Bluehost vs HostGator (2024 Comparison)

Our content is reader-supported. If you click on our links, we may earn a commission. How we review.

🤜 Head-to-head Bluehost vs HostGator comparison 🤛. Both are two of the most popular and beginner-friendly web hosts in the industry. So – how can you choose between these two web hosts?

Well, as much as they’re similar, both of them have their own unique selling points and features that the other doesn’t. I’m going to show you what they are and how you can choose the hosting company that best fits your needs!

FeaturesBluehostHostGator
BluehostHostGator
bluehosthostgator
Which is better, Bluehost or HostGator? The short answer is, Bluehost. While HostGator and Bluehost are owned by the same parent company, Bluehost's web hosting plans offer more features and overall better value compared to HostGator.
PriceBasic plan is $2.95/monthHatchling plan is $3.75/month
Ease of Use⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 cPanel, automatic WordPress installation, easy creation of emails, automated backups⭐⭐⭐⭐ cPanel, automatic WordPress installation, easy creation of emails, free website migration
Free Domain Name⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Free domain for one year⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Free domain for one year
Hosting Features⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Unlimited disk space and transfer, free CDN, high-performance SSD storage, daily backups, unlimited emails, and free SSL⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Unlimited disk space and transfer, free CDN, high-performance SSD storage, daily backups, unlimited emails, and free SSL
Speed⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇NGINX+, Latest PHP, built-in caching, HTTP/2⭐⭐⭐⭐Apache, Latest PHP, HTTP/2
Uptime⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Good uptime history⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Good uptime history
Site Migration⭐⭐⭐⭐ Website transfer service is $149.99⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Free website migration
Customer Support⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Phone, Live Support, Chat, Ticket⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🥇 Phone, Live Support, Chat, Ticket
WebsiteVisit Bluehost.comVisit HostGator.com

Key Takeaways:

Bluehost and HostGator are both popular web hosting providers with similar features, but Bluehost is generally easier to use and better for beginners.

HostGator offers more plan options and has better renewal prices, while Bluehost has better customer support and website backups.

When choosing between Bluehost and HostGator, consider your specific business needs, budget, and level of technical expertise.

The main difference between Bluehost and HostGator is that Bluehost is better at WordPress hosting, but HostGator is cheaper. Here’s the bottom line:

  • Overall, Bluehost is better than HostGator, but choosing between the two is going to come down to two things.
  • Bluehost is the best option when it comes to hosting WordPress sites.
  • Because Bluehost’s hosting is made for WordPress (and WooCommerce) sites, WordPress comes pre-installed and is easy to configure. Plus, Bluehost comes with a powerful and beginner-friendly WordPress website builder starting from $2.95/month.
  • HostGator is the best option when it comes to the cheapest pricing
  • Because HostGator is cheaper plans start from From $3.75 per month3, and include a free domain name as well (but so does Bluehost).

Both Bluehost and HostGator offer great server uptime along with really attractive and incredibly cheap shared hosting starter packs, but there can be only one winner, right?

In this case, it’s Bluehost, a superior provider that offers stuff like Blue Sky services, free CDN, free website builder, and a free-of-charge domain for a year, and has an overall better and more solid performance and security than HostGator.

If this was a (Google) popularity contest, then this comparison would be over very quickly. Because Bluehost is way more popular and people search for it a lot more on Google than HostGator.

google trends
https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%205-y&q=bluehost,hostgator

That being said, search popularity on search engines is, of course, not everything.

In this HostGator vs Bluehost comparison, I will help you figure out which web host is the best for your needs. Here I will test and compare the below:

  • Key features
  • Speed & uptime
  • Security & privacy
  • Customer support

and of course:

  • Pricing plans

and for each section, a “winner” will be declared.

