HostGator vs. GoDaddy Web Hosting Comparison
HostGator and GoDaddy are two renowned hosting providers in the hosting domain. Although these two web hosts offer dedicated/VPS/ shared hosting, affordable plans for first-time website owners, and reliable services, they are unique and different.
HostGator offers unmetered disk space and bandwidth, SSH support for different languages, one-click WordPress installation, unlimited disk space, and drag and drop design. The company also provides hosting plans like dedicated hosting, shared hosting, VPS hosting, cloud hosting, and WordPress hosting.
GoDaddy provides an all-in-one experience, an easy-to-use interface with customization options, three levels of server management plans, and a free domain with hosting. Users can choose from cloud hosting packages, shared hosting plans, VPS hosting, WordPress hosting plans, dedicated hosting, and cloud hosting packages.
Overall, HostGator typically has a reputation as the better hosting provider thanks to its uptime, affordable, scalable plans, support, and reliability. Is HostGator suitable for you? Find out more as we analyze the features of both hosting providers in this HostGator vs. GoDaddy comparison.
Features of HostGator Vs. GoDaddy
HostGator comes with three tiers of shared hosting plans, with the most affordable plan offering fantastic features for WordPress users. On the other hand, GoDaddy offers features like one year of free Office 365 email and a one-click setup for registered domains.
Here’s an in-depth look at what each hosting provider offers in terms of features.
Shared Hosting on Hostgator and GoDaddy
HostGator offers three tiers of shared hosting plans. The most affordable plan (Hatchling) allows you to host any content management system, but it has unique features for WordPress users. The Hatchling plan gives you:
- One website
- A free SSL certificate
- A free domain with a year contract
- One-click WordPress installation via cPanel
- Unmetered storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer
Users also get $100 Bing Ads and Google Adwords credits with all its hosting plans.
GoDaddy also has an affordable shared hosting plan-the Economy web hosting plan. It’s the cheapest option available and provides most of the features you’ll find on HostGator’s shared plan.
It has features like:
- Unmetered bandwidth
- One website
- One-click WordPress installation via cPanel
- Free initial domain registration with a yearly plan
C-panel is an efficient and highly used administrative software suite. Most of the hosting plans on HostGator come with the cPanel.
One difference between the two is that the GoDaddy plan doesn’t come with a free SSL certificate unless you switch to the Ultimate plan. Also, the Economy plan comes with a storage limit of 100GB.
Go Daddy also has features you won’t find on HostGator, though. For example, GoDaddy has the one-click setup for registered domains and the offer of a free year of Office 365 email.
If you’re wondering which web hosting provider is better for VPS hosting, you should consider getting HostGator rather than GoDaddy. Nevertheless, this doesn’t imply that GoDaddy is a poor VPS provider.
HostGator wins the features comparison thanks to its security features, robust strength, and its cloud hosting capability from other platforms.
Domain Names
Both GoDaddy and Hostgator provide domain names at a competitive price. HostGator offers a new domain name with unlimited disk space. They also allow you to transfer an existing domain name.
HostGator provides 500GB-1TH disk space. They offer unlimited MySQL databases and use Linux or Windows servers. Furthermore, you get support that caters to various languages plus SSH access.
GoDaddy offers a domain name for free when you subscribe to the annual plan. Users get 512GB-2TB, and a free domain with annual plans. The web hosting provider also provides complete administrative control through root access. You also get disaster recovery features and data protection through RAID 1 disk mirroring.
Ease of Use
While GoDaddy and HostGator have similar aspects of user experience, there are other differences in navigating the account interface.
Once you log into the HostGator main account dashboard, you’ll find an easy to understand and sleek design. Access your hosting plan on the left side, which is home to the primary navigation menu. That section also has your billing details, domain information, and support links.
You can access HostGator’s customized website management interface by clicking on the cPanel. On this page, you can complete one-click WordPress Installation when you click on the icon “WordPress installation” at the top of the dashboard. HostGator emails you with the website details once the installation is complete.
GoDaddy also comes with an easy to navigate dashboard. It only has two tabs on top, one with the account details and the other with your purchased domains and hosting plans. Access the file manager, phpMyAdmin, and other options when you click on the Manage button for your hosting plan. Clicking on the cPanel Admin button takes you to the cPanel.
One difference between GoDaddy and HostGator is the fact that the former lacks customized options. For example, you won't find the WordPress installer easily on GoDaddy’s dashboard. You’ll need to explore further to find it.
The overall winner, in this case, is HostGator. Its interface offers a user-friendly experience, especially for WordPress users. It’s also easier to locate all the details on the dashboard as opposed to GoDaddy.
