HostGator is an older web hosting company that hosts a large number of sites. Because of its age, it is fairly well-known and established. However, on the flip side of this, that means a large number of people do use it for hosting. The number of websites hosted on a shared server can cause it to become overworked. The unlimited bandwidth and storage that come with their Hatchling plan, though, are definite benefits. To learn if this plan is right for you, we’ve put together a comprehensive HostGator Hatchling review.

HostGator Hatchling Shared Hosting Review & Analysis

HostGator does offer a lot of good things with their Hatchling plan, which is comparable to the basic plan offered by A2 shared hosting and other web hosts. There are a number of extras, including enhanced security and backup options, that are not included in the basic cost. Once you add these fees on to your monthly cost, you’ll find that the price may no longer fit your budget. That said, the free options and unlimited storage are nice features.

Who This Hosting Plan is For

Who This Hosting Plan is Not For

Bottom Line

HostGator’s unlimited storage and bandwidth may seem too good to be true, and they are to an extent. The Hatchling shared hosting plan is cheap, and it does offer some good things. However, the slow load times and slow customer support are two major downsides that may be deal breakers. You also need to look at what it will cost you to add on features such as backups and additional security. HostGator’s website lists the price of the discounted first month, not the price you’ll pay every month after that. Once that month is over, you’ll be paying more. Keep all of this in mind when deciding if HostGator’s Hatchling plan is right for you.

HostGator Hatchling Shared Hosting Features

Advanced Plans and Add-Ons

HostGator Hatchling Shared Hosting Prices

HostGator’s Shared Hosting Plans: Hatchling vs Baby

HostGator has three different shared web hosting plans: Hatchling, Baby, and Business. The first two options are aimed at individuals and small businesses looking to establish themselves online. They can be used for blogs, informational sites, and small eCommerce pages. There are some differences between these two plans, though, besides the cost.

The Hatchling plan can host a single website. While it does offer unlimited bandwidth and storage, this limit of one website can be an issue for businesses. For an individual, however, it may be all you need. Since you can create an unlimited number of email addresses, you don’t have to worry about that limitation, either.

With the Baby plan, you get everything from the Hatchling plan plus the ability to create multiple websites with their own domain names. This is the better option if your small business website is expanding or if you plan on hosting several different websites connected to your business. The Baby plan also includes a few other extras, such as unlimited parked domains and the option to add private SSL certificates. It is a little more expensive, of course, but it may be worth it. You should compare these two plans to other hosting services such as the Interserver unlimited plan before you make a decision.

What About the Business Plan?

If you know your small business website is going to be fairly large, or if you want additional tools or a dedicated IP address, the Business plan is the option you want. It’s the highest in price, but it includes SEO tools, unlimited domains, a free dedicated IP address, and more. It’s HostGator’s best website hosting option if you’re looking for the low cost of shared hosting but need additional tools and other options.

The Problem with Shared Web Hosting

Shared web hosting is very affordable, which is definitely a selling point for anyone concerned about their monthly budget. The downside, though, is that you’re not exactly getting what it looks like. Yes, you enjoy unlimited web hosting and bandwidth, but you share this with the other websites on the same server. If one of those websites is getting thousands of visitors, it’s going to make use of a good amount of the server’s resources. This has a detrimental effect on the other sites on the server. They will load slower and may even time out.

What this means for you is that you need to carefully consider your needs before you sign up for HostGator’s Hatchling plan. While you can always upgrade to the Baby or Business plan, you don’t want to start out with a hampered website. That can be disastrous for your marketing. New customers may try to access your website and can’t due to the shared host being overloaded. This can give them a bad impression of your business. If you know you have a large customer base or plan on launching a massive advertising campaign for your website, it may be best to start out at a higher level.

All in all, the Hatchling option isn’t bad, but HostGator does have some overload issues you should take into account before signing up.