Key Features

Hosting FeatureBluehostHostGator
Type of web hosting serviceWeb hosting, WordPress hosting, WooCommerce hosting, reseller hostingShared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, reseller hosting, Windows hosting
Free DomainYes, for all plans, for the first yearYes, for selected plans. Free-of-charge domains are offered only for the shared, WordPress, and cloud hosting
Free email accountsYes, for all plans. Bluehost gives you free business email addresses that you can host on your own domain. The premium shared hosting and the WooCommerce plans offer Office 365 for 30 days. You also have the option to sign up for Microsoft 365 and choose between one of their three plansYes, for all plans. Option to host email on your own server or on Google Workspace. Option to access email via Webmail
Free Cloudflare CDN integrationYes, for all plansOnly for the shared hosting Business plan option. For all the other plans you’ll have to manually update DNS records
Disk space limitUnmetered storage for most plans. Only the Basic shared plan has a limit of 50GB for web storage. Unmetered storage for all plans 
Bandwidth/data transfer limitUnlimited Unlimited
Free website migrationFree for WordPress sites. Other platforms cost $149.99 for 5 sitesFree for all types of websites
Free WordPress installationYes, for all plansYes, for all plans
Free website builderYes, for all plans Yes, for all plans 

Bluehost Key Features

bluehost shared hosting
  • It’s cheap – Bluehost offers some of the cheapest hosting options out there, especially if you’re launching a website for the first time. The current price for the Basic shared plan is $2.95/month, paid annually. 
  • Easy WordPress integration – Bluehost is officially endorsed by WordPress as one of its three selected top WordPress hosting providers. And this is not to be taken lightly. Bluehost has developed several services through which they give their users easier WordPress website management and functionality (like with their Bluerock control panel), their special managed WordPress hosting, and their Blue Sky services that offer expert advice on all things related to having a WP site – marketing, sales, growth, maintenance, and much more. Also, the one-click installation process makes it ridiculously easy to install WordPress on your Bluehost account.
  • Bluehost’s website builder – Since recently, Bluehost has designed their own website builder that you can use to create your WordPress website from scratch. The Smart AI builder will make sure it’s optimized for any device. The website builder is really easy to use – you have hundreds of templates you can choose from and can edit these templates in real-time, with zero coding knowledge. Lots of fonts, hundreds of stock images, the option to upload music and videos, as well as simplicity of use all make Bluehost’s website builder a very attractive one. And, of course, if you want to take customization a step further, you can always enter your own CSS codes and manage them from the comfort of your own dashboard.
  • The free domain name (for the first year) – Bluehost offers a free-of-charge domain for the first year on any plan you purchase. The only caveat is that the domain name mustn’t cost more than $17.99. Included domains are .com, .net, .org, .blog, and more.
  • Free security options – Bluehost offers a free SSL certificate and a free CDN for each website they host for you. The SSL certificate allows you to facilitate safe eCommerce transactions and keep sensitive data secure, and the CDN allows you to block malware that might attack your site and just improve the overall site security. 
  • Great affiliate program – Bluehost is proud to highlight that they paid more than $5 million in commissions, last year only! So, it’s not so surprising that Bluehost has one of the most popular affiliate programs. You receive a $65 commission for each referral you make. What’s more, the sign-up process is free and really easy to do, and the reliable tracking process doesn’t allow for any lost referrals. And if you have any questions related to the affiliate program, you can always ask the expert team of affiliate managers.
  • 24/7 available customer support – in addition to this, you can also find support resources in their knowledge base – stuff like FAQs and solutions to common problems, articles and guides on various BlueHost options and processes, instructions on how to use the hosting platform, and YouTube videos.

HostGator Key Features

hostgator
  • Very cheap starter plans – HostGator has one of the most affordable basic hosting offers on the market. If you’re just starting out with your online presence, you have a really limited budget and a site that won’t be too complex and resource-demanding, you should try HostGator’s shared hosting plans that start from only $3.75/month. The caveat here is (there’s always one, yes) that the discount applies if you pay for 3 years in advance, and the renewal price will be without the current 60% discount.
  • Free domain name –  For one year when you sign up for a 12, 24, or 36-month HostGator Shared, WordPress, or Cloud hosting plan.
  • Free site transfers – yes, I still can’t really wrap my head around how Bluehost can charge $149.99 for site migration when most of the hosting providers out there do it for $0 bucks!
  • Easy WordPress installations – HostGator is well integrated with WordPress, so if you want to host a WP site with them, they’re going to make it super easy for you. The HostGator Website Builder is also excellent. Or, you can just choose the WordPress hosting plan, and you’ll have WP already automatically installed on your hosting account. No hassle at all!
  • More hosting options to choose from – HostGator offers eight different hosting options, including cloud hosting, Windows hosting, and web application hosting, something which you can’t find on Bluehost. Windows hosting allows users who have websites that require special Windows applications and services like ASP, NET, MSSQL (Microsoft SQL Server), and Microsoft Access to use them without a problem. 
  • Flexible billing options – when it comes to paying for your hosting, HostGator offers six different billing cycles – you can choose between 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. However, the billing for 1, 2, and 3 months is significantly more expensive than the other cycles.
  • Unmetered bandwidth and disk space – HostGator’s unmetered bandwidth mean that you’re not going to be charged as long as you use disk space and bandwidth that corresponds to your site’s needs (this applies to personal or small business websites). 

