Before launching a website you need to host it somewhere. A hosting is the place where you store your website and serve it to your web visitors.
A reliable hosting is vital for your WordPress site, so you have to make sure that you choose the best one for your needs.
Disclosure: this article is based on my personal experience and should be treated as such. I’ve been using SiteGround for a long time and I’m fully satisfied with their services.
When you’re a beginner and want to launch a website, you’re most probably overwhelmed and don’t know where to start from. I remember launching my 1st website, I was completely lost and didn’t know what to do.
Thank God I had a friend with development skills who got hosting for me and launched the website. He hosted the site on DigitalOcean, which is mainly a provider for developers and requires advanced technical knowledge.
I had no idea how to manage the hosting and to be honest there where times when my friend had difficulties as well (reminder, he’s a developer).
Anyway, things have changed and I started testing other hosting solutions. I learned more about websites and how they work and at one point I was able to host my site and configure it by my own.
I’ve tested multiple providers like Bluehost, GoDaddy, HostGator, Cloudways, Kinsta, WP Engine, etc. until I ended up using SiteGround on a permanent basis. I can now firmly state that this is my favorite hosting provider and I’m very happy with it.
Why? Because it’s fast, easy to use, has plenty of useful features, is cost-efficient and has a wonderful support service. Also, anyone can use it, you don’t need advanced technical skills to get started and manage your hosting account.
So, here are 5 reasons why I think SiteGround is better that Bluehost. I won’t go into details, as there are plenty of resources on web which describe every point in details. I will only list the advantages based on my own experience. Here they are:
1. Company reputation
Bluehost is a part of Endurance International Group (EIG). This company was founded in 1997 and it has been expanding its business by acquiring other hosting companies and moving their IT infrastructure to other countries like India.
The problem with EIG is that their main goal is to make profit and please their shareholders. That’s why they don’t really care about the community, innovation and customer support. Here is a list of all hosting brands managed by EIG. I would recommend you to stay away from them.
SiteGround on the other hand, has been in the business since 2004. These guys from Sofia, Bulgaria proved to be hard working, persistent and innovative. They have been evolving and providing excellent service ever since.
I remember when they were just starting out and competing with other big names in the industry. I’ve noticed their will to collaborate with other brands, release new features and focus on customer support.
2. Features
Since we’re talking about WordPress hosting we’ll compare the features based on their WordPress hosting plans. You can find the detailed description of SiteGround WordPress hosting plans in one of my previous articles.
For this comparison I chose their mid-tier plans, which are: GrowBig by SiteGround and Plus by Bluehost.
| GrowBig by SiteGround | Plus by Bluehost | |
|---|---|---|
| Initial price | $9.99/mo. | $4.95/mo. |
| Renewal price | $24.99/mo. | $10.99/mo. |
| Nr. of sites | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Web space | 20 GB | Unmetered |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Free backups | Yes | No |
| Free migration | Yes | No |
| Free email | Yes | No |
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
| Staging | Yes | No |
| Collaborators | Yes | No |
| Free domain name | No | Yes |
| 30-days money-back | Yes | No |
As you can see SiteGround clearly beats Bluehost in terms of features. Yes, Bluehost offers a free domain name, but who cares? You can get one for a really decent price from NameCheap.
The folks from SiteGround are constantly improving stuff and adding new options.You can check their latest updates here.
3. Performance
As I said earlier, I won’t go into details here. There are lots of impartial reviews on web which prove that SiteGround delivers better performance than Bluehost. Here is an example.
4. User experience
Both user interfaces are pretty easy to use. However, in 2019, SiteGround re-designed their user interface and replaced cPanel with a proprietary client area and site tools section. The new client area is fast, provides a great user experience and is much easier to use.
5. Customer support
Both providers provide multiple support channels. However, SiteGround provides an excellent customer support service. I know this, because I had multiple questions and support tickets with them and every time they proved to be very fast and efficient.
| SiteGround | Bluehost | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge base | Yes | Yes |
| Email support | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support | Yes | Yes |
| Live chat | Yes | Yes |
Also, don’t take my word for it, you can find lots of surveys in Facebook groups, proving that their service and support are superior. Here are a few examples:
Of course, you can do your own research and find out more about the difference between these 2 hosting providers and their services. The good news is: I already did this for you.
I’ve checked trustful 3rd party resources and well know social media sites for unbiased opinions and reviews. Below are the results, and the winner is obvious.
3rd party review sites
G2 reviews
SiteGround rating: 4.1 out of 5 ★★★★☆
Bluehost rating: 3.7 out of 5 ★★★★☆
SiteGround reviews, Bluehost reviews
Trustpilot
SiteGround rating: 4.7 out of 5 ★★★★★
Bluehost rating: 2.7 out of 5 ★★★☆☆
SiteGround reviews, Bluehost reviews
Sitejabber
SiteGround rating: 4.9 out of 5 ★★★★★
Bluehost rating: 2.3 out of 5 ★★☆☆☆
SiteGround reviews, Bluehost reviews
Social media sites
There are plenty of discussions and opinions on social media sites. I’ve comprised a list of the latest ones from Reddit and Quora. Have a look below.
What people say on Reddit
What people say on Quora
Why is SiteGround better than Bluehost?
There are multiple reasons that will help you to understand that SiteGround hosting is better than Bluehost Plans. Although Bluehost is very popular, cheap and #1 WordPress recommended hosting, but SiteGround is better as their speed technology is awesome, support is exceptional and security is fantastic.
Read all the answers here.
Which is the best for WordPress hosting for 2020?
When it comes to selecting the best hosting provider for a WordPress-based site, there is one important thing to keep in mind before diving into what factors we need to take into account.
Avoid any hosting subsidiaries from the Endurance International Group.
Why? In short, they suck!
Read all the answers here.
Which is the best company that offers WordPress hosting?
Bluehost is one of oldest companies in the industry. It has become one of the largest businesses to provide WordPress hosting.
SiteGround is one of the most popular WordPress hosting providers among a wide variety of users. It’s been known for great performance and customer support.
Read all the answers here.
Conclusion
Yes, there are plenty of hosting providers out there. If your only criteria is price, then you can go for the cheapest one. However, I don’t recommend you this route. In this way, you”ll generate more harm than benefits.
If you’re looking for a reliable hosting, which is fast, secure, easy to use and has a great customer support, then SiteGround is the best choice for you. Over the years, I found this solution to be the golden mean, as it’s not too expensive, offers plenty of useful features and has a excellent support service.
Check the Siteground hosting plans and get started today. Remember, anyone can launch a website without advanced technical skills.
