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If you’re thinking of starting a new blog or launching a startup, you’ll likely spend time searching online for a trustworthy web hosting provider. As one of the leading platforms, many are keen to read Bluehost reviews.
Check out my comprehensive Bluehost review on this YouTube channel:
When choosing a web hosting service, your main priorities are a reputable company, affordable pricing, and features that match your needs.
Bluehost stands out in all these areas. Owned by Endurance International Group (EIG), it operates from Orem and Provo, Utah, and supports over 2 million websites worldwide. This large customer base demonstrates their reliability and strong presence in the web hosting industry.
In this article, we will explore Bluehost’s pricing plans, uptime, security measures, speed, features, customer support, cPanel interface, and much more.
Let’s begin.
A Quick Overview of Bluehost
Bluehost is one of today’s most trusted hosting providers, known for its dependable service, high uptime, performance, cost-effectiveness, and features that support website growth.

Founded in 1996 initially as a free hosting provider called 0catch.com, Bluehost has evolved significantly. The company rebranded as Bluehost in 2003. Today, it employs over 750 staff members and manages more than 2 million sites across the globe.
Bluehost has maintained a partnership with WordPress for over a decade, providing dedicated support for WordPress users and investing in a team focused on core development. As a result, Bluehost offers affordable yet high-quality WordPress hosting services.

Remember, the web host you select will have a big impact on your website, serving as its foundation. Bluehost provides excellent performance and security features, making it a solid choice. Its user-friendly interface also caters well to beginners, so no advanced technical knowledge is necessary to get started with Bluehost hosting.
Bluehost Review
If you’re just starting out and hesitant to invest heavily in web hosting, Bluehost is an excellent option. Plans start at just $2.95 a month (50% off), which includes a free domain registration valued at $15 for the first year. This price is cheaper than transferring your domain from other services like Wix, Squarespace, or a domain registrar such as GoDaddy.

The plan offers a free website builder, a simple one-click WordPress setup, and 24/7 support, making it particularly suitable for startups and small enterprises.
Bluehost delivers a comprehensive web hosting package suitable for users of all levels. Its features include unlimited disk space, support for unlimited domains, a free drag-and-drop site builder, a complimentary domain for the first year, and support for international domain names. Email options include POP3, IMAP, and secure IMAP support, alongside multiple webmail solutions. Users can add extra domains, park domains, and utilize 50 GB of storage for WordPress sites. The control panel, FTP access, web file manager, SSH access, hotlink protection, and .htaccess override support are included, along with MySQL databases, file statistics, customizable error pages, and cron jobs. Bluehost also offers robust spam protection and a marketing credit worth $200, enhancing its appeal for growing businesses.
Bluehost’s key strengths lie in its standout features and benefits. The company boasts a server uptime average of around 99.9%, significantly surpassing the typical industry standard of 99%. This high reliability reduces the risk of website downtime, which can hinder income and damage user experience. Even their lower-tier shared plans demonstrate impressive uptime, and premium plans like cloud hosting and dedicated servers often approach near-perfect availability. Bluehost commits to resolving server issues swiftly, often within 15 minutes, as stated on their network uptime policy page.
Security is a top priority with Bluehost, which provides daily backups and website restoration options on all plans. Although their backup limits mean users might need to upgrade or rely on third-party backup solutions, this proactive approach helps safeguard data. Bluehost enhances security further by partnering with Cloudflare for CDN services, offering daily virus and malware scans, server monitoring, free SSL certificates, and password-protected directories.
While Bluehost’s server speed isn’t the fastest available, it offers adequate performance for most websites. The actual loading times depend on various factors, but overall, Bluehost provides a reliable hosting environment combining high uptime, good security, and sufficient speed for typical web hosting needs.The choice of hosting type significantly influences your website’s performance. For example, opting for shared hosting means your site might load a bit slower and respond less quickly compared to a dedicated server. Still, even Bluehost’s most basic hosting plan delivers impressive speeds—better than some providers like iPage, though slightly slower than A2 Hosting, SiteGround, or HostGator. You can also enhance loading times by integrating bundled tools like Cloudflare CDN.
