HostGator Reviews by Experts and Users

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HostGator Overview

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HostGator

Overall, I had a tremendous experience with HostGator, and found them to be just as well suited to large Web enterprises as they are small WordPress blogs. The account creation process was simple. The control panel is powerful and intuitive. And the resources are... Read full expert review of HostGator

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User Reviews

39

  • (24)
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  • (1)
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Expert Rating

(5)

Users Rating

(4.1)

Recommended By: 29 of 39 users
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The most helpful FAVORABLE review The most helpful CRITICAL review

9people found this helpful

I have used several hosting companies since 1998 and have had many colorful experiences. HostGator is the only hosting company I would recommend to friends without any hesitation. Honestly, I have had one or two... Read all reviews for HostGator

Reviewed by: Audrey (Beginner)

7people found this helpful

We've been a reseller for years. At least once a year we
have a major issue w/hostgator that we have to fight our way
through "supervisors" to get fixed. Every time, it is
because they have screwed up...Read all reviews for HostGator

Reviewed by: Steve Yakoban (Experienced)

VS

Profile

Information

Hostgator has become one of the most well-known web hosts by doing something simple yet uncommon in the business: delivering top-rate products, keeping their promises and answering their support calls. And of course, by having a great logo.

Hostgator offers web hosting through three different plans with names that fit the company logo: Hatchling, Baby and Swamp. All these plans include unlimited disk space and bandwidth. For customers with higher demands, there are several packages for reseller hosting and dedicated servers.

Hostgator provides support through email, fax, phone and live chat 24/7. They also guarantee a 99.9% uptime, granting customers a full month's refunds if they fail to keep deliver. Hostgator doesn't bind its customers to long-term contracts; the agreement can be canceled at anytime. If you should choose to leave within the first 45 days, you will receive a full refund with their money-back guarantee.

US

United States

(Texas)

Founded: 2002

Support: 1.866-964-2867

Uptime monitoring

HostGator Uptime

Uptime monitoring shows how much a website is available. We are monitoring a few sites hosted at HostGator

Response time monitoring

HostGator Response Time

Response time monitoring shows how fast a website responds. We are monitoring a few sites hosted at HostGator

 

What Does the Expert Say About HostGator?

HostGator

Founded in 2002, HostGator did not take long to establish a significant presence in the industry, and now, less than a decade later, they already host in excess of 5 million domains. That’s a tremendous amount of success in such a short period, so they’re obviously doing something right. And with the introduction of their all-new “hatchling plan,” which costs as little as $3.96 per month, I knew it was time for me to move beyond mere curiosity. In order to give them a thorough assessment, I test-drove their hatchling plan for an entire month, which cost me $7.16, the month-by-month rate.


Value for Money

HostGator’s basic plan costs you as much as $7.16 per month or as little as $3.96 per month, which requires a 36-month commitment ($142.56). You can also commit to 2 years at $4.76/month ($114.24) or 1 year at $5.56/month ($66.72). HostGator also offers a 45-day contract-free grace period. Technically, I could have paid just $3.96 for the trial period, but I generally avoid the hassle when a webhost offers a month-by-month pay schedule—saving $3.20 simply isn’t worth the extra processing.

The hatchling plan, whether you pay $3.96 or $7.16 or somewhere in between, includes unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth, a shared SSL certificate, site builder, instant back up, a 99.9% uptime guarantee and support for up to one domain. The hatchling plan doesn’t include a free domain, but you can buy that directly through HostGator during the signup process. At no point does HostGator require a contract, and they allow you to upgrade from the hatchling plan to the “baby plan” or “business plan” seamlessly and at any point. All you have to do is pay the difference.

