Finding the right web hosting service for your websites is super important as every individual business and entrepreneur has different wants and needs to meet.
As a result, the industry is flooded with web hosting providers but some shine more than others.
Two big companies which stand out to those looking for a good web hosting service are Bluehost and HostGator.
Both of these companies have a great reputation and are used by thousands of customers all over the world – but which one is right for you?
If you are torn between Bluehost and HostGator as your web hosting provider, then this is the guide for you.
We have put both to the test and pulled together this comparison guide to help you find the best web hosting service for your business.
Check out the information below to find out which service you should sign up to!
About Bluehost
Let’s meet the first of the two web hosting companies included in our comparison test – Bluehost.
Bluehost was first set up in 2003 and ever since, it has become one of the leading names in the web hosting industry.
As a company, Bluehost aims to empower all kinds of people to be able to run their own websites to help their business grow and now, they power over 2 million websites.
Bluehost is also WordPress’s best recommended hosting service, as recommended by WordPress itself, and the two companies have been working closely together to help make powering websites and businesses easier for customers since 2005.
About HostGator
One of Bluehost’s biggest competitors is HostGator, another web hosting service company which has been around since 2002.
Today, HostGator (Also check out HostGator Vs GoDaddy) has helped host nearly 3 million websites and the company is dedicated to providing flexibility, freedom, and reliability to their thousands of customers.
Just like with Bluehost, HostGator has a fantastic reputation – which is why it is so difficult to choose between the two!
Bluehost Vs HostGator: Which Is Better?
Now that we know a little bit more about our two competitors, it’s time to go in depth and compare the two side by side.
Here are the results of our research and testing so check out the reviews below of both Bluehost and HostGator to see which company triumphs over the other!
Ease Of Use
If you are new to website hosting and you’re still finding your feet, then it’s important to find a web hosting service which is super easy to use.
Not everyone who runs a website is ‘tech savvy’ and even some veteran website builders and resellers struggle with the technical side of website hosting.
So, a lot of website hosting services try to offer services to make it easier to sign up and use their services – so what does Bluehost and HostGator have to offer?
Bluehost
Let’s start with Bluehost.
Bluehost offers a 30 day money-back guarantee to help its customers try out the service to see if it’s the right one for them. This makes it a lot easier to test out different web hosting services for free.
However, this offer does not extend to any add-on products like domain names. Once they are paid for, you won’t get a refund.
Speaking of domains, Bluehost also offers its customers a free domain when signing up. The domain lasts a year and will be renewed alongside your plan, making it easier for customers to streamline their tasks.
These are great incentives to offer potential new customers but once you sign up to Bluehost, the next chore is to migrate your existing websites over to Bluehost.
Unfortunately, Bluehost does not offer any free support for its customers. You can either do it yourself or use the Website Transfer service which costs an eye-watering $149.99!
Alternatively, you can build your own website through Bluehost.
There is a handy on-site builder and help offered to install WordPress with ease, plus Bluehost offers its customers access to Mojo Marketplace where you can access over 140 plugins, themes, templates, and other WordPress services to help you improve your website.
However, if you want to access Mojo Marketplace, you will have to pay an additional fee.
HostGator
HostGator matches Bluehost’s 30 day money-back guarantee and also offers a free domain to its new customers.
They also offer a website builder tool with access to templates, pre-built sections, and paid add-ons through Mojo Marketplace.
So, HostGator and Bluehost offer a lot of similar features which makes them easy to use.
However, HostGaator wins out when it comes to site migration. While Bluehost offers a migration service for a massive price, HostGator migrates WordPress/cPanel website files for free and also one domain registration transfer.
However, you need to use this free feature fast as it expires 30 days after you sign up.
Speed And Uptime
Two main areas of concern businesses and entrepreneurs need to pay close attention is the average speeds and uptime of their web hosting services.
Uptime refers to the amount of time the website is actually available online (which needs to be as close to 100% as possible) while speeds refer to response and page loading times.
If your website is too slow, visitors are less likely to stay around – so speed and uptime are vital for a website to be a success.
So – how do Bluehost and HostGator hold up?
Bluehost
Bluehost offers a guaranteed uptime of 99.98% but how did they do in our tests? Our test of Bluehost found that the average uptime was measured at around 99.99% which is a fantastic result.
As for loading and response speeds, Bluehost doesn’t score as well as some of its competitors.
We found an average response speed of around 420ms and an average load time of 1.48 seconds so it’s definitely possible to find a faster host elsewhere.
HostGator
Like with Bluehost, HostGator also offers an uptime guarantee of 99.9% but we found that our uptime measured at 99.85% over our 6 month test. This is only a minor difference but it still doesn’t reach HostGator’s guarantee.
However, things start to look up for HostGator when it comes to speeds. Its average response time was an amazing 143ms and an average load time of 1.03 seconds. So, while HostGator has a slightly lower uptime compared to Bluehost, it is undeniably faster.
Customer Service And Support
No matter what you do, something is bound to go wrong with your website and you will need to contact your web hosting services’ customer support.
However, some companies are renowned for their amazing customer support while others are notoriously bad – so where does HostGator and Bluehost fall?
Bluehost
Blue host offers a range of different ways to contact their customer support so you can access help 24/7.
You can get in touch with Bluehost’s customer support either through instant live chat, through a phone call, or get a support ticket – although this method may take longer.
Either way, you can contact the expert support team and find help for a ton of different issues including tech support, sales, and account management. We found the staff to be friendly and helpful, so it’s a big thumbs up from us!
HostGator
HostGator also has a super friendly and helpful support team which you can contact at any time.
You can contact them through a range of methods such as instant live chat, through a phone call, or ask for help through forums and their billing support team.
While live chat and phone calls will give you an instant response, you may have to wait a while for any help to come through on the forums. Billing support, however, will get back to you within one business day.
What makes HostGator’s customer support service so excellent is how it uses its community to its advantage.
You can find videos and tutorials to help you find solutions to common issues or to learn new ways to use the tools on offer through HostGator.
Security
Security is a vital area which all web hosting services take seriously and try to cover to a high standard. So, what does Bluehost and HostGator offer to help their customers feel more secure?
Bluehost
Bluehost offers a range of security services including automatic back-ups (scheduled as you please), free shared SSL certificates, and DDoS protections built into Bluehost itself.
However, if you want protection against malware, you need to upgrade and pay an extra fee.
Bluehost’s SiteLock addon will help keep your website spam-free, scan for malware, and offer site verification certificates. However, this is all locked behind an additional fee.
HostGator
HostGator also offers weekly automatic back-ups and a free SSL certificate with each plan (although can purchase more).
HostGator also has DDoS protection built into its site and offers malware scans through SiteLock, just like Bluehost.
There is also the HackAlert feature which monitors your website and alerts you of any suspicious activity.
Summary: Which Service Should You Choose?
In our opinion, Bluehost and HostGator are pretty much tied because they have certain strengths over the other.
Both offer great speeds, uptimes, security, and support but Bluehost wins out in areas such as uptime guarantee and security features.
However, HostGator is easier for beginners to use and has better support – so ultimately, which you choose comes down to which features you think you would use the most.
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