Web hosting · head to head

HostGator vs Hosting.com

What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.

HostGator and Hosting.com at a glance
Fact	HostGator	Hosting.com
From	$3.75/mo	$1.99/mo
Renews at	$10.99/mo	$13.99/mo
Free plan	No · No free plan or trial; 30-day money-back guarantee (not on monthly terms)	No · No free plan or trial; 30-day money-back guarantee
Best for	Many small sites on a 3-year budget	The lowest upfront cost on a long term
Checked	Oct 18, 2026	Oct 18, 2026
Website	Visit	Visit

The difference in short

Hosting.com costs less to start: $1.99/mo against $3.75/mo for HostGator.
After the first term, HostGator's cheapest plan renews at $10.99/mo and Hosting.com's at $13.99/mo.
Neither has a free plan; you pay from the start.
HostGator is best for many small sites on a 3-year budget; Hosting.com for the lowest upfront cost on a long term.

HostGator plans and prices
Plan	Price	Renews at	Specs / includes	Notes
Hatchling	$3.75/mo	$10.99/mo	10 GB SSD	36-month term, $135.00 upfront. 12-month term: $4.21/mo ($50.49). Monthly: $12.95. Free domain for the first year on 12-month or longer terms.
Baby	$4.50/mo	$16.49/mo	20 GB SSD	36-month term, $162.00 upfront. Labelled 'Recommended'. 12-month term: $5.10/mo ($61.20). Monthly: $13.95.
Business	$6.25/mo	$21.99/mo	50 GB SSD	36-month term, $225.00 upfront. 12-month term: $7.01/mo ($84.15). Monthly: $18.95. Free domain privacy for the first year.
Pro	$13.95/mo	$29.69/mo	100 GB SSD	36-month term, $502.20 upfront. 12-month term: $16.11/mo ($193.29). Monthly: $34.99.

Hosting.com plans and prices
Plan	Price	Renews at	Specs / includes	Notes
Starter	$1.99/mo	$13.99/mo	15 GB NVMe	48-month term, $95.49 upfront. 36-month term: $2.49/mo. Free domain and SSL; daily backups.
Pro	$3.79/mo	$19.99/mo	50 GB NVMe	48-month term, $181.93 upfront. 36-month term: $3.99/mo. Adds staging sites and Node.js support.
Max	$7.79/mo	$27.99/mo	100 GB NVMe	48-month term, $373.90 upfront. 36-month term: $7.99/mo. Adds a premium SSL certificate and priority support.

The $3.75 price needs a 36-month prepay and renews at $10.99/month
Chat-only support on Hatchling, and a $17.99 domain fee if you cancel in the first year

The $1.99 price needs a 4-year prepay ($95.49) and renews at $13.99/month
Staging sites and Node.js start on Pro ($3.79/month on 4 years, renews at $19.99)

Cheapest first where the prices compare.

Which is cheaper, HostGator or Hosting.com?

Hosting.com costs less to start: $1.99/mo against $3.75/mo for HostGator. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.

Do HostGator and Hosting.com have a free plan?

HostGator: No. 30-day money-back guarantee; not for monthly terms or renewals. Hosting.com: No. 30-day money-back guarantee.

What else should I compare with HostGator and Hosting.com?

Other web hosting options we've checked: Namecheap ($2.28/mo), DreamHost ($2.89/mo), GreenGeeks ($2.95/mo), Hostinger ($2.99/mo).

Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work