Bluehost vs GreenGeeks: Complete 2026 Comparison
Bluehost and GreenGeeks are both shared hosting providers, but they suit different priorities. Across our 7-category breakdown, GreenGeeks comes out ahead, winning 4 of them — including Price, Support and WordPress.
Data last updated June 2026
Overall Winner
GreenGeeks
- Wins in 4 of 7 categories
- Top in: Best Price, Best Support, Best for WordPress
- 3.9/5 overall rating
Bluehost vs GreenGeeks: Overview
On entry pricing, GreenGeeks is the cheaper option at $2.95/mo versus $3.99/mo for Bluehost. Renewal tells the real story: Bluehost marks prices up about 150% at renewal versus roughly 373% for GreenGeeks, making it the better long-term value.
Bluehost's standout is only host officially recommended by WordPress — a natural fit for wordPress beginner wanting official endorsement and phone support. GreenGeeks, by contrast, leans on industry's greenest host putting 3x energy back as renewable, with LiteSpeed and cPanel, ideal for eco-conscious blogger or small business wanting green credentials with modern performance.
Category Winners
GreenGeeks
$2.95/mo vs $3.99/mo
Bluehost
Lower renewal markup (150% vs 373%)
Bluehost
99.99% uptime, 3.4/5 rating
GreenGeeks
Live chat, Phone, 24/7
GreenGeeks
Optimized, Staging, WooCommerce, LiteSpeed
GreenGeeks
SSH, Git, Staging, Node.js
Bluehost
Higher ease of use score (9.0/10)
Feature Comparison
| Feature | ||
|---|---|---|
| Essential Info | ||
| Hosting Type | Shared Hosting | Shared Hosting |
| Monthly Price | $3.99/mo | $2.95/mo |
| Renewal Price | $9.99 | $13.95 |
| Renewal Markup | 150% | 373% |
| Overall Rating | 3.4/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.9% |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.6/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 27,784 | 1,400 |
| Free SSL | ||
| Free Domain | ||
| Free Migration | ||
| Pricing Details | ||
| First Year Cost | $47.88 | $35.40 |
| Second Year Cost | $119.88 | $167.40 |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
| Setup Fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly Billing | — | — |
| Minimum Contract | — | — |
| Technical Specs | ||
| Storage | 10 GB | 50 GB |
| Storage Type | NVME SSD | SSD RAID-10 |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered GB | Unmetered GB |
| Max Websites | 10 | 1 |
| Max Databases | 20 | — |
| PHP Versions | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 | 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 |
| SSH Access | ||
| Git Deployment | ||
| Staging Environment | ||
| Cron Jobs | ||
| Redis Available | — | — |
| Programming Languages | ||
| Node.js Support | ||
| Python Support | ||
| Ruby Support | ||
| WordPress Features | ||
| WordPress Optimized | ||
| WordPress Auto-Install | ||
| WordPress Auto-Updates | ||
| WordPress Staging | ||
| WooCommerce Optimized | ||
| LiteSpeed Cache | ||
| Object Caching | ||
| WP Multisite | — | — |
| WP-CLI Access | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| DDoS Protection Level | DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall included on all plans | LiteSpeed + AI firewall protection |
| Malware Scanning | ||
| Malware Removal | ||
| Firewall Included | ||
| Backup Frequency | Weekly | Nightly |
| Backup Retention | — | — |
| Backup Restore Fee | Free | $25.00 |
| On-Demand Backup | ||
| Two-Factor Auth | ||
| Wildcard SSL | ||
| Dedicated IP | ||
| Support | ||
| Support Channels | Phone, Live Chat, Knowledge Base, Webinars, Blog, Academy | Phone, Live Chat, Email/Ticket, Knowledge Base |
| Live Chat | ||
| Live Chat Hours | 24/7 | 24/7 |
| Phone Support | ||
| Phone Support Hours | 24/7 | 9AM-12AM EST daily |
| Ticket Support | ||
| Priority Support | ||
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Knowledge Base Quality | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Avg Support Wait | — | — |
| Email Accounts | ||
| Email Account Limit | 5 | 50 |
| Mailbox Size | 0.1 GB | — |
| Webmail Access | ||
| Spam Filter | ||
| Email Forwarding | ||
| Performance | ||
| CDN Included | ||
| CDN Provider | Cloudflare CDN | Cloudflare CDN |
| Server Locations | Provo, UT (US), Orem, UT (US), Frankfurt (Germany), Mumbai (India), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Paris (France), Sydney (Australia), London (UK), Madrid (Spain), Hong Kong (China), Shanghai (China) | Phoenix, AZ (US), Chicago, IL (US), Toronto (Canada), Montreal (Canada), Amsterdam (Netherlands), Singapore |
| Server Location Count | 11 | 6 |
| Choose Server Location | ||
| HTTP/2 Support | — | — |
| Brotli Compression | — | — |
