Bluehost vs WP Engine

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

Bluehost and WP Engine cater to different needs within the website hosting market. Bluehost provides a comprehensive suite of tools for establishing an online presence, appealing to budget-conscious users and beginners. WP Engine excels in managed WordPress hosting, offering superior performance, security, and specialized support, best suited for businesses prioritizing their WordPress website's success.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 656 reviews and 60 websites, saving 4 hours, 8 minutes of reading.

Bluehost

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WP Engine

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About

Bluehost is a website hosting provider owned by Newfold Digital. They cater to businesses of all sizes and offer a variety of services including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, domain registration, website building tools, marketing services, and security features. Their goal is to provide a one-stop shop for businesses to build and manage their online presence.

WP Engine is a leading provider of managed hosting specifically designed for WordPress websites. They offer a range of plans suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. WP Engine is known for its high-performance infrastructure, robust security features, and expert WordPress support. Their focus is on delivering a fast, secure, and reliable platform for businesses to build and manage their WordPress websites with ease.

Summary

Main difference

Bluehost offers a broader range of hosting services at more budget-friendly prices, making it suitable for businesses needing basic hosting solutions alongside tools for building an online presence. WP Engine focuses exclusively on managed WordPress hosting, providing superior performance, security, and expert support, making it ideal for businesses prioritizing their WordPress site's speed, security, and seamless management.

Relative strengths of Bluehost (compared to WP Engine)

Offers a wider range of services beyond hosting, including domain registration, marketing tools, and website builders.
Provides more budget-friendly pricing options, especially for shared hosting and basic plans.
User-friendly interface, particularly suitable for beginners and non-technical users.

Relative weaknesses of Bluehost (compared to WP Engine)

Performance and reliability can be inconsistent compared to managed hosting solutions.
Customer support has mixed reviews and can have long wait times.
Limited advanced features and functionalities compared to specialized WordPress hosting.

What companies are using Bluehost and WP Engine?

No data

NIC Utah in partnership with Utah.Gov

10up

Ticketmaster

Petco

Who should use Bluehost VS. WP Engine

Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider offering various plans for businesses of all sizes. Users praise the user-friendly interface and seamless WordPress integration, making it easy for beginners to build a website. However, some users have reported difficulties with customer support and high renewal rates. Bluehost is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an affordable and easy-to-use platform, especially those using WordPress.

WP Engine offers premium managed WordPress hosting, delivering exceptional performance, robust security, and expert support. Users praise its ease of use and reliability, while some note the higher cost. Ideal for businesses seeking a hassle-free, high-performance WordPress experience.

Best for small to medium businesses (1-100 employees) seeking an online presence.
Well-suited for Ecommerce, Marketing & Advertising, and Professional Services.

Best for small, medium, and large businesses needing top-tier WordPress hosting.
Particularly well-suited for Ecommerce, Software/IT, and Marketing/Advertising.

Bluehost and WP Engine features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Managed WordPress Hosting

Supported

Bluehost offers managed WordPress hosting, simplifying technical aspects so businesses can focus on content.

Supported

WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting platform handling technical complexities so businesses can focus on content.
Performance Optimization

Supported

Bluehost offers optimized WordPress hosting, caching, and performance guides.

Supported

WP Engine optimizes WordPress sites for speed and user experience with features like caching and a CDN.
Website Security

Supported

Bluehost offers malware scanning, intrusion detection via WAF, and DDoS mitigation.

Supported

WP Engine offers advanced security measures, including malware scanning, intrusion detection, and DDoS mitigation.
Drag and drop editor

Supported

Bluehost offers a drag and drop editor, often using Elementor.

Partially supported

WP Engine supports drag and drop website building via third-party WordPress page builders.
Website templates

Supported

Bluehost offers website templates through WordPress integration and tools like Elementor.

Supported

WP Engine offers pre-designed and customizable website templates, including StudioPress themes and curated site templates.
DNS management

Supported

Bluehost supports managing DNS records, including A, CNAME, and MX records.

Partially supported

DNS management is supported via third-party integration.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-1

Strongly negative sentiment

No data
Customer Service

-0.71

Strongly negative sentiment

No data
Ease of Use

-0.25

Neutral sentiment

No data
Reliability and Performance

-0.82

Strongly negative sentiment

No data
Ease of Implementation

+0.14

Neutral sentiment

No data
Scalability

No data

No data

Bluehost and WP Engine Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

We couldn't find a pricing page for Bluehost.

WP Engine offers tiered subscription plans for WordPress hosting, with prices varying based on the plan's features and capacity. They offer a 60-day money-back guarantee for new Startup, Professional, Growth, and Scale plans. The pricing model is based on monthly payments on an annual contract.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

See full Pricing page

Bluehost and WP Engine review insights

656 reviews analysed from and

Users love

User-friendly interface for managing websites, especially for beginners.
Affordable pricing, especially for first-time users and shared hosting plans.
Seamless integration with Wordpress for easy website setup and management.
Reliable uptime and performance with minimal outages reported.

