HostGator vs Sellfy: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

HostGator and Sellfy both offer unique advantages, but they cater to different user needs.

• 
  HostGator (Overall Grade: 6.2/10)
  
  is a versatile website builder and hosting platform that excels in providing a wide range of customizable templates and a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor. It is particularly suitable for users looking for a comprehensive web hosting solution with robust security features and extensive customer support. When comparing HostGator vs Sellfy, HostGator stands out for its design flexibility and ease of use, making it a strong choice for beginners and small businesses.
• 
  Sellfy (Overall Grade: 6.0/10)
  
  is an all-in-one ecommerce platform tailored for creators and small businesses looking to sell digital, physical, subscription-based, and print-on-demand products. It offers a simple, user-friendly interface and a quick setup process, making it ideal for those who prioritize ease of use and efficient ecommerce management. In the HostGator vs Sellfy comparison, Sellfy shines with its focus on simplifying the ecommerce process and providing a comprehensive set of tools for managing and scaling online businesses.

	Overall grade: 6.2	Overall grade: 6.0
Design functionalities & templates	7.9	5.2
Ease of use	8.0	7.8
Ecommerce	6.3	6.8
Website Editors	7.3	6.8
Product testing options	2.6	7.3
Price	6.2	7.9
Hosting quality	8.0	7.3
Website speed optimization	6.2	5.4
Plugins and integrations	7.3	6.7
Marketing features	6.9	7.1
Customer support	7.3	5.8
Security	7.4	7.2
AI capabilities	2.6	0
User Management	3.2	2.0

Best for ecommerce

6.3

6.8

Verdict

: HostGator is suitable for users who need a robust website builder with ecommerce capabilities, while Sellfy is ideal for creators looking for a simple, all-in-one ecommerce platform.

• 
  HostGator
  
  : With a best for ecommerce score of 6.3, HostGator offers a powerful website builder tool with ecommerce features such as product management, inventory tracking, secure payment gateways, and options for shipping and tax calculations. However, it has limitations on the number of products in lower-tier plans, making it less suitable for larger stores. HostGator is a good choice for users who need a versatile website builder with ecommerce capabilities.
• 
  Sellfy
  
  : Scoring slightly higher at 6.8, Sellfy is tailored for creators looking to sell a wide array of products, including digital, physical, subscription-based, and print-on-demand items. Its user-friendly interface allows for quick setup of an online store without advanced technical skills. However, its simplicity may limit customization and advanced marketing capabilities, making it less suitable for businesses looking to scale. Sellfy is ideal for creators who need a straightforward ecommerce platform.

Best for informational & business websites

7.4

5.7

• 
  HostGator
  
  : HostGator excels in providing a user-friendly website builder with a drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for users to create and customize their websites. With a wide variety of templates and robust customer support, HostGator is well-suited for informational business websites. It scores 7.4 in this category, reflecting its strong capabilities in design and ease of use.
• 
  Sellfy
  
  : While Sellfy is primarily an eCommerce platform, it can be used for informational sites. However, it lacks the extensive design and customization options that HostGator offers. Sellfy’s focus on simplifying the eCommerce process makes it less ideal for purely informational websites. It scores 5.7 in this category, indicating that it may not be the best fit for businesses looking to create detailed and visually rich informational sites.

Detailed comparison

7.9

5.2

🏆

Winner: HostGator.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers a wide variety of templates and design, significant customization flexibility, and advanced creative design possibilities, HostGator is the preferred choice.

HostGator website builder 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.

Compared to HostGator, Sellfy provides a collection of design templates through its theme store, located in the Store Customizer. Users have the option to preview these themes before applying them to their websites. As of the latest information, Sellfy offers five main theme options: Lumiére, Noir, Savant, Idée, and Mode. These themes cater to various aesthetic preferences and can be published to go live on a user’s website after selection and customization.

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8.0

7.8

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. Scoring a solid 8.0, HostGator stands out for its user-friendly interface, making it exceptionally easy for beginners to create and manage their websites. Sellfy, with a score of 7.8, offers a robust platform but with a slightly steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, HostGator is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, HostGator goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

6.3

6.8

When it comes to ecommerce, both HostGator and Sellfy offer a range of features to help users set up and manage their online stores. However, they cater to different needs and audiences.

HostGator, with an ecommerce score of 6.3, is a well-known web hosting company that also offers a powerful website builder tool. It includes ecommerce features such as product management, inventory tracking, secure payment gateways, and options for shipping and tax calculations. However, on lower Express Start and Express Site plans there’s a significant limit on the number of products: 3 and 10 respectively, and unlimited number of products on higher Express Store plan.

