Bluehost is a giant in the web hosting industry. They power more than two million websites around the world. But, just because it’s a well-known brand doesn’t mean it’s right for you.
Creating a Bluehost account is straightforward, requiring essential personal information and payment details. Once the account is established, you can take advantage of the excellent support available through Bluehost.
The company offers plans to suit all budgets and needs, as well as a drag-and-drop website builder. Every plan they offer comes with a free SSL certificate to keep your site secure.
It also elucidates web hosting and makes it simple for beginners to get started. This is especially useful when you want WordPress to build your website.
Like you may ask yourself with any other host – is Bluehost the best choice for me? Well, this is why we have put together this Bluehost hosting review.
This Bluehost review will look at where Bluehost started, its reputation, support options, and its product features including its pricing.
Let’s Start with the Basics
In case you aren’t familiar with Bluehost, let me tell you a bit about them. Bluehost is one of the largest web hosting providers and was founded in 2003 by Matt Heaton.
The company’s headquarters are in Utah, which is where a large portion of its employees are based. Today, it’s owned by Endurance International Group (EIG).
Bluehost offers a variety of hosting solutions including;
Shared hosting plans,
Managed WordPress hosting,
dedicated server plans, and
VPS plans.
Bluehost hosting plans cater to different needs and budgets, offering features such as webmail hosting, ease of WordPress installation, and user-friendly control panels. These plans are suitable for both beginners and advanced users.
The company also offers WordPress-specific hosting plans, as well as cloud-based services like website builders and email marketing tools for small businesses.
Bluehost Features
Bluehost offers a wide range of features that make it an attractive option for web hosting. One of the standout features is the ability to create unlimited websites. Whether you’re a business owner with multiple online projects or an individual looking to experiment with different ideas, Bluehost has you covered.
Another significant advantage is the free domain name included with their hosting plans. This not only saves you money but also simplifies the process of getting your website up and running. For those looking to build a WordPress site, Bluehost’s seamless integration with WordPress makes it incredibly easy to set up and manage your site.
Security is a top priority for Bluehost, which is why they offer free SSL certificates with all their plans. This ensures that your website is secure and that your visitors’ data is protected. Additionally, Bluehost provides full access to cPanel, giving you complete control over your hosting account and allowing you to manage your website’s settings and features effortlessly.
For those who prefer a more hands-on approach, Bluehost’s user-friendly website builder is a fantastic tool. It allows you to create a professional-looking website without any coding knowledge, making it perfect for beginners.
Bluehost Pricing and Plans
Bluehost offers a range of pricing plans to suit different needs and budgets. Here’s a breakdown of their main plans:
Basic Plan: Starting at just $2.95 per month, the Basic plan is perfect for those who are just getting started. It includes 1 website, 10GB of storage, and 100MB of email storage. This plan is ideal for small personal websites or blogs.
Plus Plan: For $5.45 per month, the Plus plan offers more flexibility with unlimited websites, unlimited storage, and unlimited email storage. This plan is great for users who need more resources and have multiple websites to manage.
Choice Plus Plan: Also priced at $5.45 per month, the Choice Plus plan includes all the features of the Plus plan, along with additional benefits like domain privacy and site backup. This plan provides extra security and peace of mind, making it a popular choice among users.
Pro Plan: At $13.95 per month, the Pro plan is designed for those who need even more power and features. It includes unlimited websites, unlimited storage, and unlimited email storage, as well as a dedicated IP and an SSL certificate. This plan is ideal for businesses and high-traffic websites.
Bluehost Compared to other Web Hosts
Bluehost is great for beginners, they offer affordable entry-level shared hosting plans. When compared to several other low-budget hosting service options they might not be the absolute best. But they do offer competitive features.
When compared to Dreamhost, Hostinger, and other web hosts, there are areas where Bluehost stands out like their drag and drop WordPress builder. This is one great way for beginners to get started with building a website quickly. However, other hosting providers like HostGator and IONOS offer better uptime performance and more features, which potential customers should consider before making a decision.
We have looked into different features offered by different hosts in the article comparing the best web hosting services.
Who is Bluehost Best for?
Bluehost hosting is ideal for beginners in the space of launching their website, were first or second website/ blog. When thinking of starting a blog, Bluehost is one of the options you may consider for ease of use to launch.
