HostGator vs GoDaddy (2024 In Depth Comparison)
In the HostGator vs. GoDaddy 2022 comparison, HostGator emerges as the better choice. With an impressive rating of 4.7 out of 5 (the ultimate winner being the Fynd Platform with an exceptional 4.9 rating), HostGator outshines GoDaddy Hosting. While GoDaddy scores 4 out of 5 and focuses on an all-in-one solution, HostGator leads with expandable plans and comprehensive support services.
Both hosting providers boast a long online history and a solid reputation for providing cost-effective and reliable services. We're here to assist because we understand that distinguishing among the best services can sometimes be time-consuming. We examined the features of both platforms to offer well-supported recommendations (and warnings). In our rankings, HostGator holds the second-best position among hosting companies (only behind Bluehost), while GoDaddy Hosting sits in sixth place. They both excel as providers, albeit for different reasons. Let's delve deeper into getting acquainted with these two.
Ratings Of Hostgator and Godaddy
Market shares of hostgator and godaddy
What You Should Know About HostGator
The Hostgator Home Page
Since 2002, HostGator has hosted millions of websites worldwide with its cost-effective hosting services. HostGator is a part of Endurance International Group (EIG), the same organization that owns Bluehost, iPage, and other well-known hosting providers.
To appeal to various consumers globally, HostGator provides a wide selection of hosting options, like shared, VPS, reseller, dedicated, cloud, and WordPress-managed hosting.
What Characteristics Does HostGator Have?
With HostGator hosting plans, you may get the following helpful features:
- The network will be up and running 99.9% of the time each month, according to their 99.9% uptime promise.
- Full support for control panels
- Easy registration using immediate access
- There are numerous hosting alternatives, including reseller hosting, virtual private server hosting, dedicated server hosting, etc.
- Live chat, phone, email, and ticket help are all available for customers.
- Unlimited websites can be hosted (except the hatchling plan in shared hosting)
- Free HostGator website builder with an image library and more than 100 mobile-friendly layouts
- Free website, domain, MYSQL, and script transfers are available.
- You can instantly install over 50 free scripts on your hosting account with only a few clicks.
- Offers for marketing services include a $100 Google Adwords credit and a $100 Bing Ads credit.
3 Causes Why Consumers Pick Hostgator Hosting
Here are a few main reasons consumers choose HostGator hosting plans over competing products.
1. Recurring Hosting Agreements
The fact that HostGator offers monthly hosting plans is the main factor in why most people choose it. Most (almost 9 out of 10) hosting sites, including Bluehost, DreamHost, etc., don't provide monthly hosting plans.
HostGator is an excellent hosting option for those on a tight budget who feel comfortable paying monthly rather than upfront for a year or two. Yes, HostGator's hosting plans include monthly hosting options for everyone.
However, remember that monthly hosting is more expensive than annual hosting. If you purchase a 3-year hosting package at once rather than paying once a month, you can save significantly more on HostGator hosting.
2. Outstanding Qualities
People choose HostGator as their hosting provider due to the abundance of beneficial features. It offers the capacity to host an unlimited number of websites with unlimited storage and bandwidth at deficient costs.No matter what sector you work in or how big or small your website is, HostGator has a hosting package with a wide range of practical features.
Therefore, if you're looking for a hosting provider with many features, you should think about HostGator, which also offers cheap hosting plans that are appropriate for any website needs.
3. Site Transfers Are Free
Free site transfer, a fantastic new service from HostGator, allows you to move all the files, databases, and scripts associated with your website along with one free domain registration transfer.
If you are already using another satisfied hosting service or considering switching to HostGator, you can contact their customer support team and ask them to move your website for free.
If you want to move your site to HostGator for free, submit a request as soon as you purchase any hosting from them (including shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting plans). You may only use this free site transfer function within 30 days of signing up.
A quick reminder: Full cPanel transfers include your emails and email accounts and all your domains, Addon Domains, Subdomains, and cPanel settings. Another reason to consider HostGator hosting plans is their 45-day money-back guarantee. Most other hosting providers only provide 30-day money-back guarantees, so you'll have plenty of time to decide if HostGator is the best option.
How Much Is Hosting With Hostgator?
HostGator Prices
With HostGator, you will be getting several features, such as -
- Public hosting
- Using the cloud
- Hosting VPS
- Personalized hosting
- hosting for WordPress
- Provider hosting
While we won't go to great lengths about all those hosting services or plans, most new users of HostGator choose their shared hosting plans because of their reasonable rates and abundance of helpful features that are sufficient for you to get started. The three pricing options available from HostGator shared hosting are given below. Let's discuss each of them individually so you can decide which to choose.
