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Is Bluehost Web Hosting the Best Startup Host?
Bluehost is an inexpensive web hosting provider. They offer shared hosting, WordPress managed hosting, and dedicated hosting along with a free domain name for most plans.
Overview
Who Bluehost is For:
Bluehost is perfect for you if you’re just starting out and especially if you’re not planning on hosting your own online course platform. Running your online course with a WordPress LMS plugin may require more extensive plans than what Bluehost offers. A potential migration to a higher end host when you start having more enrollments is almost certain. It is considered a budget web hosting plan, but you can run a WordPress site on it, just not one with advanced LMS plugins.
Skill Level:
Since Bluehost targets the lower end of the hosting world as far as pricing goes, they know a big portion of their clients are just starting out. Therefore, they do make their dashboard easy to use even for beginners. You don’t need any special skills to set-up your website with this hosting provider.
Deployment:
You’ll access your Bluehost account by logging into the dashboard online. From there, you can install WordPress with just one-click or upload your website files through FTP if you’re using another site builder.
Special Features:
Bluehost provides 24/7 support along with in-depth tutorials to help get you started. Their Basic plan is one of the cheapest hosting plans available online and is a fantastic way to start an online business.
Disadvantages:
Bluehost is a budget host so you may outgrow this hosting provider. Once you start getting more traffic, you may want to opt for faster hosting. In addition, if you’re planning on launching an online course with a WordPress LMS plugin like LearnDash, then I recommend starting out with a more expensive hosting provider. It’ll save you from headaches.
Detailed Features
| FEATURES | $2.75/M PLAN | WORDPRESS HOSTING |
| ✔ Free domain registration | ✔ Shared hosting | ✔ 1 Dashboard |
| ✔ Free SSL certificate | ✔ 1 Site | ✔ Domain privacy protection |
| ✔ 1-Click WordPress install | ✔ 50 GB SSD storage | ✔ JetPack Site Analytics |
| ✔ Easy to use dashboard | ✔ Unmetered bandwidth | ✔ 100 free premium themes |
| ✔ Exit pop-up | ✔ GDPR compliant | ✔ Daily scheduled backups |
| ✔ Double-opt-in | ✔ Malware removal | |
| ✔ WordPress plugin | ✔ SEO, email, social media tools | |
Pricing Model
Starting Price: $2.75/month if you pay annually for regular, shared hosting. They offer WordPress hosting for $19.95/month.
Advanced Plans: Dedicated hosting is available. Their higher end plan is $119.99/month.
Annual Savings: You can only purchase their cheaper hosting plans with an annual payment.
Trial Option: There is no free trial option for any Bluehost hosting plans.
Free Version: There is no free version of Bluehost, they only offer paid plans.
Guarantee: They offer a 30-day money back guarantee.
Customer Support
Training: Detailed support resources with articles, guides, how-to’s and more.
Support: Phone, chat, ticket (24/7)
Company Details
Founded in: 2003, owned by Endurance International Group
Headquarters: Utah, USA
Competing Tools
If you’re looking for budget hosting, then Hostgator is another host to consider. They also offer a $2.75/month hosting plan if you pay annually. I’ve used Hostgator before and they are fine for a simple site (even a WordPress site) without much traffic. Using either Bluehost or Hostgator is a perfect way to get started.