Bluehost’s shared hosting plans are particularly affordable, with low introductory prices and a range of features including various storage options and additional services.
Their control panel is easy to navigate and find what you are looking for to build and launch your website. If you are planning on launching a resource-intensive website like an eCommerce store with loads of products, other hosting options might be more suited.
What About Uptime?
Uptime is an important number to consider when choosing a web host. You want a host that has a high uptime guarantee. This means that your website will be up and running most of the time. If your site is down often, it can hurt your search engine ranking and drive away visitors.
Bluehost guarantees 99.9% uptime. This means that Bluehost’s servers are up and running almost all the time. This is fairly common for web hosts, though there are some hosts with better guarantees than Bluehost offers you.
It’s also good to note that uptime isn’t just one big number. It’s affected by when you check it, what day of the week it is, what kind of server error occurred, and so on. In other words, there’s more to it than just “how many minutes of the year were my site down”.
If you’re concerned about Bluehost’s uptime guarantee or if you just want to know how much downtime your site experiences (which helps monitor whether there are any problems), you can use Uptrends’ free tool.
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Bluehost Offers
Bluehost offers shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting and managed WordPress hosting.
Bluehost WordPress hosting is highly recommended by WordPress itself as the top web hosting provider. It offers ease of installation and exclusive coupons for discounts, making it an affordable choice, though prices may increase after the initial term.
Shared Hosting
Bluehost’s shared hosting plan is one of the easiest to start with when launching a blog or a website. All of Bluehost’s shared hosting plans come with one year of free domain privacy.
Bluehost’s shared hosting plans are known for their affordability and features, with low introductory prices that make them an attractive option for beginners.
To start with, you can choose the basic plan for $2.95 to get 50GB of storage space, a CDN, and a free SSL certificate. All in all, it is a generous offer for a beginner. The higher plans, Plus and Pro go for $5.45, and $13.95 respectively. With the plus or pro plan, you get to manage unlimited websites and get free access to Microsoft 365 for 30days.
You also get Domain Privacy which hides your contact details from public view. This is important if you don’t want to receive phone calls and emails from telemarketers and spammers in the middle of the night.
It can also help prevent identity theft. This is especially critical if someone gets their hands on your name, email address, and phone number. The Choice Plus is a great plan for you as it offers more value than the plus plan at the same price.
You might find that you need more than just the shared plan if you want to increase your CPU resources and get a free dedicated IP.
Managed WordPress Hosting Option
Managed WordPress hosting is a great option for those who want to focus on content without having to worry about the technical aspects of running a website. There’s no need to install WordPress. It comes pre-installed and ready to go, which saves you a lot of hassle.
Bluehost takes care of everything.
They automatically update your WordPress installation at least once every two weeks,
provide anti-spam features,
security features,
daily backups,
domain management with Domain Privacy & Protection (a $10 value),
site performance optimization tools with Cloudflare CDN and
an SSL (Secure Socket Layer) certificate for free.
This hosting plan also comes with Bluehost’s excellent customer support, if you ever run into any issues or have any questions along the way.
The difference in their managed WordPress hosting plans is the amount of traffic your website receives.
Build – $9.95/month, for 50,000 monthly visitors
Grow – $14.95/ month, for 150,000 monthly visitors
Scale – $27.95/ month, for 500,000 monthly visitors
VPS Hosting
VPS hosting is like living in a smart apartment complex. There are some benefits of living in a community, but you still have to pay for what goes on inside your place.
The VPS hosting at Bluehost gives you guaranteed resources and helps keep your website online by preventing anyone user from overloading the server.
Bluehost recommends this level of hosting for anyone who wants to run an eCommerce site or a more complex website than their shared plans can handle.
When compared to other web hosts, they are pretty competitive. They offer their basic VPS starting from $18.99/ month on a 36month plan, with 2GB RAM, and 1TB bandwidth.
However, its simplicity means that it’s not as flexible as dedicated hosting when it comes to customizing your server environment. So, you might want to consider upgrading to that level if your business grows past Bluehost’s capabilities.
Here are the VPS pricing Tiers to pick from.