Performance & Reliability

If you choose to opt out at any point during the first 45 days, HostGator refunds 100% of your money. After 45 days, they prorate it, and refund the difference. In addition, if you pay $7.16 for the first month and then decide to upgrade to a longer term, HostGator accounts for the difference, which is a nice touch. HostGator also guarantees 99.9% uptime, and they’ll refund a prorated amount anytime they fall below that mark. They have on occasion had to pay out. It doesn’t happen often, and the last time was in early 2009, but it’s comforting to know they stand by the guarantee. Overall, however, they do very well, and have maintained a 99.906% uptime since late 2005.


Support

Of all the webhosts I’ve reviewed, few interact with their clients as well as HostGator does. A big reason for this is that HostGator embraces social networking. They’re active on their Facebook page as well as their Twitter account, where they post status updates and even respond to client questions that have broad appeal. For more personal support, they provide 24/7 access via live chat, email and telephone. They also have a support ticket system available through their support portal. The portal also gives you access to community forums, video tutorials, a wide range of articles and a sophisticated search mechanism that lets you query the knowledgebase.

In order to test the support firsthand, I spoke to a help agent using the live chat system to ask them a series of questions. After requesting the chat, I didn’t have to wait long to start speaking to the agent. I played up the role of the newbie, and threw a series of softball questions out there, which the agent handled deftly. Then I started to ask complex questions, such as one that dealt with installing a module for one of the supported technologies. The agent answered the question quickly by pointing me to a well-detailed tutorial on the very subject. That works well for me, but this is the reason some call chat support too impersonal.

• Phone
• Fax
• Email
• Snail Mail
• Live Chat
• Support Ticket System
• Knowledgebase, Forums, Facebook and Twitter

As you can see you'll have a lot of different options if you need to get in contact with the support team


Ease of use

With HostGator you’ll get to work in the well know cPanel. If you’ve used this control before you’ll recognize everything and if you haven’t… You’ll still find everything. Overall I think that HostGator is user friendly and you should have no problem managing your site.


We like

• Their approach to social networking, which often answered questions before I had them.
• Their approach to community, which put me in productive contact with other HostGator clients.
• That the sales team seemed genuinely interested in earning a loyal long-term client.


Important to know

• Phone support is very limited, and they’ll often try to redirect you to another form of support.

Summary

Overall, I had a tremendous experience with HostGator, and found them to be just as well suited to large Web enterprises as they are small WordPress blogs. The account creation process was simple. The control panel is powerful and intuitive. And the resources are amazing, especially if you’re a DIYer. I should note that if there is a prevailing complaint about HostGator it’s that they continue to charge credit cards even after the account closes. I experienced no such problems. Of course, I’ve also made it habit of contacting my CC company whenever I close accounts with regular payments. I think that all webmasters should employ that strategy.

HostGator

Name: Kimberly Dovander

Experience: 7

Located:San Francisco

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HostGator User Reviews

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Overall Rating

(4.1)

Recommended By: 29 of 39 users

Number of reviews: 39

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Larry Fields does not recommend HostGator

Don't use Hostgator. They promise things they don't deliver. I was told by 2 different sales people they would migrate my website AND change the domain name for free before I ever signed up with them. After I signed up I had to wait more than 5 days before anything happened. After numerous calls to support I finally was told that it would cost $75.00 to do what I wanted to do, completely the opposite of what I was told. I immediately cancelled my account but now, after more than 5 days of delay, I have to start all over again. This company is HORRIBLE!!! for customer support. 

Larry Fields Gravatar

(Intermediate)

Hosting Solutions: 2

Hosting Type: Shared

Mike does not recommend HostGator

The worst experience of any host and I've had 6. This company has tanked under new ownership. They are owned by a larger company that owns about 40 other hosting names. Do your research, bluhost, Hostgator, and others are controlled by one company forming a monopoly. That is why service is horrible. They have nothing to loose because they own most of the market. This is a job for the Federal Trade Commission. 

