Anyone who is serious about running a website online will need their own hosting and inevitably, two hosting companies will pop up during the research phase, HostGator and GoDaddy. Both are very popular for good reason, but which one will suit your needs? This article will compare the two, HostGator vs GoDaddy, to help you choose the right one for your business. Here’s what we got when we compared web hosting companies:

GoDaddy

GoDaddy () is one of the old time standards when it comes to website hosting. However, it has recently been in hot competition with HostGator, thanks to the new company’s policies and easy to manage system. With that in mind, let us take a look at what each company has to offer.

GoDaddy: This hosting company has some serious advertising going for it. You may have even seen the company ads on your television, in fact. They do not stick to just online promotion; they are very forward in their attempts to get more clients.

The Pros

- Reliable uptime. The company is fairly consistent in this area and you can usually expect your site to load within a reasonable amount of time.

- Windows and Linux support. GoDaddy can handle both Linux and Windows hosting. That is something that most companies cannot yet handle.

- Rapid upgrades. When a new program appears on the market, this host is rapid in upgrading to meet the needs of its users.

- Age. It is important to choose a web host that has been around for a while so you can be sure it will not be going out of business and GoDaddy has that.

- Services. They offer domain registration, website design and more.

The Cons

- Poor customer service. Just about anyone who has worked with GoDaddy has a sob story about their service. While they do offer phone service, for those not located in the US, it can be difficult to reach them.

- Difficult to use. The interface has been changed over the years, but it is still not entirely user friendly and can result in delays while trying to upload a website.

HostGator

HostGator: While slightly newer than GoDaddy, HostGator web hosting has proven itself in providing great service and affordable prices.

The Pros

- Price ranges. Hosting starts at less than $3.96 a month and goes up from there, depending on your needs. It is very easy to upgrade if necessary.

- Great customer service. One of the biggest pros of this hosting service is the fact that they offer live chat help and resolve problems quickly. And unlike the times I’ve had to use GoDaddy’s customer service, Hostgator’s Techs actually are helpful and get problems fixed!

- Uptime is excellent. While GoDaddy does have decent uptime, HostGator is very rarely down.

- Age. Again, this is a company that is sticking around.

The Cons

- None to speak of – If anything, Hostgator has fewer options than GoDaddy technically speaking. But they’re not options that most of us use anyhow. I call them fluff options that they use to market their services and make it sound like they’re service is superior, which in my opinion it isn’t.

You can auto install several platforms through Fantastico, which makes Hostgator a much easier hosting company to use, especially for beginners.

Overall, when it comes to HostGator vs GoDaddy, both companies are popular. However, with Hostgators better uptime, better customer service, easier to use hosting tools and more stable hosting, not to mention better hosting rates, it’s clear to see that my choice is Hostgator web hosting service over GoDaddy’s.