HostGator vs Strikingly Website Builder Comparison For 2023

Explore the comparative analysis of HostGator Website Builder vs Strikingly in this guide. We delve into their features, usability, and pricing to help you understand which platform suits your needs best. Get ready to make an informed choice in your website building journey!

Overview
Pros & Cons
Website Building Features
Ease of Use
Templates & Designs
Apps & Integrations
Customer Support

Overview

HostGator and Strikingly are two popular website builders that offer easy-to-use tools for creating stunning websites. HostGator provides a wide range of features and customization options, making it suitable for individuals and businesses of all sizes. On the other hand, Strikingly focuses on simplicity and offers a user-friendly interface, making it ideal for beginners. Both platforms offer affordable pricing plans, responsive templates, and reliable customer support. Whether you’re a tech-savvy pro or a novice, HostGator and Strikingly have got you covered.

HostGator

Free Plan: No

Free Trial: No (but has refund policy)

Price: From $2.75 per month

Official website: www.hostgator.com

HostGator Website Builder is best suited for beginners and small businesses looking for an easy-to-use, affordable solution to create and manage their own websites.

Learn more about HostGator

Strikingly

Free Plan: Yes

Free Trial: Yes

Price: From $6 per month

Official website: www.strikingly.com

Strikingly is best suited for individuals, entrepreneurs, and small businesses looking for a user-friendly platform to create and manage simple, stylish, and mobile-optimized websites with no coding required.

Learn more about Strikingly

HostGator Website Builder offers an excellent, user-friendly service. Their intuitive interface, diverse templates, and 24/7 customer support make building websites a breeze. A great tool for beginners and professionals alike. Highly recommended! – William C

Strikingly offers an intuitive and user-friendly platform for website creation. High-quality templates and excellent customer service make it a top choice. It’s perfect for beginners and pros alike. Highly recommend for seamless, striking website design! – George Q

Efficient and user-friendly. HostGator’s Website Builder provides excellent tools, making web design a breeze. Minor improvements needed, but highly recommended. – Liam

Strikingly offers intuitive design, rich templates, and excellent customer support. A few glitches, but overall a solid website builder. – Amelia

HostGator Website Builder is impressively user-friendly, offering top-notch features and excellent customer service. It’s perfect for beginners and experts alike. Highly recommended for smooth, hassle-free website creation. – Elizabeth O

Strikingly exceeded my expectations! User-friendly interface, stunning templates, and excellent customer support. Made website creation a breeze. Highly recommended for stress-free, professional results. Great value for money. – Sophia

Pros & Cons

This section explores the strengths and weaknesses of these two website builders.

Winner is:

HostGator is a reliable web hosting platform with a wide range of features and excellent customer support. However, its website builder is not as user-friendly and lacks advanced customization options. On the other hand, Strikingly is incredibly easy to use, with beautiful templates and a simple drag-and-drop editor. It may not have as many features as HostGator, but it excels in simplicity. Overall, Strikingly is the winner for individuals and small businesses looking for a straightforward and visually appealing website builder.

HostGator

Pros:

Easy to use: HostGator Website Builder is very easy to use, even for people with no experience in website design. The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create and customize your website without any coding knowledge.
Affordable: HostGator Website Builder is very affordable, especially when compared to other website builders. The Starter plan starts at just $3.46 per month, and it includes all the features you need to create a professional-looking website.
Free domain: When you sign up for a HostGator website builder plan, you get a free domain name for the first year. This can save you a lot of money, as domain names can typically cost $10-20 per year.
Free SSL certificate: All HostGator website builder plans include a free SSL certificate. This encrypts your website traffic and protects your visitors’ data.
Unlimited bandwidth and storage: HostGator website builder plans include unlimited bandwidth and storage. This means you can create a website as large as you want without having to worry about running out of space or bandwidth.
24/7/365 support: HostGator offers 24/7/365 support for their website builder. This means you can get help with any problems you encounter, no matter what time of day or night it is.

