JustHost vs. HostGator (2020)

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Alexandra Leslie Ryan Frankel Hosting Expert
“We tested HostGator & JustHost — The winner is HostGator!”

Solid entry-level hosts, JustHost and HostGator are good options focused on helping rookie website owners get online for the first time. Both hosting providers offer feature-laden shared plans that balance cost and performance. We appreciate that HostGator includes unlimited emails, MySQL databases, disk space, and bandwidth. While JustHost limits email accounts and disk space, they throw in a free domain registration and website builder. These hosts’ lengthy money-back guarantees should put the minds of first-time hosting customers at ease: HostGator’s 45-day guarantee is longer than average, and JustHost’s refund policy covers the lifetime of the account. Read through our reviews to measure more than just their shared hosting options.

HostGator review
Overall Rating
4.5/5.0 ★★★★★
Visit HostGator »
JustHost review
Overall Rating
3.7/5.0 ★★★★★
Visit JustHost »
Advertiser Disclosure
Compare: Overall | Cheap Hosting | Dedicated | VPS | WordPress | Site Builder | Conclusion

Overall Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

Best Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

HostGator has been around for more than a decade and is well-respected for its large number of servers and consistent reliability. Known mostly as a shared hosting provider, HostGator still supplies decent... read more +

HostGator has been around for more than a decade and is well-respected for its large number of servers and consistent reliability. Known mostly as a shared hosting provider, HostGator still supplies decent dedicated and VPS options if you need your site to scale.

HostGator costs slightly more than some of the other budget-minded shared hosts, but that echoes the brand's reputation for strong infrastructure and helpful support. HostGator offers decent features in its basic shared hosting offerings, such as unlimited disk space, a nice control panel, and free website templates. Plus, you get the flexibility to add numerous add-ons for privacy, security, and productivity as you see fit.

Aimed primarily at the semi-technical user, HostGator's flexibility is its strong suit. Dedicated, VPS, and Windows hosting is available if that fits your needs, as well. Root access, SSH, and support for Ruby, Perl, Python, and other languages is available on all plans.

HostGator has nearly limitless options and control available for their servers, with the support and beginner-friendly tools that will appeal to the full range of customers.

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  • Familiar and easy-to-use cPanel control panel
  • FREE drag-and-drop custom website builder
  • Unlimited disk space, email, and bandwidth on all plans
  • No contract required and 45-day money-back guarantee
  • 62% off your first three years
  • Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee
45 days
Disk Space
Unlimited
Domain Name
New or Transfer
JustHost review

Best Overall Rating

★★★★★ 3.7/5.0

JustHost includes a lot of free extras that come with its one-size-fits-all shared hosting service, making them a solid, affordable option to power your online presence. The company's website is easy to... read more +

JustHost includes a lot of free extras that come with its one-size-fits-all shared hosting service, making them a solid, affordable option to power your online presence. The company's website is easy to use, just like its account and site management tools. The JustHost web administration panel, the industry standard cPanel, is designed in the same vein and makes site operation a breeze when compared to other hosts with more complicated interfaces.

Both beginners and experienced users will appreciate the ample storage space and unlimited bandwidth JustHost allocates to users, along with the unlimited data transfer and email accounts. The included domain name is also a perk everyone needs and can enjoy.

JustHost becomes one of the most affordable shared hosts in existence particularly if you sign up for a two- or three-year plan. For folks who are new to the hosting space, however, this term length can be daunting and hard to justify — fortunately, the company is one of a handful to offer a monthly term option, as well. JustHost also offers a relatively standard 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support, positioning the brand among industry leaders.

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  • FREE domain name, email, and marketing tools
  • FREE site builders and instant account setup
  • $200 in Facebook, Google, and Bing advertising credits
  • 24/7 live phone, chat, and ticket support
  • Easy-to-use cPanel control panel
  • Get started on JustHost now.
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

Cheap Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

Cheap Rating

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

#6 out of 10 in Cheap Hosting reviews

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... read more +

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 99.9% uptime guarantee on its shared hosting plans.

HostGator’s price-to-performance perks also apply to its vast array of other hosting options, such as VPS, dedicated servers, and even reseller hosting. The company's many hosting options make HostGator a great choice for sites on the rise, in need of options for the future.

For those just getting started and looking for a good, cheap host, HostGator bundles some nice features that hosting newbies can appreciate. The company’s custom website builder comes with more than 4,500 drag-and-drop, mobile-friendly templates to help users launch their website, blog, or ecommerce store, while the familiar cPanel interface helps customers seamlessly manage domains, email, databases, and one-click software installations.

