Here at Vandelay Design, we recommend two hosting companies: Bluehost and WP Engine. Each one offers something different and we recommend them in different scenarios
Bluehost âÃÂàWe recommend BluehostâÃÂÃÂs low-cost shared hosting plans for bloggers, website owners, small businesses, and non-profits that are either just getting started or have a site that gets fewer than 1,000 visitors per day on average
Bluehost offers a lot more than just shared hosting, but thatâÃÂÃÂs where we feel they excel. If youâÃÂÃÂre looking for good hosting on a tight budget, we recommend Bluehost
WP Engine âÃÂàWP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting. The prices are considerably higher than the price of BluehostâÃÂÃÂs entry-level shared hosting plans, but youâÃÂÃÂll get fast page load speeds and higher overall performance for your site. We recommend WP Engine as your site grows
In this Bluehost review, IâÃÂÃÂll share the details of what Bluehost offers so you can decide if itâÃÂÃÂs the right option for you
Bluehost is one of the most popular and most-frequently recommended hosting companies. They also have an extremely popular affiliate program that compensates website owners and bloggers like me who refer customers to Bluehost (almost every hosting company has an affiliate program, BluehostâÃÂÃÂs is just more popular than others)
As a customer, that leaves you wondering if Bluehost really is a quality option or if people are only recommending Bluehost because theyâÃÂÃÂll make money. I canâÃÂÃÂt speak for other affiliates, but I can tell you that IâÃÂÃÂve been a Bluehost customer for six years, hosting several different websites on their servers. There are hundreds or thousands of hosts out there, and Bluehost is one of the few IâÃÂÃÂve stuck with over the years
IâÃÂÃÂm writing this review based on my own experience with Bluehost. Yes, Vandelay Design does earn commission through the Bluehost affiliate program, but my recommendation of Bluehost is based on my own experience as a customer. I could easily recommend a different host and use their affiliate program if I didnâÃÂÃÂt have a positive experience with Bluehost
That being said, I donâÃÂÃÂt believe Bluehost is a great fit in every situation. This Bluehost review will include the pros and cons so you can decide if it is the right fit for you
Bluehost offers a variety of different hosting plans, as well as domain name registration. Several years ago, Bluehost offered only low-cost shared hosting. Since then, theyâÃÂÃÂve expanded to offer VPS hosting (virtual private servers) and dedicated hosting, as well as managed WordPress hosting for the most popular content management system in the world
The addition of VPS and dedicated plans was a big move because prior to that, customers would be forced to move to a new host if they outgrew the needs of a shared hosting plan. Although itâÃÂÃÂs great that Bluehost offers options for websites with higher demands, IâÃÂÃÂve personally never used their VPS or dedicated servers. While I donâÃÂÃÂt have firsthand experience, I believe there are better options for high-traffic websites or other sites with specific needs (for example, Vandelay Design is hosted by WP Engine)
Most of this review will be focused on the lower-priced plans offered by Bluehost. I believe thatâÃÂÃÂs where they excel, and my recommendation of Bluehost is based on these plans
A shared hosting plan will store your website on the same server with many other websites (as opposed to a dedicated server). Web hosting companies are able to offer shared hosting at low prices and most new bloggers and website owners go with a shared hosting plan if theyâÃÂÃÂre looking to keep costs down
While there are other popular companies that offer low-price shared hosting, like HostGator, Bluehost is the most popular. The prices are among the best in the industry (more details on that in a minute) and even the cheapest plans are sufficient for smaller websites and blogs
Bluehost offers a few different shared hosting plans. The cheapest plan allows you to host one website. The other plans make it possible to host an unlimited number of websites on a single account
The plans are ideal if youâÃÂÃÂre just getting started with your site or if your site doesnâÃÂÃÂt serve a lot of visitors. The amount of traffic these plans can handle will vary depending on the details of your site, but theyâÃÂÃÂre generally quite capable. IâÃÂÃÂve used shared hosting to support 1,000 or more visitors per day
