If you are searching on the internet for the perfect web hosting for you, you would have definitely gone through many company reviews and obviously landed here by doing so.
Web hosting is an absolute necessity to establish any business online. A web hosting company stores your website’s information and files in its servers and then delivers it to your customers or readers.
Getting started with the best website hosting is a daunting task. Looking for one hosting provider that comes with all the required features at an affordable cost is highly challenging.
To make your job easier, today, we have come up with another web hosting company review you can choose for your business. We are talking about none other than the Bluehost Hosting Review.
Table of Contents
Bluehost Hosting Review 2023 – An Introduction
If you are among those who wish for someone to manage your website’s technical issues with reasonable prices for all the work done, then Bluehost Hosting is your go-to platform. Founded in 2003, Bluehost is a highly renowned name in the market of hosting providers currently hosting over 2 million websites.
Bluehost offers a variety of products and services to help you start your online business website from shared to WordPress hosting.
From digital marketing to digital training, Bluehost is there to meet all the requirements of small businesses. It offers excellent uptime, and you don’t really have to bother about slowing down your website with Bluehost.
Bluehost also never lets you down with 24/7 support via mail, live chat, or phone if you experience some technical glitches that are not easy to handle. Here are some benefits that you get-
- The price is quite competitive compared to others.
- They offer free domain registration.
- You get unlimited email accounts.
- There is no setup fee.
- Their customer service team is available round the clock.
- Free SSL certificate included.
So now let us move ahead and see how good they actually are!
What Makes Bluehost Stand Out from All Other Companies?
Benefits of Using Bluehost Hosting Service
Let us discuss Bluehost’s features, which established the company as one of the world’s leading online hosting providers and also the official hosting service recommended by WordPress.
1. Ease of use
Bluehost has made it extremely easy to set up your website and manage all its functions. With the intuitive design of the cPanel, you just have to click on the icons to get where you want to.
Anybody can easily install and run WordPress using cPanel with no coding skills. You can access all your websites and email addresses from one central location and also customize the layout of the control panel as per your preferences.
Bluehost also provides consumers the opportunity to choose to use WordPress to create or code their websites by themselves.
2. Unlimited Bandwidth and 100 email accounts
With Bluehost, you get unlimited bandwidth, which means you need not worry about your website crashing if your website traffic suddenly boosts up.
Talking about email accounts, you can get a total of 100 email accounts with Bluehost’s starter plans which would meet the requirements of all businesses, including large corporations.
In addition to this, you can also upgrade to Bluehost premium plans to avail yourself of an unlimited number of accounts.
3. Great Uptime Guarantee
We all know how critical uptime is when it comes to site hosting. Nobody likes searching for something and clicking on a site that never loads.
Don’t disappoint your readers with some 504 Gateway Time-out errors when they eagerly come out to your site searching for some valuable content or a nice product.
Just let Bluehost look after this as long as you can sit serenely and never see your site down. Bluehost offers its consumers a constant 99.9 % uptime on average and occasionally over-performs with 100% uptime.
The company also claims to refund your whole amount if you experience downtime without paying any fees. With Bluehost, you will always be available online for all your viewers.
4. Excellent Speed and performance
Site loading speed is another important factor to consider while choosing web hosting for your business website, especially for e-commerce owners.
The website’s loading speed is no longer just an influential factor in website traffic, but it also leads to higher bounce rates, low conversion rates, and loss of visitors.
At an average speed of 688ms, Bluehost has been acceptable, not being the best or worse when compared to all other web hosting services in this industry.
5. Free WordPress Site Migration Via Plugin
It is for you if you have a WordPress site and wish to change it to the hosting scheme of Bluehost. Although it has launched with all of its plans this free website migration, this free service has a few terms.
This process might generally take around 2-3 business days. If you are not sure of the steps to be taken for this, you can simply reach out to the support team of Bluehost, and they will guide you throughout the process.
The free migration service of Bluehost is applicable only if the site is a WordPress site. Also, you have to understand that you can only grab this chance within 30 days of signing up for any plan.
Site migrator plugin
As said above, Bluehost offers free WordPress migration with all its hosting plans. To avail yourself of the service, all you have to do is look for site migration in the Bluehost marketplace and fill up the migration form.
