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Bluehost Review

Written by: Ryan Frankel

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Reviewed by: Alexandra Anderson

2/10/2023

OVERALL RATING	4.9 / 5.0 ★★★★★
Features	4.7 / 5.0
Ease of Use	5.0 / 5.0
Pricing	4.8 / 5.0
Reliability & Support	4.8 / 5.0
Discount for Our Users	See Deals

Ryan Frankel,

Hosting Expert:

Bluehost has a rock-solid reputation in the shared and WordPress hosting communities, and the host is a long-time favorite of mine. Today, Bluehost powers more than 2 million websites, and the team touts years of experience. With well-maintained servers, competitive pricing, and excellent customer support, Bluehost is hardly a pick you'll regret.

Category Ratings

We had one of our resident hosting experts, Ryan Frankel, sign up for a Bluehost account and take it for a spin. Below are Ryan’s ratings of the Bluehost experience, broken down by the types of hosting Bluehost offers.

If you decide to go with Bluehost, you may get a discount by using our link to sign up. While we often make commissions on purchases made through our links, this had no bearing on Ryan’s review.

Here’s what Ryan found in reviewing Bluehost:

Advertiser Disclosure

Bluehost's Overall Rating (4.9 / 5.0)

Best Overall Rating

4.9

★★★★★

Price:

$2.95

Setup Time:

5 minutes

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com):

Bluehost has long been a favorite of mine in the shared and WordPress hosting spaces. The company adheres to modern standards for hardware, and its customer service resources are now backed by hosting industry titan Newfold Digital.

Bluehost’s shared hosting options will accommodate the vast majority of customers' needs. Independent proprietors, small business owners, and non-developers needn't look beyond the host's shared server (read: cheap hosting) plans.

Once your website outgrows the traffic allowances of a shared hosting plan, however, Bluehost excels in the VPS hosting and dedicated server niches, too.

Bluehost has revamped its user experience — beefing up the user-friendliness factor significantly in recent years. Users will find the web host dashboard and overall customer experience to be welcoming.

Easily navigate installing popular apps, such as WordPress, Joomla, or Zen Cart, with the familiar cPanel control panel. The domain management panel makes it easy to add on domain services, should you choose to opt for an upgraded plan, where domain privacy and support for unlimited domain names come standard.

If you’re looking for WordPress hosting specifically, whether on a shared, virtual, or dedicated server, you’ve come to the right host. Bluehost is one of the few providers endorsed by the WordPress Core team, ranked among SiteGround and DreamHost.

Install the popular blogging platform in a single click via the web hosting control panel, or have the Bluehost pros take care of it for you by leveraging a managed WordPress hosting service.

As previously mentioned, Bluehost also tops the charts in VPS and dedicated server hosting — offering fantastic performance at competitive prices.

With two to four cores and guaranteed resources, your virtual or dedicated server will be performant, powerful, and online virtually 24/7.

The Bluehost team leverages industry-leading open-source technologies, such as KVM and OpenStack, to eke out as much performance as possible, leaving you with the utmost flexibility and reliability.

And in case you're not quite yet sold: Both the VPS and dedicated hosting plan options include instant provisioning because waiting for your server is so 2000s.

Read on for more Bluehost reviews as we rate the web hosting company for affordability, reliability, ease of use, as well as the features offered in each hosting product category.

Up to unlimited website domain and email hosting
1-click WordPress installs and software updates
Support for popular shopping carts with FREE SSL certificate
Up to $200 in Microsoft and Google Ad credit available
Industry-leading hardware and uptime rates
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

5 minutes

Bluehost's Cheap Hosting (4.8 / 5.0)

Cheap Rating

4.8

★★★★★

Price:

$2.95

Setup Time:

5 minutes

Bluehost pricing is about as competitive as the industry offers.

Sign up for a shared hosting plan for as little as $2.95 per month, and WordPress hosting packages are consistently priced; a VPS plan starts at around $19.99 per month; and the dedicated hosting rates are as little as $79.99 per month. The only way to feasibly sweeten this deal would be a free trial, which, unfortunately, the hosting company does not offer.

However, the 30-day money-back guarantee is marketed heavily. The Bluehost customer support team promises complete service satisfaction or a full refund.

Bluehost hosting has reputation for affordability and usability, which both web novices and veterans can appreciate.

Unlimited website hosting — from domains and email to disk space — is available with almost all plans. Even the most basic Bluehost plan sets users up for success with ample hard disk storage, unmetered bandwidth, and both a free SSL certificate and free domain registration for the first year of hosting service.

