This post was updated in October 2023 for accuracy and a long term user experience update.
There are a ton of Bluehost reviews out there.
100s.
Probably thousands.
And here’s the deal, in the end, every single one has the same goal:
To get you to buy hosting.
Most
A handful of those will be overwhelmingly negative. Why? Because they’re trying to persuade you to choose a different hosting company that pays a commission.
If I’m totally honest with you, I think it’s virtually impossible to get an unbiased opinion about hosting on the internet – more so than pretty much any industry.
But I hope to make my Bluehost review, at least a little bit different. Having worked with
And I’m going to try and do that.
But I’m no saint, and I’m not completely unbiased. You can signup for Bluehost via my link here , and you’ll get a discount and I’ll get a pretty good commission.
But here’s the part where I try and prove that I’m still being totally honest with you and I really do believe that
Is Bluehost the Best Web Hosting in 2024?
If video is more your thing? Then here’s the video
The Truth About Bluehost Reviews
So above I pointed out that, it’s pretty much impossible to get an unbiased web hosting review on the internet.
But here’s the thing about that. Just about all of the hosting companies out there will pay affiliates good commissions to promote their service.
It really doesn’t matter which one I promote, because nearly all of them will pay me around $100 per sign up, with some of the more expensive ones paying more than that.
So aside from promoting say, WP Engine which is more expensive, over
Keeping that in mind, I might as well just promote the hosting company that I truly believe to be the best, because the money is the same with all of them.
Take any hosting review you read with a grain of salt (including this one), because 99.9% of the people writing them are simply trying to make money off of them (and believe me, many of them make a ton of money).
But there’s a reason Location Rebel is still around and thriving over a decade after starting it (man, that makes me feel old)…it’s because I’m always as honest and upfront as possible with all my content.
Whether it’s teaching you the best way to make money online (freelance writing), the best way to monetize a blog (affiliate marketing), or giving honest input to the tools and services I most highly recommend – I always do it with you in mind.
There are plenty of other people you could go to out there to get advice about building an online business, so it means a lot that you’re listening to me.
And if you’re just starting out with your online business, check out my free 6 day course on exactly how to get started.
Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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Why I Think Bluehost is the Best Shared Web Host
First off, if you’re just beginning your search for web hosting, I recommend you read my best web hosting services post. Not only do I compare some different companies, but more importantly I introduce you to the different types of web hosting.
Also, here are some questions you can ask yourself that will help you narrow down the best hosting for you.
Even if you’re just starting out, it’s important to know exactly what you’re looking for, so that you can make the most informed decision.
Now that I’ve written over 600 words qualifying this post, let’s get down to why I think
#1) Bluehost Has 24/7 Support
So in the last 10 years since I started my first website, we’ve fortunately come along way. Installing WordPress can now be done in one click (see #2), but it didn’t used to be like that. It required digging into server files and getting moderately technical.
And in doing that, at one point I literally deleted my entire site.
Like, poof.
GONE.
I accidentally clicked the wrong thing and overwrote the entire site.
You can imagine the panic that ensued.
To make a long story short I spent 6 hours on the phone with hosting support, and finally for an extra $50 recovery fee, 24 hours later, my site was back up.
This led to the most expensive workout of my life (which, let’s be real, probably isn’t true anymore. Also, I used to be a much more entertaining writer!)
My point in all this, is that while WordPress and building a website has become infinitely easier, you’re going to screw stuff up. You’re going to have questions. You’re going to have those “pull your hair out” moments.
And you’re going to need someone to turn to.
If you’re a Location Rebel Academy member our forums can be helpful, but we only go so far. Being able to hop on the phone at any hour of any day and talk to a real person, is so crucial for people starting their first website.
And in my experience, Bluehost has the best support for a shared hosting company. I recommend it to all my friends and family (I even have my dad’s website hosted there).
#2) One-Click WordPress Install
Remember above where I said back in the day you had to jump through a bunch of hoops to install WordPress and setup your website?
Those days are long gone.
With Bluehost, it’s literally a single click of a button, and voila! WordPress on your new blog.
It makes it so incredibly easy.
All you have to do is worry about choosing that fancy new theme, and making your website all pretty and such.
And if you need help doing all of this, don’t worry, I got you:
Step by Step: How to Get Hosting, Buy a Domain, Install WordPress, and Make Your Blog Look AWESOME.
#3) Free SSL Certificate Included
You may have noticed over the last year or so, but Google Chrome and other website browsers are making it a lot more obvious is a website doesn’t use an SSL certificate.
If you don’t know what that is, the simple difference is a site that starts with https (secure) vs just http (not secure). The https designation means there is a SSL certificate installed on the domain (security certificate) which adds a few extra layers of security to your site.
