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HostGator vs Wix Review [current_date format=’Y’]. Which one is superior ?

Satyendra Prasad

February 4, 2023

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HostGator and Wix are two of the most popular web hosting companies in the world. They are both well known for their affordability, reliability, and user-friendly interfaces.

eHost vs HostGator Review [current_date format=’Y’]. Which one is better?

This article will compare and contrast HostGator vs Wix to help you decide which one is right for you.

Winner Snapshot – Here is a summary table to compare HostGator vs Wix

Winner: HostGator

HostGator has several superior features to Wix, even though if both platforms offer similar Web hosting services. Users of HostGator will expect more services at lower prices than Wix subscribers. 

Quick Comparison: HostGator vs Wix

About HostGator and Wix

HostGator vs Wix – A Side-by-Side Comparison

We need to compare HostGator vs. Wix closely to see how they both stack up against each other. We’ll consider the major features, site performance, plans/pricing, and other elements to see how each Web hosting service performs overall.

1. Hosting Features: HostGator vs Wix

Main HostGator Features

Some of HostGator’s major features include:

• Dedicated hosting
• 45-day money back guarantee

Dedicated hosting

HostGator’s dedicated hosting provides exclusive access to users, allowing them run websites on separate servers. Dedicated server hosting typically costs more but offers better loading speeds and greater uptimes than those on shared servers.

45-day money back guarantee

HostGator has one of the industry’s longest money back guarantees. Users can try out HostGator’s services for 45 days and get their money back, no questions asked. Such a long trial period is a perfect bonus for users undecided about the Web hosting service to use.

Main Wix Features

• Shared hosting
• Free SSL certificate

Shared hosting

Wix offers shared hosting packages to users, granting them significant server support at low prices. But it’s worth noting that Wix shared hosting plans have a higher price tag than those of competitors. For example, HostGator has its shared hosting plans start at under $3 while Wix cheapest plan costs $13.

Free SSL certificate

All Wix plans come with a free SSL certificate to support secure transmission of data from servers to users. Users won’t need to pay extra fees to get basic security while hosting their websites through Wix.

2. Site Performance (Speed & Uptime): HostGator vs Wix

Websites should have reliable Web hosting powerful enough to keep them online and load pages faster. That’s why we compared the overall performance of HostGator vs. Wix after checking their average uptime and response times.

HostGator Speed & Uptime

Site performance results for HostGator shows that sites will an average uptime of over 99%. The result also shows that many websites run through HostGator will have an average response time of 525milliseconds. Through the test period, HostGator’s web hosting only experienced three outages.

Wix Speed & Uptime

Wix clocks decent uptimes of over 99.9%, meaning users will only experience about 0.01% downtimes when attempting to visit sites. The results also show sites run through Wix will have average response times less than half-a-second.

Winner:

Surprisingly, Wix takes this round with its slightly faster response time. However, Wix comes short when you compare its downtime rate to HostGator. Wix offers its users about 99.99% uptime rates for their websites while HostGator providers 99.99+% uptime.

HostGator sites might respond fractions of a second later but offer better uptimes overall to websites hosted through Wix. Users keen on greater speed will fancy Wix, but HostGator has a well-rounded package too.

3. Pricing & Plans: HostGator vs Wix

The pricing and plans of HostGator vs Wix need close comparison, since many users will have different budgets. Comparing the plans and pricing of these platforms makes it easy for users to choose products that perfectly fit their needs and budget.

HostGator Prices & Plans

HostGator Web Hosting

The Web Hosting plan comes with unlimited storage and bandwidth on all packages. Hatchling ($2.75/month), Baby ($3.50/month), and Business ($5.25/month) all come with free SSL certificates and many other features.

HostGator Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting plans from HostGator support business keen to serve customers with greater load times and perfect uptimes.

• HostGator Dedicated Value offers 4 cores of 8-thread CPUs, 8 GB RAM, and 1 TB of HDD storage for $89.98 per month.
• HostGator Dedicated Value offers 8 cores of 16-thread CPUs, 16 GB RAM, and 2 TB of HDD or 512 SSD storage for $119.89 per month.
• HostGator Dedicated Value offers 8 cores of 16-thread CPUs, 30 GB RAM, and 1 TB of SSD storage for $139.99 per month.

All HostGator Dedicated hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth and can operate on various operating systems.

