Do I need to Pay for WordPress if I have Bluehost?
If you’re a blogging beginner looking to establish your online presence, you’ve likely encountered the common question: “Do I need to pay for WordPress if I have Bluehost?”
In this post, we’ll demystify this question by exploring the relationship between Bluehost and WordPress, as well as discussing their respective features and pricing options.
By understanding these details, you can make an informed decision on which route to take when building your website.
Key Takeaways
- Bluehost and WordPress are two separate services. Bluehost provides web hosting and domain registration while WordPress is a content management system.
- You get WordPress with Bluehost. All you need to do is set up your WordPress website on Bluehost. You only have to pay the hosting fee when creating your Bluehost account.
- Consider upgrading your plan if you need more resources or want to host multiple websites on your account. Choosing the right plan depends on your website’s size, traffic volume, and functionality needs.
Understanding Bluehost And WordPress
This page have some affiliate links. In other words, if you buy from my links, I may get a commission.
While Bluehost is one provider recommended by WordPress, there are other web hosting providers.
At the end of the day, your decision will boil down to your personal needs and goals with your website. If you want to make an informed decision, make sure you check out the best Bluehost alternatives for comparisons and then weigh them up.
With that said.
Bluehost is a web hosting provider that offers various services to get your website up and running.
WordPress is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) that allows you to create and manage websites without having to know how to code. Sweet.
It’s a platform that provides you with a user-friendly interface to create and publish content such as blog posts, pages, images, videos, and more.
What Is Bluehost And How Does It Work?
Bluehost offers an easy-to-use interface that simplifies the process of creating a new website or modifying an existing one.
For instance, when creating a blog for the first time on Bluehost, you can easily install WordPress with just a few clicks using their one-click installation feature.
How cool is that?
What Is WordPress And How Does It Work?
WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that helps you build and manage your website’s content.
It was first introduced in 2003 and has since become one of the most popular CMS used by bloggers, businesses, and individuals around the world.
You can choose from thousands of customizable themes to create a unique design for your website without any coding skills.
And. There are well over 50K plugins to help you level up your SEO optimization game and social media integration.
Differences Between The Two WordPress
A lot of novices get this confused between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. So here goes.
WordPress.org is an open-source content management system software that can be downloaded for free from the WordPress website.
It provides complete control over the website as it allows users to install any plugins or themes, use custom code, and have access to the website’s database.
And another thing. Users must have their own domain name and web hosting to install and use WordPress.org.
WordPress.com, on the other hand, is a hosting service provided by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.
It allows users to create a website for free or with a paid subscription plan. WordPress.com provides hosting, updates, backups, and security for the website.
However, the customization options are limited, and users cannot install custom plugins or themes.
Users can only choose from the available themes and must pay to use premium ones.
As well, WordPress.com places ads on websites created with free subscription plans unless users pay to remove them.
In summary, the key differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com are:
- WordPress.org provides complete control over the website, while WordPress.com is a hosting service that limits customization options.
- WordPress.org requires users to have their own domain name and web hosting, while WordPress.com provides hosting.
- WordPress.org allows users to install any plugins or themes, while WordPress.com has limited customization options and themes.
- WordPress.com places ads on websites created with free subscription plans unless users pay to remove them.
Finally. WordPress.com is more for hobby bloggers. WordPress.org is more for serious content creators.
The Differences And Similarities Between Bluehost And WordPress
While both serve different purposes, they work together to provide users with a seamless website creation experience.
The main difference between the two is that Bluehost provides you with the space needed to host your website files whereas WordPress provides the tools required for building and managing those files.
Think of it this way.
Bluehost is like renting an apartment while WordPress is like furnishing it.
Both have separate functions but work together towards providing you with a complete solution.
And the beauty of signing up with a Bluehost plan, you get WordPress management and a host of resources.
The Benefits Of Bluehost
If you’re serious about creating a professional website, upgrading to a paid plan with Bluehost is a smart move.