🏆 The winner is…

It’s a tie. Whether it’s Bluehost or HostGator depends on what you need. If it’s multiple programming languages and a variety of hosting options, then it’s HostGator for sure. But maybe you really want to focus on developing your WordPress website or take advantage of the benefits of an awesome affiliate program. Then it’s Bluehost for sure! 

Speed & Performance

Speed & PerformanceBluehostHostGator
Server uptime guaranteeNo Yes (99.99%)
Average site speed (test site)2.3s2.1s
Google PageSpeed Insights (test site)92/10096/100

Bluehost Uptime and Speed

 I’ve done tests on Bluehost’s speed (using a Bluehost-hosted testing site) and I got to say that the average site loading time really good.

It gets a 92% mobile score on Google PageSpeed Insights.

bluehost google pagespeed insights

And on GTmetrix, the performance score is 97%.

bluehost gtmetrix speed

Bluehost has a 99.98% uptime, which is great for a web hosting provider. Nobody can guarantee you 100% uptime (although there are such guarantees) the whole year round. A lot of factors affect the server speed and sometimes unpredictable things happen.

If that 0.2% does materialize, 99.98% uptime means that your site will be unavailable all in all for less than 2 hours in the course of a whole year. 

Bluehost performs well in speed test results.

HostGator Uptime and Speed

My test site which is hosted on HostGator loads fast according to Google PageSpeed Insights and receives a mobile score of 96 out of 100.

hostgator google page speed insights performance

And the same for GTmetrix. The test site’s performance score is 89%

hostgator gtmetrix performance

Well, HostGator seems to be doing better than Bluehost on this front. It has a 99.99% uptime guarantee, which, however, is valid only for shared and reseller hosting options.

hostgator uptime guarantee

As they say on their site, the VPS and dedicated server plans are covered by a different type of network guarantee “in which the credit is prorated for the amount of time the server is down” and this is not related to their uptime guarantee.

🏆 The Winner Is…

HostGator. Based on my test results HostGator has shown that its web hosting services are somewhat faster and also more reliable than Bluehost. Even though they’re from the same parent company, HostGator outperforms Bluehost in this area. 

Security and Privacy

Security & PrivacyBluehostHostGator
Free SSL certificate Yes, for all plansYes, for all plans
Cloudflare CDN integrationYes, for all plansOnly on the shared hosting Business plan
Backup optionsAutomated daily, weekly, and monthly backups. Bluehost, however, doesn’t give you any guarantee of complete data recovery.Automated backup once a week for all plans. The possibility for CodeGuard backup options depends on the type of your hosting plan. 
SSH accessYes, for all plansYes, for all Linux hosting plans
Automatic WordPress updatesYesYes

Bluehost’s Security and Privacy Features

bluehost security

Bluehost offers a solid free security package for your site. You get a free SSL certificate, free SSH, password-protected directories, email, and user accounts filters, Cloudflare as a free CDN service, and three anti-spam tools you can choose from – Apache SpamAssassin, Spam Hammer, and Spam Experts.

bluehost cloudflare integration

In your WordPress dashboard, you can customize settings for WordPress auto-updating, commenting, content revisions, and caching settings.

For more robust security, however, it’s recommended that you purchase add-ons such as CodeGuard and SiteLock, which do a better job of protecting your site from hackers and regularly take care of your site’s backup.

HostGator’s Security and Privacy Features

sitelock

HostGator gives you the basics of web security such as SSL certificates, but it also has a custom firewall aimed to protect against DDoS attacks. However, if you want more solid web security and backup, you would still need to purchase third-party apps such as SiteLock and CodeGuard basic.

Cloudflare’s CDN integration is free of charge but only on the Shared hosting Business plan, for the other plans you can still use Cloudflare but you have to update the DNS records yourself.