Exceptional customer support, highly praised for responsiveness and expertise
Easy setup and management of WordPress sites, even for non-technical users
Reliable uptime and performance, ensuring site availability and speed
Robust security features, including automatic updates and daily backups
Seamless staging environment for testing changes before deployment

Users dislike

Difficult to get timely technical support; long wait times for chat and delayed responses.
Unclear account verification for SSH access.
High renewal rates for domains and hosting plans.
Limited functionalities for non-Wordpress sites.

High cost compared to other hosting options, but often cited as "worth it"
Limitations on site traffic and storage can be problematic
Lack of direct file access (e.g., no Cpanel or equivalent) requires FTP
Occasional caching issues require manual purging or support intervention
Aggressive upselling and sales calls can be bothersome

Bluehost and WP Engine Ratings

G2

3.5/5

(269)
Capterra

3.8/5

(102)
Glassdoor

3.6/5

(635)

G2

4.6/5

(285)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(449)

Company health

Employee growth

No change in the last year

Web traffic

25% decrease in the last quarter

21% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

September 2020 - $0

September 2017 - $291M

How does each product's support compare for WordPress-specific issues?

Bluehost users report difficulty getting timely technical support, which may impact resolving WordPress-specific issues quickly. WP Engine, on the other hand, is praised for its excellent customer support, specifically citing expertise in WordPress, suggesting a better experience for users with WordPress questions or problems.

Which product offers better scalability for high-traffic WordPress sites?

WP Engine offers better scalability for high-traffic WordPress sites. While neither product provides specific scalability metrics, WP Engine's focus on managed WordPress hosting, performance optimization features (caching, CDN), and higher-tier pricing plans suggest a greater capacity and infrastructure designed for handling traffic spikes compared to Bluehost's more general hosting approach. User reviews for WP Engine also highlight reliable uptime and performance, further supporting its suitability for high-traffic scenarios.

What are the advantages of Bluehost?

Bluehost offers a wider range of services beyond WordPress hosting, such as shared hosting, VPS, dedicated servers, and marketing services, making it a more versatile option for businesses with diverse needs. It also provides a more budget-friendly entry point, especially for smaller businesses or those just starting, with lower initial costs compared to WP Engine's premium pricing. Bluehost offers a user-friendly interface, particularly beneficial for beginners, enabling easier website management.

What are the disadvantages of Bluehost?

Bluehost's disadvantages include difficulty getting timely technical support, often with long wait times. Users also report high renewal rates for domains and hosting, and limited functionality for websites not built on WordPress. Unclear account verification processes, particularly for SSH access, have also caused user frustration.

Alternatives to Bluehost and WP Engine

HostGator

HostGator, a Newfold Digital brand, provides web hosting solutions for businesses of all sizes. They offer various hosting options, including shared hosting, WordPress hosting, dedicated servers, and VPS, along with domain registration, website builders, and other web services. HostGator focuses on reliability with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and offers 24/7 customer support.

WPOven

WPOven is a managed WordPress hosting provider catering to businesses and agencies of all sizes. They offer unlimited site hosting on all plans, making it easy to manage multiple websites from one dashboard. WPOven boasts fast loading speeds, robust security features, and 24/7 customer support. With a focus on performance and ease of use, WPOven aims to handle the technical aspects of hosting so users can concentrate on their business goals.

Arvixe Web Hosting

Arvixe Web Hosting, now part of Newfold Digital, offers a variety of web hosting solutions including shared and VPS hosting. While they originally focused on Linux-based shared hosting for content management systems, their offerings have expanded to cater to a wider range of businesses. Their current focus is on providing a diverse suite of web presence solutions, from domain registration to website builders and marketing services. They aim to deliver reliable and scalable hosting options with a focus on customer support.

Kinsta

Kinsta is a premium hosting service specifically designed for WordPress websites. It offers fast loading times, high security, and a user-friendly dashboard for managing your websites. Key features include automatic backups, security monitoring, and 24/7 customer support. Kinsta is a good option for businesses that value performance, security, and need a hosting service that simplifies website management.

A Small Orange

A Small Orange is now part of Newfold Digital, a company offering a wide range of web presence solutions. While no longer a standalone brand, A Small Orange's services, which included shared, business, reseller, and VPS hosting plans, are likely now provided through Newfold Digital's existing brands like Bluehost and HostGator. Newfold Digital focuses on providing website building, hosting, security, and online marketing tools primarily for small and medium-sized businesses.

SiteGround

SiteGround is a website hosting platform used by businesses of all sizes. They offer various hosting services, including reseller hosting, managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, and more. SiteGround focuses on providing fast and secure hosting solutions with easy-to-use management tools. They are known for their strong customer support and specialized tools for WordPress users.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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