HostGator vs iPage: guide for 2024

Final verdict

HostGator vs iPage: Both platforms offer solid website building and hosting solutions, but they cater to slightly different needs.

HostGator (Overall Grade: 6.2/10)

is a versatile website builder and hosting provider, known for its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of customizable templates. It excels in design functionalities, ease of use, and customer support, making it a great choice for beginners and small businesses. HostGator also offers robust ecommerce features and a variety of hosting options, ensuring flexibility and scalability for growing businesses. However, its pricing structure and customer support responsiveness have room for improvement.
iPage (Overall Grade: 6.1/10)

offers a user-friendly platform with a focus on affordability and comprehensive hosting services. It provides a variety of templates and a straightforward drag-and-drop builder, making it accessible for users without technical expertise. iPage stands out with its integrated marketing features, security measures, and AI capabilities, which assist users in efficiently setting up their websites. While iPage’s ecommerce features and design functionalities are slightly less advanced than HostGator’s, it remains a strong contender for small businesses and personal projects looking for a cost-effective solution.

	Overall grade: 6.2	Overall grade: 6.1
Design functionalities & templates	7.9	7.0
Ease of use	8.0	7.6
Ecommerce	6.3	5.7
Website Editors	7.3	6.8
Product testing options	2.6	2.5
Price	6.2	7.3
Hosting quality	8.0	7.7
Website speed optimization	6.2	7.4
Plugins and integrations	7.3	6.3
Marketing features	6.9	7.2
Customer support	7.3	6.9
Security	7.4	7.5
AI capabilities	2.6	3.0
User Management	3.2	3.2

Best for ecommerce

6.3

5.7

Verdict

: HostGator and iPage both cater to small to medium-sized businesses, but HostGator has a slight edge in ecommerce features and scalability.

HostGator

: HostGator’s website builder is designed to help users create professional-looking online stores with ease. It offers secure online payments, unlimited products, and multi-channel inventory management. HostGator’s ecommerce features are robust, making it a suitable choice for businesses looking to expand their online presence. However, it charges a 3% transaction fee on lower-tier plans, which might be a consideration for some users.
iPage

: iPage provides a user-friendly platform with essential ecommerce tools like inventory management, coupon codes, and SEO tools. It supports major payment gateways without additional transaction fees, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious businesses. However, it may lack some advanced customization and scalability features compared to HostGator.

Best for informational & business websites

7.4

7.2

Verdict

: HostGator slightly edges out iPage for informational and business websites, thanks to its comprehensive design functionalities and user-friendly interface.

HostGator

: HostGator is a robust choice for informational and business websites, offering a powerful website builder with a drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the design process. With a score of 7.4, it provides a wide range of customizable templates suitable for various types of websites, including blogs and business sites. HostGator’s extensive template collection and 24/7 customer support make it a reliable option for users looking to establish a professional online presence without technical expertise.
iPage

: iPage, scoring 7.2, is also a strong contender for informational and business websites. It offers a user-friendly platform with a drag-and-drop builder and a variety of templates. iPage’s partnership with Bluehost enhances its hosting capabilities, providing a unified and improved hosting experience. While it may not have as extensive a template selection as HostGator, iPage’s comprehensive services, including hosting and domain registration, make it a solid choice for small businesses and personal projects.

Detailed comparison

7.9

7.0

Winner: HostGator.

With a score of 7.9, HostGator offers a more comprehensive design functionality and template selection compared to iPage, which scored 7.0.

HostGator provides a substantial variety of design templates, catering to different user needs and preferences. It offers over 200 different mobile-friendly themes. Additionally, there’s a separate collection of 4,500 templates available for free download to users hosting their sites on HostGator servers, which are not interchangeable with the site builder’s own templates. This vast collection ensures that users have a wide range of design options to choose from, whether they seek simplicity for a professional presence or more intricate designs for complex websites.

On the other hand, iPage offers a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to users with diverse needs and preferences. With hundreds of options available, ranging from simple and elegant to complex and dynamic, users can easily find a template that suits their specific project or business requirements. These templates are also customizable, allowing for a high degree of personalization in terms of layout, color schemes, and functionality.

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8.0

7.6

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. With a score of 8.0, HostGator’s website builder, Gator, is praised for its user-friendly interface and simplicity, making it a great choice for beginners and small businesses. iPage, scoring slightly lower at 7.6, also offers a user-friendly experience but with somewhat limited design options compared to more advanced website builders.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: iPage

. Both platforms offer a range of learning resources, but iPage stands out with its comprehensive knowledge base, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides covering a wide range of topics. HostGator also provides learning resources, but the availability of direct, personalized support might vary.

