HostMonster vs HostGator: Which is the Best Web Host in 2023?

Jatin Kathuria January 02, 2023
Both HostGator and HostMonster are considered to be well-known providers in the hosting market.

If you are looking for a HostMonster vs HostGator comparison & review, you have come to the right place.

There is absolutely no dearth of hosting providers in the market, but finding the right one among them seems to be a very complicated task.

We are currently using the services of both HostGator and HostMonster. One of our main websites is hosted on HostGator and one of our demo websites is hosted on HostMonster.

HostGator hosting plans start at just $2.75 per month while HostMonster hosting plans start at $4.95 per month.

Looking at the price, you must be thinking that HostMonster's hosting plans are more expensive than HostGator, so its services will also be of premium quality.

Well, how true this is, you will definitely get the answer in this article.

In this article, we will take an in-depth comparison of HostGator vs HostMonster and will also discuss their features, performance, support, pros and cons, hosting plans, prices, and more in detail.

So let's start the HostGator vs HostMonster detailed comparison.

HostGator vs HostMonster: The Detailed Web Hosting Comparison

HostMonster vs HostGator: Which is the Best Web Host?
HostMonster vs HostGator: Which is the Best Web Host?

HostMonster vs HostGator: A Quick Overview

HostGator was founded in the year 2002 by Brent Oxley. Whereas HostMonster was started in the year 1996.

HostMonster was founded by Matt Heaton, who is also the founder of the most popular hosting brand Bluehost.

Both brands initially offered their services only in the USA, but now users from all over the world can avail of their web hosting services.

Very few people know that HostGator and HostMonster have been acquired by EIG Group (Endurance International Group).

EIG Group has owned several leading hosting brands such as Bluehost, iPage, JustHost, Domain.com, etc.

EIG Group bought HostGator in 2012 and HostMonster in 2015.

Basically, not many users know about HostMonster, but it is the sibling of “Bluehost”, where hosting plans are offered almost the same as Bluehost.

HostMonster vs HostGator: Features Comparison

So let's now look at the amazing features of HostGator and HostMonster. And know which of the two is best in terms of features.

Features of HostGator

  • Free Domain Name
  • Free Website Transfer
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  • Free Domain Transfer
  • 99.9% Uptime Guarantee
  • Easy-to-Use cPanel
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Unmetered Bandwidth
  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Google and Microsoft Free Ads Credit
  • eCommerce Tools
  • 1-click WordPress Installation
  • Free Website Builder with Drag-and-Drop Editor
  • 10 GB to Unlimited Storage
  • Free Email Addresses
  • Free MySQL Transfer
  • Free Script Transfer
  • 1-click Installer
  • And more


Features of HostMonster

  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Unmetered Bandwidth
  • 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
  • Free Domain
  • Unlimited Websites, Unlimited Email Accounts, Unlimited Parked Domains, Unlimited Subdomains, etc. (except Basic Plan)
  • $200 Marketing Offers ($100 Google Adwords Credits & $100 Bing Ads Credits)
  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Free Drag-and-Drop Site Builder
  • 1-Click WordPress Installation
  • Access To Control Panel
  • And more


Who is the Winner in terms of Features? Its HostGator

HostGator vs HostMonster: Security Features Comparison

Keep in mind that before choosing any hosting provider, consider its security features. Why?

Because by having security features, your website remains safe in case of any untoward incident.

So let's find out what security features HostGator and HostMonster offer with their hosting plans.

HostGator's Security Features

  • SSL Certificate - free with all plans
  • Hotlink Protection - free with all plans
  • IP Deny Manager - free with all plans
  • Password Protection Directories - free with all plans
  • Prevent Spam with SpamAssassin - free with all plans
  • 24/7 Server Monitoring - free with all plans
  • SSH Access - free with all plans
  • CodeGuard Backup - Addon Service ($2.00/mo)
  • SiteLock Essentials - Addon Service ($2.99/mo)


HostMonster's Security Features

  • SSH Access - free with all plans
  • Hotlink Protection - free with all plans
  • Override .htaccess Support - free with all plans
  • SpamAssassin Protection - free with all plans
  • SSL Certificate - free with all plans
  • 24/7 Network Monitoring - free with all plans
  • Password Protection Directories - free with all plans
  • Domain Privacy + Protection - only free with the Choice Plus plan
  • CodeGuard Basic (Backup Protection) - only free with the Choice Plus plan
  • SiteLock Essential - Addon Service ($2.08/mo)


Who is the winner in terms of security features? Its a Tie

HostGator vs HostMonster: Customer Support Comparison

We consider any web hosting brand incomplete without customer support service.

Because whenever you connect to any hosting service, you may need customer support at any time.

Now in such a situation, if you do not get a satisfactory response from the customer support team, then there is a lot of disappointment.

So think about customer support before choosing a hosting brand.

So let's find out which one offers better customer support service between HostGator and HostMonster.

HostGator Customer Support Service

HostGator provides 24/7 live chat and phone support in case you face any technical issues related to hosting or websites.

However, you may have to wait a little longer to get a response from the expert team. The knowledge base is also offered here, which is amazing.