In addition to this, Bluehost has also developed a WordPress plugin that makes the whole migration process simple and extremely easy which will guide you throughout the final steps of site migration.
Bluehost will thoroughly review your website for things like WordPress version, database size, website size, currently downloaded plugins, and PHP version. When your website meets all these criteria, it will be eligible for a free migration service.
Once migration is done, you will get a link to your new site to ensure that everything has been set up properly. If everything is fine, you will have to update your DNS settings with your registrar, and you are all set with your site migration successfully.
Here are summarized steps that you have to follow to avail yourself of FREE Site Migration Service.
- Create Account – First of all, Select and buy your hosting plan and create a new Bluehost account.
- Check Eligibility – After that, log in to our account and go to the Migration Services page in our Bluehost Marketplace. Here you need to provide the details of the site you plan to migrate to and then run a quick compatibility check for migration. If your site comes under the Free Migration Criteria, you are ready to go.
- Start Migration – A Bluehost expert will guide you to use the Bluehost Migration plugin by which you can start the migration process on your own.
- Review Your Transfer – When you’ve started the site migration process, you will get contacted by the Bluehost team of experts to help you complete the migration process. In the meantime, you’ll have a chance to review your site data before finalizing the site transfer to the Bluehost server.
- Make Your Site Live – Once the site migration process has been completed, you have to point your domain and make your site live on Bluehost’s server.
Note – If Your site doesn’t fulfill the criteria of FREE migration, then you need to pay to avail of Site Migration Service.
6. Blue Flash Launch Support
Bluehost has made available this new exclusive feature of Blue Flash launch support for its users. Using this feature, you will get a chance to consult a WordPress expert over the phone professionally.
This service is included with all the hosting packages of Bluehost for free. Those who are not well-acquainted with WordPress setup and its features can try out all the features of WordPress under the guidance of a WordPress expert.
The specialists will not only help you set up your WordPress account but also suggest suitable plugins for your site along with an appropriate theme that will suit the style and purpose of your site.
7. Impressive Security
The safety aspects of Bluehost strike positively. It provides three spam prevention techniques (Apache Spam Assasin, Spam Experts, and Spam Hammer) and hot-link protection.
We have noted that Bluehost offers CloudFlare to enhance the productivity and safety of your website. Cloudflare is worth mentioning if you’re one of those people who do want SSL on their site or concerned about cyberattacks on their site.
Recommended Read – WPX Hosting Review | GreenGeeks Hosting Review
Another amazing security feature of Bluehost is its SSH (Secure Shell Access) which allows you to access special configuration files securely. In addition to this, you can also set up filters to protect your inbox, password-protect directories, create blacklist IP addresses, and manage private keys and digital certificates.
8. Amazing E-commerce Features
It is highly feasible to set up an online store with Bluehost as it offers different shopping carts like Zen, Agora, and OSCommerce. You can also get SSL certificate security and OpenPGP/GPG Encryption for all your online transactions.
Bluehost has also lately launched a new WooCommerce service that is considered the best alternative to Shopify without any vendor lock-in.
With the new WooCommerce service, you will get – a one-click WooCommerce installation, 1 click install payment processing, a variety of shipping options, inbuilt calendar booking, and regular daily backups.
Moreover, since you are getting unlimited storage space starting with plus-level Bluehost shared hosting, it implies that you can add as many products as you want to sell on your site. You can also avail of $200 free marketing credits if you’re a store owner and promote your online business through Google, Facebook, and Twitter.
9. 30-Day Refund Policy
If you’re unsatisfied with the services or performance of Bluehost, it provides a 30-day money refund assurance. Bluehost provides every user the opportunity to test their services for 30 days. The company allows you to remain with the same plan or to reimburse your plan only within 30 days.
Also, you have to keep in mind the point that you only get the refund for the plan and not for the extra add-ons and other stuff you purchase.
You should also bear in mind that no refund requests after 30 days are valid with Bluehost. If you have signed up for any of the Bluehost plans and you took a free domain name along with the plan, the company would deduct $15.99 at the time of refund.
10. 24/7 Customer Service Support
Bluehost offers support via live chat, phone, or email, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, throughout the year. In addition to that, you get rich knowledge-based resources, answered with frequent questions and other relevant, helpful information.
One drawback we encountered with Bluehost customer service is the absence of a ticket-based support system. Bluehost has recently kicked out ticket support because they want to emphasize more on personal interaction via phone or live chat support.