Learn HostGator

Learn iPage

6.3

5.7

HostGator and iPage both offer a range of ecommerce features suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. However, HostGator seems to have a slight edge over iPage in terms of the number of products it can handle and the advanced features it offers.


Ecommerce themes and templates	7.0	5.5
Product page customization	6.5	5.0
Payment processing and commissions	6.0	6.0
POS capabilities	5.0	3.0
Payment gateways	5.5	6.5
Product numbers	4.5	4.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	5.5

HostGator ecommerce features:

Secure Online Payments
Unlimited Products
Product Search & Filtering
Wishlists & Gift Cards
Multi-Channel Inventory Management
Shipping Labels

iPage ecommerce features:

Inventory Management and Tracking
Coupon Codes and Promotions
SEO Tools
PayPal Integration

Ecommerce themes & templates

HostGator’s website builder caters to eCommerce needs by offering a broad selection of free templates, all designed with mobile responsiveness in mind. These templates are equipped with essential eCommerce features such as product catalogs and payment processing options. The platform is user-friendly, enabling users to effortlessly create professional-looking online stores tailored to their specific requirements, all without the need for any coding knowledge.

On the other hand, iPage offers a variety of ecommerce-specific templates designed to cater to online stores and businesses. These templates are integrated with features such as shopping carts, product catalogs, and payment processing options to facilitate online transactions. However, the exact number of ecommerce templates available can vary, and users might find some limitations in terms of customization and advanced ecommerce functionalities compared to specialized ecommerce platforms.

Product page customization

HostGator Website Builder offers basic features for customizing product pages, enabling users to add products with details such as name, price, description, and images. It supports product variants and categorization to enhance customer navigation. Advanced settings include inventory management, discount options, and the ability to set products as shippable or downloadable.

iPage’s website builder offers a range of ecommerce product page customization options, allowing users to design their storefronts with various templates, adjust layouts, and incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos to showcase products. Users can also edit product descriptions, manage inventory, and set up different payment options. However, limitations may include less flexibility in advanced customization or coding for those who require unique, highly tailored functionalities beyond the provided templates and settings.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, HostGator Website Builder integrates with PayPal as a payment gateway for processing transactions. The platform charges a 3% transaction fee on Express Store and Express Site plans, no transaction fees are charged on higher Express Store plan.

iPage supports several payment options for eCommerce, including major gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and others, catering to a wide range of currencies and countries. iPage does not charge commissions for transactions, commissions are charged by the gateways themselves. While iPage offers flexibility in online payment processing, it does not explicitly mention integrated POS capabilities for in-person transactions. For billing and subscription payments, iPage accepts credit cards, PayPal, and check or money order, offering diverse payment methods for its users.

7.3

6.8

🏆

Winner: HostGator

. HostGator, with a score of 7.3, offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor, enabling users to easily create and customize their websites without needing any coding knowledge. It provides a wide range of templates that are fully customizable, allowing for the personalization of layouts, colors, and fonts to match the user’s brand identity. Additionally, the editor supports the integration of various multimedia elements like images, videos, and social media links, enhancing the visual appeal and functionality of the website.

Hosgator website editor

iPage’s editor, scoring 6.8, is designed for ease of use, catering to both beginners and those with some web design experience. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily add, remove, and customize elements on their web pages without needing to code. Users can choose from a variety of templates that are responsive and customizable to fit their brand or personal style. Additionally, the editor includes features for adding social media links, integrating e-commerce functionalities, and optimizing for search engines, making it a versatile tool for creating a wide range of websites.

Mobile editor/app

4.0

5.0

🏆

Winner: iPage

. Both HostGator and iPage do not offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, they allow for some level of editing through a mobile browser. This means you can make some changes to your website on the go, although the functionality may be limited compared to the desktop version.

iPage has a slightly higher mobile editor score, indicating that it may offer a better mobile editing experience compared to HostGator. However, it’s important to note that the mobile editing capabilities of both builders may not be as robust as their desktop counterparts. Therefore, for more complex edits and updates, it’s recommended to use the desktop version of the website builder.

2.6

2.5

Overall Result

:

HostGator slightly outperforms iPage

. HostGator scores 2.6, while iPage scores 2.5 in product testing options. Neither HostGator nor iPage offers a free or trial version. However, both allow testing of all features during a 30-day refundable period. HostGator’s money-back guarantee comes with certain exceptions, while iPage offers a straightforward 30-day money-back guarantee.


Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	No	No
Testing Premium Features	Yes, within 30-day refundable period	Yes, within 30-day refundable period
Money Back Guarantee	30-day with exceptions	Straightforward 30-day

6.2

7.3

iPage offers a higher price score, indicating better value for money compared to HostGator.

	Offerings	Offerings
$10-$14	Express Start ($12.95/month): Includes hosting, basic analytics dashboard, 3 email campaigns per month, up to 3 products. Value for price: 6.0	No offering at this amount.
$14-$20	Express Site ($14.98/month): Offers hosting, advanced analytics dashboard, 5 email campaigns per month, up to 10 products. Value for price: 7.0	Basic ($15.99/month): Simple website or blog, 1 website, 10 GB SSD, free domain, managed WordPress, free SSL for 1st year. Value for price: 6.5
$20-$30	Express Store ($26.98/month): Comprehensive plan including hosting, advanced analytics dashboard, 10 email campaigns per month, unlimited products. Value for price: 8.5	Choice Plus ($27.99/month): Multiple sites with storage, security, backups, 3 websites, 40 GB SSD, daily backups, domain privacy, malware scanning. Value for price: 7.5
$30-$34	No offering at this amount.	Online Store ($32.99/month): Online selling with eCommerce tools, 3 websites, 40 GB SSD, store features like unlimited products and secure payments. Value for price: 8.0
$34+	No offering at this amount.	Pro ($34.99/month): High traffic sites, advanced storage, 5 websites, 100 GB SSD, optimized for high traffic, enhanced security and backups. Value for Price: 9.0

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

8.0

7.7

🏆

Winner: HostGator

HostGator offers a wider variety of hosting types, including shared, managed WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting, and guarantees a 99.9% uptime. iPage, while offering a range of affordable hosting services, does not provide an uptime guarantee. Both builders offer unlimited storage and bandwidth, but HostGator’s broader range of hosting options gives it the edge.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, offers four main types of hosting: shared, managed WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting	Yes, offers a range of affordable hosting services including shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting
Data Centers:	4 data centers: US(Texas, Utah), India(Mumbai), China(Hong Kong)	2 data centers: US, Europe
Type of hosting:	Shared, Managed WordPress, VPS, Dedicated	Managed WordPress Hosting
Uptime:	99.9%	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	No

6.2

7.4

🏆 Winner: iPage

Both HostGator and iPage prioritize website performance and page speed, but iPage has a slight edge in terms of website speed optimization.


Focus	Browser Caching, CDN	Web Server optimizations, Caching, CDN, Database optimization, SEO optimization
Performance Tools	Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights	Google PageSpeed Insights Integration
Key Strategies	Browser Caching, CDN	Web Server optimizations, Caching, CDN, Database optimization, SEO optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity and the chosen hosting plan	2.6s average
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity and the chosen hosting plan	72/100 average
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	LCP, FID, CLS improvements

iPage has a comprehensive approach to website speed optimization, including web server optimizations, caching, content distribution networks (CDN), database optimization, and SEO optimization. The average load time for iPage websites is 2.6 seconds, and the average PageSpeed score is 72/100. iPage also focuses on improving Core Web Vitals (CWV), including Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

HostGator, on the other hand, focuses on browser caching and CDN for speed optimization. The load times and PageSpeed scores for HostGator websites vary widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity, and the chosen hosting plan. HostGator also provides guidance on understanding and improving CWV for websites, with an emphasis on LCP, FID, and CLS improvements.

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7.3

6.3

🏆 Winner: HostGator.

With a score of 7.3, HostGator offers a wider range of plugins and integrations than iPage, which scores 6.3. HostGator’s plugins, known as apps, cater to diverse needs such as advertising, website analytics, integrating social media, managing appointments, and conducting email marketing. On the other hand, iPage offers a variety of plugins and extensions, with options ranging from SEO tools to security enhancements. However, the breadth and depth of HostGator’s offerings give it the upper hand.

Hostgator plugins

6.9

7.2

🏆

Overall Winner: iPage

. iPage edges out HostGator with a slightly higher marketing features score, indicating more advanced or effective features in this area. Both platforms offer a range of marketing tools, but iPage’s integrated email marketing and comprehensive analytics and reporting tools give it the edge.


