Bluehost and HostGator are two of the oldest budget hosting brands in the United States, and their current shared plans look strikingly alike. Both entry plans allow 10 websites on 10 GB of SSD storage, both say the entry plan suits about 40,000 visits a month, and neither includes phone support at the lowest tier. So the choice comes down to the details: renewal prices, what you get on the next plan up, backups and the fine print on refunds.

This guide lines up the plans each company publishes, shows what renewal looks like, and explains which kind of site owner should choose which. If HostGator is on your shortlist against other hosts too, our Hostinger vs HostGator comparison is a useful second read.

Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy Bluehost hosting through them, TechCognate may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not earn anything from the HostGator links. Prices and features were checked against Bluehost’s and HostGator’s official pages on November 13 and 14, 2026, and we have not hands-on tested either service. Both hosts change plans and promotions often, so confirm current pricing before you buy.

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Plans Side by Side

Both hosts quote their plans for a 36-month term. Bluehost shows both the promo and renewal price on its plan page. HostGator’s plan pages showed the plan features and the 36-month term, but the price fields loaded as blank placeholders when we checked, so the HostGator renewal figures below come from its own help center price chart.

Sources: Bluehost shared hosting and WordPress hosting pages (November 13, 2026); HostGator web hosting and pricing pages and its “What is scalable shared hosting” help article (November 14, 2026). HostGator’s monthly renewal figures are our own division of its published 36-month regular prices. Prices exclude VAT and other taxes.

Pricing and Renewals

Because we could not read HostGator’s live intro prices, we will not guess them here. Check the HostGator plan page for the current offer. What we could confirm is the part that matters most over the life of a site: the renewal.

HostGator’s help center lists regular prices for each term. For Hatchling, that is $17.59 for one month, $158.27 for 12 months, $290.14 for 24 months and $395.61 for 36 months. Divided out, the 36-month rate is about $10.99 a month and the 12-month rate about $13.19. HostGator says plans renew at the regular rate after the discounted first invoice.

Bluehost publishes its renewal prices next to each plan: $9.99 a month for Starter, $13.99 for Business and $21.99 for eCommerce Essentials. Those are big jumps from the promo prices ($3.99, $6.99 and $14.99), so budget for them. Still, at every matching tier Bluehost’s published renewal is lower than HostGator’s 36-month regular rate.

Rough totals from published prices, leaving out tax, domains and add-ons:

• Bluehost Starter for the first 36 months: $3.99 × 36 = $143.64. A second 36 months at $9.99 is $359.64.
• HostGator Hatchling at its regular 36-month price: $395.61, as listed in its price chart.
• Bluehost Business for the first 36 months: $6.99 × 36 = $251.64. A second 36 months at $13.99 is $503.64.
• HostGator Business at its regular 36-month price: $791.61.

They are estimates from list prices; your checkout total may differ. For more on how Bluehost bills, read our Bluehost pricing explained guide.

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What Each Plan Includes

Entry plans: Starter vs Hatchling

These two are close to mirror images. Both allow 10 websites and 10 GB of SSD storage, both describe the plan as ideal for about 40,000 visits a month, both include a free domain for the first year and free SSL, and both leave out phone support. Bluehost lists NVMe SSD storage, a free CDN, staging, malware scanning, a web application firewall and weekly backups on its plan grid. HostGator lists “courtesy backups”, a Cloudflare CDN with Argo Routing, and standard email (POP3, IMAP and webmail with SpamAssassin).

One older HostGator help article still describes Hatchling as a single-site plan. The current plan page says 10 sites, so check the live page before you buy.

Mid-tier plans

This is where the two diverge. HostGator adds a plan between its entry and 50-site tiers: Baby, with 20 sites, 20 GB and phone support. Bluehost jumps straight from Starter (10 sites) to Business (50 sites), which also adds phone support, AI-powered malware removal and free domain privacy for the first year. If you need phone help but only a few sites, HostGator Baby is a sensible middle step. If you want room to grow, Bluehost Business gives you 50 sites at a lower published renewal than HostGator Business.

For a full breakdown of Bluehost’s tiers, see our Bluehost plans compared guide.

Online stores

Bluehost’s eCommerce Essentials plan ($14.99 a month for 36 months, renewing at $21.99) includes WooCommerce auto-install, payments, subscriptions and memberships, with 100 sites and 100 GB. HostGator’s Pro plan matches the 100 sites and 100 GB, but we did not see store-specific tools listed on its plan card.

Backups

Neither host is generous here. Bluehost’s plan grid lists weekly backups, while its FAQ says daily off-site backups, so check the current frequency in your account. HostGator lists “courtesy backups” on Hatchling, Baby and Business without stating a frequency, and does not list them on the Pro card. For any site you care about, add your own backup plugin or service on either host.

Email

Both hosts offer a one-month free trial of a Pro Email add-on that then costs about $2.99 a month (HostGator states $2.99; we saw $2.99 and $2.50 on different Bluehost pages). HostGator also lists standard POP3 and IMAP email accounts on its shared plans. Bluehost’s plan pages focus on the Pro Email trial, so confirm what basic email is included before you buy.

