If you’re new to building websites, then the idea of finding the right hosting can seem overwhelming. There is no shortage of options, and it’s hard to tell all the differences between them. One may be better for small businesses, another may be better for scaling your business, etc.
What you care about is having the best hosting for your site, and we want the same for you. That’s why we took two popular hosting services and did some research to see which is better. Because when you’re looking at two of the most well-known web hosting services in the industry, it may be difficult to decide which one is best for you.
While both Bluehost and HostGator offer some great benefits, when it comes down to it, Bluehost takes home the blue ribbon.
HostGator is a close second, but Bluehost’s built-in features, WordPress-friendly setup, and overall ease of use are the main reasons it lands in the number one spot.
Read on to see more in-depth information about why Bluehost wins the battle over HostGator.
Bluehost Compared to HostGator
Bluehost powers millions of websites worldwide and remains one of the most recognizable names in hosting. One of the reasons it stays so popular is that it keeps the setup process beginner-friendly while still offering room to grow. Bluehost also has a clean, modern dashboard that makes it easy to manage your hosting, domains, security, and WordPress tools from one place. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, check out Bluehost’s current hosting deals, with entry-level plans often starting around $3 per month on long-term terms.
HostGator is known for making it easy to get started on a budget while still leaving you room to grow. It is an ideal choice for first-time site owners and small businesses that want affordable shared hosting with modern essentials like a free domain on qualifying terms, a free SSL certificate, CDN access, and a site migration tool. Its shared plans generally start around $3.75 per month on promo, which still makes it a strong budget option. HostGator also advertises 99.9% uptime, which we love to see. In addition, their customer support is available 24/7 via chat, with phone support available on higher shared tiers.
More Top Web Hosting Services
If you’re on the hunt for the right web hosting service for you, it’s important to note that Bluehost and HostGator aren’t the only two you have to choose from. While they are some of the best, there are many others that we researched, tried, and compared to competitors. With this research, we were able to put together a list of the best web hosting services. Eight different web hosting services made it on our list, all for different reasons that may be the right reason for you. See all of our top picks.
Where Bluehost Shines
Endorsed by WordPress: If you are looking to build your website on WordPress, then you likely want to go with a hosting service that you know works well with WordPress. Of all the different hosting services out there, WordPress only recommends a small handful of them — and Bluehost is one of those few. This makes things much easier for you when it comes to making your decision about web hosting, and which service is best for your WordPress website.
High Uptime: If you aren’t sure what uptime is, or you’ve forgotten, here is a quick reminder. Uptime is the amount of time that your site is online. When your site is offline, people cannot access it. In other words, you want a high uptime so that you know your site is online as much as possible. Bluehost now advertises a 99.99% uptime SLA on its shared hosting plans, which is stronger language than a lot of entry-level hosts give you. This is a very important factor to consider when looking at web hosting, as you don’t want people to have issues accessing your website.
If you upgrade to one of Bluehost’s higher-end hosting options, you can usually expect even more resources and stronger overall performance, which is helpful as your site grows.
Customer Support: Bluehost offers several different ways to get support when you need it. Live chat is available 24/7, and phone support is included on many plans. If you have issues with account management, sales, or tech support, help is generally available around the clock. In addition to that, Bluehost also has a fairly deep support library that can walk you through many common issues without needing to contact a support rep.
If you want to see if you can find the answer without having to talk to a person, then Bluehost also has a support library that has all sorts of questions with detailed answers that can walk you through common problems.
Security: When it comes to web hosting, security is not something you want to take lightly. It is imperative that your web hosting service is one that you can trust, and that people who come to your website can trust as well. Bluehost includes a free SSL certificate, malware scanning, a web application firewall, DDoS protection, and weekly backups on its shared plans. This keeps all information on your website more secure, including the customer or client information they put in such as credit card numbers and other personal details.
On higher tiers, Bluehost adds more security and recovery features, including malware detection and removal on certain plans, plus extras like domain privacy on qualifying tiers.
Fast: How quickly your site loads is a very important piece of how well your site succeeds. If people have to wait a long time for it to load, they won’t — they will go onto another page. This will do a number on your bounce rate, too. So, if you want to have a website that does well and that serves your clients and customers, you need a hosting service that offers a fast loading speed. Bluehost does just that with NVMe storage on current shared plans, built-in caching, and a free CDN.
That combination gives Bluehost a more modern performance profile than a lot of older budget hosts still relying on more basic shared infrastructure.
Flexible Plans: The different plan options available through Bluehost are flexible and cover almost every possible need.
If you start with a lower-tier plan and realize that it isn’t enough for you, Bluehost gives you a straightforward upgrade path into bigger shared plans, ecommerce hosting, VPS, dedicated hosting, and other options. That makes it easier to stay with the same provider as your site grows.
Free Features: Some of the free features included in hosting plans seem like fluff that may not have any real importance to you. However, Bluehost is an exception to that. The free features that are included in Bluehost plans are ones that you actually care about. These include things such as a free domain for an entire year, a free CDN, a free SSL certificate, and a free site migration tool. Current shared plans also include managed WordPress updates and weekly backups. These are all features that matter when launching a new site.
