SiteGround vs Bluehost: Which Should You Choose?
So,
you’re picking a hosting provider for your site and can’t decide between
SiteGround and Bluehost? You’re not alone.
We’ve done our own research to compare the leading providers and help you make the right decision. So take a deep breath, put your feet up, and let’s dive into our in-depth comparison of SiteGround and Bluehost.
First
off, no messing around: overall Bluehost scored higher in
our research rankings than SiteGround. They both
have extremely strong qualities – otherwise they wouldn’t be leading providers!
SiteGround scored impressively in its help and support, but we found that
Bluehost had more to offer in terms of hosting features (such as disk space),
as well as value for money.
Still not sure? Read on to find out which is best for you.
Pros and Cons of SiteGround and Bluehost
One of
the easiest and best ways to compare anything is to do a pros and cons list.
They seem to solve every problem, and choosing a hosting provider is no
different! It’s good to see the strengths and weaknesses of both laid out. This
way you can see which one has better options for you and your site.
Siteground Pros and Cons
|
SiteGround
Pros |
|
|
#1 |
Free auto daily backups |
|
#2 |
Fast uptime: 99.98% |
|
#3 |
Recommended third by WordPress |
|
#4 |
Excellent customer support |
|
#5 |
Upfront pricing |
|
SiteGround
Cons |
|
|
#1 |
Less value for money than
competitors (less perks for lower tier customers) |
|
#2 |
No free domain |
|
#3 |
Limited disk space |
Bluehost Pros and Cons
|
Bluehost
Pros |
|
|
#1 |
Affordable plans, good value
for money |
|
#2 |
Fast uptime: 99.98% |
|
#3 |
Recommended top host provider
by WordPress |
|
#4 |
Free domain |
|
#5 |
Beginner friendly, very easy to
use |
|
Bluehost
Cons |
|
|
#1 |
Less customer support than some
competitors |
|
#2 |
Add-on options at checkout can
increase initial price |
Bluehost
is a more established provider, meaning that they have built up a very strong
and comprehensive service. But what does this mean for you? The answer…
Perks! User benefits such as the free domain, WordPress integration and extremely good
value for money are all part of Bluehost’s reliable reputation.
SiteGround
has grown quickly since its start in 2004 to become a leading hosting provider.
This shows in their focus on speed, service and customer support. As you can
see from the table, it holds its own against Bluehost and also has a lot to
offer.
Both are
solid choices. So it’s worth thinking about what is important for your site.
Would a free domain be better than free backups? Do you use, or plan on using, WordPress at all? What is your budget like, and how much do you want to get for
your money?
Depending
on the answers to these questions, you’ll find yourself leaning much more
towards one provider than the other.
Siteground vs Bluehost – Pros and Cons: The Verdict
Those
questions aside, our overall winner here is Bluehost. It had more
numerous and higher quality pros, such as its value for money, top WordPress
recommendation, and ease of use for beginners.
If this
has sparked your interest and you want more information, click the links below
to read our individual reviews of each.
- Bluehost
- SiteGround
Features, Performance, & Ease of Use
Both
providers pride themselves on their ease of use and wide customer base. They
are beginner friendly as well as scalable for the more experienced users. This
means that no matter what level you or your site are at, you should be at home
either way.
It’s the other
features available that will really influence your decision.
|
Bluehost |
SiteGround |
|
|
Free
Domain |
Yes |
No |
|
Control
Panel |
cPanel |
cPanel |
|
Free
Backups |
No |
Yes |
|
Unmetered
Transfer |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Disk
Space |
Unlimited |
10GB –
40GB |
|
Uptime |
99.98% |
99.98% |
Domains
One of
the ways Bluehost really stands out from its competitors is its offer of a free domain name, which is
an attractive draw for a lot of users. It’s a great perk that is worth making
the most of!
It’s
worth knowing the domain is not included in the money-back guarantee – Bluehost
takes a registration fee of $15.99 from your refund. This just means the domain
name is definitely yours, no matter the status of your hosting service.
This
means you own your domain, even if you cancel your plan with Bluehost. You can
do what you want with it until renewal comes around, at which point you can
either cancel it or pay for it in full.
Other Features
SiteGround
doesn’t offer a free domain, but it does provide free auto daily backups
on all their price plans. So what does this mean? Your data is backed up daily
for 30 days, so that in a crisis you can easily restore your website, email, or
files.
You have
to pay extra to restore if you’re on the StartUp plan, but it becomes free when
you upgrade to their GrowBig and higher tier price plans.