| Uptime SLA Credit | ||
| Platform Support | ||
| Drupal Support | ||
| Joomla Support | ||
| Magento Support | ||
| Laravel Support | ||
| Django Support | ||
| Next.js Support | ||
| Rails Support | ||
| Static Site Support | ||
| Control Panel | ||
| cPanel Included | ||
| Control Panel | cPanel | cPanel |
| Softaculous | ||
| Website Builder | ||
| Builder Name | Bluehost Website Builder | Website Builder |
| Migration | ||
| Migration Websites Limit | 1 | 1 |
| Migration Turnaround | 4 days | 1 days |
| Paid Migration Cost | $149.99 | — |
| Migration Quality | 4.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
| Compliance | ||
| GDPR Compliant | ||
| PCI Compliant | ||
| HIPAA Compliant | ||
| Data Center Certs | — | — |
| Ratings | ||
| Value for Money | 3.0/10 | 3.5/10 |
| Performance Rating | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Support Quality | 3.5/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Security Rating | 3.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Features Rating | 3.5/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Ease of Use | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| Transparency Rating | 2.5/10 | 3.5/10 |
| Suitability Scores | ||
| For Bloggers | 4.0/10 | 5.0/10 |
| For E-commerce | 4.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Agencies | 3.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Developers | 3.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Beginners | 5.0/10 | 4.0/10 |
| For Enterprise | 2.0/10 | 2.0/10 |
| Policies | ||
| Bandwidth Overage | Unmetered within fair use; excessive use may require upgrade | Unmetered within fair use; no overage fees charged |
| Storage Overage | Must upgrade plan; inode limits apply (200K soft, 1M TOS violation) | Hard limits apply; must upgrade plan |
| Adult Content Allowed | ||
| Gambling Sites Allowed | ||
| Crypto Sites Allowed | — | — |
| Reseller Hosting | ||
| White Label | ||
| API Access | ||
| Company Info | ||
| Year Founded | 2003 | 2008 |
| Headquarters | United States | United States |
| Parent Company | Newfold Digital (formerly Endurance International Group, acquired 2010) | Private (founded by Trey Gardner) |
| Green Hosting | — | |
| Instant Activation | — | — |
| Managed WordPress | ||
| Managed WP Available | ||
| Pricing Model | — | — |
| Monthly Visit Limit | — | — |
| Visit Overage Cost | — | — |
| PHP Workers | — | — |
| Plugin Restrictions | — | — |
| Dev Environment | — | — |
| Dev Env Name | — | — |
| Regional Info | ||
| Best Countries | United States, India, United Kingdom, Brazil, Australia | United States, Canada, Netherlands, Singapore |
| Local Currencies | USD, INR, GBP | USD, CAD |
| Support Languages | English | English |
| Data Sovereignty | GDPR | GDPR |
| External Ratings | ||
| G2 Rating | 3.4/5 | 3.8/5 |
| BBB Rating | Not Accredited | Not Accredited |
| Advanced Technical | ||
| Inode Limit | 200,000 | 150,000 |
| Max DB Size | 5 GB | — |
| Max Upload Size | 50 MB | — |
| Database Type | — | — |
| Elasticsearch | — | — |
| Image Optimization | — | — |
| PHP Switching | ||
| Subdomains | — | — |
| FTP Accounts | — | — |
| Additional Pricing | ||
| Free Domain Duration | 12 months | 12 months |
| Money Back Exclusions | Cloud hosting excluded; Monthly term plans excluded; Domains non-refundable ($15.99 deducted if free domain used); Premium domains non-refundable; Setup fees excluded; Most add-on products excluded; Renewals only refundable within 30 days | Domain registrations non-refundable; SSL certificates non-refundable; Migration services non-refundable; Must cancel 5+ days before renewal date |
| Payment Methods | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal | Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal |
| Auto Renewal Default | ||
| Domain Privacy Included | — | — |
| Domain Privacy Cost | — | — |
| SSL Provider | Let's Encrypt (auto-renewed every 90 days) | Let's Encrypt (AlphaSSL free on Premium plan) |
| Dedicated IP Cost | — | — |
| Additional Support | ||
| Phone Support Countries | United States | United States, Canada |
| Priority Support Cost | — | — |
| Community Forum | ||
| Support Outsourced | — | — |
| Object Cache Type | — | LSCache |
| Business & Affiliate | ||
| Affiliate Program | ||
| Commission Type | Flat rate (tiered) | Flat rate |
| Commission Amount | $65 per sale base; up to $125/sale for high performers; 30-day cookie; $100 minimum first payout; via Impact.com | Up to $100 per referral; 30-day cookie |
| Additional Policies | ||
| File Hosting Allowed | ||
| Proxy/VPN Allowed | — | |
