Websites are becoming seemingly popular these days that more and more people are starting their own websites either for their business or for their own personal blogs.
And these people arrive at a dilemma wondering which hosting service they should pick. There are countless of them on the internet. Bluehost and Wix are just 2 of them.
So, today, For those people, I will try to clear some air and make them choose a host depending upon their needs and requirements.
Let’s start, then!
Bluehost Vs Wix
What is Web Hosting and Why do we need it?
Web Hosting is a way by which you let your content or website get published on the web. So, They are like spaces on the internet which you can buy.
These hosting services can be used to host business websites, blogs, online store, etc. It can help you share your views about anything on the internet.
Wix and Bluehost are some of the famous and reliable hosting services out there.
Related Article – Best Web Hosting Services
Bluehost vs Wix: Feature Comparison
Bluehost and Wix feature different functionalities. They both differ in their own ways and you may have to choose the most suitable one between them.
1. Hosting
They are both really different in this category. Wix is an hosted platform where you are allowed to buy a plan from them and they give you a space to create your website.
However, Bluehost is quite different. They provide you with a space on the Internet which you may use it in any way you want. You can install WordPress, drupal or any other content management system (CMS).
So, Wix basically is the platform where you blog. While Bluehost allows you to install any CMS into the space provided and use them any way you want.
If you are going to choose Bluehost, WordPress is the best platform to install on a host and it’s better not to install any other alternatives.
2. Ease of Use
Both are fairly easy to use. Bluehost has a one-touch WordPress install button which lets you install it on the go. So, that means creating posts, installing plugins, designing the webpage are all done by WordPress.
WordPress is very beginner-friendly and can be used by anyone. That is one of the reasons why WordPress powers almost 35% of the whole internet!
Wix, when compared to WordPress, is a little hard to grasp everything. But, you will get used to it.
3. Speed
This is where the real difference lies. Bluehost is insanely fast but, on the other hand, Wix is really slow.
I recently bought the premium plan from Wix and was extremely disappointed about the site’s speed. I totally regret that decision and instead should have bought a plan from Bluehost.
Now, you may ask why is speed such an influential factor?
On average, people after clicking your website’s link, only wait about 2-3 seconds to load otherwise they just go back. So, your site needs to be insanely fast so that you can keep up with the competition.
Moreover, the speed of a site is a great factor in SEO or search engine optimisation.
Bluehost is extremely fast even with WordPress installed. So, that’s one factor which I like about Bluehost
Related Article – What Kind Of Blog Should I Start?
4. Scalability
Whatever website you start, if you keep updating it, it will grow and the resources that you would need keeps expanding.
For Wix, These growing demands may not be fulfilled by them and you may need to move to another platform/host.
But, on the other hand, Bluehost has different plans for your growing demand. So, when you need more resources, you just need to pay a little more or upgrade your plan to continue using your website.
5. Flexibility
Wix is a platform where your website lies. Therefore, you never have 100% control over your website. This means that, when Wix sees something that they don’t like, they can remove your entire website without you even knowing.
However, this happens only when you violate their terms and conditions. But, you may want to take this factor into consideration when you choose a platform especially if you are planning to build an affiliate marketing website.
Contrarily on Bluehost, you buy a space on the internet and you have full control over that space. You can add, install anything you want on that space till you pay them every year.
6. Customer Support
The customer support is a bag of mixed opinions for Bluehost. Although many people have had good experiences from their customer services, a lot of people have complained about it too.
But, if Bluehost is reliable and the service doesn’t go down easily, you wouldn’t need to contact the support much often.
In the case of Wix, customer support is just excellent. They have a forum where almost all the questions that you have, would be answered. And, in case you get stuck, you have the option to email them directly and ask.
Extra Features
Wix offers a lot of extra features like Email marketing tools, Logo maker, video maker and many more. But, some like email marketing tools are limited. You would need to pay for that in order to use it it’s maximum ability.
But, things like capturing emails, sending emails etc can be done with the free plan.
In the case of Bluehost, you will probably install WordPress which has tons of plugins and themes that can do almost anything that you want. Some plugins are free while others are paid.
Another thing that I would like to add is the themes that you can get on both these platforms. Wix contains a very limited amount of themes while WordPress has hundreds and thousands.
Both these platforms have their own website builders (Bluehost needs to Install WordPress) and are very easy to use. I must say Wix is the better in this because of the capability to drag and drop elements anywhere you want.
Related Article – Can Blogging Make You Rich?
Bluehost Vs Wix: Pricing
Bluehost starts at just $2.95/month. For that money, you get a free domain (.com included) and a free SSL certificate. That’s just awesome in my opinion and you wouldn’t need to spend another $20 for a domain and an SSL certificate.
One problem that I have found on Bluehost is the number of upsells that comes pre-applied on the checkout page. So, Don’t forget to uncheck all those options before you click on that pay now button.
P.S – Want a little more discount on Bluehost? Do the following – 1. When you reach the checkout page after selecting your plan, allow the page to load. 2. Then move your cursor to top (over the chrome tabs). 3. A popup would appear that gives you a little more discount. Click on Claim savings and you could then buy it.
Wix is a little pricier than Bluehost. It starts at $13/month. Here also, you get a free domain for 1 year but the bandwidth and storage are a bit low. You may need to upgrade to a higher plan when your site starts growing.
But, for my Indian friends, you are in for a treat. You can get the basic plan for a way cheaper price. It’s so cheap that you may think Wix is crazy. However, there’s only one plan priced at $0.39/month (Rs.29/month).
I still don’t how that’s possible and why the rest of the world doesn’t get this plan.
Comparing Bluehost and Wix Side By Side’
Wix | Bluehost | |
---|---|---|
Hosting | It’s a hosted platform | Any platform can be installed |
Speed | Websites are slow | They are fast |
Scalability | Scalable but not much | Scalable |
Flexibility | Some functions are limited | You are free to do whatever you want |
Ease Of Use | A little hard but will get used to it | Very beginner-friendly |
Themes and Plugins | Very limited | Options are unlimited |
Support | Support is great | Mixed opinion of good and bad |
Pricing | Starts at $13/month For India: $0.39/month | Starts at $2.95/month |
Buy Now | Buy Wix Now! | Buy Bluehost Now! |
Related Article – 12 Free Blogging Tools for Beginners
Bluehost versus Wix: What I Recommend
Without a doubt, I recommend Bluehost!
The reason why I selected Bluehost, is in fact because of its speed, reliability and because you can install WordPress(Which is what I recommend).
Moreover, the plugins and themes available for WordPress are endless.
I would surely recommend Wix if you are trying to build a website for your business like real estate, furniture,service-based business etc. And I would also recommend this to all the Indians who can get this for a very low price. Come on! 39 cents is so cheap! you won’t get that anywhere!
So, that’s all! If you have any doubt, feel free to comment down below!
Stay safe!
Peace!