Bluehost has a proven and lengthy history of success. Customer reviews indicate high satisfaction with their features and services, and the endorsement from WordPress—who powers over 30% of the internet—underscores their credibility. Having an experienced host means you can trust that they’ll handle issues efficiently and keep your service running smoothly.
While web hosting isn’t overly complicated, Bluehost simplifies the process for beginners. They offer a friendly onboarding experience, with an intuitive interface and clear explanations of technical aspects. If any issues arise during setup—which is rare—extensive tutorials and walkthroughs are available to guide you through. They’re committed to making your starting experience seamless.
Bluehost caters to businesses of all sizes with flexible plans, allowing you to start small and upgrade as needed without switching providers. Whether you move from shared to dedicated hosting or change plans within Bluehost’s lineup, your site can grow smoothly—often without any downtime. Their user-friendly management interface helps you track server resources and decide when upgrades are necessary. Plus, you can accommodate as much traffic as your website attracts, with no extra costs.
Customer support from Bluehost is available around the clock, every day of the year. They offer multiple support channels, including live chat, email, ticket systems, phone calls, and social media support. The phone option provides quick access to knowledgeable support agents, but most common questions are addressed through their comprehensive support library, which features detailed guides and troubleshooting tips.
Bluehost’s technology actively monitors resource usage, identifying websites that consume excessive resources and temporarily isolating them. This resource protection helps preserve your website’s performance and reduces shared hosting risks. Their extensive plugin library adds even more functionality—supporting ecommerce, integrating with Google Apps, and enabling services like Cloudflare, among many others.
All Bluehost plans come with a free SSL certificate powered by Let’s Encrypt, ensuring that your visitors’ data and transactions are secure. This adds a layer of trust and security to your website, which is crucial for any online presence.
If you need reassurance, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try their hosting risk-free. Just remember, to receive a full refund, you must cancel within this period—after which, their hosting service continues to support your online goals.

Making cancellations after the 30-day guarantee period will entitle you to a partial refund, calculated proportionally based on the remaining time of your plan.
Bluehost has some minor disadvantages like any hosting provider, but these are generally manageable and won’t significantly impact your experience.
One notable issue is the increase in renewal prices. Bluehost offers attractive introductory rates to attract new customers, but these rates increase when it’s time to renew. This pricing tactic is common among hosting companies, meaning your monthly costs will be higher after the initial term.
Another concern is the cost of upgrades and add-ons. While Bluehost’s base prices are competitive compared to other providers, additional features like server upgrades, security enhancements, or premium add-ons tend to be expensive. If you’re running a small business or just starting out, the basic package will likely meet your needs, but opting for higher-tier plans can quickly escalate monthly expenses due to these extra costs.
Most users find the stock hosting features sufficient, but keep in mind that during checkout, upsells and add-ons can increase your total hosting bill.
Furthermore, site migration is not free with Bluehost. Unlike many competitors, Bluehost charges a fee—currently $149.99—for migrating up to five websites and 20 email accounts. However, customer support is available to assist you during the transfer process, ensuring a smooth transition without service interruptions.
Bluehost offers various hosting plans tailored to different needs, emphasizing flexibility and scalability. Although shared hosting and optimized WordPress hosting are their main focus, they provide a broad range of options to suit different types of websites.
Here’s a quick overview of Bluehost’s hosting packages:
Shared Hosting, which remains one of the most popular hosting options worldwide due to its affordability, is suitable for many new or small websites. Usually, site owners start with shared hosting because they rarely outgrow it.
The basic plan costs $3.95 per month, making it appealing for beginners. As your site expands, you can upgrade to more advanced plans. The Plus plan at $5.85 and the Choice Plus at $5.95 offer additional features like increased backups, domain privacy, and more. The Pro plan, priced at $13.95, provides benefits such as unlimited website support, bandwidth, dedicated IPs, and enhanced server resources, which are ideal for larger or more resource-intensive sites.
