Bluehost vs WP Engine
The most advertised budget host against the company that invented managed WordPress. Cheap and do-it-yourself, or done for you and done well.
Short answer
WP Engine wins this head-to-head.
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Bluehost
The biggest name, not the best deal.
WP Engine
The original managed WordPress host.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | Bluehost | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 3.8 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Price | From $3.99/mo | From $28/mo |
| Renews at | $9.99/mo | Renewal not published |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | Basic WordPress sites | Managed WordPress |
| Category | Starter hosting | Managed WordPress |
| Provider | Bluehost (Newfold Digital) | WP Engine |
| Visit Bluehost | Visit WP Engine |
Our verdict
WP Engine is the better WordPress host, and on quality it is not close. This is managed hosting with caching, a CDN, staging, automatic backups, and ten premium themes included, at $35 a month on monthly billing ($336 for the first year for new customers), scoring 4.4 against Bluehost 3.8.
Bluehost wins only on price, at $3.99 a month for the first 36 months and $9.99 after, which over three years is about $143.64 against $1176 at WP Engine. So the honest line is this.
If WordPress is how you earn or grow something, WP Engine saves you the hours Bluehost will cost you and rarely goes down. If you just need a cheap place for a simple site and you are happy to manage it yourself, Bluehost does that for less than half the price.
For anyone serious about the site, WP Engine is worth the gap.
“The most advertised name in hosting, and fine for a basic WordPress site. But the renewal price more than doubles and the upsells never stop. There are better deals on this list.”Editorial team, on Bluehost
“The company that invented managed WordPress and has stayed near the top ever since. Caching, staging, and backups are all included. A slightly dated dashboard on a proven, stable platform.”Editorial team, on WP Engine
Frequently asked questions
Is Bluehost cheaper than WP Engine?
Yes. Bluehost Starter is $3.99 a month for the first 36 months and $9.99 after, roughly $143.64 over three years, against $1176 at WP Engine. WP Engine is the far stronger managed host for the money.
What do you get extra at WP Engine?
Managed WordPress with server-level caching, a CDN, staging, automatic daily backups, and ten premium themes included, none of which the Bluehost Starter plan offers.
Which is better for a serious WordPress site?
WP Engine. It rarely goes down and saves you the maintenance hours Bluehost will cost you. Bluehost only wins if you want the cheapest possible place for a simple site.