HostMonster vs Bluehost [2024]: There’s a Clear Winner

Lady reviewing web services

HostMonster vs Bluehost

In the digital world, choosing the right web hosting is crucial. With so many options out there, finding the perfect fit can be daunting, especially for beginners. That’s where we step in to help. We’re putting HostMonster and Bluehost under the microscope. Both are big names in the world of web hosting, especially in the USA. They’re geared towards beginners and offer a range of services from shared to VPS and dedicated hosting.

HostMonster is a Utah-based company that’s been around since 1996. With over 9 million clients globally, they’ve earned their stripes. Their plans start at $4.95/mo and offer beginner-friendly features. They’re known for their user-friendly technology and top-notch customer service.

Bluehost, established in 2003, is one of the most recognized names in web hosting. Created by two brothers, they now serve customers in seven countries, including the USA. With over 400,000 clients and a strong team worldwide, they’re a force to be reckoned with. They’re also highly recommended by WordPress.org, which speaks volumes about their service quality.

Budget: Both offer competitive pricing, but HostMonster starts slightly cheaper.
Ease of Use: Both are beginner-friendly, but Bluehost has a slight edge with its intuitive interface.
Features: Both provide a range of features suitable for beginners, but Bluehost offers more advanced options.
Customer Support: Both excel in customer service, ensuring you’re never left in the lurch.
Stay tuned as we explore their pricing and plans in more detail to help you make the best choice for your online journey.

While it may boast big brand partnerships and advanced features, the reality is that its hosting is superficial and overpriced. With limited storage, slower network SSDs, and additional fees for essential add-ons, Kinsta might only be a reliable and cost-effective solution for some. Consider your requirements and make a well-informed choice for hosting success.

HostMonster vs Bluehost Overview

Core Features
HostMonster
Bluehost
Starting Price
Starting Price
Free Domain
Free Domain
Specialized
Specialized
Manage WordPress Hosting
Manage WordPress Hosting
Disk Space
Disk Space
50GB-Unlimited
10GB - 250GB
Monthly Traffic
Monthly Traffic
25,000 - 2,500,000 visits
25,000 - 2,500,000 visits
Money Back Guarantee
Money Back Guarantee
30 days
30 days
Server Location
Server Location
Orem, Utah, USA
Orem, Utah, USA
General Features
HostMonster
Bluehost
Site Migrations
Email
Free Trial - $3/mo*
Free Trial - $3/mo*
WordPress Installation
1 click
1 click
Staging Environment
Free
Free
Websites
1 - 5
1 - 5
Bandwidth
Unmetered
Unmetered
Customer Support
HostMonster
Bluehost
Phone Support
Live Chat
24/7
24/7
Ticket Support
Multisite Support
Performance
HostMonster
Bluehost
Uptime Guarantee
99.9%
99.9%
Free CDN
Avg Response Time
639ms
639ms
Security
HostMonster
Bluehost
Firewall DDoS Protection
SSL Certificates
Free
Free
Automatic Backups
7 days
7 days
Malware Scanning
Hack Fix Guarantee
WHOIS Domain Privacy
Ease of use
HostMonster
Bluehost
cPanel
hPanel
hPanel
Users
Unlimited
Unlimited
Optimization Tools
PHP Versions
Multiple
Multiple
Website Builder
HostMonster Pricing & Hosting Types
Monthly
Shared Hosting
$2.75 - $9.95/mon*
Managed WordPress Hosting
Same as shared
Dedicated servers
$89.98 - $139.99/mon*
VPS Hosting
$29.99 - $69.99/mon*
WooCommerce Hosting
$6.75 - $9.95/mon*
Bluehost Pricing & Hosting Types
Monthly
Shared Hosting
$2.75 - $9.95/mon*
Managed WordPress Hosting
Same as shared
Dedicated servers
$89.98 - $139.99/mon*
VPS Hosting
$29.99 - $69.99/mon*
WooCommerce Hosting
$6.75 - $9.95/mon*

Close Second

Hostmonster Logo

HostMonster Rating

4. 1 /5

4.1/5

Pros

Cons

Save Over 75% All Months

Over all Winner

Bluehost-icon

OVHcloud Rating

4. 1 /5

4.1/5

Pros

Cons

Save Over 75% All Months
Best Deal

Help me choose a best hosting

1
2
3

Todays  Best Deals

Bluehost blue color icon

Bluehost

Enjoy 63% discount on Bluehost's Online Store package. Known for being top WordPress hosting solution.

DreamHost icon

DreamHost

Get 72% off on DreamHost's Starter. A fast & reliable web hosting service.