The free domain exists for the first year, and then you pay an annual fee for use of the domain thereafter. The free CDN helps your site load faster for visitors in different locations. And the free SSL certificate helps keep your website more secure. That includes not only your information but also information visitors to your website enter as well.
Where Bluehost Falls Short
Renewal Pricing Can Jump: While we love the intro prices of Bluehost that are low and make it one of the more affordable options for web hosting, those prices increase when it comes time to renew your subscription. This is fairly typical for a hosting provider, but it is still something to keep in mind before you sign up for a long initial term.
Phone Support Isn’t Included on Every Entry Plan: Bluehost still offers strong support overall, but not every lower-tier shared plan includes phone support by default. If talking to someone on the phone matters to you, double-check the exact plan before checking out.
Legacy Plan Names Can Be Confusing: Bluehost has changed its shared hosting lineup over time, so you may still see older articles talking about Basic, Choice Plus, or Pro plans even though the current lineup looks different. That doesn’t hurt the service, but it can make comparison shopping a little more confusing if you’re reading outdated reviews.
Where HostGator Shines
Uptime Promise: As mentioned above, uptime is a very important thing to consider when choosing your web hosting. HostGator advertises 99.9% uptime, which is right in line with what most people want from an affordable shared host.
Easy Management: While control panels are pretty typical for running anything with your hosting, HostGator does a good job of keeping its account management simple. You get the familiar tools people expect for file management, domains, DNS settings, WordPress installs, and other essentials in a layout that is easy to navigate and clear to see.
While it has the typical tools you’d expect for site management, including:
- File manager
- FTP access with user management
- Backup and restore tools
- Disk usage monitoring
- Domain management
- DNS controls
- App and WordPress installation tools
- And much more
It shows them in a way that is easy to navigate and clear to see. HostGator makes it easy for you to manage all parts of your site from one place.
Migration Tool Included: If you are looking to transfer your site from another hosting provider to HostGator, they now include a free site migration tool for WordPress websites. That makes the process easier than it used to be, even if it is not the same thing as a full white-glove migration for every type of site.
Free Features: Everyone likes some freebies and HostGator offers some good ones. With the purchase of a hosting plan, they provide a free SSL certificate, a free domain for the first year on qualifying annual and multi-year terms, a free CDN, and managed WordPress updates. That takes a lot of the hassle out of getting your site live.
On current shared plans, HostGator also includes malware scanning, a web application firewall, and DDoS protection. Higher shared tiers add more value, such as phone support, malware detection and removal, and domain privacy on qualifying plans.
Where HostGator Falls Short
Renewal Pricing Still Jumps: Like most budget hosts, HostGator’s lowest promo prices are for your first term only. Once that term is up, your renewal rate goes higher, so the long-term cost is not quite as low as the headline promo price makes it look.
Entry Plans Are More Limited: HostGator’s lower shared tiers are affordable, but the biggest feature upgrades are reserved for higher plans. For example, phone support, malware removal, and domain privacy are not included across the board.
Not Quite as WordPress-Focused as Bluehost: HostGator works fine with WordPress and includes helpful WordPress features, but Bluehost has the stronger WordPress positioning overall. If your site is going to be built entirely around WordPress, Bluehost still feels like the more tailored option.
The Final Verdict on Bluehost Compared to HostGator
Bluehost’s hosting plans offer a variety of different things, depending on you and your website’s specific needs.
Starter. This plan is great for those who are looking to run a simple website or blog. You typically get:
- Up to 10 websites
- 10 GB NVMe storage
- AI site creation tools
- 24/7 chat support
On top of that, you also get:
- Free domain for 1 year
- Free CDN
- Free SSL certificate
- Weekly website backups
- Managed WordPress updates
Business. This is the Bluehost recommended shared plan for most growing sites. It includes everything you need for multiple websites and adds more room to grow, including:
- Up to 50 websites
- 50 GB NVMe storage
- Phone support included
- Malware detection and removal
- Domain privacy for the first year
eCommerce Essentials. This plan is better for stores and more advanced websites. It includes everything in the Business plan plus more ecommerce-focused tools, such as:
- Up to 100 websites
- 100 GB NVMe storage
- WooCommerce auto-install
- Membership and subscription tools
- Additional commerce features for selling online
As for HostGator, it offers some great plans at a low price.
Hatchling. This plan is a good place to start for those who are new to websites and need the basics. This plan will get you:
- Up to 10 websites
- 10 GB SSD storage
- Ideal for around 40K visits per month
- Free SSL certificate
- Free domain included on qualifying annual terms
Baby. This is HostGator’s recommended plan for most users. It includes everything that the Hatchling plan has as well as more room to grow, including:
- Up to 20 websites
- 20 GB SSD storage
- Ideal for around 50K visits per month
- 24/7 chat and phone support
Higher shared tiers. If you need more resources, HostGator’s upper shared options increase the limits even further and can include perks like:
- 50 to 100 websites
- 50 to 100 GB SSD storage
- Malware detection and removal
- Domain privacy for the first year
- More room for higher-traffic sites
Though HostGator still comes in with attractive introductory pricing overall, the extra money you spend on Bluehost gets you a more WordPress-centered experience, stronger built-in backup and security value on shared hosting, and a host that is officially recommended by WordPress.
