// host review · prices checked November 2026
Bluehost review: plans, real prices & who it's for
OUR VERDICT
I ran a trial site on Bluehost around 2017: it was fast, support was helpful and the dashboard was easy to use. I didn't keep screenshots, so the 2026 picture comes from Bluehost's plan pages, its checkout (the best-designed one I've tested) and its full Terms of Service, last modified August 21, 2026. On paper Bluehost includes more than its sister brand HostGator: weekly backups and staging on every plan, and 10 sites even on Starter. The usual Newfold catches apply: renewals at 1.6-2.5x the intro price, a refund guarantee that excludes monthly terms, AI products and non-card payments, and a 16-day auto-renewal deadline.
FINE PRINT Bluehost's 30-day guarantee covers shared, VPS and dedicated hosting on 12- or 36-month terms paid by credit card. It excludes monthly terms, Bluehost Cloud and every AI product, including AI Builder, and auto-renewal must be switched off 16 days before your term ends. Details
BEST FOR
WordPress beginners who want 10-100 sites on one account with staging and weekly backups included, and who will prepay a long first term.
NOT IDEAL FOR
Anyone who wants to pay monthly, pay with PayPal, or try a paid AI Builder plan with a refund window.
Bluehost pros and cons
PROS
- Fast, friendly checkout that shows monthly, 1-, 3- and 4-year terms side by side, with add-ons unticked.
- In my 2017 trial: fast site, helpful support and an easy dashboard.
- Weekly backups and a staging site on every plan, including Starter.
- Starter allows 10 websites; Business 50; High Performance and eCommerce 100.
- Free WP migration tool, SSL, CDN and a first-year domain.
- Uptime commitment in the Terms: 99.99% on shared hosting, 100% on Bluehost Cloud.
- Free AI Builder plan with no credit card required.
CONS
- Renewals run 1.6-2.5x the intro price.
- Money-back guarantee excludes monthly terms, AI products, Bluehost Cloud and non-credit-card payments.
- Auto-renewal must be switched off at least 16 days before your term ends.
- Phone support only 7am-12am Eastern, and not at all on Starter.
- Restores may cost a fee and are whole-backup only.
Bluehost monthly vs yearly pricing
Price per month for each billing term, and what each choice costs over 3 years.
| Plan | Monthly | 1 year | 2 years | 3 years | Monthly vs best term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $15.99 $576 / 3 yrs | $4.24 renews $11.99 $339 / 3 yrs | n/a | $3.99 renews $9.99 $144 / 3 yrs | +301% |
| Business | $20.99 $756 / 3 yrs | $6.39 renews $15.99 $460 / 3 yrs | n/a | $6.99 renews $13.99 $252 / 3 yrs | +200% |
| High Performance Pro | n/a | $9.34 renews $18.99 $568 / 3 yrs | n/a | $9.99 renews $16.99 $360 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| High Performance Premium | n/a | $12.74 renews $22.99 $705 / 3 yrs | n/a | $13.99 renews $20.99 $504 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| High Performance Enhanced | n/a | $16.14 renews $27.99 $865 / 3 yrs | n/a | $16.99 renews $24.99 $612 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| High Performance Elite | n/a | $20.39 renews $32.99 $1,036 / 3 yrs | n/a | $19.99 renews $28.99 $720 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| eCommerce Essentials | $32.99 $1,188 / 3 yrs | $15.99 renews $23.99 $768 / 3 yrs | n/a | $14.99 renews $21.99 $540 / 3 yrs | +120% |
| eCommerce Premium | n/a | $24.99 renews $33.99 $1,116 / 3 yrs | n/a | $21.99 renews $30.99 $792 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| VPS NVMe 2 | n/a | n/a | $4.49 renews $5.69 $176 / 3 yrs | n/a | n/a |
| VPS NVMe 4 | n/a | n/a | $8.49 renews $11.99 $348 / 3 yrs | n/a | n/a |
| VPS NVMe 8 | n/a | n/a | $12.49 renews $28.99 $648 / 3 yrs | n/a | n/a |
| VPS NVMe 16 | n/a | n/a | $25.99 renews $49.99 $1,224 / 3 yrs | n/a | n/a |
| Dedicated Standard NVMe 32 | n/a | $134.12 renews $195.32 $6,297 / 3 yrs | n/a | $144.19 renews $191.79 $5,191 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| Dedicated Enhanced NVMe 64 | n/a | $205.52 renews $279.37 $9,171 / 3 yrs | n/a | $220.19 renews $274.19 $7,927 / 3 yrs | n/a |
| Dedicated Premium NVMe 128 | n/a | $294.77 renews $401.77 $13,180 / 3 yrs | n/a | $315.19 renews $394.19 $11,347 / 3 yrs | n/a |
"/ 3 yrs" = the total you'd pay over 36 months on that billing term, using the renewal prices shown on the host's pricing page. Source: Bluehost checkout, Nov 11, 2026 (Madrid data center pre-selected; no promo code). Monthly and 3-year renewal prices come from the plan pages; the cart showed the 1-year renewal.
