Web hosting · head to head
HostGator vs Hostinger
What each costs, whether there's a free plan, and what each is best for, from prices checked on their own sites.
| Fact |  HostGator |  Hostinger |
|---|---|---|
| From | $3.75/mo | $2.99/mo |
| Renews at | $10.99/mo | $10.99/mo |
| Free plan | No · No free plan or trial; 30-day money-back guarantee (not on monthly terms) | Yes · 14-day free trial of the builder; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Best for | Many small sites on a 3-year budget | The lowest price if you commit for four years |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
| Website | Visit | Visit |
The difference in short
- Hostinger costs less to start: $2.99/mo against $3.75/mo for HostGator.
- After the first term, HostGator's cheapest plan renews at $10.99/mo and Hostinger's at $10.99/mo.
- Only Hostinger has a free plan, trial or credit.
- HostGator is best for many small sites on a 3-year budget; Hostinger for the lowest price if you commit for four years.
HostGator pricing
All about HostGator| 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. |
Hostinger pricing
All about Hostinger| Plan | Price | Renews at | Specs / includes | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KVM 1 | $6.49/mo | $11.99/mo | 1 vCPU · 4 GB RAM · 50 GB NVMe | paid upfront; intro price shown (67% off list $19.49/mo). Initial term length is not stated on the VPS page. Page says 'Renews at $11.99/mo for 2 years. Cancel anytime.' Free domain for 1 year, free weekly backups. |
| KVM 2 | $8.99/mo | $14.99/mo | 2 vCPU · 8 GB RAM · 100 GB NVMe | paid upfront; intro price (63% off list $24.49/mo); initial term length not stated. Labelled 'Most popular'. Renews at $14.99/mo for 2 years. |
| KVM 4 | $12.99/mo | $28.99/mo | 4 vCPU · 16 GB RAM · 200 GB NVMe | paid upfront; intro price (70% off list $42.99/mo); initial term length not stated. Renews at $28.99/mo for 2 years (2.2x the intro price). |
| KVM 8 | $25.99/mo | $49.99/mo | 8 vCPU · 32 GB RAM · 400 GB NVMe | paid upfront; intro price (65% off list $73.99/mo); initial term length not stated. Renews at $49.99/mo for 2 years. |
| Premium (web hosting) | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | 20 GB SSD | 48-month term, $143.52 paid upfront (list $575.52, 75% off). Free domain 1st year, 30-day money-back guarantee. Monthly payment exists per FAQ but its price was not read. |
| Unlimited (web hosting) | $3.99/mo | $16.99/mo | 50 GB NVMe | 48-month term, $191.52 paid upfront (list $911.52, 79% off). There is NO plan called 'Business' on the current page. The plan lineup is Premium / Unlimited / Cloud Startup, so 'Unlimited' appears to be the replacement for Business. |
What's good, and what to watch for
HostGator
- Hatchling allows 10 websites with 10 GB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth
- Free domain for the first year on 12- to 36-month terms, plus free SSL
- Free Cloudflare CDN, malware scanning, a firewall and DDoS protection
- 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
Hostinger
- Premium allows 3 websites with 20 GB SSD storage
- Free domain for 1 year and a free SSL certificate installed automatically
- Free weekly backups and 2 mailboxes per website, free for 1 year
- The $2.99 price needs a 48-month prepay and renews at $10.99/month
- Weekly backups only on Premium; daily backups start on Unlimited
- Intro prices are paid upfront and renew higher: KVM 1 renews at $11.99/month
Other web hosting options
Cheapest first where the prices compare.
Hosting.com
Namecheap
DreamHost
GreenGeeksFAQ
Which is cheaper, HostGator or Hostinger?
Hostinger costs less to start: $2.99/mo against $3.75/mo for HostGator. Prices checked Oct 18, 2026 on each company's own site.
Do HostGator and Hostinger have a free plan?
HostGator: No. 30-day money-back guarantee; not for monthly terms or renewals. Hostinger: 14-day free trial of the builder; 30-day money-back guarantee.
What else should I compare with HostGator and Hostinger?
Other web hosting options we've checked: Hosting.com ($1.99/mo), Namecheap ($2.28/mo), DreamHost ($2.89/mo), GreenGeeks ($2.95/mo).
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Built from the prices and facts we checked on each company's own site. We haven't tested either hands-on.How we work