The main difference is WordPress.com is a fully hosted platform while Bluehost is self-hosted. WordPress.com is ideal for small or personal blogs, but it has a lot of limitations. Besides, Bluehost offers more features and control over everything, making it a versatile option for professional websites.
WordPress.com and Bluehost are two highly popular web hosting providers. Both offer excellent features valuable to any individual or business seeking new hosting services. Which one is better?
I’ll dive into WordPress.com and Bluehost and see which one suits your needs better!
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WordPress.com vs Bluehost
WordPress.com is a popular content management system (CMS) that lets you create a website or blog from scratch without any coding knowledge. Owned by Automattic, it’s the same company behind WordPress.org, the self-hosted version of WordPress.
WordPress.com lets you create a WordPress-powered site without hassle. You won’t need to manage hosting, security, or maintenance. However, you’ll have less control and face some limitations.
On the other hand, Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider offering shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated servers. With Bluehost, you can’t directly create a WordPress website, but you can easily install WordPress with just a few clicks.
Unlike WordPress.com, Bluehost lets you fully control your website without any restrictions. You’ll handle security and maintenance, but you’ll also have the freedom to customize your site as you please.
WordPress.com vs Bluehost: What are the Main Differences?
I’ve introduced you to WordPress.com and Bluehost. Now, let’s compare them side-by-side!
Plans
WordPress.com provides four plans: Free, Personal, Premium, Business, and E-commerce. The key difference lies in the amount of storage and available features.
The Free plan includes basic features and limited storage space. The Business plan offers more features and larger storage space.
On the other hand, Bluehost provides various plans like Shared Hosting, VPS Hosting, Dedicated Hosting, and WordPress Hosting. Shared Hosting is the most popular and affordable choice, offering limited storage and addons. Dedicated Hosting is pricier but includes extensive storage and more features.
Features
Both WordPress.com and Bluehost provide a variety of features ideal for anyone wanting to create a new website.
WordPress.com offers several features:
- A custom domain name (with the Premium and Business plans).
- SSL certificate (with the Premium and Business plans).
- Mobile and desktop apps for flexibility.
- Integrated Google apps, including Google Analytics.
- Limited customer support.
- Include dozens of free and paid themes.
- Built-in social sharing, stats, and SEO optimizations.
Bluehost offers several features:
- A custom domain name (free with selected plans).
- Free SSL certificate (included with all plans).
- 24/seven customer and technical support.
- Unlimited bandwidth and storage (with most plans).
- Advanced security features to keep intruders away.
- Several easy-to-install applications, including WordPress.
- User-friendly and customized c-panel.
- Free Cloudflare integration, free site builder.
- Multiple add-on tools for your site.
- Easy to upgrade from one plan to another.
Customization
WordPress.com lets you personalize your site. For instance, with the Business and e-commerce plan, you can upload your own themes and plugins. However, you’re still bound by WordPress.com’s terms of service.
Bluehost lets you fully customize your website. Install any themes or plugins you want, just ensure they adhere to Bluehost’s terms of service.
Moreover, Bluehost provides a drag and drop page builder tool that simplifies website customization, even without any coding experience.
Ease of Use
WordPress.com is easier to use than Bluehost since you don’t need any technical knowledge. Create a WordPress site in minutes without concerns about hosting, security, or maintenance.
Bluehost is easy to use, though it might be overwhelming for beginners due to its many options and features. However, Bluehost provides a variety of tutorials and customer support to help you get started.
Themes and Plugins
WordPress.com offers a limited range of themes and plugins in its library. You can’t add external themes or plugins unless you upgrade to the Business or eCommerce plans.
Bluehost offers thousands of free and paid themes and plugins from the WordPress.org library. You can also upload and install third-party themes and plugins. However, these external options aren’t included in the plans and require separate purchases.
Customer Support
WordPress.com provides customer support, but it’s quite restricted and hard to access. Higher-paying customers receive better service, while free plans lack basic email or live chat support.
