In search of the perfect WordPress internet hosting supplier? Are you making an attempt to resolve between HostGator and WP Engine? Each HostGator and WP Engine help you host your WordPress web site with ease. Whereas HostGator affords a number of completely different internet hosting choices, together with cloud WordPress internet hosting; WP Engine is a very WordPress-centric managed internet hosting supplier.
On this article, we’ll present a head-to-head comparability between WP Engine and HostGator so you’ll be able to resolve which one is the best resolution in your funds and wishes.
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Overview
HostGator is likely one of the hottest internet hosting suppliers in the marketplace. It was based in 2002 and is at the moment powering over eight million web sites from all world wide.
HostGator affords all kinds of internet hosting choices, together with WordPress cloud internet hosting. WordPress cloud internet hosting is particularly optimized for operating WordPress websites, and it quickens your internet hosting efficiency by 2.5 instances sooner than a shared internet hosting platform. With HostGator, you’ll be able to check out their internet hosting providers risk-free for 45 days. In case you’re not absolutely glad, you’ll be able to request a full refund.
WP Engine, alternatively, is likely one of the finest managed WordPress internet hosting suppliers. They’re one of many first firms to supply WordPress-centric managed internet hosting options. They boast a formidable buyer listing together with Yelp, Asana, Nationwide Geographic, PBS, and MyFitnessPal.
Whether or not you’re operating a private weblog, or an enterprise-level enterprise with off-the-chart progress, you’ll discover the right internet hosting possibility with WP Engine.
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Velocity and Uptime
Velocity and uptime are crucial elements that you must take into account when selecting an internet host. Nearly each internet hosting supplier ensures tremendous quick web site velocity and excessive web site availability. To check whether or not HostGator and WP Engine truly stay as much as their hype, we determined to research their web page velocity and uptime ensures by signing up with every them and creating 2 take a look at websites.
To reflect the manufacturing setting on our take a look at websites, we put in WordPress, added dummy content material, and uploaded some photos.
We performed a number of completely different experiments on these take a look at websites with the next instruments:
- Pingdom: To watch the web page load time of our web sites.
- Load Affect: To investigate how the servers dealt with a visitors surge on our websites throughout a peak load time.
- Bitcatcha: To determine how the servers would carry out from eight completely different geographical places.
In keeping with Pingdom, our HostGator take a look at website took 691ms to load when examined from Dallas.
Nevertheless, our WP Engine take a look at website solely took 582ms to load, which is quicker than 96% of all examined websites.
After the Pingdom take a look at, we analyzed whether or not the internet hosting servers may survive a visitors surge with a software known as Load Affect. We despatched some digital customers to our websites and step by step constructed as much as 100 guests at a time to see how the servers would carry out.
From our take a look at, it’s evident that the variety of stay guests doesn’t have any adverse impression on WP Engine website.
Whereas our HostGator website responded shortly till there have been about 80 guests at a time. As visitors grew, it began to decelerate barely.
In keeping with our Bitcatcha take a look at, our HostGator server responded in lower than a second all through the globe. The general efficiency was graded C by BitCatcha, whereas WP Engine was graded A by BitCatcha.
Winner: WP Engine
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Ease of Use
Since WP Engine is a managed WordPress internet hosting resolution, you’ll be able to relaxation assured that your server shall be optimized for prime efficiency with out having to deal with the technicalities of server optimization. Meaning you’ll have peace of thoughts whereas specializing in what you’re actually good at: publishing content material and advertising it.
On the flip facet, the WP Engine platform runs a bit otherwise from a conventional WordPress internet hosting platform. For instance, you’re not allowed to put in any efficiency or safety plugins to hurry up your website as a result of they’ve in-built options for efficiency and safety.
In reality, there’s a little bit of studying curve to sort out earlier than you need to use WP Engine.
Then again, HostGator plans allow you to host your web site any method you need. There’re no plugin restrictions, not like WP Engine. All HostGator’s internet hosting plans include cPanel for managing your internet hosting recordsdata and account. Because it’s not a WordPress-specific resolution, you’ll be able to construct any sort of web site with HostGator.
Their 1-click installer makes it straightforward to put in your most well-liked internet hosting software program.
Winner: HostGator
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Options
HostGator is primarily geared in direction of beginner-level customers, so you’ll be able to count on all of the important options newcomers must kick off a web site; together with unmetered bandwidth, 1-click installers, a web site builder, free advertising credit value $200, and many others.
With their starter shared internet hosting plan, you’ll be able to host 1 web site and, with a barely dearer plan, you’ll be able to host limitless web sites.
Conversely, WP Engine affords every little thing that you must streamline your WordPress growth, advertising, and migration wants. Let’s check out their distinctive options:
- Free entry to StudioPress themes: You’ll get full entry to 35+ high-quality StudioPress themes with out additional value.
- 1-click software: You’ll additionally get a 1-click software for establishing growth, manufacturing, and staging environments.
- Excessive efficiency assured: WP Engine platform is powered by Amazon Internet Providers and Google Cloud Platform to make sure excessive efficiency.
Winner: WP Engine
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Help and Documentation
HostGator offers 24/7 assist by way of stay chat, telephone, and e mail. Their in depth documentation comprises 680+ assist articles and 500+ video tutorials that will help you discover each facet of internet hosting, step-by-step.
Nevertheless, with their starter plan, WP Engine affords stay chat assist solely. Cellphone assist is supplied with their larger plans. And ticket-based assist is supplied with their customized devoted server plans.
Winner: HostGator
HostGator vs. WP Engine – Pricing
The common worth for HostGator shared internet hosting begins at $6.95 per 30 days. Whenever you’re a web site newbie, the price of beginning a web site seems like quite a bit. The prices of shopping for internet hosting and a site title can add up shortly. That’s why we’ve negotiated a take care of HostGator to supply our customers 60% off internet hosting. Meaning, you solely must pay $2.78 per 30 days.
The common worth for WP Engine begins at $35 per 30 days. If you would like a month-to-month subscription, then you will get a 30% low cost on WP Engine so that you’ll solely must pay $24.50 per 30 days.