Bluehost vs InterServer
Bluehost and InterServer compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. Bluehost scores higher overall.
By Jennifer T. · Updated
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Verdict
BluehostWins overall
Newfold's WordPress-recommended host: three shared tiers on 36-month terms, weekly backups, a 5 percent SLA coupon
Secaucus host since 1999 with a $7 monthly plan, stated resources, free migration and a 30-day refund
Bluehost wins 2 of the six sub-scores and comes out ahead overall (7.6 vs 7.5).
How do the scores compare?
Bluehost leads on 2 sub-scores, InterServer on 2. Higher is better.
| Bluehost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 |
| Uptime | 8.0 (better) | 7.0 |
| Support | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Features | 7.5 | 8.0 (better) |
| Value | 7.5 | 8.5 (better) |
| Ease of use | 8.5 (better) | 7.0 |
Which one is faster and more reliable?
| Bluehost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 7.6 (better) | 7.5 |
| Uptime (published)HostingStep 243 d vs Cybernews 14 d; methods differ | 99.97% | 100.00% (better) |
Which one costs less?
On renewal, InterServer is cheaper ($7.00/mo vs $9.99/mo). Intro prices need the listed term.
| Bluehost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Starter | Standard |
| Intro price | $3.99/mo | $2.50/mo (better) |
| Renewal price | $9.99/mo | $7.00/mo (better) |
| Required term | 36 months | 1 months (better) |
| Websites | 10 | unlimited |
| Storage | 10 GB | Unlimited |
| Money back | 30 days | 30 days |
What does each include?
| Bluehost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Free domain | First year, with a 12-month or 36-month term | No |
| Free SSL | Let's Encrypt | SSL support is listed on every plan |
| Backups | Weekly website backups on every shared plan | Weekly backups on Standard |
| Staging | WordPress staging site on every plan | No |
| Free migration | Site migration tool | The migration team moves the site, database and email for new accounts |
| CDN | Yes | Not stated |
| Caching | Advanced static content caching and object caching | SSD caching servers, RAM caching for small files, LSCache for dynamic content and QUIC |
| SSH and WP-CLI | Yes | Not stated |
| Security | Malware scanning on Starter; AI malware removal, web application firewall and DDoS protection from Business | InterShield attack blocking, malware scanning and a machine-learning firewall, with free DDoS protection |
| Phone support | Business and above; Starter has chat only | No |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99% SLA; at most one coupon per month for 5% of the monthly hosting fee | No |
| Choice of data center | Region selected at checkout (North America, South America, Europe, Asia) | Not stated |
| Windows hosting | No | A separate Windows hosting package |
| Free CDN | Not stated | Cloudflare CDN on every plan |
| Not stated | Unlimited accounts with outgoing mail routed through smart hosts for deliverability; 200 emails an hour on Standard | |
| Resource limits | Not stated | Printed per plan: cores, memory, IOPS, processes, entry processes, inodes and emails per hour |
| Data center choice | Not stated | No |
Company facts
| Bluehost | InterServer | |
|---|---|---|
| Control panel | Bluehost account manager with cPanel | DirectAdmin on Standard and Boost; cPanel on the cPanel hosting plan |
| Data centers | 2 | 3 (better) |
| Support channels | chat, phone, knowledge-base | ticket, knowledge-base |
| Founded | 2003 | 1999 |