HostGator VPS Hosting

HostGator offers hosting based on virtual private technology at three levels – S. 2000, S. 4000, and S. 8000. These plans offer within 2 GB to 8 GB RAM, 120 GB to 240 GB of SSD storage, and 2 to 4 cores at $23.95 to $59.95/month.

HostGator also comes with Website Builder ($3.85, $5.99, and $9.22/month) and WordPress hosting plans ($5.95, $7.95, and $9.95/month) for users.

Wix Prices & Plans

Wix offers two plans – Standard and Business/e-Commerce. Wix Standard comes with the following packages:

• Combo ($13 monthly) offers free hosting, free domain, free SSL certificate, and zero ads
• Unlimited ($17 monthly) provides greater storage space, limitless bandwidth, and everything in Wix Combo
• Pro ($22 monthly) offers integrated analytics tools, more storage space, and everything in Wix Unlimited
• VIP ($39 monthly) provides priority support, professional services and everything in Wix Pro

Wix Business/e-Commerce has four (4) separate packages – Business Basic, Unlimited, VIP, and Enterprise.

• Business Basic at $23 monthly – comes with payment integration support and other ecommerce-friendly features
• Unlimited at $27 monthly – comes with several special applications for users, development tools, and ecommerce platform integration
• VIP at $49 monthly – offers limitless bandwidth and video storage along with access to Wix Suite
• Enterprise at $500 monthly – offers more business tools than Wix Business VIP along with priority support to host professional websites

Winner:

HostGator wins this round as it has more plans with different features compared to Wix. With HostGator, users can switch between different special plans to suit their Web hosting needs. The company also offers similar plans to Wix at ridiculously affordable prices.

Wix only offers few plans that might be quite expensive for users on a tight budget.

4. Customer Support: HostGator vs Wix

Proper customer support is a vital feature every Web hosting service must possess. That’s why we decided to compare the customer support options of HostGator and Wix. Check out how they perform against each other below.

HostGator Customer Support

HostGator customers have different support options at their disposal. Users can contact HostGator by phone, live chat, or email. Customers can also get information about HostGator’s products through video guides or their knowledge base.

Wix Customer Support

Customer support from Wix is available via phone, live chat, and email. Support services from Wix may not be easy to reach according to some user reviews. Email support from Wix seems to be faster than other available options. The company also doesn’t offer 24/7 support on some of its services and has no video guides or walk through.

Winner:

HostGator has more support channels and easily wins this round. Users can get through to support agents via live chat, email, or phone. All services are available 24/7 and HostGator has professionals staffing their customer support options.

Wix comes short in offering professional customer support to its users. Several users complain about Wix sketchy live chat option and slow email response times. However, most user reviews rate HostGator as a professional service with top customer support options.

5. Ease of Use: HostGator vs Wix

Web hosting providers like HostGator vs Wix try to offer simple-looking interfaces and easy-to-understand features.

Without ease of use, it might be impossible for newbies to get their websites live hassle-free. That’s why we compared HostGator and Wix to see how user-friendly they are.

HostGator Ease of Use

Gator’s website builder is one of HostGator’s top features to improve user experience. Users also have access to simple-looking dashboards and straightforward instructions to get professional websites online with ease.

Wix Ease of Use

Wix offers its users a website builder feature to support site development without stress. The company provides an easy-to-use interface to help beginners get their sites running on time.

Wix also has several essential features to ease business development, ecommerce, and online payment integration.

Winner:

This round is quite close, but it goes to HostGator. The company provides several features to make first time or repeat use comfortable, even though Wix supports a beginner-friendly interface.

HostGator offers everything from website building to VPS hosting to accommodate the needs of individuals or big businesses. Wix provides some of the simplest features its users can rely on to create professional-looking, simple websites.

Wix inability to host websites created with competitors is the tiebreaker. HostGator can support any website after migration, regardless of who designed it.

6. Scalability: HostGator vs Wix

Businesses always want to grow, and it’s only natural that they seek a Web host provider that can help websites expand services easily. Without scalability, businesses will have a hard time growing to accommodate more traffic or offer more features to users.

HostGator Scalability

With fifteen (15) different packages on five plans, HostGator offers many options to businesses keen to grow. Users can switch between any of the available plans to accommodate growing needs for payment options, traffic, and other services.

The increased scalability of HostGator can support small businesses, Web professionals, and individuals as their websites receive more traffic.

