Bluehost vs HostMonster
A detailed comparison to help you choose between Bluehost and HostMonster.
Quick Verdict
3.3/5
Bluehost
0 reviews
2.5/5
HostMonster
0 reviews
Bluehost is rated higher (3.3 vs 2.5). Bluehost is one of the largest web hosts globally, officially recommended by WordPress.org. Very beginner-friendly with one-click WordPress install and bundled domain. Owned by Newfold Digital. HostMonster no longer sells hosting; hostmonster.com is a transition page into Bluehost. Existing accounts keep their servers and terms but log in at Bluehost. Founded 1996 in Provo, Utah.
Bluehost Beginner WordPress hosting from $2.95/month | HostMonster Legacy brand merged into Bluehost — no longer sold independently | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Rating | 3.3 (0 reviews)✓ | 2.5 (0 reviews) |
| Pricing model | paid | paid |
| Starting price | From $2.95/mo | Free tier available |
| Best for | First-time website owners, bloggers, and small businesses who want WordPress handled for them at intro pricing and can plan for the renewal jump. | Existing HostMonster account holders deciding whether to stay through the Bluehost transition; not a viable choice for new signups |
| Specifications (entry plan) | ||
| CPU cores | — | — |
| RAM | — | — |
| Storage | 10 GB | — |
| Bandwidth | — | — |
| SLA uptime | 99.99% | — |
| Data-center count | — | — |
| Features | ||
| IPv6 | ||
| DDoS protection | ✓ | |
| Automated backups | ✓ | |
| Snapshots | ||
| Managed option | ||
| Bare metal | ||
| GPU available | ||
| S3-compatible | ||
| Hourly billing | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Data-center locations | ||
| Regions | — | Provo, Utah, US |
| Tags | ||
| Tags | managed optionbackups includedus datacenter | us datacenter |
| Visit Bluehost → | Visit HostMonster → | |
Bluehost
Pros
- + Genuinely beginner-friendly WordPress tooling: AI site creation, free migration, staging, managed updates
- + Cheap long-term intro pricing (Starter $3.99/mo on a 36-month term) with a published renewal table
- + Security bundled on every new plan: free SSL, WAF, malware scanning, DDoS protection, weekly backups
- + WordPress.org-recommended since 2005 with real contributions to the ecosystem
- + Advertised 99.99% uptime SLA, 30-day money-back guarantee, 24/7 chat support
Cons
- - Renewal pricing rises roughly 2.5-3x over intro rates (Starter renews at $9.99-$15.99/mo)
- - Aggressive checkout upselling of security, backup, and email add-ons
- - Shared-hosting ceilings: no root, 'standard performance' tiers, visitor guidelines as soft caps
- - Phone support only from the Business tier; legacy shared plans lack backups below Choice Plus
- - Datacenter locations not published; no performance data from our own benchmarks
HostMonster
Pros
- + Existing accounts are untouched: same servers, renewal dates, and billing cycles through the Bluehost transition
- + Long track record — the brand dates to 1996 in Provo, Utah
- + Classic budget feature set for legacy plans: cPanel, one-click WordPress, free domain and SSL
- + Backed by Newfold/Bluehost infrastructure and 24/7 support apparatus
Cons
- - No longer purchasable — hostmonster.com is a transition page into Bluehost
- - Consolidation risk: support, roadmap, and pricing decisions move to a portfolio owner
- - Legacy criticisms stand: renewal pricing above intro rates and bounded 'unlimited' claims
- - No published HostMonster SLA or spec sheets to verify claims today
- - New development and AI tooling land on Bluehost's product, not this brand
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