Company: BlueHost
Background: Bluehost host more than 2 million websites on their platform and is extremely popular. The company is currently based in Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S. and offers a wide range of hosting options. The company BlueHost was sold to Endurance International Group (EIG) in 2010 and EIG is sold to Clearlake Capital for $3 billion in November 2020.
Starting Price: $2.75/mo
Currency: USD
Visit Online: https://www.bluehost.com
Review Summary & Ratings
BlueHost is officially recommended by WordPress.org and a popular hosting choice among professional bloggers. I personally think BlueHost may be the right call for small businesses and individual bloggers who want a cheap and reliable hosting solution.
My Experience with BlueHost
In this BlueHost Review, you’ll get the inside scoop – from server performance stats to user dashboard demo – from a 16 years BlueHost customer.
I have been using BlueHost shared hosting since 2005. I used to host several websites on a very old BlueHost plan named “BlueHost Platinum Pak” and I have another BlueHost hosting account signed up in 2020 for a side project.
I also run speed tests and monitor BlueHost server availability using self-built tools – so I can share their server performance data based on my first hand experience.
Who Should Use BlueHost Hosting?
Bluehost’s excellent hosting uptime performance makes it a strong choice for small businesses and anyone that’s serious about their website. It’s especially good for those who are interested in running WordPress-based websites. The brand comes recommended by WordPress themselves – one of only three hosting brands that are officially on that list.
BlueHost Pros & Cons
Pros
BlueHost Service Overview
| Features | BlueHost |
|---|---|
| Server Plans | Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, Reseller Hosting, WordPress Hosting |
| Shared Hosting | $2.95 - $13.95 |
| VPS Hosting | $19.99 - $59.99 |
| Dedicated Hosting | $79.99 - $119.99 |
| Cloud Hosting | - |
| Reseller Hosting | $16.99 - $36.99 |
| WordPress Hosting | $2.95 - $13.95 |
| Server Locations | North America |
| Website Builder | BlueHost Website Builder |
| Energy Sources | Traditional |
| Free Trial | 30 days |
| Control Panel | cPanel |
| Free SSL Support | Yes |
| Paid SSL | Single Domain SSL - $6.67/month |
| Popular Alternatives | A2 Hosting, Hostinger, InMotion Hosting |
| Customer Support | Live chat, Telephone, Email |
| Tech Support Number | +1-888-401-4678 |
| Payment | Credit Card, PayPal |
Pros: What I Like about BlueHost Hosting
1. Reliable – Excellent Hosting Uptime
Average Hosting Uptime Above 99.95%
I run a test siteon BlueHost and track its performance using a self-built system named HostScore. Over the years my test site has been stable and am constantly getting above 99.95% uptime – it rarely went down for more than 10 minutes.
BlueHost Uptime Records
2. Speed Meets Expectation – Fast Page Loading Speed
When it comes to server speed, BlueHost performance meets my expectations. With an average Time-To-First-Byte (TTFB) of below 600ms on Webpage Test, BlueHost is rated as “A” in most of our WebpageTest.org speed tests.
BlueHost Webpage Test Results
BlueHost Bitcatcha Test Results
3. Low Introductory Price ($2.75 per month)
Bluehost offers plans that give new users an excellent soft landing into the world of web hosting. For just $2.75/mo, you get everything necessary for hosting a single website. If you would like to stretch a plan to cover more than a single site, $5.45/mo allows you to host unlimited numbers of them.
These rates are lower than typically available for entry-level hosting, as found in our latest web hosting price study.
4. Recommended by WordPress.org
With over 20 years under their belt, BlueHost has an established track record in the hosting industry and is quite well-known among experienced bloggers and website owners. This is further cemented by the fact that WordPress.org officially recommends them as one of the preferred web hosts for their platform.
Also read our list of cheap WordPress hosting.
5. Comprehensive Knowledgebase & Self-help Tutorials
Since there are a lot of tutorials and self-documents available online, this makes BlueHost a lot easier to learn and use if you’re a beginner. I was able to solve several simple issues by just reading their articles or watching the video tutorials in the past.
6. Newbies-friendly: Easy to Use for Beginners
The overall on-boarding experience with BlueHost was great. My account was activated instantly and I get helpful starter guide via emails everyday for the next 5 days after signup.
The Bluehost control panel is organized and easily navigable, easy for both beginners and veteran website owners alike. The latter still might get a bit disoriented though since the layout differs slightly from the popular cPanel interface. Still, the way it was designed offers a smooth user experience.
BlueHost User Dashboard Demonstration
7. Wide Web Hosting & Site Builder Options
If your business or website becomes bigger, BlueHost gives its users plenty of room to grow with the ability to upgrade to different hosting plans or add on services at a reasonable price.