Elementor dark red icon

Elementor

Save 33% on Elementor. A powerful and user-friendly website builder for WordPress. No Coding Knowledge required to use!.

HostGator crocodile

HostGator

Enjoy 73% off on HostGator's shared hosting. Plus get a domain for FREE!

Hostmonster vs Bluehost

Comparing Pricing and Plans: HostMonster vs Bluehost

Bluehost and HostMonster are two of the most popular web hosting services available today. Both offer excellent customer service and reliable services, so you can rest easy knowing that you have made the right choice for your business. 

Both companies have a wide range of plans, from shared hosting up to managed dedicated servers, as well as free domain, free SSL certificate, email services, and more. 

Although the two companies are pretty similar in pricing, a few differences should be considered before choosing which company to use. HostMonster has 3 shared hosting plans Basic, Plus, and Choice Plus, and their 12-month price starts from $4.95 to $6.95 per month.

Hostmonster Shared Web Hosting Packages

 While Bluehost has 4 shared hosting plans Basic, Plus, Choice, and Pro. Their 12-month price start from $2.95 to $13.95 per month.

Bluehost Shared Hosting Packages

 Both offer almost the same features and the same amount of features as the website. Both companies offer 1 website and 1 domain with a Basic plan. Moreover, both provide the standard type of performance for your website, free SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, and more. 

Bluehost and HostMonster offer domain privacy for free with their shared hosting plan. You can also get extra paid add-ons with your hosting plans. Let’s say Hostmonster offers SEO tools for $1.99 per month and $23.88 yearly, and siteLock security-essential for $2.08 per month and $24.99 yearly. 

In Contrast, Bluehost offers Yoast SEO tools for $2.99 per month, its yearly price is $35.88, and siteLock security-essential for $2.99 per month and $35.88 per year. After learning about their shared hosting plans, now you are probably thinking: What will be their renewal prices and domain prices? 

Well, I will explain the renewal prices of both web hosting providers so you can easily choose a hosting plan according to your needs.

Renewal prices

HostMonster has affordable renewal prices. They offer 12-month, 24-month, and 36-month prices for shared hosting plans. 

For example, the HostMonster renewal fee for a Basic shared hosting plan for 12 months is $11.99 per month, $14.99 per month for the Plus plan, and $17.99 per month for the Choice Plus plan, which HostMonster recommends. 

If you want to buy a 12-month Choice Plus plan. The cost will be $9.45/mo, 12*9.45=$113.40 but if you want extra add-ons, then the subtotal will be $162.27, and if you want to purchase a 36-month plan, then the price will be $6.95/mo, 36*6.95=225.20 and the subtotal will be $299.07 after adding extra paid add-ons.

Subtotal of Shared Hosting's Choice Plus Planof Hostmonster for 12 month

HostMonster Domain Names

  • .com $11.99/year. Renews at $18.99/year
  • .org $8.99/year. Renews at $17.99/year
  • .net $12.99/year. Renews at $18.99/year
  • .store $9.99/year. Renews at $34.99/year
  • .info $11.99/year. Renews at $15.99/year

Bluehost has the most affordable renewal pricing. They offer 12-month and 36-month pricing options for shared hosting. Bluehost’s renewal price for Basic is $9.99 per month, $14.99 per month for Plus, $18.99 per month for Choice Plus (recommended by Bluehost), and $28.99 per month for Pro. 

If you purchase the 12-month Choice Plus plan, the cost will be $5.45/mo, 12*5.45=65.40. Moreover, if you want extra add-ons, the subtotal will be $177.15. If you buy the same package for 36 months, the plan will cost $7.45/mo. 

The total will be 36*7.45=268.20. Although if you want extra add-ons, the subtotal will be $389.95.

Bluehost Shared Hosting Choice Plus for 12 months

Bluehost domain names

  • .com $12.99/yr. Renews at $18.99/year
  • .org $9.99/yr. Renews at $17.99/year
  • .net $18.99/yr. Renews at $18.99/year
  • .store $12.99/yr. Renews at $15.00/year
  • .info $11.99/yr. Renews at $15.99/year

Performance Showdown: HostMonster vs Bluehost - Which is Faster?

The powerful servers of HostMonster that are offered in VPS plans can easily support several hundred websites, and they have taken many steps to ensure your site is one of them. 

In addition, it has done a lot to ensure that your site is listed at the top of search engines, so your site will rank higher than competitors and get a lot of traffic. HostMonster also offers Cloudflare, a very powerful Content Delivery Network (CDN) that it offers to all its customers for free. 