Optional add-on services, such as automated backups, and complimentary marketing credits for select plan holders sweeten an already attractive hosting bargain. Some common freebies we love seeing include:

Free domain name registration (for the first year of service)
Free Let's Encrypt SSL certificate (also for the first year)
Free website builder (Weebly, an industry favorite)

Due in part to its affordability but mostly the quality of service, most Bluehost reviews will rank the hosting company atop (or near the top of) lists of the best shared, VPS, and/or WordPress hosting services.

You'll see similar results from our Bluehost review. We regularly recommend Bluehost hosting products that are geared toward beginners, including shared, WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting customers, where cost and ease of use are top priorities.

Bluehost is a solid, reputable choice of hosting provider with competitive pricing, industry-standard hardware performance, and all the premium add-ons imaginable.

The web host's low costs, coupled with its supremacy in the shared hosting arena, make this web host a bang-for-the-buck favorite throughout the hosting community.

Cheap shared hosting from a trusted provider
Ideal for hosting a WordPress website
FREE Weebly website builder and Cloudflare CDN
Unlimited traffic and 24/7 live chat support
Get 70% off today with our Bluehost coupon
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

5 minutes

Bluehost's Dedicated Hosting (4.8 / 5.0)

Dedicated Rating

4.8

★★★★★

Price:

$79.99

Setup Time:

8 minutes

Built on modern technology, with a minimum of four CPU cores per dedicated server, Bluehost offers reliable and flexible dedicated hosting options at an extremely reasonable price.

We continually praise the company's shared hosting options for having fantastic hardware and a great management console, and the brand's dedicated server offerings are no different.

Designed and maintained in house, Bluehost servers rely on only the latest technologies. The hosting company leverages open-source platforms, such as OpenStack and KVM, to boost flexibility and performance. All dedicated machines boast at least four CPU cores, 1TB of RAID-1 storage, and at least 4GB of available RAM.

Each dedicated server is provisioned instantly and can be upgraded at any time with essentially just a few clicks.

Bluehost prides itself on the always-available customer support staff. The experienced support agents work directly with engineers who have their hands on your machine, so to speak.

As a former Bluehost customer, I've always found the support technicians to be incredibly responsive and helpful.

Instant provisioning for all Bluehost server plans
Minimum 3 dedicated IP addresses
Modern hardware, built and maintained in house
24/7 expedited support from a dedicated team
Sign up to save 37% on your first term
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

500 GB - 1 TB (RAID-1)

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

8 minutes

Bluehost's VPS Hosting (4.7 / 5.0)

VPS Rating

4.7

★★★★★

Price:

$19.99

Setup Time:

6 minutes

We love recommending Bluehost for its lifetime customer growth potential, meaning you can start with shared hosting and seamlessly scale to VPS hosting plans and beyond.

The price versus performance is pretty unbeatable in the virtual hosting space, and Bluehost's engineering team will kick off the customer relationship by instantly provisioning your server.

Bluehost’s VPS offerings boast several benefits compared to standard shared hosting and other VPS providers. The first is speed; Bluehost offers your choice of two or four cores and 4GB to 16GB of RAM with guaranteed resources, so you have the power you need when you need it.

The second perk is security; Bluehost offers redundant storage and optional SiteLock protection to secure your data.

For those new to VPS hosting who may not know exactly what is needed, Bluehost makes it incredibly easy and seamless to switch between plans to find the perfect package for you.

The company's enhanced cPanel interface enables users to instantly adjust computing resources. If you have questions or need some advice, Bluehost's wonderful support staff is standing by to assist 24/7.

Seamless migration from any Bluehost shared hosting plan
Root access and easy multi-server management
Ample RAID-1 storage and tons of bandwidth
Each plan gets at least 3 dedicated IP addresses
cPanel and WHM with root access
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

30 GB SSD - 120 GB SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

6 minutes

Bluehost's WordPress Hosting (4.9 / 5.0)

WordPress Rating

4.9

★★★★★

Price:

$2.95

Setup Time:

7 minutes

Bluehost's WordPress hosting packages are aimed at first-time site owners and personal bloggers. These services come at a premium compared to the standard Bluehost web hosting (basic shared hosting) plans, but the WordPress optimization and platform-specific resources are arguably worth the cost.

The shared WordPress hosting plans are arguably the most popular. Equipped with the web's famous MOJO Marketplace, enjoy single-click installations of popular apps and tools, including WordPress.

Bluehost is on a short list of providers officially endorsed by the experts at WordPress.org, so, when faced with WordPress-specific issues, you can reach out to the customer support team with confidence.

Bluehost's managed WordPress hosting service is based on the hosting company's VPS offering. Though not as customizable as others, this managed hosting service focuses on simplicity and speed.

The account management interface is easy to navigate, and the instant provisioning allows for speedy setup. Integrated features, such as the MOJO Marketplace and ManageWP, are nice touches as well.