Opting for the Pro plan, with features like unlimited websites and dedicated IP addresses, can benefit users who need extra security and better email protection, as well as support for complex server scripts.Who Should Opt for Shared Hosting?
If you’re creating a website for the first time, shared hosting might be the perfect option. It’s the most affordable hosting plan and still offers sufficient features to get your site running. It provides all the necessary resources to support your website’s growth. Whenever your site needs additional resources or features, you can easily upgrade to a higher hosting plan.
Shared hosting is also suitable if your website is expected to have low to moderate traffic, making it a cost-effective choice without sacrificing essential functionalities.
2. VPS Hosting
Bluehost has become a well-known provider for beginner-friendly web hosting packages. When you’re starting out, Bluehost offers affordable, easy-to-use, yet feature-rich shared and WordPress hosting options.
As your website grows and requires more advanced features to handle increased visitors, Bluehost also provides virtual private server (VPS) hosting. VPS hosting functions similarly to a dedicated server but at a much lower cost. It uses virtualization technology to create a virtual private environment across several shared servers. This means you’re still sharing a physical server, but your resources are isolated, so other users won’t affect your site’s performance.
You can also easily scale your server resources quickly, without being constrained by the limitations of a physical server. Some of the key features of Bluehost’s VPS hosting plans include:
- 2-8 GB of RAM
- 2-4 CPU Cores
- 1-2 IP addresses
- cPanel and Root access
- 30 GB – 120 GB SSD storage
- A free domain name for the first year
- Multi-server and file management
- Additional options like SEO tools, privacy, and security features
Pricing for these plans varies depending on your needs; currently, the Standard plan is priced at $19.99 per month, the Enhanced at $29.99, and the Ultimate VPS plan at $59.99 per month. Your choice should depend on your storage needs and bandwidth requirements.
Who Should Choose VPS Hosting?
Website owners who have outgrown shared hosting and need more robust performance should consider upgrading to VPS. It offers greater reliability, scalability, and improved site performance as your traffic increases. VPS hosting provides fewer restrictions, more customization options, and faster SSD storage, but it requires you to manage more aspects of your server yourself. If you’re not experienced in web server management, this might not be the best option for you.
3. Dedicated Server Hosting
Dedicated server hosting involves leasing an entire physical server dedicated solely to your website. This option comes at a higher price because you get complete control over the server. The benefits include full customization, superior performance, extensive storage capacity, and high-level security.
Here are the pricing options for Dedicated Server Hosting:

The starting price for Bluehost’s standard dedicated server plan is $79.99 per month, making it the most affordable dedicated hosting option. The enhanced plan is priced at $99.99 per month, while the premium plan costs $119.99 monthly. The main differences across these plans include server speed, storage capacity, RAM, and the number of dedicated IP addresses provided.
Who Should Consider Dedicated Hosting?
Website owners needing full control over their server’s environment should consider dedicated hosting. If customizing your server setup to meet specific business needs is essential, this type of hosting is ideal. It offers generous storage, bandwidth, and RAM, providing an all-in-one high-performant server setup. Typically, large websites or those with high traffic volumes rely on dedicated servers. If your site handles sensitive information like financial or personal data, dedicated hosting offers the security level required for such operations.
4. Managed WordPress Hosting
For those planning to create a WordPress website, managed WordPress hosting is often the best choice. This hosting environment is tailored specifically for WordPress, boosting your website’s performance and security from the start. It also comes with useful features such as a comprehensive marketing dashboard, SEO tools, email marketing, social media integrations, unlimited websites and domains, no traffic limitations, and unlimited web storage. Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plans come pre-installed with WordPress, making it simple to set up a new site. You will also benefit from an advanced cPanel designed for WordPress, SiteLock security, and a free SSL certificate.
Pricing Plans for Managed WordPress Hosting:
The plans differ mainly in the number of visitors allowed each month, along with variations in storage, RAM, CDN, backup options, security levels, and SSL certificates. The standard plan costs $19.99 per month, the enhanced plan is $29.99, the premium plan is $39.99, and the ultimate plan is priced at $49.99 per month.
