InterServer vs HostGator
InterServer and HostGator compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. InterServer scores higher overall.
By Jennifer T. · Updated
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Verdict
InterServerWins overall
Secaucus host since 1999 with a $7 monthly plan, stated resources, free migration and a 30-day refund
Newfold's Texas-born cPanel host: four shared tiers on a 36-month term with a free domain, Cloudflare CDN and staging
InterServer wins 2 of the six sub-scores and comes out ahead overall (7.5 vs 7.4).
How do the scores compare?
InterServer leads on 2 sub-scores, HostGator on 2. Higher is better.
| InterServer | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Uptime | 7.0 | 8.0 (better) |
| Support | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Features | 8.0 (better) | 7.0 |
| Value | 8.5 (better) | 6.5 |
| Ease of use | 7.0 | 8.0 (better) |
Which one is faster and more reliable?
| InterServer | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.5 (better) | 7.4 |
| Uptime (published)Cybernews 14 d vs HostingStep 243 d; methods differ | 100.00% (better) | 99.97% |
Which one costs less?
On renewal, InterServer is cheaper ($7.00/mo vs $10.99/mo). Intro prices need the listed term.
| InterServer | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Standard | Hatchling |
| Intro price | $2.50/mo (better) | $3.75/mo |
| Renewal price | $7.00/mo (better) | $10.99/mo |
| Required term | 1 months (better) | 36 months |
| Websites | unlimited | 10 |
| Storage | Unlimited | 10 GB |
| Money back | 30 days | 30 days |
What does each include?
| InterServer | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Free domain | No | First year on every plan; $22.99 is deducted from a refund if you cancel within the year |
| Free SSL | SSL support is listed on every plan | Let's Encrypt, auto-renewed |
| Backups | Weekly backups on Standard | Weekly courtesy backups, restorable with one click; the terms call them a courtesy, so keep your own |
| Free migration | The migration team moves the site, database and email for new accounts | A free site migration tool is listed on the plan cards; the comparison table on the same page says paid migration is available |
| Free CDN | Cloudflare CDN on every plan | Cloudflare with Argo routing on every plan |
| Caching | SSD caching servers, RAM caching for small files, LSCache for dynamic content and QUIC | Static content caching and object caching on every plan; the feature list names an NGINX caching layer |
| Staging | No | WordPress staging site on every plan |
| Unlimited accounts with outgoing mail routed through smart hosts for deliverability; 200 emails an hour on Standard | Unlimited POP3 and IMAP mailboxes with SpamAssassin; Pro Email is a paid product after a free trial | |
| Resource limits | Printed per plan: cores, memory, IOPS, processes, entry processes, inodes and emails per hour | No |
| Data center choice | No | No |
| Uptime guarantee | No | The plan page says 99 percent; the terms we read contain no uptime clause or credit schedule |
| Security | InterShield attack blocking, malware scanning and a machine-learning firewall, with free DDoS protection | Malware scanning, AI-powered detection and removal from Baby up, web application firewall, DDoS protection, DDoS scrub center |
| Windows hosting | A separate Windows hosting package | No |
| Phone support | No | Baby, Business and Pro; Hatchling is chat only |
| SSH and languages | Not stated | SSH, WP-CLI, cron, PHP 8.2, Ruby on Rails, Perl, Python, unlimited MySQL and SFTP users |
Company facts
| InterServer | HostGator | |
|---|---|---|
| Control panel | DirectAdmin on Standard and Boost; cPanel on the cPanel hosting plan | cPanel behind the HostGator customer portal |
| Data centers | 3 (better) | 1 |
| Support channels | ticket, knowledge-base | chat, phone, knowledge-base |
| Founded | 1999 | 2002 |