Bluehost and HostGator are separate hosting brands under the same parent company, Newfold Digital. If you move from one to the other, you may change plans, support channels and billing terms, but you do not leave the same corporate group. Before paying, compare the exact plan, amount charged upfront, renewal price, refund exclusions and migration scope.
Save the checkout summary and terms for the account you buy. Check whether the plan includes the support channel, email capacity, backups and data-centre option you need. If you later move away, keep the old account active until the new site, email and DNS records work.
Key takeaways
- Bluehost and HostGator are Newfold Digital brands, not unrelated companies.
- A move between them may change the plan and service terms without creating full corporate separation.
- Compare the renewal amount and the full upfront commitment, not only an introductory monthly figure.
- Read the 30-day refund exclusions before registering a domain or adding services.
- Request a written migration scope before cancelling the old hosting account.
Who owns Bluehost and HostGator today?
Newfold Digital is the current parent company associated with both Bluehost and HostGator. Newfold’s portfolio also includes brands such as Network Solutions, Register.com, Web.com, Crazy Domains, Yoast and YITH. Brand portfolios can change, so confirm the legal parent on the specific brand’s current terms or contact page before treating a portfolio list as permanent.
Bluehost identifies Newfold Digital as its parent company. Bluehost was founded in 2003 and joined Endurance International Group in 2010, according to its company history. Its current US legal address is in Jacksonville, Florida, while its Spanish contact page describes Bluehost as an indirect subsidiary of Newfold Digital, Inc.
HostGator is therefore not owned by GoDaddy. GoDaddy Inc. is a separate public company, even though both businesses sell domains and hosting. A switch from Bluehost to HostGator changes the brand and plan, but it does not move your account outside Newfold Digital’s broader corporate group.
That distinction matters if you are trying to leave a parent company, rather than simply compare two hosting products. If you want a different ownership structure, compare providers such as SiteGround, DreamHost, or InMotion Hosting. Verify InMotion’s current ownership on its official company page before relying on the comparison.
How did Endurance become Newfold Digital?
Bluehost and HostGator were associated with Endurance International Group before Newfold Digital was formed. Endurance’s web-presence business included Bluehost, HostGator and Domain.com, while Web.com Group included brands such as Network Solutions, Register.com, Web.com and CrazyDomains.
On February 10, 2021, Clearlake Capital completed its acquisition of Endurance International Group in an all-cash transaction valued at about $3.0 billion, including outstanding indebtedness. An SEC filing described Endurance as becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of a parent owned by funds managed by Clearlake affiliates. Prices checked November 4, 2026.
At the same time, Endurance Web Presence was combined with Web.com Group in partnership with Siris Capital Group. That combination created Newfold Digital, the company now associated with Bluehost and HostGator. The corporate change brought several established hosting, domain and website brands under one parent platform.
Newfold’s December 2025 announcement said the company served nearly 7 million customers globally and remained backed by Clearlake Capital Group and Siris Capital Group. The announcement also said a recapitalization did not change the existing ownership structure.
For your decision, the history gives a clear answer: Bluehost and HostGator are not independent rivals in the ownership sense. They are brands connected through Newfold Digital. That does not prove that their plans, servers, support teams or prices are identical, so you still need to compare the specific product before buying.
What does Newfold Digital ownership mean for your choice?
Newfold ownership means a move between Bluehost and HostGator may provide a different product experience without providing full corporate separation. The brands can publish different plan limits, support routes, refund terms and renewal prices. Their service terms can also give the provider different rights over account management and infrastructure.
HostGator’s terms allow it to move an account between data centres for legal, policy or technical reasons without notice. That means a data-centre choice may not be permanent. Ask which facility or region will host the selected plan and whether the location can be changed.
Bluehost and HostGator also have different documented support arrangements. Bluehost says chat is available 24/7 and phone support is available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time. HostGator’s shared-plan table lists 24/7 chat on Hatchling, while its higher tiers include phone support.
Ownership should therefore be one part of your choice, not the whole decision. If your purpose is to leave Newfold Digital, pick a provider outside that group. If your purpose is to find a different shared plan, compare the exact storage, email, backup, support and renewal terms.
