Bluehost and GoDaddy are two of the largest and most well-known web hosting providers, catering to everything from small businesses to large enterprises. However, despite their similarities as hosting platforms, they differ in terms of features, tools, plans, prices, and support. In this article, we will provide an in-depth comparison of Bluehost vs GoDaddy web hosting to help you determine which platform is better suited to your needs.
Bluehost, owned by Endurance International Group, is primarily known for its affordable shared hosting plans aimed at beginners and small businesses. On the other hand, GoDaddy is also a popular website host, focused on providing all-in-one solutions and extensive tools for building and managing websites.
Over the coming sections, we will evaluate and compare key aspects of Bluehost vs GoDaddy web hosting, including their hosting plans and pricing, website speed and uptime statistics, ease of use of control panels and tools, customer service options, security features, and extras like APIs. Our aim is to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of each provider to help you make an informed choice.
Bluehost Vs GoDaddy – Which Is Better?
Plans and Pricing
Both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer a range of hosting plans to suit different needs, from basic shared hosting to more advanced VPS and dedicated server options.
For shared hosting, Bluehost starts at $2.95/month for the Basic plan, offering up to 10 GB of storage and 1 website and email. The Plus plan costs $5.45/month and includes offering up to 40 GB of storage. Meanwhile, GoDaddy’s Economy, Deluxe, and Ultimate shared hosting plans range from $5.99 to $12.99 per month, providing between 25 GB and 100 GB of storage respectively.
In terms of VPS hosting, Bluehost’s plans start at $29.99/month with 2 CPUs, 2GB RAM, and 120GB SSD, while GoDaddy’s lowest package is $25/month for 1 CPU, 1GB RAM, and 20GB SSD. For dedicated servers, Bluehost’s cheapest option is $39.99/month for 2 CPU Cores, 4GB RAM, and 165GB SSD, compared to GoDaddy’s $19.99 plan with similar specs.
Both providers tend to offer frequent discounts and specials. Currently, Bluehost is advertising up to 63% off while GoDaddy is advertising up to 72% off. However, GoDaddy’s regular prices are slightly lower for most plans before discounts.
Uptime and Speed
Reliability and website speed are two of the most crucial factors for any web host. Based on reported uptime statistics, both Bluehost and GoDaddy are considered to be highly reliable hosts with uptimes of over 99.9%.
However, Bluehost seems to have a slight edge in this area. The company claims an uptime of over 99.98%, with average downtimes of less than 26 minutes per year. They also offer a 30-day money-back uptime guarantee. In contrast, GoDaddy reports an uptime percentage of 99.9%, with service credits available if downtime exceeds 70 minutes in a single incident.
When it comes to website loading speeds, Bluehost advertises page load times between 350ms to 400ms, along with connection response times below 100ms. GoDaddy, meanwhile, claims that hosted sites see average load times of around 1 second or less.
Both providers have implementations like SSD-based hosting, cloud acceleration technologies, and CDNs to boost speed performance. Bluehost also offers a free SiteSpeed optimization tool, while GoDaddy provides a Speed Test button to analyze page load times.
Ease of Use
Ease of use is another important differentiator between web hosts, especially for beginners. Both Bluehost and GoDaddy provide user-friendly control panels and website-building tools.
Bluehost’s control panel is cPanel, one of the most popular and widely used panels. It provides an easy-to-navigate interface for managing domains, emails, files, databases, and more. Bluehost also offers a basic drag-and-drop website builder and integrations with common CMS platforms like WordPress and Joomla. However, the builder lacks some advanced customization options.
GoDaddy’s control panel is a proprietary dashboard called GoCentral. Though not as full-featured as cPanel, it provides all essential hosting management features in a simplified layout. GoDaddy’s website builder, Website Builder Plus, offers more customization options, themes, and functionality compared to Bluehost’s builder. It also has integrations for over 40 CMS platforms.
For more technical users, both hosts provide access to the command line interface and code-level customizations. But GoDaddy arguably caters more to advanced users with tools like its API marketplace and Pro Services.
Customer Service
When it comes to customer service and support, both Bluehost and GoDaddy generally deliver satisfactory experiences for their hosting customers. But there are some differences between the two providers that can impact your needs.
Bluehost offers phone support from 6 am to 5 pm on weekdays, while live chat and ticket assistance are available 24/7. However, phone wait times can be lengthy at times. The knowledge base articles are very thorough and well organized, making it easier to self-troubleshoot issues.
GoDaddy has agents available via phone, live chat, and tickets around the clock – all day, every day. Phone wait times are typically shorter compared to Bluehost. Though the knowledge base isn’t as extensive, most common problems have step-by-step guides.
In terms of resolving customers’ issues, both hosts seem to get the job done within reasonable time frames, according to reviews. Customer satisfaction ratings fall in the 3 to 4-star range for both providers.
A notable difference is that GoDaddy currently offers a money-back guarantee for all new hosting customers, promising either to fix any problems within 30 days or provide a full refund. Bluehost does not have a similar policy in place.
Security, Uptime, and Other Features
In addition to pricing, speed, and support, the security features and extras offered by web hosts are also important considerations.
On the security front, both Bluehost and GoDaddy provide basic protections like SSL certificates, spam filtering, firewalls, and daily backups. However, Bluehost has a few advantages. The host offers free malware scanning and removal for all plans, while GoDaddy only includes this feature for higher-end packages. Bluehost also includes a Free SiteLock malware protection license, though it only covers up to 5 domain names.
For uptime and performance, both providers have monitoring tools and uptime statistics pages. Bluehost offers a free Site Uptime service, while GoDaddy provides a Performance Check tool. For backups and restoration, Bluehost allows an unlimited number of backups and offers one-click restore, compared to GoDaddy’s limit of 5 backups and semi-automated restore process.
In terms of additional features, Bluehost has an extensive library of third-party extensions, while GoDaddy has a more limited selection. However, GoDaddy offers a wider range of APIs and integrations through its Pro Services platform, giving developers more power and customization options.
Both hosting providers include content delivery networks (CDNs) to speed up files for end users. However, GoDaddy offers dedicated CDN services starting at $15/month, while Bluehost’s basic CDN is included with all plans.
Conclusion
In summary, both Bluehost and GoDaddy are reputable web hosting providers with many similar features. However, there are some key differences that may make one a better fit depending on your specific needs and budget.
Bluehost is likely the better option for beginners and non-technical users due to its easy-to-use control panel, basic website builder, and extensive self-service knowledge base. The host also offers a few advantages in terms of security features, uptime monitoring, and backup options. Overall, Bluehost provides strong value for its reasonable prices, making it a good choice for cost-conscious small businesses.
Meanwhile, GoDaddy shines for customers that require advanced hosting tools and flexibility. The provider’s robust website builder, wide selection of APIs, 24/7 support, and dedicated CDN options give developers and power users more control and customization. GoDaddy’s lower regular prices and money-back guarantee also provide more certainty for risk-averse customers.
As a result, if you prioritize simplicity, security, and value for money above all else, Bluehost is likely the better fit. But if flexibility, advanced options, and round-the-clock support matter most to you, GoDaddy may be the better web hosting provider. Ultimately, both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer generally reliable, feature-rich hosting experiences – you just need to determine which strengths and weaknesses align best with your specific website needs.