Wix Scalability

Features from Wix focus on building websites for individuals and business owners. Wix offers eight (8) packages from four plans to allow businesses grow their reach and available options.

Wix’s free plan doesn’t offer much in terms of scalability, but the company does well in scaling potential with its Standard and e-Commerce plans.

Winner:

HostGator comfortably wins this round as it offers greater features businesses can rely on to scale easily. The company offers over a dozen different packages across its plans to help individuals and all businesses accommodate more traffic.

Services from HostGator also help ecommerce websites integrate vital elements like payment channels on their pages. Wix doesn’t do well in the scalability round as it only offers a handful of rigid plans to its users.

Businesses keen to grow with their websites will like what HostGator has to offer. However, Wix might be a great alternative for businesses with no need to scale significantly over time.

7. Security: HostGator vs Wix

Security is essential for websites to run smoothly and avoid malicious attacks while serving its visitors. We decided to compare the major security features of HostGator and Wix closely. Let’s see how they both stack up against each other.

HostGator Security

HostGator’s server firewall helps users prevent harmful traffic from affecting their website. Users can easily run content through their site without worrying about data theft and other problems.

HostGator also offers an SSL upgrade on its Business plan for a little over $3 per month. Users can also access SiteLock Essentials (anti-hacking tool) and backup services for $2 every month.

Wix Security

Wix comes with 24/7 website monitoring, allowing users guard their websites against malware at all times. The company also provides automatic backups to allow users store and retrieve their website history.

Wix also provides PCI-compliant features designed to increase the safety of ecommerce transactions. Users also get DDoS protection to prevent frequent downtimes and allow visitors see your content frequently.

Winner:

Overall, Wix does a better job with its security features than HostGator. Both companies offers free SSL certificate on all plans, allowing users achieve secure data transmission from servers to browsers.

However, Wix comes with increased security features like PCI compliance, two factor authentication and automatic backups. The margin in this round is quite close, as HostGator also does a great job with its SiteLock offering.

Wix’s security features will offer increased protection for ecommerce websites and prevent unauthorized access at no charge. HostGator offers anti-malware protection but you’ll have to pay for it.

8. Server Location: HostGator vs Wix

A server’s location largely determines how well it can transmit data to users. HostGator vs Wix possess several great performance metrics, but these won’t mean much if servers are too distant from visitors.

Where a server runs from can affect the LCP (<2.5 seconds) or full loading time (<3 seconds) of standard websites. A proper Web hosting service should provide enough support with its servers in multiple locations.

Let’s see how HostGator vs Wix stack up when we compare their server locations closely.

HostGator Server Location

HostGator’s servers are present in five (5) different continents and over ten regions globally. Apart from its main server in the US, HostGator runs servers from India, Russia, Mexico, Australia, and other countries.

The server spread of HostGator gives it an edge over other Web hosting companies, particularly those serving international visitors. Most users running their websites through HostGator will experience better load times and access sites over 99% of the time.  

Wix Server Location

Wix currently operates servers stationed at its US headquarters and others in Europe. The company’s servers are in ideal positions to serve visitors from North America and Europe. Visitors from other regions might experience slightly-slower load times whenever they try to access sites hosted through HostGator.

Winner:

HostGator easily wins this round with its servers in five continents around the globe. The company currently hosts servers in USA, Mexico, India, Russia, and many other countries. However, Wix only has servers stationed in North America and Europe.

HostGator subscribers will be able to get better load times to their websites, while Wix users outside North America and Europe might experience slower page loading speeds.

HostGator vs Wix: Final Recommendations

HostGator vs Wix are two popular Web hosting providers and they both serve countless clients with different services. It is evident from our comparison that both platforms offer great features users can rely on to keep their websites live.

However, it is essential to know when to choose any of these Web hosting platforms. Check out our final recommendations before selecting any of these Web hosting services.

When to Choose HostGator

HostGator offers several great features users can bank on to get their websites live and in the faces of visitors. You should consider HostGator for your Web hosting needs if you want:

Many hosting plans:

With 12+ packages available on five (5) plans, HostGator has one of the industry’s largest Web hosting services. The company provides these plans to serve different needs of countless users.

HostGator users can subscribe to shared hosting, WordPress hosting, dedicated hosting, VPS hosting, and more. Website builder plans also come with a hosting add-on to give users more options after creating their site themes.