1. Hatchling
This HostGator hosting plan, which costs $2.75 per month and allows you to install just one website, is best suited for beginners. The following features are in HostGator's Hatchling plan:
- No-cost Site Transfer
- 24/7 Premium Support from the US
- cPanel Access with a 45-Day Refund Policy
- Free website installation, unlimited email, and unrestricted disc storage
2. Baby
This HostGator hosting package is perfect for bloggers on a tight budget because it allows you to install unlimited websites on one account, costing $3.95 per month. You'll receive the following features with HostGator's Baby plan, which is the most suggested shared hosting package:
The Hatchling plan's features are:
- Countless Addon and Parked Domains
- FTP accounts for subdomains
- E-commerce features, including OSCommerce, ZenCart, and Private SSL
3. Business
The most sophisticated shared hosting plan from HostGator- the Business Plan, has a dedicated IP address and a private SSL (required for eCommerce sites to establish trust). This $5.95 per month package is perfect for online eCommerce shops.
You have access to the following outstanding features with a business plan:
- Contains every feature from Baby Plan
- Free Dedicated IP
- Free VoIP Phone Service
- Free Positive SSL
What You Should Know About GoDaddy
GoDaddy home page
GoDaddy is incredibly well-known in the web hosting industry and is the leading domain name registrar in the world, with more than 17 million customers globally.
What Features Does GoDaddy Hosting Offer?
Here is a list of some fantastic services that GoDaddy web hosting has to offer:
- Unlimited storage, unrestricted websites, and uncapped bandwidth
- The first year of business email is free.
- with an annual plan, a free domain
- Over 125 free software, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, etc., may be installed with one click.
- Database storage of 1 GB (MySQL Linux)
- Constant security surveillance and DDoS defence
- A 99.9% uptime guarantee to ensure that your website is always operational
3 Causes Why Consumers Pick GoDaddy Hosting
Here are three fascinating things to consider before choosing GoDaddy to host your WordPress website if you're curious about why most people choose to host domains from this platform.
Unique Offers And Promotions
GoDaddy has many irresistible deals millions of people use for hosting or domain registration. GoDaddy is renowned for frequently providing unique discounts and offers on its products, such as domains, hosting, etc.
The GoDaddy website has a separate page just for promo codes and special offers where you can find a virtually endless supply of promo codes for their hosting-related discounts.
Since they are on the official GoDaddy website, these discounts consistently operate. Therefore, to receive the best deals from GoDaddy, you can go somewhere for the best or cheapest hosting coupons, domain coupon codes, etc.
Be sure to sign up for the GoDaddy email newsletter because they frequently send out a lot of coupon codes and exclusive savings on domains, hosting, security-related items, etc. Keep an eye on their special offers if you want to purchase their hosting or domains at a discount, as there are usually one or two bargains available weekly.
1. Improved Client Service
Although you can't anticipate incredibly rapid customer service that responds to you in seconds (like WPX hosting does), GoDaddy's customer service is far better.
GoDaddy is a large firm with many staff, offering round-the-clock customer service if you need assistance, even at three in the morning. For the price you pay for their hosting plans, GoDaddy is a better hosting option if you prioritize customer service as we do.
No matter what region or nation you live in, GoDaddy also includes a global directory with phone numbers so you may contact customer service. There will be customer service for GoDaddy in Phone Chat Forums, 24/7 assistance, etc.
2. Improved Hosting Services
GoDaddy used to offer low-cost, low-quality hosting, security, and website performance services, but things are improving. The majority of GoDaddy reviews that you may encounter online will be unfavourable. Listed below are two arguments against GoDaddy hosting or domains;
- People that have not used the services of GoDaddy but have spread negative rumours (OR)
- Those who used the platform before 2014
Recently, GoDaddy has focused more on enhancing the hosting environment's speed, performance, and security standards to serve the users of its network better. It is excellent news, especially for those debating using GoDaddy's services in 2022.
What Is The Cost Of GoDaddy Hosting?
GoDaddy Plans
Like HostGator, GoDaddy also provides various hosting plans, such as VPS, dedicated, managed WordPress, etc. However, since most users particularly beginners use GoDaddy's shared hosting, we'll discuss shared hosting plans and costs in this section. The four pricing tiers that GoDaddy offers for shared hosting are listed below.
1. Starter Plan
The $2.49 a month Starter plan on GoDaddy allows you to host one website with 30 GB of storage and unmetered bandwidth, which is more than enough for beginners who wish to launch their self-hosted WordPress website.
2. Economy Plan
GoDaddy's Economy plan, which costs $2.49 per month (in the first year) and offers 100 GB of storage, is perfect for you if you want more space and storage at a lower price.