HostGator also offers a free SSL certificate on all their plans and they also have full SSH access.

hostgator ssl

🏆 The winner is…

Bluehost. Both hosting providers offer SSL certificates and two-factor authentication for better account protection, but I would choose Bluehost as the winner here because it offers more features like hotlinks and IP address blacklists. Also, you’re able to choose between three anti-spam tools. Both providers are pretty basic when it comes to data backup and they recommend getting an additional third-party app, like CodeGuad.

Plans & Pricing

Pricing PlansBluehostHostGator
Shared hostingStarting at $2.95/monthStarting at $3.75/month
Dedicated hostingStarting at $79.99 per monthStarting at $89.98 per month
VPS hostingStarting at $19.99 per monthStarting at $23.95 per month
Cloud hostingNoStarting at $4.95 per month
WordPress hostingStarting at $2.95/monthStarting at $3.75/month
WooCommerce hostingStarting at $19.95 per monthNo
Website builder plans with included hostingStarting at $9.95Starting at $3.84 per month
Reseller hostingStarting at $16.99 per monthStarting at $19.95 per month
Windows hostingNoStarting at $4.76 per month
Free planNoNo

Bluehost Pricing Plans

blue host shared hosting plan
  • Bluehost’s Basic shared plan costs $2.95/month and includes:
    • 10 GB SSD storage
    • 1 free WordPress website
    • Free-of-charge domain for 1 year
    • Custom themes
    • WordPress integration
    • Drag-and-drop website builder
    • AI-driven templates
  • The Plus shared Bluehost plan gives you the option to run multiple sites (you get an unlimited number of sites), and also unlimited storage. 
  • The Choice Plus shared plan gives you more options for tweaking site security and also site privacy. Besides the basic stuff, it comes with free domain privacy and free automated backups valid for one year. 
  • Bluehost’s premium shared hosting plan, called the Pro plan, offers extra optimization and power for your sites. If you opt for this plan you get a free dedicated IP, a premium positive SSL certificate, and automated backups. 
  • Bluehost’s dedicated plans start at $79.99 per month (paid every 3 years). This hosting option puts a whole server and its powerful resources at your site’s disposal. 
  • The features included in the dedicated Standard plan are:
    • CPU – 4 Cores
    • CPU – 4 Threads
    • CPU – 2.3 GHz
    • CPU – 3 MB Cache
    • 2 x 500 GB RAID level 1 storage 
    • 4 GB RAM
    • 5 TB network bandwidth 
    • 1 free domain
    • 3 dedicated IPs 
    • cPanel & WHM with root access
  • The Enhanced dedicated plan and the Premium dedicated plan have upgraded in terms of storage, RAM memory, CPU power, and dedicated IPs. 
  • Bluehost-managed WordPress plans start at $4.95 paid every 3 years. This plan offers all the basic functionalities you need to build a professional WP site for a very fair price. Just take note that this isn’t the same as their WordPress hosting plan, which is more basic and similar to the shared hosting plan. 
  • Bluehost’s managed WordPress plan offers:
    • 1 WordPress website
    • 10 GB Web Storage
    • 200+ Global Edge Servers
    • Jetpack Personal add-on
    • Detection and removal of malware
    • Daily scheduled backups 
    • Domain privacy and domain protection
    • Microsoft email – 30-day trial 
    • Built-in high availability
    • Staging environment
    • Recommended for up to 50.000 visitors.
  • The other two plans in this managed WordPress hosting offer an unlimited amount of websites, up to 100 GB SSD storage, and website visitors that range from 150,000 to 500.000, depending on the plan.