If you are looking for a solid web host, with a ton of flexibility, plenty of power, and great price points, you should consider making HostGator your web host of choice.

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  • Get 62% off monthly pricing by buying 36 months up front
  • Unmetered disk space & bandwidth
  • Unlimited email addresses & free SSL certificate
  • One-click WordPress install & free blog tools
  • Free 1-year domain registration on select plans
  • Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee
45 days
Disk Space
Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)
JustHost review

Cheap Rating

★★★★★ 4.2/5.0

#10 out of 10 in Cheap Hosting reviews

A lot of freebies come along with JustHost, making the shared hosting brand a great value. The basic plan is very affordable, and the best deals are saved for those customers who sign up for multiple... read more +

A lot of freebies come along with JustHost, making the shared hosting brand a great value. The basic plan is very affordable, and the best deals are saved for those customers who sign up for multiple years.

Some of the nice features included on the base account are unlimited bandwidth, five email accounts, a free domain name registration, and a drag-and-drop site builder. As you upgrade to the company's larger, yet still affordable plans, you unlock unrestricted email, disk space, domains, and email inboxes.

JustHost also has a simple-to-use website builder. The custom-built solution may not be as robust as some of the other offerings you might find, but the platform's user-friendly interface serves beginners remarkably well. Users will find a ton of templates (400+) and support for ecommerce carts.

Finally, JustHost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with all of its hosting plans, which should put some minds at ease about selecting a long-term contract and getting the best deal.

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  • Unlimited email accounts and FREE site builder
  • $200 in Facebook, Google, and Bing advertising credits
  • 24/7 support via phone, email, and chat
  • Website builder, marketing tools, and SEO tips included
  • FREE domain name registration
  • Get started on JustHost now.
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

Dedicated Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

Dedicated Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

#6 out of 10 in Dedicated Hosting reviews

Founded in 2002, HostGator is one of the largest web hosts with a long lineage of dedicated server hosting. With updated hardware, including Intel Xeon Quad-core processors and a boatload of RAM, HostGator... read more +

Founded in 2002, HostGator is one of the largest web hosts with a long lineage of dedicated server hosting. With updated hardware, including Intel Xeon Quad-core processors and a boatload of RAM, HostGator balances performance, quality of service, and competitive pricing.

As one of the few hosts to offer managed support and a Windows-based operating system, HostGator is an excellent fit for those seeking hassle-free ASP.NET support.

HostGator boasts a top-of-the-line, fully redundant network and datacenter, which dedicated hosting users should appreciate. The company also offers several unique IP addresses per dedicated server account.

Finally, HostGator has a fantastic support network and 24/7 customer service available via phone, chat, or email. Combining that support with plenty of power, HostGator is a very respectable choice for a dedicated server host.

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  • Linux or Windows servers available
  • HDD or SSD storage options, plus unlimited databases
  • Top-of-the-line, fully redundant network and datacenter
  • SSH access and support for multiple languages
  • Managed or semi-managed solutions
  • Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee
N/A
Disk Space
512 GB SSD - 2 TB HDD
Domain Name
New or Transfer
JustHost review

Dedicated Rating

★★★★★ 3.8/5.0

JustHost's modern hardware and multiple dedicated IP addresses are the centerpieces of the company's dedicated server offerings. Each machine is fully-managed with an enhanced cPanel, making JustHost a... read more +

JustHost's modern hardware and multiple dedicated IP addresses are the centerpieces of the company's dedicated server offerings. Each machine is fully-managed with an enhanced cPanel, making JustHost a good choice for a first-time user's dedicated server. Experienced users who want to manage or configure all aspects of their servers, however, still have root access.

Instant provisioning is a greatly-appreciated and rare feature for dedicated servers, which can often take hours to configure and deploy. What's more, all storage comes with RAID-1 protection and available storage upgrades of up to 2TB.

JustHost is one of the rare companies to included dedicated servers in its 30-day money-back guarantee, providing uncertain customers a chance to check out the company's services and support without risk. Even better, customers can register a new domain name for free for one year.

Customers can reach JustHost's support teams around the clock through phone calls, chat messages, and email tickets. Those with dedicated servers have exclusive access to a dedicated team of server experts, making the company an excellent and affordable option for your first dedicated server.

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  • Fully-managed hosting plans with instant provisioning
  • Instant provisioning with root access and cPanel
  • Mirrored storage with automatic RAID-1 protection
  • Enhanced write-back caching with its own RAM
  • Dedicated support team available 24/7
  • Get started on JustHost now.
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
500 GB - 2 TB
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

VPS Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

VPS Rating

★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

#8 out of 9 in VPS Hosting reviews

HostGator has built a great reputation in the industry for its shared hosting options. The company's VPS solutions, with optional cPanel support, provide a nice and easy introduction to those who are new... read more +

HostGator has built a great reputation in the industry for its shared hosting options. The company's VPS solutions, 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 server.