| Bandwidth Overage Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Account Suspension Policy | AUP violations may result in suspension or termination; 48 hours to respond to abuse team before suspension | Fair use policy violations may result in suspension; resource abuse affecting other users prohibited |
| Malware Removal Cost | — | $0.00 |
| Downloadable Backups | ||
| Additional Platforms | ||
| PrestaShop | ||
| Ghost | ||
| Shopify Migration | ||
| Wix Migration | ||
| Squarespace Migration | ||
| Webflow Export | ||
| Editorial Info | ||
| Best For | WordPress beginners (officially recommended by WordPress.org); Users wanting phone support 24/7; Users who need cPanel; Staging environment included; Free Cloudflare CDN; Global audience (11 data centers Oct 2025); High affiliate payouts ($65-125/sale) | Eco-conscious users (3x renewable energy offset); WordPress users needing LiteSpeed; Users wanting cPanel; International users (6 data center locations including Canada); Users who value green hosting credentials; WooCommerce stores (LiteSpeed optimized) |
| Avoid If | Budget-conscious at renewal time; Need Node.js on shared hosting; Adult or gambling content; Require large email storage; Dislike aggressive upselling; Need cheap VPS (competitors much cheaper); Enterprise compliance requirements | Need dedicated servers; Need 24/7 phone support; Budget-conscious at renewal time (4x markup); Need enterprise compliance; Non-English speakers; Need cloud hosting |
| Known Issues | Renewal prices 2-3x higher than promo ($2.95 → $9.99); Aggressive upselling on add-ons; Limited 100MB email on Basic plan; No Node.js on shared hosting; 4,000+ negative reviews cite cancellation/billing issues; VPS pricing significantly higher than competitors; G2 rating only 3.4/5; Not BBB accredited; Some Reddit reports of downtime issues; $99.95 domain redemption fee | Renewal prices ~4x higher than promo ($2.95 → $12.95); No dedicated server hosting; Phone support not 24/7 (closes at midnight EST); $25 backup restore fee after 1 free monthly; On-demand backups only on Pro/Premium; Auto-renewal complaints on BBB; Not BBB Accredited; English-only support; No cloud hosting option |
| Unique Selling Point | Only host officially recommended by WordPress.org with staging on all WP plans | Industry's greenest host putting 3x energy back as renewable, with LiteSpeed and cPanel |
| Ideal Customer | WordPress beginner wanting official endorsement and phone support | Eco-conscious blogger or small business wanting green credentials with modern performance |
| Best Alternative To | HostGator | Hostinger |
| Primary Competitors | HostGator, SiteGround, Hostinger | Hostinger, SiteGround, A2 Hosting |
We strive for accuracy, but pricing and features change frequently. Some data may be outdated. Report an error and we'll update it promptly.
Our Verdict
Choose Bluehost if you...
- Prefer more predictable renewal pricing
- Are new to web hosting
- Want more server locations (11 available)
Choose GreenGeeks if you...
- Want to save money ($2.95/mo vs $3.99/mo)
- Want higher-rated hosting (3.9/5)
- Want LiteSpeed caching for WordPress
- Want to run Node.js applications
Bluehost vs GreenGeeks: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bluehost cheaper than GreenGeeks?
Yes — GreenGeeks is cheaper, starting at $2.95/mo compared with $3.99/mo for Bluehost. Factor in renewals too: GreenGeeks marks up about 373% after the first term.
Which is better for WordPress, Bluehost or GreenGeeks?
GreenGeeks is the stronger WordPress host thanks to WordPress-optimized servers, LiteSpeed caching, staging and WooCommerce tuning. If WordPress or WooCommerce is your main workload, it's the safer pick.
Does Bluehost or GreenGeeks have better uptime?
Bluehost edges out GreenGeeks on performance with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and a 3.4/5 overall rating. For uptime-sensitive sites, it's the more dependable choice.
Which has better customer support, Bluehost or GreenGeeks?
GreenGeeks has the edge on support offering 24/7 live chat, phone support and ticket support.
Is Bluehost or GreenGeeks better for beginners?
Bluehost is friendlier for beginners, scoring higher on ease of use in our assessment. New users will generally find it quicker to get started.
Should I choose Bluehost or GreenGeeks?
For most users, GreenGeeks is the better overall choice, winning 4 of our 7 categories (notably Price, Support and WordPress). That said, the right host depends on your specific needs — check the category breakdown above for the factors that matter to you.