HostGator also provides the facility of email support, you can also get the solution to your hosting service's problems through email.


HostMonster Customer Support Service

HostMonster offers 24/7 live chat and phone support, but it doesn't offer email support.

If you face any technical issue then you can get in touch with experts by phone support instead of using live chat, as there you get a faster response.


Who is the Winner in terms of Customer Support?

As we told you at the beginning of this article we are using the hosting services of both HostGator and HostMonster.

Based on our experience, we haven't been too impressed with the customer support of either of these two.

We have used the services of many other hosting brands too. If you are looking for better customer support service, then you can definitely go for Hostinger and WPX Hosting.

However, if we had to choose between HostGator and HostMonster in terms of customer support, we would choose HostGator.

Because it also provides you with a great knowledge base and a video tutorial section where you can find tons of articles and videos related to their hosting platform.

HostGator vs HostMonster: Customer Rating

Before choosing a hosting brand, it is also necessary to pay attention to what rating real users give to their services so that both your money and time can be used in the right place.

HostGator Customer Rating

HostGator Customer Rating

So on the Trustpilot website, HostGator is rated 4.2 out of 5 stars by actual users (who have already used HostGator's services).

You can also see that 50% of users consider HostGator's services to be excellent, but there are 34% of users rated HostGator's services as poor.


HostMonster Customer Rating

HostMonster Customer Rating
So on the TrustPilot website, HostMonster is rated 3.8 out of 5 stars by actual customers.

You can also see that only 45% of users consider HostMonster's services to be excellent, but there are 41% of users rated HostMonster's services as poor.


Who is the Winner in terms of Customer Rating? Its HostGator

HostGator vs HostMonster: Performance Comparison

When we research and test a hosting brand, we focus on performance the most. We look at 2 major things to measure performance - uptime and response time.

Uptime refers to keeping your website live on the internet always (for maximum time), whereas response time refers to the loading speed of your website.

So let's find out which one offers better uptime and response time between HostMonster and HostGator.

Note: We have used the HRank tool to check the uptime and response time of HostGator and HostMonster.

HostGator Uptime and Response Time Result

HostGator Uptime and Response Time Result
HostGator's uptime is at 99.909% for the last 30 days, as tested on the HRank tool, Which is close to their claimed guarantee.

While the response time is 1.187 seconds (1187 ms), which is good. If the loading speed is less than 2 seconds, it is recommended.

HostGator offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, if you face downtime, which goes below 99.9%, you are entitled to compensation.

HostGator provides hosting credits to its customers as a compensation. But for this, customers will have to contact customer support.


HostMonster Uptime and Response Time Result

HostMonster Uptime and Loading Speed Result
So as you can see, according to the HRank tool, HostMonster's uptime is 99.983% in the last 30 days, which is brilliant.

While the response time is 0.964 seconds (964 ms), which is also amazing.

Although HostMonster does offer an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, but it does not offer any compensation or hosting credits under this guarantee.

There is very little chance of downtime on HostMonster. We are very impressed with HostMonster's uptime and response time.


Who is the winner in terms of performance? Its HostMonster

HostGator vs HostMonster: Hosting Plans and Pricing Comparison

HostGator and HostMonster both offer multiple web hosting services. But most users start their blogging and website journey with shared web hosting.

So let us now discuss the shared web hosting prices and plans of both.

HostGator's Shared Web Hosting Plans and Pricing

HostGator offers 3 different offers under its shared web hosting, which are as follows:
HostGator's Shared Web Hosting Plans and Pricing
1) Hatchling Plan: This is the entry-level plan from HostGator, which is a great option for starting a blog or website. Its price starts from $2.75 per month.

With the Hatchling Plan, you get (features)
  • 1 Website Installation
  • Free Domain Name
  • Unmetered Bandwidth
  • 10 GB of Disk Space
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Free Unlimited Emails
  • Free Website Builder
  • One-Click WordPress Installation
  • Unlimited Subdomains
  • Unlimited FTP Accounts
  • And more

2) Baby Plan: If you want to invest in HostGator's most popular and best-selling shared hosting plan, then go with the Baby plan. 
Its price starts from $3.50 per month.

With the Baby Plan, you get (features)
  • Similar features to the Hatchling 9lan
  • Up to 5 Website Installation
  • Unlimited Addon/Parked Domains
  • 40 GB Disk Space
  • Free Marketing Credits worth $600
  • And more

3) Business Plan: If you are looking for a premium shared web hosting plan on HostGator, go with the Business plan. Its price starts from $5.25 per month.

With the Business Plan, you get (features)
  • Similar features to the Baby Plan
  • Free Upgrade to Positive SSL
  • Free Dedicated IP
  • Free SEO Tools
  • Unlimited Websites Installations
  • Free Cloudflare CDN
  • Free Professional Site Migration Services
  • And more

What other hosting services does HostGator provide?
  • WordPress Hosting - starts from $5.95/mo
  • Windows Hosting - starts from $4.76/mo
  • VPS Hosting - starts from $23.95/mo
  • Cloud Hosting - starts from $4.95/mo
  • Dedicated Hosting - starts from $89.98/mo
  • Reseller Hosting - starts from $19.95/mo


HostMonster Shared Web Hosting Plans and Pricing

HostMonster offers 4 different offers under its shared web hosting plan, which are as follows:
HostMonster Shared Web Hosting Plans and Pricing

1) Basic Plan: The Basic plan is perfect for users who want to get started with HostMonster. This is the cheapest plan from HostMonster starting at just $4.95 per month.

