Is this Web Hosting Company worth Signing up? Bluehost Forms
Bluehost is home for more than 2,000,000 websites.
This is a lot.
They have a large customer base that is a clear sign they are doing something right. They offer reliable uptime, fast server speeds, and all hosting plans have useful features that are suitable for both intermediate and advanced users.
Bluehost also provides 24/7 live chat and telephone support. They offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can give them another chance.
However, there are some drawbacks as well, including higher renewal prices and restrictions on the lowest plan.
All of our reviews are based on actual data, such as speed, uptime, and cost.
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at Bluehost and find out if they can provide the high-quality website hosting service that you need. Bluehost Forms
Bluehost Video Review
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General Info & Hosting Overview
Our Verdict: 5.0
SPEED: 688 ms (April 2020 to March 2021)
UPTIME 99.96% (April 2020-March 2021).
SUPPORT: Live Chat, Email, Phone, Knowledge Base, 24/7 Support
APPS: WordPress. Joomla. Drupal. phpBB. And More Than 75+ Open Source Projects
FEATURES, Unlimited bandwidth, Unlimited websites, Storage, and Free Domain 1st Years, Free SSL Certificate & CDN, Spam experts, Domain Privacy, 30-Day money-back Guarantee, WordPress 1-Click install
HOSTING PLANS
SITE TRANSFER: Get a single WordPress site for FREE starting at $2.75/mo Bluehost Hosting Pros: Bluehost was established in 2003 and has a lot of experience. They know what makes a good hosting service.
Their hosting plans come with many helpful features, including affordable prices and customer support. They offer high uptime and reliable server speeds.
Let’s look closer at Bluehost’s strengths. Bluehost Forms
1. Great Uptime Through 12-Months (99.96%)
It is essential to choose a reliable web host. Users can’t access your site if the server is down. So, consistent uptime should be one of your top priorities when looking at hosting services.
We have reviewed over 40 web hosts and found that 99.93% is our standard for “good” uptime. We would prefer to see 99.93%.
Bluehost has surpassed this benchmark to comfortably keep our test site available for 99.96% over the past 12 month (April 2020-March 2021). For the whole year, there was only a little more than four hours of downtime.
Bluehost average uptime
March 2021: 100%
February 2021: 99.97%
January 2021: 100%
December 2020: 99.98%
November 2020: 100%
October 2020: 99.67%
September 2020: 100%
August 2020: 99.99%
July 2020: 99.98%
June 2020: 100% Bluehost Forms
May 2020: 99.90% (scheduled maintenance)
April 2020: 99.99%
2. 6.88 ms Fast Page Loading Speed
Google has conducted research and found that people who wait longer for pages to load are 32% more likely than others to abandon your website. This trend only worsens if your page load time is longer.
Google is also more mobile-first.
This means that your site also needs to be optimized for mobile users, or otherwise, you’re losing traffic.
Either way, a slow website almost always means less traffic and, therefore, lower sales numbers. Page loading time is, right after uptime and sales numbers, the second most important aspect of your website’s success.
Bluehost average speed — See stats Bluehost’s test website has had an average load of 688 ms over a year. It is not the fastest, but it is still good. Bluehost Forms
3. Low Introductory Pricing ($2.75/mo)
Bluehost offers a default pricing starting at $3.95/month. This represents a significant discount from the $8.99/month rate.
The good news is that Bluehost has negotiated a price reduction for our readers, dropping the initial price to $2.75/month. This price allows you to get almost everything you need to run a website. The package includes 50 GB SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth. You also get a free SSL certificate. You’d get a good deal for the price and a consistent uptime.
However, we are not happy with the restrictions on the cheapest plan. We’ll talk more about them later.
4. Included with Security Options and Features
Bluehost is a “cheap” option on the market. We are happy to see that they do not compromise on important security features and options.
Bluehost gives your site a free SSL Certificate even though it is the most expensive plan. Enjoy great features like a Cloudflare CDN (free CDN), a one button WordPress install and multiple CMS integrations.
Higher-tier plans offer the Spam Experts Add-on, Domain Privacy Protection, and Server Backups. SiteLock is a security feature that helps to prevent malware attacks.
Codeguard provides another level of protection. It offers daily backups that allow you to rollback previous versions of a website in case it is hacked.
Postini, from Google, is the final security tool worth noting. It provides spam protection for email, so suspicious information is blocked from entering your inbox. Bluehost Forms
5. Simple to Use for Beginners
The best web hosts are not the ones we have found, but they can be if you’re a skilled user. But, Bluehost is great for beginners, too.
Their customer portal interface is simple and clear, though we have had some issues with it being slow at times. Bluehost’s control panel is easy to use thanks to its cPanel layout. It is easy to install WordPress and get started with it through cPanel. All you need to do is a point and click in most cases.
You can also create a website without WordPress by using a website builder such as Weebly, Drupal or Wix. You can then customize a template by just dragging and dropping elements on your page.
Bluehost also has features for advanced users who want to use their code to create their site.
6. 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Bluehost offers a 30-day money back guarantee on all hosting plans.
To test the service, you can do so to get a feel for it and request a refund if not satisfied. We have a few words of caution, though.
According to Bluehost’s terms , here’s what does and doesn’t fall under that guarantee:
Refunds are only available for web hosting charges.
Bluehost will deduct $15.99 from your account if you receive a domain name for free.
Bluehost cannot refund any request after 30 calendar days.
It isn’t like the host’s “no-questions-asked” policy. These points should be agreed upon before you sign up. Bluehost Forms
7. Support available 24/7
Bluehost offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone and email. On top of that, they have a vast knowledge base packed with answers to frequent questions and useful information.
We decided to test their live chat option and found it pleasant.
We got answers to our questions quickly, and the representative was knowledgeable. Although some of the responses felt a bit repetitive, the follow-up questions led to improvised, helpful answers.
8. One Free WordPress Site Transfer
This perk is available to those who already own a website and wish to switch to Bluehost’s web hosting plan.
Bluehost just recently began offering a site transfer for free with all of its plans.
However, there are some terms that apply to this free service. First, the site needs to be a WordPress site. The second requirement is that you request the migration within the first 30 day after signing up for a hosting account.
Contact their customer support and follow their instructions. The migration process typically takes between 1-3 business hours.
The price for a WordPress website is $149.99. You can migrate up to five websites and 20 email accounts.
9. 9.
WordPress is the most commonly used website platform on market. WordPress accounts for approximately 44%.
They are the authority in hosting solutions. WordPress only recommends three hosting partners that can be used in conjunction with a WordPress site. Bluehost Forms
Of course, you can use almost any web hosting provider to create a WordPress site. But the fact that Bluehost is one of the few officially recognized partners is encouraging.
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Cons of Using Bluehost Hosting
Even though we love the low initial prices, the renewal fees can be quite steep.
Let’s have a closer look at the downsides.
1. Higher Renewals Rates
Prepaying upfront for hosting will get you the best deal. Although the monthly average price drops, you are still committing hundreds of bucks in advance.
Don’t worry, there is a 30-day money back guarantee that you can use to get a refund if your service is not satisfactory. After the initial plan ends, rates can rise dramatically.
Let’s assume you agree to the lowest plan for three years. It is $2.75/month. The renewal price for the next period starts at $8.99/month if you make a three year commitment.
The next period in this case is three times more expensive than that of the previous.
2. Cheapest Plan Restrictions
Bluehost’s cheapest shared host plan comes with severe restrictions.
Only one website can be allowed. Storage space is limited, and there is no SSL certificate. So, if you have multiple sites or want more security, you have to go for at least the next pricing tier, which is twice as expensive.
These restrictions on the cheapest plan in web hosting are unfortunately quite common. These companies are in competition to attract customers with the lowest pricing, and then upsell decent hosting services at higher prices. Bluehost Forms
Bluehost Pricing, Hosting Plans & Quick Facts
Here are the pricing plans for Bluehost shared hosting.
| Pricing | $2.75/month Renews at $8.99/mo |
$5.45/month Renews at $11.99/mo |
$5.45/month Renews at $16.99/mo |
$13.95/month Renews at $26.99/mo |
| Websites | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Storage | 50 GB | Unmetered | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Email Accounts | 5 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Other Features | – | • Spam Experts | • Spam Experts • Domain Privacy & Protection • Codeguard Basic |
• 2 Spam Experts • Domain Privacy & Protection • Codeguard Basic • Dedicated IP |
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Quick Facts
- Money-Back: 30-day money-back guarantee
- Website Migration: Free transfer for 1 WordPress website. Other migrations can be done for $149.99 and up to five websites.
- A free domain Yes, for the first year. For $15.99/year, you can renew.
- Sign Up Easy: A simple, guided process to sign up.
- Payment Methods: Major credit card and PayPal
- Hidden Fees and Clauses: No refund on domain names. Renewal rates for both domains and hosting are much higher than the introductory rates.
- Sign-up bonuses: There are some upsells, but not too aggressive.
- Account activation: In most instances, you will receive an instant activation. If the information is inaccurate or there’s suspicion of fraud, activation might get delayed.
- Control Panel and Dashboard Experience: Easy-to-use cPanel
- Installation of Apps (WordPress and Joomla): Mojo Marketplace makes installing apps fast and easy. Bluehost Forms
Bluehost: Do We Recommend It?
Yes.
Bluehost has done slightly better in the past but they still offer reliable service with good server speeds.
They provide strong security options and a great money back guarantee. There are many user-friendly tools, as well as multiple tiers to choose from for different customers. With our special discount, the pricing starts at $2.75/month.
Still, Bluehost isn’t perfect, though. After the initial signup period ends, renewal rates for hosting plans will rise dramatically. The cheapest plan also has critical limitations that are not applicable to the next tier.
Bluehost still delivers an acceptable level of performance and excellent value for your money.
Are you a Bluehost user? If you have, please consider leaving a review. Good or bad it doesn’t really matter so long as it helps our visitors. Bluehost Forms
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