For a practical comparison of the two brands, use HostGator vs Bluehost: Same Owner, Different Plans before changing accounts. If your site is WordPress, first inventory its files, database, email accounts, DNS records, plugins and backups.
What do Bluehost and HostGator cost at renewal?
The useful comparison is the full paid term and its renewal amount. The figures below apply to the US market and were checked on November 7, 2026. An effective monthly figure is a way to compare a paid term. It is not a promise that the provider bills monthly.
Bluehost’s renewal article, updated February 11, 2026, lists these effective monthly renewal prices:
Bluehost’s published figures are monthly equivalents. The checkout summary determines the actual amount due upfront for the selected term, taxes and any added services. Open the Renewal Center for the exact account and plan before purchase or renewal. Bluehost’s terms say services renew for periods matching the initial term unless you cancel or disable auto-renewal.
HostGator’s US shared-hosting price chart lists regular prices, with the full selected term billed upfront:
HostGator says the saved payment method may be charged several days before renewal, depending on the billing term. Its Customer Portal Renewal Center is the place to confirm the renewal price for your individual product. A free domain, where included on an eligible 12-, 24- or 36-month plan, is bonus time for the initial term only. It renews at the regular domain rate afterward.
For current plan checkout, see HostGator’s current plans and Bluehost’s current plans. Treat the price shown at checkout as the amount that controls your purchase, and save a copy before submitting payment.
What support and infrastructure changes should you check?
Bluehost announced adoption of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure on November 5, 2025. Newfold said nearly 1 million Bluehost customers had migrated and that median response times had improved by four to five times. That is a provider-reported claim, not an independent performance measurement. Treat speed and reliability claims as claims unless a named, dated measurement identifies the plan and method.
Bluehost’s terms state that shared hosting has a 99.99% contractual uptime guarantee. The measurement uses operating-system and Apache Web Server reporting. A qualifying shortfall may result in a monthly credit worth 5% of the monthly hosting fee. This is a contract remedy, not observed uptime, compensation for lost sales or a promise that the site will never go down.
HostGator’s shared table lists Hatchling, Baby and Business limits of 10, 50 and 100 GB SSD storage, with estimated monthly-visit figures of 40,000, 200,000 and 400,000. HostGator describes those visit figures as ideal capacity, not a guaranteed visitor count or performance result. Its table also lists 24/7 chat, with phone support on higher tiers.
HostGator states that shared hosting uses distributed resources, has no root access and allows limited custom server configuration. Its terms also permit data-centre relocation for legal, policy or technical reasons. Ask about the facility or region before paying, and ask whether the selected location can be changed.
The practical verdict is conditional. Bluehost may fit if its support hours, WordPress workflow and current plan terms match your needs. HostGator may fit if its storage and support tier suit your site. Neither provider’s ownership or infrastructure announcement proves that it will be faster for your particular plan.
What limits, refunds and terms should you check before paying?
Shared hosting places several websites on the same server. The benefit is a lower starting cost, while the tradeoff is less control over server configuration and shared resource policies. Bluehost requires efficient and responsible CPU and memory use. HostGator limits shared hosting to web files, active email and user-website content, and its “unlimited” wording remains subject to acceptable-use rules.
Confirm the exact product name at checkout. HostGator’s current shared table uses names and limits that may differ from an older price chart. Email can also vary by tier. HostGator lists 100 MB mailboxes on Hatchling and unlimited email quota on Business and Pro, subject to its terms.
Backups, SSL, malware scanning, CDN and DDoS protection are conditional service features, not a guarantee against hacking or downtime. Ask how often backups run, how long they are retained, what they cover, whether restores cost extra and whether email and databases are included. Keep an independent copy outside the hosting account.
Bluehost gives eligible new customers a 30-day money-back window for shared, VPS and dedicated hosting. It excludes monthly-term services, Cloud Hosting, domains, setup fees, AI products and additional services. Renewal payments are generally not refundable after the 15-day prebill window.