WordPress Integration
Both Hostgator and GoDaddy offer fantastic WordPress integration. You can set up a WordPress site in minutes with either of these hosting providers. WordPress doesn’t require you to get in touch with your hosting provider once the installation is complete, either.
GoDaddy has a drag-and-drop feature that allows for quick setup. That will enable you to concentrate on creating content rather than dealing with coding. Also, you can use the QuickStart builder for free, but you need to purchase a month of hosting for the perk.
While these two hosting providers have WordPress integration, HostGator wins out over GoDaddy on WP integration due to its easy to use, quick-access control panel and fast installation. An easy-to-find CPanel makes the integration process more manageable, too.
Bandwidth and Disk Space
Bandwidth and disk space play a crucial role in any web hosting. Having unlimited disk space and bandwidth allows your site to cope with traffic surges without interfering with the website speed.
HostGator offers unlimited bandwidth and disk space, even with its basic shared hosting plans. Although GoDaddy provides unlimited bandwidth, they don’t offer unlimited disk space. They have a limit of 150GB for disk space.
Templates and Themes
HostGator has a wide selection of free templates and themes that you can use to build an appealing website. GoDaddy also has different themes and templates for easier website customization.
Website Migration
HostGator understands how frustrating it can be to migrate hosting of an existing website. That’s why they provide free website migration. Also, you can switch the cPanel along with the domain and other essentials like scripts on HostGator.
Nonetheless, GoDaddy charges close to $70 to migrate your website. In this case, HostGator becomes the best option if affordability is a concern.
Backup and Security
Backup plays a critical role in case the server crashes or your website gets hacked. You need to have access to emails and files. Hostgator and GoDaddy provide free self-managed backups.
GoDaddy charges $180 to restore the backup, while HostGator charges $20 for the same. However, note that for GoDaddy, you get free restorations when you go for their WordPress hosting service.
Also, when using WordPress, you can install a backup plugin and manage the backups yourself. That means you won’t need a hosting provider to give you a backup service.
When it comes to security, both GoDaddy and HostGator take spam protection and security seriously. HostGator provides its users with the chance to block IP addresses, while GoDaddy highlights its virus, fraud, and spam protection on all plans.
Both also provide malware scans of the websites hosted with them. Both providers are focused on uninterrupted power suppliers, have layers of security in case of hacker interference, and monitor their servers regularly.
Control Panel
GoDaddy provides a cPanel and a customized control panel. The two look different and may be disappointing for users accustomed to cPanel. The personalized panel doesn't have features and add-ons like the ones you’d find on the cPanel.
However, HostGator only uses the cPanel for its control panel. It’s simple to use and a favorite for users looking for a user-friendly interface. HostGator excels when it comes to its user-friendly menus and navigation, which is a sticking point for many site builders.
Performance Tests
Another area that we evaluated is the performance in uptime, load impact, and page speed.
GoDaddy excels in page speed when it comes to WordPress installs. The hosting provider also does well when it comes to consistent loading times. However, GoDaddy fails when it comes to uptime. It has the lowest uptime rate, with fluctuating uptime over several months.
HostGator doesn’t do too bad, but it doesn't deliver an excellent performance like GoDaddy when it comes to loading times. The page speed is also slow compared to GoDaddy. Nonetheless, HostGator outdoes itself when it comes to uptime. Statistics show that HostGator has had 100% uptime over a months-long period, which is impressive.
Pricing Plans
Pricing might be one of the most important factors when you’re building a new site. Here’s how GoDaddy and HostGator stack up.
GoDaddy Pricing
GoDaddy has three plans for its customers. The base plan is the Economy plan that costs $3.49 per month. It's a basic plan that offers unmetered bandwidth and one website hosting. This plan also comes with 100GB of storage, free business email for the first year, and a free domain to register when you opt for the annual plan.
The Deluxe plan is the second plan on GoDaddy. It costs $4.99 per month and works for small business websites. You get unlimited websites with unlimited storage and bandwidth. Users also get a free domain with the annual subscription and free business emails for the first year after subscribing.
The Ultimate plan is the third plan on GoDaddy’s payment plans. It costs $7.99 per month and offers unlimited bandwidth, unlimited web hosting, free business email for the first year, and unlimited storage. Users get a free domain with the annual subscription. The plan also comes with a free SSL certificate. This plan is ideal for anyone looking to generate heavy traffic or someone who wants to build a complex website.
Moreover, the Ultimate plan gives users two times processing power, an unlimited number of email addresses, and memory with premium DNS. All three packages that GoDaddy offers come with a free business email for the first year.
HostGator Pricing
HostGator cheapest plan is the Hatchling plan that costs $3.95 for a 3-year subscription. However, the rate per month stands at $10.95 per month. It’s more expensive than GoDaddy’s economy plan. Users get unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, and unlimited email accounts.
