--- title: "Bluehost vs KnownHost: which is better in 2026?" url: "https://hostidea.com/compare/bluehost-vs-knownhost" canonical: "https://hostidea.com/compare/bluehost-vs-knownhost" author: "Jennifer T." generated: "2026-10-15" note: "Markdown twin generated at build time from the same content as the HTML page. The HTML page is canonical." --- # Bluehost vs KnownHost Bluehost and KnownHost compared on measured uptime, response time, pricing and features from our own tests. Bluehost scores higher overall. By [Jennifer T.](https://hostidea.com/authors/jennifer-t) ยท Updated Oct 14, 2026 We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. Rankings come from the published methodology and sourced data, not from commissions. [Disclosure](https://hostidea.com/disclosure). ## Verdict [7.6 out of 10](https://hostidea.com/methodology#scoring) [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost)Wins overall Newfold's WordPress-recommended host: three shared tiers on 36-month terms, weekly backups, a 5 percent SLA coupon [7.4 out of 10](https://hostidea.com/methodology#scoring) [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) Managed cPanel hosting since 2006 on LiteSpeed and NVMe with stated cores and RAM, daily backups and three locations Bluehost wins 3 of the six sub-scores and comes out ahead overall (7.6 vs 7.4). ## How do the scores compare? Bluehost leads on 3 sub-scores, KnownHost on 2. Higher is better. | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Performance | 7.5 | 7.5 | | Uptime | 8.0 | 7.0 | | Support | 7.0 | 7.5 | | Features | 7.5 | 8.0 | | Value | 7.5 | 7.0 | | Ease of use | 8.5 | 7.5 | ## Which one is faster and more reliable? | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Overall score | 7.6 | 7.4 | | Uptime (published)HostingStep 243 d vs TechRadar 30 d; methods differ | 99.97% | 100.00% | ## Which one costs less? On renewal, KnownHost is cheaper ($7.16/mo vs $9.99/mo). Intro prices need the listed term. Prices verified Oct 13, 2026 (Bluehost) and Oct 14, 2026 (KnownHost). USD. | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Cheapest plan | Starter | Basic | | Intro price | $3.99/mo | $3.47/mo | | Renewal price | $9.99/mo | $7.16/mo | | Required term | 36 months | 36 months | | Websites | 10 | 1 | | Storage | 10 GB | 10 GB | | Money back | 30 days | 30 days | ## What does each include? | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Free domain | First year, with a 12-month or 36-month term | No | | Free SSL | Let's Encrypt | Every plan, every domain | | Backups | Weekly website backups on every shared plan | Daily JetBackup with 2-day and 1-week retention on every plan; extended retention sold as an add-on | | Staging | WordPress staging site on every plan | No | | Free migration | Site migration tool | Migration team copies files, databases and email and tests the site | | CDN | Yes | Not stated | | Caching | Advanced static content caching and object caching | LiteSpeed Web Server with LSCache on every plan; Redis and Memcached optional | | SSH and WP-CLI | Yes | Not stated | | Security | Malware scanning on Starter; AI malware removal, web application firewall and DDoS protection from Business | Imunify360 with real-time malware scanning and a web application firewall; Patchman optional on Basic and Standard, included above | | Phone support | Business and above; Starter has chat only | A US toll-free number on every page, with 24/7 ticket support | | Uptime guarantee | 99.99% SLA; at most one coupon per month for 5% of the monthly hosting fee | The network page claims a 99.999% availability SLA and 99.99+% uptimes; the terms of service contain no uptime clause or credit schedule | | Choice of data center | Region selected at checkout (North America, South America, Europe, Asia) | Not stated | | Windows hosting | No | No | | Free CDN | Not stated | No | | SSH, Git and cron | Not stated | Every plan, with current PHP versions | | Resource limits | Not stated | CloudLinux isolation with 1, 2, 4 and 6 cores and 1, 2, 4 and 6 GB memory limits by plan | | Data center choice | Not stated | Atlanta, Seattle or Amsterdam at checkout | | Email | Not stated | 5, 25 or unlimited mailboxes by plan, with webmail | ## Company facts | | [Bluehost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/bluehost) | [KnownHost](https://hostidea.com/reviews/knownhost) | | --- | --- | --- | | Control panel | Bluehost account manager with cPanel | cPanel with Softaculous | | Data centers | 2 | 3 | | Support channels | chat, phone, knowledge-base | ticket, phone, knowledge-base | | Founded | 2003 | 2006 | Visit Bluehost (affiliate link: /go/bluehost)Visit KnownHost (affiliate link: /go/knownhost)