Updated By There has never been so many options for hosting a website or blog. And Bluehost is one of the most well-known options for hosting a website. Since the 1990s, they’ve been a go-to solution for a full suite of hosting services including shared, email, VPS, WordPress and more. They have partnerships all around the Internet – including a very long standing partnership with the WordPress Foundation & WordPress’ commercial operation, Automattic.
But what if you want an alternative to Bluehost? Just because they are the big brand does not mean they are necessarily the best fit for your project. I have projects & clients at Bluehost, but they are by no means my “go-to” web host. How can they be when there are so many excellent choices for every need around the web?
In my career as a marketing consultant, I’ve been able to use and consult on a full range of website builders, hosts, software & platforms for both my in-house projects and client projects. While Bluehost is a good for many projects, I also thought it would be useful to have a list of Bluehost alternatives along with what they do well & who they focus on.
Here’s a brief summary along with an extended explanation below.
Summary of Best Bluehost Alternatives
| Name | Best if you want… | Visit! |
|---|---|---|
| InMotion | …independent, high-performance hosting w/ great support. | See Plans. |
| SiteGround | …independent w/ great developer features & global data centers. | See Plans. |
| HostGator | …excellent pricing w/ unmetered features & good support. | See Plans. |
| GreenGeeks | …a starter-friendly host focused on shared hosting & support. | See Plans. |
Guide to Bluehost Alternatives
Here’s an extended guide to each, along with other Bluehost hosting alternatives for specific use cases.
InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting provides a full range of hosting services. They are a fast-growing independent hosting company (ie, not owned by a major, publicly traded corporation like Endurance or GoDaddy). I use them for most of my projects (including this site). They have excellent performance and a real focus on customer support.
I reviewed InMotion hosting here.
Go check out InMotion’s Plans here.
SiteGround
SiteGround is another fast-growing, independently owned company. They have excellent support, high performance and developer-friendly features like one-click SSL and integrated staging environments
Go check out SiteGround’s plans here.
HostGator
HostGator is Bluehost’s sister brand owned by Endurance International. They offer even more affordable plans than Bluehost with good support. I use HostGator for many of my smaller projects.
I compared HostGator & Bluehost directly here.
Go check out HostGator’s plans here.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks is a smaller, but independent-owned host that focuses on simplicity, support, and sustainability.
Go check out GreenGeeks’ plans here.
Other Bluehost Alternatives
There are, of course, tons of other alternatives including options that either have a specific use case, I haven’t used enough to fully judge or don’t quite have features/benefits that the alternatives listed above already cover.
That said, I’ve had managers looking to compile a list for internal evaluation. Here’s the list that I usually provide.
- WordPress.com – WordPress.com offers a simple “hosted” solution for WordPress. Hosting, software & service is all bundled into a single subscription like a website builder. They take care of all technical issues. Check out plans here.
- DreamHost – until recently, a very large independent brand with good VPS pricing. Recently bought by Endurance, but still a good choice. Check out their plans here.
- NameCheap Hosting – NameCheap is a domain registrar, but they offer limited, albeit *very* cheap hosting as a complementary product. Check out their hosting plans here.
- WP Engine – a hosting company that offers managed WordPress hosting services. In fact, WordPress hosting is all WP Engine does. Good option if you have budget. Check out plans here.
- Google Apps (for email hosting only) – if all you need is email hosting, you might remove a lot of headaches with Google Apps. See their plans here.
Related Resources
I’ve written a lot about website hosting – and have been able to consult with a variety of clients from small shops to household brands. Here’s related resources that I’ve written.
Related Reviews
- All my hosting reviews
- Bluehost vs. GoDaddy
- Bluehost vs. HostGator
- Bluehost Web Hosting Review
- InMotion Hosting Review
- SiteGround Hosting Review
- Web Hosting Hub Review
- DreamHost Review
- GreenGeeks Hosting Review
- HostPapa Hosting Review
- A2 Hosting Review
Related Guides
- Best Shared Hosting Guide w/ Quiz
- Best WordPress Hosting Guide w/ Quiz
- Best Blog Hosting Guide w/ Quiz
- Best Email Hosting Guide w/ Quiz
- How To Set Up A Website w/ WordPress
All the best on your project!