Sellfy, scoring slightly higher at 6.8, is an all-in-one ecommerce platform tailored for creators looking to sell a wide array of products including digital, physical, subscription-based, and print-on-demand items. It offers a simple, user-friendly interface that allows for quick setup of an online store without necessitating advanced technical skills. However, its simplicity may limit customization and advanced marketing capabilities, making it less suitable for businesses looking to scale or requiring in-depth analytics and integrations.

Ecommerce score	6.3	6.8

HostGator ecommerce features:

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

Sellfy ecommerce features:

• Product Listings
• Payment Gateways integration
• Product categories

Themes & templates

When it comes to themes and templates, HostGator offers 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. On the other hand, all the templates of Sellfy are designed for online stores, indicating a strong focus on ecommerce.

Product page customization

In terms of product page customization, HostGator 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. Sellfy supports a diverse range of products including digital goods like music, videos, ebooks, and software, as well as physical products and print-on-demand merchandise such as t-shirts and mugs. The platform enables the sale of subscriptions, offering a means for recurring revenue.

Payment processing

For payment processing, HostGator 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. Sellfy supports two primary payment gateways, Stripe and PayPal, allowing for various payment options including credit/debit cards and localized payment methods in Europe. The platform does not charge transaction fees beyond its subscription cost, though payment processors’ standard fees apply.

In conclusion, while both platforms offer robust ecommerce capabilities, Sellfy seems to have a slight edge over HostGator in terms of ecommerce score and the range of products it supports. However, the choice between the two would ultimately depend on the specific needs and requirements of the user.

7.3

6.8

🏆

Winner: HostGator

. With a score of 7.3, HostGator’s website builder 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.

Sellfy, scoring 6.8, offers a straightforward and user-friendly platform for creating online stores, focusing on simplicity over advanced customization. It supports the sale of digital, physical, subscription-based, and print-on-demand products, alongside integrated marketing tools for promotion and sales optimization. Despite some limitations in design customization and app integrations, Sellfy aims to provide a comprehensive e-commerce solution for entrepreneurs and creators.

Mobile editor/app

4.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: Sellfy

. Both HostGator and Sellfy offer mobile capabilities, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. HostGator does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, but it is possible to make some small changes using a mobile browser. This might be limiting for users who want to manage their websites on the go.

Sellfy, on the other hand, offers a mobile app that enables store owners to manage their online stores on the go. It provides functionalities such as viewing store performance metrics, managing and tracking orders, and receiving customized notifications. Users can also access summary reports of their store’s performance on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. However, it’s not possible to change the layout or the design of the website itself.

In summary, Sellfy receives a higher rating due to its dedicated mobile app and the ability to manage the store on the go, while HostGator’s mobile capabilities are limited to making small changes via a mobile browser.

2.6

7.3

Overall Result

:

Sellfy Wins

. Sellfy scores 7.3, significantly higher than HostGator’s 2.6. Sellfy offers a 14-day free trial, during which users can test all premium features. HostGator, on the other hand, does not offer a free or trial version, but allows users to test all features within a 30-day refundable period.

Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	No	14 days
Testing Premium Features	Within 30-day refundable period	During the free trial

6.2

7.9

Sellfy offers better value for money compared to HostGator, as reflected in its higher price score.

Both builders offer discounts on annual billing, with HostGator offering up to 80% off and Sellfy offering a 20% discount. Neither of the builders have enterprise plans.

	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	No offering at this amount.
$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	Starter ($29/month): Ideal for growing businesses with sales up to $10k/year. Offers unlimited products, digital and subscription products, domain connection, and 2,000 email credits. Annual savings available. Value for Price: 7.5
$70-$80	No offering at this amount.	Business ($79/month): Targets businesses with up to $50k in yearly sales, offering everything in the Starter plan plus 10,000 email credits, product and store design migration, product upselling, cart abandonment tools, and Sellfy branding removal. Value for Price: 8.0
$100+	No offering at this amount.	Premium ($159/month): For businesses with up to $200k/year in sales. Includes everything in the Business plan plus 50,000 email credits, product migration, and priority support. Annual savings are also offered. Value for Price: 8.5

8.0

7.3

🏆

Winner: HostGator

HostGator offers a variety of hosting types, including shared, managed WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting, and guarantees a 99.9% uptime. Sellfy, while having a higher uptime of 99.99%, does not disclose its hosting type or data center locations and does not offer an uptime guarantee. This lack of transparency and guarantee gives HostGator the edge in this category.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes	Yes
Data Centers:	4 data centers: US(Texas, Utah), India(Mumbai), China(Hong Kong)	Sellfy does not disclose the locations of its data centers
Type of hosting:	Shared, Managed WordPress, VPS, Dedicated	Sellfy does not disclose the hosting type
Uptime:	99.9%	99.99%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	No

6.2

5.4

🏆 Winner: HostGator

Both HostGator and Sellfy have strategies in place for website speed optimization, but HostGator takes the lead with a higher score and a more comprehensive approach to Core Web Vitals improvements.