HostGator’s 30-day refund policy covers eligible shared, WordPress, VPS, dedicated and reseller hosting. It excludes monthly terms, domains, setup fees, administrative fees and add-ons such as SiteLock. Neither policy is a free tier or free trial. Each is a refund arrangement tied to eligible paid hosting and its cancellation process.
Before paying, complete these checks:
- Confirm the legal brand, parent company and billing entity shown during checkout.
- Record the plan, billing term, upfront charge and renewal charge.
- Read exclusions before registering a domain or adding services.
- Confirm whether migration includes files, databases, email, DNS, plugins and domain registration.
- Save the order summary and terms.
Bluehost directs refund requests to support. HostGator directs customers to billing by phone or live chat. Do not disable auto-renewal or cancel the old account until you know the new site, email and DNS work and you have confirmed the account expiry.
What should you do if you move away?
Start with an inventory of the site, domain, email accounts, DNS records, databases, backups and plugins. Then request a written migration scope from the new provider. Ask whether it includes website files, databases, email accounts, DNS records, SSL settings, cron jobs and the domain registration itself.
Keep the old account active while you test the new setup. Check the homepage, forms, logins, checkout, media, redirects, email sending and email receiving. Lowering DNS time-to-live before the change may help the switch take effect sooner, but it cannot guarantee zero downtime.
When the new site works, update DNS and monitor both web traffic and email. Keep an independent backup and retain the old account until the migration is stable. If the migration fails, point DNS back to the old host, restore the old settings and investigate before trying again. Do not cancel or delete the old account before this rollback option is available.
For the detailed sequence, follow the steps to move a WordPress site to a new host. If renewal cost is the main reason for moving, compare the renewal prices and automatic-renewal terms before choosing a new provider.
Frequently asked questions
These questions separate ownership from the plan, price and support decisions that affect your site.
Is HostGator better than Bluehost?
Neither is automatically better because both belong to Newfold Digital. HostGator’s shared plans publish storage and support differences, while Bluehost publishes separate shared-plan renewal rates and a contractual uptime remedy. Compare the exact plan, renewal price, support channel, backup arrangement and refund exclusions.
What is happening with Bluehost?
Bluehost announced a move to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure on November 5, 2025. Newfold reported that nearly 1 million Bluehost customers had migrated and that median response times improved by four to five times. Those are provider-reported infrastructure claims, not independent measurements.
Who is the largest web hosting company?
There is no single answer without defining “largest.” Customer count, domains, revenue, hosted websites, infrastructure and market share can produce different results. Newfold reports nearly 7 million customers globally, while Bluehost reports more than 5 million WordPress users worldwide, but those figures use different definitions.
Which country owns Bluehost?
Bluehost is a US-based brand with a Jacksonville, Florida legal address and Newfold Digital as its parent. Newfold is backed by Clearlake Capital Group and Siris Capital Group. Bluehost is not owned by WordPress or GoDaddy.
Is Bluehost good or bad?
Bluehost can fit a site that needs its WordPress workflow, support hours and eligible hosting refund window. Its documented limits include plan-specific resources, refund exclusions and a 99.99% shared-hosting guarantee whose remedy is a possible monthly credit. The right answer depends on the plan and site.
Who is better than Bluehost?
A different provider may fit better if you need ownership outside Newfold Digital, a particular data-centre region, different support hours or another renewal structure. Hostinger describes itself as a private Lithuanian company, SiteGround says it remains privately owned, DreamHost says it is employee-owned, and InMotion describes itself as privately owned and independent. Those ownership descriptions do not prove better performance.
Who owns Newfold Digital?
Newfold Digital is backed by Clearlake Capital Group and Siris Capital Group. The company was formed in 2021 by combining Endurance Web Presence with Web.com Group. Newfold’s December 2025 announcement said its recapitalization did not change the existing ownership structure.
Is HostGator the same as GoDaddy?
No. HostGator belongs to Newfold Digital, while GoDaddy Inc. is a separate public company. They compete in hosting and domain services but do not share the same parent company.
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