Are you exhausted by looking for the right shared hosting plan? Many services are available, and it's hard to know which offer to choose if you aren't sure what you should prioritize.
Siteground and Bluehost both offer shared hosting options for WordPress websites. I've taken a look at the differences in their plans and offers to help you understand the benefits of each available package.
Overview of SiteGround and Bluehost
Shared Features
Unique SiteGround Features
Unique Bluehost Features
Pricing
Siteground
Siteground has three main shared hosting plans, each of which is available with monthly pricing:
Bluehost
Bluehost has four main shared hosting plans available. It's important to note, though, that you'll be purchasing a term of either twelve months, twenty-four months, or thirty-six months.
If you buy a twelve month term, the prices for each plan are:
The monthly price is discounted slightly for each plan if you purchase a longer term of service, with the cheapest options being those of a thirty-six month plan.
Winner: Bluehost
Bluehost has significantly cheaper hosting in all respects. Every plan is more inexpensive than Siteground's. Plus, you can get discounts for purchasing a longer term of service.
Basic Plan Features
Siteground
Siteground's StartUp plan includes the following specifications:
Bluehost
Bluehost's Basic plan comes with these specifications:
Winner: Siteground
Though Bluehost's basic package is more affordable, Siteground's is more worthwhile in terms of features. It doesn't have as much storage as Bluehost, but it provides unlimited MySQL databases, email accounts, email data, automatic backup, basic caching, e-commerce help, and a free site builder.
Additional Plan Features
Siteground
With the GrowBig plan, you get:
The GoGeek plan adds:
The GrowBig plan is great for those who are running a business website with more than one individual contributing. For web developers with technical experience, the extra features of the GoGeek plan are really helpful.
Bluehost
The Bluehost Plus plan adds to the basic features:
The biggest changes are removing many of the limitations to email, domains, and MySQL databases.
The unmetered storage space is also a pretty big deal if you have large projects, considering Siteground's most expensive tier caps storage at 30 GB.
With the Choice plan, you get:
This just provides an extra level of security and protection. The security is especially helpful for e-commerce merchants who need to protect their customer's information.
The highest plan option, Pro, adds:
This optimizes websites for high traffic and gives you extra backup protection.
Winner: Siteground
Siteground's premium plans have extra features that make them ideal for e-commerce websites and for web developers. With that said, Bluehost is good for those who want increased security from their shared hosting plan.
Customer Support
Siteground
Siteground has a number of customer support services available. Live online chat and phone service are both available 24 hours a day. Help tickets for more complex issues also tend to receive responses within around ten minutes.
In addition, there's a large number of resources and answered questions online through the service's website. The knowledge base includes tutorials not just about their service, but about general web hosting information.
Bluehost
Bluehost's customer service is unparalleled. You can access telephone support, live chat, and file help tickets 24/7. On top of that, though, there are three different phone numbers with operators trained in dealing with specific issues:
In addition, there's a Knowledge Base that has answers to nearly every question that customers have ever asked. There's also a Youtube channel with more than 150 videos teaching you about hosting and running your website.
Winner: Bluehost
Both services have excellent support available. It's hard to find places that offer 24/7 phone and chat service. However, Bluehost pulls ahead through its three different customer support phone numbers and its dedicated Youtube resource channel.
See Full Review of - SiteGround | Bluehost
Pros and Cons of Siteground
Pros
Cons
Pros and Cons of Bluehost
Pros
Cons
Final Thoughts: Which is Better?
Both of these shared hosting services come with a number of plans that accommodate different website needs. They both also have great features like unlimited bandwidth and free SSL security registration.
Bluehost is the more affordable option overall. Its plans are optimized for individuals who need a lot of storage space. In addition, the higher tier plans have access to features like automatic backup and increased security.
Siteground is best if you want the fastest performance and most comprehensive suite of features. But it does tend to be more expensive, and purchasing additional features may drive the price up further.
