Choose SiteGround if you want included email, daily backups and a more managed WordPress setup, especially on GrowBig. Choose Bluehost if you want more websites on the entry plan, a lower renewal price and a longer prepaid term.
Before paying, list your websites, storage needs, email accounts, WooCommerce or other demanding features, and the amount available for the first bill. Compare the full prepaid term, renewal price, domain conditions, email charges, backup type, support channel and refund exclusions.
Key takeaways
- Pick SiteGround for included email, daily backups and a managed WordPress workflow.
- Pick Bluehost for more websites on the entry plan and lower listed renewal prices.
- SiteGround StartUp costs $35.88 upfront for 12 months and renews at $17.99 per month.
- Bluehost Starter costs $143.64 upfront for 36 months and renews at $9.99 per month.
- Check resource limits, mailbox terms, domain renewal and support access before checkout.
Which host fits the site you are building?
SiteGround fits a small business, blog or WordPress site that values daily backups, included email and a control panel built around each website. Its StartUp plan is for one website, while GrowBig and GoGeek support unlimited websites under the listed plan limits. GrowBig adds staging and on-demand backups, which help when you want to test changes before publishing them.
Bluehost fits a buyer who wants several websites on the entry plan, staging and a lower listed renewal price. Its Starter plan includes 10 websites, 10 GB NVMe storage, weekly backups, staging, a free CDN, free SSL and a first-year domain. Its professional email is a one-month trial, then renews at $2.99 per month unless canceled. Prices checked October 29, 2026.
The practical choice depends on the site rather than the brand name. One WordPress site with regular updates and business email may fit SiteGround GrowBig. Several smaller websites with modest storage needs may fit Bluehost Starter or Business. A WooCommerce site, large media library or busy application needs a direct resource review with the provider before purchase.
The same principle applies when you compare shared hosting with cloud or VPS hosting. Shared plans suit ordinary websites, while cloud and VPS plans provide a different resource model and price. If your site has outgrown shared hosting, compare the decision with Shared vs VPS vs Cloud Hosting: Which One Your Site Needs.
What do SiteGround and Bluehost include at the entry and next tier?
SiteGround’s US WordPress plans are StartUp, GrowBig and GoGeek. StartUp lists one website and 10 GB of storage. GrowBig lists unlimited websites and 50 GB, while GoGeek lists unlimited websites and 100 GB. SiteGround says its hosting uses Google Cloud and distributed SSD persistent storage. Its Site Tools panel covers domains, email, FTP, backups, SSL, caching, CDN, traffic monitoring and PHP settings.
SiteGround lists email, daily backups, CDN and SSL with these plans. GrowBig and GoGeek add on-demand backups, staging and faster PHP. SiteGround’s “unlimited traffic” wording does not mean unlimited storage. The storage limits remain 10 GB, 50 GB and 100 GB by tier. A free domain attached to a current offer also does not make future domain renewals free.
Bluehost Starter lists 10 websites, 10 GB NVMe storage, weekly backups, staging, a free CDN, free SSL and a free first-year domain. Bluehost Business lists 50 websites and 50 GB of storage, with phone support included. Bluehost describes its plan visit figures as guidance, not a guaranteed performance level. Starter is listed as ideal for 40K visits per month and Business as ideal for 200K visits per month.
Bluehost includes a one-month Pro Email trial on the listed plans. The mailbox renews at $2.99 per month unless canceled. Advanced backup and security products may be separate, so check the checkout for the exact add-ons and charges.
Taxes are excluded from the displayed prices. Bluehost says its full selected term is charged in advance. That matters because a low effective monthly figure is not the same as a small first bill.
What do you pay upfront, and what renews later?
SiteGround’s introductory prices apply to a prepaid 12-month US term. The amount due upfront is the effective monthly price multiplied by 12. The renewal figures below are monthly rates for the next term, not the first-term amount.
These SiteGround figures were listed for the US plans on October 29, 2026. The displayed prices exclude taxes. The free domain is a plan condition, and its later renewal price depends on the domain extension. Check that extension’s renewal price in the registrar account before paying.
Bluehost’s introductory US figures use a prepaid 36-month term. The figures below show the full amount charged at the start and the monthly equivalent of that prepaid term.
These Bluehost figures were listed for the US plans on October 29, 2026. Taxes are excluded. The monthly figures describe the prepaid term and should not be treated as a month-to-month payment option. Bluehost’s first-year domain offer is separate from later domain renewal pricing.
The price difference changes depending on how long you keep the account. SiteGround’s StartUp first term is $35.88, then its listed renewal is $17.99 per month. Bluehost Starter requires $143.64 upfront for 36 months, then lists renewal at $9.99 per month. Compare the complete first bill with the cost after renewal, not the promotional monthly number alone. Prices checked October 29, 2026.
