Both Hostgator and BlueHost are well known in the industry and that’s perhaps what prompted a buy-in from Endurance International Group (now NewFold Digital) to them. Today they have both grown considerably and offer a full range of web hosting services to their customers.
The two hosting companies are often compared because of their similarities, but there are some differences worth mentioning. For example, Hostgator provides unmetered disk space in all their shared plans; whereas Bluehost limits you to 10 GB storage per account in their Basic Shared Hosting. Hostgator offers up to $500 Google Ads spend match credits; whereas BlueHost offers just $150 for customers based in United States.
Comparing BlueHost with Hostgator Hosting
| Features | BlueHost | Hostgator |
|---|---|---|
| Our Rating | ||
| Server Plans | Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, Managed WP Hosting | Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Managed WP Hosting |
| Shared Plans Pricing | $2.95 – $18.95/mo | $2.75 – $5.25/mo |
| VPS Plans Pricing | $19.99 – $59.99/mo | $23.95 – $59.95/mo |
| Dedicated Plans Pricing | $79.99 – $119.99/mo | $89.98 – $139.99/mo |
| WP Plans Pricing | $2.95 – $18.95/mo | $5.95 – $9.95/mo |
| Special Promo | (Link Activate) | BHCBUILD |
| Free Domain | Yes | Yes |
| Control | cPanel | cPanel |
| Free SSL Support | Yes | Yes |
| Paid SSL | Single Domain SSL – $80.04/year | Positive SSL – $39.99/year |
| Customer Support | Live chat, Telephone | Live chat, Telephone, Email |
| Telephone No. | +1-888-401-4678 | +1-866-964-2867 |
| Payment Support | Credit Card, PayPal, Crypto | Credit Card, PayPal, |
| Free Trial | 30 Days | 45 Days |
| Energy Sources | Traditional | Green Certificates |
| Server Location | North America | North America |
| Learn More | Hostgator Review | BlueHost Review |
| Order | Click Here | Click Here |
Hostgator Shared Hosting is Cheaper
If you skim the surface on each, Hostgator shared hosting seems to the be value proposition of the two and offers very good buy-in prices starting from as low as $2.75 per month if you opt for a 24-month contract. BlueHost starts at slightly higher amount, from $2.95 per month.
Stat for stat they are strikingly similar as well, for example both offer free domain name, similar one-click software installer, unmetered bandwidth, and making use of the cPanel interface. There is also the built-in site builders along with free SSL via Let’s Encrypt.
What does differ though is performance and some optional services. Where BlueHost offers cheaper buy-ins to web hosting space, it charges more for some optional services such as a dedicated IP – which will run you $5.99 a year compared to HostGator’s $2 a year; and Google Ads match credit – which goes up to $500 per account for users based in United States.
Both Performed Above Average in Server Sped
Performance-wise, while both of these hosts clock in above average marks for TTFB and rated “A” by WebPageTest, HostGator really excels on their US-based servers which click in at an eye-opening less than 130ms TTFB. This is extraordinary by any standards.
Customer Support
HostGator also has an edge in terms of support documentation. Perhaps that is one reason why it was consistently voted as most popular blogger’s hosting choice based on our own 2014 and 2016 surveys.
Unfortunately, where there are ups, there are downs and again we see some similarity between BlueHost and HostGator. Both have expensive renewal fees (over 100% increase after first contract). Pricing disadvantages continue the same across the board in terms of server upgrades which will set you back slightly more than the norm.
As with many EIG-based services I’ve seen, HostGator also suffers in customer support with some long waits necessary for live chat support. No major issues have been seen in this area for BlueHost though, surprisingly.
Verdict
As a first-time option, it isn’t difficult for me to support either of these hosts as they are both a good choice for starter accounts. In fact, I think even larger (small to medium) businesses can host safely at either as they do have very scalable services and a broad service spectrum.
About BlueHost
Established in 2003, BlueHost is currently one of the largest website hosting providers or companies out there. Regardless of which plan you opt for, you will get a free domain for the first year, an SSL certificate, free CDN, and drag-and-drop website builder with BlueHost.
BlueHost Shared Hosting Plans
| Features | Basic | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited |
| Email Accounts | 5 | Unlimited |
| Website Space | 50 GB | Unmetered |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free Domain | Yes | Yes |
| SubDomains | 25 | Unlimited |
| Free Migration | No | No |
| Free SSL Certificate | Auto SSL | Auto SSL |
| WordPress Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Git Support | No | No |
| Backup | No | No |
| MySQL Databases | 20 | Unlimited* |
| Signup Price | $2.95/mo | $5.45/mo |
| Renewal Price | $8.99/mo | $11.99/mo |
BlueHost VPS Hosting Plans
| Features | Standard | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (Cores) | 2 | 2 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Disk Space (SSD) | 30 GB | 60 GB |
| Bandwidth | 1 TB | 2 TB |
| Control Panel | cPanel / WHM | cPanel / WHM |
| Root Access | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | 1 | 2 |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Signup Price | $18.99/mo | $29.99/mo |
| Regular Price | $29.99/mo | $59.99/mo |
About Hostgator
HostGator on the other hand is just as long in the tooth, starting out in the early 2000s but eventually getting bought over by Endurance International Group in 2012. Today it remains one of the cornerstones of the web hosting industry and is a strong (if smaller) competitor for BlueHost.
Hostgator Shared Hosting
| Features | Hatchling | Baby |
|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited |
| Storage (SSD) | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free Migration | Yes | Yes |
| Free Domain Name | Yes | Yes |
| Free PositiveSSL | No | No |
| Price | $2.75/mo | $3.50/mo |
| Website Builder | Yes | Yes |
Hostgator VPS Hosting
| Features | Snappy 2000 | Snappy 4000 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Core | 2 | 2 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Storage (SSD) | 120 GB | 165 GB |
| Dedicated IP | 2 | 2 |
| Backups (Weekly) | Yes | Yes |
| cPanel | Optional | Optional |
| Price | $23.95/mo | $34.95/mo |
About EIG & Newfold Digital
EIG, formerly known as Bizland, is probably the biggest provider of web hosting services. They were originally founded in 1996 and are headquartered in Burlington, MA. In 2011, EIGwas acquired by Accel KKR and GS Capital Partners for $1.2 billion. On Febuary 10th, 2021, Clearlake Capital Group completed the acquisition of Endurance Int’l Group at approximately $3 billion. The company is rebranded as “Newfold Digital” and currently listed on Nasdaq.
