GoDaddy's entry-level Web Hosting Economy plan costs $5.99/mo for a 3-year term (list price $11.99/mo, shown struck through as a "SAVE 50%" badge). HostGator's entry-level Hatchling plan costs $3.75/mo for a 36-month term and renews at $10.99/mo -- both HostGator figures carry medium confidence in this cohort's capture, since HostGator's pricing page shows the numbers dollar-sign-prefixed without a literal currency string attached. The two plans land in a similar price range but differ sharply on renewal transparency, site count, and support channel.
Disclosure: HostingDive does not currently have an affiliate relationship with GoDaddy or HostGator. Both links on this page go directly to the vendor's site and earn HostingDive no commission.
Quick Verdict
| Criterion | GoDaddy (Web Hosting Economy) | HostGator (Hatchling) |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $5.99/mo for a 3-year term (list price $11.99/mo) | $3.75/mo for a 36-month term (MEDIUM confidence) |
| Renewal price | Not stated on the captured page (NOT_FOUND) | $10.99/mo (MEDIUM confidence) |
| Websites | 1 | 10 |
| Storage | 25GB NVMe | 10GB SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered ("ideal for 40K visits/mo" per HostGator) |
| Free domain | Yes, 1st year | Yes, 1st year |
| Free SSL | Yes, 1 year | Yes, Let's Encrypt |
| Backups | Automatic daily | Daily courtesy backups |
| Migration | Not offered on this plan (WP migration tool exists only on a separate, higher plan) | Free migration tool; full-service migration is a separate paid add-on |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.9% | 99% |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Support channel | Not itemized on this capture (NOT_FOUND) | 24/7 live chat (Hatchling tier is chat-only; no phone support at this tier) |
Pricing Table
| Plan | Term | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoDaddy Web Hosting Economy | 3-year term | $5.99/mo | List price $11.99/mo struck through; no renewal figure stated on the captured page |
| HostGator Hatchling | 36-month term | $3.75/mo | 66% off promo (MEDIUM confidence) |
| HostGator Hatchling | Renewal | $10.99/mo | MEDIUM confidence |
GoDaddy: Full Spec Breakdown
GoDaddy's entry plan is Web Hosting Economy, priced at $5.99/mo for a 3-year term. GoDaddy's own page shows a struck-through list price of $11.99/mo next to a "SAVE 50%" badge, but the captured pricing page never states an explicit "renews at" figure anywhere -- that's a genuine gap in GoDaddy's own page, not an omission on this comparison's part, so no renewal number is given here.
The plan includes 1 website, 25GB of NVMe storage, unmetered bandwidth, a free domain for the first year, free SSL for the first year, free email, cPanel management, automatic daily backups, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. GoDaddy does not include a free migration tool on Web Hosting Economy -- this cohort's capture notes a WP migration tool exists on a separate, higher plan, and this page does not attribute that feature to Economy.
Economy's single-website limit is the sharpest constraint on the plan: the 25GB of NVMe storage is generous for one site, but there's no room to add a second site without upgrading, whereas the free email feature at least covers basic inbox needs for that one site without a separate purchase. GoDaddy's link on this page is a plain link with no affiliate relationship -- HostingDive earns no commission if you sign up through it, and this comparison does not imply otherwise anywhere in its copy.
HostGator: Full Spec Breakdown
HostGator's entry plan is the Hatchling Plan, priced at $3.75/mo for a 36-month term as part of a 66% off promo. Both the intro figure and the stated renewal rate of $10.99/mo carry medium confidence in this cohort's capture, since HostGator's pricing page shows the numbers with a dollar sign but no literal currency-name string attached.
Hatchling includes 10 websites -- a much higher allotment than GoDaddy's single-site Economy plan -- along with 10GB of SSD storage, unmetered bandwidth that HostGator's page describes as "ideal for 40K visits/mo," a free domain for the first year, free SSL via Let's Encrypt, a free site migration tool, daily courtesy backups, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and a 99% uptime guarantee.
HostGator's free migration is a tool, not a full-service migration -- HostGator sells full-service migration separately as a paid add-on, and this comparison keeps that distinction explicit rather than implying Hatchling includes hands-off migration. Support on Hatchling is 24/7 live chat only; phone support is reserved for higher HostGator plans, so don't expect to call in on this entry tier. The 10-website allowance is the standout number on this plan: at $3.75/mo for a 36-month term, that works out to well under $0.40/mo per site if you actually use all 10 slots, before the stated $10.99/mo renewal applies.