Cons:

Limited features: HostGator Website Builder does not offer as many features as some other website builders. For example, it does not offer a built-in blog or ecommerce platform.
No custom coding: HostGator Website Builder is a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor, which means you cannot add custom code to your website. This can be a limitation if you need to add specific functionality to your website.
No mobile app: HostGator Website Builder does not offer a mobile app, so you cannot manage your website from your phone or tablet.
Customer support can be slow: Sometimes, customer support can be slow to respond to requests. This can be frustrating if you are experiencing a problem with your website.

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Strikingly

Pros:

Ease of Use: Strikingly offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, making it accessible for beginners with little to no coding experience.
Mobile-Responsive Design: All Strikingly templates are designed to be responsive, ensuring your website looks good and functions well on various devices.
Quick Setup: You can have a basic website up and running in a relatively short amount of time due to the streamlined design process.
One-Page Websites: Strikingly is well-suited for creating simple, one-page websites or landing pages for specific purposes.
Template Designs: The platform provides a range of professionally designed templates across different categories, allowing you to find a style that fits your needs.
E-Commerce Integration: Strikingly offers e-commerce functionality, enabling you to set up an online store and sell products.
Domain Registration: You can register a new domain through Strikingly or connect an existing domain to your site.
SSL Security: Strikingly provides SSL certificates to secure data transmission between your website and visitors.
Customer Support: Strikingly offers customer support through various channels, including live chat, email, and a help center.
App Integrations: The platform supports integration with third-party apps and plugins to enhance your website’s functionality.

Cons:

Limited Customization: While the drag-and-drop interface is user-friendly, it might be limiting for users who want more advanced customization options or specific design tweaks.
Template Restrictions: The templates, while visually appealing, can sometimes impose design constraints that may not align with your exact vision.
Scalability: Strikingly might be less suitable for larger or more complex websites with extensive content or intricate structures.
E-Commerce Limitations: While it offers e-commerce, Strikingly’s e-commerce capabilities might be less comprehensive compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms.
SEO Constraints: The level of SEO customization and optimization might be less robust compared to other website builders or content management systems.
Integration Limitations: While there are third-party integrations available, the range might be more limited compared to platforms with extensive app marketplaces.
Membership Features: While Strikingly offers membership features, these might be basic and might not fulfill advanced membership site needs.
Platform Lock-in: Transferring your website from Strikingly to another platform could potentially be challenging due to proprietary design elements.

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Website Building Features

This section compares the overall features of HostGator Website Builder vs Strikingly.

Winner is:

HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly both offer a user-friendly drag and drop interface, making it easy for beginners to build a website. HostGator provides a wider range of templates and designs, allowing for more customization options. While both platforms offer good value for money, Strikingly‘s pricing plans are more affordable. In terms of SEO, HostGator offers more advanced features and customization options. Both platforms offer email marketing capabilities, but Strikingly provides more integrations. In terms of security, HostGator offers more robust measures, including SSL certificates. Both platforms provide good customer support. Overall, HostGator‘s more comprehensive features and customization options make it the winner in this comparison.

HostGator

Drag-and-drop editor: The drag-and-drop editor makes it easy to create and customize your website without any coding knowledge.
150+ mobile-optimized templates: There are over 150 mobile-optimized templates to choose from, so you can create a website that looks great on any device.
Free domain: When you sign up for a HostGator website builder plan, you get a free domain name for the first year.
Free SSL: All HostGator website builder plans include a free SSL certificate, which encrypts your website traffic and protects your visitors’ data.
Unlimited appointments: You can create unlimited appointments on your website, so you can easily schedule meetings with customers or clients.
Online payments & deposits: You can accept online payments and deposits on your website, so you can make it easy for customers to pay for your products or services.
Unlimited products & categories: If you’re selling products on your website, you can have unlimited products and categories.
24/7/365 support: HostGator offers 24/7/365 support for their website builder, so you can get help with any problems you encounter.
SEO tools: HostGator Website Builder includes a number of SEO tools to help you optimize your website for search engines.
Social media integration: You can easily integrate your website with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Analytics: HostGator Website Builder provides analytics reports so you can track the performance of your website.
Backups: HostGator Website Builder automatically backs up your website daily, so you don’t have to worry about losing your data.