We recommend Bluehost for new bloggers, non-profit organizations that need to keep costs low, and small businesses that need reliable hosting at an affordable price
Bluehost also offers a few plans that have been specifically created for WordPress-powered websites. These plans come in two basic categories: WordPress hosting and managed WordPress hosting
The regular WordPress hosting accounts are essentially shared hosting on servers that have been optimized for WordPress. Your site should have slightly better performance, but these plans are very similar to what you would get with the regular shared hosting plans, and theyâÃÂÃÂre priced the same
Managed WordPress hosting offers a higher level of service, and they come at a higher price. Websites on these plans use enhanced servers and are optimized for faster page load speeds (including caching). The cheapest plan is suitable for up to 50,000 visitors per month, and higher-priced plans can support more traffic
These plans also include additional security and backup features. If youâÃÂÃÂre a WordPress user and youâÃÂÃÂre looking for higher performance than youâÃÂÃÂll get with the lower-priced shared hosting plans, managed WordPress hosting is a good option
One of the main reasons why Bluehost is so popular is because they offer some of the best prices in the industry. The plans offer different pricing options, depending on the length of time you want to pay for. Most plans have options for 12 months, 24 months, or 36 months. YouâÃÂÃÂll get the best price by going with the longer terms, but that means youâÃÂÃÂre paying more upfront
The Basic Shared Hosting plan is currently priced at:
After the initial 12, 24, or 36 months, the plan will adjust to the normal price of $8.99 per month
If youâÃÂÃÂll be hosting multiple websites on the account, youâÃÂÃÂll need to go with a slightly higher-priced plan. The Plus Shared Hosting plan supports unlimited websites and is currently priced at:
After the initial 12, 24, or 36 months, the plan will adjust to the normal price of $13.99 per month
Pricing for the regular WordPress hosting is the same as the pricing listed above for the different shared hosting plans. You could go with one of the regular plans or the WordPress plans, but if youâÃÂÃÂll be using WordPress for all of the sites on your account, it makes sense to sign up for one of the WordPress plans
Managed WordPress hosting is priced considerably higher, but this is in line with other hosts who offer similar plans. The entry-level plan is called Build. It allows you to host one WordPress website and the prices are listed below:
The Build plan is made for sites that have up to 50,000 visits per month. Higher-priced plans are available for sites and blogs with higher levels of traffic
Overall, BluehostâÃÂÃÂs prices are very competitive. Obviously, you can get better pricing if youâÃÂÃÂre willing to sign up and pay for a longer term. Personally, I try to avoid committing to any host long-term, so I usually go with 12 months at a time
ItâÃÂÃÂs also important to note that you can upgrade your plan at any time if your needs change
Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. If youâÃÂÃÂre not happy for any reason, you can contact customer support to cancel and request a full refund. The refund only applies for the cost of hosting and does not apply to add-ons like domain names
One of the most important factors you should consider is support. You should always choose a host that offers support 24/7 because you never know when youâÃÂÃÂll need it
Bluehost offers support 24/7 via online chat or by phone. They also have extensive documentation available on their website, so you may be able to get your questions answered without needing to reach out for support
From my experience, the support reps are very quick to respond. In all the years IâÃÂÃÂve been using Bluehost I donâÃÂÃÂt think IâÃÂÃÂve ever called for support. IâÃÂÃÂve used the online chat many times and IâÃÂÃÂve never experienced a long wait before getting connected
IâÃÂÃÂve found the support reps to be very helpful and capable of answering my questions. Overall, the quality of support is outstanding in my opinion, especially considering the low price I pay (IâÃÂÃÂm on the Plus shared hosting plan, which is the cheapest plan that supports multiple websites)