HostGator Pricing Plans

hostgator web hosting
  • HostGator’s basic Hatchling shared plan starts at $3.75/month (with the current 60% discount, paid every 3 years). The plan includes:
    • 10 GB SSD storage
    • Unmetered bandwidth
    • 1 website 
    • A free domain 
    • One-click WordPress installs 
    • Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer 
  • The Baby shared plan includes up to 5 sites you can host. 
  • The Business shared plan includes even more stuff like:
    • Free SEO tools 
    • Free upgrade to Positive SSL
    • Free dedicated IP
  • HostGator’s dedicated plans start at $89.98 per month, which is slightly more expensive than the same Bluehost redacted plan. HostGator’s basic dedicated plan offers:
    • CPU – 4 core
    • CPU – 8 threads
    • 8 GB RAM 
    • 1 TB HDD
    • Unmetered bandwidth
    • Intel Xeon-D CPU
  • The other dedicated plans offer more CPU power, more RAM memory, as well as HDD or SSD memory.
  • HostGator allows you to choose between Linux or Windows OS to run dedicated servers.
  • HostGator’s WordPress hosting plans start at $5.95 per month and include:
    • 1 WP site 
    • Up to 100.000 visitors per month 
    • 1 GB worth of backups 
    • A free domain
    • Unmetered bandwidth
  • The other two plans in the WordPress hosting offer more backup space (2GB and 3GB), and support for 2 or 3 sites (depending on the plan). Also, depending on which plan you choose, your site can handle between 200,000 and 500,000 visitors per month.

🏆 The winner is…

I would say HostGator. HostGator is a good choice if you’re looking for more variety in terms of hosting plan choices. Also, Bluehost doesn’t offer cloud hosting plans, Windows hosting, and application hosting. What’s more, Bluehost doesn’t offer its own reseller plans, and the ones that it does offer are more expensive than HostGator’s. And last but not least, HostGator offers a slightly cheaper starter shared hosting plan.

However, Bluehost is the obvious choice if you want to host a WP site, and if you are after performance then get one of their managed WordPress hosting plans. 

Customer Support

Customer SupportBluehostHostGator
24/7 serviceYesYes
Live chatYesYes
EmailYesYes
TelephoneYesYes
Support tickets YesNo
Knowledge baseYesYes

Bluehost’s Customer Support

bluehost customer support

Bluehost has a 24/7 customer support system that you can contact either through live chat, email, telephone, and also support tickets. Bluehost also offers a comprehensive knowledge library that provides solutions for lots of different problems you might have. You just need to put a keyword in the search bar and you’ll have a whole list of potential solutions to your problem. 

HostGator’s Customer Support

hostgator customer support

HostGator’s customer care is similar to that of Bluehost. They also offer 24/7 customer service through phone and live chat. They have a support portal that is similar to Bluehost’s knowledge base – it works on the same principle. They also have an extensive library of video tutorials on different subjects including cPanel, email, website security, website optimization, WordPress, and a lot more.

🏆 The winner is…

It’s sort of a tie, but let’s say Bluehost. Since they are a part of the same parent company, Bluehost and HostGator’s customer support is pretty similar. They both offer 24/7 customer support through chat, email, and telephone and they both offer comprehensive bases of knowledge with solutions, how-tos, guides, and tutorials on how to use their services and how to deal with particular problems.

However, Bluehost has an additional feature of the support ticket system which gives it a competitive edge.

Extras

ExtrasBluehostHostGator
Free CDN integrationYes, for all plans. Only for the shared hosting Business plan option. For all the other plans, you’ll have to pay an additional fee to use CDN
Additional WordPress ServicesYes, Blue Sky and managed WordPress hostingNo, only WordPress hosting
WordPress pre-installedYesNo
Money-back guarantee30 days 45 days
Flexible billing options (pay monthly)No (only two billing cycles – 12 and 36 months)Yes (six billing cycles – 1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 36 months)
Free Google Ads credits$100$150

Bluehost’s Extras

WP Live
  • Blue Sky – this is a WordPress support service that Bluehost offers to their customers who want to seriously devote themselves to developing their WP site. You get the opportunity to work with the best WordPress experts on issues like SEO optimization, site security, marketing, site customization, sales, etc. However, you won’t be able to receive assistance when it comes to coding (like implementing HTML and CSS). Should you opt to use the Blue Sky service, you will have to pay extra, since it’s not included in the regular hosting packages. The cheapest plan starts at $24.00 per month. However, if you decide to pay every 6 or every 12 months, the fees are going to be somewhat cheaper.
  • Free CDN integration – that’s right, Bluehost includes the basic version of Cloudflare’s CDN services in all their hosting plans. With Cloudflare’s CDN, your site will not only perform better, be faster, and more user-responsive, but it’ll also be more protected. CDN works by storing cached versions of your site on networks all around the world, which means that each visitor to your site, wherever they come from, will be able to access your site equally fast, as the CDN network will get the cached version from the server physically closest to them.