Though simple by design, Bluehost doesn't skimp on WordPress fan favorites:

Automatic WordPress installation and updates
Customizable themes for WordPress in the Bluehost Marketplace
Global content delivery network (CDN) powered by Cloudflare

Formed in 2003, Bluehost has long been one of the foremost shared hosts on the planet, and the hosting company now powers more than 2 million websites.

With an experienced team, competitive pricing, and always-there support, Bluehost is an industry veteran when it comes WordPress hosting.

Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005
Automatic WordPress updates and initial install
FREE WordPress themes in the Bluehost Marketplace
24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email
Get exclusive discounts on WordPress plans
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

50 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

7 minutes

Bluehost's Website Builder (4.8 / 5.0)

Website Builder Rating

4.8

★★★★★

Price:

$2.95

Setup Time:

5 minutes

With Bluehost, new site owners have the drag-and-drop simplicity of the WordPress website builder at their fingertips. This makes launching a new online brand, store, or personal site from scratch relatively painless.

Sure, site building has its headaches for newbies, but the Bluehost team is ready and willing to assist you every step of the way. To help prime your site launch for success, Bluehost offers a plethora of unlimited freebies:

Free domain hosting (unlimited domains on select plans)
Free email hosting (unlimited by default)
Unlimited storage on most plans
Unlimited bandwidth (site traffic)

These freebies, coupled with several options for site-building services, is everything a new website owner needs to get started, and the cost is hard to beat. If WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) isn’t for you, perhaps a CMS (content management system) option sounds appealing.

Choose from the most popular content management and blogging software, including Joomla, Drupal, and WordPress, and download and install the application(s) with a single click.

Most Bluehost hosting plan options have even been customized to cater to WordPress — and Bluehost is one of three hosts officially endorsed by the WordPress Core developers.

For quick, cheap, and easy website building — backed by one of the web’s most reliable web hosts — you can’t go wrong in choosing Bluehost.

FREE Bluehost website builder (powered by WordPress)
Custom themes and easy integration with ecommerce tools
Expert support available 24/7 via live chat, phone, and email
Longest-running WordPress.org hosting recommendation
Optional professional services to help design, build, and market your site
Get started on Bluehost now.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Setup Time

5 minutes

Features

(4.7 / 5.0)

Industry-Leading Reputation and Support

With its long-term work in the hosting industry, Bluehost understands the significance of customer service. You can reach Bluehost support personnel and peruse its extensive knowledge base 24/7.
As one of the world's leaders in web hosting, Bluehost has built services on or using cutting-edge open-source technology.
The company is endorsed by some of the most prominent and successful open-source projects on the planet, including WordPress.org.

Free Domain, SSL, and Site Builder

Bluehost has a custom domain manager that helps with domain transfers, purchases, tracking, and overall administration.
All shared hosting plans are equipped with a Let's Encrypt SSL certificate. Premium SSL certs are available for purchase.
Enjoy the drag-and-drop site-building simplicity of Weebly. The popular website builder is included in all Bluehost hosting plans.

Easy Scaling Across Products

As your site picks up steam, traffic grows, and (hopefully) revenue starts flowing in, your web host will ideally be equipped to help you perpetuate that growth. Upgrading from a shared account to a VPS or even a dedicated server is a painless process with Bluehost.
Built on cPanel, Bluehost has a custom interface that includes additional tools to simplify website and server management. Handle general administration, manage domains, set up email accounts, and access files from one simple-to-use dashboard.
The host touts one-click installs of popular software programs, including WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and other applications.

Constant Hardware Updates

Price isn't the only factor you should consider when choosing a host. As new hardware, such as solid-state drives (SSDs), come onto the market, you want assurance that your host has the bandwidth to accommodate these changes.
Google and other search engines take your site's speed very seriously, and you should, too. The Bluehost team is highly aware of the performance ramifications at stake, and the brand wants its customers' sites to operate at screaming-fast speeds.
You could probably find cheaper options out there, but you're not guaranteed the level of service and performance that Bluehost's reputation ensures.

Ease of Use

(5.0 / 5.0)

Intuitive & User-Friendly cPanel

Bluehost Review

Quick WordPress Setup

Bluehost Review

Painless Email Account Creation

Bluehost Review

Bluehost has a modern, sleek company website, and that clean design extends to the platforms and interfaces customers use behind the scenes. Setting up a domain is simple, as is virtually any objective you tackle with Bluehost — whether you're installing WordPress with a single click or configuring your email hosting.

Pricing

(4.8 / 5.0)

Basic Plan

Plus Plan

Pro Plan

$13.95/month »

For the level of service and performance that Bluehost offers, the company's price point is amazing. Expect to pay a bit of a premium for a Bluehost hosting plan with managed services, but you'll find the peace of mind and network reliability to be worth the price. For those seeking a bargain, we've secured an exclusive deal: Get significant discounts just for being a HostingAdvice reader!