Dedicated Hosting
In case you are running a resource-intensive website, you may find that Dedicated hosting is the right fit for your brand. If you want a dedicated server for your website, then Bluehost offers a variety of dedicated hosting options.
In general, dedicated hosting is the most powerful (and often priciest) form of web hosting. It’s especially helpful if you run a high-powered site that’s prone to network congestion issues.
The standout benefits of Bluehost’s dedicated hosting are security, privacy, and even more control on your web server all around.
Their dedicated server plans start at $79.99 for 500GB sever storage space, 4GB of RAM, and 5TB of bandwidth. It makes them a premium contender even when it comes to dedicated hosting.
Dedicated servers wont be affected by the traffic on other sites hosted on their servers because they’re reserved only for you.
You won’t have to worry about other websites causing problems with your own or slowing down your visitor traffic. You also get more control over how you configure your server .
A managed server includes help from Bluehost technicians on top of the basic hardware management and monitoring. However, an unmanaged server gives you full control over the setup so that you can install any software or scripts you’d like. This includes WordPress.
Here are the pricing options for Dedicated hosting with Bluehost
Bluehost Website Builder is a Nice Touch
One of the nice things about Bluehost is its website builder. The company’s website builder is a drag-and-drop-based system that enables you to create your own site from scratch easily.
In fact, it can be done in as little as 30 seconds if you use a template and some prebuilt content.
Templates are broken up into different categories: business, online store, personal website, and portfolio, so you can make the right choice for your needs.
In addition to creating a new site via the drag-and-drop system, you can import content from another site or use a template to start on the right foot.
You can also create a blog or add contact forms, as well as customize search engine optimization (SEO) settings so your content ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The Online Store Add-On is Useful, But Basic
You also have the option to purchase a one-click online store add-on during signup, which is a nice way to start selling products.
It works if you have decided to you’re your products by using WordPress and WooCommerce. However, it doesn’t offer nearly as much as a dedicated eCommerce platform like Shopify or BigCommerce.
If you want to sell digital goods, this is a great option for you since there’s no need for inventory management or shipping integration.
But we recommend looking into other platforms if you want to sell physical products. This is because Bluehost doesn’t have great flexibility for inventory management or integration with shipping providers.
You can pick their standard plan($15.95/month) for an eCommerce store with exceptional analytics and basic store backups.
They have great Reputation for Bluehost Customer Support
Bluehost has 24/7 support via phone and live chat. Bluehost offers guaranteed live chat availability 24/7, and the average response time is around 15 seconds. Once connected, the representative was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable about the products offered by Bluehost.
Bluehost customer support is available through various channels, including live chat and phone support, ensuring quick issue resolution and a high level of assistance.
For general questions about pricing, storage limitations, and website builder tools, all questions will be answered quickly with clear explanations of what I would get from each option.
There are many other helpful resources on the Bluehost website that can help you get set up without speaking to a representative as well.
When it comes to live WordPress support, Bluehost offers BlueSky, a service that teaches users to build a website using WordPress. The training is individual-focused. This means you get on-demand ticket support, and even design guidance.
For more advanced support features like SEO optimization for your website, and landing page optimization you can choose their higher tier, BlueSky Pro to grow your website faster.
Also Offers Professional Marketing Services
If you are having trouble raising awareness for your website or online store, you can always give Bluehost a call for professional marketing services. They help their clients focus more on running their business and generating revenue.
The primary services they offer are;
Full-service website support (Design, Marketing, and Content Creation)
SEO services including on-page keyword optimization
PPC with managing pay per click campaigns
Website migration services and one on one consulting services for your website
Bluehost Customer Reviews and Ratings
Bluehost has built a solid reputation for providing excellent customer support and service. On Trustpilot, Bluehost boasts an impressive rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars, based on over 2,500 reviews. Similarly, HostAdvice and WHTop also rate Bluehost highly, with 4.5 out of 5 stars based on 1,000 and 500 reviews, respectively.
Customers frequently praise Bluehost’s customer support team for their friendliness and helpfulness. Available 24/7 via phone, live chat, and email, the support team is always ready to assist with any issues or questions. Whether you’re a beginner needing guidance or an experienced user facing technical challenges, Bluehost’s support team is known for providing quick and effective solutions.