3. Deluxe Plan
The Deluxe plan from GoDaddy is an excellent option if you want to host multiple websites on the same hosting account. This plan costs $4.99 monthly and gives you more space and bandwidth.
4. If your website receives
a lot of traffic, you might purchase GoDaddy's Ultimate shared hosting plan, which costs $7.99 monthly and includes unlimited space, a FREE SSL, and premium DNS.
Everything You Need To Know About The Fynd Platform
But we recommend the Fynd platform if you'd like something better than the two. Using the Fynd Platform, you can rapidly design your website. According to our analysis of over 1000 brands, the continuous aspect of managing an internet business is the dread of starting one.
They attempted to create a wholly self-serve platform since they knew we had this anxiety. Here are a few justifications for starting your online business today! Open Up New Horizons
Features of the fynd platform
Your social media pages and offline store are extensions of your online store. In contrast to the limited amount of customers you can reach through your social network accounts, having an online website with the Fynd Platform allows you to access an unlimited number of potential clients. It makes you more noticeable.
Use the URL of Your Website
How we view the world and do business has changed due to COVID-19. Physical addresses are no longer a helpful way to contact clients. You can choose hyper-local delivery using the Fynd Platform to expedite the delivery of your purchases while also catering to regional demands.
Easily Reachable
Social networking is the first step in getting customers to learn about your business. Even if it's a great place to start, your clients always want to learn more about your company and product offers by visiting a tailored online eCommerce store.
HostGator vs GoDaddy Hosting: Features, Performance, and Usability
The winner, HostGator, has superior features and is simpler to use.
Free Features of HostGator
Although HostGator and GoDaddy Hosting are very close competitors, HostGator ultimately prevails because of its superior performance, dependability, and valuable services. Therefore, if you're seeking a comprehensive service to manage the entire process for you, GoDaddy Hosting is a great option.
GoDaddy and HostGator check all the boxes for large dogs (and crocs) in the hosting industry. Both provide easy-to-use hosting, which is an excellent hosting choice. HostGator is our top pick for shared hosting and consistently ranks highly across all of our research on other hosting types, earning a test score of 4.7 out of 5.
The table demonstrates how startlingly similar the two are in their core concepts. Both companies have excellent uptime, with HostGator outperforming GoDaddy with a 99.9% uptime rating.
These two come as near to complete uptime as theoretically possible because achieving it is impossible. Both make use of cPanel. However, after setting up your website using a CMS, you won't need to utilize it as regularly.
For some newbies, GoDaddy might be superior. Having domain management, web hosting, and website development in one place is a great convenient solution if you don't want to manage them individually.
While not the most glitzy website builder available, GoDaddy is undoubtedly beneficial. Additionally, HostGator has its internal website builder, known as Gator.
GoDaddy's free email plan is one of its main selling points. GoDaddy includes a year-long Microsoft Office 365 corporate email membership, typically costing $60, with a basic shared hosting package.
Let's Examine Some Of Their Characteristics
1. Management Dashboard For Accounts
Both HostGator and GoDaddy have default user interfaces that are simple for beginners. From their primary dashboards, both companies provide access to a large number of management tools.
We started by looking at HostGator's user interface. It contains hyperlinks to several practical tools. Email accounts, WordPress installation, and SSL control are all conveniently located on your dashboard.
Most other fundamental tools are also accessible to users via the menu on the left side of the screen. Additionally, a cPanel link is there for more sophisticated management.
2. Native Control Panel
You can easily set up the essential components of your website using HostGator's user dashboard: install WordPress, make a business email, and secure everything with an SSL.
However, GoDaddy's user interface is just as excellent. The primary dashboard is organized slightly differently and includes a list of the services and products you have subscribed to.
You can build up your entire website from this point with ease. GoDaddy will ensure that you have installed WordPress and a functional domain when you first log in to your account. It then serves as the central centre for navigating your account.
The Main Account Dashboard
GoDaddy Dashboard
Suppose you desire to administer your hosting plan and websites. Select the Web Hosting tab and click the "Manage" button on GoDaddy. It'll launch a brand-new interface. Later, you may check server and account information and modify your files and PHP settings. You may find the cPanel login button here as well.
1. Managing Websites In The Interface
Overall, both hosts provide highly user-friendly and intuitive user dashboards. GoDaddy requires a little more clicking around, but the decision between the two essentially boils down to personal choice rather than a technical difference.
