If you want to communicate with your customers through a website, you’ll need a web hosting service that’s dependable, easy to use, and reasonably priced, among other things. A delicate balance is achieved by BlueHost between affordability and functionality, offering services that are ideal for both hobbyists and business professionals. However, Bluehost distinguishes itself from the crowd with a revolutionary website builder that integrates with WordPress and gives the popular content management system unprecedented flexibility and power. With A2 Hosting, Bluehost shares the honor of being named a co-editors Choice pick for WordPress hosting.
Web hosting on a shared server is a relatively new concept.
Shared hosting is an excellent choice for folks who do not anticipate receiving a large amount of traffic to their website. What’s the silver lining? This company provides web hosting services at a minimal cost. What is the disadvantage? In addition, because your website shares server resources with other websites, the performance of your website may be adversely affected if the traffic to one of those websites experiences a significant increase.
Bluehost, a Linux-based company, does not provide shared web hosting on a month-to-month basis. As an alternative, you must subscribe for an entire year in advance. The Basic plan costs $2.95 a month, regardless of whether you sign up for a one-, two-, or three-year commitment. Pricing for Basic increases to $9.99 per month for a year-long commitment after your initial promise but drops to $8.99 per month if you commit to three years of service in advance. Look into HostGator’s excellent month-to-month hosting options if you’re looking for short-term hosting solutions.
A free domain name that you can keep for as long as you continue to use Bluehost is included with the Basic shared hosting plan, as is the option to host a single website and 50GB of storage space, as well as unlimited monthly data transfers and five email addresses. An anti-spam tool for a single domain is included in the Plus membership ($6.95 per month with a one-year commitment; $13.99 per month when renewed), including an unlimited number of websites, storage, and email mailboxes. The Choice Plus option ($6.95 per month with a one-year contract, rising to $18.99 per month upon renewal) expands on the Plus option by including a year of free automated backup and domain privacy, which allows you to hide your physical location for added security. The Choice Plus option is also the most expensive. As part of its Pro plan, which costs $18.95 per month with a one-year contract, you get a free dedicated IP address that may be renewed for $28.99 per month..
Our evaluation of Bluehost’s web hosting options revealed that they are adequate but not the best we’ve seen. Small and medium-sized businesses can improve their web presences by using HostGator, our Editors’ Choice for shared hosting services. With the Hatchling plan ($10.95 per month), HostGator provides:
- Unlimited disc space.
- Monthly data transfers.
- Email accounts.
- Support for one domain and third-party applications such as content management systems and e-commerce platforms.
Even better, HostGator provides both monthly shared hosting subscriptions and Windows Server-based hosting services. Don’t underestimate the importance of having a Windows Server solution available. If you’re planning to build (or convert) a website that uses the ASP.NET framework, you’ll like HostGators’ Windows Server alternatives.
VPS web hosting is a type of virtual private server.
The virtual private server (or VPS) solutions offered by Bluehost are an excellent option if you require additional processing power, anticipate high traffic volumes, or have specific compliance requirements that prevent you from using shared servers. Similar to shared hosting, your website shares server resources with other websites, but there are two key differences.. There are significantly fewer sites per server with VPS hosting, and the provider guarantees you a specific amount of server resources. A VPS-hosted place can endure a Reddit attack and operate normally without interruption.
Currently, Bluehost offers three Linux-based VPS hosting plans, with the Standard plan costing $29.99 per month and the Ultimate plan costing $119.99 per month. The Standard method includes 30GB solid-state storage, 2GB memory, and 1TB monthly data transfers, while the Ultimate plan costs $119.99 per month (120GB of SSD storage, 8GB of memory, and 3TB monthly data transfers). VPS hosting services provide discounts for customers who sign up for extended periods like the shared web hosting plans.
The plans offered by Bluehost are enticing, but the VPS hosting provided by Hostwinds exceeds Bluehost in terms of performance. Hostwinds provides a wide selection of packages that include up to 96GB of RAM, unlimited email, unlimited monthly data transfers, and Linux or Windows-based server options.
Web hosting on a dedicated server is a more expensive option.
Dedicated hosting is a powerful web hosting in which all server resources are dedicated solely to your website. If you anticipate a significant volume of visitors, dedicated hosting is the only way to ensure that your site can survive the rigors of the internet. Shared hosting is the only option if you do not anticipate a high volume of visitors. Bluehost also provides several dedicated server solutions that are based on Linux. They start at $119 a month and include up to 2TB of hard drive space, 16GB of RAM, and 15TB of monthly data transfers, which is precisely the same as HostMonster’s offerings.
