Bluehost is one of the oldest and largest web hosting companies, powering over 2 million websites. It’s an official WordPress.org recommended host since 2006, known for budget-friendly plans, an easy setup, and 24/7 support. In this review we’ll examine all major Bluehost plans – Shared, VPS, WordPress, and Dedicated – covering pricing, features, performance, ease of use, support, and ideal use-cases. Each section includes pros & cons to help you choose the right plan for your needs.
Bluehost’s Shared Hosting is the entry-level option, ideal for small websites and beginners. Plans range from Basic to Pro. Introductory pricing starts at just $1.99/month for the Basic plan. Higher tiers include the Choice Plus and Pro plans. The top-tier Pro plan begins at $9.99/mo, offering more storage and optimized performance. (Note: renewal prices are substantially higher; for example, Basic renews at $7.99.) All shared plans include a free domain name for one year and a free SSL certificate, plus unmetered bandwidth and email accounts.
Feature-wise, even the Basic plan provides 10 GB SSD storage and hosting for one website. Choice Plus ups this to 50 GB and 3 sites, while Pro offers 100 GB and up to 100 sites. Each plan includes tools like a one-click WordPress installer, AI website builder, and Cloudflare CDN. Bluehost also provides server-level caching and malware scanning by default. A simple custom dashboard and cPanel access make management easy for beginners and advanced users alike.
Performance: Bluehost’s shared hosting delivers fast page loads and excellent uptime for small sites, averaging ~99.99% uptime. Because resources are shared, performance can slow under heavy load, but for most low-traffic blogs and business sites, shared hosting performs well.
Ease of Use: Beginner-friendly with automatic WordPress installs, guided setup, and a clean dashboard. One-click staging and automatic updates for WordPress and PHP simplify management.
Customer Support: 24/7 support via phone, live chat, and a large knowledge base. Bluehost has removed ticket-based support, focusing instead on live assistance.
Ideal For: Small blogs, personal websites, portfolios, and new business sites – especially WordPress beginners.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Very low introductory prices | Resource limits on entry plans (e.g., 10GB storage on Basic) |
| Includes free domain (1st year) & SSL | Higher renewal rates |
| Official WordPress-recommended host | Aggressive upselling during signup |
| Beginner-friendly dashboard & cPanel | No monthly billing – must prepay annually |
| Good uptime & performance | Performance slows under heavy traffic spikes |
VPS Hosting
Bluehost’s VPS hosting provides dedicated virtual resources. There are three tiers: Standard, Enhanced, and Ultimate. Pricing starts around $47/month for the Standard plan, scaling up to ~$95/month for Ultimate. VPS servers use AMD EPYC processors and NVMe SSD storage for speed.
Features include root access, cPanel/WHM, unmetered bandwidth, and dedicated IPs. Automated backups and optional security add-ons are also available.
Performance: VPS delivers far more consistent performance than shared hosting, with guaranteed CPU and RAM resources. Suitable for medium-to-high traffic sites.
Ease of Use: Managed VPS with cPanel simplifies setup, though server administration knowledge helps unlock full potential.
Customer Support: 24/7 Tier-3 support, with faster response compared to shared plans.
Ideal For: Businesses, busy blogs, or e-commerce sites that outgrow shared hosting.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Dedicated resources for reliability | Higher cost than shared hosting |
| Full root access & customization | Requires technical skill |
| Scalable as your site grows | Renewal prices significantly higher |
| High-speed NVMe servers | Migration from shared can be complex |
WordPress Hosting
Bluehost’s WordPress Hosting plans are tailored for WP users. Pricing starts at $2.95/month. These include automatic WordPress installation, staging, updates, and WordPress-specific optimizations.
Performance: Optimized servers with caching and CDN make sites load faster. Ideal for most WP sites, though very high-traffic users may need VPS or Dedicated hosting.
Ease of Use: Seamless onboarding with WordPress pre-installed. One-click staging and migration simplify site management.
Customer Support: 24/7 support, with staff trained in WordPress-specific issues.
Ideal For: Bloggers, small businesses, and e-commerce sites built on WordPress.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| WordPress pre-installed and auto-updated | Same resource limits as shared plans |
| Free domain, SSL, CDN included | Renewal prices increase |
| WP-optimized support and tools | No monthly billing options |
Dedicated Hosting
Bluehost’s Dedicated Hosting offers maximum performance, starting around $141/month. The Standard plan includes 8 CPU cores, 32 GB RAM, and 1 TB NVMe storage.
Performance: Provides the highest speed and reliability, ideal for enterprise-grade sites.
Ease of Use: Requires technical knowledge but comes with cPanel for management.
Customer Support: Priority 24/7 support, though advanced management is user’s responsibility unless purchasing add-ons.
Ideal For: Large e-commerce, enterprise, or high-traffic websites.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Full dedicated server resources | Expensive, starting at $141/month |
| High RAM & storage capacity | Requires strong technical expertise |
| Full customization & root access | Long-term contracts for best pricing |
Final Thoughts
Bluehost is a reliable, affordable, and beginner-friendly host that scales to advanced needs with VPS and Dedicated options. Shared and WordPress hosting remain the best value for beginners, while VPS/Dedicated serve businesses and enterprise needs. Its official WordPress.org endorsement makes it one of the safest bets for WP sites.
Visit Bluehost to explore current plans and discounts.