Mike Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 5 or more

Hosting Type: VPS

Audrey recommends HostGator

I have used several hosting companies since 1998 and have had many colorful experiences. HostGator is the only hosting company I would recommend to friends without any hesitation. Honestly, I have had one or two small issues with the tech. support team but, in the end, both tickets were escalated and resolved in just a few hours. This is also the only host I have ever used that really does give their customers 99.9/100% up time. I am extremely happy with this company's service. 

Audrey Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

dem recommends HostGator

Hi there I am using hostgator for a few years now and I find
this host excellent. Basically my first host was hostgator
and though the Cpanel (which is very powerful) I was just
hitting buttons to see what will do (newbie as you can call
me). Every time that I was messing with my site I used their
chat support which is 24/7 and always helped me without
saying its my fault. What about the support? most of the
guys there (95%) have an excellent knowledge and willing to
do everything they can do to help you. 5% seems kind of
lazy, however you cannot expect anywhere to find 100% to be
excellent. Once I ask a supporter something... Read more

dem Gravatar

(Intermediate)

Hosting Solutions: 1

Hosting Type: Shared

Steve Yakoban does not recommend HostGator

We've been a reseller for years. At least once a year we
have a major issue w/hostgator that we have to fight our way
through "supervisors" to get fixed. Every time, it is
because they have screwed up or their untrained "techs"
don't know enough to do things properly.

Now trying to migrate from their reseller account to a VPS
the screw-ups have magnified. They have even sent us a
written message saying not to listen to what the phone
support people say - yes that's what they wrote.

That's why we're here. Enough is enough and we need to find
a new host. 

Steve Yakoban Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 4

Hosting Type: Reseller

Robvert Talbot does not recommend HostGator

All is good at hostgator EXCEPT the annoying inode
limitation--they won't do backups for me and threaten to
drop me because I do pictures with 250,000 inodes but only
i9 GB data.
Got to move to another host very soon 

Robvert Talbot Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 3

Hosting Type: Shared

Alex does not recommend HostGator

I have had an awful experience with HostGator in the past year. I have been a customer for over two years and in the last 12-15 months they have been a terrible host.

The service is only somewhat reliable and for an online business it did not fit my needs. There were limited down times but unexpected issues would arise frequently.

I soon began to realize that the Live Chat support will tell you what you want to hear, they are just trying to sell, sell, sell and I have been mislead and overcharged by them on several occasions.

The live chat support, which is not reliable, is usually less than five minutes... Read more

Alex Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Jason Lim does not recommend HostGator

Bad hosting under shared hosting environment. SQL server unable to support a forum that has 10-20 users online at any one time and frequent error on SQL server timing out. I have error log to support this showing Time Out of SQL server few times a week. 

Jason Lim Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

deneshia jeffries recommends HostGator

hostgator has a very professional customer service relationship. Their 24 hour customer service have helped me build my first website from beginning to end. 

deneshia jeffries Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 1

Hosting Type: Unknown

Ellen Lytle does not recommend HostGator

HostGator's setup wizard requires Mac users to download a desktop utility for running your site off your desktop called "WebDisk". After spending an hour fighting with it, I contacted tech service only to find out that it doesn't work...not at all. They just put it there and let people fight with it. I think this is unprofessional and an hour of my life I can't get back. The tech told me that they are a 100% shop with limited Mac knowledge and suggested I use an external free program. Why do they even put it on the setup wizard if it doesn't work? Lots of people recommended HostGator to me,... Read more

Ellen Lytle Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Larry recommends HostGator

I have been with many hosts over the last 15 years. I have been with Gator for the past 6. They have never given me reason to switch. They are absolutly the most reliable and the support is always quick and to the point. My site has never been down that I know of. 

Larry Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

TJ recommends HostGator

I've used Hostgator since 2003 and have been on the same server using a reseller account since 2005. Overall excellent support, great server speeds, and very few problems. I played the hosting search game for a long time until I found a host that worked for me, and I haven't had the need to switch in 7 years. While others' experiences may vary, I highly recommend their service. 