SEO Tools
Email Marketing	Yes, on higher plans
Blogging
Social Media Integration		Integrated social media buttons and features
Analytics and Reporting	Yes, Google Analytics integration on higher plans	Option to integrate Google Analytics
Ads and Promotions	Yes, Google Ads and Bing Ads integration	Offers SEO, social media integration, email marketing, and promotional discounts

7.3

6.9

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. In the HostGator vs iPage comparison, HostGator takes the lead with a customer support score of 7.3. HostGator offers 24/7 support through various channels, including email, phone (with toll-free, local, and international numbers), and live chat, ensuring that users can get assistance whenever they need it. This comprehensive support system is designed to cater to the global needs of their customers and ensure website uptime.

iPage, while also providing 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and live chat, scores slightly lower at 6.9. Despite offering round-the-clock assistance, iPage’s support services are not as highly rated as HostGator’s. However, iPage still provides a reliable support system for users, ensuring they can receive help at any time of the day.

7.4

7.5

🏆

Winner: iPage

. Both HostGator and iPage offer robust security measures, including SiteLock for malware scanning and protection against various threats. However, iPage edges out HostGator with a slightly higher security score and the addition of Domain Privacy Protection. This feature shields personal information from being publicly accessible in the WHOIS directory, providing an added layer of privacy and security for domain registrants. This could be a deciding factor for users who prioritize privacy.

2.6

3.0


AI Builder	Basic AI capabilities in the new website builder	AI-powered website builder for efficient setup
AI Ecommerce features
AI Content Generation
Additional AI features	Basic features in the new AI website builder	Assisting users in setting up their websites efficiently

🏆 Winner: iPage

. With a score of 3.0, iPage’s AI capabilities are slightly better than HostGator’s, which scored 2.6. iPage’s AI-powered website builder assists users in setting up their websites efficiently, while HostGator’s new website builder with AI technologies offers only basic AI capabilities.

iPage AI feature

3.2

No Clear Winner

. Both HostGator and iPage have limited multi-user functionality.

HostGator mentions the possibility of having multiple users for its hosting solutions, but it’s unclear whether these users can edit websites built with their website builder.
iPage’s website builder offers very limited multi-user functionality and access levels compared to more sophisticated website builder platforms.

Unfortunately, neither platform provides detailed information about user roles and access levels.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

HostGator

244 reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars

iPage

0 reviews

0 out of 5 stars

HostGator’s website builder receives mixed reviews from users, highlighting both its strengths and areas for improvement. Users appreciate the platform for its ease of use, making it accessible even for novices to build professional-looking websites, and for its range of web services that facilitate website creation and management, including domain registration and SSL certificates. However, concerns are raised regarding its customer support, which is often described as slow or unresponsive, potentially impacting users requiring timely assistance. Additionally, some users find the pricing structure to be high, particularly for small-scale developers or those needing only basic services.

iPage, while not reviewed on G2, is known for its user-friendly web hosting and site builder platform. It offers templates and a drag-and-drop builder to simplify website creation for those without technical expertise. iPage targets small businesses and personal projects, providing comprehensive services including hosting, domain registration, and e-commerce solutions. Its recent partnership with Bluehost aims to enhance its hosting capabilities and offer improved pricing plans, making it a competitive option in the HostGator vs iPage comparison.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which is better for beginners, HostGator or iPage?

HostGator is generally better for beginners due to its user-friendly website builder, Gator, which scores higher in ease of use. It offers a drag-and-drop interface and a wide range of customizable templates, making it simple for users with no technical background to create professional-looking websites.

Can I use HostGator and iPage for ecommerce?

Yes, both platforms can be used for ecommerce. HostGator slightly outperforms iPage in ecommerce capabilities, offering features like unlimited products, secure online payments, and comprehensive inventory management. iPage provides essential ecommerce features and is a viable option for those prioritizing budget-friendly solutions.

How do HostGator and iPage compare in terms of website speed and performance?

iPage has a slight edge over HostGator in website speed optimization. iPage focuses on web server optimizations, caching, and content distribution networks (CDN) to improve website performance, boasting an average load time of 2.6 seconds and a PageSpeed score of 72/100.

Which platform offers better customer support, HostGator or iPage?

HostGator edges out iPage in customer support, with a higher score reflecting its responsiveness and efficiency. Both platforms offer 24/7 support through various channels, but HostGator’s support is often praised for its quality.

Are there any significant differences in the pricing and value between HostGator and iPage?

iPage offers better value for money, with a higher price score indicating more competitive pricing and offerings. iPage’s plans are generally more affordable, making it an attractive option for users looking for cost-effective solutions without compromising essential features.