SiteGround vs. Bluehost: The Major Differences

Choosing the right web hosting company is an important step toward developing and sustaining a successful website. Bluehost and SiteGround are two of the most popular and well acclaimed alternatives accessible. These giants serve a large audience, hosting millions of websites throughout the world, but they also have unique features and perks that can have a big impact on the performance and overall experience of your website. 

If you’re torn between Bluehost and SiteGround for your hosting needs, recognizing the differences is critical. Both systems have a variety of options to accommodate all levels of ability, from beginners to experienced webmasters. However, the differences in pricing, hosting plans, and other services might help you decide which one is ideal for your individual needs. 

In this blog post, we’ll go over the main differences between Bluehost and SiteGround so you can make an informed selection. By analyzing their major qualities, you’ll be able to determine which supplier best fits your needs. Let’s look at these two hosting powerhouses and see which one deserves to oversee your online presence. 

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: The basics

Before we start comparing features, let’s briefly go over the history and current state of Bluehost and SiteGround.

Bluehost

Bluehost, established in 2003, is a leading name in web hosting, renowned for its compatibility with WordPress. As recommended by WordPress.org, it is known for exceptional support and optimization tailored to WordPress users. With a reputation built on dependable and feature-rich hosting solutions, Bluehost serves millions of websites worldwide. 

The company emphasizes ease of use and fast load times, offering a range of hosting plans from Shared WordPress Hosting for smaller sites to Online Store Hosting with WooCommerce integration. These plans are designed to be flexible and scalable to accommodate both personal and eCommerce sites. Additionally, Bluehost provides 24/7 expert support to assist with managing and maintaining your WordPress site effectively. 

SiteGround

Like Bluehost, SiteGround was founded around the turn of the millennium, in Bulgaria in 2004, to be precise.

And like Bluehost, SiteGround markets itself as a beginner-friendly host with a focus on WordPress hosting for its users. Its servers host over 2 million websites as well, so in terms of size, the company is roughly on par with Bluehost.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Features comparison

Now that we’ve gone over the basics, let’s break down the features that each company offers its clients.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Website builders

The market for website builders keeps growing each year. One study estimate that 71% of small businesses have a website and that almost half of those without one plan to make one soon. Plus, 32% of small businesses use website builders when designing their sites.  

One reason for the popularity of website builders is how easy they make it for users to create their own websites. You don’t need to have any coding knowledge or complicated software. 

Bluehost

Bluehost makes it easier than ever to get started on your own website with its new WonderSuite feature. To get started, all you need to do is fill out a few forms, which let Bluehost know what type of website you want to make and what you want to achieve. 

Once you’re done, Bluehost will help you choose the right theme and template to get the job done, as well as help you to get publishing faster. 

SiteGround

SiteGround doesn’t offer its own website builder. Instead, it offers users the choice between WordPress or Weebly, two popular builders that run on Bluehost as well. 

While this does allow SiteGround to focus on hosting, getting started without a dedicated builder for beginners can be a bit tricky if you’ve never made a WordPress website before. 

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Domains

Having your own domain name is crucial to standing out from the crowd. Whether you choose to join the 36% of people who go with a .com or if you want to be a bit different and go with a .xyz, both Bluehost and SiteGround offer dozens of domains for you to choose from.

Bluehost

Bluehost offers a free domain name for the first year on all plans. After that, .com domains renew at the industry standard $19.99 per year. You can manage your domains from Bluehost’s control panel, and all Bluehost plans come with dedicated customer service for your domain as well.

SiteGround

This hosting provider doesn’t offer free domains, even for the first year. Instead, it offers a slight discount at $17.99 for your first year, followed by $19.99 per year for a .com domain.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Bandwidth

Bandwidth refers to how much data on your website transfers to any visitors you receive. If you run a large website, you’ll inevitably need more bandwidth than a smaller website would. Conversely, you might run an eCommerce website that has periods where you need a lot of bandwidth, like during a sale, while other times you’ll have fewer visitors. 

If you aren’t sure about how much bandwidth you need, check out a bandwidth calculator to get an estimate. 

Bluehost

Bluehost offers unmetered bandwidth, which means you aren’t charged according to the number of visitors you receive. Instead, you basically receive a set amount of bandwidth each month to work with. This is good for most websites, and only those with thousands of daily visitors would experience any issues with connectivity. In which case, Bluehost offers a variety of upgrade options for customers who need to handle more traffic.  