When it comes to dedicated web hosting, AccuWeb outperforms Bluehost because it offers a choice of Linux or Windows Server operating systems, several configurable server plans (starting at $108 per month for 1TB of storage, 8GB of RAM, and 20TB of monthly data transfers), and the ability to choose between the two operating systems (Linux or Windows Server).
Web Hosting Reseller and Cloud Computing Services
Reseller hosting may be a good option if you want to go into the web hosting industry but don’t want to deal with the technical aspects of running a server. Reseller hosting packages were previously offered by Bluehost, but the firm now directs customers to ResellerClub, which offers its price and service offerings. Existing reseller customers will continue to use their existing Bluehost accounts, but new signups will not be accepted.
When you use cloud hosting, the resources that your website requires to run are split across a large number of computers.. Your site’s resources can be scaled in real-time because physical server capacity limitations do not bind it. In contrast to many other web hosts reviewed by PCMag, Bluehost does not provide cloud hosting services. If you’re interested in learning more about cloud hosting, check out DreamHost or 1&1 Ionos. The former is the Editors’ Choice for regular cloud hosting, while the latter is the Editors’ Choice for enterprise-level cloud hosting, as determined by the editors.
WordPress Web Hosting is available at a reasonable price.
Approximately one-third of all websites make use of WordPress, which is a content management system. It’s easy to use, and it has a thriving theme and plug-in ecosystem that allows you to enhance the functionality of your site even further. Simple, Plus, and Choice Plus are three of Bluehost’s Linux-based packages that you should consider if you’re looking to develop a simple WordPress-powered website from the ground up. There are no differences in pricing between the dedicated and shared hosting plans offered by the supplier.
You should consider one of Bluehost’s three managed WordPress “professional” services if you require more power. They take great care of your website’s backend and assist you with SEO, social media, and email marketing strategies. WP Pro’s three plans (Build, Grow, and Scale) include unlimited site hosting, monthly data transfers, domains, subdomains, and storage space, as well as other valuable features. Among the many features offered by Bluehost’s managed WordPress hosting services are bot protection, automatic SSL installation, and brute force defense. These managed accounts also have staging zones, which allow you to test your sites before they go live on the internet. This is a nice touch. The monthly renewal prices for Build, Grow, and Scale is $19.95, $24.95, and $37.95, respectively, for each plan.
It offers daily automated backups, malware detection and removal, and domain privacy protection for up to 50,000 monthly visits as part of the Build plan. The Grow plan extends the capabilities of the Build plan by including SEO tools, 10GB of video compression, live ticket assistance, and 150,000 monthly visitors on top of it. The Scale-managed plan includes Blue Sky live chat support, boundless video compression, PayPal integration, unlimited backups and restoration, and support for up to 500,000 monthly visitors.
Because Bluehost comes pre-installed with a content management system, you won’t have to worry about installing it. Once you’ve logged in, you’ll be able to create posts, pages, and galleries just as you would on any other WordPress site. With the help of a free WordPress migration tool, you can easily export your existing WordPress site as a new one. You should create an XML file and then upload it. Move the XML file to a new location on your computer. Bluehost provides a nice touch by allowing you to transfer a single WordPress-powered site from another webserver at no additional charge. Bluehost offers a $149 migration plan that will enable you to move up to five websites and up to twenty email addresses for the price of one.
The WordPress plans offered by Bluehost are excellent, and they are comparable to the Editors’ Choice pick in the category A2 Hosting in several aspects. The A2 WordPress hosting plans, except the entry-level Startup plan, are all excellent choices, with prices starting at $10.99 per month and offering unlimited domains, databases, and storage space. When you renew your WordPress plan with Bluehost, you’ll save a considerable amount of money while still receiving the same functionality and high degree of uptime. You have a WordPress hosting company coeditors Choice with A2 Hosting when you include the fantastic Bluehost Website Builder for WordPress (more on that later).
Creating a Web-based application
You select a domain name, register a Bluehost account, and then pay for the plan you want to build a Bluehost site using the domain name. Creating websites, filtering spam, managing email, obtaining site data, and administering domains are all made possible by Bluehost’s comprehensive set of tools. The WordPress content management system, Weebly (a famous website builder), FTP or File Manager, the goMobi Mobile Web builder, or Bluehost’s excellent Bluehost Website Builder for WordPress is all options for creating a website.
Because of Weebly’s drag-and-drop functionality, we were able to quickly design a beautiful page complete with slideshows, contact forms, social media links, and other site elements. It is possible to create six pages and include custom HTML in the accessible version of Weebly. Still, upgrading to the $8.99 a month Professional tier provides you with significantly more functionality and features (custom themes, password-protected pages, and more). More details can be found in PCMag’s Weebly evaluation.
