Choosing a Web Hosting Service for 2020: HostGator vs GoDaddy

Are you looking to build your very first website? Or perhaps planning to create a new one?

Before you can start the ball rolling, you need to familiarize yourself with the essentials.

Web hosting is one of them.

A web host is in charge of sending your files to your website's visitors whenever the latter type your domain name. A web host is like a bridge for your files to arrive on the screens of your target market.

Two of the most popular web hosting companies are HostGator and GoDaddy.

Both are great, but which ones win the HostGator vs GoDaddy debate?

There a number of things you need to consider before making a choice. If you want to know more about how these two companies matchup against each other, check out the comprehensive comparisons we prepared below.

HostGator vs GoDaddy and the Impact of Web Hosting

Let us first try to understand the impact and importance of web hosting. A recent research report projected the web hosting services market to grow to $154 billion come 2022.

The rapid growth of the market is a result of the different challenges. These challenges affect the security of websites and web pages. Web hosting scalability is another key factor for the market's growth.

As businesses look to grow and expand, web hosting scalability is crucial for a smoother transition.

Web hosting services enable their clients to create databases. Companies engaging in online marketing rely on their databases to push their products and services.

Another way web hosting is helping online entrepreneurs is through the so-called “shopping carts.” This allows customers to purchase the items they want with just a few clicks from their laptops or mobile devices.

Interestingly, the research report noted GoDaddy as one of the key players in the web hosting industry. On the other hand, HostGator boasts of a control panel that is more user-friendly.

Company Overview

Established in 1997 as Jomax Technologies, GoDaddy caters to individuals, small businesses, and web design professionals. It recorded over 17 million registered clients back in 2017. Globally, it has over 6,000 employees.

In 2013, it became the world's largest registrar that comes with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers or ICANN. It bagged numerous awards since 2010, including six straight Stevie Awards for Exceptional Customer Service.

Its current global headquarters is in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Meanwhile, HostGator is a Houston-based company that specializes in dedicated web hosting.

Established in 2002, the company hosts over 1.3 million websites globally. Like GoDaddy, HostGator also has numerous awards under its belt. Groups like HostingAdvice, PCMag.com, and WPBeginner recognized the company for its web hosting excellence.

Performance Comparison

Now let's take a look at the two when it comes to their performance. Let's try to break down some of the key factors that affect your general experience as a web hosting client:

1. Speed

If you want your website to enjoy higher rankings in top search engines, your site speed is very important. This refers to the time it takes for your website to completely load. A website that loads fast tends to generate more traffic.

Since a fast website attracts more viewers, it means more chances of converting them into subscribers.

In a GoDaddy vs HostGator debate, some testers run the two companies' loading times in two categories: cheap hosting and dedicated hosting.

GoDaddy offers an industry-leading loading time. A good number of testers ruled that GoDaddy offered a faster loading time when it comes to cheap hosting.

When it comes to dedicated hosting, HostGator can go head-to-head with GoDaddy in terms of speed. HostGator consistently keeps up with the industry standard uptime rate of 99.9%.

2. Time to First Byte Test

The time to first byte or TTB test measures the minimum amount of time required before the first byte of data comes in from the server. Every time a user performs a web request, the server gets the data from the web host. The test aims to check how fast the servers are through the very first byte comes in.

According to testers, GoDaddy responded faster compared to HostGator. The users coming from Singapore received the very first byte in 0.361 seconds. In Dallas, Texas, the first byte arrived in 0.427 seconds.

On the flipside, testers using HostGator received the first byte from Dallas took 0.8351 seconds. The result if the TTFB test clearly favored GoDaddy.

It's a close call when it comes to the overall speed battle, but we can give a slight edge to GoDaddy.

3. The Control Panel

HostGator utilizes the cPanel for its control panel. The cPanel is one of the simplest control panels available. It is an easy favorite among website owners because of its user-friendly interface.

On the other hand, GoDaddy offers the cPanel, as well as its very own customized control panel. Testers noted that the customized control panel looks different from the cPanel. This sometimes put off users who are already familiar with the widely-used cPanel.

The customized panel also lacks a number of add-ons and features that the cPanel offers. One good example is the Fantastico script installer that comes with the cPanel. This installer lets users install other programs faster.

HostGator gets the nod when it comes to the control panel battle.

Deals and Features

As for the deals and key features, The HostGator vs GoDaddy matchup goes a notch higher. Let's dive into the cheap hosting comparison first. HostGator offers unlimited disk space with a new domain name. You may also transfer an existing domain name.

The HostGator packages also come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.

On the other hand, GoDaddy offers unlimited disk space starting at 100GB. The domain name comes in free with annual plans. The money-back guarantee is a bit short though, at 30 days compared to what HostGator offers.

Moving on to the dedicated hosting comparison, HostGator offers 500GB disk space that can go up to as much as 1TB Raid. The domain name comes in free for one year but they waive the money-back guarantee.