Bluehost plans and limits
| Plan | Type | Sites | Storage | Best price | Renews | 3-yr cost | Visits/mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Shared hosting | 10 | 10 GB | $3.99 | $9.99 | $144 | ~40k |
| Business | Shared hosting | 50 | 50 GB | $6.99 | $13.99 | $252 | ~200k |
| High Performance Pro | Shared hosting | 100 | 100 GB | $9.99 | $16.99 | $360 | ~400k |
| High Performance Premium | Shared hosting | 100 | 150 GB | $13.99 | $20.99 | $504 | ~400k |
| High Performance Enhanced | Shared hosting | 100 | 200 GB | $16.99 | $24.99 | $612 | ~400k |
| High Performance Elite | Shared hosting | 100 | 250 GB | $19.99 | $28.99 | $720 | ~400k |
| eCommerce Essentials | Shared hosting | 100 | 100 GB | $14.99 | $21.99 | $540 | ~400k |
| eCommerce Premium re-check | Shared hosting | 100 | 100 GB | $21.99 | $30.99 | $792 | ~400k |
| VPS NVMe 2 | VPS | Unlimited | 50 GB | $4.49 | $5.69 | $176 | ~40k |
| VPS NVMe 4 | VPS | Unlimited | 100 GB | $8.49 | $11.99 | $348 | ~100k |
| VPS NVMe 8 | VPS | Unlimited | 200 GB | $12.49 | $28.99 | $648 | ~250k |
| VPS NVMe 16 | VPS | Unlimited | 450 GB | $25.99 | $49.99 | $1,224 | ~600k |
| Dedicated Standard NVMe 32 | Dedicated server | Unlimited | 1000 GB | $144.19 | $191.79 | $5,191 | ~2M |
| Dedicated Enhanced NVMe 64 | Dedicated server | Unlimited | 2000 GB | $220.19 | $274.19 | $7,927 | ~2M |
| Dedicated Premium NVMe 128 | Dedicated server | Unlimited | 3000 GB | $315.19 | $394.19 | $11,347 | ~2M |
Visits/mo: the host's published allowance where one exists, otherwise our estimate. Methodology.
Is Bluehost worth it?
Bluehost's cheapest plan costs $3.99/mo on a 36-month term and renews at $9.99/mo (150% more). Over three years that's $144, an average of $3.99/mo. Budget for the renewal price, not the banner price.
US hosting brand owned by Newfold Digital (the same group as HostGator). Shared WordPress plans, a High Performance tier, WooCommerce plans, VPS, dedicated servers and a newer AI website and app builder.
Its data centers cover North America. If most visitors are outside North America, a host with closer servers will usually load faster.
Bluehost refund policy, explained
What you can and can't get your money back for, and the conditions most reviews skip. Full refund policy breakdown →
THE FINE PRINT
Bluehost's 30-day guarantee covers shared, VPS and dedicated hosting on 12- or 36-month terms paid by credit card. It excludes monthly terms, Bluehost Cloud and every AI product, including AI Builder, and auto-renewal must be switched off 16 days before your term ends.
REFUNDABLE
- Shared, VPS or dedicated hosting cancelled within the first 30 days of the initial term.
- Credit card payments only.
NOT REFUNDABLE
- Monthly terms.
- Bluehost Cloud hosting plans.
- AI products and services, including AI Builder.
- Domain registrations and renewals, setup fees and add-ons.
- The standard domain fee if your plan included a free domain.
- Any cancellation more than 30 days after purchase.