Both HostGator and GoDaddy make use of the cPanel admin interface. While GoDaddy uses the traditional cPanel interface, HostGator only slightly modifies it. Although HostGator added a small amount of modification, the user interfaces are remarkably similar, if not identical. The cPanel's section layout and colour scheme are the only things that differ.
cPanel With HostGator GoDaddy's cPanel is the same. Here, you get a file manager, email, and domain management. The panel on the left side of the interface allows you to view basic server information similarly to HostGator.
cPanel With GoDaddy Overall, the cPanels from HostGator and GoDaddy are relatively simple to use and browse. It's helpful if you want to set up and manage your email accounts or install any other content management system except WordPress. Control-panel-wise, GoDaddy and HostGator are tied.
2. Website Transition
Website migration is a service that both HostGator and GoDaddy provide. It is simpler with just one than the other. HostGator should move your website for free if you're a first-time customer. They will pay for this service through GoDaddy.
When it comes to HostGator, the migration process is relatively simple. By selecting "Request Migration" from the list of Quick Links on your main dashboard, you may get the link to the migration form.
Just complete a form, and you are ready to go. WordPress and cPanel migrations are easily accessible by HostGator. It is difficult now that GoDaddy is in the picture. In contrast to HostGator, GoDaddy does not offer the option to fill out a form.
You will need to contact customer support to learn more about the provider's website migration criteria. The representative will explain the rules and regulations to you and the charge (about $99 for the relocation). In essence, website migration is a feature of both hosting packages. While GoDaddy charges for this service, HostGator provides it for free.
3. Experience Using A Website Builder
Both HostGator and GoDaddy provide easy-to-use website builders for beginning users. You can use a constrained version of the Gator builder if you select HostGator. With GoDaddy, you may use the GoDaddy Websites+Marketing builder to create a single-page website. We'd suggest looking at the Gator website builder if you use HostGator.
Only the constrained Basic Website Builder plan will be available, but it's adequate for simple projects. With its adaptable drag-and-drop editing interface, you may use it to construct websites with up to six pages.
The free website builder from HostGator - Additionally, the Gator Builder includes over 100 contemporary design templates. You can construct your site on top of one of these if you want to go online quickly.
Now, if we look at GoDaddy's builder, it has a lot of restrictions. Notably, it only enables you to build one-page websites, which will only be sufficient for some users. The editing tool, however, is quite slick and simple to use.
However, the ease of the GoDaddy builder makes it one of our favourites. Try it out if you're content with a single-page website. It is primarily for newbies who want to get online because it is easy to use and intuitive.
It also offers templates that are incredibly elegant and contemporary. Quite enjoyable to look at! But if we are being impartial, HostGator's website builder is superior. Even if it is restricted, you may create a 6-page site with it instead of GoDaddy's 1-page limit.
Given everything, both providers are reasonably simple. The native control dashboard for HostGator is pretty comprehensive and simple to use. While still effective, GoDaddy's account control panel needed to be explained. Regarding cPanel and website builders, providers were even more comparable.
However, GoDaddy's one-page website construction restriction could have been better. Furthermore, HostGator outperformed Godaddy with its option for free website migration.
Would You Like To Try HostGator's Features? The features and performance of HostGator's plans are excellent. It is a perfect option for all the other hosting kinds and is our top pick for shared hosting.
GoDaddy vs HostGator Hosting: Which WordPress Integration Is Better?
The Victor - The WordPress integration on HostGator is quick and easy. Despite GoDaddy's impressive performance, HostGator is superior for WordPress integration. GoDaddy takes longer to install than HostGator.
Additionally, HostGator's WordPress administration interface is significantly more straightforward, making the entire integration procedure much smoother from beginning to end. As for WordPress, there is a little difference between the two. On GoDaddy, setup is effortless, albeit it can now take up to 24 hours for changes to take effect.
On the other hand, HostGator can set up a WordPress site in minutes. Unless you're in the middle of a life-or-death battle against the clock with WordPress, this won't matter to you. You aren't. However, that distinction highlights the seamlessness of integration — where HostGator excels.
With WordPress, you can engage with your host after you've set up your website. It suffices that a house's foundations exist; you wouldn't need to check on them every day. If something is a little off, you will notice it automatically.
Does HostGator Catch Your Attention? If you want to combine WordPress with your website, HostGator is the finest option. The process is really simple to follow and understand.
GoDaddy Support vs HostGator Support
The Victor - The best customer service is provided by HostGator.
GODADDY CUSTOMER SUPPORT
When you run a website, things break all the time. Sometimes you're to blame. You could uninstall or install a script that caused your website to malfunction. Sometimes it's not at all your fault. After getting access to your server or admin dashboard, a hacker might deface your website.
Other times, something as beneficial as a surge of traffic could cause your website to slow down or go offline, leaving you with a foul taste in your mouth. When you manage your website, you will occasionally encounter issues. Errors on websites are unavoidable.
You would like to know that your hosting provider has your back and offers dependable customer service during these trying times. The level of help a firm offers might reveal a lot about it. So, between HostGator and GoDaddy, who provides better customer service?
