The endless options available when choosing a hosting site make it challenging to select the best one. Therefore, for a good solution here, we have a head-to-head comparison of HostGator vs A2 Hosting.
For one thing, the A2 Hosting team has established a reputation for providing specialized security and speed solutions. Still, HostGator enjoys a constant reputation for dependability and an impressive number of servers. Lastly, we will highlight the top qualities of each company in this comparison to assist you in selecting the ideal host for your website.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - General Information:
A2 Hosting and HostGator are well-known and reasonably priced hosting options. And HostGator is primarily recognized as a straightforward yet well-rounded hosting company, unlike A2 Hosting, which focuses on performance and security.
So, let’s examine how these two contrast with one another.
| A2 Hosting | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
|
Free Domain |
No |
Yes |
|
Hosting Types |
Managed WordPress, VPS, Shared, reseller, and dedicated hosting |
WordPress, cloud reseller, VPS, Shared, and dedicated hosting plans |
|
Payment types |
PayPal, bank wires, checks, money orders, credit/debit card |
PayPal, money orders, bank wires, checks, credit/debit cards |
|
Price |
2.99 USD/month |
2.75 USD/month |
|
Average speed |
597 ms |
525 ms |
|
Uptime guarantee |
99.99% |
99.99% |
|
Control panel |
WHMCS + cPanel |
Native user interface + cPanel |
|
Monitored uptime |
99.99% |
>99.99% |
|
Security |
DDoS protection, 24/7 server monitoring, free SSL, server hardening, brute force defense, virus scanning, 2-factor authentication, server-level firewall. |
2-factor authentication, server-level firewall, SSL certificates. |
|
Website migration |
Free-of-cost site migration |
A single free cPanel/WordPress migration and inter-server migration |
|
Server locations |
Singapore, Amsterdam (Netherlands), Michigan (USA), Arizona (USA) |
USA |
|
Money-back guarantee |
Anytime |
30 days |
|
Website |
A2 Hosting:
When A2 Hosting began operations in 2003, the company’s primary goal was supporting developers. Moreover, A2 Hosting was one of the first companies to offer PHP 5 and to handle Ruby on Rails on shared servers.
So, as the business expanded, the spotlight switched to performance after a survey of customers found that loading times were the most critical factor behind support and reliability. As a result, A2 Hosting was among the first to provide hosting using high-speed solid-state drives, currently present across the whole spectrum of services the business offers.
HostGator:
With over a decade of experience, HostGator is renowned for its extensive server network and dependable services.
Moreover, HostGator is mainly recognized as a shared hosting service, but it also offers reasonable dedicated and VPS alternatives if you need to scale your website.
However, HostGator is slightly more expensive than some of the other shared hosts, and this is justified by the company’s reputation for reliable infrastructure and responsive customer service.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - Which one is cheaper?
While looking for a good hosting company, keeping the budget in check is essential. So, most users go for sites with the best features at a reasonable price.
Finally, we have compared the pricing ranges of both HostGator and A2 Hosting.
HostGator is relatively affordable:
HostGator is a fantastic performance/price trade-off. And in addition to a 99.9% uptime guarantee on its shared hosting package, the firm provides unlimited emails, MySQL databases, disk space, bandwidth, and one-click installs of well-known open-source projects.
Also, HostGator offers several wonderful features that beginners can appreciate for people just getting started and searching for a solid, affordable host.
So, unlimited storage and email accounts, unrestricted bandwidth, a free domain name registration, and a server-level firewall are all features of HostGator’s Hatchling ($2.75/mo).
Lastly, users wishing to establish one website should choose the HostGator Hatchling Plan.
A2 Hosting offers better value:
Firstly, the company prioritizes your needs over price while providing many features and custom-built packages for improved performance, speed, and security.
So, 100 GB of storage, unlimited emails, a dual firewall, brute-force defense, a virus scanner, and robust DDOS security are all included in A2 Hosting’s Startup ($2.99/mo).
Furthermore, numerous SSD performance boost options, 24/7 Guru Crew assistance, and a free Cloudflare content delivery network are all included in A2 Hosting services.
Also, users of A2’s Perpetual Security features get free HackScan protection and KernelCare, which automatically upgrades kernels daily without rebooting.
So, which one to choose?
It all comes down to your preference. So, if you prefer cheaper offers, select HostGator; however, if you want better value, choose A2 Hosting.
- Prices for A2 Hosting’s four shared web hosting plans range from $2.99 to $15.99 per month. Look at the Turbo Boost plan if you want a comprehensive bundle with fast servers. Furthermore, you may host unlimited websites on high-performance Turbo Servers for just $6.99/mo. Moreover, the bundle has unrestricted NVMe SSD storage and cost-free automatic backups.
- HostGator offers three shared hosting packages with monthly costs ranging from $2.75 to $5.25. Also, HostGator promotes its Baby plan as having the most significant value. And we have to concur. You can host as many websites as you want for just $0.75 more monthly than Hatchling’s base fee.
| Reseller | WordPress | Shared | VPS | Dedicated | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
HostGator |
19.95 USD/month |
5.95 USD/month |
2.78 USD/month |
23.95 USD/month |
89.98 USD/month |
|
A2 Hosting |
17.99 USD/month |
11.99 USD/month |
2.99 USD/month |
2.99 USD/month |
105.99 USD/month |
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - Uptime and Speed:
Speed and uptime are essential to consider when selecting a web hosting service. And people prefer a website that loads quickly, and Google’s algorithm continues to prioritize page speed.
