As a hosting expert who has spent extensive time comparing Bluehost and WP Engine, I can confidently say that Bluehost and WP Engine have made great strides in becoming two of the best hosting services on the market in 2023.
Both offer fast loading speeds and reliable uptime while providing top-notch customer service.
Bluehost is more affordable with a wide range of features, while WP Engine is geared towards those who need more robust managed hosting solutions.
But which one should you choose for your website or business?
Bluehost and WP Engine are both excellent choices with distinct differences that make them suited to different types of websites and businesses.
To help you decide between Bluehost and WP Engine, let’s look at how the two stack up against each other in terms of features and pricing!
How Did We Test WP Engine & Bluehost?
TYB 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 WP Engine 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:
Bluehost is our winner!
Bluehost is more flexible in terms of types of hosting compared to WP Engine.
While WP Engine’s speed, uptime, and security features are superior, Bluehost provides additional features that beginners love.
What is Bluehost Web Hosting?
Bluehost is one of the oldest and most established web hosting companies and has been providing reliable web hosting services since 2003.
Bluehost offers a wide range of hosting solutions, from shared to managed WordPress, VPS, dedicated servers, and more.
Also, Bluehost provides domain registration, website design tools,
Bluehost is a one-stop shop for all your website hosting needs, and its customer service team provides fast and helpful support.
Where Bluehost Shines
When it comes to Bluehost, there are several areas where Bluehost truly stands out.
First and foremost, Bluehost is the perfect choice for a low-cost hosting solution combined with great features.
Bluehost also has an intuitive design that makes setting up a website easy and fast.
In addition, Bluehost’s comprehensive dashboard enables users to quickly and easily access all of the features they need to manage their website.
And if you’re a WordPress user, Bluehost is designed specifically for WordPress websites, offering optimized hosting plans and plenty of helpful tutorials.
Where Bluehost Falls Short
For all of Bluehost’s good points, there are a few areas where Bluehost falls short.
First, Bluehost is not the most secure hosting solution on the market.
Bluehost lacks many high-end security features that more expensive hosts offer, such as advanced malware scanning and protection.
Also, Bluehost’s website speeds and uptime can be unreliable at times.
Further, Bluehost lacks regular backups and automated restores, leaving users to do the work themselves or pay extra for managed backups.
Lastly, some of the basic plans Bluehost offers have trouble when experiencing high traffic, resulting in slower loading speeds.
What is WP Engine Web Hosting?
WP Engine is a web hosting platform designed specifically for WordPress websites.
Since its founding in 2010, WP Engine has become one of the most popular managed WordPress hosting companies and is used by some of the biggest names in tech and media.
WP Engine provides managed WordPress hosting plans designed to provide maximum performance, security, and reliability.
WP Engine’s plans include features such as automated backups, free SSL certificates, and access to WordPress experts who can help you with any issue or question you may have.
Where WP Engine Shines
Regarding WP Engine, there are several areas where the company shines.
WP Engine provides excellent uptime and speed.
WP Engine guarantees 99.95% uptime and provides global server locations, ensuring maximum performance for your website no matter where you’re located.
Further, WP Engine offers excellent security features, including free SSL certificates, advanced server scanning and monitoring, automated daily backups, and more.
And lastly, WP Engine provides top-notch customer service with helpful representatives available 24/7 to answer any questions about your WordPress website.
Where WP Engine Falls Short
For all of its good points, there are a few areas where WP Engine falls short.
WP Engine is more expensive than Bluehost and many other web hosting companies.
Additionally, WP Engine does not offer domain registration.
And lastly, while WP Engine’s speeds and uptime are excellent, Bluehost is still faster in terms of loading times.
Bluehost vs. WP Engine: Showdown
Hosting Types & Features
Winner: Bluehost. Bluehost offers more hosting types than WP Engine, making it a more sensible option for more people. Also, Bluehost’s hosting features are everything a beginner needs to start creating a professional website.
Bluehost
Bluehost offers the following types of hosting:
- Shared
- Dedicated
- VPS
- WordPress
- Managed
- WooCommerce
- Websites and Online Stores
Basic plans for websites and online stores start at $2.95 per month and come with a free domain (for the first year), custom WordPress themes, free SSL, and more.
Because Bluehost is best known for its WordPress hosting plans, the features included are great for first-time WordPress website developers.
Each of Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plans comes with automatic WordPress installation and updates, ensuring your site is always running smoothly.
