BlueHost has a reputation as a great web hosting service, but is there any truth to that? You’ll find a number of BlueHost shared WordPress review posts out there. Some make the service sound amazing, while others aren’t as glowing. BlueHost does host more than two million websites hosted on its servers and has budget-friendly prices. Let’s take a look at everything this service offers to see if it’s right for you.
Pros
- One of only a few web hosting companies officially endorsed by WordPress.
- Server uptime of 99.99%.
- WordPress comes pre-installed.
- Websites hosted by Bluehost load very quickly.
- Shared hosting helps to lower the overall cost.
- Three plans to select from.
Cons
- It is a shared host, so you may experience some slowdowns.
- Because there are so many users, support may take several days to address your issues.
- At regular price, their managed WordPress hosting plans are the same or higher than other options.
- The basic plan is somewhat limited in storage.
Bluehost Shared WordPress Review & Analysis
Overall, this Bluehost plan is great if you only need a simple WordPress site. Because their WordPress plans include the CMS pre-installed plus feature a number of plugins and themes, you do have everything needed right at your fingertips. Your resources are limited since it’s a shared server, which can be a problem. If your website continues to grow and expand, you may need to move to VPS or dedicated hosting at some point.
Who This Hosting Plan is For
- Small websites that don’t need a lot of storage space or server resources.
- Users who only want to create one website (the Basic plan only allows for a single website).
- Individuals or small businesses with a limited budget.
- Anyone looking for an easy-to-use and manage WordPress hosting account.
Who This Hosting Plan is Not For
- Large websites with a lot of content.
- Websites that need dedicated resources.
- Businesses that do not plan on basing their website on WordPress.
Bottom Line
Bluehost’s WordPress option is great for personal blogs or for small business websites that won’t operate large eCommerce sites. You won’t have to worry about configuring WordPress on your own since it’s pre-installed. However, the storage limits may not work for larger companies or big eCommerce websites. Because they’re so popular, Bluehost may also not be right for anyone who needs a quick response to problems. For basic cheap WordPress hosting, though, you get everything you need for a good price.
Bluehost Shared WordPress Hosting Features
- Automatic WordPress Installation
- Automatic WordPress Updates
- Microsoft Office 365 available
- Secure Configuration of Login Credentials
- Free Domain Name for 1 Year
- Get Verified on Google My Business
- 24/7 WordPress Hosting Support
Bluehost Shared WordPress Hosting Plan Prices
Which Bluehost Option is the Right Managed WordPress Hosting?
Bluehost has three different options for WordPress web hosting: Basic, Plus, and Choice Plus. The Basic plan is the cheapest, especially when it’s on sale. When it’s not on sale, the price is similar to InterServer unlimited web hosting. InterServer offers unlimited storage on their plan, though.
The Basic plan also offers the least. You can only create one website, and you only receive 50 GB of SSD storage. You do get a free domain for a year, plus you can park five additional domain names. You’ll also receive a $200 credit towards Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising, although you do have to spend $25 towards each of these services to claim the credit.
The Plus plan lets you create an unlimited number of websites and gives you unlimited storage. You can also park as many domains as you want, and you get an Office 365 mailbox to try for 30 days before you have to subscribe to the service.
Upgrading to Choice Plus
If you want to upgrade even more, Bluehost’s best managed WordPress hosting option is their Choice Plus. It offers everything the Plus plan does but also includes CodeGuard Basic backup. Bluehost can restore your website if anything were to happen to it.
The three plans are similar, but the Basic plan is much more restricted due to the limited storage. The price, though, is ideal for websites that won’t make use of high resolution graphics, video, or other content. The best option for you depends on your particular needs. One thing to note is that the Choice and Choice Plus options are occasionally discounted to the same price. This means you can essentially add backup to your hosting for free.
Should You Use WordPress Web Hosting?
Another question you may ask is if you even need WordPress web hosting. If you’re going to use WordPress for your website, it’s definitely beneficial. If you’re not, you may want to look at something like a DreamHost shared unlimited plan. These plans are often cheaper because they don’t come with WordPress pre-installed.
There are a number of benefits to using a WordPress host. First, these servers are built for WordPress. They’re optimized for it, so your site will run quickly. You can download and install a wide variety of different WordPress plugins, including those designed for eCommerce sites. There are also a number of different themes available to customize your website.
In addition to these benefits, the support team assigned to these WordPress servers understand the system and how to address any particular issues you may have. If you go through a basic managed host, the support team may not be as familiar with WordPress as these experts are. That can delay repairs to your WordPress site.
What if You’re Not using WordPress?
On the other hand, if you’re not going to use WordPress, there’s no reason to pay the additional costs to be on a WordPress server. Even if you plan on using WordPress for your website’s blog, you may not need this type of hosting plan. If you’re comfortable installing and configuring WordPress on your own and won’t use it for the entire website, it might be better to save on hosting costs. However, you’ll need to compare the different plans and your own needs to decide which option is the best for you.
Now that you know a little more about what Bluehost offers in their WordPress hosting, you can decide if it fits your needs. Be sure to compare their various plans to each other and to other hosting options before you make your final choice.
Review Bluehost Shared WordPress (WordPress Hosting) Review.