SiteGround has a range of
impressive features and is dedicated to excellent service. They have a strong
focus on speed, security and performance.
Both use
cPanel for their interfaces, which is a well-known and reliable control panel
used by hosting providers. Another feature they share is providing unmetered
data transfer. Unmetered just means you’re not billed on how much you use (like
having a phone contract rather than pay as you go). This is most helpful to
those of you with either personal, small business or community sites.
Unmetered
data transfer allows your site to grow freely, rather than being capped or
“metered” once a data limit is reached. There are still limits in place (like
in that phone contract), but for small sites it’s really rare to get close to
hitting that level.
Uptime is
excellent for both. This is really important because during downtime your
visitors won’t be able to access your site. Some downtime is unavoidable, but
with both these providers you can be sure that your site will be working hard
24/7.
An
important thing to note: SiteGround state their uptime as being 99.99%. We’re
definitely not saying that this isn’t the case! Just that at the time we tested
their uptime ourselves we recorded 99.98%, which is on the same level as
Bluehost and still very impressive!
Siteground vs Bluehost – Features, Performance and
Ease of Use: The Verdict
Believe
it or not, it’s a draw. Bluehost is likely better for most of you, but
this one really depends on your needs. If you want a free domain and unlimited
disk space, Bluehost is definitely your go to. If free backups are more
important to you then SiteGround will be the better option.
Find out
more:
- Siteground vs HostGator – see how Siteground
fares against hosting giant, HostGator.
- Best VPS Hosting – so you know you need VPS hosting, but who’s the best provider for the job? Read our comparison to find out.
Which has Better WordPress Integration?
WordPress
is a major presence online – in fact, it powers 31% of the internet!
It’s no surprise that many of you are either looking to build your site or are
already set up with WordPress.
WordPress
themselves have created a list of the hosting providers they consider to be “the
best and brightest of the hosting world”. Top of the list is
Bluehost, so they win hands down. Bluehost and WordPress are the power couple of
the hosting world.
Interestingly,
SiteGround is the third provider on the list, making it a pretty strong rival.
With only three providers listed, Bluehost usually blows this section out the
water, but SiteGround is certainly up there with them.
Choosing
a provider for your WordPress site that doesn’t have great WordPress
integration just wouldn’t make sense. It would be like taking your bicycle
wheels and attaching them to your car. It won’t be a great fit, it won’t give
you an easy journey, and more importantly it just won’t work!
Both
SiteGround and Bluehost have a strong WordPress focus, offering one-click installation,
24/7 specialist support, auto updates, and free and easy site transfers and
migrations. They pretty much attach and maintain your tyres for you – and make
sure they’re top quality to give you the best experience possible!
With
extra benefits for each (such as SiteGround’s tailored security
and Bluehost’s free extras), either is sure to put a smile on WordPress users’
faces.
Siteground vs Bluehost – WordPress Integration: The
Verdict
WordPress
recommends both, which is impressive! But with WordPress describing Bluehost as
offering “the ultimate WordPress platform” the winner is obvious.
Bluehost is top of the
list.
Find out
more:
- Bluehost Review 2019 – for an in-depth
look at everything Bluehost has to offer.
- Best WordPress Hosting Provider – need a hosting platform for your WordPress site? Read our review of the best provider for the job (spolier: it’s Bluehost).
Website Migration Support
Already
have a website? Let’s take a look at which host makes it easier to move your
site over to their servers.
Migrating to SiteGround
SiteGround
recommends you transfer your website to its servers using its migrator plugin –
there’s a guide to doing this, and it seems fairly simple.
If you
want an expert to carry out the migration for you, the option exists – but how
much it costs isn’t clear (it seems it may be on a quote basis).
Migrating to Bluehost
Bluehost
offers a free switching service
for WordPress websites which fulfill its qualification criteria (which includes
things like using a recent version of WordPress, and being malware-free).
Free
migration is a huge plus, but unfortunately you’ll only find out if you qualify
after you sign up for an account (although remember you’ve always got
your 30-day money-back guarantee to fall back on):
- Sign up for a Bluehost plan
- Fill out the ‘free migration
contact form’ in your Bluehost dashboard
- Bluehost’s team will be in
touch.
Free
migrations will take 2-3 business days to complete. If your site doesn’t
qualify, you have the option to pay a one-off fee of $149.99 to migrate your
website. This is more comprehensive, including up to five websites and 20 email
accounts (email accounts aren’t included in the free migration).
