Bluehost vs Flywheel (2024 Comparison)
Bluehost offers a user-friendly interface with a free domain for the first year. It's an excellent choice for beginners and small businesses looking for reliable hosting solutions.
- Free domain for first year
- 24/7 customer support
- User-friendly interface
- Limited staging environments
- Less frequent backups
Free plan?
NoStarting price
$1.99 per month
Flywheel provides advanced WordPress hosting with features like staging environments and nightly backups. It's ideal for designers and agencies needing specialized WordPress solutions.
- Advanced staging environments
- Nightly backups
- WordPress-specific features
- No free domain
- Higher price point
Free plan?
NoStarting price
$13 per monthWhat is Bluehost?
Bluehost is a popular web hosting service known for its reliability and ease of use. It offers a range of hosting plans suitable for beginners and small businesses, providing features like free domain registration, SSL certificates, and 24/7 customer support. With its user-friendly interface and one-click WordPress installation, Bluehost simplifies the process of setting up a website, making it an ideal choice for those new to web hosting.
What is Flywheel?
Flywheel is a managed WordPress hosting platform designed for designers and agencies. It offers a seamless experience with features like staging environments, nightly backups, and free SSL certificates. Flywheel's intuitive dashboard and collaboration tools make it easy for teams to manage multiple sites efficiently. With its focus on performance and security, Flywheel ensures that your WordPress sites run smoothly, allowing you to focus on creating beautiful websites without worrying about technical details.
Pros and Cons of Bluehost vs Flywheel
Pros & Cons of Bluehost
- Bluehost offers a free domain for the first year, which is a great cost-saving feature for those just starting out. This can help you get your website up and running without additional expenses.
- With Bluehost, you have access to 24/7 customer support via phone, chat, and email. This ensures that you can get help whenever you need it, making it a reliable choice for users of all levels.
- Bluehost's interface is designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for beginners to navigate and set up their websites. The one-click WordPress installation is particularly helpful for those new to web hosting.
- While Bluehost does offer staging environments, they are not as robust as those provided by Flywheel. This can be a limitation for developers and agencies who need to test changes before going live.
- Bluehost's backup frequency is not as high as Flywheel's, which offers nightly backups. This can be a concern for businesses that require regular data backups to ensure data safety.
Pros & Cons of Flywheel
- Flywheel provides advanced staging environments, allowing you to test changes before going live. This feature is particularly beneficial for developers and agencies who need to ensure everything works perfectly before launching.
- Flywheel offers nightly backups, ensuring that your data is safe and can be restored if needed. This feature is crucial for businesses that can't afford to lose data.
- Flywheel focuses on managed WordPress hosting, offering features like performance optimization and WordPress-specific security measures. This makes it an excellent choice for WordPress users looking for specialized hosting solutions.
- Unlike Bluehost, Flywheel does not offer a free domain, which can be a drawback for those looking to save on initial costs. This is something to consider if budget is a concern.
- Flywheel's managed WordPress hosting comes at a higher price point compared to Bluehost. This can be a consideration for those on a tight budget, but the additional features may justify the cost for some users.
Bluehost vs Flywheel: At A Glance
Bluehost vs Flywheel: A Detailed Breakdown of Key Features
Free Domain
Bluehost offers a free domain for the first year, which is a great perk for those just starting out. This feature can save you some initial costs and make the setup process smoother. Flywheel, however, does not offer a free domain, as it focuses more on managed WordPress hosting. If having a free domain is important to you, Bluehost is the better choice. But if you're more focused on WordPress-specific features, Flywheel's offerings might outweigh the lack of a free domain.
Staging Environments
Flywheel excels in providing staging environments, allowing you to test changes before going live. This feature is particularly beneficial for developers and agencies who need to ensure everything works perfectly before launching. Bluehost does offer staging environments, but they are not as robust as Flywheel's. If you frequently make changes to your site and need a reliable staging environment, Flywheel is the superior option. For basic staging needs, Bluehost can suffice.
SSL Certificates
Both Bluehost and Flywheel offer free SSL certificates, which are essential for securing your website and building trust with visitors. Bluehost includes SSL certificates in all its plans, making it easy to secure your site from the get-go. Flywheel also provides SSL certificates, with a focus on WordPress security. If you're looking for a straightforward way to secure your site, both providers offer solid options. However, Flywheel's emphasis on WordPress security might be more appealing if you're running a WordPress site.
Nightly Backups
Flywheel offers nightly backups, ensuring that your data is safe and can be restored if needed. This feature is crucial for businesses that can't afford to lose data. Bluehost provides backups, but they are not as frequent as Flywheel's. If regular backups are a priority for you, Flywheel's nightly backups offer peace of mind. For less frequent backup needs, Bluehost's offerings might be sufficient.
