A2 Hosting vs Bluehost: Which is Better in 2023?

Do you want to skip the read and get right to my pick in this A2 Hosting vs Bluehost comparison? The better web hosting provider for most people is Bluehost.

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Introduction:

It is practically a given these days that those who want to start their sites ASAP depend on WordPress to create functional sites that can be deployed at the drop of a hat. However, that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting a reliable hosting provider for one’s newly-minted website.

In this review featuring A2 Hosting vs Bluehost, we will see which of these two popular choices works best for today’s generation of WordPress site creators. To determine who takes home the bacon in our Bluehost vs A2 Hosting review, we will see how they stack up in terms of features, functionality, reliability, technical support, and value for money.

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Overview:

Here's a brief background on each contender in this Bluehost vs A2 Hosting toss-up.

A2Hosting:

For a company that started out as a hobby to show off its founder and CEO’s skills with UNIX, A2Hosting has certainly come a long way. Today, the company’s service portfolio has grown from shared and managed web hosting solutions. It now includes dedicated server services, reseller solutions, as well as VPS services scaled to the size of each client’s needs.

Bluehost:

An almost constant presence in lists featuring the world’s leading hosting services, Bluehost has been in use by WordPress users since 2003 and boasts nearly two million users worldwide.

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Ease of Use:

When it comes to ease of use, who wins – Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” appears to be A2Hosting’s motto as the platform continues to use a classic cPanel interface that users find easy enough to manage. However, we do wish it would rethink this and add a bit more in terms of functionality. To be fair, however, it’s a platform that works with the three big OSs: Linux, Mac, and Windows. In fact, unlike other platforms that give more perks to Mac users, the Linux and Windows crowds will have nothing to complain about here, as A2Hosting offers several options specifically tailored for them.

Bluehost:

We like how Bluehost is easy enough to set up. What we don’t like is having to configure various technical settings – CMS, DNS, and FTP – in the backend. Frankly, the platform is easy enough to use, but anything else calls for some serious technical know-how or a person on call to help you out with that.

Winner – A2 Hosting! in this A2 Hosting vs Bluehost ‘Ease of Use' comparison. Ease of use without technical headaches? We’re giving this to A2Hosting.

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Features:

Let's talk about what features users can expect in A2 Hosting vs Bluehost.

Domain Names:

Who wins as a domain registrar – Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

At its most basic, A2Hosting allows users to have a single domain name. If you want a bit more bang for your buck, though, we encourage you to consider higher-valued plans which allow for multiple domains and domain names. There’s a catch, though: a *.com domain name with A2Hosting does not come free with your plan and you need to pay an additional one-time fee of $14.95.

Bluehost:

The one subscriber = one domain rule also applies here. Additional domains and/or domain names will also set you back by a certain amount, depending on the base cost of your subscription package.

Email Rating:

Who has the better email service, A2 Hosting vs Bluehost?

A2Hosting:

You can have as many emails as you need as there are no account limits or storage limits regardless of your hosting plan. If you’re heavy into email marketing, however, take note that email blasts are not part of any package.

Bluehost:

When it comes to basic hosting plans, Bluehost lets you have five mailboxes for your account. Mid-tier and premium plan users, on the other hand, can create as many email addresses as they need.

Databases:

What about databases, which is better between A2 Hosting vs Bluehost?

A2Hosting:

Keep this in mind: five databases if you’re on the Startup plan, unlimited if you’re on a plan with a higher value.

Bluehost:

Talk about bang for your buck: at its most basic, Bluehost allows users to create twenty databases. Those on mid-tier and premium plans can create an unlimited number.

Applications:

When talking about applications that can interface with it, who wins between Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting's cPanel has a single-click installer that enables you to install WordPress, as well as Drupal or Joomla. If you want to add additional apps for functionality, Softaculous is already integrated into the UI to ensure smooth installation and operation.

Bluehost:

When you’re a preferred WordPress partner, functionality is at your fingertips, as you have access to all 60,000 apps and plugins offered by the building platform, including online shop-builder WooCommerce.

Site Staging:

Does Bluehost vs A2 Hosting offer a staging environment?

A2Hosting:

Comparing A2 Hosting vs Bluehost, A2's site staging capabilities are available for both WordPress and Joomla users.

Bluehost:

Consider Bluehost’s staging feature a sandbox for experimentation and testing – provided, of course, that you built your site with WordPress. Otherwise, it’s no go.

Website Builder:

Who lets you build a better-looking website – Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

The platform’s proprietary building platform is as basic as they come. But, if you need a working website ASAP, it works quite well. We also like the fact that the A2Hosting builder is a “try before you buy” product: you can take it out for a test drive (well, test build) to determine if it works for you.

Bluehost:

Good news: Bluehost does have its own site builder and you can use it to create a working site in minutes. The bad news is that, if you went with it as a substitute or alternative to WordPress, you’ll be sorely disappointed. The Bluehost builder is also a CMS-driven building platform.

eCommerce and SSL certificate:

If you want to build an online store, which is better Bluehost or A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting allows users to create and deploy ecommerce sites using several apps, including PrestaShop, OpenCart, and AbanteCart.

One Let's Encrypt SSL certificate comes free with your hosting plan, but you will need to pay extra if you need a secondary certificate.

Bluehost:

Bluehost supports websites using the WooCommerce plugin, but does not offer hosting packages specific for ecommerce site creation and hosting.
Likewise, each hosting plan comes with a free SSL certificate.

Security and Backups:

A2Hosting:

The platform UI automatically backs up your site and retains data covering the previous seven days. If you’re on a mid-tier or premium plan, you can also use the built-in Server Rewind feature to help restore your site at no extra cost.

