BlueHost vs DigitalOcean ? DigitalOcean and BlueHost are two of the most popular hosting providers. They are often compared in terms of their pricing, features, and user interface.
DigitalOcean is a cloud-based hosting provider that offers high performance servers with a low cost. It is also easy to use for beginners and has a simple interface.
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BlueHost is an established web hosting provider that offers shared, VPS, and dedicated server packages.
Winner Snapshot – Here is a summary table to compare: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Compared Options | BlueHost | DigitalOcean |
Pricing | 4 hosting plans, 13 packages | 18 hosting plans |
Starting price | $4.95 / month | $2.95 / month |
Free domain | Yes | No |
Coupons | No | No |
Shared hosting plans | Four (4) plans from $3 to $13 | No |
VPS | Three (3) plans from $19 to $60 | No |
Dedicated server | Three (3) plans from $80 to $120 | No |
Cloud hosting support | Three (3) plans from $7 to $16 | 13 plans from $5.00 to $960.00 |
Website builder | Three (3) plans from $3 to $25 | No |
Data centers | 1/6 | 3/6 |
Support services | 6/6 | 6/6 |
CMS support | 6/6 | 4/6 |
OS support | 1/2 | 1/2 |
Language support | 4/8 | 2/8 |
Database support | 2/3 | 1/3 |
Payment types support | 2/6 | 2/6 |
Winner:
BlueHost wins this round since it offers more hosting options, database support, and support services than DigitalOcean. But this comparison isn’t enough to choose between both Web hosts. The perfect Web host for your site must possess every vital feature to improve performance, help you scale, secure your website, and much more.
Check out more comparisons below to make an informed choice between BlueHost vs DigitalOcean.
Quick Comparison: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
BlueHost | DigitalOcean | |
Features | WordPress plans Unmetered storage and bandwidth Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate Free domain registration Beginner-friendly website builder Automatic backups | +1 TB data transfer +25 GB data storage DigitalOcean hosting interface 99.99% server uptime guarantee 30-day money back guarantee Cloud hosting support |
Support | Email, Live chat, Phone Ticket support | Ticket support Phone, Live chat, Email, |
Performance | Uptime of 99.99% | Uptime of 99.99% |
Ease of use | Simple design and easy-to-use website builder | Easy-to-use control panel |
Security | Free SSL certificate | Cloud firewall |
Server location | Provo, UT | San Francisco, London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Toronto, and Singapore. |
Free migration | No | No |
About BlueHost and DigitalOcean
BlueHost | BlueHost is a top Web hosting service for millions of active users worldwide. The service offers domain registration and at least four (4) types of website hosting. BlueHost also offers security and service tools to improve the performance of subscribers’ sites. |
DigitalOcean | DigitalOcean is a popular Web host for flexible, reasonably-priced website hosting. The company typically offers vital services like 99% uptime, fast page-loading speeds, and much more to all subscribers. |
BlueHost vs DigitalOcean – A Side-by-Side Comparison
We need to look at essential elements of both Web hosts to get more information about what they offer.
That’s why we’re going to compare the main features, performance, support options, server location, and more for BlueHost vs DigitalOcean. It will be easy to see how both Web hosts stack up against each other when we compare these vital features.
1. Key Hosting Features: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Hosting Feature | BlueHost | DigitalOcean |
Free daily backups and restore | Yes (Automated options available) | Yes |
High-performance SSD storage | Yes | Yes |
Free WordPress installation | Yes | Yes |
Free site migration | No | No |
Free website builder | Yes | No |
Free domain-associated email | Annual plans | Yes |
Email accounts | Yes (From 5 accounts with 1 Microsoft email free) | Yes |
Disk space and bandwidth | Disk space: 50 GB to 120+ GB Bandwidth: Unmetered | From 1 TB and 25 GB respectively |
Built-in caching system | No | No |
Free CDN (content delivery network) | Yes | Yes |
Webspace limit | Unlimited | From 25 GB |
Free SSL | Yes | Yes |
Sub and parked domains | Yes | No |
Option to add multiple users | Yes | Yes |
Free custom domain name | Yes | No |
Git and SSH access | Not free | Yes |
Main BlueHost Features
- Cheap security tools
- Content delivery network
- Money-back guarantee
- Unlimited storage (except Basic)
Cheap security tools
BlueHost provides adequate security features with all its Web hosting plans for under $5 per month. Subscribers can easily keep their sites live and prevent unwanted access with free tools like SSL certificates and malware scanners.
Content delivery network
BlueHost provides all users with a content delivery network to assist website owners who plan to serve international clients with fast-loading pages. The feature supports all shared and special hosting plans available from BlueHost.
Money-back guarantee
All first-time BlueHost subscribers get direct access to a month-long money-back guarantee. The guarantee period allows users assess all vital features of BlueHost with enough time to migrate if they are not satisfied.
BlueHost will refund your subscription fee whenever you request it within this time, no questions asked.
Unlimited storage (except Basic)
Any BlueHost subscriber on a plan higher than Basic has access to unlimited storage and bandwidth. The feature allows subscribers run a hosting plan with enough requirements to make huge site improvements. It also equips sites with enough resources to receive massive traffic with ease.
