6 Best HostGator Alternatives – December 2024
Page Last Updated:
If you’re searching for alternatives to HostGator, you’re not alone. Since Endurance International Group (EIG) took over, HostGator’s customer service has significantly declined, and issues like frequent upselling and inconsistent performance have become common complaints. Fortunately, there are many other web hosting providers that offer better service and value for your money. Don’t get us wrong—HostGator isn’t bad, but let’s just say we believe there are definitely better alternatives.
In this guide, we’ve compiled some of the best alternatives to HostGator, categorized by hosting, domains, and email services. If you’re looking to replace multiple products offered by HostGator, we’ve got you covered with these top recommendations.
Before we dive in, a quick note: if you purchase from one of our recommended alternatives, we might earn a small commission. This doesn’t influence our reviews—we prioritize honesty and transparency. Now, let’s explore the top alternatives to HostGator!
The 3 Best Alternatives to HostGator (Shared Hosting):
The Best Alternative to HostGator for VPS/Dedicated Hosting:
The Best Alternative to HostGator Domains:
The Best Alternative to HostGator for Email Hosting:
Alright—now that you’ve had a chance to see the list of HostGator alternatives, let’s jump in and take a closer look at each one, and why we recommend them over HostGator.
HostGator Alternatives for Shared Hosting: The Top 3 Options
#1 Hostinger
One of the big things about Hostinger we love is that they’re so well-rounded, and pack so much into a single shared hosting package, for only $2.69/month (with our coupon, WHBUDDY). This is a bit different from HostGator, because while they have VPS, dedicated, offerings etc., their service has become a bit “stale” and commoditized. A lot of their add-ons feel like an afterthought, or something added by a big conglomerate (which is essentially what EIG, their parent company is). Two of our favorite things about Hostinger as a HostGator alternative are:
Awesome Website Builder
Hostinger’s website builder is incredibly user-friendly and perfect for beginners (and all users). It features a drag-and-drop interface that makes creating a professional-looking website easy, even for those with no technical skills. HostGator has one, but honestly—it kind of sucks in comparison, and feels very commoditized (like everything they offer). And of course, they’re more expensive at $3.75/month.
Excellent Price-to-Feature Ratio
Hostinger offers an exceptional price-to-feature ratio, making it an unbeatable value in the hosting market. For just $2.69/month with our coupon, you get features like a free SSL certificate, weekly backups, and a robust control panel. HostGator, while also offering some similar features, tends to fall short in terms of quality, where Hostinger just offers better features, like their website builder, or better caching, for the money. HostGator’s just feel “out of the box” and don’t work as well, and are less intuitive.
#2 Bluehost
Although Bluehost is an EIG brand, they’re really the best of the EIG brand in our opinion, as they present a killer value ($1.99/month for shared hosting), and have a long standing reputation in the industry. They’re solid, affordable, and have been around forever. While they too have become a bit commoditized over the years, this hasn’t been as bad as with HostGator, because it seems EIG tends to have separate teams and strategies for the different brands they own, with Bluehost generally having a better strategy and offerings. Here are a couple things that stand out and make Bluehost a great HostGator alternative:
Telephone Support
One of the standout features of Bluehost is their telephone support. Unlike many hosting providers that only offer online support options, Bluehost provides 24/7 phone support, which is incredibly useful, especially for beginners or those who prefer speaking directly to a support representative. This hands-on approach ensures that you can quickly and efficiently resolve any issues you encounter, making your hosting experience much smoother.
Great Host on a Budget
Bluehost offers excellent value for money, especially if you’re on a tight budget. At just $1.99/month for shared hosting, you get a reliable service with a range of features that typically cost much more with other providers. Despite being part of the EIG family, Bluehost manages to maintain a higher standard of service and support, making it a fantastic budget-friendly option for anyone looking to switch from HostGator without sacrificing quality (and actually, improving it).
