Bluehost vs. GoDaddy: My Honest Opinion (Best Option in 2023)
With so many web hosting services available today, it can be challenging to determine which is best for your website.
GoDaddy and Bluehost are two popular choices that offer various hosting plans to meet the needs of any website.
In this article, I’ll give my honest opinion of Bluehost vs. GoDaddy and explain the features that make them both excellent choices for hosting your website.
What Is BlueHost?
Bluehost is another popular web hosting provider that offers a variety of plans to suit different website needs.
The platform has been a popular hosting provider for years and offers a drag-and-drop website builder.
This process makes it easy for website owners to get started with their chosen hosting plan quickly.
Bluehost’s hosting plans are intuitive, easy to navigate, and offer many features.
Their most basic plan, Basic, includes 10GB of web storage space, five email accounts, 24/7 customer support access, domain registration included in the plan cost, and more.
For those who need more robust features like additional security tools or unlimited domains, they also offer Plus, Choice Plus, and Pro plans with added benefits.
All come backed by their solid 30-day money-back guarantee – though domain fees are nonrefundable after this initial period.
Besides shared hosting plans, Bluehost also offers VPS hosting and dedicated hosting that can help meet the needs of any website.
Bluehost Features
Bluehost offers an array of features that make it the ideal choice for your website needs.
Here are some main benefits that make Bluehost stand out from its competitors.
Free WordPress Migration
While both offer various hosting plans, Bluehost is especially appealing to WordPress users looking to migrate their sites.
Its website migration service allows customers to easily migrate their existing WordPress sites without downtime or disruption.
It makes moving from an old hosting provider to Bluehost a straightforward process requiring minimal effort and cost.
Knowledge Base
Bluehost hosts an extensive knowledge base with tutorials, articles, and FAQs for all its services and products.
It’s easy for customers to find and access the information they need to get started, troubleshoot problems, and use Bluehost’s features more effectively.
Easy-to-use Control Panel
The intuitive control panel makes it easy to manage all aspects of your hosting account with its ease of use.
You can generally accomplish what you need with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Whether setting up email accounts, managing databases, creating backups, or installing applications, Bluehost has made the process as straightforward as possible.
Flexible Platform
Read any Bluehost review, and it will probably mention the flexible features found within the platform.
You can use popular apps like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal without hassle or complications.
You can also take advantage of their Microsoft 365 trial, which lets you enjoy premium service at a fraction of the cost when signing up for any of their plans.
24/7 Support
The customer support team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via phone and live chat.
Customers can get help whenever they need it.
Having a quick response time and helpful staff ensures that support staff can solve customer queries quickly and efficiently.
Secure Server Infrastructure
All servers used by Bluehost are secure and optimized so that customers’ data remains safe.
Customers can rest assured, knowing their information will not be compromised.
With its powerful disk space and data centers worldwide, Bluehost guarantees its uptime so that customers’ websites run without interruption, no matter where they are located.
CDN
A CDN is one of the most significant considerations when choosing a hosting service.
Being part of a content delivery network represents a cost-effective and reliable way to distribute content globally.
Bluehost offers a fast and reliable content delivery network (CDN), meaning that the platform will deliver its website’s content fast and efficiently.
This delivery happens regardless of where customers are located.
Get started with Bluehost.
What Is GoDaddy?
GoDaddy is an industry-standard in hosting and is a popular hosting provider offering several different plans for its users.
The platform has been a strong leader in reliable hosting platforms for more than two decades.
It offers many features and dedicated customer support, making it one of the most popular choices among website owners.
When building a website, their Economy plan includes 25GB of web storage space with unlimited bandwidth and email accounts.
Additionally, the plan comes with free domain privacy protection and access to their 24/7 network security team.
They also offer Deluxe, Ultimate and Maximum plans that provide additional website resources, tools, and hosting options for an additional fee.
Lastly, all their plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can feel comfortable making an informed decision when selecting your hosting provider.
GoDaddy Features
With 21+ million customers, GoDaddy is one of the leading web hosting companies in the world.
But what makes GoDaddy stand out from the competition?
