HostGator vs A2 Hosting — Which Web Host Should You Get?

HostGator and A2 Hosting are two of the most well-established names in the industry. 

Both boast incredible services and packages. It’s no wonder it can be tough to pick just one when you’re deciding which provider should host your website. 

Now, HostGator is much more popular compared to A2 Hosting. But does popularity equal reliability? 

To find out, we’re going to walk you through a HostGator vs A2 Hosting comparison review. With this, you’ll be able to see which provider offers the best hosting for YOU. 

So let’s get started! 

HostGator vs A2 Hosting - An Overview

A2 Hosting was founded in 2001, making them one of the older hosting providers in the industry. In 2003, they rebranded and changed their name to what we now know them as today - A2 Hosting. 

The company is famous for its lightning-fast speed and exceptional security and reliability. If you’re looking to increase your rankings and client satisfaction ratings, they’re your best option. 

Here are the pros and cons to A2 Hosting:

HostGator, on the other hand, was established a little later than A2 Hosting, by a student from Florida Atlantic University in 2002. The company is considered to be one of the biggest in the industry and offers somewhat similar services to A2 Hosting. 

In 2012, this provider was bought by Endurance International Group, the same company that handles BlueHost, iPage, and Constant Contract. 

Here are the pros and cons of HostGator:

HostGator vs A2 Hosting: A Side by Side Comparison

To compare both web hosts, we’ll look at their: 

• Uptime and Performance
• Products, Prices, and Features
• Ease of Use
• Customer Support and Security

Now, let’s look at the details.

Uptime and Performance

A2 Hosting boasts an average loading speed of 288 ms (August 2023) and uptime of 100% (August 2023). You can rest assured that your viewers will stay satisfied with your website. Furthermore, you can avail of their Turbo feature, allowing up to 20x faster speed. 

However, if you decide to go with HostGator, you can still expect reliable service. With an uptime average of 99.89% (August 2023) and a loading speed of 614 ms (August 2023), you can trust that this is still a really good score. 

You don’t have to worry about your site crashing and/or driving away your audience.  

Products, Prices, and Features

Both HostGator and A2 Hosting offer the same products. That is Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and Reseller Hosting.

Still, despite their similarities, there are several differences to note. 

For instance, A2 Hosting Shared Hosting plan is slightly cheaper compared to HostGator’s, coming at around $1.99/month. Plus, they also offer features that HostGator just doesn’t have, such as:

• Website staging
• On-demand backup and restore
• Auto updates
• Brute force defense
• Virus scanning
• Free website migration

A2 Hosting also lets you choose from 4 servers to store your data, making it more convenient for you to target a specific group of people/audience. 

On the flipside, HostGator does have some noteworthy features. 

For example, they have a 45-day money-back guarantee for their services, which is more than what the normal provider would allow. They also give you unmetered bandwidth and storage, so you don’t have to worry about constantly upgrading your plan.

What’s more, they have exceptionally flexible packages, so whatever your budget is, rest assured that HostGator can accommodate it. 

Ease of Use

A2 Hosting makes it slightly confusing to checkout. 

How? 

Well, they bombard you with dozens of “essential” add ons that they don’t clearly specify as optional — the same goes with HostGator. 

This can lead to users accidentally buying services they don’t need. 

So, when you’re signing up, make sure to read everything, including the fine print. 

In terms of the control panel, both providers offer intuitive and easy solutions. 

HostGator uses the industry-standard cPanel, while A2 Hosting gives you a choice between traditional cPanel and Plesk. 

Check out how easy it is to get started with A2 down below:

Customer Support and Security

A2 Hosting is more transparent about its security efforts with clients. Aside from the default SSL certificates and SSH access, the company offers an extra layer of protection through services like KernelCare, HackScan, Fail2ban, and more. 

HostGator, on the other hand, isn’t as obvious with their efforts. The company offers clients SSL certificates and SSH access. You can get SiteLock at an extra cost, but aside from that, there’s nothing special about their security services. 

In terms of customer support, both providers offer 24/7 assistance. However, HostGator is slightly more reliable than A2 Hosting. Their agents answer almost immediately via live chat. They also have a knowledge base and blog that can help you solve issues in a pinch. 

HostGator on the other hand offers slightly better support, putting both hosts tied here.

HostGator vs A2 Hosting: The Verdict

As you can see, popularity isn’t the most accurate representation of reliable service. 

A2 Hosting — despite being the least known of the two — has multitudes of valuable services and features that can help users build a stable and strong online presence. The same goes for HostGator. 

Still, you should go with the provider that gives you the most satisfaction and ease. If you feel like that’s HostGator or A2 Hosting then, by all means, go with what feels best for you. The important thing is that your needs are accommodated and your goals are met. 

Good luck!