In today’s comparison review, we’ll be putting HostGator up against HostMetro.
HostGator | HostMetro | |
Owner | Endurance International Group (EIG) | Privately owned |
Basic Plan | Hatchling Plan | Mega Max Plan |
Price | $2.75/mo | $2.95/mo |
Free Domain? | Yes | Yes |
Average Uptime | 99.89% (August 2023) | 92.12% (August 2023) |
Average Speed | 614 ms (August 2023) | 844 ms (August 2023) |
One-Click WordPress Installation? | Yes | Yes |
Free SSL? | Yes | No |
Number of Sites | 1 | Unlimited |
Free Email? | Yes | Yes |
Free Backup? | No | No |
Moneyback Guarantee | 45-days | 30-days |
Support Channels | 24/7/365 call, chat, tweet, knowledge base, blog, fax, video guide | 24/7/365 live chat and phone, email, knowledge base |
Control Panel | cPanel | cPanel |
Space | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Free CDN? | No | No |
Migration Services | Yes | Yes |
Overall Rating | 3.7/5 stars in TrustPilot (based on 1,655 reviews) | 3.3/5 stars in TrustPilot (based on 5 reviews) |
Get Hosting | ||
Other Plans | WordPress Hosting, VPS Hosting, Reseller Hosting, Dedicated Servers | -- |
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Which web host is better?
Let’s find out below!
HostGator vs HostMetro - A Side by Side Comparison
We’ll be comparing both hosts based on the following:
Uptime and performance
Migration services
Products and features
Security
Pricing
Customer Support
Verdict
Without further ado, let the comparison begin!
Uptime and Performance
HostGator holds an impressive uptime average of 99.89% (August 2023). HostMetro doesn’t match that but is still good enough with an average of [hostmetroup].
For both providers, if the annual uptime average is below 99.9%, they give a free month of hosting credited back to your account.
However, if an unfortunate event has caused downtime on your site, this won’t be part of the uptime average calculation.
When it comes to speeds, HostGator has a FAST loading time average of 614 ms (August 2023). Meanwhile, HostMetro almost matches that average with 844 ms (August 2023).
WINNER: HostGator. Though both offer excellent uptime and performance, HostGator edges HostMetro by only a bit with better averages.
Migration Services
Both providers offer FREE migration services.
However, with HostMetro, there’s a catch. You can transfer your site for FREE if it doesn’t exceed the maximum 3GB cap.
If you aren’t able to meet HostMetro’s guidelines, you can purchase their premium site transfer service. This costs a one-time fee of $29.99.
Moreover, the site migration needs to be requested within 30 days after you’ve created an account. The same goes for HostGator.
WINNER: HostGator. The free migration services from HostGator slightly beats HostMetro’s 3GB limit. Although not all websites will exceed this limit, HostMetro’s premium offer will cost you more or less $30. With HostGator, you don’t need to worry about all that.
Products and Features
HostMetro’s cheapest Mega Max Plan will get you a free domain name for a year, unlimited websites and emails, as well as unlimited bandwidth and storage space. That’s a lot of unlimited features.
HostGator’s cheapest plan comes with a 1-year free domain name, one-click installation of popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, and more, unmetered bandwidth, unlimited storage, and a free SSL certificate.
And if you want more features, you can add on site backups, Gmail access, SiteLock Monitoring, and SEO tools for a few extra $.
The one thing that HostMetro lacks, though, is products. They only offer Shared Hosting, while HostGator has Shared, WordPress, VPS, Dedicated, and Reseller Hosting available.
WINNER: Tie. When it comes to the features, both HostGator and HostMetro don’t back down. They provide a lot of freebies and unlimited goodies in their most basic plans.
Security
Regular backups and site protection are VERY important.
HostGator’s Shared Hosting plans offer great security features such as free SSL and SiteLock monitoring that will run daily. This is vital for potential site breaches and hackers.
The SiteLock feature will cost you a little extra, though, priced at $1.99/mo or $23.88/yr.
What’s more, you can get daily backups for only $2/mo. This is great if you want the latest version of your website secured.
HostMetro, on the other hand, has a backup service that only runs once a month, which isn’t the most ideal. Moreover, they will only backup 1GB of size.
If you want weekly backups, it’ll cost you an extra $19.95/yr. And even then, you’ll need to pay $39.95 to restore any backup.
And what we don’t like about HostMetro is that they don’t even offer free SSL, which is the most basic security feature.
WINNER: HostGator. You’re offered a lot of add-on security features from both hosts. However, HostGator is our winner as they provide the most basic feature for FREE, which is the SSL certificate.
Pricing
HostGator’s basic Hatching Plan starts at $2.75/mo. They also offer upgraded plans such as the Baby Plan at $3.50/mo and the Business Plan at $5.25/mo.
On the other hand, HostMetro has 2 Shared Hosting plans, Mega Max Plan at $2.95/mo and the Super Max Plan at $6.95/mo.
As for money-back guarantees, HostGator goes above and beyond with a 45-day guarantee, while HostMetro sticks to the standard 30-days.
WINNER: HostGator. Though it isn’t by much, HostGator has the cheaper option for Shared Hosting. In addition to this, they offer a longer money-back guarantee.
Customer Support
Seeking assistance is necessary when it comes to web hosts. You’ll have to inquire about building your site, migration services, plans and fees, and whatnot.
Well, HostGator and HostMetro promise 24/7 support via live chat, phone, email, and knowledge base. So you can be sure that they’re always there to help you out.
WINNER: Tie. These two web hosting providers offer decent customer support that’s available at all times.
Verdict
Winners board:
Uptime and Performance | HostGator |
Migration Services | HostGator |
Products and Features | Tie |
Security | HostGator |
Pricing | HostGator |
Customer Support | Tie |
HostGator has taken 4 out of 6 categories on our comparison.
One of the most popular web hosts today, it’s no doubt that they offer reliable and quality services. And they are a perfect partner for your hosting needs.
Not to take anything away from HostMetro, of course. Despite being lesser-known, they are still able to somewhat keep up with HostGator, especially in the features area.