Writer: Andrew Wandola
Editor: Jon McDonald
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
The 30-day HostGator free trial offer gives you a full month to try this legendary web hosting service and decide if it’s good enough for your web hosting needs. The free trial applies to different plans, allowing you to choose what you need and try it out without any financial commitments.
In this article, we’ll take a tour of what the free trial entails. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll know how to find the best web hosting plan for your situation.
But before we start the engines, it’s worth mentioning that HostGator’s free trial comes in the form of a money-back guarantee. So, don’t feel confused if you don’t see the words “free trial” anywhere on its website. The money-back guarantee functions similarly.
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Try HostGator Risk-Free for 30 Days
To learn more about the money-back guarantee, skip to the FAQ section of this article. If you already know what it’s all about, then let’s jump right into the business of the day; analyzing various HostGator hosting plans.
HostGator’s Cheap Hosting Plan
Credit card required: Yes
As you’d expect, shared hosting is its cheapest hosting plan. This is the plan you need to get a website or application off the ground. Here, you can host a blog, portfolio, small business website, or even use it for your personal projects and experiments.
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- Host up to unlimited websites on a single plan
- FREE SSL certificate included on all plans
- Unlimited bandwidth & email addresses
- 1-click WordPress installs & FREE blog tools
- Get 77% OFF by buying 36 months upfront
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator is a great compromise between performance and price. The company offers unlimited emails, MySQL databases, disk space, and bandwidth, plus one-click installs of popular open-source projects, in addition to a 99. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
HostGator will give you a free domain for a year to welcome you aboard. You’ll also get unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, free email accounts, and at least 10 gigabytes of disk space. That’s more than enough for your website or application to take off.
HostGator’s WordPress Hosting Plan
Credit card required: Yes
Understandably, you may want to build your website on the world’s largest content management system — WordPress. If that’s the case, HostGator has a managed WordPress hosting plan that comes with all the scripts required to host that type of website. Below is an overview of what to expect from it.
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.28
- Managed WordPress hosting on shared servers
- WordPress is preinstalled on all plans
- Unlimited email addresses hosted at your domain
- 99.9% uptime guarantee for your blog
- $150 in Google Ads spend match credit
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator is great for all things shared hosting, and application-specific services — such as the classic one-click-install WordPress hosting — are no exception. The team recently updated its already clean and intuitive HostGator cPanel dashboard, wherein users can find a myriad of free apps and scripts to install, including WordPress. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 20 GB SSD – 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Let’s skip to the fun part: the freebies. It’s safe to say HostGator loves WordPress users, and provides them with free email accounts and a free domain. And if you already have a WordPress website hosted elsewhere, the host offers free migration.
HostGator’s Website Builder
Credit card required: Yes
Assuming you don’t have a website hosted elsewhere or you want to erase the design board and start fresh, HostGator has your back. Its easy-to-use website builder offers the tools to build a beautiful and responsive website from scratch.
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.29
- Drag-and-drop design with the Gator™ site builder
- Hundreds of mobile-friendly templates
- FREE hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate
- Easily add a blog, store, and social media
- Analytics portal helps gauge site performance
- Get started on HostGator now.
Setting itself apart from the scores of competitors that rely on white-labeled website builder solutions, HostGator spent the time to painstakingly craft its own platform. Gator provides a frustration-free experience that pairs the simplicity of drag-and-drop design with the company’s powerful and respected web hosting services. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD – 40 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
But that’s not even the best part. HostGator knows that websites come in different forms and designs. So, it splits its website builder plan into small packages. That way, you can choose one that meets your unique needs, whether it is a basic blog, a website with marketing tools, an online store, or a vast online marketplace.
HostGator’s VPS Hosting Plan
Credit card required: Yes
VPS hosting is great for websites that require more resources than shared hosting offers. It also works best if you want some control over your servers. With this plan, you can host a gaming server, an eCommerce store, a software or web application, or anything similar. Here’s what to expect from HostGator’s VPS hosting.
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $34.99
- Full root access with fully or semi-managed options
- Redundant network with multiple layers of security
- FREE website, domain, MySQL, and script transfer
- RAID-10 storage for data protection
- Get up to 75% off when you sign up
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator has built a great reputation in the industry for its shared web hosting options. The company’s VPS hosting solution, with optional cPanel support, provide a nice and easy introduction to those who are new to VPS hosting and know their needs require more than a typical shared plan. Go to full review »
| Setup Time | Disk Space | CPU | RAM |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 minutes | 120 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD | 2 – 4 cores | 2 – 8 GB |
Like other hosting plans I’ve reviewed, HostGator provides choices for VPS hosting. You can choose the amount of CPU cores you need, including RAM, and SSD storage, split into smaller packages to make them more convenient and affordable.
Pro tip: You should note that HostGator doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee for its dedicated hosting plans, but this is fairly standard in the web hosting industry. A dedicated server requires a lot of costly resources and setup compared to shared and VPS hosting plans.
See our full HostGator review for more information on its pricing and plans.
Other Hosts with Free Trials
No doubt HostGator is a powerful host with a great reputation spanning more than two decades. But if, for some reason, that isn’t what you’re looking for, don’t give up. More is yet to come.
Kamatera: 30-Day Free Trial
Credit card required: Yes
Kamatera offers cloud-based hosting with a 30-day free web hosting trial. Here, the host uses interconnected servers to distribute resources among its users. So, instead of relying on a single physical server, which can fail due to technical problems, Kamatera uses a virtualized server network in various datacenters.