In this case, the Bluehost Website Builder for WordPress is the main draw, as it combines the simplicity of a website builder with the functionality of the WordPress platform. You start with a single theme and a choice of layout options, which you can customize as needed. The various components of the site can be customized by clicking and dragging them around the page, adding new sections, and moving between the site builder and traditional WordPress site management inside that theme. It’s simple to use, and you can have a professional-looking website up and running in no time. The Bluehost Website Builder for WordPress currently lacks a variety of themes; you can only customize the one that is now offered (Bluehost states that more articles are on the way). Despite this, the tool provides a great deal of creative flexibility, with more than 1,000 different layout options. Web.com, Bluehost’s sister site, offers the standard website builder experience, as well as a vast selection of easily customizable templates to choose from.
Tools for the E-Commerce Industry
Bluehost is compatible with DaDa Mail (which starts at $34.95 per year and goes up from there), an email marketing solution that allows you to deliver email-based newsletters to a list of subscribers. An e-commerce platform, such as Magento, ShopSite, or TransFirst, will be required if you wish to create an online store and accept online payment transactions. Using the Magento platform, we were able to design an aesthetically appealing store simply by dragging and dropping website components.. Even though Magento has more versatility than ShopSite, if you do not want a complex web business, ShopSite’s more straightforward interface will allow you to get up and running more quickly. The time saved may be well worth it for small firms.
Bluehost also supports the PostgreSQL database management system, in addition to the widely used MySQL database management system. Because of this, non-MySQL solutions such as agileBase (a bespoke app creator) and Bacula can be used instead of MySQL (backup software).
Security Characteristics
Bluehost offers hotlink protection and three anti-spam solutions, among other features (Apache Spam Assassin, Spam Experts, and Spam Hammer). Manage private keys and digital certificates and set up email account filters, password-protect directories, and construct IP address blocklists are all options available in this module. When we observe secure shell (SSH) access, we’re always pleased because it allows site administrators to see particular configuration files safely and securely.
In addition to Bluehost, Cloudflare, a service that increases performance and security, is included. It is recommended that you investigate Cloudflare if you require SSL on your site or are concerned about distributed denial of service attacks.
Excellent uptime performance
Having a website up and running at all times is a vital component of the web hosting experience. If your website is unavailable, clients and consumers will be unable to locate you or access your products or services.
The uptime of our test site is tracked using a website monitoring tool throughout 14 days for this testing. A ping is sent to the website once every 15 minutes, and if it cannot contact a site for more than one minute, the program sends an alarm. According to the data, Bluehost’s uptime is exceptionally high. In truth, Bluehost was never unavailable during the whole two-week period. Bluehost is a well-established web hosting company on which you can rely.
Excellent Customer Service is provided.
When it comes to customer service, Bluehost is identical to HostMonster in that it offers 24-hour phone support, online webchat, ticket-based support, and a knowledge base.
On a weekday morning, we contacted Bluehost via online chat to inquire about the differences between the standard WordPress installation and the managed service. Bluehost responded promptly. When we asked the salesperson about the differences between ordinary WordPress hosting and managed WordPress hosting, we were happy with our response.
That evening, we called Bluehost’s phone support system to inquire about importing an existing WordPress.com configuration into Bluehost’s hosting environment (see below). Someone came to our rescue in less than five minutes, and the agent walked us through the rest of the process. Another success for Bluehost’s customer care department!
It is standard practice in the web hosting industry to provide a 30-day money-back guarantee, and Bluehost follows this practice. Unlike the competition, DreamHost offers a 97-day money-back guarantee, allowing it to outperform.
WordPress-Friendly Web Hosting Provider with a Reputable Name
Bluehost, which is constantly evolving, is a reliable web host that makes website creation straightforward, especially when hosting WordPress sites. Its new Website Builder for WordPress, on the other hand, is a terrific tool that combines the drag-and-drop simplicity of a website builder with a content management system that is already excellent. A2 WordPress hosting is also one of our Editors’ Choice WordPress hosting solutions, and Bluehost now joins them as one of those possibilities.
If you want additional information on how to get started on the internet, check out our tips on designing a website. Perhaps our guide to registering a domain name for your website will also be of interest to you.
In Conclusion
The high uptime of Bluehost and its numerous e-commerce add-ons and a WordPress-enhancing tool that provides the popular content management system more flexibility make it a web host you can trust to get your business online quickly and easily.