Often you have to pay extra for this, but with Bluehost it’s included for free with your hosting.
This is going to play a bigger and bigger role as time goes on, as both Google and consumers increasingly look at this as a must have for credible websites.
Google has said that it will favor secure sites in its search rankings, and with web browsers making it more and more obvious a site is not secure, it will continue to play a bigger role with average readers and consumers as well.
#4) Bluehost Offers Unlimited Websites
This one doesn’t apply to the entry-level $2.95 a month version, but if you get the next step up, which is still under $6/month, you get unlimited websites.
So let’s say you want to create a personal blog, a writing portfolio website, and a niche site – you can do that all for one price. You’d just need to pick up the domains for each of them.
If you’re on a budget and know you want to potentially start more than just one thing, this is a great deal.
5) Incredibly Easy to Use
I mentioned this a bit with the one-click WordPress install, but everything about the hosting account, in general, is straightforward. They do a great job of recognizing the fact that many of their customers are just now starting their first site, and need a bit of hand-holding along the way.
So even if you’re not super tech-oriented, you’ll still be able to get your site up and running without knowing any code or anything like that.
What Isn’t Great About Bluehost ?
As with all hosting accounts, there are pros and cons – despite what anyone else might tell you – and Bluehost is no different.
It’s Still Shared Hosting…
The biggest issue with Bluehost is that for the cheap introductory accounts, they are shared hosting.
This means that your site is hosted on the same servers as hundreds of other websites. This can lead to a few different issues with site speed and security.
For instance, if one of those other sites gets a massive wave of traffic, it could cause your site speed to go down as well.
Keep in mind though, this is just how shared hosting works, and all of the other companies operate the same way.
Learn more about the different types of hosting here.
It’s Not the Fastest…
Again, because it’s shared hosting, your site won’t be blazing fast. Bluehost doesn’t come with advanced caching features or a built-in CDN to improve loading of media files and images.
Once you start rolling in traffic, this will have more and more of an effect.
But until you’re at the point where you have 50k visitors a month, I think the benefits of Bluehost far outweigh the negatives from a speed perspective.
Bluehost Review: Final Thoughts on Why I Recommend It
For very little money you’re getting hosting that is easy to use, has fantastic support, includes SSL and a domain and has one-click WordPress install. For a beginner, all of this stuff is far more important than site speed.
There are so many barriers to getting your blog up and running or to work from home, that you want hosting to be something that supports your goals, rather than gets in the way.
In my experience, Bluehost is the best of the cheaper hosting providers at doing this, and I recommend it to everyone who is just getting going with a website.
If you’re still unsure, this post covers a ton of web host questions you should ask before choosing, and it will help make sure you end up with the right one.
And if you’re looking for a more advanced hosting platform that has managed WordPress hosting, built-in CDN, is faster, and scales for higher traffic numbers? I’d go with WP Engine. That’s where Location Rebel is currently hosted, and while it’s much more expensive than Bluehost, it provides quite a few more advanced features for larger sites.
Here’s my Full Review of WP Engine.
Other Digital Marketing Reviews to check out:
- SEMrush Review: This is our favorite tool for planning content, doing SEO, and growing traffic to our site.
- ConvertKit – This is what we use for our email marketing.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links. Meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. If you have any questions about this, feel free to contact me!
Bluehost Hosting
2.95/mo
Pros
- Great Support
- Fantastic Price
- Perfect for Beginners
- One Click WordPress Install
Cons
- Shared Servers
- Not the fastest Option
- Not great for high traffic sites
Sean Ogle
Sean Ogle is the Founder of Location Rebel where he has spent the last 12+ years teaching people how to build online businesses that give them the freedom to do more of the things they like to do in life. When he's not in the coffee shops of Portland, or the beaches of Bali, he's probably sneaking into some other high-class establishment where he most certainly doesn't belong.Join over 40,000 people who have taken our 6 part freelance writing course. Sign up below and let’s do this together.
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Sooooo….. covid19 and suddenly my “out in the world” real paying job went bye bye.
What’s a semi retired, self isolating guy to do from my home office?
Well, I’m a handy man . . . so that, I have my “niche” . . .and 15 to 20 years ago I actually had a web site for a computer business I ran . . .but now have forgotten more than I ever knew, so am starting from scratch.
I thought I would build an attractive web site or blog and fill it up with referrals to sites that sell Carpenter supplies, plans, building materials, books on related subjects along with relevant commentary on why someone might want to go to a particular site. . . .the web sites would then pay me a commission for the referral. Good idea?? or waste of time??