Studies 
Studies
Our studies cover a range of trending topics and deliver original, reliable data you can't get anywhere else on the web.
By: Ryan Frankel
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
Disclosure: When you sign up through links on our site, we often earn referral fees from partners. For more information, see our ad disclosure and review policy.
★★★★★
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.
|
★★★★★
As perhaps the longest-surviving brand in the website hosting industry, Network Solutions certainly has staying power. However, some odd business practices have left the brand behind many others. Tracing its roots all the way back to 1979, Network Solutions operated the first domain name system (DNS) registry as a subcontractor for the U.S. government in 1991. The company continued building out domain registration tools as the World Wide Web became increasingly accessible, and the brand was the sole registrar for .com, .net, and .org domain names, as well as the maintainer of the WHOIS database. Over the years, price gouging and domain censoring soured the industry's relationship with Network Solutions, which has been rebuilding ever since. Now owned by Web.com, the company now offers modern, cloud-based hosting plans that specialize in helping small businesses create well-rounded online presences. From a do-it-yourself website builder and professional design services to specialized WordPress and ecommerce offerings, Network Solutions aims to serve a wide range of entrepreneurs. The company offers tons of options and guidance for online marketing and email messaging, but site owners can find many similar services for less money.
|
|
★★★★★
#5 out of 10 in Cheap Hosting reviews Bluehost pricing is about as competitive as the industry offers. Sign up for a shared hosting plan for as little as $1.99 per month, and WordPress hosting packages are consistently priced; a VPS plan starts at around $31.99 per month; and the dedicated hosting rates are as little as $91.98 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 a reputation for affordability and usability, which both web novices and veterans can appreciate. Unlimited website hosting — from SSL certificates 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:
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.
|
★★★★★
Network Solutions is a large, popular registrar with solid — if not exciting — hosting packages. The company's cheapest shared hosting plan is priced above the bargain-basement hosting providers and more in line with top-tier affordable hosts. Although there are ample storage and unlimited bandwidth to be had, we're not sure customers will find the best deals through Network Solutions hosting packages — particularly beyond the entry-level plan. The brand's second and third-level packages are prices among high-end VPS providers, with the Premium Plan topping $20 per month. Although Network Solutions promises an above-average 99.99% uptime, we'd like to see other premium features like high-performance solid-state drives, automatic backups, and DDoS protection. Network Solutions offers support for the most widely-adopted programming languages, including PHP, ASP.NET, JSP, Ruby on Rails, and many others. The hosting company provides dozens of one-click installations for popular applications, which is always helpful, but keep in mind the company's competitors typically measure their install scripts by the hundreds. With a 99.99% uptime and 24/7 phone or email support, Network Solutions' shared plan is very reliable. All things considered, Network Solutions offers a decent hosting package; however, the web hosting company's feature list is pretty short compared to other hosts.
|
|
★★★★★
#6 out of 8 in Dedicated Hosting reviews 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.
|
|
|
★★★★★
#8 out of 9 in VPS Hosting reviews 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.
|
★★★★★
Aimed at tech-savvy users, Network Solutions offers reliable (yet minimal) semi-managed VPS services. Although costing a little more for equivalent hardware on competing plans, each VPS solution is backed by the Network Solutions name, excellent customer support, and great uptime. Each plan is built on a Linux distribution and includes ample disk space and email accounts. Network Solutions offers a free domain name registration with most plans, harkening back to the company's days as the only domain registrar. Although we found the entry-level VPS plan to be a little lacking, Network Solutions includes helpful features like SiteLock security and a free Network Solutions SSL certificate at the higher tiers. Network Solutions VPS hosting is an upgrade from standard shared web hosting and allows you to install applications and gain direct root access to the underlying operating system. If you want all of the benefits of a dedicated web hosting service, without the associated hardware or maintenance costs, and require a veteran name in the industry, consider giving Network Solutions VPS a chance.
|
|
★★★★★
#2 out of 9 in WordPress Hosting reviews 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:
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.
|
★★★★★
Network Solutions has a good reputation and solid support, though the company's feature list is quite short and outdated. The price tag may seem a little daunting at first glance but reflects the rare month-to-month plans Network Solutions offers by default. You can find much lower rates by committing to at least one year of hosting for your WordPress hosting. Offering 50GB of disk space should satisfy most needs of the average WordPress blog. However, in a sea of hosts with so-called unlimited offerings, Network Solutions seems to be lacking. A free domain from one of the most prevalent registrars is included with most service offerings — but not all. Network Solutions boasts and above-average 99.99% uptime reliability, but nothing else about this host screams WordPress-specific perks. Installation, themes, and plugins are all up to you, as is security and performance optimization. We love to see hardware, infrastructure, and included software be more WordPress-centric in our specialized web hosts. In a nutshell, Network Solutions has solid technical support options and decent beginner tools in its WordPress plan. The company's ease of use could certainly be improved, perhaps with the addition of more current features, in order to help offset the higher cost.
|
|
★★★★★
#5 out of 9 in Website Builder Hosting reviews 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:
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.
|
★★★★★
Aimed at individuals or small businesses new to the wacky world of web design, the Network Solutions website builder and hosting package should get you online reasonably quickly and have your online presence looking professional in no time. Similar to many other drag-and-drop website builders, there isn’t too much originality to Network Solutions' website building tool. However, the company does focus on creating a professional site at a very reasonable and affordable rate. Network Solutions is a big name in the domain registrar business, and as such, it includes a one-year domain registration with signup. Aspiring site owners can also choose premium packages to unlock tools for online marketing and ecommerce stores to further grow their brand. For those in need of a nice, professional site who want to get online quickly, Network Solutions should have what you need.
|
HostingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free for users, we receive advertising compensation from the hosts listed on this page. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where hosts appear on the page (including, for example, the order in which they appear). HostingAdvice.com does not include listings for all web hosts.
Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.