SiteGround’s and Bluehost’s hosting refund periods are separate from free trials and plan bonuses. A free domain is a conditional offer, not a free trial. Bluehost Pro Email is a one-month trial that renews at $2.99 per month if you do not cancel it.
If you want the lower long-term hosting rate and can pay three years in advance, Bluehost has the clearer price advantage in these listed plans. If you prefer a shorter first commitment and included email, SiteGround may justify its higher renewal.
Why does SiteGround cost more, and what does the extra price buy?
SiteGround costs more after the introductory period because its listed renewal rates are higher and its plans include a more managed feature set. StartUp includes email, daily backups, CDN, SSL and a WordPress migration tool. GrowBig adds staging and on-demand backups, which can reduce the work involved in testing updates and restoring recent copies.
SiteGround says its hosting uses Google Cloud, distributed SSD persistent storage and multiple redundancies. These are documented infrastructure features, not measured speed results. Site Tools places website administration, email, backups, SSL, caching and PHP settings in one website-focused panel.
The extra price is most useful when those included services replace separate tools or manual work. It may be less useful if you host several small websites, need only basic WordPress features and prefer to pay less at renewal.
SiteGround’s public migration comparison includes provider-run Google Lighthouse measurements from January 1 through June 30, 2025. Treat that as SiteGround’s claim, not a neutral head-to-head result. Speed results depend on the plan, the date and the method, so only compare numbers from a test that measured both hosts the same way before relying on a speed conclusion.
If you choose SiteGround, See SiteGround's current plans. Read the current terms and acceptable-use rules before hosting high-volume email, downloads or resource-heavy applications.
What are the backup, staging, email and migration tradeoffs?
SiteGround StartUp includes daily backups, while GrowBig and GoGeek add on-demand backups and staging. Retention periods and restore charges are not listed for every plan, so confirm the frequency, retention and restoration terms before you depend on the backups for a business site.
Bluehost Starter and Business include weekly backups and staging. The plans may also present advanced backup and security products separately. Ask which backup type is included, how long copies remain available and whether a restore costs extra.
Email is a direct difference. SiteGround lists email as included with its WordPress plans. Bluehost Pro Email is a one-month trial that renews at $2.99 per month unless canceled. Confirm mailbox count, storage, forwarding rules and renewal cost in the checkout or account plan details. Prices checked October 29, 2026.
SiteGround’s free WordPress Migrator transfers WordPress content, themes and plugins. It does not suit localhost sites or full Multisite installations. SiteGround’s professional manual transfer is paid, covers files, databases and configuration, and normally covers one web application. Domain transfer is separate.
Bluehost provides a free WordPress migration tool for files, databases and content. Complex sites, WooCommerce, domain changes or failed transfers may require manual work, support or paid services. Email accounts and domain registration need separate attention with either provider.
Before switching, prepare a backup, create the new site, transfer the files and database, test the copy, update DNS and preserve email. Cancel the old host only after the replacement works. If you are moving an existing site, follow the steps to move a WordPress site to a new host.
How do support, refunds and uptime terms affect the choice?
SiteGround publishes 24/7 account chat, tickets and phone support through the logged-in account area. Bluehost publishes 24/7 live chat and phone support from 7 a.m. to midnight Eastern, but its customer-service policy excludes phone support for Starter and Basic plans. Confirm the available support channel for the exact plan before purchase.
Both providers publish 30-day money-back guarantees for eligible shared or WordPress hosting. SiteGround excludes domain fees, paid support and third-party services. Its cloud hosting guarantee is 14 days, and renewal refunds may be full or partial within 30 days of the renewal payment, depending on whether the renewal term has started.
Bluehost’s eligible hosting refund period is 30 days. It excludes domains, monthly-term services, setup fees, AI products and other additional services. Bluehost says a free-domain fee may be deducted from the refund. Refund requests go through Bluehost support.
SiteGround states a 99.9% network uptime guarantee. Bluehost’s User Agreement describes a shared-hosting uptime guarantee with exclusions for scheduled maintenance, customer-caused interruptions, DNS or browser-cache issues, DDoS attacks and third-party interference. An uptime guarantee is a contract with conditions and possible credits, not a promise that your site cannot go down.
Check the provider’s current service-status information before treating an outage as isolated to your site.
What limits should you check before paying?
Start with the number of websites and storage. SiteGround StartUp supports one website and 10 GB, while Bluehost Starter lists 10 websites and 10 GB NVMe storage. The larger website count does not create more storage. Bluehost Business lists 50 websites and 50 GB, while SiteGround GrowBig lists unlimited websites and 50 GB.
Next, check email. SiteGround lists email as included, while Bluehost’s Pro Email trial becomes a paid service after one month. Confirm mailbox count, storage and renewal cost rather than assuming that “email included” means unlimited mailboxes or storage.
