Overview
HostGator has been in the shared hosting category since the mid-2000s and leans on a familiar cPanel-based setup. Plans are marketed with unmetered storage and bandwidth, which in practice means very high soft limits rather than truly unlimited resources — fine for the large majority of small sites.
Performance
Uptime has tracked in line with other established shared hosts in this bracket over our test period. Load times on the entry tier were average for the category; a step up to a higher tier or their Turbo Boost add-on narrows the gap with A2's Turbo plans.
Plans and features
| Starting price | $2.75/mo |
| Renewal price | $8–11/mo |
| Free domain | Yes, year 1 |
| Storage | Unmetered on most tiers |
| Control panel | cPanel |
| Money-back window | 45 days |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Longer-than-average 45-day money-back window
- Unmetered storage and bandwidth on most plans
- Well-established, familiar cPanel setup
Cons
- Renewal pricing rises notably after the intro term
- Entry-tier speed is average, not standout
- Upsells appear during checkout
Our verdict
HostGator is a reasonable middle-of-the-road choice, particularly if the longer refund window matters to you while you're deciding. For a lower total cost with a similarly easy setup, Hostinger is the stronger pick.