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Strikingly

Easy-to-Use Interface: Strikingly offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that makes it simple for users with little to no technical skills to build a website.
Mobile-Responsive Design: All templates provided by Strikingly are designed to be responsive, ensuring that your website looks great and functions well on various devices, including smartphones and tablets.
Customizable Templates: Strikingly provides a range of professionally designed templates that you can customize to suit your brand or personal style.
Domain Registration: You can register a new domain or connect an existing domain to your Strikingly website.
E-Commerce Integration: For those looking to sell products online, Strikingly offers e-commerce functionality, allowing you to set up an online store with product listings, shopping carts, and payment gateways.
Blogging Tools: Strikingly includes blogging capabilities, enabling you to create and manage a blog directly on your website.
Social Media Integration: You can easily integrate your social media profiles and feeds into your Strikingly website.
SEO Optimization: Strikingly provides tools and features to optimize your website for search engines, helping you improve your online visibility.
Analytics and Insights: You can integrate website analytics tools to track visitor data and gain insights into your website’s performance.
Membership and User Registration: Strikingly allows you to create membership-based websites with user registration and login features.
App Integrations: The platform offers integrations with third-party apps and services, allowing you to add extra functionality to your website.

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Ease of Use

This section focuses on ease of use and how beginner-friendly HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly are.

Winner is:

Both HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly offer user-friendly drag-and-drop interfaces, making it easy for beginners to create a website. However, Strikingly takes the lead in terms of simplicity and intuitiveness. Its clean interface and straightforward design options make it a breeze to build a professional-looking site in minutes. HostGator‘s interface is slightly more complex and may require a bit more time to navigate. Therefore, in terms of ease of use, Strikingly emerges as the winner.

HostGator

Intuitive interface makes navigation simple, reducing learning curve.
Drag-and-drop feature simplifies website creation, no coding knowledge required.
Variety of templates provide a solid starting point for customization.
Extensive customization options allow for unique, personalized design.
Easy-to-use tools for editing text, images, and links.
Seamless integration with e-commerce platforms for quick online store setup.
Functionality for SEO optimization built-in, enhancing online visibility.
Mobile-friendly design options ensure optimal user experience on all devices.
Live preview feature enables real-time design adjustments.
One-click publishing makes taking your website live a breeze.

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Strikingly

Intuitive interface: Strikingly’s clean, user-friendly design makes website building a breeze.
No coding required: Users can easily create professional-looking sites without any technical knowledge.
Drag-and-drop feature: This functionality simplifies the design process, enabling quick rearrangement of elements on a page.
Customizable templates: Strikingly boasts a wide array of customizable themes to fit any brand or purpose.
Seamless editing: Real-time editing allows users to see changes as they happen, enhancing the design experience.
Clear instructions: The platform provides straightforward guidance, making the building process smooth.
Flexibility: Strikingly caters to all, from personal blogs to e-commerce sites, with its diverse tool set.

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Templates & Designs

This section looks at the themes of Strikingly and HostGator Website Builder in terms of in terms of customization, the number of templates, and templates for websites, and e-commerce sites.

Winner is:

When comparing the templates and designs of HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly, both platforms offer customization options, but Strikingly takes the lead. With Strikingly, you have access to a vast library of modern and sleek templates for both websites and e-commerce sites. HostGator, on the other hand, offers a decent selection of templates, but they are not as visually impressive. Therefore, the overall winner in terms of templates and designs is Strikingly, thanks to its larger selection and more visually appealing options.

HostGator

HostGator Website Builder offers over 200 professional-grade designs.
Templates are available for diverse industries like restaurants, online stores, and blogs.
Fully customizable elements to reflect your brand.
Includes pre-designed sections to expedite site creation.
Responsive templates adapt to any device.
Drag-and-drop functionality for user-friendly design experience.
Advanced SEO and marketing tools integrated.

Types of Templates:

Business: These templates are designed for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. They include templates for a variety of industries, such as law firms, restaurants, and e-commerce stores.
Personal: These templates are designed for individuals who want to create a personal website, such as a blog or portfolio. They include templates for a variety of interests, such as travel, photography, and cooking.
Non-profit: These templates are designed for non-profit organizations. They include templates for a variety of causes, such as environmentalism, education, and social justice.
Ecommerce: These templates are designed for businesses that want to sell products online. They include templates for a variety of products, such as clothing, electronics, and home goods.