In summary, Bluehost’s combination of robust features, flexible pricing plans, and outstanding customer support makes it a strong contender in the web hosting industry. Whether you’re launching your first website or managing multiple online projects, Bluehost offers the tools and support you need to succeed.
The Advantage of using Bluehost
Bluehost offers one of the best customer support in the web hosting industry, with 24/7 live chat, email, and phone options. That way you can get answers to your questions whenever you need them. They’ll even be able to help you set up your site quickly.
They also give you a free domain for your first year with them. And, they’ll even throw in an SSL certificate to help keep your site secure.
Overall their interface is beginner-friendly and easy to use. Even if you’re a newbie, Bluehost’s high-quality features and helpful customer service will have you feeling like a pro in no time.
Quick site setup. Once you’ve picked out your plan and domain name, it takes just one click to get started building your site)
If you’re new to web hosting, they make it easy with simple step-by-step instructions. Their customer service team is always available to walk you through any issues that may arise.
The Downside of Bluehost
There are a few things we didn’t love about Bluehost:
Bluehost also charges for site migrations. If you’re a new user, they’ll move your site over for free, but if you’re an existing customer looking to move to their service, it will cost you $149.99 per site.
Bluehost makes up for this with 24/7 phone support and live chat options if you run into trouble, but as far as website hosting goes, some companies offer better overall value if you’re on a tight budget (such as SiteGround).
Unfortunately, Bluehost isn’t the best fit for high-traffic sites. As your business grows and you get more visitors, you may find that your site slows down or even crashes depending on how well your host can handle the load.
If you’re looking for a host for a high-traffic site, Bluehost may not be the best fit. Although their shared hosting plans are reliable and fast, they aren’t optimized to handle very high traffic. For that, you’d want a host with dedicated servers or VPS hosting
In Summary: Bluehost Review
For a beginner, Bluehost offers great features at an affordable price. While many hosts are cheaper and better suited for advanced users, Bluehost is a solid choice if you’re looking for reliable hosting at an affordable price.
Here’s why:
You’ll get fast, secure, and reliable hosting for your website. Bluehost guarantees 99.99 percent uptime on their shared web hosting plans. If the service goes down, they promise to credit your account with up to one month of free service.
Their award-winning customer support team is ready to help 24/7 through phone, live chat, and email.
All plans come with a free domain name registration for one year, plus $150 in advertising credits on Google and Bing search engines. This helps when first launching your site.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Bluehost
Is Bluehost trustable?
Yes, Bluehost is a reputable hosting provider known for its reliability and strong customer support. It is recommended by WordPress.org and hosts over two million websites worldwide.
How much is Bluehost per month?
Bluehost offers a variety of hosting plans starting at $2.95 per month for the Basic shared hosting plan. Prices may vary based on the plan and term selected.
Is Bluehost good for small businesses?
Bluehost is an excellent choice for small businesses due to its affordable pricing, ease of use, and robust features like free SSL certificates and domain privacy.
Is Bluehost better than GoDaddy?
Bluehost and GoDaddy are both popular hosting providers. Bluehost is often preferred for WordPress sites due to its seamless integration and WordPress-specific features, while GoDaddy offers a wider range of services beyond hosting.
Do Bluehost web hosting plans include webmail hosting?
Yes, all Bluehost hosting plans include webmail hosting, allowing you to create professional email addresses associated with your domain.
Does the free domain name provided by Bluehost belong to me?
Yes, when you register a free domain name with Bluehost, it belongs to you as long as you renew it annually.
What is BlueHost used for?
Bluehost is primarily used for web hosting services, including hosting WordPress sites, online stores, and personal or business websites.
Do I need to pay for Bluehost web hosting if I have WordPress?
Yes, while WordPress itself is free, you need to pay for a hosting service like Bluehost to make your WordPress site accessible on the internet.
Can I move my own site to Bluehost?
Yes, you can migrate your site to Bluehost. They offer free site migration for most WordPress sites, and their support team can assist with the process.
What kind of customer support does Bluehost offer?
Bluehost provides 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, and email, ensuring assistance is available whenever you need it.
These FAQs provide insights into why Bluehost is a popular choice among hosting providers, especially for those looking to build and manage WordPress websites.