Here are the benefits:
- More Control: With a paid plan, you have more control over your website’s features and functionality. You can customize it to suit your specific needs and preferences.
- Better Performance: Paid plans offer faster load times and better overall performance, which is crucial for attracting and retaining visitors.
- Improved Security: Bluehost offers enhanced security features with their paid plans, including SSL encryption and site backups, which will give you peace of mind that your website is secure.
- Customer Support: All plans come with customer support from Bluehost’s team of experts who can help you resolve any issues or answer any questions you may have.
- Professional Appearance: A paid plan allows you to use a custom domain name and WordPress themes, giving your website a more professional appearance.
- SEO Benefits: You can improve your website’s search engine optimization (SEO) by installing plugins that will enhance SEO performance, such as Yoast SEO, WpRocket, and more.
In summary, if you want more control over your website, better performance, improved security, priority support, a more professional appearance, and better SEO results – Bluehost is definitely worth considering.
Different Plans Available With Bluehost
Each plan has its range of features, performance enhancements, and pricing options, making it essential for you to choose the one that best suits your blogging journey.
The table below provides a brief comparison of the different upgraded WordPress hosting plans offered by Bluehost:
| Product | Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Plan | $2.95/mo* |
|
| Choice Plus Plan | $5.45/mo* |
|
| Online Store Plan | $9.95/mo* |
|
| Pro Plan | $13.95/mo* |
|
* Prices are based on a 36-month term and may be subject to change.
Choosing the right plan depends on your website’s size, traffic, and the number of features you require.
Before deciding on an upgraded plan, it’s important to carefully evaluate your needs and budget.
Pricing Options For Each Plan
When it comes to upgrading your WordPress plan with Bluehost, there are several pricing options to choose from.
The most basic plan is the Basic Shared Hosting Plan, which starts at $2.95 per month and includes hosting space for one website, 10GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name for one year, and a standard SSL certificate.
To access additional resources and host multiple websites on your account, you can select from three different plans: Plus, Choice Plus, or Pro.
These plans range in price from $5.45 to $13.95 per month, depending on the features and add-ons included.
Some of these options include unlimited websites/domains, unmetered SSD storage space & bandwidth, higher-performance servers, dedicated IPs, CodeGuard backups, and improved security features.
It’s important to carefully consider what each plan offers before making a decision based solely on price.
Think about what your website needs in terms of traffic volume (i.e. how many visitors do you expect?), size (how much disk space will be required?), or functionality (i.e. Do you require eCommerce functionalities?).
Choosing a plan based only on a budget without considering these factors may result in frustration later.
If more resources are needed to avoid downtime and poor performance, then you have to consider a bigger plan.
Bluehost Without WordPress: What You Need To Know
If you’re considering hosting a website without using WordPress on Bluehost, it’s important to understand the steps and limitations involved in this approach.
Hosting A Website Without Using WordPress On Bluehost
If you’re not interested in using WordPress to build your website, don’t worry; Bluehost offers plenty of hosting options for a variety of different platforms and content management systems.
Whether you prefer Joomla, Drupal, or another CMS entirely, Bluehost has got you covered with their flexible web hosting plans.
In fact, if you’ve already built your website elsewhere and just need web hosting services from Bluehost, they offer a range of packages that cater to all kinds of needs and budgets.
Steps To Hosting A Website On Bluehost Without WordPress
If you’re looking to host a website on Bluehost without using WordPress, here are the steps you need to follow:
- Sign up for a hosting account with Bluehost: The first step towards hosting your website on Bluehost is to sign up for an account. You can choose between shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting depending on your needs.
- Choose a domain name: Once you’ve signed up for an account, you’ll need to choose a domain name for your website. You can either register a new domain or transfer an existing one.
- Create your website: Now it’s time to create your website from scratch using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript or by using another content management system like Drupal or Joomla.
- Upload your files: Once you’ve created your website, you’ll need to upload your files to the server using an FTP client such as FileZilla.
