Last Updated on December 20, 2022 by Andrew Shih
Bluehost review that helps you save money
The choices can be overwhelming with so many web hosting providers and hosting plans. We are here to help!
In this in-depth Bluehost review, we will cover the Bluehost pricing with various Bluehost plans as well as Pros & Cons, but we will also share several money-saving tips to help you get the best savings with Bluehost.
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Is Bluehost A Good Web Host?
Bluehost is considered one of the most reputable and reliable web hosting service providers and has been in the web hosting business since 2003.
The Bluehost mission is to “empower people to fully harness the web.” Bluehost powers over 2 million websites globally and has over 750 employees. There are various Bluehost pricing and Bluehost plans that can accommodate novice to advanced users. In this Bluehost review, you will find out why so many people choose Bluehost and no doubt that Bluehost is here to stay.
Why Use Bluehost
Best uptime – the key factor!
The most crucial factor in choosing a web hosting provider is system uptime.
Uptime is when your website is available for public access without unexpected downtime. Bluehost is a leader in consistently maintaining system uptime at 99.99% over the years. If your website is down frequently, it means a loss in business and your credibility and website SEO ranking.
Never compromise on system uptime!
Affordable Bluehost Pricing Plan
The Bluehost pricing for the hosting plan is one of the most affordable in the marketplace. The Shared-Basic hosting plan starts at $3.95 per month if you can commit to a 3-year plan.
This affordable plan is suitable for most beginners who are looking to start a personal blog site.
Bluehost also offers several web hosting plans. For more advanced users who have multiple websites, require more storage, or need a dedicated web server, there are advanced Bluehost hosting plans to accommodate those users.
Uncompromised Bluehost Security
In this digital age, strong website security is essential to deter hackers. Even though the Bluehost pricing plan seems a bit cheaper giving a feel that the security features would be neglected, that is not the case.
Bluehost hosting plans include excellent security services and a free SSL certificate to secure your website. Site Lock and code guard are optional services to prevent the website from excessive malware attacks.
According to CrazyEgg, Bluehost offers one of the best security features in the marketplace.
User-Friendly Bluehost Interface
The Bluehost dashboard is straightforward to navigate, and you can access the most common functions directly from the home dashboard. You can easily access the homepage, access email accounts, and manage domain and subdomain. The advanced functionalities are grouped under the Advanced section. Those advanced functionalities include access to the files or databases for your website.
24/7 Support and Satisfaction Guaranteed
I have used the live chat feature multiple times, and the Bluehost customer support team was able to resolve all my issues and inquiries. Although there can be a few minutes to wait to reach the support for a live chat, I am happy with the Bluehost customer service.
While Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee that is on par with industry-standard, Bluehost offers outstanding 24/7 customer support. Bluehost also provides diverse knowledgebase in addition to email support, phone support, and live chat options.
Bluehost is recommended by WordPress
Bluehost is the recommended hosting platform by WordPress. In case you are not aware, WordPress is the most popular content management system and powers 35% of all websites globally. Bluehost even offers a one-click and seamless WordPress installation so you can launch your WordPress website quickly.
Bluehost Hosting Cons
There is no monthly renewal plan available
Unlike other web hosting providers, Bluehost does not offer a monthly renewal plan. However, this is not a significant drawback because monthly renewal is generally the most expensive plan available. If anything, Bluehost is missing out on an extra revenue-making opportunity.
Mediocre renewal fee
Once the initial pricing plan expires, you will need to pay the renewal price, which will be higher than the introductory price. At $7.99/month, it is merely on par with the industry average.
Hefty Site Migration Fee
If you want to migrate your website from an old hosting company to Bluehost, you can do it yourself, hire an experienced freelancer, or pay Bluehost to migrate your website.
Generally speaking, most of the Web hosting Providers welcome your business and have no migration fee. WP Engine, Kinsta, A2 Hosting, and Cloudways are some websites among the list that have a free migration feature.
Like those more well-established web-hosting providers, Bluehost does not consider site migration a freebie for clients and charges a $149.99 to execute this process.
5 big money-saving tips with Bluehost hosting plans
Shared hosting will be the most affordable option than dedicated or VPS hosting.
For example, shared hosting costs only $2.95 per month, whereas dedicated hosting costs $79.99 a month. Don’t worry, your data is secure on a shared hosting server.
While the speed performance will be inferior with shared hosting, you won’t be able to take advantage of the performance if you are just starting a blog with no traffic and content.
Once you have hundreds of thousands of monthly visitors, upgrading to a high-performance dedicated server will make sense.
Tip #2: Save $10 If you register your domain through Bluehost.
You can save the $10 domain name registration fee if you register the domain name via Bluehost.
Tip #3: Opt for the Basic Plan
For most users who are just getting started, the basic plan is sufficient.
Most users will begin with only one website. 50GB is enough to store blog posts, text, images, and photos for quite some time before you outgrow it, if ever. (Congratulations if you do!). No need to overspend for extras you do not use.
Tip #4: For the best deal, go for the 3-year plan to get the lowest monthly price.
Building a website is a long journey and will take time. The renewal price is going to be more expensive. By putting the investment upfront, you can save extra few hundred dollars compared to renewing annually at the renewal price.
Tip #5: Uncheck all the extra packages.
While these options add value, you can work around many of them via WordPress plugins such as tools for backup and SEO.
Are you ready to commit?
I hope this Bluehost review and the money-saving tips will help you decide if Bluehost hosting plan is right for you.
There is no question Bluehost is a reputable and reliable hosting provider. Bluehost offers exceptional uptime, robust security, a friendly user interface, excellent customer support, and an attractive initial pricing plan.
While there are a few small drawbacks, Bluehost is a hosting provider you can trust, and I offered a few money-saving tips to help you get started.