SiteGround

SiteGround doesn’t specify how much bandwidth you can use each month. Instead, it limits users by how many visitors their website receives. For example, SiteGround’s StartUp plan allows for approximately 10,000 visitors per month. This works out to only about 330 visitors per day, which may not be enough if you run a large eCommerce store or popular blog.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Control panels

Your control panel is where you’ll land when you first log in. A control panel can take many shapes and forms but it is essentially where you manage your websites, domains and other features like your email or plugins.

Bluehost

When you log into Bluehost, you’re redirected to your Bluehost Control Panel.

There are several tabs on the control panel, helping you access your site tools and marketplace (where you can find new themes and plugins). You can also find marketing tools that will help you with website optimization to get found online faster.

SiteGround

Instead of cPanel, SiteGround refers to their control panel as Site Tools to help you run the backend of your website. This is similar to cPanel in that it allows quick access to your domains, PHP manager and other functionality settings.

You’ll also find things like your caching settings and a Cloudflare integration that can help you try and speed up your website if you’re having issues with load times.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Customer service

If you have questions or need help at any stage of your web development journey, you’ll eventually need to reach out to customer service. Finding a company that offers good customer service can make a world of difference if you find yourself experiencing any problems.

Bluehost

Bluehost stands out with its customer support. It offers support in multiple languages on multiple channels. You can contact Bluehost’s support team by phone or live chat.  Live chat is available 24/7, and phone support is available on all plans above Basic Shared Hosting.

Bluehost also makes it easy to reach the right person, with multiple phone numbers and email contacts, depending on what you have a question about.

SiteGround

SiteGround also offers 24/7 support, but it’s only through live chat and helpdesk ticketing. You might be able to reach a real person to help you out, but priority is given to certain plans like the GoGeek option.

Phone support is available for things like sales, billing, and technical inquiries. However, it’s unclear from SiteGround’s website when the operators are working or if it’s a 24/7 service.

In general, it seems like you’ll have to rely on either chatbots or SiteGround’s knowledge base.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Email

Last but not least, let’s take a look at email. Having your own company email address instantly boosts your credibility.

Instead of sending out one or two emails at a time from your personal account, you can focus on building your email list from an address that ends in the same name as your website.

Bluehost

Bluehost offers a free trial of its professional email for three months on shared hosting plans. Then the service is as low as $2.49 per month. If you’d prefer to purchase Bluehost’s professional email as a standalone product, the introductory price is $14.99 per year. After the first year, the price increases to $24.99. 

Bluehost offers Google Workspace as an option for those who prefer Google’s suite of tools. Integrating seamlessly with any hosting plan, Google Workspace provides features like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and a professional email address that matches your domain. Starting at just $3.00 per month, it’s more than email hosting—it’s a comprehensive suite designed to boost productivity, from document sharing to virtual meetings. 

SiteGround

With SiteGround, you can receive free email with your hosting, which is a pretty helpful option. However, SiteGround only offers 10 GB of storage with its email accounts, much less than Bluehost’s 25 GB starting point. It should also be noted that free email is often a function of cPanel or the shared server your website is utilizing. This historically means that free email is less reliable than professional email due to the possibility of another user on your server getting blacklisted for spamming or misusing the email function on the server.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Hosting plans comparison

Both SiteGround and Bluehost offer several types of web hosting services. The right one for you will depend on what hosting features you’re looking for, how many websites you want to run and what you plan to have on your website.

Shared hosting

Shared web hosting involves multiple websites using one server. This is the cheapest type of hosting to run, so it’s also usually the cheapest type to purchase. 

Both companies offer shared hosting that’s aimed at beginners and more experienced users alike. The features each company offers vary, but both hosting companies offer a free SSL certificate, one-click WordPress installation, free CDN (content delivery network), a free WordPress site migration tool and a 30-day money-back guarantee. 

Bluehost also offers a free domain name for the first year and 10 GB of SSD storage with the Basic plan.

WordPress hosting

Both SiteGround and Bluehost offer WordPress hosting, with Bluehost’s plans starting from $2.95 per month for the first year, while SiteGround’s start at $2.99 per month for the first year.

VPS hosting 

VPS, or virtual private server hosting, is where you have your own dedicated server (or section of a server) that’s only going to host your website. Bluehost’s VPS services cater to a variety of demands while providing the best in performance and dependability.  

The Standard VPS NVMe 4 is a good alternative for people just starting out, with 2 vCPU cores, 4 GB of DDR5 RAM, and 100 GB of ultra-fast NVMe storage. For individuals who need more power and space, the Enhanced VPS NVMe 8 provides substantial improvements. It has 4 vCPU cores, 8 GB DDR5 RAM, and 200 GB of NVMe storage, making it ideal for more demanding applications and larger websites. The Ultimate VPS NVMe 16 provides unrivaled performance and resources. With 8 vCPU cores, 16 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a large 450 GB of NVMe storage, this plan is ideal for high-traffic sites and demanding applications. 