So if you are worried about a sudden spike in traffic, Cloudflare is a great way to handle this increased traffic. HostMonsters provides its customers with an uptime of 99.95%, so you don’t have to worry about their website being down for a long time. 

In fact, they have had a pretty good record for the past few months. Hostmonster uptime guarantee for the past 5 months:

  • September 2022: 99.98%
  • August 2022: 99.93%
  • July 2022: 99.89%
  • June 2022: 99.98%
  • May 2022: 99.96%

On the other hand, Bluehost also offers Cloudflare for free for your website, so your website runs smoothly and fast. They also offer high-performance servers in VPS plans like CPU and IPS etc. 

Moreover, Bluehost promises their customer an excellent 99.99% uptime guarantee. The uptime guarantee of Bluehost for the past 5 months:

  • September 2022: 99.43%
  • August 2022: 100%
  • July 2022: 99.87%
  • June 2022: 99.98%
  • May 2022: 99.81%

Is HostMonster has a better page loading speed than Bluehost?

Yes, HostMonster has a better page loading speed than Bluehost. First, we created two websites on each hosting account to test the loading speed. Then we use the Pingdom tool to check the speed of HostMonster and Bluehost. We got some surprisingly exciting results, which are listed below.

The results of the HostMonster website are listed below:

  • Asia – Japan- Tokyo: 2.18s
  • Europe – United Kingdom – London: 1.29s
  • North America – USA – Washington DC: 1.09s
  • Pacific – Australia – Sydney: 1.30s
Website speed test

The results of the Bluehost website are as follows:

  • Asia – Japan- Tokyo: 1.41s
  • Europe – United Kingdom – London: 1.35s
  • North America – USA – Washington DC: 1.92s
  • Pacific – Australia – Sydney: 2.39s

The Winner: HostMonster

In HotMonster vs Bluehost: Speed and Performance, HostMonster is the winner.

HostMonster vs Bluehost Security

If you run a website, you’re probably aware that hackers constantly try to break into your site and steal your data. The goal of any website owner is to ensure that their site is entirely safe and secure, and keeping hackers out is an essential part of that process. 

Unfortunately, some website owners don’t take website security seriously and often leave themselves open to attacks. Both HostMonster and Bluehost offer siteLock for website security. 

SiteLock helps prevent this by putting up a strong firewall. It also scans the site once a day to alert you if any malware has made its way past the firewall and if so, it will attempt to remove it to minimize damage. 

SiteLock can help you protect more than just your website; it can also help you protect your business. There has never been a more risky time for your internet business. 

Hackers utilize malware, cross-site scripting, SQL injection, and other advanced ways to steal your customer data and reroute your traffic, destroying your website’s reputation. 

You can save up to 80% off the retail price of SiteLock’s products. As you know, both are the same companies, so both companies’ siteLock has 3 plans, essentials, Prevent, and Prevent Plus, and their price starts from $35.88 to 399.88 per year. 

Only the cost of HostMonster essential plans differs, which is $24.99 per year. Moreover, both also offer the Essential hosting plan in extra add-ons.

SiteLock Plans

The Winner: HostMonster

In HostMonster vs Bluehost: Security, Both offer the same plans and pricing of SiteLock. However, HostMonster has a bit cheap price for the Essential plan. Other than that, all features of the plans and features are the same.
Now let’s get into the further topic.

Who is better in terms of Customer support, HostMonster vs Bluehost?

HostMonster offers customer service and assistance around the clock. The HostMonster support team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to help you with any issues. 

They can assist you with billing difficulties, domain name changes, hosting plan selection, and other issues. They can also help you with your purchase status, order history, and billing information. 

If you have an issue with your HostMonster account, you can reach them by phone, email, live chat, or their ticketing system. They also have a knowledge base section. In addition, you can find FAQs about anything hosting the web. 

I have used their live chat support and their response time was excellent. You can expect their response within a minute. So, I talked to one of their team members, who provided very informative data.

Hostmonster Live Chat Service

Bluehost offers 24/7 customer support through live chat, phone, and an email ticketing system. In addition, it provides multiple services, including site hosting, data recovery, and 24-hour technical assistance. 

On top of that, Bluehost has a vast knowledge base section where you can find solutions to your concerns, and they have very informative. Finally, you can find FAQs in Bluehost’s knowledge base if you don’t find any solution to your problem. But the downside of Bluehost is the ticket-based support system. 

Bluehost recently decided to eliminate ticket-based support to focus on the personal approach of live chat support and phone-based support. I also used their live chat service, and the response time of live chat representatives was good. 

