Bluehost and Nexcess are two of the leading names in web hosting, trusted by millions of WordPress websites for many years. Their track records speak volumes about their reliability and commitment to providing top-notch hosting solutions.
But while both providers are well-regarded in the industry, they offer distinct features and services that cater to different needs.
This article explores a detailed comparison between Bluehost and Nexcess, helping you navigate their offerings to find the ideal hosting solution for your website.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Overview
Bluehost started nearly two decades ago with a focus on helping small and medium-sized businesses get online through their hosting services. Over the years, they’ve grown to offer a full range of tools that cater to every aspect of running a business online.
They offer shared hosting seamlessly integrated with WordPress, scalable options like VPS and dedicated servers, and cloud hosting for users seeking flexible, high-performance environments that can scale as needed.
Nexcess specializes in managed solutions for WordPress, Magento, and WooCommerce hosting. Known for optimizing performance through features like advanced caching, Object Cache Pro, and a built-in content delivery network (CDNs), Nexcess serves users looking for high-performance setups tailored specifically for WordPress and eCommerce sites.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Features
Both providers offer distinct advantages tailored to different hosting service needs. Bluehost offers a range of hosting plans suitable for both beginners and advanced users managing multiple sites. Their services include free domain registration for the first year, SSL certificates, and initial year daily backups. Recently, they introduced an AI-powered website builder that integrates seamlessly with WordPress. This tool simplifies website creation with drag-and-drop functionality and a variety of templates that let you create a professional-looking website.
Nexcess specializes in managed hosting solutions tailored for businesses prioritizing performance and security. They offer features such as plugin performance monitoring, auto-scaling capabilities, and disaster recovery support. Nexcess ensures websites run on current PHP versions, provides free SSL certificates, and integrates a CDN powered by Cloudflare. However, they don’t offer a built-in website builder, which could be a drawback for users who prefer an all-in-one solution for building and hosting their websites.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Ease of use
Bluehost is designed to be user-friendly. They’ve built their own version of cPanel, the widely-used hosting and website control panel. For managing multiple WordPress sites, their Maestro site manager provides a convenient dashboard. It simplifies tasks such as plugin updates, backups, site performance monitoring, and site access.
Getting started is straightforward, thanks to their one-click WordPress installation, which simplifies the process of setting up a website.
On the other hand, Nexcess uses a proprietary control panel designed specifically for their hosting services. While this brings unique capabilities, it also means there’s a learning curve if you’re new to their platform.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Performance
Bluehost’s servers are known for their performance and reliability in web hosting. They prioritize high-speed performance for WordPress sites and ensure 100% network uptime with their cloud hosting plans. With multiple data centers across various regions, Bluehost ensures websites remain accessible and load quickly for visitors globally. They employ advanced technologies like caching, CDNs, and solid-state drives (SSDs) to enhance website speed and efficiency.
On their higher-tier plans, Bluehost provides access to high-performance servers with dual quad-core processors. This setup is particularly beneficial for larger websites with extensive media content.
In comparison, Nexcess guarantees 99.99% uptime and achieves fast speeds through integrated caching systems, although it uses CPU resources with lower frequency compared to Bluehost.
Both providers prioritize fast and reliable website loading times, but Bluehost’s emphasis on optimized infrastructure and global scalability gives it a distinct advantage.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Security
Security is crucial to keep your website up and running smoothly. Both Bluehost and Nexcess prioritize website security and offer free DV SSL certificates for the life of your plan on all their hosting plans. However, there are some key differences in their offerings.
Bluehost provides robust Malware Remediation as an add-on. Their SiteLock higher-tier plans include essential features such as database scanning and application patching, which are particularly vital for WordPress users. In contrast, Nexcess only offers a one-time malware cleanup for $200, which can be costly depending on how often you need it. Additionally, Bluehost includes ongoing malware scanning and removal in their higher-tier SiteLock plans, along with a CDN/WAF to enhance your website’s performance and security. Nexcess offers a standalone CDN/WAF.
When it comes to SSL certificates, Bluehost offers a variety of options tailored to your needs. They provide Standard, Extended Validation (EV), Wildcard SSL, Domain Validation (DV), and Organization Validation (OV).
On the other hand, Nexcess focuses on security solutions designed for eCommerce platforms like WooCommerce and Magento, offering various types of SSL certificates, including Standard, Premium, EV, Wildcard SSL, Multiple Domain, and Multiple Domain EV SSL.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Customization and flexibility
Bluehost offers a range of hosting options that can grow with your website. Their VPS hosting gives you dedicated resources through virtualization, which means your site has its own stable and separate environment. This setup helps improve performance, especially if your site gets a lot of traffic. They use modern hardware like AMD EPYC CPU chips, DDR5 memory, and fast NVMe SSD storage to keep your site running smoothly. With a 10 Gbps network and unlimited bandwidth, your site remains fast and responsive.