For hosting server – you get to upgrade your shared server hosting plans to VPS / Dedicated Hosting. For users who want a simple website – BlueHost also offers am A.I. powered Website Builder that allows you to build websites from quick-start templates.
For businesses that are finding a web presence increasingly vital but don’t want to deal with onboarding a full-time team to handle it, full service is an interesting option. It also has options that go far beyond what just a development team can do. From conceptualization to launch and ongoing operations, full service from Bluehost offers roughly the equivalent of an entire department boasting development, design, content, and digital marketing (including SEO). If you take on the headcount for these services in-house, you’ll be looking at a hefty fixed overhead increase.
Cons: The Not-so-good about BlueHost Hosting
1. Unlimited Hosting Limited by Various Usage Policies
Another downside is that their unlimited hosting is not actually “unlimited”.
Reading up on their policies, you’ll realize that there are certain caveats to their unlimited hosting, such as the fact they do not provide unlimited space for online storage. All this ends up making their “unlimited hosting” quite limited.
2. Charges on Site Migration Assistance
If you sign up for new accounts, most web hosting companies tend to offer free site migration support – at least for one website. Sadly Bluehost doesn’t, and if you want them to move a website for you, it’ll cost $149 – not cheap at all.
3. No Automated Daily Backup
With reliability being such a vital aspect of running a website, it’s unfortunate that you need to make your backups at Bluehost. While you can do this easily with a plugin (if you’re using WordPress), it would have been a good value-add feature that is a norm with many other hosts.
BlueHost Pricing: How Much Does BlueHost Hosting Cost?
Shared Hosting Plans
BlueHost shared hosting comes in four flavors: Basic, Plus, Choice Plus and Pro.
BlueHost Plus and Choice Plus have the same signup price ($5.45/mo) when using coupon codes – but they renew at a very different rate ($11.99/mo vs $16.99/mo). If you are unsure, start with a lower plan (Plus) and upgrade later if necessary.
Also – although this has been the norm for cheap hosting deals, it's worth noting that BlueHost charges a high price when it comes to renewing your plans. The basic plan alone jumps up from $2.95/mo to $8.99/mo when you renew, which is a 170%(!) increase in price.
Compare BlueHost Basic and Plus Plans
The key features and prices of Basic and Plus plan are shown in the table below.
| Features | Basic | Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited |
| Email Accounts | 5 | Unlimited |
| Website Space | 50 GB | Unmetered |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free Domain | Yes | Yes |
| SubDomains | 25 | Unlimited |
| Free Migration | No | No |
| Free SSL Certificate | Auto SSL | Auto SSL |
| WordPress Integration | Yes | Yes |
| Git Support | No | No |
| Backup | No | No |
| MySQL Databases | 20 | Unlimited* |
| Signup Price | $2.95/mo | $5.45/mo |
| Renewal Price | $8.99/mo | $11.99/mo |
Learn more about BlueHost Shared Hosting Plans.
VPS Hosting Plans
BlueHost VPS plans cost $18.99/mo, $29.99/mo, and $59.99/mo. Overall features and pricing of BlueHost VPS hosting are up to market standards. Their prices are not cheap compared to other similar VPS hosting providers, but they are not expensive either.
Server specifications and key features as below.
Compare BlueHost Standard & Enhance VPS Plans
| Features | Standard | Enhanced |
|---|---|---|
| CPU (Cores) | 2 | 2 |
| RAM | 2 GB | 4 GB |
| Disk Space (SSD) | 30 GB | 60 GB |
| Bandwidth | 1 TB | 2 TB |
| Control Panel | cPanel / WHM | cPanel / WHM |
| Root Access | Yes | Yes |
| Dedicated IP | 1 | 2 |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Signup Price | $18.99/mo | $29.99/mo |
| Regular Price | $29.99/mo | $59.99/mo |
Learn more about BlueHost VPS Hosting Plans.
Is BlueHost Really that Popular?
We have done number of hosting surveys with our readers in the past. BlueHost is always one of the top recommended web hosts among bloggers and Internet marketers. Writers, marketers, and probloggers like Lori Soard, Paul Crowe, Kevin Muldoon, and Sharon Hurley recommended BlueHost hosting.
BlueHost User Feedback
Lori Soard – Radio personality, published author, LoriSoard.com
For a first-time blogger, I would recommend BlueHost.
