat support
  • Renewal fees can be expensive
  • The speed, security and extra features come only with the Cloud and Managed WordPress plans
  • Expect some upsells along the way

Final Opinion

There is no denying that HostGator is among the top names in the web hosting industry, but it does not necessarily categorize it as anywhere near the best one in the industry. It is only because of its marketing that HostGator has earned its big-name status and not because of its performance. Even though HostGator is a customer-friendly host, it cannot hide the fact that the performance is average at best. Its speed and uptime are both below average. One saving factor, however, is its affordable rates. HostGator services are recommended for personal blogs and sites, while commercial sites should look elsewhere.

Alternative Hosting Option

Managing an online business such as an Affiliate Business, you want to make sure you have value for money in the Platform you are Hosting your Business with. So then, how does HostGator stack up against one of it’s biggest competitors? Here is a comparison between HostGator and Wealthy Affiliate Hosting!

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Rina Walker

Rina Walker - Founder of EarningOnline.come

I am Rina Walker the founder of Earning Online and have been running a successful affiliate marketing website and blogging about earning online opportunites since November 2016. The niches that I am involved in include Wealth Creation, Permaculture, Action Cameras and Social Enterprise - all of which I have a great interest in.

I'm also involved in helping, supporting and coaching online entrepreneurs of all levels to build and run their own successful web-based affiliate business.

9 thoughts on “HostGator Web Hosting Review”

  1. Just out of curiosity have you ever used HostGator for hosting? At one time I bought domains from them and was with them for the hosting. I was happy with them but then joined a program where the hosting was part of the services without paying extra. I would not have left otherwise. 

    They provided good service and I didn’t notice slow speed as my computer was slow so it wasn’t a problem. I agree the renewals were pretty high but most of the ones I checked were high also.   

    Upsells are also part of the game so I wasn’t too unhappy with them. It was kind of bait and switch on the extra features as you have to upgrade to get them.

    As far as the review itself I was impressed about how thorough it was. It covered everything there was to know about HostGator. It was easy to understand and unlike some articles, I’ve read the author didn’t try to prove how smart he/she is by using big words.

    If a person has a WordPress site, HostGator is a very good host as they are tuned in to them, more so than other hosting companies. They work well together and it’s like HostGator is a part of them.  

    The whole review followed a natural progression from the beginning of HostGator all the way to the end with a recommendation. 

    A short while ago I joined Wealthy Affiliate which provides domains and the hosting is included so I don’t need HostGator any longer. I do recommend WA over HostGator to someone that’s new to the online game and especially if they intend on using WordPress.

    All in all the review was excellent and I like that you covered the facts rather than going overboard on the good or bad parts of HostGator.         

    Reply
  2. Hello Rina. Thank you for sharing this review of HostGator web hosting. HostGator is one of the top hosting companies in the world today. I have known of them for years. I could have started my website with them but I realised that I’ll be missing out on some stuff and would need to build out my website. Hosting a website wasn’t going to be enough. There are so many skills that one needs to develop for online marketing and there are some features that are needed too. To get all these features one would need to pay more for them. Also to get those skills, one would have to look elsewhere. This is the reason why I ended up going with Wealthy Affiliate. Everything I needed to succeed in this business is in one place in Wealthy Affiliate.

    Regards!

    Reply
    • Hello! Great to have you comments and obviously you went with Wealthy Affiliate for ease of access to the things you needed to succeed. It makes sense to take advantage of everything Wealthy Affiliate has and without paying more for them. Good choice and I wish you great success!

      Reply
  3. Hiya Don! Thanks for your comments and recommendation! I think that if you want more than just hosting for your website, i.e you want a place to buy domains, manage online business, get step-by-step affiliate training then WA is definately a great choice!

    WA pretty much has everything to build and manage web-based business as a premium member without paying any extra for it. There is nothing more frustrating finding out later that you need to pay extra for something that is vital to building your business as with many other platforms. This is not the case with Wealthy Affiliate! So, great choice Don!

    Reply
  4. I always read hard articles with great interest. Thank you for this description about Hostgator web hosting. It looks to be a decent enough platform and can do some good in terms of hosting ability. But it doesn’t offer me training and support to build an online business or help me to manage my online businesses from thier platform.

    I am however, a Wealthy Affiliate member and such comparisons help me a lot in making my decisions. I can say that I am very happy that I chose Wealthy Affiliate and as it turns out this platform is irreplaceable. I cannot say that there are no other good platforms, but Wealthy Affiliate is the place where all people help you, you can create your own online business following all the training’s offered and if you have ambition and determination you will reach your goals successfully.

    I became an annual member and it was the best decision I ever made. I recommend it to anyone who wants to make money online.

    Thansk again and wish you all the best! 

    Reply
  5. This is an excellent, honest review which highlights and addresses some really important concerns when selecting a web host. Although it seems like a really cost-effective option, your thorough research shows that it’s not quite all it seems and it’s all very well offering 24/7/365 support but if that support is slow to respond then, well, that’s a problem. I also don’t like the fact that the extra security features only apply if you upgrade. Thanks for sharing this really useful information.

    Reply
    • Hiya! Thanks for calling by and for your valid comments! It makes all the difference to your business when your queries are dealt with quickly as time is money as we all know! Have you checked out my #1 recommendation yet? It has excellent all round support covering everything to do with web-based marketing! – including any website related technical issues. 

      Reply
  6. I have seen the platform before and I was a little skeptical and this is because I found an online platform that said they will help me open my website and they took my money away. It seems like HostGator is a bit different and it is also very legitimate. I like the way you explained all about how it works and how they go about the hosting. It’s nice to read this. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Hiya Henderson! Unfortunatley, the internet is full of scammers who are ready to take money away from the vulnerable. It’s always good practice to research the products and people who promote them before you part with your money. This is the way to deal with this situation and to avoid unecessary loss to yourself! When you are satisfied you have done enough reserach, then you can move forward and be happy about your decision.

      Wishing you great success with your online ventures for 2020!

      Reply

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