Hoping to buy! One more question (regarding HostGator)

[PsychoShark]

Hello there,

I am nearly prepared to purchase XenForo! As exciting as it may be, I'm still sort of confused regarding HostGator + Xenforo. I've looked through a some forum posts on here pertaining to my question, but I still can't find a straight answer.

I want to know if my current plan on HostGator (Baby Croc) is compatible with XenForo. I have unlimited bandwidth and monthly transfer rates, I ran the requirements script and passed, and I checked to make sure that HostGator offers MySQL 5.0+ support (they do). Everything seems okay, but from some of the posts I've read, I'm starting to become unsure.

• Do you need a VPS/Shared package to run Xenforo?

I am only using one of their web hosting packages. Can someone with knowledge/experience using Xenforo with HostGator web hosting help me out?

Thanks,
Psycho

 

[Dodgeboard]

I use Hostgator + Xenforo. BabyCroc is the entry level. Yes, it is compatible with Xenforo. If you find later on that you need a slightly bigger plan as your forum grows, you can always upgrade your plan. VPS would be overkill for a new forum. I started with BabyCroc and upgraded to SwampCroc (now called the business plan). That's because I now have quite a few websites on the same account. Hostgator no doubt will let you know if you start to exceed your utilization. Hostgator has experienced some growing pains but for the most part, they are a good company as far as uptime. They just have some communication problems from time to time.

If you need help getting things setup, give me a holler. I am well versed with Xenforo + Hostgator.

Good luck!

 

[PsychoShark]

Thank you so much for the quick response! I think you've solidified my purchasing of XF.

But really I won't need to upgrade if I have unlimited bandwidth/transfer data/disk space right? It's totally fine if I do, since HostGator has great prices. However, that is a tad bit confusing.

 

[Dodgeboard]

The whole unlimited thing with a "starter" entry-level plan is a bit misleading. They will ask you to upgrade your plan if it is found that your CPU utilization becomes excessive. That would only happen if/when your website grows to a very busy forum. I've had my forum for nearly 8 years and it's outgrown the CPU usage that Hostgator would allow under the SwampCroc plan. Many of these plans are marketing gimmicks to get you in the door, then upgrade you on down the line. Regardless, Hostgator offers a good return on your investment. I would recommend them to a friend.

 

[Andrej]

Thank you so much for the quick response! I think you've solidified my purchasing of XF.

But really I won't need to upgrade if I have unlimited bandwidth/transfer data/disk space right? It's totally fine if I do, since HostGator has great prices. However, that is a tad bit confusing.

There is no such thing as a hosting with infinite bandwidth and storage. Its impossible. Its only a marketing trick, because there are clear limits on what amount of data one server can hold. Those "Unlimited" hosts often have long terms of service and fineprints which say "fair usage use" which means if you use too much you would be asked to upgrade or be terminated. So its not really unlimited at all.

 

[PsychoShark]

Ah, I understand now. Well thanks so much for your help guys! Time to get set up my forums!

 

[Dodgeboard]

Thank you so much for the quick response! I think you've solidified my purchasing of XF.

But really I won't need to upgrade if I have unlimited bandwidth/transfer data/disk space right? It's totally fine if I do, since HostGator has great prices. However, that is a tad bit confusing.

The great thing is, the BabyCroc plan will be a good fit for you looking to start a new forum. Nothing is for certain in the internet world and this is a good place to start. But if your forum does well and you decide to step up in plans, Hostgator will do all the work for you in migrating your account to a faster server or bigger plan.

I pay under $20 per month and host 15 or so websites on my plan. It's a good deal and the ad revenue more than covers my hosting costs.

 

[Dodgeboard]

Ah, I understand now. Well thanks so much for your help guys! Time to get set up my forums!

Again, holler if you get stuck.