HostMonster vs HostGator
A detailed comparison to help you choose between HostMonster and HostGator.
Quick Verdict
2.5/5
HostMonster
0 reviews
3.2/5
HostGator
0 reviews
HostGator is rated higher (3.2 vs 2.5). HostMonster no longer sells hosting; hostmonster.com is a transition page into Bluehost. Existing accounts keep their servers and terms but log in at Bluehost. Founded 1996 in Provo, Utah. HostGator is one of the largest US web hosts, operating since 2002. Shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting with 99.9% uptime guarantee and 24/7 support via chat and phone. Part of Newfold Digital.
HostMonster Legacy brand merged into Bluehost — no longer sold independently | HostGator Web hosting from $2.75/month — established since 2002 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 2.5 (0 reviews) | 3.2 (0 reviews)✓ |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | Free tier available | From $3.75/mo |
| Best for | Existing HostMonster account holders deciding whether to stay through the Bluehost transition; not a viable choice for new signups | US small businesses and beginners who want a well-known host with 24/7 phone support, cPanel, and a free first-year domain |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | — |
| RAM | — | — |
| Storage | — | 10 GB |
| Bandwidth | — | — |
| SLA uptime | — | 99.9% |
| Data-center count | — | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ||
| Automated backups | ||
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | Provo, Utah, US | Provo UT, Atlanta GA, Houston TX (US only) |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | us datacenter | us datacenterwindows available |
| Visit HostMonster → | Visit HostGator → | |
HostMonster
Pros
- + Existing accounts are untouched: same servers, renewal dates, and billing cycles through the Bluehost transition
- + Long track record — the brand dates to 1996 in Provo, Utah
- + Classic budget feature set for legacy plans: cPanel, one-click WordPress, free domain and SSL
- + Backed by Newfold/Bluehost infrastructure and 24/7 support apparatus
Cons
- - No longer purchasable — hostmonster.com is a transition page into Bluehost
- - Consolidation risk: support, roadmap, and pricing decisions move to a portfolio owner
- - Legacy criticisms stand: renewal pricing above intro rates and bounded 'unlimited' claims
- - No published HostMonster SLA or spec sheets to verify claims today
- - New development and AI tooling land on Bluehost's product, not this brand
HostGator
Pros
- + 24/7 support by phone and chat — rare at this price tier
- + Public status page with rolling uptime stats and full incident history
- + Official help center publishes regular renewal rates, not just promo prices
- + Established since 2002 with two decades of shared-hosting operations
- + Free first-year domain and free SSL on 12-month-plus plans
Cons
- - Renewal cliff: Hatchling renews at $10.99/mo after a $3.75/mo first term (+193%)
- - No included backups — CodeGuard is a paid add-on; dedicated plans get no weekly backups
- - US-only data centers with no customer choice of location
- - Shared plans capped at 25% of server resources despite unmetered bandwidth advertising
- - Newfold Digital ownership: add-on-heavy checkout and support quality that varies at scale
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