Who is Managed WordPress Hosting For?
This hosting option is perfect for those who want to run a WordPress website with high performance and security standards. It provides custom tools and an advanced cPanel for easy management. Beginners just starting with WordPress may prefer a basic shared hosting plan initially, but as traffic increases and your site grows, upgrading to managed WordPress hosting is advisable. For medium-sized or rapidly growing sites, this hosting type offers the required features. If you plan to build an online store using WooCommerce, a combination of WordPress and WooCommerce supported by a robust hosting platform is highly recommended.
5. Reseller Hosting
Bluehost’s Reseller Hosting, backed by ResellerClub, is designed for web developers or agency owners managing multiple client websites. If you are a Bluehost customer, you can benefit from a 35% discount. This hosting allows you to create your own mini hosting business by reselling services to your clients.

This plan allows you to offer VPS, dedicated, and WordPress hosting services to your clients. You can sell over 800 different hosting-related products, enjoy 24/7 support, provide customized control panels, and much more. The cost varies depending on the specific type of hosting you choose to offer.
Bluehost provides a range of features suitable for different hosting needs.
The hosting plans are designed to be simple and easy to use. Signing up, setting up your hosting account, managing domain names, creating email addresses, and installing WordPress are straightforward processes. Bluehost’s custom control panel makes managing your websites, adding applications, managing domains, and handling email accounts quick and painless. All tools are accessible directly within the panel, and tutorials and guides are available to help you navigate the setup easily.
One of Bluehost’s strong selling points is its affordable introductory pricing. Starting at just $3.95 per month, Bluehost offers some of the lowest introductory rates in the industry. This is an excellent option for beginners launching their first website. For this price, you get unmetered bandwidth, a free SSL certificate, five parked domains, 50 GB SSD storage, and additional features suitable for running a single website with moderate traffic.
Customer support is reliable and accessible via email, phone, and live chat, regardless of your hosting plan. Additionally, Bluehost provides an extensive knowledge base that can assist with various account-related issues, often making direct support unnecessary.
Security features are a vital part of Bluehost’s offerings. They include multiple spam prevention tools such as Apache SpamAssassin, Spam Experts, and Spam Hammer, all of which can protect your email inboxes. Bluehost also supports Cloudflare integration to boost your site’s speed and guard against DDoS attacks. Depending on your hosting package, you may also access your server via SSH, providing a secure method for managing your files. Additional protective measures include SiteLock, which offers malware scanning and removal, and SSL certificates that encrypt data exchanged between your site and visitors. Two-factor authentication further enhances dashboard security.
Bluehost makes website setup efficient with its one-click application installer, allowing you to install applications, software, or content management systems like WordPress easily. Simply select the desired platform, fill in the required information, and Bluehost handles the installation process automatically.
Finally, Bluehost features MOJO Marketplace, a platform offering a variety of themes, templates, and tools to customize and launch your website swiftly and professionally.Marketplace is a large app store built into your Bluehost hosting plan. It functions like any app marketplace, where you can explore a wide range of free applications and easily install them on your website.
Using MOJO Marketplace simplifies the app installation process. Without it, installing these applications can be technical and take up a lot of your time. With the marketplace, the process is quick and straightforward—usually just a single click to add CMS platforms like WordPress, Drupal, or Joomla. Additionally, you can browse and install various eCommerce plugins, themes, and more without hassle.
Bluehost offers several features to support eCommerce, although it does not have hosting plans dedicated solely to online store functionalities. Even on basic shared hosting plans, you’re able to install popular eCommerce software such as WooCommerce, WordPress, Zen Cart, Magento, or OpenCart with just a few clicks from your control panel. This makes it easier for you to set up and manage your online store.
One important aspect to consider when creating an eCommerce website is PCI compliance. PCI DSS is the security standard needed to securely process, store, or transmit customer credit card data. Bluehost’s hosting environment does not automatically meet PCI compliance, so you’ll need to configure your settings properly to ensure your store adheres to these security requirements.