TJ Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Gabriel Fernandez recommends HostGator

It's been over 4 years since I started working with a
reputable company, that company is Hostgator.com, this
message is just to thank the deal and good service. After
having been in several hosting companies, have very good
support and very good attention. A whole team of Hostgator
thank you very much. 

Gabriel Fernandez Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 3

Hosting Type: Reseller

Tim C recommends HostGator

I've tried a few web host providers and Hostgator has so far provided the best support. I've used their chat feature and have found the operators to be very helpful. I've also had two websites transferred across by the hostgator team and they did a great job at quickly doing a very stressful task. 

Tim C Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 2

Hosting Type: Shared

Asmatullah Kohistani recommends HostGator

I just moved to HostGator and ordered a Dedicated Server I really love it no downtime at all up to now.

The support is very fast and responsive they helped me a lot in configuring my server. 

Asmatullah Kohistani Gravatar

(Intermediate)

Hosting Solutions: 1

Hosting Type: Dedicated

Polar Web Design recommends HostGator

Ive had host gator going on 2 years now. I manage all of my domains and some client domains on my hosting configuration. One of the best things about host gator, is the availability of a contact agent who is knowledgeable, helpful, and urgent when an issue arises. Many other hosts have a email support system that takes days to even get a hint at what an issue is..host gator has a chat that is always running! 

Polar Web Design Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Armin recommends HostGator

HostGator provides the best features with unlimited disk space, bandwidth and more. I had stayed with them for 3 years but left since their web hosting cost was more than my hosting budget. They provide excellent support which should be number one in the business. 

Armin Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 1

Hosting Type: Shared

Jeff recommends HostGator

This is one of the best web host for the price i have ever used, good up time the support is the best ever they well move your site from a another host for free, or use the script installer for word press or other scripts. the up time on this host is the best i have ever seen for a shared host, server speed on my downloads top 70mpbs with good ram, and cpu this beats most vps and its shared, i currently host ios5downloads.com at this host check the site out and see for you self this is a vary good host! 

Jeff Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 5 or more

Hosting Type: Shared

CGH recommends HostGator

I have been a hostgator customer for over a year. Up until recently the downtime was almost non-existent. The tech support was great and those minor issues that I did have were dealt with courteously.\r\n\r\nThe ticket and e-mail support systems are very responsive and most of the issues were related to stuff that I (a non-geek) did with my wordpress site. They still helped to fix it.When I started up my hosting plan, they helped me (read held my hand) as I transitioned from a friend's server to theirs. The DNS change over was as seamless as could be expected and the site was up and... Read more

CGH Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 2

Hosting Type: Shared

Chris recommends HostGator

I\'d recommend it to a friend wanting to site a site or switch from another. Let's get to the pro's. Live support. It\'s nice having the IM to live support 24 x 7. Running the \"Baby Gator\" plan. Love that there\'s unlimited SQL databases each unlimited in size. I\'m running a vBulletin installation with 2000 members so far and haven\'t had any downtime or any technical issues arise. Cpanel is easy to navigate and work with. Pricing is affordable, as are most places now-a-days. 

Chris Gravatar

(Experienced)

Hosting Solutions: 5 or more

Hosting Type: Shared

James Messick recommends HostGator

HostGator has been excellent. The only problems I've ever had were my own fault and every time I've had to contact customer support they response has been timely and accurate, and they've been able to solve some pretty unusual problems having to do with my particular WordPress installation and incorrect settings. I use a lot of different plugins and have themes. I also have a number of websites and the add-on domain feature allows me to easily host them all on one account, saving me a lot of many. I don't see myself going to another host in the near future. 