For businesses that need more power and control, Bluehost’s dedicated server hosting might be a suitable choice. With dedicated servers, you get your own server with resources entirely allocated to you. You’ll have dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage, along with a 10 Gbps network with unlimited bandwidth. These servers are highly reliable, with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and are housed in secure data centers. You have full control over the server with root access and a dedicated IP address, plus strong security features like DDoS protection and SSL certificates.
Bluehost also offers a scalable cloud hosting solution. Their optimized cloud infrastructure, with increased CPU frequency and scalable PHP workers, allows your website to handle more requests in less time. If your site experiences a sudden increase in traffic or sustained high traffic, Bluehost’s cloud hosting can automatically scale up to ensure your site remains fast and reliable.
One of Nexcess’s standout features is its Autoscale technology, which automatically adjusts resources based on traffic demands. This feature allows for flexibility in handling traffic spikes without manual intervention, but it does not extend to custom server configurations or software installations.
For WordPress and WooCommerce users, Nexcess supports the use of custom plugins and themes. You can install and manage these to adjust your site’s functionality and appearance according to your needs. However, some customizations may need to meet Nexcess’s compatibility and performance standards to keep your site stable.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Pricing and plans
Bluehost offers a variety of hosting plans that cater to different needs, with their VPS and dedicated hosting options being particularly relevant for websites requiring secure login capabilities.
Their WordPress hosting plans start with the Basic plan at $2.95 provides 10GB SSD, 10 websites, and unmetered bandwidth. For larger websites, the Pro plan at $13.95 per month offers 100GB SSD, 100 websites, and unmetered bandwidth, ensuring sufficient resources for higher traffic and database management.
On the higher end, Bluehost’s Cloud Hosting provides different pricing options to match various needs and budgets. The basic plan starts at $29.99 per month and includes hosting for one website with 10GB of SSD storage. The more advanced plan, costing $109.99 per month, supports up to 50 websites and provides 225GB of SSD storage. As you move to higher-tier plans, you receive additional SSD storage and increased CPU power to handle more intensive usage.
Nexcess, on the other hand, specializes in managed hosting solutions. Their Managed WordPress Hosting starts with the Spark Plan with 15GB storage and 2TB bandwidth. For more extensive needs, the Maker Plan at $34.80 per month provides up to 40GB storage and 3 TB bandwidth.
Additionally, Nexcess offers Cloud Hosting, starting with the XS plan at $57 per month, which offers hosting for up to 11 sites with 50GB storage. The XXL plan, priced at $1,007 per month, accommodates up to 51 websites and includes 800GB of storage.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Customer support
Both Bluehost and Nexcess offer comprehensive knowledge bases with guides and tutorials to help you with the basics. These resources are great for getting started, but if you find yourself stuck or facing issues, reaching out to their support teams might be more effective.
With Bluehost, you can request help via phone and access 24/7 live chat support. They also provide resources to help with building a WordPress website, including tutorials on their YouTube channel and blog, knowledge base articles, and the Bluehost WordPress Academy. Nexcess similarly offers 24/7 support, with a focus on managed WordPress hosting solutions. Their support is accessible through live chat, phone, and email.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Conclusion
While both Bluehost and Nexcess offer compelling hosting solutions, Bluehost emerges as the preferred choice for users seeking a versatile and reliable hosting provider.
Bluehost offers a comprehensive suite of hosting options ranging from VPS to dedicated servers and cloud hosting that accommodates websites of all sizes and complexities. Our commitment to performance is evident through features like high-speed WordPress hosting and 100% network uptime assurance for cloud hosting plans, supported by advanced technologies such as caching, CDNs, and SSDs.
Bluehost vs Nexcess: Frequently asked questions
Bluehost is excellent for beginners due to its user-friendly interface and straightforward setup process. They offer one-click installations for popular platforms like WordPress, simplifying the process for beginners without technical expertise.
Yes, Bluehost is a reputable domain host. They offer a free domain name for the first year with hosting plans, which simplifies the process of getting your website up and running. Bluehost also provides domain management tools and reliable domain registration services.
Bluehost is highly recommended for several reasons. It’s known for its reliability, excellent customer support, and robust hosting infrastructure. Bluehost offers a range of hosting options suitable for various needs, from shared hosting to more advanced solutions like VPS and cloud hosting. Additionally, their competitive pricing and features contribute to their widespread recommendation in the web hosting industry.
