Bluehost vs. GoDaddy (2023)

Web hosting providers make it easy to build a website from scratch or transfer an existing site to a different web host.

I have spent countless hours using the top web hosting providers available and know which ones are worth the price and which are best to leave behind.

In this article, I will break down the similarities and differences between Bluehost and GoDaddy, ultimately helping you decide which web host is best for your site.

Choosing the right web host right away is crucial because transferring websites can be a headache if they have a lot of data.

Keep reading if you want to discover more about two of the leading web hosts in today’s market; Bluehost and GoDaddy!

How Did We Test Bluehost & GoDaddy?

The team at Tweak Your Biz only uses the highest testing standard with the most trusted software. We rely on lab testing and data instead of our objective point of view.

During testing, we set up two staging sites hosted on Bluehost and GoDaddy to measure the results in the following areas:

• Hosting Types and Features
• Performance and Speed
• Ease of Use
• Pricing and Value
• Website Security
• Help and Support
• WordPress Features
• Extras

Our Winner:

GoDaddy is our winner!

GoDaddy’s web hosting plans may cost more than Bluehost’s. 

However, the security features, modern website builder, and loading speeds make GoDaddy our top choice. 

Also, the fact the GoDaddy has marketing services, professional website builders on staff, and various web hosting options allow the host to separate itself as the lead in the debate between GoDaddy versus Bluehost. 

What is Bluehost Web Hosting?

Bluehost is a web hosting provider that helps businesses and individuals easily create stunning websites.

Bluehost offers various services, from shared hosting to VPS hosting, making it the perfect choice for any website size or budget.

Further, Bluehost has been around since 2003, so you can trust their experience level.

Also, Bluehost provides tons of helpful features like free domain registration, unlimited storage, bandwidth, and a free SSL certificate.

Bluehost provides customers with 24/7 customer support and security features to ensure your site is safe from hackers.

Overall, Bluehost is a reliable web hosting provider for anyone looking for an easy way to get their website up and running!

Where Bluehost Shines

Bluehost shines at low prices, great value for your money, and WordPress integration.

Bluehost offers fantastic pricing as low as $2.95 per month and provides more features with its higher-tier plans.

Also, Bluehost integrates seamlessly with WordPress, making it an ideal choice for any website looking to use the popular CMS platform.

Further, Bluehost offers 24/7 customer support, so you can always get help if something goes wrong.

Finally, Bluehost provides excellent security features such as malware scanning, a firewall system, and regular backups to ensure your website is safe from any unexpected threats (in specific plans).

Where Bluehost Falls Short

Unfortunately, Bluehost falls short in reliable speeds, the capability to handle stress, and consistent uptime.

Bluehost shared servers are often overwhelmed with data and slow to provide users with a good loading speed.

Further, Bluehost does not offer any guarantees regarding its uptime, and websites often experience downtime throughout the day.

Finally, some lower-tiered plans are unsuitable or capable of handling many visitors, and load times are slower during higher traffic.

What is GoDaddy Web Hosting?

GoDaddy is one of the market’s most well-known web hosting companies and domain sellers.

With that, GoDaddy offers various services, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and more.

Also, GoDaddy offers an easy-to-use website builder, domain registration, and email services.

As such, GoDaddy is the perfect choice for anyone looking to quickly get their website up and running.

Lastly, GoDaddy provides 24/7 customer support, so you can rest assured that your website is in good hands!

Where Godaddy Shines

GoDaddy has a comprehensive experience, an incredible website builder, and an impressive server response time.

GoDaddy has been around since 1997, so you can trust the company’s level of expertise.

Also, GoDaddy’s website builder is straightforward to use compared to others and allows users to easily create stunning websites.

Further, GoDaddy provides users with blazing-fast server response times and reliable uptimes, so you can rest assured knowing your website will always be up and running!

Where GoDaddy Falls Short

Unfortunately, GoDaddy falls short in the areas of higher monthly costs, complex WordPress integration, and difficult migration services.