Also, I came to know that both companies have the same live chat specialists. They also respond within 1 minute.

Bluehost Live Chat

In HostMonster vs Bluehost: Customer Support, both have the same customer service. There’s nothing different between them. However, Bluehost is a better option.

Our Verdict: Which is better, Bluehost or HostMonster?

This HostMonster vs Bluehost comparison was a nail-biter. They both offer almost the same features in their hosting plans, with only a bit of difference between the prices of their hosting plans. 

The Winner: Bluehost

Bluehost offers a free domain name, free migration, free SSL, Cloudflare CDN, 99.9% uptime, and 24/7 customer service for as little as $2.95 per month. It could be the first choice for beginners.

Bluehost Logo Upto 70% Off!
Get Upto 70% Off on WordPress + WooCommerce
WordPress Hosting
No promo code required. We have a special offer for our viewers. Gain more power with optimized web resources, perfect for blogs or starting your online sales venture. Save even more by signing up for a 36-month period.

Best Alternatives to HostMonster and Bluehost

Here are some noteworthy alternatives if you’re still searching for the right hosting provider after exploring the HostMonster vs Bluehost comparison. Each host brings something unique to the table in the hosting market. Let’s quickly cover what they’re known for, leading you to our detailed reviews:

  1. DreamHost: Known for affordability and user-friendly experience. Read our DreamHost review.
  2. Hostinger: Known for affordable hosting. Read our Hostinger review.
  3. GoDaddy: A giant in domain registration and comprehensive hosting solutions. Read our GoDaddy review.
  4. WP Engine: Known for premium WordPress hosting. Read our Wp Engine review.
  5. Namecheap: Offers competitively priced domains and hosting services. Read our Namecheap review.
  6. A2 Hosting: High-performance hosting with a focus on speed and reliability. Read our A2 Hosting review.
  7. Kinsta: Premium managed WordPress hosting for demanding websites. Read our detailed Kinsta review.
  8. InMotion Hosting: Balanced offerings with great support and reliability. Read our InMotion Hosting evaluation.
  9. GreenGeeks: Eco-friendly hosting with a commitment to sustainability. Read our GreenGeeks review.
  10. TMD Hosting: Known for excellent customer service and diverse hosting plans. Read our TMD Hosting analysis.
  11. OVHCloud: Offers extensive cloud and web hosting services. Read our OVHCloud review.
  12. HostPapa: Small business-oriented with a range of easy-to-use tools. Read our HostPapa review.
  13. StableHost: Reliable hosting with an emphasis on stability. Visit our StableHost review.
  14. Cloudways: Cloud hosting management is made easy and efficient. Read our Cloudways review.

FAQs of HostMonster vs Bluehost

While both Bluehost and HostMonster are reputable web hosting providers, the choice between the two depends on individual needs. Bluehost is well-known for its seamless WordPress integration and robust customer support, making it slightly more user-friendly for beginners. HostMonster, on the other hand, offers competitive pricing and a wide range of hosting options, making it a suitable choice for those looking for variety and scalability.

WordPress.org often recommends Bluehost, which is known for its seamless WordPress integration and user-friendly dashboard. HostMonster also supports WordPress but does not offer the same level of optimization and features tailored specifically for WordPress as Bluehost.

Both HostMonster and Bluehost provide free SSL certificates with their hosting plans. SSL certificates are essential for website security and encrypting data transmitted between the user and the server.

The primary differences between HostMonster and Bluehost lie in their pricing, features, and customer support. While both offer competitive pricing, Bluehost is slightly more budget-friendly. Bluehost also provides more specialized WordPress hosting options and is often praised for its efficient customer support.

Both HostMonster and Bluehost offer a free domain with their hosting plans. This is a standard offering for many hosting providers and is a great value addition for users looking to start a new website.

Help others and Share it:

Table of Contents

iblogo favicon

At iblogo.com, we dedicate ourselves to providing exceptional, trustworthy information through our comprehensive articles and extensive research. We stand out by conducting our own independent studies, gathering first-hand data, and delivering incisive analysis. The studies and illustrations in this article are based on authentic sources, fully verified by our in-house experts.

We do our part to ensure the information we share is accurate and reliable. But, iblogo is not responsible for any mistakes in the data users, research participants, or others provided us.

Remember, we write our articles to share general information. If you have any questions about this article or the research behind it, we’re here to help. For more details, you can email our iblogo Experts directly at [email protected].

Disclosure: Some of the money for our independent research and comprehensive reviews comes from affiliate commissions. This doesn’t cost our readers anything extra.