Out of all the hosting companies we examined, HostGator offers the best customer care, earning an average score of 4.85 across shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress-controlled hosting plans. GoDaddy is still a fantastic option concerning customer service, but more tech tickets are needed.
With scores of 4.9 out of 5 in our VPS, devoted, and hosting photographic studies, HostGator ranks our top-rated hosting service for help and support across all hosting types. Check the chart below. HostGator provides exceptional live chat, phone, email, and knowledge centre help around the clock.
On the other hand, GoDaddy's knowledge base is understandable and simple to use. Since so many people use the platform, chances are more that the same problem was discussed and handled long back.
Our investigation found that its best help and support score for dedicated hosting was only 4.4 out of 5.
Both provide all the standard options, including devoted social media support accounts, round-the-clock calls, and live chat help. However, HostGator also provides tech tickets, a beneficial tool when your hosting requires on-site assistance.
Do you desire elite support? With the highest rating across all of our research categories, HostGator is the top hosting company for help and support. Each of the standard support solutions is available from HostGator and GoDaddy. You can access a phone, ticket system, knowledge base, and live chat 24/7/365.
We used their live chat service, and a representative from HostGator responded immediately, which is impressive. On the other hand, GoDaddy took up to 5 minutes to reply to us.
Both companies' personnel were reasonably competent because we could get our questions answered there. We discovered that HostGator chat was kind, persistent, and quick exactly what a beginner needed. They kept contacting us with follow-up inquiries from their support staff. After responding to our initial inquiries, the GoDaddy guys should have followed up.
Winner: HostGator triumphs pretty in terms of support. Additionally, they provided more assistance options, such as video tutorials. However, customer service from both hosting providers was above average.
Fortunately, HostGator has a great live chat. After being instantly connected with an agent, we asked a few queries concerning the security features offered by the shared hosting plan.
The chat support representative quickly provided us with the answers. The person even showed us how to set up the various protection services. Unfortunately, we didn't have a nearly as positive experience with GoDaddy's live chat service. We had to wait for an agent to connect with us for one thing 34 minutes.
Regarding the security features offered by the Deluxe shared hosting plan, we asked them a similar question and received an unsatisfactory response. They could only copy-paste data from the GoDaddy website, and it had nothing to do with the plan we had requested!
Additionally, GoDaddy offers phone help in 51 different international locations. These nations include, among others, the USA, Canada, Australia, and the UK. We would only count on it to be as good as the live chat alternative.
Thankfully, GoDaddy does have a top-notch knowledge base and discussion forum. Users can use these to research their questions. The user-friendly, intuitive design of the GoDaddy knowledge base is one of its best features. Subjects and goods carefully segment the content, and the built-in search bar is helpful.
Despite this, HostGator's knowledge base is still very strong. To assist you in setting up and maintaining your website, it also includes a wide variety of articles, tutorials, and how-to documentation.
In terms of customer support, HostGator outperforms GoDaddy by a wide margin. Although both services have extensive knowledge bases and offer phone help, HostGator's live chat is far superior to GoDaddy's.
Compare GoDaddy vs HostGator: Costs And Value For Money
The Victor - Better bargain is there with HostGator. HostGator's most affordable shared hosting plan starts at just $3.95 per month for a 12-month subscription, making their hosting options more affordable and cost-effective than GoDaddy Hosting.
Price is frequently the only factor that matters. Hosting is only one of the most exciting components to focus on while creating a website. It is good if the service is dependable, but how reliable is it?
GoDaddy and HostGator provide a range of plans that scale up in price and functionality depending on your needs, as is the situation with most hosting platforms. Both have basic schemes that offer little more than a monthly cup of coffee.
Except for VPS, e-commerce hosting, and photographic hosting, HostGator outperformed GoDaddy Hosting in our tests of value for money. Let's look more closely at the 12-month subscription fees for the basic plans below -
It's crucial to remember that these figures exclude add-ons, some of which are essential (like backups or hacking protection). Usually, the "real" price is a few dollars more than what you see.
However, that is a hosting issue. Not just GoDaddy and HostGator offer it. Getting a more expensive plan is useless when you are just starting. Start modest, then as your website grows, raise your goals.
Although both companies provide reasonable introductory pricing, HostGator's are often less expensive, as you can see above. Looking for a Cheap Hosting Company? HostGator is a more reasonable and economical choice. For a 12-month subscription, the cheapest shared hosting program starts at $3.95 per month!
GoDaddy vs HostGator: Compared Shared Hosting Features
Now that we've covered the essential components of the shared hosting plans from HostGator and GoDaddy let's examine what these providers offer in more detail.