GoDaddy is significantly more expensive than Bluehost, as its shared hosting plans can cost up to $7.99 per month.

Also, integrating a WordPress website with GoDaddy can be pretty challenging and requires users to have advanced coding knowledge.

Finally, migrating websites from an alternative web host to GoDaddy is difficult and requires significant effort from the user’s end.

Although the migration services are free, GoDaddy makes the customer handle all the work.

Bluehost vs. Godaddy: The Final Showdown

Hosting Types & Features

Winner: GoDaddy. Although GoDaddy and Bluehost have similar hosting options, GoDaddy serves as a one-stop shop for everything you need. For instance, GoDaddy has resources for domain name management, commerce tools, email and marketing techniques, and more.

Bluehost

Bluehost offers the following types of hosting services:

• WordPress
• Managed
• WooCommerce
• Shared
• Dedicated
• VPS

The only type of hosting missing from Bluehost’s arsenal is reseller web hosting.

Still, the provider has several excellent choices to select from!

GoDaddy

GoDaddy provides the following types of web hosting:

• WordPress (managed)
• Managed WooCommerce Stores 
• Shared 
• VPS
• Dedicated (managed and unmanaged)

GoDaddy’s hosting plans include a 99.9% uptime guarantee, NVMe SSDs, and expert hosting support.

Performance & Speed 

Winner: GoDaddy. The performance and speed comparison between GoDaddy and Bluehost is a tight race. However, GoDaddy is slightly more reliable and experiences less frequent downtime. Also, GoDaddy’s servers are more powerful and can handle higher traffic levels.

Uptime

Bluehost

Bluehost does not guarantee a specific uptime as other web hosts do.

Still, Bluehost’s uptime is relatively reliable and is often stable.

It’s important to note that Bluehost sites have downtime but the response time averages under the industry’s standard (about 600ms).

GoDaddy

Unlike Bluehost, GoDaddy provides an uptime guarantee of 99.9%, and the websites live up to that guarantee.

Still, GoDaddy sites can experience downtime now and then.

Also, GoDaddy’s response time is consistently faster and more stable than Bluehost’s.

Speed 

Bluehost

Bluehost websites typically have the Largest Contentful Paint load time under the industry standard (2.5 seconds).

Also, Bluehost sites have a quick load time.

The area where Bluehost lacks is in the initial server reaction (TTFB).

The best result would be up to 200ms, and Bluehost sites often reach about one second, indicating the servers can take a while to respond.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s LCP times are similar to Bluehost’s and are normally only slightly better.

Further, GoDaddy’s servers respond much faster than Bluehost’s servers.

Stress Testing 

Bluehost

Bluehost’s response time increase as the number of visitors to your website increases, meaning the provider slows down a little.

Still, Bluehost doesn’t fail because it has to handle more visitors (a great sign).

Essentially, Bluehost handles increased traffic by slowing down a little.

While this isn’t ideal, it is better than your website failing altogether.

GoDaddy

Like Bluehost, GoDaddy’s servers slowed down a bit when faced with increased traffic.

Still, GoDaddy’s servers can handle more visitors than Bluehost’s.

What this means is that GoDaddy’s servers have a bit more power.

Ease of Use 

Winner: Bluehost. Bluehost and GoDaddy offer modern user interfaces. However, Bluehost is better for beginners and makes it easier to start and manage a website. Bluehost’s cPanel makes it simple for users to locate all the information they need in one place.

Bluehost

Bluehost has a great user interface that makes it easy to use.

The site is divided into intuitive sections, and the hosting options are marked.

Also, Bluehost includes comprehensive guides and tutorials that explain how to set up and manage your website.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy is easy to use and manage.

GoDaddy has a straightforward dashboard that makes it easy to perform basic tasks, like setting up email accounts or domain transfers.

Additionally, GoDaddy’s hosting platform includes many useful features that make running your website easier.

The fact that GoDaddy’s hosting services and website builder are in the same place makes for a comprehensive experience.

