Bluehost Review [2024 Edition]: Officially Recommended by WordPress, with Pros, Cons, and a Setup Guide
A server officially recommended on WordPress.org.
Bluehost is an overseas server that powers millions of websites. Its headquarters are in Utah, USA. Even though it is inexpensive, its support system is excellent.
However, it also has drawbacks. In this article, I explain Bluehost's reputation and how to start using WordPress.
Bluehost review: a server officially recommended by WordPress
“Bluehost” is a world-famous hosting company headquartered in Florida, USA. It is trusted as one of the servers officially recommended by WordPress. Even though the quality is high, it is available at a low price, so I highly recommend it.
| Server type | Shared server |
| Display speed (TTFB) | 420 ms |
| Recommended plan and contract term | Basic, 12 months |
| Trial / money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Monthly fee (12-month contract) | $2.95 (432 yen) |
| Initial administrative fee | Free |
| Free domain | 1 free for the first year |
| Support | 24/7 chat |
| Uptime | 100% |
| Server storage | 10 GB |
| Number of databases | 10 |
| Security measures | Malware scanning, SiteLock |
| SSL | Free custom SSL |
| Backup / restore | None |
| Number of email accounts | None |
| Email security measures | None |
| Server / website migration service | None |
| WordPress preinstall | None |
| CDN | Free |
| Data centers | Utah, USA / Orem, USA / London, UK / Shanghai, China / Hong Kong / Mumbai, India |
Bluehost is one of the servers officially recommended by WordPress.
Bluehost is WordPress.org’s longest running recommended host and offers the ultimate WordPress platform that powers millions of websites.
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That alone gives you peace of mind, doesn't it?
Six features of Bluehost
It delivers standard server speed
According to our own testing on this site, Bluehost delivered standard server speed.
Compared with ultra-fast domestic servers, it does not stand out, but Bluehost's server response time of 420 ms TTFB is not excessively slow. It is fast enough to use comfortably.
★ Speed tested! A comparison of 15 rental servers in our speed ranking
24/7 support
Bluehost provides support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is reassuring to know that you can contact the server company whenever you need to.
By the way, I used the chat at 11:00 a.m. Japan time. It was 8:00 p.m. in Utah, USA. Even so, a representative answered my question immediately.
AI site creation
Bluehost can build a site with AI. You simply answer a few questions, and the AI creates a WordPress site for you.
That means you are fine even if you do not have WordPress skills or any experience creating a website.
The stability of 100% uptime
Bluehost has 100% uptime. The server is extremely stable. Because the server is stable, running your website and your email operations also becomes stable.
★ A beginner's guide to rental server uptime and SLAs
When a server does not disclose its uptime, it is hard to know how stable it really is, and that can be unsettling. But with Bluehost, you can use it with confidence because the uptime is 100%.
You can use a CDN for free
Bluehost provides a CDN for free. Because a CDN is available, users who access your website can view it from the server closest to them. This shortens loading time and makes the website more comfortable to view.
★ What Is a CDN? Improve speed and performance with a network of servers
Many server companies in Japan do not provide a free CDN. Compared with them, Bluehost's free CDN is quite a good deal.
It is inexpensive at $2.95 per month
Even though Bluehost is a stable server, you can use it for the low price of $2.95 per month. Let's compare it with other server companies.
- Initial administrative fee
- 12-month server contract
- Cost of one year of domain fees
- The lowest-priced plan that can run WordPress
| Server company | Total cost for one year |
|---|---|
| Bluehost | 5,303 yen |
| Lolipop! | 5,940 yen |
| ConoHa WING | 11,292 yen |
| Xserver | 10,560 yen |
| mixhost | 8,712 yen |
I compared it with major server companies in Japan. It costs about the same as Lolipop!, which is famous for being inexpensive. That means it is very cheap.
The drawback of Bluehost is that it does not support Japanese
Because it is an overseas server, this is unavoidable, but Bluehost's lack of Japanese support is a drawback. You have to configure the server and use the knowledge base while making good use of tools such as Google Translate.
If you do not speak English, everything you do will take more time.
Compare Bluehost with two competing servers
I compared Bluehost with competing servers in Japan and overseas.
ConoHa WING
ConoHa WING is a server that focuses on server speed and ease of use. Your WordPress website is completed when you sign up for the server. Because of that, you do not end up in the disappointing situation of thinking, “I signed up for a server, but it was too difficult and I could not get WordPress started.”
However, Bluehost costs less than ConoHa WING. When you think about price, Bluehost is a good option.
| Comparison | Bluehost | ConoHa WING
 |
|---|---|---|
| Biggest strength | Outstanding stability | Anyone can get started right away with ease |
| Trial / money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee | First month free |
| Uptime | 100% | 99.99% |
| Storage | 10 GB | 300 GB |
| First-year server cost | 5,303 yen | 11,292 yen |
Kinsta
Kinsta is described as a top-tier server. WordPress pages display comfortably on it. Google had also introduced Kinsta as one of the best servers.
However, Kinsta's server fees are high. Because Bluehost costs about one-tenth as much, I recommend Bluehost if price matters most to you.
| Comparison | Bluehost | Kinsta |
|---|---|---|
| Biggest strength | Outstanding stability | Reputation as a top-tier server |
| Trial / money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Uptime | 100% | 99.9% |
| Storage | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| First-year server cost | 5,303 yen | 31,466 yen |
Four steps to start a WordPress website with Bluehost right now
- STEP.1Sign up for Bluehost
Go to the Bluehost website: Visit Bluehost.
Choose a plan: Select the hosting plan you want. For beginners, the “Basic” plan is the standard choice.
Choose a domain: Decide whether to register a new domain or use an existing one.
- If you register a new domain, enter the domain name you want and click “Next.”
- If you use an existing domain, enter that domain name.
- STEP.2Create an account
Enter your account information: Enter your personal information, such as your name, address, and email address.
Check the package information: Choose the contract term and any additional options. It is better to turn off any options you do not need.
Enter your payment information: Enter your credit card information and complete the payment.
- STEP.3Install WordPress
Log in: Log in to your Bluehost account.
Install WordPress: In the Bluehost dashboard, choose “My Sites” or “WordPress” and click “Create Site.”
Enter your site information: Enter the site name and site tagline.
Choose the domain: Select the domain you registered earlier and choose any plugins you need.
Install: Click “Next” and wait for the installation to finish.
- STEP.4Set up WordPress
Log in to WordPress: Once the installation is complete, a link to the WordPress admin screen appears. Click the link and use the provided login details to log in to WordPress.
Select and customize a theme: If you want to change the default theme, go to “Appearance” → “Themes” from the WordPress dashboard, choose a new theme, and customize it.
Install plugins: Install the plugins you need, such as security, SEO, and backup plugins.
Summary
“Bluehost” is a world-famous hosting company headquartered in Florida, USA. It is trusted as one of the servers officially recommended by WordPress. Even though the quality is high, it is available at a low price, so I highly recommend it.
Bluehost is an overseas server that you can use at a relatively affordable price. Its uptime is stable at 100%, and it also provides support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Except for the fact that it does not support Japanese, it is an excellent server and easy to recommend. Please give it a try.