HostGator
Shared and WordPress hosting with malware scanning and a free domain
HostGator report card
Weak · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for budget WordPress hosting with staging included
HostGator is classic budget shared hosting, with WordPress staging and managed updates on every shared plan and a first-year domain. We couldn't read its prices, as its pages answered our reader with a bot check. Email is a trial that bills once the first cycle ends, and malware removal waits for Baby and up.
Who HostGator is for
- Great if you want staging and managed WordPress updates on a budget plan
- Handy when you might move up to VPS or dedicated hosting without changing host
Who HostGator is not for
- Not for you if you want email at your domain included, as it's a trial that then bills
- Tight if you're on Hatchling and want malware removed for you, as that starts on Baby
- Pricey if you cancel, since a fee is charged to keep the free domain
Why HostGator gets a 1.6
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo price on record: HostGator's pages answered our reader with a bot check and fill their prices in by script, so no two-year figure can be worked out. With nothing to compare, it sits at C. Discounts cover the first invoice only.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan and no trial. The 30-day money-back guarantee leaves out monthly terms, renewals and domain fees, and it isn't a trial anyway.
- CFeaturesManaged WordPress updates, staging, a migration tool, Yoast SEO, malware scanning and a first-year domain. The gaps the listing names: AI malware removal starts on Baby, and email at your domain is a trial that renews at the regular rate.
- CEase of useNo app store rating to go on. Staging and managed updates help, but you're still setting up a domain, email and the site yourself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsA web dashboard only. The named integrations are WordPress, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO and Google Workspace, and no API is on record.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from HostGator's own pages on 17 October 2026. Its web hosting page answered our reader with a bot check when we checked it again that day. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make HostGator? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/hostgator#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/hostgator.svg" alt="HostGator: 1.6 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where HostGator stands among web hosts
HostGator's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 3.
It stands best on value for money (C, above 1 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. HostGator’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 21, level with 9
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 21, level with 18
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 21, level with 10
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21, level with 21
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 21, level with 11
Keep HostGator, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace HostGator you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 18 of the 21 other web hosts grade higher.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you.
What this rests on. HostGator’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is HostGator?
HostGator sells shared web hosting in Hatchling, Baby, Business and Pro plans, plus WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting. Shared plans include a first-year domain, a free SSL certificate, malware scanning, WordPress staging and managed updates, and its website builder now runs on Bluehost's.
HostGator's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site. See every plan
Good for
- Small business and personal sites starting on shared hosting
- WordPress owners who want staging and managed updates on a budget plan
Worth knowing
- HostGator's pages answered our readers with a bot check, and the plan cards fill in their prices by script, so its prices are not listed here.
- Discounts apply to the first invoice only, and plans renew automatically at the regular rate shown in the control panel.
- The 30-day money-back guarantee excludes renewals, monthly-term services, domain fees and add-ons, and a fee is charged to keep a free domain if you cancel.
- Email at your domain is a Professional Email free trial that renews automatically at the regular rate once the first billing cycle ends.
Key features
- Malware scanning and removal
- Every shared plan scans for malware, and the Baby, Business and Pro plans add AI-powered malware detection and removal, alongside a firewall and DDoS protection.
- WordPress tools
- Shared plans include managed WordPress updates, a staging site for testing changes, a free site migration tool and the Yoast SEO plugin.
- Domain and SSL
- Plans include a domain free for the first year and a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. Business and Pro add a year of domain privacy.
- Creative Mail email marketing
- Plans come with Creative Mail for sending email campaigns from WordPress, and a free trial of Professional Email at your domain.
- Room to move up
- WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting are sold alongside the shared plans, so a growing site can change plans without changing host.
HostGator pricing
We could not confirm HostGator’s current pricing from its own site, so we are not listing plans here. See hostgator.com for current prices.
Works with
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Yoast SEO
- Google Workspace
HostGator alternatives
- HostGator vs Hostinger
From $10.99/mo
- HostGator vs Namecheap
Free trial · from $5.88/mo
- HostGator vs DreamHost
From $7.99/mo
- HostGator vs IONOS
From $8/mo
Common questions
Is HostGator free?
No. HostGator is a paid product.
What platforms does HostGator work on?
HostGator is available on Web.
Does HostGator have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. HostGator is listed for Web.
Does HostGator have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. HostGator is listed for Web.
Is HostGator open source?
HostGator is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
What does HostGator integrate with?
HostGator's listing names WordPress, WooCommerce, Yoast SEO and Google Workspace. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes HostGator?
HostGator is made by HostGator.com LLC.
What are the alternatives to HostGator?
The closest alternatives to HostGator in our directory are Bluehost, Hostinger, Namecheap, DreamHost and IONOS. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with HostGator.
How does HostGator compare with other web hosts?
HostGator's GPA of 1.6 is higher than 0 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 3. It stands best on value for money (C, above 1 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Could I make my own version of HostGator?
To replace HostGator you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 18 of the 21 other web hosts grade higher. What you could not make: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. Servers kept running, patched and backed up for you. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026.