Did you know that Bluehost hosts over 2 million websites?
That's a lot of information.
Having such a large client base is proof that they are doing anything good. Their uptime is consistent, their server speeds are fast, and all of their hosting plans provide useful features for both beginners and intermediates.
Bluehost also provides helpful 24/7 video chat and phone service, and you can give them a try risk-free thanks to their 30-day money-back guarantee.
However, there are some drawbacks, such as higher renewal fees and some limits on the cheapest contract.
All of our reviews are based solely on real-world data such as uptime, speed, and cost.
So, without further ado, let's take a closer look at Bluehost to see if they can provide you with the high-quality website hosting service that you need.
Benefits of Using Bluehost Hosting
Bluehost has been in business since 2003, but they have plenty of experience to know what makes an outstanding hosting service.
Their promotional costs are reasonable, customer service is accessible and friendly, and you get a slew of valuable features with your hosting package. Furthermore, they provide consistent uptime and high server speeds.
Let's take a closer look at Bluehost's high points.
1. Excellent uptime over a 12-month period (99.96 percent )
When it comes to web hosting, uptime is one of the most important factors to consider. After all, if the server is down, the customers won't be able to reach it. As a result, when searching for hosting options, consistent uptime should be one of your top priorities.
Our threshold for “good” uptime after checking over 40 web hosts is 99.93 percent. So, hopefully, we don't want to see anything less.
The positive news is that Bluehost easily outperforms this norm, holding our test site up and running 99.96 percent of the time over the last year (April 2020 to March 2021). For the whole year, the average downtime was just less than four hours.
2. Fast Page Loading (688 ms)
Google conducted research and discovered:
“As page load time increases from 1s to 3s, the chance of bounce increases by 32%.”
This means that your guests are 32% more likely to abandon your platform. And it just gets worse as page load times increase.
Furthermore, Google is shifting its focus on mobile-first indexing. This means that your platform must also be designed for smartphone devices, or you will lose traffic.
In this case, a sluggish website nearly certainly means less traffic and, as a result, lower sales figures. So, after uptime, page loading time is the second most critical factor that can make or break the popularity of your website.
3. Low Initial Pricing ($2.75/month)
Bluehost's standard pricing starts at $3.95/month, which is a discount from the current $8.99/month offer.
The positive news is that we were able to negotiate a deal with Bluehost for our readers that reduces the starting price much more to $2.75/month.
You get about everything you need for a single website for this amount. This provides 50 GB of SSD capacity, unlimited bandwidth, a free SSL license, and other benefits. As a result, you'd be getting a decent deal for the market, as well as their reliable uptime and page loading rates.
Even, the cheapest option has a few conditions that we don't agree with – but more on that later.
4. Loaded with security features and options
We are glad to see that, besides being one of the “cheapest” solutions on the market, Bluehost does not skimp on essential security options and functionality.
Bluehost includes a free SSL certificate for even the most basic package. You also get a free CDN (Cloudflare), a one-click WordPress installation, several CMS integrations, and additional eCommerce plugins.
The Spam Experts add-on, domain privacy security, and server backups are included in higher-tier plans. You also get more sophisticated security features, such as SiteLock, which aids in the prevention of ransomware attacks.
Another form of security is Codeguard, which offers regular backups so you can restore previous copies of a site if it is compromised.
The last protection method worth mentioning is Postini from Google. It protects your email from spam, preventing something illegal from reaching your inbox.
5. Easy to Use for Novices
Any of the web hosts we've seen can only be deemed the finest if you're a seasoned customer. Bluehost, on the other hand, is ideal for newcomers.
Their consumer portal is simple and easy to use (although, we have experienced it is a bit slow at times). Bluehost is much simpler to use thanks to the layout of the cPanel control panel. WordPress can be conveniently installed and launched by beginners using cPanel. In most situations, what you need to do is point and click.
If you do not want to use WordPress, you can start building a website using a website builder app (such as Weebly or Drupal). You can then modify a blueprint by dragging and lowering items onto your page.
Bluehost also has features for technical users who choose to build a platform with their own coding.
6. Money-Back Guarantee for 30 Days
Bluehost has a 30-day money-back guarantee for all hosting services.
You should test the program to see if it works for yourself and request a refund if you are not fully pleased. We do have a few points of warning, though.
Here's what does and doesn't come under the pledge, according to Bluehost's terms:
Refunds are only available for web hosting costs, not for other items such as domains or other add-ons.
If you got a free domain name as part of your plan, Bluehost will subtract $15.99.
After 30 days, Bluehost does not refund any orders.
It isn't exactly a no-questions-asked approach, as we've seen from some hosts. So, before you sign up, make sure you comply with these points.
7. Customer Service is available 24 hours a day, seven days
Bluehost offers video chat, internet, and email ticketing service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Furthermore, they have a large knowledge base full of responses to often asked questions and practical facts.
We tried out their live chat option, and it was a good experience.
We received prompt responses to our questions, and the representative was informative. Sure, some replies seemed to be copied and pasted, but the follow-up questions elicited improvised and constructive responses.
8. One complimentary WordPress site transfer
If you already have a website and wish to switch it to Bluehost's hosting plan, this benefit is for you.
Bluehost has only recently begun to include a free site transition in all of their plans.
However, there are a few conditions attached to this free program. First and foremost, the blog must be a WordPress site. Second, you must order the migration within the first 30 days of purchasing a hosting contract.
What you have to do is get in touch with their customer service staff and follow their instructions. It normally takes 1-3 business days to complete the migration.
9. WordPress.org's Official Recommended Host
WordPress is the most popular website network on the industry, accounting for 44 percent of all websites on the Internet.
When it comes to hosting options, it's fair to presume they have the final say. Just three hosting providers are officially recommended by WordPress for use of a WordPress site:
SiteGround
DreamHost
Of course, you can build a WordPress account for virtually every web hosting service. However, Bluehost's status as one of the few publicly recognised collaborators is inspiring.
Do We Advise Bluehost?
We do, really.
Bluehost has done marginally better in the past, but they continue to offer a dependable infrastructure with reasonable server speeds.
They also have solid protection, a nice money-back policy, a plethora of user-friendly applications, and several levels of hosting packages appropriate for various customers. With our extra discount, the monthly price starts at $2.75.
However, Bluehost is not without flaws. Renewal costs for hosting plans can skyrocket following the initial signup cycle, and the cheapest package has some important limitations as opposed to the next levels.
Bluehost, on the other hand, provides adequate results and reasonable value for capital.