HostGator is known for their unlimited web hosting and 24/7 tech support. They were founded in 2002 and now host over 9 million websites. Their data centers are located in Provo, Utah.
I have purchased a hosting plan on HostGator and set up a typical web site. I use that example website to run these tests. Learn more about how I test.
Here is the plan information I chose:
| Plan Name | Hatchling |
|---|---|
| Cost | $8.95/month |
| Disk Space | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% |
| Money Back Guarantee | 45 days |
| Notes | Site was ready within minutes after I purchased. |
On this page: Uptime | Speed | Support | Alternatives
Contents
Uptime Test
I use Pingdom to report website uptime. Pingdom is configured to make an HTTP request to the host every minute, and report if it is unreachable. It'll also report an error if the host takes longer than 30 seconds to respond (Yes, that's not actually down, but if your site takes that long to respond it is unusable in my opinion). Pingdom performs this test from at least 3 servers worldwide, and reports a problem if 2/3 servers do no respond.
This test is important if you are concerned about the reliability of your web host (this is important!)
HostGator Uptime Test Results
HostGator performs above average in the Uptime Test, with an average result of 99.97 percent. It's best result was 100.000 % but it has been as bad as 97.000 %. HostGator most recent result on Mar 16 was 100.000 %. Back in 2013 HostGator had several outages that lasted days. While I wasn't recording detailed stats at the time, I can vouch that it was a miserable experience. Many blame the lack of reliability on their new data center, which they made everyone move to after they were bought out by EIG. To be honest, HostGator's downhill performance was the reason I created this site (I was too annoyed by them to let them get away with it).
Let’s see if HostGator is consistent in its uptime stats:
Recent Raw Results for HostGator
| Date | Uptime | Downtime | Outages | Avg Response Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 758 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 774 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 843 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 864 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 827 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 801 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 741 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 743 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 760 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 817 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 773 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 852 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 996 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 972 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 886 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 878 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 920 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 904 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 905 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 758 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 720 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 852 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 856 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 902 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1098 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1447 ms | |
| 99.000% | 2 mins | 1 | 3607 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1826 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1402 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1109 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1032 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 958 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 832 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 856 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1050 ms | |
| 0.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 0 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 786 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 765 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 815 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 865 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 933 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 765 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1017 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 809 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 791 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 827 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 767 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 834 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 727 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 745 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 787 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1031 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 985 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 1010 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 934 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 978 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 961 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 777 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 798 ms | |
| 100.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 856 ms |
Page Speed Test
This test is performed by submitting a typical web page served on the host to WebPageTest and recording how long it takes to load. This test web page is 56 KB of HTML, 287 KB of JavaScript, 51 KB of CSS, and 1,128 KB of images (these are typical according to the HTTP Archive). WebPageTest (a 3rd-party, vendor-neutral organization) uses servers located in Virgina and California to measure the page load waterfall in the latest version of Chrome, on a very fast internet connection. The test is ran 5 times each, and the middle (median) result is what is counted from each location. Then the east coast and west coast times are averaged, which should eliminate any bias due to server location. We're interested in first page load, not the repeat/cached view.
If you're really interested, I use the 'Load Time' measurement that's returned from WebPageTest for ranking page speed. I still collect other metrics such as TTFB
(time to first byte), fully loaded time, and the speed index, in addition to server setting scores which are translated to grades. You can see these detailed values in the "Raw Results."
This test is important if your site resembles a typical website and you're concerned about speed (which you should be!)
In September 2014 I updated this test to be more accurate, and you'll notice page speeds were a bit higher before then. The test used to be run only 3 times from one location using a simulated cable internet connection on Internet Explorer 11. The new method provides much more consistent results.
HostGator Page Speed Test Results
HostGator performs above average in the Speed Test, with an average result of 2.7 seconds. It's best result was 2.00 s but it has been as bad as 15.02 s. HostGator most recent result on Jan 4 was 2.00 s. Back in the day HostGator used to share a datacenter with SoftLayer - and they were lightning fast. Now that they made everyone transition to their own datacenter (after the EIG buyout), page speed has been worse, although not as bad as some other hosts here.
Let’s see if HostGator is consistent in its page speed stats:
Recent Raw Results for HostGator
| Date | Location | Load time | TTFB | Fully loaded | Speed index | Keep-alive Score | Compress Score | Caching Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.3 | 0.0s | 0.3s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.3 | 0.0s | 0.3s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 0.2 | 0.0s | 0.2s | 0.0s | F | F | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 6.7 | 0.7s | 6.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 6.7 | 0.7s | 6.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 41.3 | 0.8s | 41.5s | 1.4s | A | A | F | ||
| 41.3 | 0.8s | 41.5s | 1.4s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.7s | 2.9s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.6s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.7s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.8 | 0.7s | 2.9s | 1.1s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.5s | 2.8s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.6 | 0.5s | 2.7s | 1.0s | A | A | F | ||
| 2.7 | 0.6s | 2.8s | 1.1s | A | A | F |
Does HostGator Suck?
Some people may think HostGator sucks. Here are some real benchmarks to show you HostGator‘s speed, reliability, and support – so you can see if they really do suck.
Is HostGator slow?
This test measures the total time it takes to load a standard web page. Lower is better. Learn more about the Page Speed Test.
HostGator performs great in the Speed Test, with an average result of 2.7 seconds. It's best result was 2.00 s but it has been as bad as 15.02 s. HostGator most recent result on Jan 4 was 2.00 s. Back in the day HostGator used to share a datacenter with SoftLayer - and they were lightning fast. Now that they made everyone transition to their own datacenter (after the EIG buyout), page speed has been worse, although not as bad as some other hosts here.
Let’s take a look at some of the times that HostGator had some poor page speed performance:
| Date | Location | Load time | TTFB | Fully loaded | Speed index | Keep-alive Score | Compress Score | Caching Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6.7 | 0.7s | 6.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 6.7 | 0.7s | 6.8s | 1.2s | A | A | F | ||
| 41.3 | 0.8s | 41.5s | 1.4s | A | A | F | ||
| 41.3 | 0.8s | 41.5s | 1.4s | A | A | F |
Is HostGator unreliable?
This test is performed by measuring the % uptime of a host. Higher is better. Learn more about the Uptime Test.
HostGator performs above average in the Uptime Test, with an average result of 99.97 percent. It's best result was 100.000 % but it has been as bad as 97.000 %. HostGator most recent result on Mar 16 was 100.000 %. Back in 2013 HostGator had several outages that lasted days. While I wasn't recording detailed stats at the time, I can vouch that it was a miserable experience. Many blame the lack of reliability on their new data center, which they made everyone move to after they were bought out by EIG. To be honest, HostGator's downhill performance was the reason I created this site (I was too annoyed by them to let them get away with it).
Let’s take a look at some of the times that HostGator had some poor uptime performance
| Date | Uptime | Downtime | Outages | Avg Response Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 99.000% | 2 mins | 1 | 3607 ms | |
| 0.000% | 0 mins | 0 | 0 ms |
Does HostGator have poor customer service?
This test measures how quickly the host’s support team responds to your request. Lower is better. Learn more about the Support Response Test.
HostGator performs under par in the Support Response Time Test, with an average result of 53.4 hours. It's best result was 0.30 h but it has been as bad as 168.00 h. HostGator most recent result on Mar 22 was 0.30 h. HostGator's tech support had proven to be pretty slow - you can count on them taking about a day to respond to you. Things used to be faster before they were bought out by EIG.
Let’s take a look at some of the times that HostGator had some poor support response performance:
| Date | Support Ticket Submitted | Support Ticket Resolved | Response Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 24, 3:28am | Over 7 days | 168.0 hours | |
| Jan 27, 5:54am | Feb 1, 12:46pm | 126.9 hours | |
| Nov 28, 4:33pm | Dec 2, 4:18am | 83.7 hours | |
| Oct 26, 10:55am | Oct 28, 12:13am | 37.0 hours | |
| Sept 6, 6:46pm | Sept 7, 5:48am | 23.0 hours | |
| Aug 9, 2:46pm | Aug 10, 3:18pm | 24.5 hours | |
| July 13, 2:07pm | July 14, 7:03am | 16.9 hours |
Still think HostGator sucks?
I’ve presented you with lots of data that will show you whether or not HostGator sucks. So, what do you think? Are they reliable, fast, and helpful? If not, consider these HostGator alternatives.
Support Response Test
I personally contact each host's support department with a new question/concern and measure how long it takes for them to get back to me.
This test is important for every host - it's imperative your web host is able to quickly address your concerns in a timely manner, even if you're an expert webmaster. Who wants to deal with a host that has poor customer service? Tech is hard, and tech support is critical!
HostGator Support Response Test Results
HostGator performs pretty poorly in the Support Response Time Test, with an average result of 53.4 hours. It's best result was 0.30 h but it has been as bad as 168.00 h. HostGator most recent result on Mar 22 was 0.30 h. HostGator's tech support had proven to be pretty slow - you can count on them taking about a day to respond to you. Things used to be faster before they were bought out by EIG.
Let’s see if HostGator is consistent in its support response stats:
Recent Raw Results for HostGator
| Date | Support Ticket Submitted | Support Ticket Resolved | Response Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 10, 4:19pm | Mar 10, 4:34pm | 0.3 hours | |
| Feb 24, 3:28am | Over 7 days | 168.0 hours | |
| Jan 27, 5:54am | Feb 1, 12:46pm | 126.9 hours | |
| Dec 20, 2:51pm | Dec 20, 3:10pm | 0.3 hours | |
| Nov 28, 4:33pm | Dec 2, 4:18am | 83.7 hours | |
| Oct 26, 10:55am | Oct 28, 12:13am | 37.0 hours | |
| Sept 6, 6:46pm | Sept 7, 5:48am | 23.0 hours | |
| Aug 9, 2:46pm | Aug 10, 3:18pm | 24.5 hours | |
| July 13, 2:07pm | July 14, 7:03am | 16.9 hours |
HostGator Alternatives: Better speed, reliability, and support
Are you having problems with HostGator? It’s not uncommon to want to change to a better host if your current host has issues with being slow, down, or unsupportive. Let’s see if we can find a HostGator competitor that has better uptime, faster load times, and speedier support.
Hosts faster than HostGator
This test measures the total time it takes to load a standard web page. Lower is better. Learn more about the Page Speed Test.
If HostGator is having page speed problems, consider these alternative hosts that score better:
| Host | Average | Best | Worst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| StableHost | 2.53 s | 0.00 s | 12.29 s | Test Results | Signup Now |
| DreamHost | 2.65 s | 0.00 s | 21.25 s | Test Results | Signup Now |
| HostGator | 2.70 s | 2.00 s | 15.02 s | Test Results | Signup Now |
Hosts more reliable than HostGator
This test is performed by measuring the % uptime of a host. Higher is better. Learn more about the Uptime Test.
If HostGator is having uptime problems, consider these alternative hosts that score better:
| Host | Average | Best | Worst | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HostGator | 99.970 % | 100.000 % | 97.000 % | Test Results | Signup Now |
Hosts more helpful than HostGator
This test measures how quickly the host’s support team responds to your request. Lower is better. Learn more about the Support Response Test.
If HostGator is having support response problems, consider these alternative hosts that score better:
HostGator vs Other Hosts
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