1. Registration Of Domain Names
The good news is that both hosts will give you one-year free domain registration for signing up for 12 months or more if you don't already have one for your new website. However, since you'll have to pay the renewal costs, registering your domain elsewhere might be less expensive than pointing it to your HostGator or GoDaddy account.
It will depend on your chosen domain extension (.com,.net, etc.). Because both hosts offer free domain registrations with contracts lasting 12 months or more, the result is a tie.
2. Certificates For SSL
Your website must have an SSL certificate if you want to protect the data of your visitors and prevent their browsers from displaying an insecure warning message. When you join up for one of HostGator's shared plans, a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate is automatically there on your website.
But if you select the most expensive HostGator Business plan, you'll have free access to a Positive SSL certificate, which would generally cost $39.99 a year. If necessary, you can also get additional SSL certificates from HostGator or anywhere else.
Only the top two Ultimate and Maximum shared hosting packages from GoDaddy come with an SSL certificate. However, whereas the most expensive Ultimate plan only offers lifetime access to SSL certificates, the top-tier Maximum plan does.
After that, you may either organize your certificate or pay GoDaddy to renew it. Customers of GoDaddy with shared plans also have the choice to install a certificate from another source or purchase the SSL Certificate add-on, which starts at about $60 per year.
Applying a free certificate to your website is possible since you can install your certificate. The procedure could be more complex than it is, and you have to reapply for it every 90 days, which adds another duty to your plate.
Conclusion: HostGator is the winner in this contest because all their shared hosting plans come with an automatically installed free SSL certificate.
GoDaddy vs HostGator: Performance & Speed
When selecting a website hosting provider, speed and performance are essential considerations. You may rank well in Google and other search engines by having a fast website, which can increase visitors to your company.
Additionally, a pleasant user experience on your site depends on the speed of your pages. Nobody wants to wait for your website to load for hours. As a result, fast loading times assist you lower bounce rates and turning casual visitors into paying clients. Given this, how do the speeds and performance of HostGator and GoDaddy compare?
HostGator Performance Result
In multiple tests, GoDaddy has an average uptime of 99.6%, but HostGator outperforms it with a 100% uptime. HostGator wins here. GoDaddy outperformed Hostgator in a test conducted independently using Pingdom Tools regarding page speed.
Based on three tests, Hostgator's average page load was 2.03 seconds. A similar investigation revealed that GoDaddy's average page load was 1.24 seconds.
We utilized K6 to run a load impact test to see how each web host performs under pressure. HostGator performed reasonably well despite returning inconsistent results. On the other side, GoDaddy consistently produced results.
1. Time To Respond
As you can see, HostGator has an almost flawless uptime. Our server had an excellent uptime of >99.99% for the entire two months. Although HostGator offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, you shouldn't be concerned if it drops that low.
However, HostGator's an average response time of 525ms is somewhat concerning. It's undoubtedly on the upper side, as the response time frequently rose above 750ms. The outcomes are still less than the market average of 600ms, though. Just a tiny bit.
On the other hand, GoDaddy's uptime of 99.98% is also commendable. Additionally, this website experienced 3 outages, totalling 16 minutes of downtime. It does provide the same 99.9% uptime guarantee as HostGator, so none of those things is a cause for alarm.
The GoDaddy server, fortunately, had a fantastic average response time of 341 milliseconds. The maximum response time was only 447 milliseconds. These outcomes are excellent and significantly boosted our trust in GoDaddy.
Thus, HostGator and GoDaddy are trustworthy and consistently deliver uptime rates significantly greater than stated. However, GoDaddy had a faster average response time than HostGator (525 ms vs 341 ms).
2. Website Loading Speed
HostGator Website Loading Speeds
The loading speed is equally crucial to uptime and reaction time. Website visitors anticipate a three-second load time. If not, each extra second raises the bounce rate of the website.
We, therefore, analyzed the load times of entirely created WordPress websites from GoDaddy and HostGator to see how quickly these two are. We installed the Astra theme on each provider and paired it with the "Tech Startup" template.
Keep a watch out for the following indicators to help you better comprehend the outcomes:
- The largest contentful paint (LCP), whether an image or text, loads in under 2.5 seconds is ideal,
- Time to the first byte, or TTFB, checks how quickly the server responds to a visitor's request to open a page. It's ideal if this time is close to 200ms.
- Time at Fully Loaded - a moment when the website is entirely loaded and usable. The ideal value is under 3 seconds.
You see, we focus more on TTFB and LCP here. Google considers many factors when determining how to rank a website on the search results page. The more successful the results, the better your chances are of ranking higher.