Starting at low price points and boasting tons of support, HostGator makes transitioning to a VPS plan reasonable and doable. Each plan comes with two IP addresses and a bunch of storage, and recently expanded CPU and RAM offerings lend a ton of computing power.

HostGator’s strongest point comes from its state-of-the-art datacenter. Featuring a fully redundant network with no single point of failure and multiple bandwidth providers, uptime should almost never be a concern.

Founded in 2002, HostGator is one of the largest online web hosts. The company has more than 12,000 servers under management and award-winning support. If you are looking for a small VPS server or value the strength of a great network, give HostGator a shot.

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  • Full root access with fully or semi-managed options
  • Redundant network with multiple layers of network 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.
Money Back Guarantee
45 days
Disk Space
120 GB - 240 GB
Domain Name
New or Transfer
JustHost review

VPS Rating

★★★★★ 4.1/5.0

JustHost is a mid-tier web host that has somewhat pricey VPS options, given the amount of processing power you get. With that said, the company's interface is extremely simple to navigate and offers... read more +

JustHost is a mid-tier web host that has somewhat pricey VPS options, given the amount of processing power you get. With that said, the company's interface is extremely simple to navigate and offers cloud-driven scalability that is likely worth the investment.

We'd like to see faster solid-state drives included with the cloud infrastructure, but enhanced virtualization via OpenStack and KVM means resources are provisioned instantly. JustHost paves the way for customer growth and success with its cloud VPS platform.

First-time users who know they’ll need a VPS will be happy to have the familiar shared hosting staples like a cPanel control panel and free domain registration. Migrating to a larger server, should you need one, is also painless. Though JustHost doesn't provide huge CPU and RAM numbers, customers receive plenty of storage and bandwidth for most use cases.

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  • Guaranteed server resources from enhanced virtualization
  • Cloud-powered scalability with OpenStack and KVM
  • Instant provisioning and guaranteed resources
  • Feature-rich enhanced cPanel control panel
  • FREE domain registration and 24/7 technical support
  • Get started on JustHost now.
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
30 GB - 120 GB
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

WordPress Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

WordPress Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

#4 out of 10 in WordPress Hosting reviews

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... read more +

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 cPanel dashboard, wherein users can find a myriad of free apps and scripts to install, including WordPress. You could quite realistically have a WP-powered site up and running in as little as an afternoon.

As is the case with many of our favorite shared WordPress hosting providers, HostGator offers unlimited emails, databases, disk storage, and bandwidth. The one downfall is the lack of the popular free domain perk, but domain names are easy to obtain for around $10 to $15 bucks with any registrar. You can also select, register, and pay for a domain directly from the HostGator signup page.

If you're serious about your WordPress hosting, we recommend HostGator's new(er) managed WordPress platform, which is optimized for performance with cloud resources, multiple layers of caching tools, and a complimentary CDN. Managed WordPress plan subscribers enjoy up to 2.5x faster page load speeds for their website or blog. If you're running a business website, this is an excellent investment.

Once your site is designed and ready for promotion, HostGator helps you kickstart your online marketing efforts with $100 in paid advertising credits. Attract blog readers, potential clients, or online shoppers browsing Google search results.

We wish you the best of luck in your blog or online business hosting endeavors. WordPress is a known favorite in the space, and HostGator has established itself as a trusted partner well worthy of your consideration.

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  • Easy-to-set-up WordPress hosting on shared servers
  • Install WordPress with one click via cPanel dashboard
  • Unlimited email addresses hosted at your domain
  • 99.9% uptime guarantee means your blog stays online
  • $100 in Google Adwords credits to kickstart marketing
  • Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee
45 days
Disk Space
Unlimited
Domain Name
New or Transfer
JustHost review

WordPress Rating

★★★★★ 3.9/5.0

Although JustHost doesn't have much in the way of WordPress-specific upgrades, site owners using the world's most popular content management system are still well served by the company's ample resources... read more +

Although JustHost doesn't have much in the way of WordPress-specific upgrades, site owners using the world's most popular content management system are still well served by the company's ample resources and reliable infrastructure.

JustHost starts users off with unlimited bandwidth, a free domain registration, and a one-click WordPress installation via the Mojo Marketplace script library. From there, site owners can add and install SiteLock security and an SSL certificate, along with a wide selection of ecommerce shopping carts.