Bluehost is officially endorsed and recommended by WordPress. That should carry some weight if youâÃÂÃÂre going to be using WordPress for your own website. There are thousands of hosts they could recommend, but they stand behind Bluehost
As I mentioned earlier, I want to make sure this review is fair and balanced. Although I do recommend Bluehost, itâÃÂÃÂs not the right option for everyone. These pros and cons will help you know if Bluehost is a good fit for your needs
âÃÂâ Low prices. Bluehost provides one of the best values in the industry. If youâÃÂÃÂre working with a tight budget, Bluehost is an excellent choice
âÃÂâ Money-back guarantee. If youâÃÂÃÂre not satisfied within the first 30 days, you can get a full refund
âÃÂâ Reliability. My sites on Bluehost have very solid performance and uptime. ItâÃÂÃÂs rare that theyâÃÂÃÂre down and IâÃÂÃÂve had very few issues with the service over the years. BluehostâÃÂÃÂs performance has been better than several other hosts IâÃÂÃÂve used in the same pricing tier
âÃÂâ Support. Access to 24/7 support is crucial, and Bluehost delivers in this area. Some hosts donâÃÂÃÂt offer support by phone, but Bluehost does. My experience with their support reps has been consistently positive
âÃÂâ Room to. While Bluehost wouldnâÃÂÃÂt be my top recommendation for managed WordPress or VPS hosting, itâÃÂÃÂs good to know those plans are available if you need to upgrade
âÃÂâ Free domain name. Purchase a hosting plan and youâÃÂÃÂll be able to get a free domain name registration for one year
âÃÂâ Low-cost shared hosting plans are not ideal for high-traffic websites. Bluehost offers a wide range of plans, but theyâÃÂÃÂre known for their low-cost shared hosting. Those plans arenâÃÂÃÂt suitable for every website (more details below)
âÃÂâ Prices increase after the initial term. A lot of hosts price their services this way, so itâÃÂÃÂs nothing unique to Bluehost, but itâÃÂÃÂs something you need to be aware of. The discounted pricing lasts 12, 24, or 36 months, based on the term you choose. After that initial period is up, your hosting will renew at the regular price
Who Should Use Bluehost?
âÃÂâ New bloggers who are just getting started
âÃÂâ Anyone who is creating a personal website or hobby website
âÃÂâ Anyone who is working with a tight budget
I recommend BluehostâÃÂÃÂs shared hosting and basic WordPress hosting plans for anyone who fits any of the descriptions above
While Bluehost offers excellent shared hosting at a low price, I donâÃÂÃÂt have any experience with their managed WordPress hosting, VPS, or dedicated server plans. Bluehost specializes in low-cost shared hosting. TheyâÃÂÃÂve been offering the other plans for a few years now, but theyâÃÂÃÂre still known as being a budget-friendly option for shared hosting. Personally, IâÃÂÃÂd rather go with a different host for a website that needs something more significant than shared hosting
Vandelay Design is hosted by WP Engine and theyâÃÂÃÂre my top recommendation for WordPress-powered websites that need something more than shared hosting. Whether itâÃÂÃÂs a high-traffic website, an e-commerce website, or a website for an established business that needs top performance, WP Engine is a great option
BluehostâÃÂÃÂs managed WordPress hosting may be very good, but I donâÃÂÃÂt know because IâÃÂÃÂve never used it. WP Engine is widely recognized as an industry leader and they were one of the first companies to offer managed WordPress hosting. ThatâÃÂÃÂs why we use them for Vandelay Design, and thatâÃÂÃÂs why IâÃÂÃÂd recommend them over BluehostâÃÂÃÂs managed WordPress hosting
I would recommend WP Engine over Bluehost for:
âÃÂâ Higher-traffic websites and blogs (over 1,000 visitors per day)
âÃÂâ Businesses that are making money and can afford slightly higher prices
âÃÂâ Any WordPress website that needs top performance
I recommend Bluehost for new bloggers, entrepreneurs, and websites that are just getting started. I suggest signing up for 12 months of shared hosting with Bluehost. If your site grows during that first year and you need to upgrade, the one-year mark is a good time to do it
As your blog or website traffic grows, you may need web hosting that offers better performance. Or, if your site starts making money and youâÃÂÃÂre willing to reinvest some of that to get a better hosting plan, you could upgrade at that time. Whenever itâÃÂÃÂs time, you can move to a plan with WP Engine and benefit from faster page load speeds and stronger overall performance.