Therefore, similar to how users want your website to be accessible at all times, uptime is crucial. And a common way to describe uptime is as a percentage of the total time available, like “99.95%”.
Furthermore, both sites have good reliability. However, the difference lies in their speed and uptime comparison.
So, we performed the following tests to compare the performance and uptime of both sites in this HostGator vs A2 Hosting comparison.
- Pingdom test to monitor the uptime, performance, and interactions of your website
- GTmetrix test to evaluate the speed of your website
Pingdom Test:
| HostGator | A2 Hosting |
|---|---|
 |
 |
GTmetrix Test:
Consequently, the GTmetrix shows that HostGator is a much better option than A2 Hosting, proving that HostGator has a better performance grade.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - ease of use:
Both HostGator and A2 Hosting are very user-friendly and use cPanel to manage websites. HostGator, however, wins this round and takes the lead. It is because of the straightforward native user interface, which offers quick links to cPanel utilities like domains and the Softaculous application installer.
A2 Hosting:
Now, A2 Hosting manages its services using a combination of the basic WHMCS panel and a cPanel. But let’s talk about the account administration panel. It has a basic design, but some users may find it old.
You will only spend a little time there, though, as it is mainly used for billing and accessing the cPanel.
Regarding the cPanel, it is simple and user-friendly.
Moreover, the standard features include domain names, files, databases, and security tools, all of which you can access here.
Additionally, you can quickly monitor your resource utilization right here.
HostGator:
Now that we’re talking about HostGator, it is pretty simple. Also, the service provider offers a cPanel integration for more complex settings and a simple yet effective native user interface.
Because it has all of the essential cPanel shortcuts, the native user interface is utilized for billing and site maintenance. These include 1-click WordPress installation, domain, SSL, and email administration. So, you don’t need to leave this interface to create your website.
Lastly, The cPanel is also available to help if you prefer to manage every part of your website.
Compared to A2 Hosting’s cPanel interface, HostGator’s cPanel has a custom skin that makes it appear more elegant and trendy.
Ultimately, both web hosting services are relatively user-friendly and provide integrations with cPanel. However, HostGator is at the top thanks to its practical layout and a marginally more user-friendly panel.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - Customer Services:
A2 Hosting and HostGator provide their clients with 24/7 live chat and phone assistance. Also, A2 Hosting provides support through the ticketing system. Each host, however, also has a sizable knowledge base.
Lastly, the fastest way to judge the quality of customer support of any company is to check their live chat feature.
A2 Hosting-Customer Services:
In the case of A2 Hosting’s customer support, you will be immediately connected to an agent. Furthermore, they will resolve your issue in minutes as well. But the company prefers its ticketing system to resolve issues. Ultimately, there is a high chance that your problem will get directed toward the ticketing system, which is time-consuming.
HostGator-Customer Services:
Similarly, in the case of HostGator, you will be immediately connected to an agent who can answer all of your questions. So, they will also resolve your problem within a few minutes. Since HostGator does not include a ticketing system, it speeds up the process and takes the crown for the best customer support.
Furthermore, you must remember that your experience with this ‘live chat’ feature depends upon the type of agent you are connected to. So, if you do not prefer the live chat feature, there are several other options that you can choose.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - Security Features:
A2 Hosting is in the driver’s seat regarding security and offers a complete collection of security measures. However, HostGator’s services tend to be on the simpler side.
The free features provided by both hosting sites in their initial plans are below
- Server-level firewalls
- Free SSL certificates
- 2-factor authentication
Likewise, HostGator offers the same freebies; A2 Hosting includes extra safety features.
- HostGator charges an additional $39.99/year for this, but A2 Hosting includes an advanced Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate with all their services at no cost.
- Every A2 Hosting plan, except for Startup, includes daily automated backups. However, you must spend an extra $23.95 annually with HostGator to obtain automated backups.
- DDoS defense, brute force defense, virus scanning, auto-healing, and the Patchman security utility are all included with A2 Hosting. Comparatively, it will cost you an extra $1.99/mo for the first year and then $5.99/mo on average to acquire a somewhat comparable package from HostGator.
In conclusion, A2 Hosting wins the prize for security. So, it is one of the safest web hosting options. Also, the company offers a very comprehensive collection of both fundamental and innovative security protections.
HostGator vs A2 Hosting - Other Features:
You may launch your website with HostGator’s assistance thanks to its unmetered bandwidth, 1-click installations, website builder, free marketing credits, etc. However, you can host one website with HostGator’s entry-level plan and as many as you want with a little more expensive plan.
Regarding features, A2 Hosting maintains a more significant lead over the competition. So, here are several areas where A2 Hosting outperforms HostGator, to name a few:
- Anytime money-back guarantee, within 30 days of signing up, you can ask for a complete refund if you’re unhappy with A2 Hosting. Also, They offer a refund based on any hosting services that are not used.
- A2 Hosting offers a large selection of hosting services, unlike HostGator. For instance, they provide unmanaged, managed, cheap SSD, core, and other servers with their VPS services.
Conclusion:
In this tough HostGator vs A2 Hosting fight, we have to conclude that A2 Hosting has outperformed HostGator on several levels. Also, from extra security features to better value, A2 Hosting has it all. Even though it is a bit expensive, still its features will keep you satisfied with the price.
However, if your focus is on a budget-friendly site, then HostGator will be perfect. And the customer support of HostGator does make it seem a better option. Ultimately, preferring A2 Hosting over HostGator is suggested to the users.
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