How do you choose the best host out of two of the largest and well established hosting brands on the web, as BlueHost Vs? HostGator.

We as humans will always want the best- the best that will at the same time be very affordable, beginner-friendly, ready to support you all the way customer help desk team. Yea and the one you just said.

Understandably, that is why in this post, we are going to review BlueHost and HostGator, two of the best and biggest hosting providers and you’ll log-off of this post, knowing exactly why you should choose BlueHost as the Winner of this comparison.

Our comparison is based on the standards of a quality host. Stuff like uptime, speed, security, price, support, and features offered.

A Closer Look At BlueHost Packages

BlueHost Basic Plan

The BlueHost Basic Plan starts at $2.75/month for a 3-year contract, then their renewal price jumps to $7.99/m (appr. $8/m).

Below is the basic package’s list of features.

BlueHost Plus Plan

Then, BlueHost second-tier package called BlueHost Plus comes at the cost of $5.45/m for a 3-year contract and makes another high jump to $14.99/m (appr. $15/m).

Below is the plus package’s list of features.

BlueHost Choice Plus

Their third-tier package goes for $5.45/m for a 3-year contract deal and a regular renewal price of $14.99 (appr. $15/m).

Below is the choice plus package’s list of features

BlueHost Pro Plan

The top tier shared hosting package for a 3-year contract starts at $13.95/m, then renews at $23.99/m (appr. $24/m).

Now HostGator!

Hatchling Plan

• Single domain 
• One-click WordPress installs 
• Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer 
• Unmetered bandwidth 
• Free SSL certificate 
• Free domain included 

Introductory offer – $2.75/mo*

Baby Plan

• Unlimited domains 
• One-click WordPress installs 
• Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer 
• Unmetered bandwidth 
• Free SSL certificate 
• Free domain included 

Introductory offer – $3.95/mo*

Business Plan

• Unlimited domains 
• One-click WordPress installs 
• Free WordPress/cPanel website transfer 
• Free SSL certificate 
• Free upgrade to Positive SSL 
• Free dedicated IP 
• Free SEO tools 
• Free domain included 

Introductory offer – $5.95/mo*

A Look At BlueHost Vs. HostGator Features

Pricing – Who Wins?

Both BlueHost and HostGator offer the same pricing for their starter packages, starting at $2.75 per month.

As the norm in the hosting industry, BlueHost and HostGator offer cheaper starting prices and hikes it up for renewals- after you’ve tested their quality of service and features.

We also discovered that their pricing gets more affordable with longer contracts.

Overall, HostGator wins!

Speed – The Trophy!

Both BlueHost and HostGator pride with their speed.

BlueHost has an average page load speed of 544ms (544 milliseconds) while HostGator lags a bit standing at 1,237ms (1,237 milliseconds)

Load Time (Speed), Who Wins?

Speedy sites are what bloggers practically beg for. It is essential for retaining site visitors. Take the whole 3 seconds to load, and visitors are only 32% likely to be patient or rather live for a better alternative.

Apart from visitors, load time is also a pivotal SEO ingredient for ranking.

Our speed trophy winner is – BlueHost!

Support – 

To me, support is more important than many other must-have of a host. 

“Because, with more money, you can easily pay and get all of the features you ever wanted; get stock with inexperienced or unprofessional or unfriendly support, and you are in big trouble- My quote 🙂 

Happily, both BlueHost and HostGator seem to perform great in this aspect.

Support- who wins? We call this a tie- draw!

Pros & Cons

BlueHost Pros

• Free domain name
• You’ll still own your domain name even if you decide to cancel your contract

HostGator Pros

• Free migration for all website types
• Free domain name with any packages purchase
• Still retain your domain name even when you no longer fancy the deal

Cons

BlueHost Cons

• Only WordPress sites come with free migration, migration for any other type of site comes with a whopping cost of $49.99.
• Shorter money-back guarantee (30days) compared to HostGator’s of 45days. That is, should anything go wrong and you decide to withdraw.

HostGator Cons

• Tricky initial prices and fees (it is part of marketing though)
• Too many upsells (is a sales technique aimed at indirectly persuading customers to buy a sometimes more expensive item.
• A bit limited features in the shared plans.

Who Should You Choose?

From me, for BlueHost, it is a win!

And honestly, HostGator is a great host too!