- Configure DNS settings: To make sure that visitors can find your website online, you’ll need to configure the DNS settings of your domain name.
- Set up email accounts: If you want to use custom email addresses associated with your domain name (e.g., [email protected]), you’ll need to set up email accounts through Bluehost.
By following these steps, you can host a website on Bluehost without using WordPress and have complete control over the design and functionality of your site.
Pros And Cons Of Using Bluehost For Hosting Your Website
Bluehost is a well-known web hosting provider that offers various benefits for bloggers and website owners.
One of the main advantages of using Bluehost for hosting your website is its affordability.
Their pricing plans are competitive compared to other web hosting providers, which makes it an ideal option for beginners who are just starting out with their blogging journey.
Another benefit of using Bluehost is that they offer excellent support services specifically tailored to WordPress users.
They have trained professionals who can assist you in setting up your WordPress site and resolving any technical issues quickly and efficiently.
What’s more. Bluehost has built-in features such as automatic backups, security tools, and one-click installs for popular plugins that can help streamline website maintenance tasks.
On the downside, some users have reported slower page loading speeds when using Bluehost’s shared hosting plan.
This can be frustrating if you’re trying to provide a smooth user experience for readers visiting your site.
However, this issue can often be resolved by upgrading to one of the higher-priced plans or by optimizing your website’s performance through caching plugins or other optimization tactics.
Pros And Cons Of Using WordPress For Hosting Your Website
When it comes to hosting your website, using WordPress can have its advantages and disadvantages.
One of the primary benefits of using WordPress is that it provides a user-friendly content management system (CMS) to help you manage your website’s content easily.
Also, there are thousands of customizable themes and plugins available for free or at an affordable cost that allows customization without coding knowledge.
However, one downside to relying solely on WordPress for hosting is that it requires regular maintenance and upgrades to ensure optimal performance and security against threats.
Without constant updates, your site may become vulnerable to hacking attempts or slow loading times which will negatively impact your SEO ranking.
It’s also important to note that not all web hosts support WordPress installations equally.
Some may offer better compatibility than others based on pricing plans offered by the hosting provider like Bluehost in comparison with other providers akin to Hostinger or SiteGround tailored towards WordPress users alike.
Do I need to pay for WordPress if I have Bluehost? – FAQs
Is WordPress free with Bluehost?
Yes, WordPress is available for free when you sign up to use Bluehost as your hosting provider.
Do I need to install WordPress separately if I have a Bluehost account?
No, once you choose a hosting package from Bluehost, you can integrate and set up WordPress directly through their platform without any additional installation steps.
Can I create a website without using WordPress on my Bluehost account?
Although you have the option to use different website-building tools or CMS platforms with your Bluehost accounts, like Weebly or Drupal, a lot of users prefer using the effective combination of WordPress and Bluehost together because of their ease of use and flexibility.
What are the benefits of using both WordPress and BlueHost?
By using both platforms, users can enjoy great flexibility and customization options.
As well, they can keep their site’s content and data secure by selecting a reliable web host such as Bluehost, which offers different packages to cater to various needs and budgets.
Conclusion: Do You Need To Pay For WordPress With Bluehost?
And is Bluehost the best option for WordPress?
Look. If you’re just starting out with blogging or if you’re a business owner looking to build your online presence, Bluehost’s WordPress hosting options could be the perfect match for you.
Using Bluehost’s 1-click WordPress installation, you can easily and quickly launch your very own WordPress blog in a matter of minutes.
However, it’s important to consider your specific website goals and needs before deciding on the right plan.
But, if you’re just starting, then the basic plan is a nice start.
Once your website traffic builds up, it’s worth investing in an upgraded plan so you can have more hosting resources to scale your business.
Jason Ou is a graduate of Monash University. After a short stint as a Mechanical Engineer, he decided to change course and finally landed up in the online marketing world. Since then he has been working from home blogging and helping various clients to escape the rat race. Let’s connect on Facebook below!