HostGator’s Extras

hostgator extras
  • Quickinstall – With only one click HostGator’s QuickInstall option makes it possible to install over 75 scripts that HostGator has already available on its platform.
  • 45-day money-back guarantee – most hosting providers give you 30 days, tops to try out their products and see whether you like them or not before deciding whether to keep using their web hosting services or get your money back. Well, HostGator is especially generous in that department, giving you a month and a half worth of time to consider your hosting company choice.
  • Flexible billing options – HostGator has lots of billing options that you can choose from if you don’t want to be obliged to keep up a site for two years or one year. You can choose between six different billing cycles – you can sign up for 1 month, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months. Just be mindful that the shorter the time period (like the billing for 1, 2, and 3 months) the more expensive the monthly subscription is.

🏆 The winner is…

Well, it depends on what you need. For WordPress users, definitely Bluehost. Also, it’s not bad having free CDN on all plans, right?

Sure, HostGator’s flexible billing options are great, but they come at a price (pun not intended) – they get more expensive the shorter they are. Kudos for the 45-day money-back guarantee though, and also for the Quickinstall easy script installation option. 

Recent Improvements & Updates

Considering the recent improvements made by Bluehost and HostGator, here’s an updated comparison that factors in these advancements:

HostGator:

  • Gator Website Builder: AI-powered tool for easy website creation, suitable for users with minimal technical skills. It supports blog and e-commerce store setup.
  • Customer Portal Redesign: Enhanced user experience in managing hosting accounts with a revamped customer portal for easier management of contact information and billing preferences.
  • Cloudflare CDN Integration: Improved website loading speeds with global server distribution, enhancing user experience across different locations.

Bluehost:

  • Professional Email Service: Launch of Bluehost Professional Email and integration with Google Workspace to elevate business communications.
  • Migration and Management Tools: Free WordPress Migration plugin and a new Control Panel for streamlined server and hosting management.
  • WonderSuite Features: Includes WonderStart, WonderTheme, WonderBlocks, WonderHelp, and WonderCart, offering an enriched website creation and e-commerce experience.
  • Performance Upgrades: Advanced PHP 8.2 support and implementation of LSPHP handler and OPCache for enhanced PHP execution and website performance.

HostGator’s recent updates focus on user-friendly website building and an improved customer portal experience, catering especially to those with fewer technical skills. The CDN integration is a significant boost in website performance globally. Meanwhile, Bluehost has concentrated on enhancing e-commerce functionality, user experience with its WonderSuite features, and technical performance upgrades.

🏆 The winner is…

It’s a tie… The choice between them depends on the user’s specific needs: HostGator is ideal for beginners and those seeking ease of use, while Bluehost offers more advanced features for e-commerce and performance optimization.

Questions & Answers

What are the Business Needs of Small Business Owners for their Websites?

Small business owners have unique needs when it comes to their websites. They need reliable web hosting providers that can provide features such as a business website builder, email accounts, and domain names. Bluehost and HostGator both offer these features and cater to the needs of small business owners.

With their easy-to-use site builder and responsive customer service, small business owners can have a professional website up and running in no time. Both Bluehost and HostGator also offer affordable pricing plans, making it easy for small business owners to stay within their budget while still getting the features they need.

What factors should I consider when choosing a web hosting company?

Choosing the right web hosting provider is crucial for the success of your online presence. Some important factors to consider include the quality and reliability of the web hosting company, the types of hosting plans they offer, their pricing and refund policies, the level of customer support they provide, and their reputation in the hosting industry.

Conducting a hosting comparison can help you determine the best web hosting provider for your needs. By considering these factors and doing your research, you can select a hosting provider that meets your requirements and provides the best web hosting experience for your website.

Which web hosting provider is better, Bluehost or HostGator?

Overall, Bluehost is better than HostGator, but choosing between the two is going to come down to two things.

Bluehost and HostGator are two popular web hosting companies, and both offer a variety of features and plans. When it comes to choosing between them, it depends on your specific needs. Bluehost is known for its user-friendly interface and excellent uptime, while HostGator offers more flexibility in terms of plan options and scalability. Ultimately, it’s important to consider your website’s specific requirements and do a thorough comparison of both providers before making a decision.