Bluehost:

Bluehost gives its users password-protected directories, a triple-layer spam filter, and one-click integration with Cloudflare to work against potential DDoS attacks. Unfortunately, daily automated backups are only available for mid-tier and premium users.

Winner – Bluehost! in this ‘Features' round of our A2 Hosting vs Bluehost comparison.

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Performance:

Now that we've discussed Bluehost vs A2 Hosting's features, let's turn to how they perform.

Server Locations:

Which provider has better and more server locations – Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting servers are located in Michigan, Arizona, Amsterdam, and Singapore.

Bluehost:

Headquartered in Provo, Utah, Bluehost’s auxiliary data center is in the nearby town of Orem, while global servers are located in the United Kingdom, India, Hong Kong, and Mainland China.

Speed Results:

Which is the faster hosting provider – Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting sites load at an average rate of 2.01 seconds.

Bluehost:

Not up to snuff, we’re afraid: average loading time for sites hosted through the service is currently at 3.22 seconds.

Average Uptime, Bandwidth, and Webspace Limits/Storage:

Let's talk about uptime, storage, and bandwidth capabilities in Bluehost vs A2 Hosting?

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting claims that its uptime is at 99.99%. In reality, we noted that it was actually 99.98%. That may seem like a small difference, but if you’re going to be ethically strict about it, it’s false advertising.

Bandwidth is unlimited, while storage begins at 100GB for the Startup Plan and is unlimited for those in higher tiers.

Bluehost:

Bluehost’s uptime is at par at 99.98%.

Bandwidth is unlimited across all hosting plans, but storage is pegged at 50GB at the most basic. Everyone else gets unlimited storage.

Winner – Draw! in this A2 Hosting vs Bluehost ‘Performance' comparison.

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Support and Resources:

Now we'll compare how competent support is for both A2 vs Bluehost.

A2Hosting:

Multi-channel technical assistance is available at all hours through phone, chat or email ticketing. The A2Hosting knowledge base is quite extensive, user-friendly, and offers a great deal of clarity.

Bluehost:

Comparing A2 vs Bluehost, Bluehost offers 24/7 customer and technical service via email, LiveChat, and phone. Its knowledge base is also well-maintained.

Winner – Draw! It's a close call, so we're calling this a tie between A2 Hosting vs Bluehost in this ‘Support and Resources' comparison.

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Pricing:

Which between A2 vs Bluehost has more affordable pricing plans and better value for money?

Paid Plans:

Let's compare A2 vs Bluehost's paid plans.

A2Hosting:

A2Hosting offers four standard site hosting plans. Monthly prices for the first year of use range between $2.99 and $14.99 monthly. It does, however, get steep when you renew your subscription after the first year: monthly rates take a significant jump to between $8.99 to $24.99.

Managed WordPress plans start from $11.99;

>> Check for our latest A2 Hosting discount code pricing plans <<

Bluehost:

The standard price range runs between $3.95 and $13.95 every month with key security features and unlimited bandwidth and storage available to all plans except for basic hosting.

WordPress plans start from $19.95;

If you need something more scalable for big corporate or enterprise-grade websites, these will set you back by a monthly fee of $119.99 or even higher.

>> Check for our latest Bluehost discount code pricing plans <<

Free trial, refund policy, and money-back guarantee:

Do either A2 vs Bluehost provide a free trial and money-back guarantee?

A2Hosting:

The platform offers a 30-day trial period, after which you will need to commit to a paid hosting plan.

A2Hosting assures its users of a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Bluehost:

Bluehost offers a thirty-day free trial; after which, users must commit to a paid subscription plan. If you aren’t satisfied with the service, you may cancel your paid subscription within the first thirty days for a refund.

Winner – Bluehost! If we're talking value for your money, it's got to be Bluehost in this A2 Hosting vs Bluehost ‘Pricing' comparison.

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Comparison Winner: A2 vs Bluehost?

This one was a close one to call, given how Bluehost is, for all intents and purposes, strictly one for WordPress. However, if we are going to take it down to the brass tacks, we are giving the win in our A2 Hosting vs Bluehost comparison to Bluehost. We like the fact that it has flexible pricing options, is scalable and delivers when it comes to bandwidth, storage, and loading speed.

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Conclusion and Recommendations:

Now, all things considered, let's wrap up our A2 vs Bluehost comparison;

What is A2Hosting best for?

We recommend A2 Hosting as a great gateway hosting service for bloggers and ecommerce startups thanks to its extensive range of useful, easy to use features.

What is Bluehost best for?

Bluehost is a great choice for long-time WordPress users who want to step up their site-building game.

Alternatives:

Final word:

A2Hosting is our best bet following our A2Hosting vs Bluehost matchup, but you would do well to go over all your options with regard to a hosting service. Be sure to check if the ones you fancy beyond A2 vs Bluehost can help you out when it comes to specific requirements for your website.

Check for the best Bluehost pricing

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FAQs:

Which between A2 vs Bluehost offers cloud hosting?

A2Hosting does, though we recommend you check the rates on their website as these will cost considerably more than standard shared or managed hosting plans.

Aside from WordPress, what platforms can I use with either of these services?

Bluehost is a preferred partner for WordPress, so it’s their way or the highway. A2Hosting, on the other hand, may also be used with Joomla and ecommerce-specific platforms such as PrestaShop, OpenCart, and AbanteCart.

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That’s all for now:

If you've read our A2 Hosting vs Bluehost comparison review up to here, we are grateful. Remember always to keep abreast of the latest developments on website builders, eCommerce, and other articles, such as the ones below;

• VPS Unlimited Bandwidth

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