If you’re considering Hostgator, you may want to reconsider.
Or maybe you’re already a Hostgator customer that is unhappy. That was my case. I found their support horrible, and their website speed incredibly slow to comparable hosting providers.
Check out this video. I actually tested my website on Hostgator against 2 other hosts. You can see just how slow Hostgator was. In this video are A2 Hosting, and Cloudways. So what alternative host should you go with?
My 2 favorites are A2 Hosting, and Cloudways (my pick). Both provide better support, faster speeds and are price competitive with Hostgator! (Related: Hostgator vs A2 Hosting vs Cloudways (Live Site, Speed Test))
While those are my 2 favorites, there are some other options that are worth a mention and may work better for your use.
Our Picks Hostgator Alternatives for WordPress Sites
Here’s the list of seven of the best Hostgator alternatives for WordPress sites. All of these options provide faster speeds and better service than we have experienced with Hostgator! In addition if you are looking for a great low cost service to keep your WordPress site maintained, make changes, and fix it if there is ever a problem, we also have a list of recommended service providers for WordPress management.
1. Cloudways
Cloudways makes multiple hosting companies including Vultr HF, Digital Ocean, and Amazon Web available in one easy to use managed platform. Vultr HF is commonly regarded as the fastest and is available from $13 per month. Even their lowest priced option which is Digital Ocean is super fast.
For WordPress users, Cloudways offers a free migration service to their platform, so you can effortless get your sites running on the faster platform. And what’s really cool is that you can create a staging site with just the click of a button so you that you can make changes (and fuck things up) without impacting your live site.
Incredibly simple. For someone that likes websites to ‘just work’ so they can focus on running their businesses or producing content, Cloudways has it nailed.
Great Support. Have you ever had to contact tech support for hosting and been met with someone that is seemingly clueless and dumbfounded? It’s painful and frustrating. It makes me want to pull my hair out. That is not the case with Cloudways! Every time I initiate the chat support I have gotten someone that is competent and understands the solution and usually gets me fixed within minutes. Quite frankly, Cloudways sets a high benchmark for support in the hosting world!
2. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting was the direct comparison to Hostgator in my testing video in which we are testing the A2 hosting shared server. As you may have noticed, it was nearly as fast as the VPS hosting of Vultr HF on Cloudways. Impressive. On top of the raw server speed, A2 offers a number of features that are specifically designed to improve the performance of WordPress sites. For example, A2 Hosting’s Turbo Servers can provide up to 20X faster performance than a traditional web hosting provider, and their A2 Optimized Plugin comes pre-configured with the best speed and security settings.
In addition, A2 Hosting offers a free SSL Certificate to keep your site secure, as well as global servers to ensure your site is hosted close to your visitors. And for those who want to add additional functionality to their WordPress site, A2 Hosting also offers bbPress and WooCommerce integration.
Key features:
- Turbo Servers for up to 20x faster performance
- A2 Optimized Plugin for speed and security
- Free SSL Certificate
- Global servers
- bbPress and WooCommerce integration
Pricing:
A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress hosting plans start at $2.99/month.
3. WP Engine
When it comes to choosing a reliable web host for your WordPress site, you want to make sure you’re getting the best possible service. WP Engine is a great option for those looking for an alternative to Hostgator. With features like 24/7 chat and phone support, 10 premium themes, and free automated migration plugin, you can be sure your website is in good hands.
In addition, WP Engine offers daily and on-demand backups, free SSL and SSH, and dev, stage, and prod environments. One-click staging makes it easy to keep your website up-to-date, while faster site speed with website caching helps improve your user experience.
Also, with threat blocking and security, site content in the cloud (CDN), and transferable sites for easy client handoff, you can rest assured that your website is safe and secure. So if you’re looking for the best Hostgator alternative for WordPress websites, be sure to check out WP Engine.
WP Engine is best for… WP Engines really focuses on providing a ‘hands off’ hosting experience for WordPress users. I recommend WP Engine for small business owners, that don’t want to worry about sorting out their website tech on their own and instead want to be able to rely on their hosting provider. Naturally, you do pay a premium for this service!