Bluehost is the best option when it comes to hosting WP sites. Because Bluehost’s hosting is made for WordPress (and WooCommerce) sites, WordPress comes pre-installed and is easy to configure. Plus, Bluehost comes with a powerful and beginner-friendly WordPress website builder.

HostGator is the best option when it comes to the cheapest pricing. Because HostGator is cheaper and includes a free domain name as well.

What features should I consider when choosing between Bluehost and HostGator?

When deciding between Bluehost and HostGator, there are several important features to consider. Both web hosting providers offer a variety of control panels and site builders, as well as customer service options like live chat and phone support. They also both provide a content delivery network to help speed up your website’s load times.

However, there are some differences in the services they offer. HostGator offers a migration service to help you transfer your website from another hosting provider, while Bluehost offers business verification and blacklist monitoring services to keep your website secure.

Additionally, Bluehost provides email marketing options and a content manager to help you manage your website’s content, while HostGator offers a wider variety of add-ons and a money-back guarantee for their dedicated server and cloud hosting services.

Is HostGator Cheaper Than Bluehost?

Depends on which hosting plan you choose. The basic shared plan is cheaper with HostGator. However, when it comes to the VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting plans, HostGator is slightly more expensive. 

Which Is a Better Hosting Company When It Comes to WordPress – Bluehost or HostGator?

Generally speaking, both of them are good at WordPress integration. However, Bluehost has more services related to WordPress management and marketing (like Blue Sky, managed WordPress hosting), which makes it a winner here. Besides, it’s one of the three officially-endorsed providers by WordPress. 

What are the differences between VPS and dedicated hosting for Bluehost vs HostGator?

Both Bluehost and HostGator offer VPS (Virtual Private Server) and dedicated hosting services. VPS hosting provides customers with a virtual private server that runs on a shared physical server, while dedicated hosting provides a customer with their own physical server.

VPS hosting is generally more affordable than dedicated hosting and is suitable for websites with moderate traffic. Dedicated hosting is more expensive but provides customers with full control over their server, making it suitable for large websites with high traffic. Ultimately, the choice between VPS and dedicated hosting will depend on your website’s needs and budget.

How does Bluehost compare to HostGator in terms of customer experience?

Both Bluehost and HostGator offer strong customer support options, including phone and chat support, as well as money-back guarantees. Bluehost also provides live chat support for 24/7 assistance. HostGator, on the other hand, offers a more extensive support team, including video tutorials and a community forum.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference and the level of support that best meets your needs.

Which Provider Is Better for Site Migration?

Well, Bluehost migrates WordPress websites for free but for other platforms, you have to pay $149.99 to have your site migrated to Bluehost. So I would definitely say HostGator site migration is better – because it’s free for all types of website platforms.

Do Bluehost and Hostgator offer any marketing and social media features?

Both Bluehost and Hostgator offer a range of features to help businesses market themselves and engage with their customers. In terms of email marketing options, both companies provide access to tools like Constant Contact and Mailchimp.

Bluehost also offers integrations with popular social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter, while Hostgator provides access to social media marketing tools through its partnership with SiteLock. These features can be helpful for small business owners who are looking to expand their reach and engage with their audience on multiple platforms.

How do Bluehost and HostGator compare in terms of plan and renewal prices?

Both Bluehost and HostGator offer a range of hosting plans at various price points. Bluehost’s basic plan starts at a slightly lower price than HostGator’s, but both providers offer similar features for their plans.

When it comes to renewal prices, both providers offer competitive rates, with some fluctuations depending on the specific plan chosen. It’s important to note that the lowest advertised prices often require a long-term commitment, so be sure to consider the overall cost over the course of your hosting needs.

Do Bluehost and HostGator Come With Website Builders?

Yes. Both hosting companies offer a free-of-charge website builder with their hosting plans. Both builders are easy to use, intuitive, and provide you with all the basic functionalities you would need to start your first website.

Which Is Better for Beginners – Bluehost or HostGator?

Well, the answer is both of them, really. As you’ve seen so far, both of them have really cheap basic hosting options, their own user-friendly builders, and one-click WordPress and other applications’ installation options.

Anyone with a really limited budget and an idea for a small site can try them out and see for themselves that they’re really simple. The cPanel dashboard is not overcrowded, it’s intuitive with both providers. Plus, both offer vast bases of knowledge and 24/7 customer services if you need anything as a newbie. 