The Baby Plan is the second in the plan and costs $11.95 per month. Users who opt for the three-year subscription get the same plan at $5.95 per month. What’s more, you get unlimited bandwidth, unlimited storage, and unlimited domains.
HostGator’s third plan is the Business plan that starts at $5.95 a month. This plan gives you free dedicated IP addresses, unlimited domains, and free SSL certifications. You also get unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, and free VoIP phone service with this plan.
Another point to note is that GoDaddy accepts payment in local currency without converting it to dollars.
HostGator provides flexibility in the hosting billing cycle. You can choose one month, three months, six months, or an annual payment plan. You get a period of one month if you’d like to host your site on HostGator. That gives you enough time to decide if they are the right hosting service for you.
GoDaddy also provides a flexible billing plan and a one-month hosting plan like HostGator. The only difference is that GoDaddy can be expensive compared to HostGator.
E-Commerce Plan
Unlike GoDaddy, HostGator provides an e-commerce plan that allows you to get all the available e-commerce features in one location. Some of these features include an online store, payment gateway, inventory feature, plugins, and more. Getting these features along with a hosting plan makes your work easier.
SEO Tools
HostGator understands the importance that SEO plays in increasing visibility on search engines; that’s why they offer their users free SEO tools to help gain more traffic to their sites and rank highly on search engines.
Although GoDaddy also provides SEO tools, you have to pay $1.99 per month to access them.
Site Lock Feature
HostGator also offers the Site Lock feature that checks your website for security inferences. You get an instant alert so that you can take the necessary action. GoDaddy doesn’t offer this feature for free to its customers. Those interested need to pay a fixed amount to access it.
Money-Back Guarantee
HostGator provides a 45-day money-back guarantee compared to a 30-day money-back guarantee that GoDaddy offers. Having this money-back guarantee gives you an opportunity to determine the quality of the website hosting service.
Note that the HostGator 45-day money-back guarantee has some limitations. You can’t get a refund for dedicated servers, domain name purchases, install fees for custom software, or administrative fees. The offer is also valid only for the first package purchased for billing accounts that are less than 45 days old.
Refunds for $0.01 orders aren't eligible. Also, packages paid for with bank wire transfers, money orders, or checks do not qualify for a refund.
One difference between the two is that GoDaddy issues a refund after you cancel the plan within the money-back period, and it happens automatically. However, HostGator requires you to contact them within 48 hours to request a cancellation and get a refund.
Overall, though, HostGator wins in this matchup, thanks to its liberal money-back policy.
Customer Support
It’s essential to consider customer support when choosing a host, especially if it’s your first website setup. Having different ways of receiving support and getting quick responses to come in handy when you face issues with your website or hosting account.
GoDaddy has multiple modes of support. These avenues include raising a ticket, online chat, support via telephone, email, and the option of talking to a customer representative in your local language. The hosting provider is only available on business days, however, and the queue time can run long. Their queue times are often longer than 45 minutes.
HostGator also offers standard methods of customer support. That includes online chat, email, or telephone. They provide 24/7 live chat and their queue times don’t exceed three minutes.
Additional Features
GoDaddy outdoes itself in terms of additional features. Buying hosting from GoDaddy gets you a free office 365 account, a website builder, a free domain name, and DDoS protection. What’s more, users get a custom Linux hosting that offers features like CageFS for a virtual file system and CloudLinux for a balanced server.
GoDaddy also adds some pre-selected plugins within the WordPress dashboard. Users can include Akismet anti-spam, ninja forms, Godaddy Email Marketing, Beaver builder lite, and limit login attempts reloaded.
Nonetheless, when it comes to site transfer, HostGator shines as it offers more comprehensive services than GoDaddy.
| Hosting Provider | HostGator | GoDaddy |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.97% | 99.99% |
| WordPress Installation | One-click WordPress installation | One-click WordPress Installation |
| Control Panel | cPanel | Customized |
| Response Times | 500ms | 1.2s |
| Easy Install CMS | WordPress, Joomla, Drupal | WordPress, Drupal, Joomla |
| Disk Space | Unlimited | 150GB |
| Security Features | 24/7 monitoring, biometric locks, data centers | SHA-2 AND 2048-Bit encryption, 24/7 monitoring, data centers |
| Free Backups | Yes | Yes |
| WordPress Hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Customer Support | Live and phone call support | Phone call support |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 45-days money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
HostGator Vs GoDaddy FAQs
Some of the frequently asked questions on HostGator vs GoDaddy include:
Who Should Use HostGator?
You should use HostGator if you’re looking for an extensive list of services like custom web design, website migrations, and SEO Services. Whether you’re looking for a shared server with one domain or a full dedicated server, HostGator has something to meet your needs.