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Strikingly

Strikingly offers modern, responsive templates.
Wide array of design options for all sectors.
Customizable layouts for personal touch.
Designs offer seamless navigation experience.
E-commerce ready templates available.
Blogging and portfolio designs offered.
Event and product launch templates.
Social media integration options.
SEO-friendly designs for better visibility.
Unique one-page website designs.

Types of Templates:

Business and Corporate Templates: These templates are suitable for businesses, startups, and corporate websites. They often feature professional designs with sections for showcasing services, portfolios, team members, and client testimonials.
Portfolio and Creative Templates: Designed for artists, designers, photographers, and other creatives, these templates emphasize visual appeal and provide spaces for displaying your work in an organized manner.
Personal and Blogging Templates: Ideal for individuals, bloggers, and writers, these templates focus on content presentation and may include different post formats, featured images, and options for social sharing.
Online Store and E-commerce Templates: Tailored for selling products online, these templates include product listings, shopping carts, checkout processes, and other e-commerce functionalities.
Event and Wedding Templates: Suitable for creating event websites or wedding invitations, these templates often have sections for event details, RSVP forms, photo galleries, and more.
App and Software Templates: Geared towards showcasing apps or software products, these templates may include sections for features, screenshots, testimonials, and download links.
One-Page and Landing Page Templates: These templates are designed to create single-page websites or landing pages with focused content and clear call-to-actions.
Nonprofit and Charity Templates: Ideal for nonprofit organizations, these templates often highlight causes, donation options, volunteer information, and impact stories.
Restaurant and Food Templates: Tailored for restaurants, cafes, or food-related businesses, these templates might feature menus, reservation forms, and high-quality images of dishes.
Travel and Tourism Templates: Suitable for travel agencies, tour operators, or personal travel blogs, these templates often showcase destinations, itineraries, and travel tips.
Education and Course Templates: Designed for educators, schools, or online course creators, these templates may include sections for course descriptions, enrollment forms, and lesson materials.
Health and Wellness Templates: Geared towards health practitioners, wellness coaches, or fitness centers, these templates might highlight services, schedules, and client testimonials.
Real Estate Templates: Tailored for real estate agents or agencies, these templates often include property listings, contact forms, and interactive maps.

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Apps & Integrations

This section explores what apps, plugins, and integrations HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly come with.

Winner is:

HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly both offer a range of apps, plugins, and integrations to enhance website functionality. HostGator provides a comprehensive library of over 70 apps, including popular options like WordPress, Joomla, and Magento. Strikingly, on the other hand, offers a more limited selection, focusing primarily on essential integrations like PayPal and Google Analytics. While HostGator has a wider variety, Strikingly‘s integrations are well-suited for small businesses. Overall, HostGator Website Builder emerges as the winner due to its extensive selection, catering to a broader range of website needs.

HostGator

Contact Form: This app allows you to create a contact form on your website so that visitors can easily contact you.
Newsletter: This app allows you to create and manage a newsletter subscription list for your website.
Social Media: This app allows you to integrate your website with social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Photo Gallery: This app allows you to create a photo gallery on your website to showcase your images.
video Gallery: This app allows you to create a video gallery on your website to showcase your videos.
Ecommerce: This app allows you to sell products on your website.
Membership: This app allows you to create a membership site on your website so that users can access exclusive content.
Forum: This app allows you to create a forum on your website so that users can discuss topics related to your website.
Chat: This app allows you to add a live chat feature to your website so that visitors can chat with you in real time.