Are Bluehost and HostGator the same company?

While HostGator and Bluehost are owned by the same parent company, Newfold Digital Inc. (formerly Endurance International Group or EIG), they do offer users a number of slightly different features and hosting plans.

Our Verdict

Which is better, Bluehost or Hostgator?

  • Getting the cheapest pricing – HostGator
  • Getting a free-of-charge domain name – Either
  • Best performance and security features? – Bluehost
  • Best for WordPress? – Bluehost
  • Best WordPress website builder? – Bluehost
  • Best for backing up websites? – Bluehost
  • Best for migrating a WP site for free? – Bluehost
  • Best for migrating a “non-WordPress” site for free? – HostGator
  • Best for paying monthly? – HostGator
  • Best technical customer support? – Bluehost
  • Best money-back guarantee? – HostGator

As you were able to see from this HostGator vs Bluehost 2024 comparison, generally speaking, one hosting provider doesn’t differ too much from the other. However, that doesn’t mean that there still aren’t important differences between the two hosting companies. 

Bluehost is the winner when it comes to all things WordPress. If you’re aiming to open and develop a WordPress site, and gradually grow the traffic by using SEO services and marketing, then I would definitely say go with Bluehost.

They offer additional WordPress services that you won’t be able to find with HostGator. Besides, Bluehost has some other attractive features like a free-of-charge domain for a year, CDN, and SSL certificates on all plans. And don’t forget the great affiliate program they offer if you want to make extra money on the side.

But HostGator’s not to be underestimated either. They have plenty of different hosting plans to satisfy everyone’s tastes and needs, as well as support for different programming languages. Plus, they also offer free site migration! 

Basically, whatever you choose, make sure it fits your site’s needs. It’s that simple. Also, both companies offer generous refund policies so that you can try them out, to find out if they are working out for you.

Reviewing HostGator vs Bluehost: Our Methodology

When we review web hosts, our evaluation is based on these criteria:

  1. Value for Money: What types of web hosting plans are on offer, and are they good value for money?
  2. User Friendliness: How user-friendly is the signup process, the onboarding, the dashboard? and so on.
  3. Customer Support: When we need help, how quickly can we get it, and is the support effective and helpful?
  4. Hosting Features: What unique features does the web host provide, and how do they stack up against competitors?
  5. Security: Are essential security measures like SSL certificates, DDoS protection, backup services, and malware/virus scans included?
  6. Speed and Uptime: Is the hosting service fast and reliable? What types of servers do they use, and how do they perform in tests?

For more details on our review process, click here.

References

Mathias Ahlgren is the CEO and founder of Website Rating, steering a global team of editors and writers. He holds a master's in information science and management. His career pivoted to SEO after early web development experiences during university. With over 15 years in SEO, digital marketing, and web developmens. His focus also includes website security, evidenced by a certificate in Cyber Security. This diverse expertise underpins his leadership at Website Rating.

The "WSR Team" is the collective group of expert editors and writers specializing in technology, internet security, digital marketing, and web development. Passionate about the digital realm, they produce well-researched, insightful, and accessible content. Their commitment to accuracy and clarity makes Website Rating a trusted resource for staying informed in the dynamic digital world.

Ibad is a writer at Website Rating who specializes in the realm of web hosting and has previously worked at Cloudways and Convesio. His articles focus on educating readers about WordPress hosting and VPS, offering in-depth insights and analysis in these technical areas. His work is aimed at guiding users through the complexities of web hosting solutions.

Stay informed! Join our newsletter
Subscribe now and get free access to subscriber-only guides, tools, and resources.
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your data is safe.
Stay informed! Join our newsletter
Subscribe now and get free access to subscriber-only guides, tools, and resources.
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your data is safe.
Stay informed! Join our newsletter!
Subscribe now and get free access to subscriber-only guides, tools, and resources.
Stay Up-to Date! Join our Newsletter
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your data is safe.
My Company
Stay Up-to Date! Join our Newsletter
🙌 You are (almost) subscribed!
Head over to your email inbox, and open the email I sent you to confirm your email address.
My Company
You are Subscribed!
Thank You for your subscription. We send out newsletter with insightful data every Monday.
Share to...