Our verdict · 7.7/10 Good
An easy on-ramp for first websites. Check renewal pricing carefully and consider managed hosting as traffic grows.
Key takeaways
- Best for: First-time site owners.
- Strongest area: Ease of use (9.0/10). Weakest: Security & privacy (7.4/10).
- Price: Introductory from a few dollars / month on multi-year terms.
- Watch out for: Higher renewal prices.
What is Bluehost?
Bluehost is one of the most recognisable WordPress hosts, offering shared hosting with simple onboarding, a free domain for the first year and WordPress-specific tooling.
Bluehost is made by Newfold Digital and is reviewed here as a web host. It is priced on a subscription basis, and our editorial score is 7.7 out of 10, calculated from six weighted criteria.
Who it’s for — and who should skip it
Choose Bluehost if
- First-time site owners
- Simple WordPress sites
- Low upfront budgets
Not for you if
- High-traffic sites
- Users wanting premium support
Key features
One-click setup.
Included certificates.
Test changes on some plans.
Free first-year domain on eligible plans.
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Cloudflare
Pros & cons
What we like
- Very easy onboarding
- WordPress-focused tools
- Free domain for first year
- Low entry cost
Watch out for
- Higher renewal prices
- Upsells at checkout
- Performance varies on shared plans
Pricing & true cost
| Plan | Indicative price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | ≈ $3 / mo | Introductory multi-year rate; renews higher |
| Choice Plus | ≈ $6 / mo | Introductory rate |
| Cloud / WooCommerce | Custom quote | Check current offers |
Pricing watch-out: Renewal rates are significantly higher than introductory pricing.
Pricing watch-outs
- Quote-only tier. Cloud / WooCommerce has no public price. Ask for a written quote that includes onboarding and support fees.
- No free plan or trial. Ask for a demo account, a pilot or money-back terms before committing.
Contract questions to ask before you sign
- Does the plan auto-renew, and how many days’ notice do you need to cancel?
- Is the advertised price for annual billing? What is the month-to-month price?
- Is the first-year price a promotion? What will renewal cost, and is it capped?
- Is there a minimum number of seats, or a charge for inactive users?
- Are onboarding, implementation or premium-support fees extra?
- How do we export all our data if we leave, and in what format?
General questions for any vendor — not findings about this product. Build a full checklist with our requirements builder.
Indicative USD pricing, last checked October 30, 2026. Vendors change prices and promotions often — always confirm on their website. Model your own numbers with our SaaS TCO calculator.
Score breakdown
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features & fit | 20% | 7.6 | 1.50 | |
| Ease of use | 15% | 9.0 | 1.40 | |
| Value for money | 20% | 7.6 | 1.50 | |
| Support & reliability | 20% | 7.4 | 1.50 | |
| Security & privacy | 15% | 7.4 | 1.10 | |
| Integrations & ecosystem | 10% | 7.6 | 0.80 | |
| Overall | 100% | Weighted for web hosting products | 7.7 | |
Security & compliance facts
| Item | Status | Question to ask Newfold Digital |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-factor authenticationStops most account takeovers from reused or phished passwords. | Not verified by us | Can admins enforce MFA for every user, on every plan? |
| Single sign-on (SAML/OIDC)Lets you remove a leaver’s access everywhere from one place. | Not verified by us | Is SSO included on the plan we are buying, or only on enterprise tiers? |
| SOC 2 Type II reportIndependent audit of the vendor’s security controls — often required by larger customers. | Not verified by us | Can we see your current SOC 2 Type II report (under NDA if needed)? |
| ISO/IEC 27001 certificationInternational standard for running an information-security programme. | Not verified by us | Which legal entity and services does your ISO 27001 certificate cover? |
| GDPR data processing agreementNeeded if you handle personal data of people in the EU/UK. | Not verified by us | Do you offer a signed DPA and list your sub-processors? |
| HIPAA business associate agreementRequired before US healthcare businesses store protected health information. | Not verified by us | Will you sign a BAA, and on which plans? |
We have not yet verified these items for Bluehost against a primary source, so we don’t claim them either way. Check Newfold Digital’s trust or security page and ask for documents in writing.
Before you buy any web host
Check Bluehost against the same list we use for every web host — and confirm each point on the plan you intend to buy, not the top tier.
- Renewal price, not just intro price
- Daily backups and restore
- Free SSL and CDN
- Staging environments
- Support channels and hours
See every ranked option in Web Hosting.
Bluehost alternatives
Pick an alternative by what matters to you
- Cheaper
Namecheap≈ $1/mo vs $3/mo at 10 users (cheapest paid plans, indicative) - Better integrations
KinstaIntegrations score 8.4 vs 7.6 - Stronger on securityKinstaSecurity & privacy score 9.0 vs 7.4
- Higher overall scoreKinstaOverall 8.6 vs 7.7
Computed from our published scores and indicative pricing for tools in the same category as Bluehost. Scores are editorial; see the methodology.
Editor’s picks
Premium shared and WordPress hosting with excellent support and built-in speed tools.
Low-cost hosting with a modern control panel and AI website builder.
Premium managed WordPress hosting for business-critical sites.
Head-to-head comparisons
Featured in: Best Web Hosting for Small Business, Best Cheap Web Hosting
Review history
- Scored under methodology v2.0 (six weighted criteria, computed overall score).
Bluehost FAQ
Why is Bluehost recommended by WordPress.org?
Bluehost has been listed among recommended hosts on WordPress.org for years. That listing is not an independent performance test.
Does Bluehost have a free plan?
No, Bluehost does not offer a permanent free plan. Pricing starts at Introductory from a few dollars / month on multi-year terms (indicative).
Who is Bluehost best for?
Bluehost is best for: first-time site owners; simple WordPress sites; low upfront budgets.
How is the Bluehost score calculated?
The 7.7/10 overall score is a weighted average of six sub-scores — features & fit, ease of use, value, support & reliability, security & privacy, and integrations — using the published weights for hosting products. Affiliate relationships have no input. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
What are the best alternatives to Bluehost?
Popular alternatives include SiteGround, Hostinger, WP Engine. See our comparisons for side-by-side verdicts.