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Bluehost

SCORE5.0FAIR

Beginner-friendly shared hosting with a recognizable brand name

BEST FORFirst-time site owners who want a name listed on WordPress.org and don't mind paying around $11/month at renewal for a shared hosting plan.
Reviewed by the Clientele Research Team · Last checked 9 days ago (2026-07-15)
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Scores — click any row to see our rationale
Uptime & Real-World Speed▼5/10

No publicly posted uptime SLA. Independent monitoring by ReviewSignal places Bluehost in the middle tier, with load spikes during shared-server peak hours.

Total Cost of Ownership▼4/10

Intro rate of $3.99/month jumps to $10.99/month on renewal — a 175% increase, one of the steeper renewal jumps among shared hosts.

WordPress Optimization & Features▼7/10

Listed on WordPress.org (as a paid partnership disclosed in 2024). Includes one-click WP install and a WordPress-branded dashboard. One-click staging is now included on every plan, including the entry Starter tier.

Support Responsiveness & Quality▼5/10

24/7 live chat and phone are available. Multiple independent user surveys flag long hold times and inconsistent first-contact resolution rates.

Migration & Switching Costs▼4/10

30-day money-back guarantee. Free site migration is offered but limited to one site and requires submitting a request — not self-serve.

PROS
✓Intro plan starts at $3.99/month on a 36-month term
✓Listed on WordPress.org's recommended hosts page
✓Unlimited storage on Plus tier and above
✓One-click WordPress installer with one-click staging included on every plan, including the entry Starter tier
✓24/7 support via live chat and phone
✓Free domain included for the first year
CONS
✕Renewal price hits $10.99/month — about 2.75x the intro rate
✕No uptime SLA published
✕WordPress.org listing is a paid partnership, not an independent editorial recommendation
✕Free migration covers only one site and is handled by their team on their timeline
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