If you search for “best web hosting for beginners”, you’ll likely see the names Bluehost and GoDaddy over and over again. That shouldn’t be a surprise, since they’re two of the largest and most accessible hosting brands in the world. But which one is better for you, particularly if you’re launching your very first website or blog?
Here’s an interesting point to consider based on independent testing and reports: for responsive hosting plans, you’ll find that Bluehost consistently provides uptime of about 99.98 % and under 1 second for page load speed, while GoDaddy’s shared plans offer above 99.9 % for uptime, and the speed depends on where you are (different tests and reports have reported various results, GoDaddy averages a response time of 531 ms and others as high as 1.2 s, so results can vary based on your plan, load you’re experiencing, and server locations).
In this article, we will compare Bluehost and GoDaddy on several key fronts. It will also answer some frequently asked questions, such as “Which company has better performance?” and “Which company includes a free website builder?” You should finish the article with a clear idea of whether Bluehost or GoDaddy is more appropriate for your needs.
Table Of Content
GoDaddy vs Bluehost: A Detailed Comparison
| Feature | Bluehost | GoDaddy |
| Introductory Pricing | Typically £1.69 to £5.51/month based on plan | Usually £0.75 to £3.38 based on plan & term |
| Renewal Pricing | Much higher than introductory | Similar steep renewal price increases |
| Uptime / Reliability | ~99.98% (from multiple tests) | ~99.9-99.99% depending on the plan & tests |
| Speed / Load Times | Often better in tests, especially for WP | Mixed; sometimes faster in specific tests |
| WordPress-Optimization | Good, with WP-recommendation | Provides WP plans, but less optimized |
| Free Domain / SSL / Extras | Domain for 1yr, free SSL, CDN, etc | Domain (sometimes), SSL (often basic), extras on other levels |
| User Interface & Ease | Beginner-friendly, streamlined | Strong brand, quite a few upsells, and interface variations |
| Value for Money | Often better included | Become expensive at the renewal costs. |
Speed, Uptime, and Overall Performance
Uptime and Reliability
Uptime is one of the most important statistics; if your site goes down too often, it does not matter how inexpensive it’s.
- According to reviews and tests, Bluehost offers around uptime of 99.98%.
- GoDaddy also claims great reliability for some plans, with some hosting plans promising 99.9% or even 99.99%.
- For a Pingdom assessment, one study showed that Bluehost’s average response time was around 773 ms, while GoDaddy’s was around 531 ms.
- However, in other speed benchmarks, Bluehost often outperforms GoDaddy for WordPress-optimized loads and page speed benchmarks.
- In one test, GoDaddy’s shared hosting had an average load time of around 1.44 seconds, while Bluehost averaged 2.07 seconds.
Overall, we can say that neither hosting service is “bad” performance-wise, but depending on location, traffic, and plan, one will edge out the other. If it’s a WordPress site, then most of the time, we will find that Bluehost outdoes GoDaddy.
What Accounts for the Differences?
- Bluehost typically incorporates caching methods (object caching, page caching) and takes advantage of SSDs + CDN (which can drive speed to higher levels of performance).
- GoDaddy can also operate on similar connections, SSDs, and CDN when they are included in some plans, and may require an upgraded plan + add-ons to reach higher levels of performance.
- The aspects of performance involve multiple considerations, including traffic load, server location, or proximity to your audience, and potential “noisy neighbor” problems in shared hosting environments.
As for performance, the Bluehost vs GoDaddy comparison, Bluehost offers more stable speed and uptime on WordPress sites. GoDaddy has independent tests that are competitive and faster on occasion, depending on the testing method. Performance would vary significantly based on the plan you are subscribed to, where your visitor traffic is located, and how well you optimize caching and optimization best practices.
Pricing, Renewal & Value for Money
Introductory pricing & features
- Bluehost commonly appeals to new users with pricing promotional deals at £1.69 to £5.51/month. However, their pricing typically includes a free domain for the first year, free SSL, and referral to a CDN.
- On the other hand, GoDaddy’s starting tiers often begin at significantly higher costs, around £0.75 to £3.38, and charge additional features such as backups and performance tools.
In terms of GoDaddy vs Bluehost value for money, it’s safe to say Bluehost is more appealing to beginner users, simply due to the additional ‘freebies’ included in the base package.
Renewal prices & hidden fees
This is where many novice users are in for a surprise.
- Typically, Bluehost’s renewal costs increase significantly after the promotional rate. For example, you could be locked into a £2.21/month promo that renews at £6.76 or more.
- GoDaddy also has expensive renewal hikes and typically charges for extras, such as backups, domain privacy, or email after the initial year.
- Some users mention on forums that neither Bluehost nor other hosting providers have pushed upsells, and that their steep renewal costs are clearly disclosed to prospective customers.
In conclusion, the promotional pricing is enticing for the first year or term, but the actual value over time depends significantly on what you pay upon renewal, which does not include additional add-on costs.
Value-for-money perspective
If you choose a Bluehost plan that offers SSL, CDN, and backups (or reasonably priced backups), and you aren’t pushed into too many upsells, the value proposition of this GoDaddy Alternative tends to be better over time than GoDaddy in the Bluehost vs GoDaddy scenario.
