The use of microsilica-gel bonding in no-cement (NCC) shotcreting has gained interest in the last decade with the aim of increasing the lifetime of the refractory material. Consequently, the accelerators that are conventionally used for low-cement and ultra-low cement shotcreting are not suitable. Alternatives that are currently being used for NCC shotcreting either have cost implications for installation or maintenance of equipment or performance limitations of the refractory product. This study investigates the use of different hydrogels as accelerators in NCC shotcreting, together with a binder system, SioxX®-Flow, with the aim of improving the shotcrete applying process, high temperature refractory properties, and limitations associated with current alkali-free accelerators. The evaluation consisted of two parts: 1) characterization of the hydrogels through rheology measurements, 2) evaluation of hydrogels in refractory shotcrete. The characterization of the hydrogel consisted of rheology evaluation of refractory slurry suspension that contained the hydrogel and oscillatory rheology for the pure hydrogels to determine gel strength. The evaluation of the hydrogel in the refractory shotcrete included non-destructive resonance frequency and damping analysis of samples after demoulding, drying, and firing at 1500°C. A preferred hydrogel was proposed based on the requirements for application of refractory shotcrete and results from this evaluation.