There are times that when it comes to looking at two hosts, there is very little wiggle room to prove that one is superior to the other. One such case is in the battle between SiteGround and HostGator, two of the most prominent names in the web hosting industry today.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing since for the most part, good hosts tick off many check boxes that need to be filled in users’ hunt for the perfect web host. If the most important technical stuff is taken care of, such as features and performance, what remains is just considering what icing you like on the cake, so to speak.
SiteGround was founded in 2004 and has become the preferred domain host for more than 2 million websites. It's renowned for offering fast web hosting, strict security, and 24/7 support. Whether you are a newbie or veteran, SiteGround makes an interesting web host that allows you to enjoy efficiency, reliable performance, and impressive technical support.
On the other hand, HostGator is a hosting platform established in 2002 and fitted with richly designed shared hosting packages that offer unlimited storage, email accounts, and data transfer. For those who want more, the company also offers feature-rich Cloud, Virtual Private, WordPress, and Dedicated Server Hosting packages.
To learn more, read our full Hostgator review
Both SiteGround and HostGator offer very impressive technical performance. Looking past the service level agreement, SiteGround can offer very reliable servers that are often serving up 100% service time at reasonable speeds.
HostGator on the other hand is slightly behind in the reliability side, but not by much. This is bolstered by extremely fast servers that can clock in at an eye-raising below 50ms for US users. This speed is very rare and is backed by a solid “A+” rating in the BitCatcha Speed Test.
Both Hostgator and SiteGround welcome new users with open arms and offer steep discounts on new hosting plan sign up along with free site migration tools to boot.
However SiteGround's renewal rates are roughly 50% higher than Hostgator. A single-domain hosting account cost $14.99 per month (vs. Hostgator $7.95 per month); multiple domain hosting account cost $24.99 per month (vs. Hostgator $10.95 per month).
Given its service quality, SiteGround's price hike on renewal is not entirely unreasonable. However, it does puts them a bit out of range for most basic website owners. For example, low traffic static business sites, personal blogs, or perhaps portfolio sites. If your site falls into those manner of categories, I recommend you look instead towards cheaper options at Hostgator.
| Plans | Startup | GrowBig | GoGeek |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage | 10gb | 20gb | 40gb |
| Databases | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Backup | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Free Domain | No | No | No |
| Free Migration | No | Yes | Yes |
| Optimized for WordPress | Yes | yes | yes |
| Email Accounts | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| GIT Support | No | No | Yes |
| Signup Rate | $3.99 | $6.99 | $10.99 |
| Regular Rate | $14.99 | $24.99 | $39.99 |
| Plans | Jump Start | Business | Business Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| RAM | 8gb | 12gb | 16gb |
| Storage | 40gb | 80gb | 120gb |
| CPU Cores | 4 | 8 | 12 |
| Root Access | No | No | No |
| Signup Rate | $100 | $200 | $300 |
| Regular Rate | $100 | $200 | $300 |
| Features | Hatchling | Baby | Business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Storage (SSD) | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free Migration | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Domain Name | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free PositiveSSL | No | No | Yes |
| Price | $2.75/mo | $3.50/mo | $5.25/mo |
| Website Builder | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Features | Snappy 2000 | Snappy 4000 | Snappy 8000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Core | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage (SSD) | 120 GB | 165 GB | 240 GB |
| Dedicated IP | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Backups (Weekly) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| cPanel | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Price | $23.95/mo | $34.95/mo | $54.95/mo |
Most companies under the EIG umbrella give the impression that they don’t really manage their customer service very well. HostGator may be a slight exception to the rule though as it has pretty good customer service and both documentation and a user forum to back that up. Unfortunately, there are occasional long waits for support via live chat – but that isn’t really a deal breaker.
SiteGround gets good overall feedback from many users and has no live chat support on most issues – which makes the slow response from HostGator live chat look a little better, doesn’t it?
Despite the huge number of users of this hosting service, Hostgator has developed a sketchy reputation for the past few years. Their support system may take a long time to get back to the user. There are also complaints about their outdated Site Builder templates and excessive upselling.
Most SiteGround users we met spoke highly of the user-friendly nature of SiteGround's service. Generally, SiteGround's platform is easy to use and they have a responsive customer support team that attends to inquiries quickly. Further more, SiteGround also has the impressive feather in its cap of being one of only three hosting providers recommended by WordPress.com.
In short, HostGator would be a better choice for those who are looking for a good host to break into the web hosting scene and those who are seeking a no-fuss, no-muss solution. Veterans or those who are of a more discerning taste can look forward to better performance if they are willing to invest a little time with SiteGround.
One of the reasons why this is so is because SiteGround does involve a little more of a premium when it comes to price. Their hosting plans are more expensive and some even consider their renewal prices to be a little unreasonable.
