Shared, Stablehost, Hawkhost, Bluehost – What’s the Best WordPress Hosting Deal Today?

When it comes to choosing a web hosting provider, the world is your oyster. Marketed as the WordPress hosting, the shared hosting plan from Bluehost is arguably one of the most popular and well-known hosting plans for WordPress users looking for a fast, stable and cost-effective way to launch a website.

Introduced in 2011, Bluehost is owned and operated by the company WordPress which is arguably the world’s most popular content management system (CMS). With over a million active websites built with WordPress, it’s safe to say that Bluehost is pretty confident in the stability of their product.

While Bluehost is a great choice for WordPress users, it doesn’t mean that all shared hosting plans are made equal. In this article, we’ll examine the various facets of the shared hosting plan and explore the perks and pitfalls of this popular web host.

What Is Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting, colloquially known as web hosting, is the most popular kind of web hosting as it provides users with multiple sites or domains on a single server. In return for sharing this responsibility, you pay a reduced rate compared to the traditional dedicated server approach.

As the name suggests, with a shared hosting plan, websites or blogs that you host on the server will be visible to the general public. Other than that, the sites are entirely independent which means that they cannot access each other’s data or interfere with each other’s performance in any way.

Advantages Of Shared Hosting

While the downsides of shared hosting are numerous, these are mostly related to the fact that it’s a shared service and not a dedicated server. If you’re looking for a fully equipped, one-stop shopping solution for your web hosting needs, then shared hosting is definitely a great fit.

In terms of price, as mentioned earlier, it costs less to register a website with Bluehost than it does to register a domain with one of the commonly used registrars like 123reg or 1and1. When you register a domain with one of these companies, you’ll typically be presented with a dedicated IP address which is a unique IP address associated with your domain that will never change no matter what. This effectively makes your site accessible from anywhere with internet access, ensuring that your visitors always reach the best possible experience regardless of whether they’re in Australia or Hungary.

However, this kind of setup comes with a price. For starters, if you register a domain with one of these companies, you’ll have to pay an annual fee which in some cases can be quite high. For example, 1and1’s basic yearly plan is $39.99 while 123reg’s basic plan is $29.99 per year. If you want to make sure your content is always available 24/7, then you should consider investing in an extended contract as it will provide you with a fully equipped, dedicated server at affordable prices. Finally, this kind of hosting is not ideal for those that are looking for complete control over their web hosting experience. With Bluehost, you don’t have access to the command line which means that you can’t install WordPress or use any other type of web-based application to build your site. The good thing is that Bluehost offers an automatic setup option which means that you don’t have to worry about getting the settings right manually. Simply follow the prompts and in a few minutes, your web hosting account will be ready to go.

Key Point: Shared Hosting Is Typically The Most Popular Option For Those Who Are New To Web Hosting

The primary audience for Bluehost is a newer audience that is either deciding on which hosting plan to go with or has just signed up for the service for the first time. Its ease of use coupled with the fact that it’s a trusted name in the web hosting industry makes it a great choice for beginners who have limited technical knowledge.

This audience also tends to be more cost-conscious which is reflected in Bluehost’s special pricing structure which makes it more affordable for them. In fact, the shared hosting plan from Bluehost is one of the most popular among their products because it’s the perfect compromise between affordability and functionality. If you’re looking for a web host that provides excellent customer service and is reliable, then Bluehost is a great option.

The Downsides Of Shared Hosting

Just like with any other form of online hosting, there are serious security and privacy concerns related to shared hosting. The fact that your sites are all lumped together in a single server means that any hacker or malware who decides to take it upon themselves to corrupt your sites or otherwise interfere with your content can do so without any restrictions. As long as you’re using shared hosting for personal sites, you don’t have to worry about security measures as everyone with internet access can potentially access your content. However, if you’re using it for business purposes or you have clients who have entrusted you with their website content, then you should consider the security implications of this type of arrangement.

Another big downside to shared hosting is the fact that it’s entirely dependent on the performance of your host. If the service shuts down or goes offline, your sites will be inaccessible until you get notified about the issue and contacted by the support staff. While it’s not common, it’s not unheard of for hosts to unexpectedly disappear which can leave you with dozens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in website content that you’ll need to rebuild from scratch. In many cases, the best plan is the ‘pay as you go’ option which means that you only have to make a payment every month for the service rather than sign up for a lengthy contract. This reduces the risk of losing a key host in case the service goes down or unexpectedly shuts down, giving you peace of mind that your content will still be available.

Key Point: Be Wary Of Hosts That Promote Themselves As Secure

One important thing to keep in mind is that while shared hosting is typically the most popular option for beginners who are looking for a stable web host, this is largely because most hosts go out of their way to make you believe that your site is secure and that your content will remain private. Even well-known hosting providers like Bluehost will send you emails trying to convince you to switch to a dedicated server, pitching their packages with all the trimmings that you could want. They’ll even tell you that your content is guaranteed to be kept private, boasting about various security measures that they take to protect your data.

Hosting providers are in the business of selling web hosting services. As such, they have an economic interest in convincing you to buy their product rather than the competition’s. This means that your content will be pitted against other customers’ content on their servers which could potentially expose your information to hackers or malware lurking within the vicinity. It’s all about keeping the lights on for Internet businesses so as to maintain the volume of web content that they can process. This is why you should always be weary of any web host who tries to convince you that your data is safe.

The Final Word

In summary, shared hosting is generally accepted as the most popular kind of web hosting because it’s the perfect compromise between affordability and performance. If you’re looking for a stable, secure web host, then you should definitely consider Bluehost as it is a highly reputable name in the industry and it offers exceptional value for the cost. Not only does it provide a fantastic customer experience, but they also vet their hosts thoroughly before allowing them to have access to your content.