If you’re looking for reliable customer support, HostGator provides live chat, phone, and a reply to tickets 24/7. They have excellent live support always available to help in case you’re experiencing some issues. You should also use HostGator if you’re looking for different options for easy and quick web development.
Users also get a variety of custom scrips like Weebly and WordPress for drag and drop web design. Anyone looking for a hosting provider with servers that are compatible with different third-party software and services should consider using Hostgator.
Who Should Use GoDaddy?
You should use GoDaddy if you’re looking for easy setup of a website. It comes with GoCentral, which is GoDaddy’s website builder. It’s free to use the builder as it allows you to edit from phone, laptop, or tablet.
The web hosting provider comes with over 300 professional design templates. You should also use GoDaddy if you’re looking for excellent security features and simplicity. Its speed and uptime are impressive. You also get 24/7 customer support. Also, GoDaddy offers value for money with its varied payment plans.
Which Web Hosting Provider is Easier to Use: HostGator or GoDaddy?
When it comes to ease of use and quick navigation, HostGator takes the lead. Its user interface is simple to navigate and you get quick access to features like the WordPress Installer in one place. Their beginner-friendly tools appeal to a variety of customers.
Some of the other tools that make HostGator easier to use are the free drag-and-drop custom web builder and the simple to use cPanel control panel.
Between GoDaddy and HostGator, Who Provides Value for Money?
HostGator offers comparable value for money than GoDaddy. HostGator comes with a Cloud hosting plan and its price plans are more affordable, unlike GoDaddy. Also, HostGator’s plans come with an SSL certificate, something that GoDaddy lacks in GoDaddy.
HostGator is easier to navigate than GoDaddy and has a better uptime of 99.9%, unlike GoDaddy, which stands at 99.97%. However, you should note that GoDaddy provides more features and offers an all-in-one convenience of domain registration, website building, and hosting.
Which Web Hosting Service Has Reliable Customer Support?
HostGator provides more options in terms of customer support compared to GoDaddy. With HostGator, you get support options like phone calls, live chat, emails, tutorials, informative articles, and knowledgeable forums. Users are free to join these forums, but some are only accessible by members.
Although GoDaddy also supports its customers via email, phone, live chat, and ticketing, sometimes it can take longer to get in touch with a support person.
Can I Transfer my Domain Using GoDaddy?
Yes, you can transfer your domain to GoDaddy from another provider. However, you need to prepare your domain name with the current provider before moving it with GoDaddy. Also, if you’ve registered your domain with GoDaddy, you can move it to another GoDaddy account.
How Well Does GoDaddy Perform When it Comes to Security?
GoDaddy as a major hosting provider has put in place security measures to keep all users’ sites safe from hackers. Each hosting plan comes with 2048 and SHA-2 bit encryption. Apart from virtual security, GoDaddy has a physical infrastructure that comes with cooling systems, uninterrupted power supply, and 24/7 security monitoring by people. Users also get malware scans and daily cloud backups for a little fee.
Between Hostgator and Godaddy, Who Provides Better WordPress Integration?
While there isn’t much that separates GoDaddy and HostGator when it comes to WordPress, you’ll find the setup simpler on GoDaddy. It takes 24 hours for this setup to take effect. However, with HostGator, you get a WordPress site ready in a few minutes. That gives HostGator an edge over GoDaddy when it comes to integration.
Between Hostgator and Godaddy, Which is Better for Small Business?
A small business would be better suited with HostGator thanks to its easy terms and services, not to forget its impressive uptime. With a 99.99% uptime, you can manage the business online and stay active for longer hours. HostGator manages 8 million domain names, making it one of the most trusted hosting platforms in the market.
Who Offers Better Dedicated Hosting?
GoDaddy wins in regards to dedicated hosting. Its plans start at $69.99, which is more affordable compared to HostGator that starts at $119.99.
Is There an Alternative to Hostgator and Godaddy?
If you think that GoDaddy and Hostgator do not meet your needs, you might want to try BlueHost or Siteground as an alternative. These two sites are fantastic for e-commerce bloggers, marketing experts, and coaches.
Who is the Winner?
GoDaddy and HostGator have more similarities in what they provide their customers. If you’re wondering which one is better, that boils down to your requirements and budget.
GoDaddy is ideal for anyone looking to manage domain and web hosting from a single platform. It’s also suited for small business owners looking for web hosting services. Those on a budget will also find GoDaddy plans a bit affordable and it comes with a free domain and hosting.
HostGator is fantastic for anyone focused on performance. However, when comparing the two, the clear winner is HostGator. HostGator has an edge when you’re evaluating specific aspects like uptime, reliability, customer support, user interface, and performance whether you’re building a new site or migrating an existing one.