Performance Optimization
Flywheel focuses heavily on performance optimization, with features designed to ensure your WordPress site runs smoothly and quickly. This is particularly important for sites with high traffic or complex designs. Bluehost also offers performance optimization, but it's not as specialized as Flywheel's. If performance is a top priority, especially for WordPress sites, Flywheel's optimization features are more comprehensive. For general performance needs, Bluehost provides adequate solutions.
Collaboration Tools
Flywheel offers advanced collaboration tools, making it easy for teams to work together on projects. This is particularly beneficial for agencies and designers who need to manage multiple sites and collaborate with clients. Bluehost does not offer the same level of collaboration tools, focusing more on individual users. If collaboration is a key aspect of your workflow, Flywheel's tools are invaluable. For solo projects, Bluehost's offerings are more than sufficient.
Pricing Comparison of Bluehost and Flywheel
To assist you in making an informed choice, we’ve outlined the pricing plans and essential features of Bluehost and Flywheel. This comparison will highlight the best option for your hosting needs.
Bluehost Pricing Plans
- Free SSL to ensure secure data transmission.
- Free CDN Enabled for faster content delivery.
- Supports up to 10 websites for small projects.
- 10GB SSD Web Storage for efficient data management.
- 20GB SSD Web Storage for more data capacity.
- Free WP Migration Tool for easy site transfer.
- 3 Months Free Pro Email for professional communication.
- Yoast SEO - Free Version for better search visibility.
- 50GB SSD Web Storage for extensive data needs.
- Free Domain Privacy for the first year for added security.
- Daily Website Backup for the first year for data safety.
- Staging Environment for testing changes safely.
- 100GB SSD Web Storage for maximum data storage.
- Enhanced speed and processing power for high performance.
- Performance Insights for optimizing site performance.
- Client Invoicing for managing client billing.
Flywheel Pricing Plans
- Supports 5,000 monthly visits ensuring stable performance.
- Provides 5GB storage for essential website data.
- Offers 20GB bandwidth for smooth data transfer.
- Includes simple SSL certificates for secure connections.
- Handles 25,000 monthly visits for increased traffic.
- Provides 10GB storage for more content and media.
- Offers 50GB bandwidth for enhanced data transfer.
- Includes FlyCache for optimized site speed.
- Supports up to 10 sites for diverse projects.
- Handles 100,000 monthly visits for high traffic.
- Provides 20GB storage for extensive data needs.
- Offers 200GB bandwidth for large data transfers.
- Supports up to 30 sites for extensive management.
- Handles 400,000 monthly visits for massive traffic.
- Provides 50GB storage for substantial data needs.
- Offers 500GB bandwidth for extensive data transfers.
Our Rating Methodology
We conduct thorough evaluations of each hosting service, focusing on key aspects like performance, security, and customer support. By analyzing user reviews and testing each platform, we ensure our recommendations are reliable. Each factor is weighted to provide a final score, helping you make informed decisions.
Bluehost or Flywheel: Which One Matches Your Business Needs?
Choose Bluehost If You Need ...
- Beginner-friendly hosting solution
If you are a beginner or small business owner looking for an easy-to-use website builder, Bluehost is a great choice. Its user-friendly interface and one-click WordPress installation make it simple to set up and manage your website.
- Cost-effective hosting option
If you are on a tight budget and need a reliable hosting solution with essential features, Bluehost offers competitive pricing and a free domain for the first year, making it a cost-effective choice.
Choose Flywheel If You Need ...
- Advanced WordPress hosting
If you are a designer or agency needing advanced WordPress hosting features like staging environments and performance optimization, Flywheel is the ideal choice. Its focus on WordPress-specific solutions ensures a seamless experience.
- High-traffic WordPress sites
If you anticipate significant growth and need a hosting provider that can handle increased traffic, Flywheel's performance-focused infrastructure and scalability make it a better option for high-traffic WordPress sites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hosting provider is better for beginners?
Does Flywheel offer a free domain?
Which provider offers better WordPress-specific features?
Is Bluehost suitable for high-traffic websites?
What type of customer support does Flywheel offer?
Which provider offers more frequent backups?
Martin Lunendonk
Martin Lunendonk is a senior tech writer specializing in website builders, web hosting, and ecommerce platforms. With a background in finance, accounting, and philosophy, he has founded multiple tech startups and worked in medium to large tech companies and investment banking, bringing deep expertise and reliable insights to his software reviews.