#3 SiteGround
SiteGround really represents the top of the food chain in terms of shared hosting, with the best tech, and the best features, although they are a bit more expensive than the other options (not much on their lowest tier plan though). In our experience, they tend to have the best chat support of anyone, and have the “techiest” features like their SuperCacher plugin. They also have excellent server management, and are just lightning fast all the time. There’s something about SiteGround that just feels premium all the time, and really, they are worth the money from our experience. Here are a couple things that really make SiteGround stand out:
The Best Chat Support in the Game
SiteGround’s chat support is second to none. Available 24/7, their support team is not only highly responsive but also incredibly knowledgeable. Whether you have a technical issue or just a simple question, their support agents are always ready to help, providing solutions quickly and efficiently. This level of support is a significant upgrade from what you might experience with HostGator, where getting timely and helpful responses can be a hit or miss.
Super Fast Servers and Tech
SiteGround is renowned for their super-fast servers and advanced technology. Their SuperCacher plugin, for example, is designed to optimize your site’s performance, making it load faster and run more smoothly. Additionally, their cutting-edge server management ensures high uptime and reliability, so your website is always available to your visitors. This commitment to performance and speed truly sets SiteGround apart from other hosting providers, including HostGator.
The Best Alternative to HostGator for VPS/Dedicated Hosting
1) Liquidweb
HostGator (like Bluehost) does offer VPS and dedicated hosting, but we’ll be real with you—it’s not nearly as good or on the level of quality as hosts who are really all about VPS and dedicated boxes. When it comes to HostGator VPS/dedicated options, they are really just afterthoughts as they do most of their business in the shared hosting game.
The problem with their VPS and dedicated options is that they aren’t managed as well, and don’t have the same level of security and support that a company like Liquidweb has, where they don’t offer shared hosting at all, and their main business is really all about running VPS and dedicated instances. Don’t believe us? Well, at the time of writing, WebHostingBuddy is hosted with Liquidweb—so what more do you need to know for an endorsement?
If you’re looking for a serious company that really offers a true, proper dedicated or VPS alternative to HostGator, do yourself a favor and go with Liquidweb. They are hands down, in our opinion, the best alternative to HostGator for VPS and dedicated hosting.
The Top Alternative to HostGator for Domain Hosting
1) Namecheap
We’re going to start to sound repetitive here, but off rip—let’s take a look at where the domain for this website is registered. Any guesses? Spoiler alert—it’s Namecheap.
Namecheap really is the best alternative to HostGator for domain names, and it’s not even close.
The only reason really to use HostGator for domain names is if you take advantage of free domain name that they offer for the first year when you sign up for a shared hosting package. After that, it makes sense to just transfer it out of HostGator to a better registrar like Namecheap and be done with it!
The #1 Alternative to HostGator for Email Hosting
1) Hostinger
If you’re using HostGator to host your email accounts, there are a lot better alternatives out there, that’s for sure.
HostGator just uses cPanel (and so do other hosts), but there are cheaper ways to get the same thing.
For example, if you want cPanel email hosting as an alternative to HostGator, we recommend Hostinger. They offer the same 100 email inboxes, but at $2.69/month with our code WHBUDDY vs. 100 at HostGator for $3.75/month, plus you get all the other fees.
You can also use services like Amazon WorkMail (which is insanely hard to navigate) or Microsoft 365, but you need to pay per inbox there, and it’s pretty expensive.
We’ve summarized the cost side of things in a table here:
| 2 Accounts | 5 Accounts | 10 Accounts | 20 Accounts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $2.69 | $2.69 | $2.69 | $2.69 |
| HostGator | $3.75 | $3.75 | $3.75 | $3.75 |
| Rackspace | $5.98 | $14.95 | $29.90 | $59.80 |
| Amazon Workmail | $8.00 | $20.00 | $40.00 | $80.00 |
So, in our opinion, if you’re looking for a true replacement alternative to HostGator email, Hostinger is a great option.
Final Thoughts on HostGator Alternatives
When it comes to HostGator alternatives, there are many, that’s for sure. Really, Hostinger is the best all-around option to replace everything that HostGator has, but in a better (or cheaper) way, across the board.
And if you’re looking for VPS/dedicated options, Liquidweb is a much better way to go (although more expensive—you get what you pay for). And for domain names, go with Namecheap hands down. And finally, for email—Hostinger again.
HostGator isn’t a bad host, it’s just that they are commoditized by EIG, and getting more expensive, with the market offering better and better alternatives that we’ve outlined on this page. In our opinion, the companies on this page truly represent the best alternatives to HostGator in all of their respective categories!