WP Engine
WP Engine only offers managed WordPress and WooCommerce hosting solutions.
Each of the managed WordPress plans comes with the following features:
- Customizable themes and workflow tools
- One-click staging and backups
- Proactive security features
- Automated WordPress updates
- At least 10GB of storage
- At least 50GB of bandwidth per month
Extra features, like more security, automatic plugin updates, and site monitoring, cost an additional fee.
Performance & Speed
Winner: WP Engine. WP Engine provides an uptime guarantee, fast website loading speeds, and enough resources to handle a sudden influx of website visitors. If exceptional performance is your focus, WP Engine is your web host!
Uptime
Bluehost
Although Bluehost does not offer an uptime guarantee as other web host providers do, the company’s uptime is still very reliable and consistent.
For instance, most Bluehost sites experience 99.9% uptime with only a few minutes of downtime now and then.
Of course, any downtime is less than ideal.
But for the monthly cost, Bluehost provides exceptional uptime and an average response time.
WP Engine
WP Engine provides a 99.95% uptime guarantee, ensuring your site does not experience a lot of downtimes.
Some small websites on WP Engine even experience 100% uptime!
Regarding the server response time, WP Engine’s servers’ performance is average.
Speed
Bluehost
When discussing website speeds, it is essential to note that Bluehost only has data centers in the United States.
Therefore, if someone tries to access your website and they live in a different country, their loading times will be slower than average.
Still, Bluehost provides average speeds.
Bluehost’s servers are not as powerful as other hosts, like WP Engine, so you get what you pay for.
Your website will still load decently fast, so you are not risking losing potential customers over slow loading speeds.
WP Engine
WP Engine provides much faster speeds than Bluehost because its servers are more powerful and spread throughout numerous locations.
Therefore, WP Engine websites consistently observe incredible loading speeds and responsive servers.
Stress Testing
Bluehost
I used virtual bots to perform stress testing on each web host, indicating how well Bluehost and WP Engine performed when there were a lot of visitors on a site at once.
Most of Bluehost’s basic plans can handle around 15,000 unique visitors monthly.
So, if your website experiences more visitors than this, it is best to pay for a more expensive Bluehost plan or switch to a different host.
Typically, when Bluehost sites experience more visitors, the server response time slows significantly.
WP Engine
WP Engine websites are much more capable of handling stress and more visitors at one time.
Typically, sites can handle about 50,000 monthly visitors (with the basic plan).
Therefore, more advanced solutions through WP Engine should provide plenty of resources to handle a lot of visitors.
Ease of Use
Winner: Both providers are straightforward to use. But because WP Engine handles updates, security, and performance measures for you, this web host takes the cake in this category. The custom dashboard is intuitive and easy to use, relieving stress.
Bluehost
Bluehost’s easy-to-use dashboard makes it simple to manage your hosting plan.
Bluehost also offers helpful website building and site optimization tutorials for first-time users.
In addition, Bluehost has a comprehensive selection of themes, plugins, and marketing tools that make it easy to promote your website.
Bluehost is ideal for first-time website creators; the cPanel includes an updated to-do list and all a website’s information in one place.
WP Engine
WP Engine has an easy-to-use dashboard with several customization options.
WP Engine takes care of all the technical details, removing the stress and worry associated with managing your website.
The company handles performance, updates, and security for you.
In addition, WP Engine also offers helpful features such as Blueprints, Global Edge Security, and GeoIP blocking.
Pricing & Value
Winner: Bluehost. Almost no host can beat Bluehost’s monthly fee. For less than $5 a month, you can create, manage, and customize a WordPress website. Although WP Engine’s features are top-notch, the company’s plans may not be what a beginner needs. Therefore, Bluehost takes the win in this category.
Bluehost
Bluehost’s most affordable plan starts at $2.95 per month for your first year and renews at $10.99 monthly.
These plans include the following features:
- 10GB SSD storage
- Free CDN
- Free domain name for the first year
- Custom WordPress themes
- Free SSL for the first year
- Ability to host one website
For under $5 per month, you can get decent security features and a custom WordPress website to match your company’s vibe.
Additional features, like email services, professional website design, and broken link monitoring, cost a separate monthly fee.
Still, all of Bluehost’s services are affordable compared to other hosts.
WP Engine
WP Engine’s hosting plans are pricier than most hosts because you get better security features and reliable uptime.
WP Engine’s starting managed WordPress plan costs $20 per month.
The pricing increases when you add more sites, monthly visitors, and added storage to your plan.
