Bluehost vs SiteGround: which is better value?

By The Web Hosting Depot team · Updated Oct 8, 2026 · How we research

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Quick verdict

Bluehost is cheaper over three years ($144 vs $468 on the entry plans). On our overall rating, SiteGround scores higher (4.2 vs 3.6).

Pick Bluehost if

wordPress beginners who want a familiar name and modest renewal prices.

Visit Bluehost

Pick SiteGround if

wordPress sites that value support, speed tools and daily backups, and can live with high renewals.

Visit SiteGround

Side by side

	Bluehost 5 wins	SiteGround 4 wins
Cheapest plan	Starter · $3.99/mo	StartUp · $2.99/mo
Prepay for intro price	3-year term	1-year term
Renews at	$9.99/mo	$17.99/mo
Renewal jump	+150%	+502%
3-year cost	$144	$468
Money-back	30 days	30 days
Backups	Weekly	Daily, 30 days of history
Free domain	1st year (redeem within 90 days)	1 year (.com/.org/.net)
Control panel	Bluehost Portal (custom)	Site Tools (custom)
Data centers	US	6 regions across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia
Performance (our rating)	3/5	5/5
Support (our rating)	3/5	5/5
Ease of use (our rating)	5/5	4/5
Value (our rating)	4/5	2/5

Green = better on that row. Entry plans compared: Bluehost Starter and SiteGround StartUp (Shared hosting). Prices checked Oct 8, 2026.

Bluehost: real cost

Intro$3.99/mo3-year term

Renews at$9.99/mo+150%

3-year cost$144intro + renewals

SiteGround: real cost

Intro$2.99/mo1-year term

Renews at$17.99/mo+502%

3-year cost$468intro + renewals

Why Bluehost

Renewals are lower than most big shared hosts (Starter renews at $9.99)
Generous site limits even on Starter
Recommended by WordPress.org for years

Downsides: Email is a paid add-on after a 1-month trial; Weekly backups only; Upsells at checkout.

Why SiteGround

Daily backups with 30 days of history on every plan
Strong WordPress tooling (staging, caching, security)
Intro price only needs a 12-month prepay

Downsides: Steepest renewals in this group (StartUp renews at $17.99); StartUp allows just one site; Storage is modest for the price.

The bottom line

Bluehost pairs a beginner-friendly WordPress setup with some of the gentler renewal increases among mass-market hosts: Starter is $3.99 a month on a 3-year term and renews at $9.99. Email and daily backups cost extra.

SiteGround is the premium shared host: daily backups, staging and excellent WordPress tooling, with a cheap first year that only needs a 12-month prepay. Renewals are the steepest we track: StartUp goes from $2.99 to $17.99 a month.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bluehost cheaper than SiteGround?

Over three years, Bluehost costs less on the cheapest comparable plans: about $144 versus $468, counting the intro price for its required term and then the renewal price. Month one is misleading: compare the 3-year totals.

Which has the better money-back guarantee?

Bluehost: 30 days. SiteGround: 30 days. Domain fees are usually not refundable.

Can I move from Bluehost to SiteGround later?

Yes. Moving a site means copying its files and database, then pointing your domain at the new host. SiteGround advertises free migration: Free WordPress migrator plugin. See our guide to switching hosts.