Pricing & Value 

Winner: Bluehost. No other web host provider can beat the prices that Bluehost offers. With plans starting at $2.95 per month, you can get your website up quickly without breaking the bank.

Although GoDaddy’s plans offer incredible value for what you are spending, Bluehost’s prices are industry-leading.

Bluehost

Bluehost’s pricing is cost-effective and competitive.

Bluehost offers lower renewal prices than other competitors, such as GoDaddy.

Also, Bluehost offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing customers to try the provider risk-free for up to 30 days.

Shared hosting plans start at $2.95 per month for the first year.

The fact that Bluehost is so affordable makes it a great choice for small businesses and individuals on a budget.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s hosting solutions are more expensive than Bluehost’s. 

GoDaddy also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, but the renewal prices are higher than Bluehost’s. 

For instance, shared hosting plans start at $5.99 per month for the first year. 

The fact that GoDaddy is more costly makes it a great choice for larger businesses or individuals looking for more features and options.

However, GoDaddy does offer great value for the money spent, making it a viable option for those seeking high-end products and services.

Website Security 

Winner: GoDaddy. Although both web hosts could provide better security features, GoDaddy’s email security is a detail Bluehost doesn’t provide. The lower per-month rates explain why Bluehost is so inexpensive.

Bluehost

Bluehost takes very basic steps in terms of security.

For instance, Bluehost gives customers a free SSL certificate during their first year.

Also, the web host provider offers the following security features for free with all hosting plans:

• DDoS protection via Cloudflare
• Basic server monitoring

You must pay extra for security features like daily backups and malware removal.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy recently added free SSL certificates for each hosting plan, which the provider didn’t have.

On top of that, GoDaddy provides the following security features for free:

• Server monitoring for fraud, viruses, and DDoS
• Email and privacy protection

Again, GoDaddy forces you to pay extra for added security features like firewalls and malware removal.

Help & Support 

Winner: GoDaddy. Although GoDaddy does not include an email support feature like Bluehost, the live chat and telephone support outlets are extremely effective and fast.

Also, GoDaddy’s community forum, articles, and tutorials allow users to learn almost anything they want about managing and controlling a GoDaddy website.

Bluehost

Bluehost offers support via live chat, phone, and email services.

That said, Bluehost agents are available 24/7 to help you.

The quickest way to get a question answered is through live chat, where agents respond almost instantly.

Additionally, Bluehost has a large collection of articles and tutorials for users to browse and find answers to their questions.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy offers 24/7 support via live chat and telephone.

However, the live chat feature is slightly different from Bluehost’s in that you must talk to a chatbot instead of a real person.

Still, GoDaddy’s live chat has proven effective for numerous customers.

Also, GoDaddy has several articles and step-by-step tutorials for users about the host’s services.

In addition, GoDaddy has a community forum where questions get answered by other GoDaddy users.

WordPress Hosting Features

Winner: GoDaddy. Although Bluehost is less expensive and designed for WordPress sites, GoDaddy’s security features are top-notch for what you end up paying.

Transferring a WordPress site through GoDaddy will take a bit of time. But if you are starting from scratch, GoDaddy is the perfect option!

Bluehost

Bluehost’s services are explicitly designed for WordPress hosting.

Therefore, Bluehost has an intuitive website builder and free WordPress installation and migration services.

Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plans start at $2.95 monthly for the first year and renew at $10.99 monthly.

Each WordPress hosting plan includes the following:

• At least 10GB SSD storage
• Free CDN
• Hosting one WordPress site
• Free domain for the first year
• Custom WordPress themes
• Free SSL for the first year

Bluehost makes it easy to transform a regular WordPress site into an eCommerce powerhouse with the host’s tools and features.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy offers managed WordPress solutions at an affordable rate.

For instance, the basic plan costs $8.99 per month for the first year and renews at $9.99 monthly.

Also, the higher-tiered plans only cost a few dollars more and include several security features like 24-hour malware scanning and removal, SSL certificates, and website backups.