With the Basic Plan, you get (features)
  • You can host only 1 website
  • 10 GB Website Storage
  • Unmetered Bandwidth
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • 1 Free Domain
  • 5 Parked Domains
  • 25 Subdomains
  • 5 Email Accounts
  • 100 MB Email Storage Per Account
  • And more

2) Plus Plan: If you want to install unlimited websites or want to get marketing credits for free, go with the Plus plan. Its price starts from $6.95 per month.

With the Plus Plan, you get (features)
  • Similar features to the Basic plan
  • You can host Unlimited Websites
  • 20 GB Storage
  • Unlimited Parked Domains
  • Unlimited Sub Domains
  • Unlimited Email Accounts
  • Unlimited Email Storage
  • $200 Marketing Credits
  • Over $24/yr In Extras
  • 1 SpamExperts (Spam Prevention)
  • And more

3) Choice Plus Plan: For users who want to go with the Plus plan, it is better to opt for the Choice Plus plan, as both plans cost the same.

The Choice Plus plan also starts at $6.95 per month. Here you are given multiple premium facilities.

With the Choice Plus Plan, you get (features)
  • Similar features to the Plus Plan
  • 40 GB Storage
  • Over $80/yr In Extras
  • 1 Domain Privacy + Protection
  • CodeGuard Basic (Backup Protection)
  • And more

4) Go Pro Plan: If you want to go with HostMonster's most premium and advanced shared hosting plan, then the Go Pro plan is the best option.

The Go Pro plan also starts at $14.95 per month. Here you are a high-performance server.

With the Go Pro Plan, you get (features)
  • Similar features to the Choice Plus plan
  • Dedicated IP
  • Comodo Positive SSL Bundle
  • Site Backup
  • And more

What other hosting services does HostMonster provide?
  • VPS Hosting - starts at $19.99/mo
  • Dedicated Hosting - starts at $79.99/mo


Pros and Cons of HostMonster vs HostGator

So let us now discuss the benefits and drawbacks of HostGator vs HostMonster and find out which one is better.

Pros of HostGator (Good)

  • Here you are also offered monthly hosting plans. HostGator is a good option for users who want to go with a monthly payment plan option.
  • HostGator offers an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, which means you can get hosting credits if it goes below 99.9%.
  • HostGator offers a 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Here you are offered marketing credits worth $600 absolutely free to promote your blog, website, and eCommerce store.
  • HostGator offers free website migration and domain transfer. If you want to switch your website from your existing hosting to HostGator, then you have to avail of it within 30 days of purchasing the plan on HostGator.
  • HostGator offers a free domain name for the first year with its hosting plans
  • Here you can take advantage of resources like unlimited websites, unmetered bandwidth, and unlimited email accounts
  • HostGator's shared hosting plans are much more affordable than HostMonster

Cons of HostGator (Bad)

  • Of course, HostGator offers monthly hosting plans, but they are quite expensive.
  • A backup facility is not offered here on shared hosting plans. If you want a backup facility then you have to pay extra.
  • Customer support is not satisfactory


Pros of HostMonster (Good)

  • HostMonster offers an uptime guarantee of 99.9%. There is little chance of downtime here
  • If you are not satisfied with HostMonster's services, you can cancel the plan and get a refund within 30 days as a 30-day money-back guarantee is offered here.
  • HostMonster offers much better website performance than HostGator, as you are offered faster loading speeds
  • Here also you are given marketing offers of $ 200 for free. $100 Google Ads credit and $100 Bing Ads credit
  • HostMonster offers 1 domain name for free for the first year with all their hosting plans
  • HostMonster offers backup protection and domain privacy absolutely free with the Choice Plus plan
  • It offers a one WordPress website transfer facility for free. But here also you have to avail it within 30 days of purchasing the plan.
  • On HostMonster you can take advantage of resources like unlimited websites, unmetered bandwidth, unlimited parked domains, unlimited subdomains, unlimited email storage, and unlimited email accounts (except the basic plan)

Cons of HostMonster (Bad)

  • Customer Support is not so impressive
  • No monthly hosting plans are offered here
  • Shared Web Hosting plans are a bit expensive


Final Verdict on HostMonster vs HostGator

So far in this article, we have known everything about HostGator and HostMonster in detail.

If you are still thinking of going with either of these two, then let us tell you that if you are a beginner then you should definitely go with HostGator.

Because at HostGator you will get hosting plans at affordable prices. Plus HostGator is much more reliable than HostMonster.

Although both are average in terms of customer support. HostMonster is a good option if you are looking for better performance.

So what do you think about HostMonster vs HostGator, do let us know by commenting in the comment box below

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