Getting started with Bluehost is simple for beginners. The first step is to sign up through their website. When you visit Bluehost.com, you’ll find a prominent “Get Started” button. Clicking this button will take you through the sign-up process where you provide your details to create an account.
After clicking “Get Started,” you’ll be directed to a page showcasing four shared hosting plans: Basic, Plus, Prime, and Business Pro. Each plan offers different features suited to various needs.
Choosing the right hosting plan depends on your needs. For beginners, the Basic Plan is highly recommended. It allows hosting of a single website with 50GB of storage, unmetered bandwidth, and five email accounts each with 100MB space. If you plan to manage multiple websites or have an eCommerce store, the Plus, Prime, and Pro packages offer more advanced features tailored for scalability.
The Plus Plan enables hosting unlimited websites with unrestricted storage and email accounts, plus spam protection. The Prime Plan also supports unlimited sites and storage but adds features like backups, domain privacy, and more. The Business Pro Plan takes it further by offering unlimited sites, unmetered storage, spam protection, SSL certificates, dedicated IPs, and enhanced privacy options. If your site is a simple blog or online store, a basic Bluehost plan should suffice.
Once you’ve selected a plan, the next step is to choose a domain name. During signup, you’ll be prompted to enter your desired domain. You can either register a new domain—free for the first year—or link an existing one by selecting the appropriate option. You’ll also decide on your domain type, such as .com, .org, or .net.
Afterward, you’ll need to provide your personal details to create your account. This includes your name, email address, password, country, and phone number. As you proceed, you’ll reach the “Package Information” section, where you can specify how long you want your hosting plan to last—options include 12, 24, or 36 months—and select additional features or services, such as SiteLock Security, Codeguard Basic, or Bluehost SEO Tools. These add-ons help enhance your website’s security, backup options, and search engine optimization.

You probably won’t need to choose all available add-ons, so select only those that suit your specific requirements.
Afterward, you need to select a payment method. Bluehost provides two options: paying with a credit card or through PayPal. Simply pick the one that is most convenient for you.
Once your payment details are entered, you’ll proceed to finalize your registration. This step marks the end of your signup process! At this point, Bluehost will send you a welcome email that confirms your hosting account and includes all the login information you will need to start building your website.
After completing your registration, you can log into your cPanel to install WordPress or any other preferred platform easily. This makes setting up your website quick and hassle-free.
In summary, your signup is complete when you click the “Submit” button and receive the confirmation email. From there, you’re ready to begin designing and managing your website with Bluehost’s user-friendly tools and features.
Quick facts about Bluehost include its integration with MOJO Marketplace for easy app and software installations like WordPress and Joomla. The sign-up process is straightforward and consists of just two steps, making it accessible even for beginners. New customers receive a free domain name for the first year, with renewal costs at $15.99. SSL certificates are provided at no extra cost, ensuring secure connections. Payment options include PayPal and credit cards, while some services come with important conditions: no refunds on your domain name, and potentially higher renewal rates for hosting and domain services. Website transfers are available but cost $149 as a one-time fee, and the dashboard and cPanel offer an intuitive, organized experience that simplifies website management.
When considering whether to choose Bluehost, the extensive feature set combined with strong customer support makes it a compelling option, especially for startups or small businesses. Bluehost is scalable, meaning you can upgrade your hosting plan as your needs grow. The company’s uptime and speed rankings are consistently high, and they back this with a 30-day money-back guarantee, solid security measures, and free SSL certificates. Plus, their affordable pricing makes Bluehost a popular choice among web hosts.
However, if you are transferring an existing site from another hosting provider, prepare for a one-time fee of $149 for migration services. Although this may seem costly, the quality of service and support you receive often justifies the expense.
In conclusion, Bluehost stands out as one of the best hosting providers available today and comes highly recommended. If you’re ready to start your website, consider clicking the link to begin with Bluehost now.
 