Of
course, you also have the option of doing this process manually, and Bluehost
has a number of comprehensive guides for this.
SiteGround vs Bluehost – Migration Support: Verdict
Bluehost has better website migration support. Free professional migration is a really great bonus when switching your site, but you also have the DIY or paid option, too.
Customer Support
Running a
site is fun, but sometimes challenging. The last thing you want to be doing is
spending precious hours trying to fix problems and put out fires. It’s
frustrating! That’s why it’s important to choose a great provider so that these
problems don’t happen.
Sometimes
there are hitches though, and if these do pop up it’s always best to know that
your provider has got your back. Customer support is your safety net and you
don’t want big holes in it! If you look at the table below, you’ll see that
both SiteGround and Bluehost are there to catch you if you fall.
|
Bluehost |
SiteGround |
|
|
Knowledge
Center |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Live
Chat |
Yes |
Yes |
|
24/7
Live Chat |
No |
Yes |
|
Phone |
Yes |
Yes |
|
24/7
Phone |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Tickets |
Yes |
Yes |
You can
always be sure that leading competitors like Bluehost and SiteGround will have
excellent customer support in place. They rely on happy users like you for
their reputation after all. The main difference is really how accessible and
useful their customer support features are.
Bluehost Customer Support
While
Bluehost may not have as strong customer support as some of its competitors, it
is definitely comprehensive in what it offers. Live chat, telephone support,
and tickets means that there is something for everyone.
For those
of you wondering, tickets are for problems not covered by general information
online. You send a ticket request with your problem for the help team to look
at and they send you a tailored solution. Bluehost’s ticket option no longer applies
to tech support, but it is a really valuable personalised help feature to have
in place.
The Bluehost knowledge center has different categories, such as email, WordPress, domain etc., relevant links to helpful articles, as well as access to the old favorite Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. There is also a search bar, meaning you can tailor your results to your own needs.
Bluehost’s knowledge base is easy
to use and offers a range of support options, from tailored search to articles
and FAQ pages.
Siteground Customer Support
SiteGround
boast an even more comprehensive customer support system than Bluehost, with their
extra feature of a 24/7 live chat. In addition to this, they have impressive
systems in place to ensure you get the best – and fastest – possible service.
One of
the worst things about having a problem is the stress of actually trying to get
it sorted. Whether that’s being on hold for hours or getting frustrated with
automated responses from a supposed live chat, we’ve all been there. But
never again!
SiteGround’s excellent customer
support base includes a range of helpful features. Fast response time, 24/7
service, and personal contact help SiteGround stand out.
SiteGround
over-staff their shifts so that they don’t keep you waiting – under each option
it gives an expected response time. There are also profiles online so that you
can actually see the person who’s helping you, along with their years of
experience and areas of expertise.
As well
as their live chat, telephone support and ticket system they also have a
knowledge base. This is broken down into sections with categories, articles and
FAQ pages there for you to browse.
Is that
all? Well, not quite! They also have tutorials, webinars, a blog, and a setup
wizard to cover all your needs. Whether that’s guiding you through your first
hosting steps or giving deeper insight into the web hosting world, one thing’s
for sure. SiteGround have got an answer for just about everything.
Both
Bluehost’s and SiteGround’s support systems are clean, responsive and easy to
use. They not only look professional, but provide a professional service to go
with it.
Siteground vs Bluehost – Customer Support: The Verdict
SiteGround is our winner
for customer help and support. Its all-round service includes the 24/7 live chat,
and its wide range of help features will make even the most nervous of
beginners feel supported.
Find out
more:
- Best Small Business Hosting – which is the
best provider to host your small business website?
- Siteground Review 2019 – see our in-depth review of Siteground and find out if it’s the right provider for you.
Pricing & Value for Money
Whether
you’re just starting out building your own site, own a small business or are an experienced
entrepreneur, working to a budget and getting the most of our money is always important. You want
good value, not to be throwing cash away on services you don’t need.
|
Bluehost |
SiteGround |
|
|
Shared
Hosting |
$2.75 –
$13.95* |
$6.99 –
$14.99* |
|
Cloud
Hosting |
– |
$80-
$240 |
|
WordPress
Hosting |
$3.95 –
$5.95* |
$6.99 –
$14.99* |
|
VPS
Hosting |
$19.99
– $59.99* |
– |
|
Dedicated
Hosting |
$79.99
– $119.99* |
– |
* These prices are promotional prices available for
new customers.