Key features:
- 24/7 chat and phone support
- 10 premium themes
- Free automated migration plugin
- Daily and on-demand backups
- Free SSL and SSH
- Dev, stage, and prod environments
- One-click staging
- Faster site speed with website caching
Pricing:
The entry-level Personal plan starts at $24 per month and supports one WordPress site.
4. SiteGround
If you’re looking for a great alternative to Hostgator for your WordPress website, then you should definitely check out SiteGround. They offer unlimited websites, 40 GB of web space, and 400,000 visits per month, plus unmetered traffic and free WP installation built upon Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
And if you need to migrate your WordPress site, they offer a free WP migrator. Plus, they keep your WordPress site up-to-date with the latest auto-updates. And for security, they offer free SSL and daily backups.
And if that’s not enough, they also offer a free CDN, free email, and enhanced security. For eCommerce sites, they offer WP-CLI and SSH for manageability. And if you need help, they offer priority support.
Key features:
- Free WordPress installation
- Free WordPress migration
- Free SSL certificate
- Daily backups
- Free CDN
- Money back guarantee
- Enhanced security features
Pricing:
SiteGround’s shared hosting plans start at $3.99 per month.
5. InMotion Hosting
With unlimited websites, unlimited NVMe SSD storage, and 40x WP performance, it has everything you need to ensure your website runs smoothly. Plus, it comes with free lifetime SSL and unlimited bandwidth, so you don’t have to worry about going over your limit.
And if you ever have any problems, their pro-level support is always there to help. In addition, InMotion Hosting offers a dedicated IP and a security suite to keep your website safe from hackers.
Key features:
- Unlimited websites
- Unlimited SSD storage
- 40x WP performance
- Free SSL certificates for lifetime
- Unlimited bandwidth
- Dedicated IP
- Security suite
Pricing:
- Shared hosting plans start at $2.99/month
- Managed hosting plans start at $11.99/month
6. Bluehost
While Hostgator may be a widely known web hosting service, Bluehost is one of the great popular web hosting providers, especially for WordPress websites. One of the best features of Bluehost is that it allows you to host an unlimited number of websites- perfect for businesses with multiple sites or those who plan on expanding in the future.
In addition, Bluehost includes 300+ design templates and blog post management in their hosting plans. Plus, their image library allows for unlimited uploads. And if that wasn’t enough, they also offer free SSL and a free domain for the first year.
For those who need even more features, they also offer 30+ additional premium design templates, domain privacy, online appointment booking, and much more. Moreover, with Codeguard Backup Basic included in all plans, you can rest assured knowing your website is backed up.
Key features:
- Unlimited hosting for an unlimited number of websites
- 300+ design templates and blog post management
- Free SSL and a free domain registration for the first year
- Codeguard Backup Basic is included in all plans
Pricing:
- Shared Starter: $14.95/month
- Shared Plus: $19.95/month
- Shared Choice Plus: $49.95/month
7. DreamHost
If you’re looking for a top-notch Hostgator alternative for your WordPress website, look no further than DreamHost. With 8 GB of RAM, 240 GB of SSD storage, and unlimited traffic, DreamHost has everything you need to keep your own site running smoothly.
In addition, their managed service means you’ll enjoy friendly, expert support from their world-class Technical Support and Operations teams. And if you ever encounter any issues, their unlimited 24/7 support is always on standby to help. Best of all, their VPS control panel is straightforward and easy to use.
Key features:
- 8 GB of RAM
- 240 GB of SSD storage
- Unlimited traffic
- Managed service
- 24/7 support
Pricing:
The basic plan starts at $4.95/month, and the VPS service starts at $15/month.
Final Thoughts
In my experience, Hostgator is not great for hosting websites. These are just a few of the best Hostgator web hosting companies for WordPress websites. When choosing a web host, be sure to consider your specific needs and requirements. With so many great options available, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your website.