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About HostGator
One of the most popular hosting services in the world, HostGator was founded in 2002. Their advertisement can be seen in many places with a very distinctive mascot of the blue and yellow gator.
With a large customer base, it is known for its reliability. It’s been there for two decades and today it hosts 2.5 million websites all over the world. 30% of their customers are professionals on the web. The service provided by them is easy for both newbies and professionals.
They provide hosting with free features like unmetered bandwidth, free domain registration and SSL certificate, one-click installs, and many more features.
No matter which web hosting service you use there will always be pros and cons as no one is perfect. To see what they cater to best, let’s examine their pros and cons.
The pros of HostGator:
Ease of use–
HostGator is one of the easiest websites to use. It uses the traditional cPanel that any user would love to use and is the most common cPanel in the hosting industry. Navigating through and accessing the cPanel is actually very easy and direct. All the features and tools that HostGator provides can be easily accessed when you log in and view your customer panel.
Affordable pricing–
HostGator shared hosting is the cheap among the web hosting services with a monthly charge of $2.75 billed for 3 years.
Free site migration-
Do you have a previous site that worries you? HostGator has solutions for you if you are trying to move an existing one over and want to avoid site migrations by yourself and the migration fees.
HostGator will help you move your site, files, scripts, database, and also domain after signing up within 30 days time frame. An entire cPanel is transferred is also included.
Excellent uptime–
Uptime is the most crucial thing for any website. HostGator’s average uptime is 99.98% over the last 12 months so it is very reliable.
HostGator will also compensate you with one month’s credit on your account if they ever drop below 99.90%. That is the uptime guarantee from them. Maintenance work is not included in this guarantee.
45 days Money Back Guarantee–
Most of the web host offers 30 days money refund. Unlike its competitors, HostGator offers 45 days money-back guarantee. If you are unhappy with their services cancel within 45 days and they will return back your money. The only tricky part is they will deduct the domain name fee of $15 from the refund.
24/7 customer support–
HostGator provides 24/7 phone, email and live chat support like other web hosting providers like SiteGround and DreamHost. Through their online chat support, you can ask they any questions no matter at what point of the day and in whichever part of the world, and they will reply to you in less than 2 minutes. They are also very knowledgeable and friendly. If you are a visual learner they also provide video tutorials.
Free email–
Whichever hosting plan you use from HostGator you will receive unlimited email accounts. The set up process only takes a few minutes and is very easy for everyone including beginners.
Horde and RoundCube email clients are used by HostGator. Per hour you will be restricted to 500 emails so it is not suitable for sending bulk emails.
Free domain and SSL certificate–
With HostGator, you can register a free domain name for a year. In the process of creating a website, anything free is always a plus point.
Free SSL certificate and a server-level firewall are also provided that protects the domains of your website and encrypts all your communications.
Unlimited Bandwidth and disc space–
they provide unlimited storage and bandwidth.
Free website builder–
HostGator has its own web builder called Gator Website Builder which is one of the simplest website builders. With your hosting account, you can create up to 6 pages for free. You can choose from the wide range of 149 templates consisting of classic, modern, and clean ones and it’s the same for all plans. It is indeed a great choice.
There is good and both to all web hosting services. Now we will look into the cons.
The cons of HostGator:
High renewal price–
The initial price to open an account with most web hosting services is usually affordable. But the prices get higher when it is time to renew the yearly plans. The same goes for HostGator. When you have plans to use it for the long term, this factor should be considered.
Server location–
much like other web hosting companies like iPage, DreamHost and many more, their data centers are also located in U.S. it’s in Utah and Texas. So users coming outside of USA may not find it ideal.
Additional fee for extra security and backups–
though HostGator provides a free SSL certificate if you want extra security features like Sitelock Essentials you need to pay an extra of $5.99 per month.
Also, automatic backup is not provided fully. It is rather limited. To back up your site you need to pay a fee of $23.95/year.
Not all services are refundable–
dedicated servers, administrative fees, installation fees for custom software, other setup fees, domain name purchases, or specific add-on servers are not refundable among the 45 day money-back guarantee.
Overall Review
There is a lot of things to like about HostGator. They provide reliable uptime with good speed. Good for bloggers and small businesses.
Even with the number files of files restricted their disc space, bandwidth and email are unlimited.
The backup feature is limited and costs an additional $2.75 per month which could have been included in their hosting plan like some of their competitors.
If a solid web host, flexibility, and affordable price are what you look for then HostGator could be good option for you.
But you get 45 days to try HostGator for free and see if this meets your expectations.
Is HostGator good for beginners?
Yes. HostGator is good for beginners. The simple cPanel and packages with basics included is worth a try for first-time users.
For whom is HostGator best?
For entry-level beginners who want to start with a low introductory price, HostGator is best for them as it is one of the easiest and most affordable websites.
Is HostGator recommended?
HostGator is recommended but better options are still available.
A lot of benefits are offered by HostGator’s shared hosting like good customer service and it is user friendly but the high renewal price and the additional prices do not make it to 100% recommendation.
What are the better alternatives then?
BlueHost, Hostinger, and DreamHost are better alternatives.
