HostGator vs GoDaddy 2024 Comparison: Which One Is Better?

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4.7

out of 5

4

out of 5

HostGator and GoDaddy Hosting are two of the biggest hosting platforms around, but HostGator is our overall winner, scoring an impressive 4.7 out of 5 in our research. HostGator has scalable plans and the best help and support services, whereas GoDaddy Hosting falls slightly behind with a score of 4 out of 5, targeting users with its all-in-one solution.

Both hosting providers have been going strong for a while in internet years and offer affordable, reliable services, and their reputations are stellar and well-earned. We know it can be difficult to separate the top providers sometimes, but that’s where we come in. We’ve dug into the features of both to provide research-based recommendations (and warnings).

We rated HostGator as the second best hosting provider on the market (just behind Bluehost), whereas GoDaddy Hosting comes 6th in our rankings. They’re both excellent providers — just for different things. Let’s take a deeper look at the two.

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HostGator

GoDaddy

Overall rating
4.7
Overall rating
4.0
Starting from

$4.95

Starting from

$6.99

Uptime

99.99%

Uptime

99.97%

Free backups
Free backups
Free domain
Free domain
Visit HostGator Visit GoDaddy

Features, Performance, & Ease of Use

hostgator logo
The Winner

HostGator is easier to use and has better features...

The race between HostGator and GoDaddy Hosting is incredibly close, but HostGator just takes the lead because of its performance, reliability, and helpful features. That being said, GoDaddy Hosting is a ideal choice if you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to handle the whole process for you.
Visit HostGator

As big dogs (and crocs) in the hosting sphere, GoDaddy and HostGator tick all the boxes. They can’t afford not to. Convenient, low maintenance hosting is good hosting, and both offer this. That being said, HostGator is our top choice for shared hosting, scoring 4.7 out of 5 in our testing, and the provider sits consistently high across our other hosting type research.

HostGator GoDaddy Hosting
Free domain Yes Yes
Control panel cPanel cPanel
Free backups Yes Yes
Disk space Unlimited Unlimited
Uptime 99.9% 99%

As you can see from the table, the two are incredibly similar when it comes to the basics. Both have superb uptime, GoDaddy boasting 99% and HostGator one-upping it with 99.9%. Perfect uptime is impossible, so these two get as close as is reasonably possible. Both use cPanel, but once you set your site up with a content management system you’re not going to use it that much.

However, GoDaddy may actually have the edge for certain beginners. Domain management, web hosting, and website building all in one place is a very convenient option to have if you’re not keen on juggling them separately.

GoDaddy’s website builder is not the glossiest around, but it’s nothing if not functional. Basic sites are in good hands. HostGator also has its own in-house website builder, called Gator.

A major draw of GoDaddy is its free email scheme. On a basic shared hosting plan, GoDaddy throws in a year-long subscription to Microsoft Office 365 business email, which usually costs $60.

hostgator logo

Want To Try HostGator's Features?

HostGator’s plans are full of features and perform exceptionally well. It’s our top choice for shared hosting, and is a strong choice for all other hosting types.

Further Information

Which has Better WordPress Integration?

hostgator logo
The Winner

HostGator's WordPress integration is simple and quick...

HostGator is better for WordPress integration, despite GoDaddy’s strong showing. HostGator has a faster install time than GoDaddy. Also, HostGator has a much simpler WordPress control panel, making the whole integration process much easier from start to finish.
Visit HostGator

There’s not much to separate the two where WordPress is concerned. Setup is super simple on GoDaddy, though it currently takes up to 24 hours to take effect.

HostGator on the other hand can have a WordPress site ready to go in minutes. This won’t make much difference to you unless you’re in the midst of a life-or-death race against time involving WordPress. We assume you’re not. Still, that difference speaks to the smoothness of integration, which is where HostGator has an edge.

hostgator vs godaddy wordpress integration
GoDaddy lets you integrate with WordPress quickly and easily

The thing about WordPress is once you’ve set up your site there’s no real need to interact with your hosting at all. It’s enough that the foundations of a house are there; you don’t need to go check on them every day. You’ll know if something’s wrong.

hostgator logo

Has HostGator Caught Your Eye?

HostGator is the best choice if you’re looking to integrate your site with WordPress. The process is super simple and easy to understand!

Further Information

HostGator Support vs GoDaddy Support

hostgator logo
The Winner

HostGator has the best help and support...

HostGator has the best help and support services out of every hosting provider we tested — scoring an average of 4.85 in our customer support testing across shared, VPS, dedicated, and WordPress managed hosting plans. GoDaddy is still a great choice when it comes to customer support, but the absence of tech tickets is a real let down.
Visit HostGator

HostGator is our top-rated hosting provider for help and support across every hosting type, even scoring 4.9 out of 5 in our VPS, dedicated, and photography hosting research. As you can see in the table below, HostGator offers impressive 24/7 live chat and phone support, as well as email support and a knowledge center.

On the other hand, GoDaddy’s knowledge center is clearly presented and easy to navigate. The platform is so widely used that if you can’t find official documentation for a problem, odds are it’s been discussed and resolved elsewhere. However, its highest help and support score from our research was only 4.4 out of 5 for dedicated hosting.

HostGator GoDaddy Hosting
24/7 chat Yes Yes
24/7 phone Yes Yes
Knowledge Center Yes Yes
Tickets Yes No

Both offer all the standard avenues: 24/7 phone and chat support, and dedicated social media support accounts. But HostGator also offers tech tickets, which is a really useful option to have when your hosting needs hands-on support.

hostgator logo

Do You Want Top Support?

HostGator is the best hosting provider we tested for help and support, ranking as the number one choice across all of our research categories.

