With self-hosting, you’re in control. No platform limitations — just flexibility and lower long-term cost.
New to this or working with a tight budget
If you’re building your first website and don’t know where to start, Bluehost is a solid default. It’s officially recommended by WordPress, the interface is straightforward, and you can install WordPress with one click—no manual setup required.
If you just need a single site, you can get started through this page for as low as $1.99/month.
Your site is growing and needs to stay fast
If you’re getting steady traffic — or running something like an online store — SiteGround is a strong upgrade. Faster speeds, better security, and more reliable backups. It costs more, but you’re paying for stability.
| Bluehost | SiteGround | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Beginners, small sites, budget users | Growing sites, higher traffic, performance-focused |
| Speed | Good enough | Faster overall |
| Security | Basic | Advanced with daily backups |
| Support | 24/7, decent | 24/7, faster and more helpful |
| Free domain | First year included | Not included |
| Free migration | No | Yes |
| Starting price | $1.99/mo | $3.99/mo |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days | 30 days |
Official WordPress recommendation. Clean dashboard, one-click setup, and a smooth onboarding process.
Faster, more secure, and built for sites that are starting to scale.
Trying to find shared hosting that won’t slow you down? Here’s what actually matters, how to spot the good providers, and how to avoid paying for the wrong thing.
Monthly fees are just the surface. Factor in freelancer costs, downtime, and your own time, and that “cheap” plan looks very different. Do the math before you commit.
Is shared hosting actually slowing your site down? Here’s how it works, where the real risks are, and how to choose the right plan when you’re starting out.
Both are solid options — it really comes down to your situation.
Just getting started or on a tight budget → Go with Bluehost
Plans start around $1.99/month. It’s simple to use, quick to set up, and WordPress installs in one click. Perfect for a first site. The trade-off is average performance and support.
Already getting traffic and need reliability → Go with SiteGround You’ll see a clear jump in performance. Built-in caching, CDN, daily backups, auto updates, and stronger security all come standard. It costs more, but it’s worth it if uptime and speed matter.
Bottom line: start with Bluehost, and upgrade later if your site outgrows it.
It depends on the provider.
Bluehost:
Includes a free domain for the first year on most plans. After that, renewal is separate (usually $15–$20/year), and hosting renewals are higher than the intro rate.
SiteGround:
No free domain included. You’ll need to register one separately, but it doesn’t have to be through SiteGround.
In general, it’s a good idea to keep your domain and hosting separate. It makes switching providers easier later.
Yes — and it’s more common than you might think.
The basic process is moving your files and database, then updating your domain’s DNS to point to the new host.
Do it yourself:
Tools like Duplicator or All-in-One WP Migration make it straightforward, even for non-technical users.
Let the host handle it:
SiteGround offers free migration — just give them access and they’ll take care of it.
One tip: avoid making major changes during migration. Wait until DNS fully updates (usually 24–48 hours).
It all comes down to resources and control.
Shared Hosting
Multiple sites share the same server resources. It’s the cheapest and easiest option — ideal for beginners. The downside is inconsistent performance if other sites use too many resources.
VPS (Virtual Private Server)
You get dedicated resources within a shared environment. More stable performance and more control, but it requires some technical knowledge.
Cloud Hosting
Runs on a network of servers instead of a single machine. Scales automatically based on traffic. More flexible, but pricing can vary depending on usage.
How to choose:
Start with shared hosting. Once your site consistently gets 20,000–30,000 monthly visitors — or starts slowing down — it’s time to upgrade.