Customers who need multiple services from their hosting service will fancy what HostGator has to offer. You can also switch between plans easily, as the company’s packages are designed to help businesses scale online.

Long trial period:

HostGator has a pretty long money back guarantee, allowing its first-timers sign up and try everything within 45 days. First-time users can conveniently get their money back if they don’t like what HostGator has to offer. All HostGator plans come with this money back guarantee after sign up.

If you’re searching for a Web hosting provider that offers a long money-back guarantee, HostGator could be what you need.

Cheap hosting:

All HostGator plans come at cheap rates, making it easy for individuals and businesses on a budget to host websites easily. HostGator’s five plans all start for less than $30, with its Basic subscription available for under $3.

Owners of personal or small business sites can conveniently keep their pages online and within a tight budget. HostGator also offers some of the industry’s best services at cheap, below-average prices.

You should consider HostGator if you’re searching for a cheap Web hosting service that doesn’t neglect quality.

Many support options:

HostGator currently offers customer service support by email, phone, live chat, and much more. Users can conveniently reach HostGator through any of these channels for a quick response.

HostGator also claims to work with professional customer success agents to answer questions and resolve issues users might encounter. You can choose HostGator as your preferred Web hosting provider if you seek proper customer service support after sign-up.

When to Choose Wix

Wix may not be as popular as HostGator, but it offers some of the industry’s best features to many users. Users of this Web hosting platform can rely on several features to design and keep their websites live and secure. Here’s why Wix might be a great option to host your website:

Beginner-friendly interface

Wix has a very beginner-friendly interface designed to make navigation and use easy for first-timers. The company offers its users significant support at every step, allowing them create and host websites without much more.

If you seek services from a company to create simple and professional-looking websites easily, Wix could be an ideal choice. 

Free first plan

Wix offers its users a free plan after sign up, making it one of very few Web hosting providers that provide whole plans at no charge. The Wix free plan might not have many features on its subscription-only packages, but it still offers vital features users can enjoy.

If you want to try out a Web hosting provider before committing to any subscription plan, Wix might be an excellent option.

Super-fast speeds and great uptimes

Wix provides its users great loading speeds to their pages, allowing its users get content to audiences in seconds.

Web hosting providers should offer within 99.95% and 99.999% average uptimes for sites run through their servers. Wix does a great job in offering significant uptimes to users with its 99.99% uptime rating.

Users keen to get great loading speeds and uptimes to their website may get all they need from Wix.

All-in-one package

Wix doesn’t offer site migration for website built with its competitors. It might seem like the best thing Wix can offer; however, this feature could come in handy for beginners.

Wix’s all-in-one website builder, customization, and hosting package removes the hassle of designing a site from scratch. Users can conveniently relax and not really have to do much work in building the website.

Anyone uninterested about designing a website brick-by-brick will love this feature.

Bottom Line: HostGator vs Wix

Choosing between HostGator vs Wix might be a challenge, especially when both services offer several great features. However, you can only work with one provider so you must choose.

HostGator offers its users better performance overall along with some of the industry’s quickest page loading speeds. Wix also does a decent job in offering great uptimes but HostGator’s 99.99+% uptime slightly exceeds it.

Users need to pay for a HostGator plan at sign up while Wix offers a free plan to its customers. HostGator offers its users servers in different locations but Wix only runs data centers in few places.

Honestly, the choice is entirely yours. Both platforms have great stuff to offer. Just check out the factors above (speed, features, performance, server location, security, etc.) to make your selection comfortable. Surely, you’ll be able to pick a Web hosting provider that offers services best suited to your needs and budget.

FAQs: HostGator vs Wix

Does HostGator Provide a Free Plan?

HostGator does not have a free plan; however, the company provides several great features in form of bonuses. However, HostGator has a starting plan at just $2.75 per month with several essential features users need to run their websites.

Does Wix Have Dedicated Hosting?

Wix does not offer dedicated hosting services to users. The company only runs shared hosting packages and currently has no provisions to serve VVIP clients willing to pay more for dedicated servers.

Does HostGator WordPress Come with a Website Builder?

HostGator WordPress hosting offers users every tool required to run a website along with a special builder. All levels in the WordPress hosting plan come with a free website builder users can take advantage of to create professional-looking sites.

Does Wix Run With DDoS?

Wix currently runs with a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) security protocol. With DDoS, Wix ensures its servers always offer data transmission services to users’ websites. This service makes sure all websites keep running 99% of the time.