Searching for a web host provider is a big decision. Do you need budget hosting or lots of customization? Does performance have to suffer if you go for the cheapest option? Continue reading our Bluehost vs Liquidweb comparison to find out which one is right for your needs.
Bluehost vs Liquidweb – Performance
Bluehost has a 99.93% uptime, which is actually pretty low, as web hosting services go. Their page load times are around 1,058ms on average. If you want to keep people on your site, you’ll want to have the fastest load times possible.
That’s where Liquidweb comes in. They have a 100% uptime guarantee and an average page load time of 458ms. That’s less than half Bluehost speed. In fact, Liquidweb boasts that their load times are the best in the industry. Therefore, Liquidweb is superior when it comes to performance.
Bluehost vs Liquidweb – Pricing & Features
If you are on a tight budget, Bluehost is definitely the host you’ll want to choose. They have three plans to start with, and these plans offer just what you need to get started. Prices range from $2.95 per month to $14.99 per month.
Bluehost has the cheapest rates between the two. Liquidweb is definitely not a web host that is offering low rates for those just starting a website or blog. Monthly rates start at $50 per month and go up to around $400 per month, unless a custom package is ordered.
| Hosting Company | Price Range/Month | Domains | Disk Space (min to max) | Bandwidth (min to max) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | $2.95-$14.99 | 1 to Unlimited | 50GB to Unlimited | Unmetered |
| Liquidweb | $50.00 and up | 10 to Unlimited | 50GB to 1.8TB | 5TB (Outgoing)/Free (Incoming) |
In price, not many would be able to beat Bluehost, however, if you’re looking for quality features without having to worry about saving a buck, Liquidweb is your best bet.
Bluehost vs Liquidweb – Security
Bluehost offers spam prevention and hotlink protection. It also gives you CloudFlare, helping to prevent DDoS attacks. There are very many other security features that Bluehost requires a fee for in order for you to use, such as SSL certificates.
Liquidweb offers free SSL, hardened security, and has a team of security professionals working to keep both your server and website up to date with the latest security protocols.
Liquidweb is the clear winner here.
Bluehost vs Liquidweb – Usability
Bluehost uses cPanel as it’s admin panel, which is straight-forward and standard in the web hosting industry. They have 1-click WordPress installation, but they charge $199 to migrate an existing site unless you do it yourself.
Migration is free when switching a site to Liquidweb servers. Liquidweb also has the 1-click WordPress install, and lets you choose if you want to have access to cPanel or just the WordPress admin panel. For those that are not familiar with web hosting or cPanel, this option would be ideal.
Liquidweb is the best choice here if you can afford the rates.
Bluehost vs Liquidweb – Customer Service
Bluehost has had mixed reviews on their 24/7 customer support team. Most reviews state that they’ve had to wait for at least 45-minutes before being able to talk to a support technician. However, their live chat support option is a bit faster. They do automatically backup all data daily, weekly, and monthly so your data is safe.
Liquidweb offers 24/7/365 support as well, but guarantee a 59-second wait if you attempt to contact their heroic support team via phone or live chat. They also offer automated backups for all their websites with a 1-click restore feature. This makes Liquidweb the best in customer service.
Liquidweb vs Bluehost – Pros & Cons
Bluehost
Here are the pros and cons of using Bluehost:
[one_half]Pros
- Strong security options
- Low starting price
- Official WordPress recommended host
- Many apps and integrations
[/one_half][one_half_last]Cons
- Very Slow Page Load Times
- Slow customer service
- Lower than Average Uptime
- Extras Are Typically Costly
[/one_half_last]
Liquidweb
Here are the pros and cons of using Liquidweb:
[one_half]Pros
- Super fast page load times
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Free SSL certificates
- Free site migration
- Excellent customer support
[/one_half][one_half_last]Cons
- High monthly rates
- Limited disk space without customization
- Bandwidth limited outgoing
[/one_half_last]
Rating
| Hosting Company | Performance> | Features | Prices | Security | Usability | Customer Support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | 5/10 | 8/10 | 9/10 | 10/10 | 9/10 | 4/10 |
| Liquidweb | 10/10 | 10/10 | 6/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 | 10/10 |
Verdict
Bluehost has some great security and features for those on a budget, but their under-achieving customer service and slow performance makes them less than ideal for larger sites with heavy traffic.
Liquidweb knocks it out of the park with their speedy page loads, impeccable uptime, and excellent customer service. Those who can afford it will definitely want to take advantage of all they have to offer.