See our Bluehost deals (70% off!)

Reliability & Support

(4.8 / 5.0)

Bluehost has been in this industry since 2003. Having been acquired by the mega hosting conglomerate Endurance International Group, Bluehost is no doubt one of the most recognized names in the industry today. The web hosting company offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which is basically the industry standard. With more promising uptime rates come higher price points, so Bluehost presents a bargain that balances cost with reliability.

Bluehost Includes:

24/7/365 Live Chat, Phone, and Email Support; Extensive Knowledge Base; 99.9% Uptime Guarantee

Does Not Include

WordPress Plugin Support; Automatic Backups

Other Hosts vs. Bluehost

Wondering how Bluehost stacks up againt other web hosting services? See our host-vs-host reviews below and compare them side by side.

Bluehost vs. Network Solutions

We’re the first to admit that these web hosts don’t exactly have a lot in common.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 3.0/5.0

Bluehost vs. JustHost

These two sister companies may be in the same family, but they are not the same.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 3.7/5.0

Bluehost vs. Web Hosting Hub

You know what they say: If your customers can’t find you online, they can’t choose you.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 3.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. WP Engine

Business owners and entrepreneurs love WP Engine’s WordPress-optimized hosting for its security, scalability, load time, and uptime.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

Bluehost vs. HostGator

In this comparison, we present some of the biggest names in the hosting industry: Bluehost and HostGator.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

Bluehost vs. Shopify

Shopify and Bluehost are different pieces in the web hosting puzzle.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Bluehost vs. InterServer

Searching for a web host feels a lot like house hunting.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Bluehost vs. Wix

Comparing Wix and Bluehost is similar to comparing a McFlurry to an ice cream sundae.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Bluehost vs. FatCow

Bluehost and FatCow: two well-respected hosts duke it out for first place in this host-versus-host comparison.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Bluehost vs. GoDaddy

Bluehost and GoDaddy offer up some pretty appealing hosting plans to new website owners and tech experts alike.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

Bluehost vs. Hostwinds

You don’t see your average commuter car racing in the Daytona 500.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. Liquid Web

These hosts don’t have much in common besides their stellar reputations and commitment to customer service.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. Hostinger

Hostinger and Bluehost are cut from the same cloth.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. TMDHosting

Two web host veterans, TMDHosting and Bluehost, have been in the space for a combined 20-plus years.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. GreenGeeks

Choosing between GreenGeeks and Bluehost ultimately comes down to your preference.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. DreamHost

As bloggers know, your online dream can quickly become your worst nightmare if you experience unexpected downtime and page load issues with your site.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. Media Temple

Experienced site owners need to look no further than Media Temple for its premium services, including insanely powerful servers, expert-level technical support, and über-reliable uptime.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. 1&1 IONOS

The words “cheap” and “good” don’t often go together.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. A Small Orange

Blue and orange may be opposite the color wheel, but that doesn’t mean that Bluehost and A Small Orange are opposing web hosts.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Bluehost vs. Weebly

If you’ve seen a dog show on TV, you know each pup is judged in its respective category and best overall.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Bluehost vs. InMotion

InMotion Hosting and Bluehost are two big names in the hosting community.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Bluehost vs. A2 Hosting

Ahh, two hosting savants battle it out for your business.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Bluehost vs. iPage

At HostingAdvice, we know a good deal when we see it.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Bluehost vs. WordPress

The gloves are off between Bluehost and WordPress.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 5.0/5.0

Bluehost vs. SiteGround

SiteGround versus Bluehost is shaping up as a tough matchup.

See full comparison »

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Overall Rating

★★★★★ 5.0/5.0

Bluehost is the winner
20 out of 25 times.

The Rundown

Ryan Frankel

Hosting Expert:

To recap, here's a rundown of what Bluehost has to offer

Bluehost embodies performance, reliability, affordability, and user-friendliness — four of many tenets the team members pride themselves on delivering to customers. Having personally been a Bluehost customer, I can vouch for this hosting company's commitment to clients, and it's great to see the continued improvements to the brand's hardware performance, plan customization, and overall cost. This is a host you can trust as a novice, and Bluehost's services are the type with which you can grow your personal brand or professional site — from shared hosting to virtual private servers and beyond.

Overall Rating

4.9 / 5.0

★★★★★

About The Author

Ryan Frankel has been a professional in the tech industry for more than 20 years and has been developing websites for more than 25. With his background in integrated circuit design and digital signal processing, he has a fundamental understanding of hardware systems and the software that runs them. Ryan now sits as the CTO of Digital Brands Inc. and manages all of the server infrastructure of their websites, as well as their development team. In addition, Ryan has a passion for guitars, good coffee, and puppies.