In light of this, HostGator showed some speed. Its largest contentful paint lasts for 1.1 seconds, and its fully loaded time, 1.2 seconds, is nearly identical. GoDaddy, on the other hand, was a close second. The largest contentious paint with GoDaddy was quick, much like its fully loaded time of 15 seconds.
Therefore, both ISPs offer great loading times. HostGator and GoDaddy have room to manoeuvre with 1.2s and 1.5s Fully Loaded Times, respectively, so they will stay within the 3-second threshold.
HostGator and GoDaddy had somewhat different TTFBs — 154 ms for HostGator and 224 ms for GoDaddy. Regardless of the differences, both providers' servers appear excellent and highly capable. As a result, it's difficult to say that one provider is "better" than the other in terms of performance overall.
3. Results Of Stress Tests
We wanted to determine what kind of traffic each provider could handle as the icing on the cake. We have sent 50 virtual visitors to each site as a starting point. Given that 50 bots are simultaneously browsing your site, that is a lot of traffic. That could cause a less powerful server to slow down or even overload.
How did these two manage, then? Regarding HostGator, it handled such traffic without any problems. It might not have distinguished between one visitor and fifty. That is mainly obvious from the graph alone.
Except for one jump, the blue line (response time) remained remarkably stable as the number of visitors rose. Similar to the speed test, GoDaddy comes in second. It failed the test with 50 visits. Therefore we reduced the number by 5 and reran it to determine its limitations. There were 40 people on the first pass.
And a fantastic outcome was 40 guests. Tens of thousands of visitors a month would result if this number of visitors persisted on the site every day for a month. The server did not slow down with that many users and typically answered in 121 milliseconds. When you consider the response time, that becomes extremely obvious.
The number of visits had little to no effect and remained remarkably constant. And while GoDaddy displayed excellent results, HostGator easily outperformed the opposition.
HostGator and GoDaddy have both displayed excellent performance outcomes. The suppliers had more significant than expected uptimes and were very dependable. They managed the traffic virtually flawlessly, and the loading speed was pleasant.
Winner: GoDaddy once more wins the prize for performance and speed, except for uptimes. However, there is little difference between HostGator and GoDaddy in terms of uptime.
GoDaddy vs HostGator: Website Security
Both service providers are on the most basic side regarding security. However, even in this area, HostGator surpasses GoDaddy by including free SSL certificates in all of its services.
But don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Let's examine what each of them has to offer separately. First, GoDaddy is less kind than HostGator, which offers SSL for free even with its most basic services.
The only plans that GoDaddy includes a free certificate with are its Ultimate and Maximum plans. Even then, the Ultimate plan only offers it for a year. The cost of an SSL certificate with GoDaddy is now $4.75 per month. Even though the bundle comes with a firewall and a virus scan, we find the overall thing outrageous.
It costs more than just the hosting bundle! Particularly when it ought to be free but has the gall to charge the renewal prices ($7.99) after a year. Website backups are the second crucial factor. However, none of the service providers supports automatic backups:
The three backup solutions offered by HostGator range in price from $2.76 per month to $8.33 per month (free with the Business plan). Automated backups are $2.99 per month at GoDaddy.
You can use your cPanel to create backups manually with both of them. But that is solely your duty. Simply put, you can remove the stress by using automated backups.
Finally, GoDaddy only includes a server-level firewall in the premium website security plan, but HostGator has one with all plans for free. Yes, the SSL-enabled one. We are still upset over that.
Overall, HostGator has slightly better security capabilities than GoDaddy. However, neither of the two is, by design, highly security-oriented. Alternatively, you can pay for the HostGator SiteLock premium add-on or the GoDaddy CDN service.
GoDaddy vs HostGator: Shared Hosting Technical Information
We have already discussed the significant characteristics and functionality of the shared hosting plans from HostGator and GoDaddy. But first, here is some technical information you might find interesting before we conclude this comparison:
- Website caching: HostGator offers its Endurance Cache service, which features three degrees of caching, to WordPress users. An internal plugin controls site is caching through your WordPress dashboard. GoDaddy advises using a third-party plugin because they do not provide you access to a caching tool.
- Both servers support integration with both free and premium third-party content delivery networks (CDNs).
- PHP: Both hosts offer a selection of PHP versions between 7.0 and 7.4 using a web interface. However, GoDaddy also provides version 5.6 as an option.
- HTTP/2.0: Neither host's shared plans have HTTP/2.0 enabled.
- SSL: HostGator allows you to import your SSL certificate, buy a premium certificate as an add-on, or deploy a free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. Applying for a free SSL certificate with GoDaddy is more complicated, but you can buy one from them directly or import your certificate from another source.
- You can use Secure FTP (SFTP) to upload and modify files on your web space.