Bluehost Hosting Review – Hosting Plans & Pricing
Bluehost offers a wide range of hosting plans for any cost and scale. Let us explore in brief the features of Bluehost’s hosting plans and specifications.
Note – All the hosting plans & pricing shown below Indicate to a 36-month term, So Prices may vary depending on the plan time duration. So, please check it from the official website.
1. Shared Hosting
A shared hosting plan is ideal for anyone who just started out with a new website. In this plan, you share your site’s server resources with other websites too. Though you share your hosting server, you get to have your own hosting space.
Bluehost doesn’t offer any monthly shared hosting plans. Rather, you have to sign up for a two-year or three-year annual plan.
- The basic shared hosting plan $2.95/month (Regular Price
$8.99/month) comes with a free domain name, free domain transfer, unlimited monthly data transfer, 50GB storage, and five email addresses.
- The plus hosting plan $5.45/month (Regular Price
$11.99/month) includes unlimited storage and mailboxes along with an antispam tool.
- The Choice Plus hosting plan is $5.45/month (Regular Price
$16.99/month) and includes additional domain privacy so that you can hide your physical location for security purposes.
- The pro hosting plan $9.50/month (Regular Price
$26.99/month) includes all the choice plus plan features in addition to a free dedicated IP address.
2. Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated servers are completely separated from each other, so customers may have total access to their server, not impacting other users or even being impacted by the activities of other customers, anyhow.
Here, with this Dedicated Hosting plan, you get to use the one and only strong dedicated server for your e-commerce store, blog, or website.
Bluehost offers many plans for dedicated hosting, starting with $79.99/month (Regular Price $119.99/month) which includes 1TB of hard drive space, 16 GB RAM, and 15 TB of data transfer per month.
3. VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting
If you are uncomfortable using shared hosting but can’t afford dedicated hosting, this is for you. As the name suggests, you have a virtual dedicated server in a shared hosting environment.
The fixed quantity of CPU, RAM, and Storage Capacity, that you have chosen, will always apply to your subscription irrespective of which servers it does.
Bluehost provides three plans for Linux-based VPS hosting starting from $19.99/month (Regular Price $29.99/month) which includes 30GB disk storage, 2 GB memory, and unlimited monthly data transfer, and higher plan starts with $59.99/month (Regular Price $119.99/month) that comes with 120 GB disk storage, 8 GB of memory, and unlimited monthly data transfer. The only downside is Bluehost doesn’t offer any Windows-based VPS hosting.
4. WordPress Hosting
If you already have a WordPress site and are thinking about your site’s security and maintenance, then this plan is for you. This will be good for those WordPress users who need the protection of their site against some general issues. Whether it’s a theme, an interface upgrade, or a current, safe WordPress version for your site, this plan makes sense for anybody seeking a dynamic website from WordPress.
With Bluehost, you can get three different plans for WordPress hosting, which include:
- A Basic hosting plan starts at $2.95/month (Regular Price $8.99/month) and lets you host one website and provides 50 GB SSD storage, a free domain, and a free SSL certificate for a year.
- Plus hosting plan costs $5.45/month (Regular Price
$11.99/month) allows you to host an unlimited number of sites and provides unlimited SSD storage.
- Choice Plus hosting plan comes at the cost of $5.45/month (Regular Price
$16.99/month) and provides Codeguard basic backup software.
5. Managed WordPress Hosting
Bluehost also offers advanced website hosting, i.e., managed WordPress hosting that provides back-end services for your WordPress site, including SEO, social media, and email marketing tools.
It comes with three plans: Build, Grow, and Scale, priced at $9.95/month (Regular Price $19.95/month), $14.95/month (Regular Price $24.95/month), $27.95/month (Regular Price $37.95/month) respectively.
You get unlimited site hosting, domains, subdomains, monthly data transfer, and unlimited storage with all three plans.
You will also get the feature of staging sites with managed WordPress hosting plans that let you test your sites before they go live on the internet.
- The features in the Build plan include 100 free premium themes, daily backups, malware detections and removal, jetpack site analytics, a marketing center, and domain privacy protection.
- The Grow plan comes with all Build plan features along with several SEO tools, 10 GB of video compression, and live ticket customer support.