Kamatera.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- Customize your cloud environment for FREE
- Work with a dedicated account manager
- Dozens of Windows & Linux OS choices
- Complimentary live chat support open 24/7
- Launch in less than 60 seconds
- Get started on Kamatera now.
That’s right, Kamatera gives new customers FREE access to high-quality VPS hosting for 30 days. Upgrade your bargain-basement shared hosting to a cloud server configured to your exact specifications for no cost. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-day FREE trial | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | New or Transfer | 3 minutes |
What makes cloud hosting unique is the fact that it is more scalable, meaning it can expand and contract based on your needs. For example, if you run an eCommerce website that sells seasonal products, you can always scale up during the high season (such as when selling camping equipment in the summer) and then scale down during the low season.
Cloudways: 3-Day Free Trial
Credit card required: No
Cloudways, like Kamatera, also offers cloud-hosting. But it doesn’t give you an entire month to take it for a test drive. Instead, it only offers a three-day free trial. While that is a short time, the host won’t ask for your credit card information. So, even if you’re not ready to purchase a hosting plan, you can still use the Cloudways free trial offer to learn the ropes.
Cloudways.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- Try managed cloud hosting for FREE for 3 days
- Optimize costs with custom server configurations
- Scale server resources up and down as needed
- FREE SSL certificates, site migrations, and CDN
- Use code HOSTINGADVICE for 25% OFF
- Get started on Cloudways now.
Cloudways doesn’t offer a dollars-per-month shared hosting plan. But the company still brings a significant bargain to the table, thanks to a (short) free trial. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3-day FREE trial | 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD | New or Transfer | 8 minutes |
Because of the short deadline, which begins the moment you sign up, I recommend only signing up when you’re ready to try it out. You don’t have the luxury of signing up and putting it back on the back burner. You risk running out of time if you do.
Wix: 14-Day Free Trial
Credit card required: Yes
The Wix free trial isn’t as generous as Kamatera’s, but 14 days isn’t too bad. This popular drag-and-drop website builder lets you build a website within minutes. The Wix free trial allows you to test-drive its premium website builder features. After your trial ends, you can cancel or charge your credit card to keep your premium features
Wix.com
Monthly Starting Price $0.00
- Start designing for FREE
- FREE domain with most plans
- Drag-and-drop templates, specific to industry
- Exhaustive knowledgebase of articles
- Huge app market available
- Get started on Wix now.
Wix is known as a web-leading site builder service that’s one of the most affordable — because getting started is absolutely free and about as easy as processes get. You can log in via Facebook or your Gmail account and be editing your new web property within minutes. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14-day FREE trial | 2 GB – Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Wix also offers a free version of its website builder with fewer features and customizations than its premium plan. With the free version, you’ll never have to pay a dime. If you like Wix but you don’t want to pay, you can choose the free version at the end of your trial instead.
Does HostGator Offer a Free Trial?
HostGator does not explicitly state that it offers a free trial. But don’t let that discourage you from signing up. The money-back guarantee works almost the same way as a free trial does.
The best part about the money-back guarantee is that it gives you an extended period of time to try its features. With its Gator website builder, you can go live within minutes, spend the next day polishing the site, and still have many more days to explore the web host’s features.
Other hosts also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, including Hostinger, IONOS, and HostArmada.
From the options above, Hostinger is great if you’re looking for many unlimited features. IONOS is the cheapest, while HostArmada boasts great customer support.
How Long is HostGator’s Money-Back Guarantee?
HostGator’s money-back guarantee lasts 30 days. The clock begins to count when you sign up for a hosting plan and ends on the 30th day.
If you’re not pleased with the service, you can request your money back (refund) within 30 days of signing up, and HostGator will process it in a matter of days.
Sometimes it takes a day or two to process your cancellation, so check back within 48 hours to ensure it went through. Visit HostGator’s website for a full breakdown of its refund and cancellation policy.
How Do I Get a HostGator Coupon Code?
HostGator pricing is already quite affordable, but HostingAdvice readers get a special discount code built into the offers above. When you click “Visit Site”, your exclusive deal is automatically applied, meaning there’s no need to manually enter a promo code.
This discount applies to shared hosting, dedicated hosting, WordPress hosting, and other plans, including the Gator website builder. You can review all discounted HostGator pricing here.
How Do I Get a Free Domain on HostGator?
A free domain name is a great perk that many budget web hosts offer to new customers. This freebie allows you to customize your website’s name to your brand. It usually costs anywhere from $10 to $20 a year to register a domain, but with HostGator, you get one for free.
All you need to do is choose a shared, VPS, or WordPress hosting plan to receive a free domain on HostGator. If you’re unsure whether the plan you’ve selected comes with a free domain, visit our full HostGator review and check out the details under each plan type.
Is HostGator Good for Beginners?
Yes, HostGator is a great web host for beginners because it doesn’t require technical knowledge to use its tools. The Gator website builder, for example, makes site design easy and fast. All you need to do is select your hosting plan, choose your domain name, purchase the plan, and start building your website.
HostGator pricing is also beginner-friendly because it doesn’t cost much for new website owners to get started. For just a few dollars per month, customers can sign up for a shared web hosting plan. This plan is ideal for small websites that don’t require a lot of resources.
Get Quality Web Hosting For 30 Days Risk-Free
HostGator is one of the most reliable web hosting companies out there. But don’t take my word for it; you have 30 days to explore its features and experience how it feels to host a website on a reliable and legendary web host.
The money-back guarantee applies to all plans except the dedicated server offering, leaving you with many server types and pricing plans to choose from. In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied, you can always request a refund within 30 days, and you’ll get your money back with no questions asked.
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