HostGator's link on this page is also a plain link. This cohort's capture notes a `/go/hostgator/` cloak path exists but forwards to the bare hostgator.com homepage with no tracking attached -- there is no live affiliate relationship, so this page links straight to hostgator.com and earns HostingDive no commission.
Head-to-Head: Pricing (Intro and Renewal)
GoDaddy's $5.99/mo Economy price requires a 3-year upfront commitment, and GoDaddy's own page states no renewal figure -- you won't know the exact post-term cost from the pricing page alone. HostGator's $3.75/mo Hatchling price requires a 36-month commitment and does state a renewal figure, $10.99/mo, though both HostGator numbers carry medium confidence in this capture. If a documented renewal number matters more to your budgeting than a slightly lower headline price, HostGator's page gives you one and GoDaddy's does not.
Head-to-Head: Site Count and Storage
GoDaddy's Economy plan is built for exactly 1 website with 25GB of NVMe storage. HostGator's Hatchling plan supports up to 10 websites on 10GB of SSD storage. If you're hosting a single, storage-heavy site, GoDaddy's per-site NVMe allotment is more than double HostGator's; if you're spreading several small sites across one account, HostGator's 10-website allowance does something GoDaddy's single-site Economy plan cannot do at all.
Head-to-Head: Support and Guarantees
Both plans carry an identical 30-day money-back guarantee, so the refund window is a wash between them. Support is where the two diverge: GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy capture does not itemize a specific support channel -- chat, phone, or ticket -- at the plan level, so this comparison cannot confirm what channel Economy customers get without checking GoDaddy's support page directly. HostGator's Hatchling tier is documented at 24/7 live chat only; phone support exists at HostGator, but it's reserved for higher-tier plans, not Hatchling. If a phone line at the entry price matters to you, this capture doesn't confirm one on either plan -- GoDaddy's channel isn't itemized and HostGator's is explicitly chat-only at this tier.
When to Choose GoDaddy
- A single-site owner who wants more raw storage per site, since Economy ships 25GB of NVMe storage against Hatchling's 10GB SSD storage at a comparable entry price.
- Someone who wants a locked-in 3-year rate and is comfortable confirming the renewal number directly with GoDaddy, since the $5.99/mo price holds for the full term but the page names no post-term figure.
- A buyer who wants automatic daily backups documented as a named feature rather than described as a "courtesy" backup, since GoDaddy's capture lists this as automatic daily backups without a courtesy qualifier.
When to Choose HostGator
- Someone hosting several small sites on one account, since Hatchling supports 10 websites versus GoDaddy Economy's single-site limit.
- A buyer who wants a stated renewal number to budget against, since HostGator's page states $10.99/mo as the renewal rate (medium confidence) where GoDaddy's page states none.
- Anyone who wants a migration tool included at the entry tier, since Hatchling ships a free migration tool while GoDaddy's Economy plan includes no migration tool at all.
See the full review for GoDaddy and HostGator on HostingDive for additional plan detail and current pricing.
For where these budget hosts land against the wider field, see our best WordPress hosting roundup for 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GoDaddy or HostGator cheaper?
HostGator's Hatchling plan is cheaper at the intro rate: $3.75/mo for a 36-month term versus GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy at $5.99/mo for a 3-year term (HostGator's figure carries medium confidence in this capture). HostGator also states a renewal price, $10.99/mo; GoDaddy's captured page does not state one.
Does HostingDive earn a commission from either link on this page?
No. Neither GoDaddy nor HostGator currently has a live affiliate relationship with HostingDive. Both links on this page go directly to the vendor and earn no commission.
How many websites can I host on each entry plan?
GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy plan supports 1 website. HostGator's Hatchling plan supports up to 10 websites at the same entry-tier price point.
What does GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy plan renew at?
GoDaddy's captured pricing page does not state a renewal figure anywhere -- it shows only the $5.99/mo 3-year-term price against a struck-through $11.99/mo list price. Confirm the renewal rate directly with GoDaddy before committing.
Does HostGator's Hatchling plan include phone support?
No. Hatchling includes 24/7 live chat support only; phone support is reserved for higher HostGator plans.
Does either plan include free site migration?
HostGator's Hatchling plan includes a free migration tool (full-service migration is a separate paid add-on). GoDaddy's Web Hosting Economy plan does not include a migration tool at all -- that feature exists only on a separate, higher GoDaddy plan.
Which plan has a better uptime guarantee?
GoDaddy states a 99.9% uptime guarantee on Web Hosting Economy; HostGator states 99% on Hatchling. Both figures are guarantee language from the vendor's own pricing page, not independently measured uptime -- this capture does not include third-party monitoring data for either host.