As you build your brand, the company's free email accounts and marketing credits will help spread the word, all while the company's team of support agents are on standby to offer customer support and troubleshooting if any issues arise.

All in all, JustHost is a solid WordPress hosting option for beginners and small businesses testing the WordPress waters and looking for a speedy and secure place to scale.

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  • One-click WordPress installations with PHP 7
  • Unlimited bandwidth and included SSL certificate
  • FREE SiteLock security scans and malware protection
  • FREE domain registration and marketing tools
  • HostingAdvice readers receive up to 74% off
  • Get started on JustHost now
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

Site Builder Hosting Comparison

HostGator review

Website Builder Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

#3 out of 9 in Website Builder Hosting reviews

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... read more +

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.

Signing up is a breeze, and HostGator gives customers an option to add a suite of social media marketing tools. Users are quickly ushered into a gallery of more than 200 modern, mobile-responsive, and visually impressive templates that can be sorted by categories like beauty and fashion, music and entertainment, real estate, business consultant, portfolios, and others. Gator covers blogs and ecommerce stores, even coming with a free domain name and SSL certificate.

Once you choose your basic look, Gator ushers you through a 15-second tour to show you the basic features of the editor — and it’s all you need. Clicking on any element opens a menu that gives you options to change styles, whether it’s a section’s complete design or something simple like font or color.

We especially appreciate how Gator’s drag-and-drop interface gives users pixel-perfect control while still suggesting guides and grids for appropriate spacing. Throughout the customization and design phase, users can seamlessly switch between desktop and mobile views to understand how your site will appear to all visitors.

Adding a blog or ecommerce store takes just a click. We wish Gator would suggest a select few designs that matched the current site’s template instead of the dozen or so options that reflect a wide range of categories, but we were impressed that the in-depth previews covered both the blog page and individual posts, for instance.

All in all, HostGator can be incredibly proud of its proprietary site builder — and customers can sit back and enjoy the confidence in having such a well-rounded tool at their design disposal.

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  • Drag-and-drop design with the Gator™ website builder
  • Hundreds of mobile-friendly, industry-specific templates
  • FREE hosting, domain name, and SSL certificate
  • Easily add a blog, ecommerce, and social media marketing
  • Analytics portal helps you gauge your site’s performance
  • Get started on HostGator now.
Money Back Guarantee
45 days
Disk Space
Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)
JustHost review

Website Builder Rating

★★★★★ 3.9/5.0

#9 out of 9 in Website Builder Hosting reviews

With JustHost, website building options are seamlessly built into the company's shared hosting service. While not as robust as a Weebly-based drag-and-drop system, JustHost's custom solution includes more... read more +

With JustHost, website building options are seamlessly built into the company's shared hosting service. While not as robust as a Weebly-based drag-and-drop system, JustHost's custom solution includes more than 400 templates, which should satisfy even the pickiest of users.

In addition to the site builder, you get all of the perks of the company's shared hosting plans, such as a free domain registration, unlimited email accounts, unlimited data transfer, ecommerce shopping carts, and cPanel, which is further contributes to usability. For business users, the included $150 in advertising credits will help get your new site welcomed exposure.

Aimed at the first-time user, JustHost is very intuitive to use. Bundling a free domain and the company's instant provisioning, JustHost gets you up and running and building your site in just minutes, without having to wait for the server to be configured for you.

Finally, JustHost offers fantastic 24/7 customer support that is very well known in the industry. The experts at JustHost will help you keep your site running if there are issues, and who better to answer your site builder questions than the developers and employees who created the platform.

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  • Custom site builder with drag-and-drop simplicity
  • 400+ templates, including ecommerce stores
  • FREE domain name and email addresses
  • $200 in Facebook, Google, and Bing advertising credits
  • 24/7 support available via phone, chat, and email
  • Get started on JustHost now.
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
Disk Space
50 GB - Unlimited
Domain Name
FREE (1 year)

Advertiser Disclosure

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HostGator vs. JustHost - Our Conclusion

Alexandra Leslie Ryan Frankel Hosting Expert
“We tested HostGator & JustHost — The winner is HostGator!”

To wrap things up, both JustHost and HostGator excel at the basics. As you move through the ranks of VPS, and dedicated hosting, however, you can see the gap between the two start to widen. We value the resources that HostGator provides customers to help them grow: state-of-the-art infrastructure, fully or semi-managed options, and around-the-clock support through email, phone, and chat.

HostGator review
Overall Rating
4.5/5.0 ★★★★★
Visit HostGator »
JustHost review
Overall Rating
3.7/5.0 ★★★★★
Visit JustHost »

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