It’s not just their 24/7 phone access and unbeatable customer support but their top-notch feature set that keeps customers informed and satisfied.
It’s not even their domain registrar service that most people are familiar with.
While those are key selling points, here are some additional features to consider.
SEO-Friendly Applications
GoDaddy also offers SEO-friendly applications to help boost your website’s visibility online.
These tools can help you track how well your pages rank compared to other websites competing for similar keywords.
When choosing a web hosting provider for your website, search engine optimization and GoDaddy go hand in hand.
Easy Set-Up
When it comes to new website owners, GoDaddy makes it easy for anyone to get started with their web hosting service.
The platform provides a simple setup wizard that guides you through the entire process.
This step-by-step guide helps you set up everything from DNS settings to email accounts.
You can get up and running quickly without any technical expertise or experience needed.
Plus, they provide 24/7 customer support via phone or live chat if you ever need assistance with anything related to your hosting account.
When it comes to website builder tools, GoDaddy is considered one of the most user-friendly in the industry.
Affordable Pricing
GoDaddy offers competitive pricing on all of its products and services.
They even offer discounts on select hosting packages if you commit to an annual plan (they even provide a three-year program) instead of paying month-to-month.
With web hosting plans from GoDaddy, you can be sure your website will have the features and performance it needs to succeed.
1-Click Install for Popular Apps
GoDaddy makes building websites simple with their 1-click install for popular apps like WordPress and Magento.
This feature eliminates the need to manually install these programs on your server, saving you time and energy.
Even if you don’t know much about coding or web design, you can still easily create a website.
Easy-to-Navigate Control Panel
GoDaddy also makes it easy to manage your website with its intuitive control panel.
It includes everything from domain names to email accounts in one easy-to-navigate dashboard.
Novice users can quickly find what they need without getting lost in endless menus or tabs.
Plus, if any issues arise while you’re setting up your site or managing it later on down the line, receiving support from Go Daddy is just a few clicks away.
Advanced Security Monitoring
Having reliable security monitoring is essential for keeping your website safe.
Go Daddy offers advanced security monitoring from DDoS attacks (distributed denial of service) to other threats like malware or hacking attempts.
They also provide Web Application Firewall protection so your site’s performance won’t suffer from malicious activity online.
As a result, you don’t have to worry about putting your hard work at risk.
This peace of mind gives you more time to focus on strengthening your business.
Customer Service
GoDaddy takes customer service seriously by offering 24/7 phone support and live chat whenever available.
Moreover, suppose their customer service isn’t up to par, and you find their plans aren’t suitable.
In that case, GoDaddy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Their customer support can also help you with finding special offers on domains.
This additional help saves customers even more money when registering their domain name with GoDaddy.
Get started with GoDaddy.
Website Control Panels
In the Bluehost vs GoDaddy battle, both platforms have special ‘My Sites’ sections listing all your sites in one place.
You can easily access individual pages or test proposed changes through staging before publishing life.
Both providers offer free SSL certificates, so your site is secure and protected against data breaches or hacks.
Let’s now compare where the control panels differ on these two platforms.
Bluehost’s Control Panel
Bluehost offers an interface that matches its branding and includes unique features like a WordPress hosting management area.
However, it does have its drawbacks – users report that its somewhat clunky navigation can make it challenging to locate specific features.
Some helpful tools like SiteLock Security provide site security scanning and protection against malware attacks.
GoDaddy’s Control Panel
GoDaddy provides the same standard cPanel layout as most other providers, plus several exclusive premium templates created specifically for them.
These templates are ideal if you need quick, professional site design.
It also has an integrated billing system to accept online payments.
You can also use the Addon Domain feature to add domains or subdomains if needed.
Setting Up A WordPress or WooCommerce Store
Bluehost makes it easy to get started with its one-click setup process.
All you have to do is sign up, choose a template from their vast library of designs, customize it with your branding and logo, and you’re ready to start an ecommerce site.
The process is simple, straightforward, and painless, making it perfect for those who don’t want to spend hours tinkering with the technical details of setting up an online store.
