Bluehost vs Godaddy vs Hostgator

Top Web Hosting Reviews 2016

Many web hosts advertise big discounts as a means of getting you in the door and locking you into multi-year contracts. Threehosts.com is a well-known resource for web hosting reviews. Our experts have been evaluating web hosting services for years, and now we present the information in an easy-to-understand format that helps users make the best choice. If you're looking for a reliable web host with quick and easy tools to build your website, Bluehost, Hostgator and Godaddy are the best we've tested.

Features and Peformance:

Don't have any concern regarding their performance. Bluehost, Hostgator and Godaddy are big names in web hosting industry and can perfectly handle any type of websites. You only should choose an appropriate package to meet your website needs. First, take into consideration that Bluehost Business Pro, Hostgator Business and Godaddy Ultimate plans include dedicated IP and SSL certificate - needed only for eCommerce online stores, not regular websites. To learn more about dedicated IP and SSL certificate watch this video. If you intend to host one website and don't need to receive online payments via your website, Bluehost starter, Hostgator Hatchling and Godaddy Economy plans are the most economical options for you.

Support

BlueHost provides 24/7 support via phone, support ticket (email) and live chat, all linked through a central Helpdesk portal. Telephone support is toll-free within the US, and there’s a second number for non-US customers. Useful support information is linked from the portal via a HUGE Knowledge Base, and there’s also a user forum and a series of video tutorials for quick fixes to known problems. The company provides extremely comprehensive documentations for its services and operates a YouTube channel to deliver video tutorials.

Hostgator doesn't offer any toll-free phone number for hatchling and baby accounts. Only Business hosting plan includes toll-free number for their customers within the US. Hostgator provides 24/7 support via phone, support ticket and live chat. They also provide user forums and a great series of helpful video tutorials.

Godaddy has recently removed the option to submit a ticket in their customers' account and there is no more email support for questions they have. The support options are now calling into support via phone, or using their online chat system. Godaddy does not have a toll free number for US based customers. Chat is not always available (only 5 a.m. to midnight MST).

Ease-of-use

All the three web hosts offer user-friendly services. They provide easy 1-click install of over 70 popular free applications, including WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, Prestashop and Opencart.

Free Domain With Annual Plans : Important Differences in Policies

All Bluehost plans include one free domain. Users won't pay for their domain, even when they renew their account in next years.

Hostgator never offers any free domain name. For .com domains, it costs $12.95 for first year and $15/yr when renewing.

All Godaddy plans include one free domain, but free domain offer applies only to the initial purchase term. After the initial purchase term, domains purchased through this offer will renew at the then-current renewal price. It costs $14.99/yr for .com domain names.

Free Advertising Credits to Get More Traffic for Your Website

Bluehost offers $200 credits for Google AdWords, Bing & Yahoo, Facebook and Twitter.

Hostgator gives a $100 Google AdWords credit.

Godaddy never offers Free Marketing Credits.

Price

Bluehost, Hostgator and Godaddy offer their coupon code that you can use towards your web hosting order. Coupons can only be used on your initial invoice for a new order. You cannot use a coupon for renewals. The chart below shows the regular price of their hosting plans compared to the price of their hosting plans with the discount coupon which applies only to the initial payment.

Control Panel

Control panel is the first place you would go to set up your domains, website and email accounts and subsequently, to manage them. Bluehost, Hostgator and Godaddy provide cPanel control panel. cPanel is very user-friendly and features rich, and simplifies the process of hosting a website.

Bluehost understands that most users would want to test out the system before committing to a web hosting plan. Thus, they have provided a cPanel demo site for this purpose. No username and password is required, just click the button below!

Money Back Guarantee / Cancellation Policy for Web Hosting Solutions

Bluehost provides customers with a 30 day money-back guarantee. You can cancel within 30 days for a full refund. You can also cancel at any time and receive a prorated refund for the remainder of your current hosting term.

HostGator offers a 45 day money- back guarantee for their shared, VPS, and reseller hosting services. Their 45 day money back guarantee does not cover refunds on dedicated servers.

You may request a full refund within 45 days of purchase for Godaddy's annual web hosting packages.