HostMonster and FatCow are almost always found on the lists of top web hosting companies. These two are some of the most frequently used hosts, and choosing between them is sometimes a challenge. While they have similar features and benefits, there are some distinct differences that should help you choose the one that is right for your website.

Read the HostMonster Review

Read the FatCow Web Hosting Review

Pricing

The price is not much different between the two plans. For a one to two-year contract, FatCow charges $3.67. With coupon codes and current special pricing, you can get a 24-month contract for $3.95 a month with HostMonster. However, HostMonster offers shorter contracts, at a higher price, which may fit your needs better. A three or six month contract, for instance, is $9.95.

Update: In February 2011, HostMonster changed its minimum contract to 1 year and now charges $4.50/month whether you purchase a 1, 2 or 3 year contract. There are no set-up fees and a free domain still comes with every package. If price is your primary concern, BigHosts.com has a special price on JustHost.com for only $2.95/month!

Features

Many features of the two web hosting companies are the same. One big difference is that HostMonster uses cPanel, but FatCow does not. FatCow uses its own V-Deck control panel, which is fairly user friendly. However, if you are adept at using cPanel, you may feel more comfortable with the HostMonster plan.

In addition to this, HostMonster offers Fantastico, but FatCow does not. However, FatCow is designed to allow you to easily accept PayPal payments, and HostMonster is not (but you can still set this up if you want to through PayPal).

Both plans offer unlimited domain names and email accounts per contract, have shopping cart capabilities, spam filters, streaming audio/video options, and MySQL databases. FrontPage extensions allow you to customize your website with both companies. Both also offer basically unlimited bandwidth and disk space.

Security

Both companies pride themselves in excellent security, using SSL and encryption to secure any information exchanged between your customers and your website. HostMonster also gives you SSH or Secure Shell Access, which means you have a secure channel to use when making changes to your site, a feature not offered by FatCow.

Customer Service

When choosing between two companies with excellent features, customer service is sometimes the best way to make your decision. Both offer 24/7 phone support and live chat. HostMonster guarantees a wait time of two minutes or less for phone support, and all HostMonster phone support is handled within the United States. FatCow has an average wait time of right around two minutes, with North American, but not necessarily American, personnel. An upgraded service with U.S. representatives offers a shorter wait time for $3.95 a month. FatCow offers a video tutorials library for customers to access to try to fix issues on their own, a service not offered by HostMonster.

Bonuses

Both companies offer bonuses to new contracts. HostMonster offers $100 in free search engine advertising credits, as well as free domain name for life, free set up (with two-year or longer plan), and free domain privacy service. FatCow offers a free domain name, free set-up, and $75 in advertising credits. Both offer a no-questions-asked 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

FatCow and HostMonster both offer reliable, secure web hosting with excellent customer service. The main differences are the presence of cPanel, a difference in price if choosing shorter contracts, and the location of phone support. Use these factors to help you make your decision as you choose between these two top 10 web hosting companies.