Updated February 2023
HostGator Review
Whether you're looking to migrate your site or launch a new online business, choosing the right hosting company is essential. The right provider will support your growth, keep your site secure (and live), and help you manage your online presence with ease. When you're just starting, you may be a bit confused about what each hosting company offers. And even after you've narrowed down your options to just top hosting companies, it may still be tricky to tell them apart.
In this post, we’ll share everything you need to know about one of the best-known hosting companies in the world: HostGator. Should you choose HostGator in 2022?
HostGator was founded in 2002 in Houston, Texas. Since then, the company has expanded internationally, with offices in 12 countries, which provide localized support to local customers. HostGator reports that they currently offer hosting to over two million websites across the globe.

HostGator Plans & Pricing (2022)
HostGator offers five types of hosting plans, starting at $2.75 per month for shared hosting.
In this section, we'll analyze them one by one.
Shared Hosting

HostGator's basic shared website hosting plan includes a free domain for a year but very little else. As we'll explain when discussing HostGator's pros and cons, this plan doesn't have some key features other companies provide at no extra cost.
HostGator offers three shared hosting options:
- The Hatchling Plan, which can only support one website
- The Baby Plan, which supports unlimited websites
- The Business Plan, which comes with a Positive SSL certificate, SEO tools, and more
HostGator's shared plans are viable options if your hosting budget is in the $6-$10 range, but you could definitely get better service at the same monthly fee, even within the HostGator catalogue. These three plans come with one-click installers for the most popular PHP-based Content Management Systems. Additionally, their cPanel is very beginner-friendly.
Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress Hosting is far less limited than Shared Hosting and outperforms more affordable options in three key areas:
- Security
- Performance
- Scalability
HostGator's Managed WordPress includes some of the key features of plans in this category. For instance, it comes with daily backups and more server resources than shared plans. But it still doesn't include some key perks that other hosting companies offer.
For instance, best-of-class Managed WordPress comes with access to a global, enterprise-grade CDN. This Content Delivery Network loads your site's heaviest assets from a server node that's physically close to the individual user who's visiting your site. Thanks to a CDN, your site will be equally fast to all users, regardless of where they’re located. This isn't included in HostGator's WordPress hosting plans.
Starting at $5.95 per month, HostGator's WordPress hosting isn't an unreliable option. But there are better contenders in the Managed WordPress category.
VPS Hosting

HostGator's Virtual Private Server plans include:
- Complete root access
- Weekly backups
- A test deployment environment
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- Enough computing power to support gaming
- An unlimited number of incoming and outgoing emails
Snappy 4000, their base VPS plan, starts at $23.95/month. Its premium plan, Snappy 8000, starts at $59.95/month.
Other hosting providers offer VPS hosting services into a broader price range, providing more resources for those that need them. The Snappy VPS plans are an exciting option for those looking to get started with a VPS, but their upfront offer may seem limited for enterprise-grade customers. For this sector, HostGator offers dedicated servers.
Dedicated Server Plans
HostGator offers three dedicated server hosting plans:
- Value Server
- Power Server
- Enterprise Server
These plans range from $89.99 and $139.99 per month. HostGator's dedicated servers are very versatile. They also include key security features such as DDoS protection and IP-based firewalls.
Cloud Hosting Plans
HostGator doesn’t offer hosting solutions for companies looking to manage their files on a private “cloud.”
Website Builder

Many non-technical business owners gravitate towards DIY web solutions like Wix or Squarespace. So, it’s no surprise that hosting providers are going the extra mile to offer intuitive and accessible website builders.
At this point, you may have recognized a pattern: Most HostGator product lines start with a minimal introductory offer that the average user is bound to outgrow. So, you should be ready for upsells.
HostGator’s Express website builder plans are no different. Express Start, their basic plan, only includes:
- Access to their visual site builder
- A free domain (with a yearly plan)
- A free SSL certificate
- The tools to conduct three email campaigns per month
- A 3-product online store
eCommerce Hosting
Unlike other hosting providers, HostGator doesn’t offer plans specially designed for the eCommerce sector. The closest you can get with HostGator is managed WordPress hosting, which, it’s safe to assume, gives you a competitive edge when running WooCommerce on your WordPress installation.
Reseller Hosting Plans
HostGator offers three reseller hosting plans:
- Aluminum
- Copper
- Silver
The three plans include client billing and support for unlimited websites. The disk space ranges from 60 GB to 140 GB.
Reseller hosting may be one of HostGator’s most competitive categories. While its range of solutions seems pretty limited at first sight, it’s a solid service for those just starting as hosting resellers. It’s also very convenient pricing-wise, giving resellers the chance to sell their services at a substantial profit.
Pros & Cons
HostGator is one of the most trusted hosting companies in the world, thanks to:
Pros
High guaranteed uptime
Above-average site speed, especially for their managed WordPress plans
Up-to-date infrastructure
Cons
Pay extra for things like professional email addresses and webmail access, backups, SEO insights and analytics, and an SSL certificate - making HostGator far less affordable than similar competitors, especially for limited shared hosting plans.
Enterprise-grade CDN access not included
Can be integrated with Cloudflare CDN plans, but they’re not included
WordPress Plans don’t include staging sites
HostGator Frequently Asked Questions
What Is HostGator used for?
HostGator hosts websites of various types, sizes, and traffic volumes. According to Builtwith.com, the website of Costa Rica’s Tourism Board is hosted on HostGator and Santa Barbara City College’s website, among others. But, considering the pros and cons we mentioned in this post, HostGator may be better suited for small-to-midsize websites.
Is HostGator legit?
HostGator is a legitimate company operating under the Endurance International Group/NewFold Digital umbrella.
How much Is HostGator a month?
Like most hosting companies, HostGator structures its plans, so it’s more cost-efficient to hire hosting yearly than every month. When buying a 36-month HostGator plan, you could pay as little as $2.75 + taxes per month of service, depending on the package you choose.
Is HostGator good for beginners?
HostGator’s intuitive cPanel is suitable for beginners. However, some essential features are sold as extras and not included in your base plan could translate into a minimal experience. This is especially true if this is your first time managing a website. But, overall, HostGator is a solid option for a newbie.
Key Takeaways
HostGator is one of the most renowned companies in the world. In this HostGator review, we shared:
- An overview of HostGator's plans & services
- Some commonly reported pros
- Some commonly reported cons
- Answers to users' top questions about HostGator.
How about you? Have you considered HostGator before? Have you hosted a website on HostGator? Let us know in the comments below.
Scoring
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