- The Scale plan adds live chat support, unlimited video compression, PayPal integration, and unlimited backups.
How to Get Started with Bluehost Hosting
Getting started with Bluehost is super easy; although you can buy Bluehost hosting without a domain name, it would be best to have a domain name registered. Suppose you have already registered any domain name.
In that case, you can use it to purchase Bluehost hosting, or you can register a new one here (or register from other domain registrars and then buy hosting) while purchasing Bluehost hosting.
You have to follow the easy steps mentioned below to order a new hosting plan from Bluehost Hosting.
Let’s get started-
Step 1. Click on the Bluehost Exclusive Link, and you will be redirected to the Bluehost Official website.
Step 2. Here you have to select the desired hosting service according to your needs and budget.
Note – Here, I am assuming that you are a beginner, so I will explain the buying process of Bluehost’s basic plan (Shared Hosting) which is very suitable and affordable for your initial phase.
So, moving ahead, let’s click on the Shared Hosting tab from the drop-down menu (Hosting). Now you will be landed on the shared hosting plan & pricing page.
You will see different types of plans with different price tags based on features and resources that you can choose accordingly.
Let’s go with a basic plan that starts at $2.95/month.
Step 3. After clicking on the “Select” button, you will be redirected to a new page. Here you have to provide the domain name that you own or register one or buy only hosting. Select the preferred option and click on the “Next” button to continue your order process.
Step 4. Again, you will land on the final page, where you have to provide the personal & payment details and select the required hosting & extra package details to buy Bluehost service.
After providing all the valid information, you need to double-check the details. If everything is OK, then checkmark the T&C box and click on the “Submit” button.
After that, it will take a few seconds to complete your payment process and completion of your order. When the process is complete, you will see the thank you page.
Booom… You have successfully ordered the Bluehost hosting plan.
Now login to your account and manage your product as you want.
Pros of Using Bluehost
- High Uptime and fast loading speed are the main features that put Bluehost ahead of all.
- Signing up with any plan of Bluehost services is a breeze.
- Bluehost provides a wide range of payment options, including PayPal integration.
- The easy-to-use Bluehost cPanel makes it easy for everyone, especially newcomers with no technical knowledge.
- The 30-day no-questions-asked money-back guarantee lets users have a chance to test out all the hosting plans.
- With Bluehost, you receive a free SSL and Cloudflare CDN certificate to restrict and enhance your security on just every website you have.
Cons of Using Bluehost
- You have to install any additional add-ons to get the full functionality with Bluehost.
- Bluehost does forceful Upselling, which can be annoying if you’re on a limited budget.
- The WordPress plans offered by Bluehost are comparatively more expensive than many other hosting providers.
- Bluehost doesn’t have any cloud hosting services.
Frequently Asked Questions – Bluehost Hosting Review
Can I make an online store using WooCommerce on Bluehost?
Yes, you can easily establish an online store using the starter plan of WooCommerce on Bluehost. In fact, Bluehost is one of the best WooCommerce hosting providers. However, keep in mind that you need to upgrade to premium WooCommerce plans as your site starts getting high traffic.
Is it good for beginners to use Bluehost?
Yeah. Bluehost is the overall market-leading WordPress hosting company. Once you sign up for any Bluehost hosting plan, they will automatically install WordPress for you. They also provide a control panel that is simple to use and makes managing your hosting account easier.
Is Bluehost better than GoDaddy?
Yes, it is better according to us. Bluehost pricing is well based on small businesses, which puts it ahead of GoDaddy. Also, Bluehost’s dashboard is pretty clean and straightforward, and the overall onboarding experience with Bluehost is a lot more beginner-friendly.
Can I use a credit card to sign up for Bluehost?
Yes, you can pay with a credit card for any Bluehost hosting plan. You can also avail more payment options while you checkout and choose PayPal if that’s suitable for you.
Final Verdict – Is Bluehost suitable for you?
If you are someone who is interested in setting up a small e-commerce website or entering your local store into the digital world, or someone interested in blogging, or someone who plans to develop multiple sites, whatever the reason might be, Bluehost is the best web hosting solution in the market right now.
You don’t have to pay for extra bandwidth and all, don’t have to worry about hidden charges, you get an easy-to-use interface, seamless integrations, multiple payment options, and many more with one and only Bluehost hosting.
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