All plans include unmetered bandwidth, a cPanel license, and a dedicated IP address; you have everything you need to administer your server efficiently. Free migration is included, making the switch to your new server simple and painless. Our VPS servers are equipped with the most recent AMD EPYC 9534 CPUs, DDR5 RAM, and PCIe 5.0 technology, ensuring superior performance and dependability. Our servers are built to satisfy your every requirement, with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, extensive security features, and an easy-to-use UI. 

Bluehost’s VPS servers ensure top-tier performance and dependability. Bluehost’s servers are built to meet all of your needs, with extensive security measures and an easy-to-use interface. Bluehost VPS hosting plans start at just $46.99 per month.  

SiteGround, on the other hand, doesn’t offer VPS hosting. 

Dedicated Hosting 

Bluehost’s dedicated server options offer great speed and scalability, meeting the demands of any high-traffic application or website.  

The Standard NVMe 32 plan is a decent starting point, with 8 CPU cores, 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, and 1000 GB of NVMe storage. For individuals who need extra capacity, the Enhanced NVMe 64 plan provides outstanding increases. This plan includes 16 CPU cores, 64 GB of DDR5 RAM, and 2000 GB of NVMe storage, giving you the power for more complicated apps and larger websites. The Premium NVMe 128 plan is the ultimate of performance, built for the most demanding settings. 

This plan boasts 32 CPU cores, 128 GB of DDR5 RAM, and a gigantic 3000 GB of NVMe storage, ensuring top-tier performance and ample capacity. The plans offer unmetered bandwidth, a cPanel license, and a dedicated IP address, providing a reliable server environment perfect for expanding organizations. Free migration services provide an easy move to your new server. Each of our dedicated servers is equipped with the most recent AMD EPYC 9534 CPU processors, DDR5 memory, and ultra-fast NVMe SSD storage devices, providing cutting-edge performance. The 10 Gbps network with unmetered bandwidth ensures high-speed access, while the 99.9% uptime guarantee offers peace of mind.  

With full root access and extensive security features like DDoS protection and SSL certifications, our servers provide both flexibility and security. While automatic upgrades from earlier SSD plans to NVMe plans are not possible, switching between NVMe plans is simple, with scalability and high performance as key advantages. 

SiteGround, on the other hand, doesn’t offer dedicated hosting. 

Cloud hosting

If you’re looking for scalability and high reliability, cloud hosting is an excellent option. This type of hosting is tailored for WordPress websites that attract a lot of visitors and need to perform well under heavy loads. It offers a comprehensive management platform that ensures your website loads quickly, remains available without any interruptions, and can manage sudden increases in web traffic without incurring extra costs.

Starting at just $29.99 per month for a single website, Bluehost’s cloud hosting presents an affordable option for agencies and web professionals looking for robust hosting solutions.

Meanwhile, SiteGround’s cloud hosting plans, starting at $100 per month, offer dedicated resources and are fully managed. However, they don’t explicitly mention the provision of individual servers.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: Pricing comparison

Pricing can be a sticking point for many users. Running a website can be quite cheap, or it can run into the hundreds of dollars a month. It all depends on your budget and needs.

But this can be a sore spot for SiteGround. In general, SiteGround’s initial offerings are pretty close to Bluehost’s. After your initial 12-month period though, you’ll find prices go up quickly.

For example, with the GrowBig plan, you start out at a reasonable $6.69 per month. After a year, however, the price jumps to $29.99 per month. With Bluehost’s comparable plan, you start at $4.45 per month and go up to just $21.99 per month after twelve months.

Here’s a quick summary of SiteGround’s and Bluehost’s pricing:

Final Thoughts: SiteGround vs. Bluehost – Comparing the 2 Website Hosts

Looking over Bluehost vs. SiteGround, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

But while SiteGround has some great features to offer, it also has some confusing limitations around bandwidth, doesn’t offer free domain names and its prices jump significantly from one level of service to the next, topping out at $400 per month.

Bluehost offers many of the same features that SiteGround does, plus many more. If you’re looking for a web host that will help you build a WordPress website with an easy-to-use website builder, features robust security features, and offers a 24/7 support team, Bluehost is the host you’ve been looking for.

Contact Bluehost today to see a complete list of our hosting products.

SiteGround vs. Bluehost: FAQ