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Strikingly

Ecwid: An e-commerce platform that enables you to easily add an online store to your Strikingly website, manage products, inventory, and process payments.
Eventbrite: Integrate Eventbrite to promote and manage events directly from your Strikingly site, allowing visitors to purchase tickets or register for events.
SoundCloud: Embed SoundCloud audio tracks or playlists on your website to showcase music, podcasts, or other audio content.
Google Maps: Integrate Google Maps to display your business location, event venues, or other points of interest with interactive maps.
OpenTable: Allow visitors to make restaurant reservations directly through your Strikingly website using the OpenTable integration.
Mailchimp: Integrate Mailchimp to collect email subscribers, send newsletters, and manage your email marketing campaigns.
LiveChat: Add live chat functionality to your website, enabling real-time communication with visitors and potential customers.
YouTube and Vimeo: Embed videos from YouTube or Vimeo to showcase video content directly on your site.
Facebook Pixel: Integrate Facebook Pixel for tracking website visitor behavior and running targeted advertising campaigns on Facebook.
Google Analytics: Integrate Google Analytics to track and analyze website traffic, user behavior, and other valuable insights.
Stripe: Enable online payments and transactions through credit cards with the Stripe integration.
Zapier: Connect Strikingly with other apps and automate workflows using Zapier’s integration capabilities.
Chatra: Add a live chat widget to your website for instant customer support and interaction.
Tawk.to: Incorporate another live chat solution to engage with website visitors in real time.
Disqus: Enable commenting and discussion on your blog posts or content using the Disqus commenting system.
HubSpot: Integrate HubSpot’s marketing and sales tools to manage leads, customer interactions, and inbound marketing efforts.

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Customer Support

This section explores the strengths and weaknesses of the customer support provided by HostGator Website Builder versus Strikingly.

Winner is:

When it comes to customer support, both HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly offer reliable assistance. HostGator provides 24/7 live chat and phone support, ensuring that help is always just a click or call away. Strikingly also offers round-the-clock support through email and chat. However, based on user reviews and response times, HostGator emerges as the winner in this category. Their prompt and knowledgeable support team consistently receives positive feedback, making them the preferred choice for those who value quick and efficient assistance. So, if customer support is a priority for you, HostGator Website Builder is the way to go.

HostGator

24/7/365 support: HostGator offers 24/7/365 support for their website builder, so you can get help with any problems you encounter, no matter what time of day or night it is.

Live chat: You can chat with a HostGator support representative in real time if you need help with something specific.
Phone support: You can also call HostGator support if you prefer to speak to someone over the phone.
Email support: You can send an email to HostGator support if you have a question that you don’t need an immediate answer to.

Knowledge base: HostGator has a comprehensive knowledge base that you can search for answers to your questions. The knowledge base includes articles, tutorials, and videos that can help you with everything from creating your website to managing your hosting account.

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Strikingly

24/7 Support: Strikingly provides around-the-clock customer support to address any issues or questions you may have, ensuring that help is available whenever you need it.

Live Chat: The live chat feature allows you to connect with a support representative in real-time for immediate assistance and guidance.
Email Support: You can contact Strikingly’s support team via email to receive personalized help and answers to your inquiries.
Responsive Support: Strikingly’s support team should be responsive to inquiries, ensuring timely assistance for any issues you encounter.
Ticket System: You might have the option to submit support tickets for specific issues, which allows you to track the progress of your request.
Social Media: Strikingly may provide support and updates through their official social media channels, offering another way to stay informed and connected.

Help Center: Strikingly’s help center includes a comprehensive knowledge base with articles, tutorials, and step-by-step guides to assist users in using the website builder effectively.
Community Forum: Strikingly may offer a community forum where users can interact, ask questions, share tips, and learn from each other’s experiences.
Video Tutorials: Video tutorials and guides may be available to visually walk you through various tasks and features within the website builder.
Webinars and Workshops: Strikingly might organize webinars or workshops to provide in-depth training and insights on using their platform effectively.
In-App Help: The website builder interface may include tooltips, pop-ups, or contextual help to guide you through different features while building your site.
Feedback and Suggestions: Strikingly may encourage users to provide feedback and suggestions, helping them improve their platform based on user needs.

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Check out how HostGator Website Builder and Strikingly stack up against other website builder tools on the market.

Overview

HostGator

Strikingly

Pros & Cons

Winner is:

HostGator

Pros:

Strikingly

Pros:

Website Building Features

Winner is:

HostGator

Strikingly

Ease of Use

Winner is:

HostGator

Strikingly

Templates & Designs

Winner is:

HostGator

Strikingly

Apps & Integrations

Winner is:

HostGator

Strikingly

Customer Support

Winner is:

HostGator

Strikingly

Categories

Favorites

Tools & Resources