- Server file management: The cPanel browser-based file manager provided by HostGator and GoDaddy allows you access to your server space.
- Database access: With both hostings, you may use phpMyAdmin to access your WordPress and other databases using a browser.
- Email service: Webmail, POP3, and SMTP are all included on the shared plans from HostGator and GoDaddy.
- WordPress website management: On the shared plans from both hosts, you can enable automatic WordPress software, theme, and plugin updates.
- Unlike certainly managed WordPress hosts, there are no lists of prohibited plugins for any host.
- Security precautions: Both hosts routinely check their networks for assaults.
- However, SiteLock from HostGator and Web Security from GoDaddy are premium add-ons that offer daily malware scans, automatic malware removal, and other security features.
- Post-hack clean-up services: In addition to their paid SiteLock add-on service, which is optional, HostGator offers a paid post-hack investigation service and post-hack clean-up services for contracted malware infections or other security flaws websites. The GoDaddy Web Security subscription add-on covers website maintenance.
- Locations of the data centres: GoDaddy may host your website on its servers in North America, Europe, and Asia, whereas HostGator hosts websites on its shared plans in either Texas, in the South Central United States, or Utah, in the West, United States.
- Website staging: Neither host offers access to a WordPress staging tool on their shared plans.
- Moving a WordPress website: It is easy to do with specific instructions.
- While GoDaddy charges $99 per transfer, HostGator's shared plans include migrating one WordPress website and a cPanel account.
- Both hosting check their servers for downtime but do not verify individual customer websites. GoDaddy promises a 99.9% service uptime (allowing for around 8 hours and 45 minutes of downtime annually) and will offer a hosting discount during an outage. However, there are some restrictions. Additionally, HostGator promises 99.9% server uptime. You can be eligible for a one-month credit for that account if the uptime is less than 99.9%.
- Support methods: Both hosts provide telephone and live chat support around the clock for their shared hosting plans.
Who Are HostGator's and Godaddy's Main Competitors?
The ecosystem of the Fynd platform
There are other website builders. However, the Fynd platform stands out. It is a website builder that offers an ADI editor with drag-and-drop functionality. For additional information on these systems, see our reviews of the Fynd platform.
Using the Fynd Platform, you can rapidly design your website. According to our analysis of over 1000 brands, the continuous aspect of managing an internet business is the dread of starting one. They attempted to create a wholly self-serve platform since they knew we had this anxiety. Here are a few justifications for starting your online business today!
1. Management of Data and Security
They prioritize functionality, usability, and customer service highly, yet, safety is also a key concern. They are trying to achieve ISO 27001:2013 compliance to ensure information security, cybersecurity, and privacy for all brands on the Fynd Platform.
2. Managing Specialized Staff
Your team members will get access to the Fynd Platform. You can customize which parts of your website your staff may access. Due to the features, complete transparency is possible.
3. Incorporation of a domain
It would be best if you had a name for your business. On the Fynd Platform, you can use your custom domain or select one of the suggestions the platform has generated.
4. Computerized SMS and Email Marketers
Customer interaction is crucial to running an online store. On the Fynd Platform, they offer pre-made SMS and email templates. You can create customized emails or raw HTML using our free internal editors, depending on your use case.
5. Integrating Delivery Partners
The Fynd Platform provides access to several delivery partners for prompt and reasonably priced product delivery. They base our pricing on the delivery partner pricing table to maintain openness. They don't charge a commission on the cost of your logistics.
6. 24-Hour support
We are aware that you require their help constantly. They always guarantee a response to emails sent to our customer service within 24 hours.
7. Including Current Prices
Whether you want to launch a single brand or several brands on the Fynd Platform, their catalogue and the inventory system are always in real-time - no lags or delays in the system.
Summary: HostGator Wins The Comparison between HostGator and GoDaddy Hosting
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For a good reason, HostGator is ranked second in our hosting provider research. HostGator's size, which scored 4.7 out of 5, enhances every area of its service, from customer assistance to value for money.
Tech tickets enable unrivalled uptime, making it the best for shared hosting and its excellent customer service system. HostGator is superior to GoDaddy in terms of hosting alone, and we heartily endorse it.
Convenience is what makes GoDaddy so appealing. While GoDaddy offers hosting, domain registration, and website creation tools, HostGator only offers web hosting. When considering those services, GoDaddy may provide superior value for some people.
Concerned about HostGator? Want to test a reputable host for yourself? HostGator easily outperforms GoDaddy Hosting, and we heartily endorse its hosting packages.
Are you considering GoDaddy Hosting? Anyone seeking an all-in-one solution should choose GoDaddy Hosting. GoDaddy makes the process simple by having everything in one location, from its website builder to hosting plans.