Ask the provider for the exact resource limits for your site workload. This matters for WooCommerce, large image libraries, downloads, scheduled jobs, client sites and applications that use more CPU or memory than a small brochure site.
Ask Bluehost which data center or region will host the account if location matters. SiteGround publishes US locations including Ashburn, Council Bluffs, Dallas and Los Angeles, along with locations in other regions. Bluehost describes global data centers, but its plan page does not list the locations, so ask for them before you buy.
Price each add-on and domain separately before checkout. Check the renewal price for the exact domain extension in the registrar account. Read acceptable-use and resource-use rules because heavy resource use, spam, attacks, prohibited content or unlawful activity can lead to restrictions or termination.
These checks also matter if you later add a website builder, design tool, content service, security product or SEO tool. Hosting, a domain, email and those extras are separate parts of the budget.
What is the practical setup or switch path?
For a new site, choose the plan after listing the site count, storage, email needs and first-bill budget. Select the billing term, review the renewal price, remove unwanted add-ons and confirm the domain conditions. Then install WordPress, create email accounts and enable the included security and backup features.
For a move, keep the old account active while you create the new copy. Back up the files and database, transfer them, test links and forms, check WordPress settings, and confirm that email accounts and DNS records are ready. Update DNS only after the new site works.
Check the provider’s service-status information during DNS changes or an outage. Test the site from the United States and confirm that email still sends and receives. Keep the old hosting account until the new site and mail are stable.
If the renewal price is the main concern, compare the full term and switch before automatic renewal. Web Hosting Renewal Prices: Why They Jump and How to Pay Less is the next useful step. If SiteGround’s included tools matter more, its higher renewal may be reasonable. If several modest sites and lower renewal matter more, Bluehost is the conditional pick.
Frequently asked questions
The answers below address the main buying questions without separating the hosting choice from its price and plan limits.
Which is better, SiteGround or Bluehost?
SiteGround is the better fit for included email, daily backups and a managed WordPress workflow, especially on GrowBig. Bluehost is the better fit for multiple smaller websites, staging and a lower listed renewal price, provided you accept weekly backups and separate paid email after the trial.
Why is SiteGround so expensive?
SiteGround’s renewal rates are higher, and its listed plans include email, daily backups, CDN, SSL and migration features. StartUp renews at $17.99 per month after its 12-month introductory term, while Bluehost Starter renews at $9.99 per month after its 36-month introductory term. Prices checked October 29, 2026.
Is Bluehost cheaper than SiteGround?
Bluehost is cheaper at the listed renewal rates for the compared entry and next tiers. Bluehost Starter renews at $9.99 per month and Business at $13.99 per month, while SiteGround StartUp renews at $17.99 per month and GrowBig at $29.99 per month.
Does SiteGround include email?
SiteGround lists email as included with its US WordPress plans. Confirm the mailbox count and storage for the exact plan before purchase because included email does not automatically define unlimited mailboxes.
Does Bluehost include free email?
Bluehost Pro Email is a one-month trial on the listed Starter and Business plans. It renews at $2.99 per month unless canceled, so check the mailbox charge before the trial ends.
Which host offers better backups?
SiteGround lists daily backups on StartUp, with daily and on-demand backups on GrowBig and GoGeek. Bluehost lists weekly backups on Starter and Business, while advanced backup products may be separate.
Does SiteGround or Bluehost offer staging?
Both providers list staging on the compared plans. SiteGround does not list staging as an exclusive StartUp feature, while GrowBig and GoGeek include it; Bluehost lists staging for Starter and Business.
Can I move a WordPress site for free?
Both providers offer a free WordPress migration tool. SiteGround’s tool does not suit localhost sites or full Multisite installations, while Bluehost says complex sites, WooCommerce, domain changes or failed transfers may need manual work or paid services.
Does either host guarantee that my site will stay online?
No. SiteGround publishes a 99.9% network uptime guarantee, and Bluehost describes a shared-hosting uptime guarantee with exclusions. Those terms may provide credits or remedies in qualifying cases, but neither is a promise that a site cannot go down.
Is Bluehost Starter good for several websites?
Bluehost Starter lists 10 websites and 10 GB NVMe storage. It may suit several small sites, but the shared storage, weekly backups and paid email terms should be checked against the total workload before purchase.
Does SiteGround have a free domain?
SiteGround lists a free domain with the current qualifying offer. The offer does not make future domain renewals free, so check the exact extension’s renewal price in the registrar account.
Should I choose SiteGround StartUp or GrowBig?
Choose StartUp for one smaller WordPress site if daily backups and included email are enough. Choose GrowBig if you need unlimited listed websites, 50 GB storage, staging and on-demand backups, and the higher renewal price fits your budget.
Find more reviews and guides on Even Reviews. Spotted something to correct? Contact us and include the page title.
