ZDNET's key takeaways Bluehost is an easy web hosting service to get started with, especially if you're new to WordPress or building a site for the first time
It runs pretty well in the US, but if your audience is outside the country, you might notice slower speeds, and I've had downtime issues in the past
The intro pricing is cheap, but once the first term ends, expect higher bills and extra charges for things like backups and privacy. View now at Bluehost
Bluehost isn't new to the game. It's been around since 2003, and has long been a familiar name in the web hosting space. It's also officially recommended by WordPress.org, which gives it some extra credibility, especially if you're planning to build a WordPress site.
Also: The best web hosting services: Expert tested
Bluehost powers over 2 million websites, according to BuiltWith Trends. One of those sites happens to be mine. I did host another site with BlueHost, but moved away from them for DigitalOcean, which I'll cover later. I'll give you the basics, and then tell you a little about my personal experience using it for several years.
Getting started with Bluehost
Getting set up with BlueHost is easy, as you'd expect. The goal is to make the process simple enough to get beginners through to checkout. After checkout, you're handed off to Bluehost's setup flow, which includes an AI-powered website builder called WonderSuite. It asks a few questions about your site, and then generates a pre-built layout to start with.
Once you're in, you manage your site through Bluehost's custom dashboard. It covers the basics you'd expect, like domain settings, email, backups, etc., without being too cluttered. Everything's labeled, and nothing's buried. But if you do want to peek under the hood, you can check out the advanced tab, which is filled with the usual tools for people who know what SSH and cron jobs are.
Screenshot by Marshall Gunnell/ZDNET
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