James Messick Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 3

Hosting Type: Shared

Esteban Abete recommends HostGator

It took a long time for research to decide my hosting
Provider. I decided to choose Hostgator based on the reviews
and recomendations that ihave found throught the internet
and today, 2 years later i can say that i took the rigth
option. The service is stable, i´ve never had any issue
with network and or servers. I can offer my the service
without any restrictions because i know it works.
Also one of the best things is the support. Any time i had a
doubt and/or an issue i have almost instant response from
the support team, the billing team and or the sellers.
Hope they keep doing well. Regards, Read more

Esteban Abete Gravatar

(Intermediate)

Hosting Solutions: 1

Hosting Type: Reseller

Gabriel Fernandez recommends HostGator

One hundred percent of efficiency and helpfulness three years I'm with them and have never had a complaint, I am thankful to be a customer of this company 

Gabriel Fernandez Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Nicolas Raven recommends HostGator

Yes, Host Gator is great and very stable

BUT.. very important, they won't even mention on their "plan comparition chart" the limit of processes you can run in background, which in the Baby plan is 20.

Let me give you an example, if you have 1 domain, and 20 email accounts using IMAP (blackberry, iphone, etc) it doesn't matter if you are using as little as 100MB of space, you will not be able to use it with more domains, because you will max out the number of procceses allowed to run.. and this sucks, this is the way Host gator limits their users, they offer unlimited space, unlimited everything, but very... Read more

Nicolas Raven Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Kazi Hassan Robin recommends HostGator

So far I am satisfied with their service. My site splendorhost.com is running without any problem since I have hosted on a gator server. 

Kazi Hassan Robin Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

TJ Tunnell recommends HostGator

This host has very extensive support. They have live chat and they will respond to support tickets in 15 minutes at 3 AM! Never had any trouble with my site being down either. They seem to have a decent knowledge about their systems as well. 

TJ Tunnell Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Dan recommends HostGator

HostGator has been great so far (3 months). Very easy to set up, zero downtime, great value 

Dan Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Ognyan Georgiev recommends HostGator

I'm with Host Gator for almost a year now. I was attracted by the fame of their support, and by their honest policy to customers. I can tell by now, that I am not disappointed, and everything said about their excellent technical support is true.
I recommend Host Gator as a reliable hosting provider. 

Ognyan Georgiev Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Shelley Northrup recommends HostGator

I highly recommend this hosting company. Tech support is great with the live chat they provide. Great value. 

Shelley Northrup Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Michael Gustafson recommends HostGator

I have 2 hosting accounts and a dedicated server with this provider. I have been using their services for about 4 years now and I can tell you they are best I have ever dealt with. Their support is easy to access, they are quick to respond to my needs and down time is virtually never happens, You can depend on and I highly recommend HostGator. 

Michael Gustafson Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Shawn Gossman recommends HostGator

HostGator is an okay webhost and I would recommend it. The cPanel is somewhat easy to use and many folks like it more. The only complaints I have is the domain costs which are pretty high. 

Shawn Gossman Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Jim B Garvey recommends HostGator

Good hosting provider, quick online support. 

Jim B Garvey Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Matthew Inkster recommends HostGator

Great experience so far! 

Matthew Inkster Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Patrick recommends HostGator

So, what can I say about Hostgator? Well I can begin with mentioning that they've hosted my site for about a year now and I have no complaints. Everything has been working exactly as it should and their support-team is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. I've personally never experienced any downtime such as the one "Lovie Hobbs" describes… 

Patrick Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Randall recommends HostGator

I have a personal website hosted with hostgator for almost a month. I'm very impressed by their super fast servers. My site hasn't experienced any downtime since I've been with them.

If you have a problem. They have 24/7 live chat, toll free phone support, a ticket system, and a very user friendly forum. I highly recommend Hostgator. 

Randall Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

Lovie Hobbs does not recommend HostGator

I just recommended them to a customer for having high ratings and excellent service. The site has been down for the entire day !!!

not good ! 

Lovie Hobbs Gravatar

(Beginner)

Hosting Solutions: 0

Hosting Type: Unknown

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eCommerce
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