If you have been on the hunt for the perfect hosting service for your website, you must have heard of Bluehost and HostGator, the two most popular options in the market right now. At first glance, these might seem pretty similar, but there are some key differences that you should know of. In this article, we’ll compare the features, uptime, pricing, security, and customer support of these two providers so that you can make the most fitting choice that could help your website flourish.

Domain name registration

Bluehost offers its customers a free domain name while signing up for a web hosting plan. The domain name will be registered for a year and will be renewed when you renew the hosting plan. In contrast, the HostGator plans don’t encompass a free domain name, though one domain transfer is free for a newly purchased account, which must be the primary domain and a .com, .net, or .org. At the moment, their domain name registration for a .com extension starts at approximately $13.

Website migration or transfer

With Bluehost, you have two options for site migration: you can either do it yourself at zero cost by manually moving your files to Bluehost, or you can use the Website Transfer service to transfer 5 sites and 20 email accounts from your former hosting provider. The latter will cost you $149.99. Also, remember that you will need to add an FTP option to your hosting plan before you can migrate an existing site. HostGator attempts to make site migration as simple as possible for you. They will move all the website files including scripts, databases, and one domain registration without charging you a dime within 30 days of signing up or upgrading your account.

Website builder tools

Bluehost enables you to create a website with an on-site builder that’s powered by Weebly. On the other hand, HostGator offers a Basic HostGator website builder that is included free with Cloud Site and Linux Shared plans. Some of its key features are over 100 mobile-friendly templates, e-commerce tools, and Facebook and Google Analytics integration.

WordPress integration

WordPress officially recommends Bluehost, and both parties have been working together since 2005. Installing WordPress is an easy and quick process, and it can be seamlessly managed with an enhanced cPanel. In addition, a WordPress custom-designed control panel and Cloudflare CDN is directly built into your account with no cost and a free SSL certificate. The premium WP hosting comes with advanced security features, pre-installation of ManageWP, automated backups, and dedicated backup storage.

Unlike Bluehost, HostGator is not recommended by WordPress. If you already have a WordPress powered site, a free migration service will move the existing WordPress site to HostGator. HostGator enables you to quickly install WordPress using an enhanced CPanel and comes with SiteLock security free with its managed WordPress hosting plans.

Uptime

Bluehost employs quad-processor servers and projects an estimated uptime of 99.98%. However, unlike HostGator, it doesn’t provide you with a service level agreement. HostGator offers a service level agreement that guarantees 99.9% uptime. In other words, if your website isn’t up 99.9% of the time, you will be given one month of credit.

Pricing

Currently, Bluehost offers 4 plans that have an introductory range starting from $3.95 per month to $9.95 per month. As compared to its counterpart, HostGator is fairly cheaper. It offers three plans with prices ranging between $2.75 per month and $5.95 per month. Apart from a few differences, both hosting services offer a feature-rich package. It should be noted that these are promotional prices for new users. When the plans are to be renewed with any of these providers, the price of the plans will increase significantly.

Customer support

Both Bluehost and HostGator offer excellent customer support with 24/7 responsive and helpful assistance via phone and live chat. They also offer a knowledge base, and the Bluehost page has 6 different categories ranging from general queries to specific ones.

Bluehost vs. HostGator – Which one’s better?

Both services offer excellent features, customer support, and uptime. Bluehost services are meant for everyone, whether you are a tech geek or a newbie. They offer a variety of plans with amazing features that include a free domain name and a free SSL certificate. Alternatively, HostGator is a better option if you are specifically interested in an affordable service offering abundant hosting features. What makes it more attractive is its free migration service and $200 worth free advertising credits during the sign-up, along with a free SSL certificate with all its plans. Furthermore, HostGator offers a 45-day money-back guarantee as opposed to the 30-day money guarantee by Bluehost.