For live and email support on premium and personal plans, it’s available only on weekdays. Expect longer wait times for replies. To get unlimited support, purchase an e-commerce or business plan.
On the other hand, Bluehost provides 24/7 customer and technical support through live chat, email, and phone. Their website also features many video tutorials and guides to assist with any issues you might have.
No matter your payment or plan, you’ll always get the same quality customer support. The WP Pro plan is even better, offering expert WordPress help for troubleshooting and technical issues—a big plus.
Security
I take security seriously at WordPress.com and offer features to protect your website from hackers, malware, and other threats. For example, all WordPress.com websites come with pre-installed security plugins to block malware and spam.
They regularly back up your website, allowing for quick restores if something goes wrong. WordPress.com experts constantly monitor for security threats and take action swiftly. You can relax, knowing your website’s security is in capable hands.
Bluehost provides security features to protect your website, but these aren’t as thorough as those on WordPress.com for basic plans. If you want additional protections like SiteLock, you’ll need to pay extra.
Bluehost takes regular backups of your site but can’t guarantee a full restore if something goes wrong. It’s crucial to make and store your own backups securely. Be more vigilant about overall security with Bluehost compared to WordPress.com.
Page Loading Speed
Page loading speed is the time it takes for a web page to load when someone visits your site. WordPress.com boasts fast loading times thanks to their high-quality servers and expert team dedicated to optimizing network speed.
Most WordPress.com themes are lightweight, making them ideal for a fast-loading website. If you want a speedier site, WordPress.com is a good choice.
Bluehost uses high-quality servers to host websites and ensures fast loading times with several optimizations. You can install any theme or plugin, customize pages, and add as much content as you wish. Just be cautious, as this can slow down your website if not managed properly.
To get fast loading times on Bluehost, be selective with themes and plugins. Use speed plugins and other optimizations, a practice necessary for any hosting to improve loading speed, not just Bluehost.
Server Uptime
Server uptime refers to how long a server is online and running smoothly. Many web hosting providers promise 99.99%+ uptime, but few can actually deliver this.
My research shows that WordPress.com has slightly lower uptime than Bluehost. Still, the difference is minimal, and both providers typically offer over 99.90% uptime.
Don’t worry; it’s highly unlikely your website will ever go down with either WordPress.com or Bluehost.
Scalability
WordPress.com may fall short for future website or blog growth. Upgrading to bigger plans is possible, but these limits may not suffice if your site expands.
Moreover, all the hosting plans on WordPress.com are shared. If you need a more powerful option, you’ll have to move your website to another host, which can be tricky and time-consuming for beginners.
Bluehost offers excellent scalability, giving you full control over your website. They present various hosting plans to meet any site’s needs. You can easily upgrade or downgrade your plan with a few clicks.
If you’re planning to expand your website, Bluehost is the better choice. It can easily meet your growing needs.
Cost
Bluehost gives you more features and control over your site and is also more affordable than WordPress.com. WordPress.com has a free plan, but it’s very limited and only useful for a very basic site.
To unlock all features, upgrade to a paid plan, which can be quite costly. For a custom domain name, pay an annual fee in addition to the subscription cost.
Bluehost offers affordable plans with a free domain name for the first year. They provide more disk space, bandwidth, and email accounts even with their basic shared hosting options.
So, Bluehost is a smarter choice as it gives you more for your money.
Monetization
If you’re planning to monetize your website, WordPress.com isn’t the best choice since their opportunities are limited. Their paid plans do allow monetization, but they remain quite restrictive.
Bluehost offers many monetization options. You can use any advertising network, sell products directly, and even use affiliate links.
So, if you’re planning to make money from your website, Bluehost is a better option.
Conclusion
Both WordPress.com and Bluehost are popular web hosting providers with their own pros and cons. For a budget-friendly, scalable option that offers more website control, I’d recommend Bluehost.
For an easy-to-use platform with solid security, consider WordPress.com. However, I recommend Bluehost as it offers more value for your money.
I hope this blog post helped you make a decision. If you have more questions, ask in the comments below.