Bluehost vs GoDaddy Web Hosting Services

GoDaddy and Bluehost are well-established in the industry, as Bluehost was founded in 2003, and GoDaddy launched its website builder and web hosting tools in 1998. Bluehost ties for the No. 1 spot on our Best Web Hosting Services of 2022 rating, whereas GoDaddy ties for No. 10. Although their pricing is similar, features and capabilities differ among subscriptions.

Bluehost has managed WordPress plans that support an unlimited number of websites and is endorsed by WordPress.org. Conversely, GoDaddy WordPress hosting includes one site, and WordPress Pro plans support five to 50 sites. However, GoDaddy web hosting solutions provide higher site storage limits than Bluehost and a financially-backed uptime guarantee. It also features dedicated hosting plans for Linux and Windows.

There isn’t a shortage of hosting types or plans with Bluehost or GoDaddy. The providers offer shared hosting, dedicated hosting, virtual private server (VPS), and website builder packages. However, GoDaddy has managed and self-managed VPS and dedicated solutions, whereas Bluehost provides managed services for both.

Bluehost has separate WooCommerce packages, whereas GoDaddy includes WooCommerce functionality under its web hosting and website builder subscriptions. GoDaddy offers Linux and Windows server solutions, while professional reviews note that Bluehost is Linux-based. Notably, neither provider has cloud hosting services. If you want website and cloud hosting services, consider Ionos, DreamHost, SiteGround, or Hostinger.

Bluehost and GoDaddy use a tiered pricing model, with higher-priced plans including additional features. However, Bluehost provides steeper discounts for new accounts, and GoDaddy’s introductory prices are higher than other hosting providers featured in our Best Web Hosting Services of 2022 rating. Bluehost renewal pricing for WordPress and dedicated plans are slightly less than GoDaddy, but GoDaddy offers lower-priced VPS subscriptions.

Here’s how the renewal costs for entry-tier service plans compare:

GoDaddy web hosting and WordPress packages include backup protection, which does not come with Bluehost WordPress Basic or Plus. GoDaddy also has more dedicated and VPS hosting options, including managed or self-managed and high-capacity plans.

Both hosting providers offer WooCommerce and website builder plans. GoDaddy’s e-commerce package includes 75 WooCommerce extensions and costs $29.99 monthly or as low as $24.99 per month for a one- to three-year term. In contrast, Bluehost offers two WooCommerce service plans costing $24.95 and $39.95 at renewal. However, the base plan doesn’t include appointment scheduling or booking extensions. Bluehost and GoDaddy offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, with stipulations. For instance, the refund from Bluehost and GoDaddy doesn’t cover the domain cost. Bluehost only returns credit card payments.

Bluehost and GoDaddy offer online editing and publishing tools that don’t require coding or technical experience, including drag-and-drop WordPress editors. Users can choose from many templates and themes. In addition, both hosting providers have website builder plans with marketing features to help with search engine optimization (SEO).

GoDaddy website builder subscriptions include an analytics dashboard and chatbot. These packages also supply social media and email marketing tools. Bluehost website builder plans provide marketing features, such as call-to-action (CTA) buttons, advertisement landing pages, and the Creative Email plug-in free version.

The web hosting providers offer site migration tools and paid migration services. Alternatively, users can buy professional website design services from Bluehost and GoDaddy. Bluehost also has SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) services, while GoDaddy has a menu of technical hosting services, such as performance audits and DNS installation.

According to professional reviewers, Bluehost and GoDaddy are easy to use and let business owners manage their sites through the industry-standard cPanel. But, WordPress.org has endorsed Bluehost and also recommends SiteGround and DreamHost. WordPress.org doesn’t list GoDaddy as a preferred hosting provider.

SSL certificates come with GoDaddy website builder and WordPress plans, but only on the higher-tier shared hosting subscriptions. Bluehost provides SSL certificates for the first year with shared, WordPress, and website builder subscriptions.

Bluehost-managed WordPress hosting has daily backups and malware protection and removal. However, lower-priced shared hosting plans lack both. In comparison, GoDaddy web hosting and WordPress packages have automated daily backups, and malware detection and removal come with Ultimate and E-Commerce subscriptions.

GoDaddy shared and WordPress plans don’t have a firewall, and a Sitelock subscription is required to add a web application firewall (WAF) to Bluehost hosting packages. Likewise, GoDaddy offers add-on security packages with a firewall, DDoS protection, and malware scanning.