Bluehost Pricing
As you
can see from this table, Bluehost has much more competitive prices than
SiteGround. Add this to the amount of hosting and features options available,
and you get really great value for money.
Bluehost is such an established provider that it can afford to offer these perks at these low rates. This is great news for those of you on a budget, as lower tier customers still really benefit without suffering from high costs. (Just be aware of any add-ons that might nudge the price up at checkout)! Overall, Bluehost is your piggybank’s friend!
Bluehost offers competitive price
plans, and always has great deals for new customers. Each plan offers perks and
great value for money.
SiteGround
still deserves a mention here though. What stands out with SiteGround is how
much more transparent than other web hosting providers it is when it comes to
additional costs. It’s really common in this industry to offer low rates, and
then have a load of extra add-ons which can hike the price up at check-out.
Siteground Pricing
SiteGround
are less cheeky when it comes to this. For example, on the checkout page for
StartUp package customers there are two add-ons: domain privacy and a
SiteScanner, neither of which come pre-selected meaning it’s totally up to you
if you want to add them to your plan.
SiteGround may be slightly more
expensive, but its prices are clear and transparent
This upfront pricing is
refreshing, however it has its downside. If you are a lower tier customer with
SiteGround you will have less advantages than you would with a bigger provider
such as Bluehost.
Both
SiteGround and Bluehost offer a 30-day money back guarantee which is a great way of offering
peace of mind to new customers – if you don’t love them, leave them! Just
remember that extra purchases and add-ons such as domain names are not included
in the refund.
Siteground vs Bluehost – Pricing & Value for
Money: The Verdict
Bluehost’s pricing is much better value for money than Siteground’s. It’s the clear winner, and is worth really thinking about if money is an important factor (which it is for most of us)! The prices shown in the table are promotional, and your contract will renew at the full price. Even then, Bluehost’s plans are significantly cheaper than Siteground’s, particularly for dedicated hosting.
Conclusion
Both
Bluehost and SiteGround are leading providers who have earned their places in
the front of the pack. They are very different providers. Bluehost is known for
its established and reliable reputation as well as its appeal to beginners. SiteGround
is the fast-growing up and comer who deserves its place next to its competitors
with its excellent speed, security and outstanding customer support.
Overall Bluehost is our winner, coming first place in our total
rankings with a 95% score, giving it a whopping 4.7 stars. With its impressive
WordPress recommendation, ease of use and great value for money, Bluehost is a
reliable choice for beginners and pros alike.
It was by
no means a one-sided battle. SiteGround scored 80% in
our rankings, giving it 4 stars just behind Bluehost. Its extensive
resources for customer help and support, WordPress focus, and high uptime
scores make it a strong contender.
So which one is better for you? As with anything, which provider you choose will really depend on your needs and what you value most. If you’re not on a tight budget and think that you’ll rely heavily on customer support, go with SiteGround. If you’re unsure, are watching the pennies, or if you’re a beginner, then Bluehost is the better option for you. With its wide range of benefits, it’s got something for everyone.
FAQs
Which platform has better cloud hosting, Siteground
or Bluehost?
Bluehost
doesn’t actually offer cloud hosting, so it’s an uncontested victory for
Siteground!
Which has the better user interface, Siteground or
Bluehost?
Siteground
and Bluehost, like many hosting providers, both use cPanel for their interface.
That means the user experience is pretty much the same on both platforms.
Which is better value for money, Siteground or
Bluehost?
Bluehost
is the clear winner when it comes to value for money – their plans are
considerably more affordable than those of Siteground, with little to no
compromise on features and quality. In our independent research, Bluehost
scored 4.6 out of 5 for value for money, compared to 2.4 out of 5 for
Siteground.
Who is better for WordPress hosting, Siteground or
Bluehost?
Our
independent research named Bluehost the best provider of both managed and
shared WordPress hosting. Siteground came in a close second for managed
WordPress hosting, but doesn’t offer a shared option.
Can you change from one host to another?
Yes, you
can. If you’d like to change hosting providers, you need to join a new hosting
provider, while still keeping your old account open. You then need to connect
to your old host’s FTP and download all your files, then connect to the new
host’s FTP and upload them there. Some providers, including Hostgator, will sometimes actually do this for
you, so it’s always worth checking.
Who has a higher percentage of uptime, Siteground
or Bluehost?
It’s a
tie! Siteground and Bluehost both guarantee 99.9% uptime. Impressive stuff!