What a refund safety net costs on Bluehost
The cheapest price on each plan vs. the cheapest price you can still get your money back on.
| Plan | Cheapest price | Cheapest refundable price | Cost of the safety net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $3.99 3-year | $3.99 3-year | free |
| Business | $6.39 yearly | $6.39 yearly | free |
| High Performance Pro | $9.34 yearly | $9.34 yearly | free |
| High Performance Premium | $12.74 yearly | $12.74 yearly | free |
OUR ADVICE BEFORE YOU BUY
- Pay by credit card if you want the refund safety net.
- Turn off auto-renewal in the Renewal Center at least 16 days before your term ends; the renewal charge is taken 15 days early.
- Test the AI Builder on the free plan before paying: paid AI plans aren't refundable.
- Keep your own backups: Bluehost may charge for restores and only restores whole backups.
Summarized from Bluehost's Bluehost Terms of Service, section 14, last revised August 2026, checked by us November 2026. Policies change. Read the current version on Bluehost's refund policy page ↗ before you buy. This is a summary, not legal advice.
Bluehost features, payment methods & support
INCLUDED ON EVERY HOSTING PLAN
- Weekly website backup
- Staging site and staging environment
- Free WP migration tool
- Free SSL and CDN; free domain for the first year
- Malware scanning; removal on Business and up
- Yoast SEO (free version), AI site creation tools
- Multi-site and plugin management
SUPPORT
- 24/7 live chat
- Phone support 7am-12am Eastern (not on Starter)
LIMITS
- Starter: 10 sites, 10GB, ~40k visits
- Business: 50 sites, 50GB, ~200k visits
- High Performance and eCommerce: 100 sites, 100-250GB, ~400k visits
LIMITS IN THE TERMS OF SERVICE
- The 30-day guarantee excludes monthly terms, AI products, Bluehost Cloud and non-credit-card payments
- Turn off auto-renewal at least 16 days before your term ends, or you'll be charged
- Renewal payment is taken 15 days before the term ends (for terms of 3 months or more)
- Bluehost may charge to restore backups and only does full restores, not single files
- Expired accounts are permanently deleted; suspended accounts can be terminated after 30 days
Payment methods
CARDS AND WALLETS
Checkout accepts cards, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay, but Bluehost's Terms say the money-back refund is valid for credit card payments only.
Other Bluehost products
We currently track Bluehost's shared hosting and vps and dedicated server plans. Other services it sells:
Bluehost alternatives
Plans from other hosts with at least the same capacity as Starter, sorted by 3-year cost.
How to tell if a site is hosted on Bluehost
Our hosting checker recognizes Bluehost from server hostnames containing bluehost.com, unifiedlayer.com, its network (AS46606), name servers containing bluehost.com.
Bluehost FAQ
Does Bluehost offer monthly billing?
Yes. Starter costs $15.99 when billed month to month, compared with $3.99/mo on the 36-month term. You can cancel without a long contract.
Does Bluehost raise prices on renewal?
Yes. Starter starts at $3.99/mo and renews at $9.99/mo, a 150% increase. Over 3 years that plan costs $144 in total.
How much traffic can Bluehost handle?
Starter: about 40k visits/month; Business: about 200k visits/month; High Performance Pro: about 400k visits/month; High Performance Premium: about 400k visits/month; High Performance Enhanced: about 400k visits/month; High Performance Elite: about 400k visits/month; eCommerce Essentials: about 400k visits/month; eCommerce Premium: about 400k visits/month; VPS NVMe 2: about 40k visits/month; VPS NVMe 4: about 100k visits/month; VPS NVMe 8: about 250k visits/month; VPS NVMe 16: about 600k visits/month; Dedicated Standard NVMe 32: about 2M visits/month; Dedicated Enhanced NVMe 64: about 2M visits/month; Dedicated Premium NVMe 128: about 2M visits/month. Figures are the host's published allowance where available, otherwise our estimate.
Where are Bluehost's data centers?
Bluehost has servers in North America.
What payment methods does Bluehost accept?
Cards and wallets: Credit or debit card, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay. Checkout accepts cards, PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay, but Bluehost's Terms say the money-back refund is valid for credit card payments only.
What support does Bluehost offer?
24/7 live chat on every plan. Phone support runs 7am-12am Eastern on plans that include it; the Starter plan has no phone support.
Does Bluehost have a money-back guarantee?
30 days on shared, VPS and dedicated hosting bought on a 12-month or longer term, paid by credit card. Checkout also accepts PayPal, Google Pay and Apple Pay, but the Terms say only card payments qualify. Not for monthly terms, Bluehost Cloud, AI products or domains.