They use Linux or Windows servers and offer unlimited MySQL databases.

HostGator also features SSH access and support to cater to different languages.

As for GoDaddy, they offer disk space from 512 GB to 2 TB. The domain name comes in free with annual plans while the 30-day money-back guarantee remains in place.

They use “Ready NOW” dedicated resources, as well as data protection through RAID 1 disk mirroring. They also offer complete administrative control via Root access. Additionally, it comes with disaster recovery features.

Both GoDaddy and HostGator acquire their clients' IP addresses from the ICANN. The ICANN serves as the default controllers of most domain names online.

Customer Support

Sure, customer support may not be a deal-breaker for some website owners. But when unforeseen issues arise, superior customer support becomes critical. Both HostGator and GoDaddy provide 24/7 support for their customers.

The difference, however, lies in the ways they extend their assistance.

HostGator employs over 800 people to handle customer queries and concerns. They use an effective ticketing system to manage the flow of customer concerns. They have a ticketing system that allows them to respond within an hour after clients contact them.

If you prefer explaining your issues via email, they have agents who will respond to your concerns.

If you prefer talking to someone over the phone, they have agents who are ready to respond with answers. They also have live chat support with a wait time of between 1 to 2 minutes.

GoDaddy, on the other hand, also has their own ticketing system and live chat service. They also take customer concerns via telephone. Interestingly, they have customer support representatives capable of talking to clients in the latter's local regional language.

Observers noted, however, that GoDaddy's live chat feature is only limited to certain countries.

But overall, customer support is something that these two web hosting companies can boast of.

Pricing (GoDaddy)

At the end of the day, GoDaddy and HostGator pricing will be one of your key considerations. Let's first take a look at the GoDaddy hosting cost. The company offers three plans: Economy, Deluxe, and Ultimate.

The Economy plan can go as low as $4.99 per month, depending on the seasonal sale they offer. It comes with 100 GB of limited disk space. It also features 100 email addresses you can use for your domain.

The Economy plan works perfectly for people who are building a basic website.

If you are aiming for multiple sites, the Deluxe plan is a great option. The plan can go for as low as $5.99 a month. It features unlimited disk space plus 500 email addresses.

Meanwhile, the Ultimate plan caters to clients are looking to generate heavy traffic. It is also a wise choice if you want to build complex websites. Like the Deluxe plan, it offers unlimited disk space.

One major difference is the unlimited number of email addresses. It also gives you 2X processing power and memory with Premium DNS. It also comes with a 1 year SSL certificate to help increase search engine rankings and protect customer data.

All three packages come with a free business email for the first year of subscription.

Pricing (HostGator)

Shifting over to HostGator, the company also offers three plans. They have the Hatchling plan, the Baby plan, and the Business plan.

The Hatchling plan starts at $3.45 per month and offers only one domain. It features one-click installs and unmetered bandwidth. Like the Deluxe plan of GoDaddy, the Hatchling comes with unlimited disk space.

Moving to the Baby plan, it features unlimited domains for as low as $4.95 a month. It showcases one-click installs, as well as unlimited bandwidth.

Lastly, the Business plan, which starts at $5.95 per month. It comes with all the features as the Baby plan and other key features. It offers private SSL and IP, as well as free VolP phone service.

The Verdict

Considering the points we discussed above, the GoDaddy vs HostGator debate will likely continue. Both companies excel in almost the same areas. Pricing, however, is the main difference.

But if you look at their respective packages, your choice will still depend on your needs and requirements. Customer service for both companies is remarkable, so you will not go wrong if you pick either of the two.

As for the speed, GoDaddy gets the slight edge. Despite this, HostGator makes up for it through the cheaper plans.

At the end of the day, you can make up for the weaknesses of either company. You can put more focus on other aspects like local SEO.

If you are someone who prioritizes speed above anything else, then GoDaddy is a good choice. If you are someone who is budget-conscious and wants value for money, going for HostGator is not a bad choice either.

GoDaddy makes a stand for those launching bigger businesses that focus on thousands of retail transactions. HostGator is better for smaller businesses that focus on local services since speed is not a priority.

What matters is that these two companies are reliable web hosting service providers. They boast of solid track records especially when it comes to providing customer support. They both offer options and packages for different types of clients.

Just go for the one that will best suit your needs and your current budget.

Learn More About Web Marketing, Today!

Web marketing is a dynamic industry that continues to grow by the day. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, you need to continue learning. There are several resources on web marketing that you can find online.

The main concern is to ensure that the resources come from trusted and knowledgeable professionals.

If this HostGator vs GoDaddy comparison helped you, we encourage you to check out our other guides. We provide tool guides to help you maximize your websites. We also assist startup companies that are looking to establish their online presence.

We also encourage you to send in your questions by filling out our online contact form. Let's discuss what you need and let us help you grow your business, today!