WP Engine’s starting WooCommerce plan costs $50 per month.
Lastly, the Advanced Solutions plan starts at $600 per month.
Regarding the features WP Engine includes in the managed WordPress plan, some of them have the following:
- Speed, performance, and
SEO optimization - Threat blocking and security
- Automated WordPress and PHP updates
- Customizable themes
- Workflow tools
- One-click staging and backups
Website Security
Winner: WP Engine. While Bluehost offers security features, they are only basic. WP Engine takes security further and provides more protection from malware and viruses.
Bluehost
Bluehost provides basic security features, including the following, in each hosting plan:
- SSLs (free for the first year)
- Cloudflare CDN integration
- Two-factor authentication
Still, if you are looking for regular site backups and malware protection, you need to pay extra.
For instance, Bluehost’s WordPress plans include malware scanning, daily website backups, and domain privacy if you upgrade to the Choice Plus option.
Security is one area where Bluehost could improve in the future.
WP Engine
WP Engine takes website security very seriously.
The company provides daily backups, firewalls, automatic threat detection, SSL certificates, and CDN activation with one click.
Plus, WP Engine also offers multi-factor authentication for an added layer of security.
WP Engine’s team of experts handles server-level security while you can take care of the website’s content.
WP Engine is an ideal choice if website security is a top priority for your business.
Help & Support
Winner: Bluehost. Bluehost’s representatives respond faster than WP Engine’s, which is the only reason it takes the cake in this category. Otherwise, both web hosts provide excellent customer support.
Bluehost
Bluehost provides 24/7 live chat and phone customer support.
It is best to use the live chat feature if you want a fast response.
That said, Bluehost’s team of professionals immediately replies to live chat inquiries.
Also, the support team is very helpful and almost always gives you an answer to your question.
Further, Bluehost has a Knowledge Base center, allowing users to type their questions into a search bar to find tutorials and blogs answering their questions.
WP Engine
WP Engine provides 24/7 customer support via live chat, telephone, and email tickets.
While the live chat assistants are quick to respond, sometimes you have to wait a bit for a response.
Also, WP Engine has a helpful knowledge base with plenty of articles on various topics.
WordPress Hosting Features
Winner: Bluehost. This was a tight race. Bluehost wins because the web host offers more flexibility with unmanaged and managed WordPress hosting. Therefore, if you are on a tight budget, you can still get reliable WordPress hosting.
Bluehost
Bluehost is designed to host WordPress sites.
Therefore, Bluehost’s WordPress plans include everything you need to get started.
Also, this web host offers managed and unmanaged WordPress hosting plans.
The managed hosting plans start at $19.95 per month.
Each managed WordPress plan at Bluehost comes with the following features:
- Unlimited web storage
- Unlimited domains
- Staging environment
- Unlimited subdomains
- No traffic limits
- Hundreds of free WordPress themes
- Daily backups
- Malware protection and removal
- Domain Privacy
Also, Bluehost offers additional services for email campaigns, marketing, and more if you want to take your WordPress site to the next level.
WP Engine
WP Engine provides managed WordPress hosting.
Therefore, a team of experts handles your site’s security, performance measures, and updates while you get to focus on the content and other business aspects.
Also, WP Engine provides a lot of security features to protect your WordPress site from malware and hackers.
Lastly, WP Engine’s managed plans are affordable, considering the security features you receive and the fact that you do not have to worry about a lot of maintenance.
Extras
Winner: Bluehost. Bluehost has excellent website migration services, affordable email hosting integrations, and an intuitive website builder. The fact that WP Engine does not have email hosting is surprising, considering the advanced nature. of the host’s plans.
Website Migration
Bluehost
Bluehost offers free WordPress migrations when you start an account with the company.
With this service, a professional will move your website to Bluehost.
Still, there are three plans for site migration; Basic, Plus, and Choice Plus.
These plans range from $4.95 to $7.45 per month and come with various features.
Also, Bluehost includes an easy-to-understand graphic listing the steps for migrating a site to WordPress if you do it yourself.
WP Engine
WP Engine offers the WP Engine Automated Migration Tool to easily migrate your site’s content and database with one click.
Most people use this option.
However, you can choose to migrate your website manually if you do not want to use the plugin.
Fortunately, WP Engine provides a step-by-step guide to migrating your website manually if you go that route.
Email Hosting
Bluehost
Bluehost offers affordable email hosting plans that integrate Google apps, allowing you to connect, create, and collaborate easily.