Although this hosting company gets a few mixed reviews, they come recommended by WordPress, which is one of the most popular blogging platforms. The hosting company also offers a WordPress auto-install, which makes getting set up quick and easy for someone without a lot of webdesign experience. Unlimited disk space and bandwidth transfer are also a nice addition. Rates start at $4.95/month (if you pay in advance), so it is also reasonably priced for someone trying things out.
I also like the fact that newbies can get support 24/7 in a variety of ways (online, via telephone or via e-mail).
Kevin Muldoon – Pro-blogger, KevinMuldoon.com
First time bloggers should not use a lot of resources at first.
Due to this, I would recommend a good shared hosting company such as BlueHost. Once their website has started generating more traffic, they can then review their hosting requirements.
Sharon Hurley – Professional web writer, SharonHH.com
I've used 5 or 6 web hosting providers over the last 7 years, including many of the popular shared hosting providers.
The one I keep coming back to is BlueHost, where I currently host more than ten domains. It's a great host for sites with low to medium traffic and everything you want is easy to set up. I've been impressed with their uptime and their tech support department is extremely responsive and helpful if there's ever an issue.
Michael Hyatt – NY Times Bestseller Author, MichaelHyatt.com
If you use WordPress as I recommend, you will need a hosting service too.
And, BlueHost is the best web host for WordPress.
Alternatives to BlueHost Hosting
The company has been popular but not everyone will find them an ideal fit. It is important to realize that there are many options that may better fit your needs. Our research on BlueHost alternative shows a progressive scene. Among them, a few providers really stand out and I’m sure one of them will be a fit for your needs.
Alternative #1: GreenGeeks
Exceptional web hosting services, environmentally responsible, plus a good spread of 5 data centers in North America and Europe; GreenGeeks stands out top if you are looking for an eco-friendly hosting at similar price.
Quick Details
- Server Locations: North America, Europe
- Shared Hosting: $2.95 – $10.95/mo
- VPS Hosting: $39.95 – $109.95/mo
- Dedicated Hosting: $169 – $439/mo
- WordPress Hosting: $19.95 – $34.95/mo
- Energy Sources: Green Certificates
- Free Trial: 30 days
- Control Panel: cPanel
Alternative #2: Hostinger
Prices at Hostinger are some of the cheapest in the industry. Basic shared hosting rates start from only $1.99 while higher tiers are available at $2.99 and $4.99.
Quick Details
- Server Locations: North America, Asia, Europe
- Shared Hosting: $1.99 – $4.99/mo
- VPS Hosting: $2.99 – $77.99/mo
- Dedicated Hosting: –
- WordPress Hosting: $1.99 – $11.59/mo
- Energy Sources: Traditional
- Free Trial: 30 days
- Control Panel: hPanel
Alternative #3: A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting has good lower-tier pricing including Startup ($2.99) and Drive ($4.99). For higher-tier plans such as Turbo Boost ($9.99), and Turbo Max ($12.99), the Turbo features are included in the plans, making them the better choice for business users.
Quick Details
- Server Locations: North America, Asia, Europe
- Shared Hosting: $2.99 – $12.99/mo
- VPS Hosting: $6.99 – $143/mo
- Dedicated Hosting: $110 – $530/mo
- Reseller Hosting: $24.99 – $59.99/mo
- WordPress Hosting: $11.99 – $47.99
- Energy Sources: Green Certificates
- Free Trial: 30 days
- Control Panel: cPanel
Verdict: BlueHost is Recommended for…
Given the fact that you are only paying ~$5/mo on signup, BlueHost shared hosting is considered above average.
The web host scored 58 in our 80-point rating system and rated as a 4.5-star host.
Bluehost’s excellent speed and performance makes it a strong choice for small businesses and anyone that’s serious about their website. It’s especially good for those who are interested in running WordPress-based websites. The brand comes recommended by WordPress themselves – one of only three hosting brands that are officially on that list.
BlueHost FAQs
CodeGuard is included with BlueHost Choice Plus and above shared plans. If you're on a more basic plan, it isn't really necessary to pay extra for CodeGuard unless you're considering running an eCommerce site or otherwise processing payments.
Yes, BlueHost use SSD storage on all plans.
Starting from $2.95/mo for shared hosting, BlueHost is certainly one of the more budget-oriented hosts around. However, that is an introductory price and upon renewal increases to $7.99/mo.
BlueHost only operates servers in its own Utah facility which is sub-optimal for those targeting UK-based traffic. However, it generally does have a decent server performance overall.
For starters, BlueHost's Basic plan offers a good step into the world of web hosting with a low cost of entry and decent features. If you require more resources they also have VPS or Dedicated hosting plans
BlueHost offers a 30-day moeny-back guarantee during which cancellations can get full refunds. Beyond that, plans can be cancelled without a refund at any time.