GoDaddy can equalize or surpass if you are executing a higher-priced plan or have heavy needs, but the vast majority of beginners will discover Bluehost more value-oriented in the everyday shared hosting situation.
Bluehost vs GoDaddy for WordPress
WordPress Focus
Bluehost is officially endorsed by WordPress.org, which adds some reassurance to using Bluehost to host a WordPress site.
Typically, Bluehost includes caching, WP auto-updates, a staging environment, and WP support.
GoDaddy has some managed WordPress hosting plans, but optimization, performance, and flexibility are limited in comparison.
A few test projects that Bluehost performs better with Core Web Vitals (such as faster Largest Contentful Paint) than GoDaddy in comparison to WordPress sites.
One caveat here is that with extremely high-traffic WordPress sites, both of these options may hit the limits of shared hosting, and you’ll likely want a VPS or managed WP host instead.
Easy Setup for Beginners
The GoDaddy interface is not bad, but you may experience upsells or more limited WP options in basic plans.
For non-WordPress users, the Bluehost vs GoDaddy comparison becomes narrower in terms of features, pricing, and support while keeping ease of setup in mind.
If the intent is “I want to host a WordPress site (blog, and/or business) from day one,” then Bluehost often wins in the BlueHost vs GoDaddy for WordPress comparison.
Features, Extras, and Free Inclusions
Free Domain and SSL
Bluehost offers a free domain (for your first year on certain plans), and an SSL certificate is included as standard.
GoDaddy also frequently provides a free domain and an SSL certificate, generally at a basic level. This Bluehost alternative may reserve the free domain for fewer hosting plans and may restrict the domain extension available.
Also, after the first year from purchase, you will be charged for the domain renewal with both GoDaddy and Bluehost. In some instances, the charge for the .com renewals on Bluehost may reach £16.55.
In consideration of value for money in “GoDaddy vs Bluehost,” getting the domain and SSL included is a better deal with Bluehost for as long as possible at the entry stage.
GoDaddy vs Bluehost: Website Builders
For those who do not want to install WordPress, Bluehost has a built-in website builder/site creation utility (drag-and-drop style) to use.
GoDaddy also has its own website builder (GoCentral) for beginners, particularly in creating simple, basic small business websites. The trade-off is that these builders are usually more basic (and less flexible) than a full CMS or WordPress.
So, to directly answer the question: GoDaddy or Bluehost – both platforms have a website builder, but Bluehost’s builder integrates more with the hosting/WordPress than GoDaddy’s, which is a more stand-alone builder.
If you are a novice looking to start a WordPress blog or simple site, Bluehost generally provides an easier and more affordable option, has decent features out of the box, a good level of performance, and tends to have fewer surprises in the first year.
If your audience is globally distributed or you’re in a region that is better served with a GoDaddy data center, GoDaddy might provide you with performance benefits in your specific scenario. If you are okay with paying yearly or for a long-term price and are also serious about optimizing your site well (caching, CDN, minimal plugins), then either works; it just comes down to what features you bundle with your plan and support.
Always check renewal rates (if applicable), what is included, and which extra services incur costs at renewal, and plan for scaling.
FAQs
1. Which company performs better (speed and uptime): Bluehost or GoDaddy?
Bluehost frequently wins in most tests and comparisons in uptime (approximately ~99.98 %) and consistent performance, in a way you expect better WordPress performance from a provider with caching, CDN, and WP-centric optimizations in their service. GoDaddy performs well, sometimes faster in certain region-specific tests, but generally speaking, in GoDaddy vs Bluehost WordPress speed and uptime, you’ll see Bluehost holds the advantage for the average user.
2. Which company has the better deal for a free domain/SSL, GoDaddy or Bluehost?
Both have a free domain (for the first year) and SSL in many of their plans. However, Bluehost more consistently includes SSL and the domain in entry plans. Depending on the GoDaddy plan, you may have to upgrade or pay extra for that offering, so in practice, if calculating [free] budgets (domain+SSL) into a GoDaddy/Bluehost assessment related to that cost, you’ll typically receive a better value from Bluehost.
3. Which long-term hosting option gives the best value (in relation to ongoing pricing)?
Both companies offer a discounted price to new customers that is appealing, but the ongoing pricing is one aspect that increases considerably. For long-term value, Bluehost is generally considered “better value” in the Bluehost vs GoDaddy conversation because the base package comes with more utility and fewer add-ons required for a website. However, these changes to ongoing pricing are going to be reduced to your plan with add-ons (backups, domain privacy, etc. [This is possible]). You may need to commit to hosting plans for x number of years.
4. Is there a free website builder with Bluehost or GoDaddy?
Yes. Bluehost and GoDaddy include a tool to cater to users who want to build visually. Bluehost has a builder for hosting and the WordPress ecosystem, while GoDaddy offers its GoCentral builder, which is easier to use for basic site creation. In the Bluehost vs GoDaddy argument, while both companies include a builder, the Bluehost builder is slightly more seamless to use for hosting and WP users.