Some of the features included in GoDaddy’s WordPress hosting plans include the following:

• At least 20GB SSD storage
• 24-hour malware scans
• Two free Microsoft 365 mailboxes for the first year
• Free SSL certificate for the first year
• Free domain name for the first year
• Low transaction fee (for eCommerce platforms)
• Website backup protection

Extras

Winner: Bluehost. Bluehost includes several added extras into the hosting plans, while GoDaddy usually has you pay extra.

Further, Bluehost has free migrations, an excellent website builder tool, and more free email accounts than GoDaddy.

Website Migration 

Bluehost

Bluehost offers free automated WordPress migration.

Or, you can pay a one-time fee of $149.99 to have a WordPress professional transfer your site.

GoDaddy

With GoDaddy, it costs about $99 for website migration.

Also, you can transfer your WordPress site to GoDaddy for free, but this can be time-consuming and a bit of a headache if your site has a lot of data.

Email Hosting 

Bluehost

Bluehost’s basic shared hosting plan includes five free email accounts.

Naturally, the more you pay for a plan, the more email accounts associated with the website you receive.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy’s Economy package includes one free Microsoft 365 mailbox for the first year.

After the first year, users must pay for this account.

However, GoDaddy has email marketing campaign services for an additional monthly or annual fee.

Website Builders 

Bluehost

Bluehost has an integrated website builder that utilizes AI technology to provide the best designs for your site.

Also, it is easy to transform your site into a WordPress website using the website builder tool.

The website builder tool is free on all of Bluehost’s hosting plans.

GoDaddy

GoDaddy has an easy-to-use website builder feature that allows you to build a modern-looking website in minutes.

Using the drag-and-drop functionality, GoDaddy makes it easy for users to place all their photos, videos, and text directly into their website builder.

Also, GoDaddy allows you to hire a professional to design your website based on your niche, preferences, and desired security.

Alternatives to Bluehost

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting is a perfect alternative to Bluehost.

With plans starting at $3.92 per month, A2 Hosting offers unlimited storage, free SSL certificates, and domain privacy with their hosting packages.

In addition, A2 offers Turbo Servers, which give you 20 times faster page loading speeds than other hosts’ servers.

Also, the web host provider offers free website migration, a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 customer support via chat and phone.

A2 Hosting is the perfect Bluehost alternative for those looking to save money while getting fast website loading speeds.

Dreamhost

Dreamhost is another Bluehost alternative that offers web hosting solutions at an affordable rate.

The starter plan starts at $2.95 per month for the first year.

The more expensive plans are designed for WordPress and include extreme speeds, caching, staging, backups, free migrations, and 24/7 customer support.

Plus, Dreamhost has a 97-day money-back guarantee if the customer is unsatisfied with their services.

Dreamhost is an excellent Bluehost alternative for those looking for managed WordPress solutions and an intuitive website builder.

Alternatives to GoDaddy

HostGator

HostGator is a GoDaddy alternative that offers unparalleled hosting solutions.

HostGator offers unlimited bandwidth, free email, and domains for the first year with hosting plans.

In addition, the web host provider offers one-click WordPress installs and hundreds of dollars of ad credits in the higher-tiered plans.

HostGator also has excellent uptime and 24/7 customer support via phone and chat.

Hostinger

Hostinger is another great GoDaddy alternative that offers cheap hosting plans.

For as little as $2.99 per month, Hostinger provides customers with unmetered traffic, free weekly backups, and 24/7 customer support.

Also, the hosting provider has one of the fastest WordPress install speeds on the market, with a top-of-the-line caching system optimized for WordPress.

Hostinger is the perfect GoDaddy alternative for those looking to save money while getting quality hosting services.

Conclusion

Both Bluehost and GoDaddy offer quality website hosting services at affordable prices.

Bluehost’s integrated website builder is perfect for creating a modern-looking site without coding knowledge. At the same time, GoDaddy’s drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to add photos, videos, and text directly onto your website in minutes.

Ultimately, whichever web hosting provider you choose should depend on your website’s requirements, budget, and desired features.

Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!

Bluehost vs. GoDaddy FAQ