Bluehost offers three email hosting plans ranging from $3 to $9 per month (you must pay annually).
These services include the following features:
- An email matching your domain
- Gmail and Google Calendar integration
- 30GB Drive Cloud storage per user
- Google Meet video conferencing with up to 100 people
- Chat platform
- Google, Docs, Sheets, and Slides integration
Bluehost integrates Google Workspace into your control panel, allowing you to locate these features quickly.
WP Engine
WP Engine currently does not host DNS or email.
However, users can still integrate third-party email services like Gmail into their WP Engine website.
Website Builders
Bluehost
Bluehost offers two kinds of website builders; one for WordPress and another for other sites on Bluehost.
The Bluehost Builder does not integrate with WordPress and works for online stores and blogs.
However, this website builder is only available to customers who purchased a Bluehost site before 2021.
The Bluehost Website Builder is available for all sites created after 2021 and integrates with WordPress.
This builder includes a drag-and-drop editor that is easy to use and allows limitless customization.
WP Engine
WP Engine has an excellent website builder, allowing you to manage content faster.
The Visual Composer offers top-notch performance and focuses on site speed and
You can choose the free Visual Composer or the Premium version for more customization.
The Premium version costs $50 annually for the starter package.
Alternatives to Bluehost
A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is a reliable web host with competitive pricing and excellent customer support.
Also, A2 Hosting offers an array of plans that fit all budgets.
Furthermore, the company’s hosting services are faster than Bluehost on average and come with more storage space when you purchase the highest tier plan.
Hostinger
Hostinger is an excellent Bluehost alternative, especially for those on a budget.
Hostinger offers shared hosting plans starting at $1.99 per month and VPS servers from as low as $3.95 per month.
Additionally, the web host promises fast loading times and reliable uptime, making it ideal for businesses and bloggers alike.
Hostinger is also well-known for its user-friendly features, including a one-click installer for WordPress and an easy-to-use control panel.
Alternatives to WP Engine
Flywheel
Flywheel is a great alternative to WP Engine because the company offers advanced, cloud-based WordPress hosting.
The company offers managed WordPress hosting plans that offer everything you need to get your website up and running quickly.
These managed WordPress plans start at $13 per month.
Additionally, Flywheel’s plans include site staging, cloning, malware scanning, backups, and migration services.
Furthermore, Flywheel has various plans for businesses of all sizes, making it easy to find one that fits your needs.
Dreamhost
Dreamhost offers reliable web hosting services for WordPress sites.
The company’s plans start at $2.59 per month, making it an affordable alternative to WP Engine.
Dreamhost also includes features such as unlimited bandwidth and storage, free domain name registration, and a 100% uptime guarantee.
Moreover, Dreamhost’s plans include a free SSL certificate and 24/7 award-winning customer support.
Additionally, Dreamhost has an intuitive control panel that makes it easy to manage your website and its features.
Conclusion
Bluehost and WP Engine are excellent web hosting providers that offer reliable services for businesses of all sizes.
Bluehost is an excellent choice for those looking for an affordable option, while WP Engine has more advanced features and better performance.
Ultimately, Bluehost and WP Engine are both excellent choices for website hosting.
Which do you prefer? Let us know in the comments!
WP Engine vs. Bluehost FAQ
Bluehost is a more affordable hosting option, while WP Engine provides more advanced security features and better performance for a higher price. Also, WP Engine focuses on managed WordPress hosting. Bluehost has a variety of hosting options.
WP Engine is an excellent choice for those who want reliable, managed WordPress hosting. However, other hosts also offer excellent web hosting services that are more affordable and may be better suited to your needs. Ultimately, the best solution depends on your budget and requirements.
No, Bluehost is not necessary if you have WordPress. However, Bluehost provides reliable and affordable web hosting services that are perfect for businesses of all sizes with a WordPress site. Furthermore, Bluehost has various plans to choose from, making it an excellent choice for those looking for a reliable and cost-effective hosting solution.
WP Engine is an excellent choice for those looking for reliable, managed WordPress hosting. The company offers a variety of plans that are designed with businesses and bloggers of all sizes in mind. Additionally, WP Engine offers features such as site staging, cloning, malware scanning, backups, and migration services. Therefore, WP Engine is worth the cost.
Yes, Bluehost is a good hosting company. Bluehost offers reliable and affordable web hosting. Bluehost’s plans include features such as unlimited bandwidth, free domain name registration, and excellent uptime.