Pricing & Value for Money

hostgator logo
The Winner

HostGator is better value for money...

HostGator’s hosting plans are more cost-effective and cheaper than GoDaddy Hosting, and HostGator’s most basic shared hosting plan starts at just $3.95 per month for a 12-month subscription.
Visit HostGator

For many people, price is all that really matters. Hosting isn’t exactly the sexiest thing to focus on when putting a website together. If a service is reliable, great – how much?

As is the case with most hosting platforms, GoDaddy and HostGator offer a variety of plans that scale up in cost and capability depending on your need. Entry level plans for both amount to little more than a coffee a month.

In our value for money testing, HostGator beat out GoDaddy Hosting in every category apart from VPS, ecommerce hosting, and photography hosting. Let’s take a closer look at the 12-month subscription fees for the starting plans below:

Hosting Type HostGator GoDaddy Hosting
Shared Hosting $3.95/month $6.99/month
VPS Hosting $23.95/month $5.99/month
Dedicated Hosting $109.97/month $149.99/month
WordPress Managed Hosting $7.95/month $8.99/month

It’s worth noting that these numbers exclude any add-ons, some of which border on essential (like backups and hacking protection). The ‘real’ cost tends to be a couple of dollars more than what you see. That’s a hosting thing, though. It’s not exclusive to GoDaddy and HostGator.

When you’re just starting out, it’s pointless to go for a more expensive plan. Begin with the basics and scale up your plans as your site grows. Both providers offer affordable basic rates, but as you can see above, HostGator’s are generally a little cheaper.

hostgator logo

Looking for an Affordable Hosting Provider?

HostGator is a more affordable and cost-effective option. Its cheapest shared hosting plan starts at $3.95 per month for a 12-month subscription!

HostGator vs GoDaddy Hosting: Summary

HostGator comes second in our overall hosting provider research for a reason. With a score of 4.7 out of 5, HostGator’s size improves every aspect of its service, from user support to value for money. Its uptime is unrivaled, it’s the best choice for shared hosting, and tech tickets make its customer support system a standout. In pure hosting terms, HostGator is stronger than GoDaddy, and we wholeheartedly recommend it.

Meanwhile, GoDaddy’s appeal is convenience. Whereas HostGator is purely a web hosting company, GoDaddy plies its trade in hosting, domain registration, and website building software. Bring those services into the equation, and for some GoDaddy actually offers better value.

hostgator logo

Interested in HostGator?

Want to try a top hosting provider for yourself? When compared to GoDaddy Hosting, HostGator easily takes the lead and we highly recommend its hosting plans.
godaddy logo

Interested in GoDaddy Hosting?

GoDaddy Hosting is the perfect choice for anyone looking for an all-in-one solution. With everything in one place, from its website builder to hosting plans, GoDaddy keeps the process simple.

HostGator vs GoDaddy: FAQs

HostGator represents better value for money than GoDaddy, but only slightly. HostGator has cheaper price plans than GoDaddy in general — its basic shared hosting plan starts from $3.95/month with a 12-month subscription.
Out of the two, HostGator is our recommended choice for dedicated hosting, scoring 4.2 out of 5 in our research, whereas GoDaddy Hosting scores 3.5 out of 5. HostGator represents better value for money in this particular department, with dedicated hosting plans starting from just $109.97/month (12-month term), compared to GoDaddy’s starting price of $149.99/month (12-month term).
HostGator has better VPS hosting than GoDaddy, coming joint first in our VPS testing with a score of 4.6 out of 5.
HostGator is our top choice for small business hosting, beating GoDaddy by a mile with a score of 4.9 out of 5 in comparison to GoDaddy’s 4.2 out of 5. HostGator is easier to use and has better uptime so your business can get online smoothly, and stay online for longer. You can see why it’s the chosen provider for 8 million domains today.
Choosing the best hosting provider depends on your needs. For instance, Bluehost is our top-rated hosting provider overall, ranking first for VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting. However, HostGator is best for shared hosting. Finding the cheapest hosting provider is also important, especially for small businesses looking to stay within a tight budget.
HostGator is a great web hosting provider! It’s our second best choice (behind Bluehost) with a score of 4.7 out of 5. It’s also the strongest host if you’re looking for a shared hosting plan, beating out all competition to sit in the number one spot. HostGator offers great features, top-tier help and support services, and reliable site speed — so you’re in good hands!
HostGator is a very strong choice for hosting provider, and our research backs it up. That being said, our testing did reveal that HostGator has a poor server response time which can result in high levels of downtime — a definite set back for a top-level hosting provider.
No! They’re two different hosting providers, both with unique offerings and plans. Along with its hosting plans, GoDaddy is primarily a website builder platform.

Website Builder Expert aims to provide you with honest data. That’s why we conduct our own research and obtain direct, personal insight. Analyses and graphics in this article are based on authentic sources cross-validated by our in-house experts.

We take great care to ensure the information we publish is reliable and accurate. However, WBE takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy in information supplied to us by users, research participants, or other entities.

Please note the insight contained within this article is for general information purposes only. We’re glad to answer any questions you may have about this article and its supporting research. For further information, please contact Website Builder Expert directly via email at info@websitebuilderexpert.com.

Written by:
emma ryan author bio
Emma’s been a Senior Writer at Website Builder Expert since 2022, having first-hand experience with website builders, such as Wix and Shopify, through hands-on testing and research analysis. Her work and expertise have been featured in Digiday, TechRound, Industry Today, and Digital Information World. Specializing in writing about website builders, ecommerce platforms, and hosting providers, Emma stays in the loop of industry updates by attending conferences such as eCommerce Expo and managing Website Builder Expert’s news articles.

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