Support

Support is the clearest difference between the two at lower price points. Both entry plans are chat only. HostGator adds phone support on Baby, its 20-site plan. Bluehost adds phone support on Business, its 50-site plan. If phone help is important and you only run a few sites, HostGator lets you get it on a smaller plan.

Bluehost says its average chat response is very fast, but its own pages give two different figures (under 2 minutes and under 30 seconds), so we treat both as claims. We have not tested support at either host and cannot rank them.

Uptime, Migration and Refunds

• Uptime: Bluehost’s shared page promises 99.99% with a 5% monthly credit if it falls short, though a WordPress page FAQ says 99.9%. HostGator’s current plan pages did not state an uptime figure. We have not measured either.
• Migration: HostGator’s help center says it provides free WordPress and website migration. Bluehost lists a free migration tool and says up to five sites are migrated free in the first 30 days. See our Bluehost migration guide.
• Refunds: both list 30 days. HostGator’s guarantee covers hosting fees only and excludes renewals, monthly terms, domain fees and add-ons; it lists a non-refundable $15.00 domain fee, or $17.99 if you cancel hosting within the first year after taking the free domain. Bluehost deducts domain fees and excludes monthly-term services.

Pros and Cons

Bluehost

• Pros: renewal prices shown on the plan page and lower than HostGator’s regular rates, staging and WordPress tools on every plan, eCommerce plan with WooCommerce tools, listed on WordPress.org’s recommended hosting page.
• Cons: no phone support until the 50-site Business plan, weekly backups on the plan grid, renewal more than doubles, best price needs a 36-month payment.

HostGator

• Pros: phone support from the 20-site Baby plan, Cloudflare CDN with Argo Routing, standard email accounts listed, free migration listed in its help center.
• Cons: intro prices not readable on its plan pages when we checked, higher regular rates at every tier, backup frequency not stated, refund excludes a domain fee of $15.00 to $17.99.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Bluehost if long-term cost and clear pricing matter most. Its renewal rates are published and lower at every matching tier, and it includes staging and WordPress-focused tools from the entry plan. It is also the stronger choice if you plan to run an online store. Our Bluehost review covers the full picture, and you can check Bluehost’s current offer here.

Choose HostGator if you want phone support without paying for a 50-site plan, or you like the Cloudflare CDN with Argo Routing. Just compare its live intro price and the renewal rate in the cart before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bluehost cheaper than HostGator?

On renewal, yes, based on published prices. Bluehost Starter renews at $9.99 a month, while HostGator Hatchling’s regular 36-month price works out to $10.99. We could not confirm HostGator’s current intro price.

Are Bluehost and HostGator plans the same?

The entry plans are very similar: 10 sites, 10 GB SSD, about 40,000 visits a month and chat-only support. The higher tiers and renewal prices differ.

Which has phone support?

Both, but not on the entry plan. HostGator adds phone support on Baby. Bluehost adds it on Business.

Does either include daily backups?

Bluehost’s plan grid lists weekly backups and its FAQ says daily. HostGator lists courtesy backups without a stated frequency. Use your own backup tool on either.

Is a domain included with HostGator and Bluehost?

Yes. Both include a free domain for the first year on qualifying 12-month or longer plans. Both deduct domain fees if you cancel for a refund.

Which is better for WordPress?

Both run WordPress. Bluehost is listed on WordPress.org’s recommended hosting page and includes staging and WordPress tools on every plan, so it is the more WordPress-focused option.

Can I move from HostGator to Bluehost?

Yes. Bluehost lists free migration for up to five sites in the first 30 days. Keep your HostGator account active until the move is confirmed.

Which has a better refund policy?

Both offer 30 days on hosting fees. HostGator states a non-refundable domain fee of $15.00, or $17.99 if you cancel within the first year after taking the free domain. Bluehost deducts its domain fee too.

Final Verdict

Bluehost and HostGator are closer than most comparisons, especially at the entry level. Bluehost wins on clear, lower published renewal prices, WordPress tools and an eCommerce plan built around WooCommerce, which makes it the better value for most site owners. HostGator wins for owners who want phone support on a mid-sized plan. Whichever you pick, read the renewal price in the cart and use the 30-day window to test the service.

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Sources

• Bluehost shared hosting plans (bluehost.com/hosting/shared)
• Bluehost WordPress hosting plans (bluehost.com/wordpress/wordpress-hosting)
• HostGator web hosting plans
• HostGator pricing page
• HostGator: What is scalable shared hosting (regular prices)
• HostGator Hatchling plan help article
• WordPress.org recommended hosting

About the author

Jaykishan Panchal

Founder & CEO, TechCognate · SEO Strategist & WordPress Expert

Jaykishan Panchal is the founder of TechCognate and an SEO strategist with 15+ years of hands-on experience driving organic growth for businesses worldwide. He specialises in technical SEO, content strategy and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), helping brands stay visible in both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.

• Technical SEO
• Content Strategy
• AI & GEO
• Google Ads
• E-Commerce SEO

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