They also have the expertise to help you get your shop off the ground without hiccups or issues.
WordPress itself officially recommends using Bluehost when working with its CMS.
With Bluehost’s quality service and commitment to providing customers with the best possible experience when setting up an online site, having a WordPress website on this host is typically a good idea.
Website Migration Services
Bluehost and GoDaddy have made it easier for their customers by offering free WordPress migration services and paid professional transfer assistance.
Bluehost and GoDaddy make the process as simple as possible in this regard.
Let’s compare the two.
Bluehost’s Website Migration Service
Bluehost makes it easy to migrate your existing WordPress site to its platform with its free WordPress migration service.
All you need to do is provide them with a few details about your website, such as your domain name or IP address, username, password, and FTP information.
They will then take care of the rest.
This service is perfect for those who are already familiar with WordPress but lack the technical skills to move their site.
They also offer a paid professional transfer assistance option that includes 24/7 customer support if you need further assistance during the migration process.
GoDaddy’s Manual File Transfer Approach
GoDaddy provides an automated website migration service as Bluehost does.
They also offer a manual transfer method to send your files from one host to another using SFTP.
While this method may be simpler than installing WordPress manually on a new server or configuring a database on another host, it requires more technical knowledge.
Customer Support
Customer support is often a deciding factor when searching for the right web hosting company.
You want to know that if you ever have an issue or need advice, they are there to help.
Bluehost and GoDaddy both boast comprehensive customer support options.
Both platforms offer 24/7 phone and live chat support, so they’ll be there no matter what time of day or night you need assistance.
Is Bluehost The Answer for Tech Newbies?
Starting a website can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have a tech background.
Bluehost is one of the best web hosting services for beginners wanting to launch a website.
From first-year web developers searching for the best hosting plan to tech newbies wanting an easy-to-use platform, Bluehost is the preferred hosting solution for many starting out.
With an easy-to-use plugin option for setting up WordPress and ultimate security features, Bluehost is a great hosting solution for tech newbies.
Moreover, with its easy-to-use interface and ultimate security features, Bluehost makes it easier to manage domains and emails confidently.
While GoDaddy isn’t the most challenging platform, Bluehost is a better choice for beginners who want to get a site up and running quickly and painlessly.
Pros and Cons
Let’s finally look at the pros and cons of each to help you determine which one might be the best choice for your website.
Bluehost Pros & Cons
One of the significant advantages of using Bluehost is its unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, and emails.
Plus, they also provide a free domain name when you sign up.
Bluehost can be expensive for short-term hosting compared to GoDaddy.
This fact may take a toll on your wallet if you’re after quick website hosting.
GoDaddy Pros & Cons
GoDaddy is one of the largest web hosting providers today, offering competitive prices and features.
These features include free SSL certificates and various security options for a small business or individuals alike.
However, unlike Bluehost, which provides unlimited emails with all its plans, GoDaddy plans do not include this feature unless you upgrade to their higher-priced plans (or pay extra).
This feature may not be suitable for those on a tight budget.
When it comes down to choosing between Bluehost vs. GoDaddy, there is no clear winner since each provider has its pros and cons.
Your choice will depend on what website you need hosting for and what your long-term budget is.
Competitors
Here are a few competitors to Bluehost and GoDaddy:
These hosting providers offer similar services but differ in pricing, features, and customer service.
Each provider has its pros and cons that one should consider before making a decision.
Wrap Up.
Bluehost and GoDaddy are two of the most notable names in web hosting.
Both provide options for unlimited website hosting, great addons, superior functionality, website caching, and uptime guarantees for their customers.
However, depending on your website needs, budget and preferences, one may be better.
Looking at GoDaddy’s and Bluehost’s specific plans will allow you to understand better which one might be the best fit for you.
Get started with Bluehost.
Get started with GoDaddy.
Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Knowing how to choose the best web hosting provider for your blog is essential.
Whether you’re after cheap web hosting services or dedicated hosting providers that offer more control, you can learn about the best hosting services for your needs.
This list of GoDaddy alternatives can also provide you with suitable replacements for your website hosting needs.