GoDaddy provides 24/7 phone, text, and chat support. In contrast, Bluehost has 24/7 chat and phone support. GoDaddy clearly outlines the support types offered and excluded with a Statement of Support. It has a searchable help center and community forum. Bluehost doesn’t have community forums but provides an extensive knowledge base.

For additional assistance, GoDaddy has WP Premium Support subscriptions, which help with database management and theme maintenance. Likewise, Bluehost offers Blue Sky subscriptions with WordPress website backup and design services. However, GoDaddy lacks email or ticketing customer service options. Bluehost can answer billing and sales questions through email and ticketing but cannot answer requests for technical assistance.

Bluehost offers shared hosting for small business blogs, e-commerce sites, and dedicated or VPS versions for high-traffic needs. Although more expensive than standard WordPress packages, managed versions add an all-in-one marketing center and malware detection and removal.

WooCommerce packages are suitable for companies that sell products or services online. These plans have WooCommerce pre-installed. It takes one click to add payment processing. Growing businesses can take advantage of VPS and dedicated hosting solutions, which support higher traffic volumes. Multi-server management allows Bluehost users to oversee dedicated, VPS, and shared services from a single location.

Bluehost has drag-and-drop editing tools and customizable themes for the DIY website builder. If you have any questions during installation or use, Bluehost is available 24/7 via chat and phone. The knowledge base offers how-to articles for using various features and plug-ins.

You can also choose professional services, like website design and marketing, to eliminate some DIY work.

Security features differ by hosting type and plan. Shared hosting versions have a free SSL certificate for the first year, and upper-tier versions include automatic back-ups and domain privacy protection. Bluehost charges additional fees for security tools, such as Sitelock and CodeGuard. Like other providers in our Best Web Hosting Services of 2022 rating, there’s a 30-day return window on shared hosting services. It applies to web hosting paid for with a credit card.

However, according to professional reviews, Bluehost only has Linux-based services, which is a problem if you want to use an ASP.NET framework. Other hosting providers, like HostGator and GoDaddy, have Linux and Windows servers. Also, most Bluehost plans require annual payments, whereas GoDaddy has monthly subscriptions and is a better choice for short-term hosting.

GoDaddy provides hosting solutions for standard and high traffic volumes, including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Unlike Bluehost, GoDaddy has Windows web hosting and a financially-backed 99.9% service uptime guarantee. GoDaddy doesn’t have the lowest introductory prices compared to others on our Best Web Hosting Services of 2022 rating. Yet, renewal costs are on par with Bluehost and DreamHost.

The WordPress WooCommerce subscription has handy business tools, including daily backups, an SEO optimizer, and premium WooCommerce extensions. Companies looking for bundled services can choose website builder plans that offer design and marketing tools for social media and email.

GoDaddy users can boost capacity with VPS or dedicated hosting as site traffic increases. Indeed, GoDaddy offers eight standard and high RAM self-managed VPS subscriptions and eight fully-managed VPS plans. Bluehost only has three managed VPS options. In addition, GoDaddy provides 16 managed and self-managed dedicated service hosting plans.

GoDaddy WordPress hosting is built for beginners with a drag-and-drop editor and automatic WordPress updates. The entry-tier plans include website backup protection and daily malware scans. Plus, GoDaddy automatically installs, validates, and renews SSL certificates. The community forum is active with threads for website, marketing, and payment questions. GoDaddy also has a large knowledge base with screenshots. In addition, the chat, text, and phone lines are open 24/7.

Security features vary according to the hosting and subscription type. Although backup protection is standard with most plans, DDOS protection requires a higher web security subscription. SSL certificates come with several hosting packages, except for web hosting Economy and Deluxe.

GoDaddy and Bluehost provide several hosting options, including website builder plans with drag-and-drop editors, free templates, and marketing tools. WooCommerce sites include payment processing functionality. Like other providers on our Best Web Hosting Services of 2022 rating, Bluehost and GoDaddy prices increase after the initial term ends. However, GoDaddy has month-to-month plans, whereas Bluehost requires annual prepayment.

Security features differ by provider and plan. If you’re looking for advanced site protection, both offer add-on tools to protect your site. In addition, Bluehost and GoDaddy users can reach customer support 24/7 by phone and chat. GoDaddy also provides around-the-clock text support and an uptime guarantee.

For more information about web hosting services, see the following guides:

In addition to our ratings of web hosting services, you may be interested in these guides to other products: