Below is a comparison of HostGator (http://www.hostgator.com) and midPhase (http://www.midPhase.com)
HostGator and midPhase have been around approximately the same amount of time, with HostGator boasting about an extra year of experience over this competitor. Both companies are relatively large hosting services, with midPhase claiming to add approximately 4,000 new customers monthly. On the surface, both of these web hosting companies seem to offer similar packages at low monthly prices. However, we will take a closer look at what is included with both HostGator and midPhase to help you choose the best web hosting service for your needs.
Features and Pricing
HostGator offers three different web hosting packages, ranging from $4.95 to $12.95 a month. There are also three different plans available with midPhase, ranging from $2.95 to $6.71. The business package price of $6.71 appears to be a promotional price that may be subject to change at any time. Other prices are based on longer subscriptions, with a minimum of 24 months required to land the lowest price. That's a long time to be committed to a web hosting service that you are less than happy with. HostGator does not require any contract commitment.
The basic package at $2.95 is basic indeed, with no Ruby on Rails, Wordpress support or SSH access. We also found the email features to be inadequate for even a basic web hosting package. When you check the details of the packaging options, we think you will find that HostGator provides the better value for the dollar across the board.
Reliability
We are pleased to see that both HostGator and midPhase offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee, as this is a fairly standard practice with quality web hosting companies. However, midPhase only offers a 30-day money back guarantee, while HostGator's guarantee goes up to 45 days. We believe the money back guarantee speaks volumes about the confidence a company has in its product, and the longer guarantees are better as a general rule.
Support
It's hard to beat a company with as high a customer service rating as HostGator. This web hosting service boasts a consistent customer approval rating of nearly 90%, which isn't bad at all for a web hosting company of its size. We are intrigued with the fact that midPhase advertises its 24/7 live phone support as an exclusive feature, since most web hosting companies, including HostGator, offer round-the clock support via phone, email and live chat.
General Aspects
HostGator offers a very visible management team, with CEO Brent Oxley communicating directly with customers when needed. He has also been known to make generous concessions for customers who are not satisfied with any aspect of HostGator. On the other hand, midPhase appears to still be trying to carve out its place in the customer service realm, with adequate service, but not much that stands out from the crowd.
Overall, we believe the best value between these two hosting companies lies with HostGator. Although their monthly prices are slightly higher, they provide many more features without the need for a long-term contract. In addition, HostGator has proven itself one of the top in customer support, which is why they are still a first choice with many hosting customers today.
Visit http://www.hostgator.com
Visit http://www.midPhase.com
HostGator Site Screenshot (http://www.hostgator.com)