Focus	Browser Caching, CDN	Code Minification, Caching, Image Optimization
Performance Tools	Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights	Google PageSpeed Insights
Key Strategies	Browser Caching, CDN	Code Minification, Caching, Image Optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization, website complexity and the chosen hosting plan	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, dependent on optimization, website complexity and the chosen hosting plan	Varies depending on optimization and website complexity
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	No information provided

HostGator, a well-known web hosting company, also offers a powerful website builder tool. It focuses on browser caching and CDN for speed optimization. The load times and PageSpeed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity, and the chosen hosting plan. HostGator provides guidance on understanding and improving Core Web Vitals (CWV) for websites, with an emphasis on LCP, FID, and CLS improvements.

On the other hand, Sellfy, an all-in-one eCommerce platform, focuses on code minification, caching, and image optimization for speed optimization. However, the load times and PageSpeed scores vary depending on optimization and website complexity. Sellfy does not provide any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements.

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7.3

6.7

🏆 Winner: HostGator.

With a score of 7.3, HostGator offers a wide range of plugins, known as apps, accessible via their app market. These apps cater to diverse needs such as advertising, website analytics, integrating social media, managing appointments, and conducting email marketing. On the other hand, Sellfy, with a score of 6.7, offers various integrations for its website builder, including Google Analytics, Facebook Live Chat, Zapier, and social media advertising tools. However, the broader range of functionalities provided by HostGator gives it an edge over Sellfy in this category.

6.9

7.1

🏆

Overall Winner: Sellfy

. Sellfy edges out HostGator with a slightly higher score, offering a comprehensive set of tools for creators to manage, market, and scale their online business effectively. However, HostGator also offers a robust set of marketing features, making it a strong contender.

SEO Tools
Email Marketing	On higher plans
Blogging
Social Media Integration
Analytics and Reporting	Google Analytics integration on higher plans
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads and Bing Ads integration

7.3

5.8

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. In the HostGator vs Sellfy comparison, HostGator takes the lead with its robust customer support offerings. HostGator provides 24/7 support through multiple channels, including email, phone, and live chat, ensuring users can get help whenever they need it. This comprehensive support system is highly valued by users, contributing to its higher customer support score of 7.3.

Sellfy, on the other hand, also offers 24/7 support but lacks phone and live chat options, limiting users to email and possibly a knowledge base for self-service. This limitation is reflected in its lower customer support score of 5.8. While Sellfy’s support is available around the clock, the fewer support channels can be a drawback for users needing immediate assistance.

7.4

7.2

🏆

Winner: HostGator

. HostGator’s security measures are comprehensive, with a focus on server security against various threats, including DDoS attacks. They also conduct regular password audits to encourage strong user password practices. Additionally, HostGator offers SiteLock Security services for enhanced protection, including daily malware scans, automatic removal, Web Application Firewall, and DDoS protection.

Although it may not offer the same level of specialized security features as HostGator, Sellfy employs several security measures to safeguard sellers and their digital products from unauthorized access, fraud, and piracy. These measures include the use of secure payment processors like Stripe and PayPal, unique download links for each purchase, limited download attempts, and additional tools like PDF stamping to deter content sharing.

2.6

0

AI Builder	Basic AI capabilities in the new website builder
AI Ecommerce features
AI Content Generation
Additional AI features	Basic features in the new AI website builder

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. Although both platforms have limited AI capabilities, HostGator edges out Sellfy due to its new website builder that incorporates basic AI technologies. Sellfy, on the other hand, does not have an AI builder or any AI features.

3.2

2.0

🏆 Winner: HostGator

. Both HostGator and Sellfy have limited user management capabilities.

• HostGator mentions the possibility to have multiple users for its hosting solutions, however, there’s no mention whether the mentioned users have the permission to edit the websites built with their website builder.
• Sellfy does not support adding multiple users or staff to a single account.

Given the limited information, HostGator is the winner in this category with a user management score of 3.2, compared to Sellfy’s score of 2.0.

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

Sellfy

52 reviews

3.9 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.

The user feedback on Sellfy highlights its strengths in providing an efficient, compact online store setup that caters to specific needs with affordable pricing, including a 14-day trial period to familiarize users with the product. Many appreciate its user-friendly interface, internal marketing tools, and customization options, which enable sellers to tailor their storefronts to their brand, along with integrations for payment processing like PayPal and Stripe. However, criticisms include issues with mobile site speed, a desire for clearer insights, limitations on customization, and some customer service inefficiencies.

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