Bluehost suits owners who want to host several sites from the first plan: Starter covers 10 websites with weekly backups and 24/7 chat. SiteGround suits owners who want daily backups going back 30 days on every plan, though its StartUp plan hosts one website. If you run one important site, backups decide it; if you run several small ones, the site count does.
Both hosts are popular with WordPress users and both give you a free domain for the first year. The plan details differ more than the marketing suggests. I read Bluehost's shared hosting page and SiteGround's web hosting page, and the facts below come from those pages.
Bluehost and SiteGround entry plans compared
| Bluehost | SiteGround | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter | StartUp |
| Websites on the entry plan | 10 | 1 |
| Storage on the entry plan | 10 GB NVMe SSD | 10 GB |
| Backups | Weekly website backups on Starter | Daily backups on every plan, up to 30 days back |
| Free domain | First year | Included (1 year) |
| Support | 24/7 chat; phone not included on Starter | 24/7 expert support |
| SSL and CDN | Free SSL and CDN | Free SSL and CDN |
| Next plan | Business: 50 websites, 50 GB | GrowBig: unlimited websites |
Bluehost: room for several sites
Bluehost's Starter plan is aimed at a first website or blog, yet it hosts 10 websites with 10 GB of NVMe SSD storage and is sized for around 40K visits a month. It includes AI site creation tools, a free domain for the first year, a free migration tool, free CDN, managed WordPress updates, free SSL, malware scanning, weekly backups and the free Yoast SEO plugin.
Support on Starter is 24/7 chat, with phone support not included. The Business plan moves to 50 websites and 50 GB, sized for around 200K visits a month, and adds advanced caching, SSH and WP-CLI, and a WordPress staging site.
SiteGround: daily backups everywhere
SiteGround lists four things in all plans: a free domain, free website transfer, free daily backups and 24/7 expert support. Its backups go up to 30 days back and cover your website, emails and files. You also get free SSL, a free CDN with every site and free email.
StartUp is for personal projects and small sites, with one website, unmetered traffic and 10 GB of storage. GrowBig is pitched at a growing business and allows unlimited websites. SiteGround also includes an AI agent for WordPress with free monthly tokens.
Backups: the line I'd read twice
Here's the detail I'd point any small business to. Bluehost lists weekly website backups on Starter. SiteGround lists daily backups on every plan, going back up to 30 days. If your site changes every day, through orders, bookings or new posts, a weekly backup can mean losing days of work after a bad update. That's not something you'll notice until the day you need it, which is why it's worth checking now.
The trade-off runs the other way on site count. Bluehost Starter hosts 10 sites, while SiteGround's StartUp hosts one, so someone with a few small projects gets more room from Bluehost's first plan.
Who each host suits
Bluehost suits bloggers and side-project owners running several small sites who'd rather start on one plan. SiteGround suits businesses with one site that matters, such as a shop or booking site, where daily backups and expert support carry more weight. For help with the wider decision, see my guide to choosing a hosting provider for a blog and this explainer on cloud hosting and its benefits.
My advice before you move hosts
Count your sites and ask how often each one changes. One busy site that changes daily points to SiteGround for its daily backups. Several quiet sites point to Bluehost's Starter plan. Before you sign up anywhere, check the renewal terms on the plan page, because the first term and the renewal term are listed separately on both hosts.
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Frequently asked questions
How many websites can I host on Bluehost Starter?
Bluehost's Starter plan hosts 10 websites with 10 GB of NVMe SSD storage.
How many websites does SiteGround StartUp host?
SiteGround's StartUp plan hosts one website. GrowBig allows unlimited websites.
Which host includes daily backups?
SiteGround lists free daily backups on every plan, going back up to 30 days. Bluehost lists weekly website backups on Starter.
Do both include a free domain?
Yes. Bluehost includes a free domain for the first year, and SiteGround includes a free domain name on all plans.
Does Bluehost Starter include phone support?
No. Bluehost lists 24/7 chat support on Starter, with phone support not included.
Will either host move my site for me?
SiteGround lists free website transfer on all plans. Bluehost lists a free site migration tool.