Main DigitalOcean Features
- Wide location coverage
- Cloud hosting
- Custom control panel
- Flexible plans
Wide location coverage
DigitalOcean currently operates a minimum of eight (8) data centers in different continents around the globe.
These data centers gives users access to vital resources that allows them serve visitors worldwide. All DigitalOcean plans offer this feature alongside scalable cloud tools to improve site coverage significantly.
Developers and experienced webmasters typically rely on such expansive networks to build websites designed to serve an international audience.
Cloud hosting
DigitalOcean is one of very few Web hosts to offer cloud hosting on its basic plans. All subscribers have access to cloud hosting, allowing for smooth data transmission and content delivery to visitors. DigitalOcean users can access a cloud hosting plan for less than $5 per month.
Custom control panel
DigitalOcean deploys its custom control panel for all subscribers to create and manage their accounts with ease.
The custom control panel allows users see all vital information about their website and hosting plan in one place. Subscribers can also scale, make changes to their existing plan, see vital insights, and much more from the DigitalOcean control panel.
Flexible plans
DigitalOcean allows some of the industry’s most flexible payment plans ever. Subscribers can settle for monthly payments or go for a pay-as-you-use template. Such flexible payment schemes could help part-time users or admins with small budgets.
Winner:
DigitalOcean wins this round with its flexible payment plans, cloud hosting support, and massive data center spread. All DigitalOcean subscribers also have access to custom control panels to easily manage their content, unlike the generic cPanel available to BlueHost users.
BlueHost does a great job overall too, but it doesn’t stack up to what DigitalOcean offers its subscribers.
2. Site Performance (Speed & Uptime): BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Poor site performance cripples any website even if the site offers breathtaking appeal and great features. Website admins seek Web hosts that provide significant uptime percentages and above-average page-loading speeds for their sites.
That’s why we must consider the site performance of BlueHost vs DigitalOcean to see how they both perform head-to-head:
BlueHost Speed & Uptime
BlueHost provides its users some of the best page-loading speeds, site uptimes, and low outages in Web hosting. Currently, BlueHost subscribers have access to 99.99% uptimes for all hosted pages.
BlueHost also affords users decent page-loading speeds along with significant minimum, maximum, and average response times on their website. A month-long outage test also shows a website hosted through BlueHost only experienced a handful of brief downtimes.
DigitalOcean Speed & Uptime
DigitalOcean offers subscribers up to 99.98% uptimes on all hosted websites. Users can expect server uptimes for most parts of the year, and they may encounter downtimes no more than 0.02%.
The high uptime rating and decent response periods are in line with industry standards, since DigitalOcean offers uptimes over 99.95%.
Winner:
BlueHost pips DigitalOcean to win this round, but with a slim margin. DigitalOcean has a slightly lower uptime rating at 99.98%, but downtimes may be rare on sites with negligible traffic volume. BlueHost guarantees lower downtimes overall and offers users better response times to host pages on different plans.
3. Pricing & Plans: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Steep pricing is a common turn-off for many website creators and admins. We need to see how BlueHost vs DigitalOcean price their products and how many plans they offer.
Always note that steep prices doesn’t always mean quality; some low-priced plans might have just enough to run your websites without hassle. Also, highlights of each hosting plan below will give you enough information to select a package with all features your website needs.
BlueHost | DigitalOcean | |
Entry Level plan | $4.95 / month | $2.95 / month |
Middle plan | $59.99 / month | $19.99 /month |
Highest plan | $119.99 / month | $479.99 / month |
Cloud Hosting | Yes (varies in price) | Yes (all plans) |
Dedicated Server | $79.99 to $119.99 / month | No |
BlueHost Prices & Plans
BlueHost provides users with four (4) plans and 10+ bundles. The plans – Basic, Plus, Choice Plus, and Pro – offers subscribers different features to keep their websites active, accommodate traffic, serve new subscribers, and much more.
BlueHost Basic ($4.95 per month) provides users vital features like 50 GB storage, free SSL certificate, 1 site support, unmetered bandwidth, and much more.
BlueHost Plus ($5.85 per month) provides subscribers unlimited storage, unmetered bandwidth, unlimited site support, and everything on BlueHost Basic.
BlueHost Choice Plus ($5.95 per month) also offers unique features along with everything from BlueHost Basic and Plus. BlueHost Pro ($9.95 per month) is a premium plan and offers all features on the first three with its special set of tools for professional website hosting.
DigitalOcean Prices & Plans
Plan Name | Storage | Virtual CPU | Bandwidth | RAM | Price |
Standard Plan 1 | 25 GB | 1 TB | 1 vCPU | 1 GB | $5 |
Standard Plan 2 | 50 GB | 2 TB | 1 vCPU | 2 GB | $10 |
Standard Plan 3 | 60 GB | 3 TB | 1 vCPU | 3 GB | $15 |
Standard Plan 4 | 60 GB | 3 TB | 2 vCPU | 2 GB | $15 |
Standard Plan 5 | 60 GB | 3 TB | 3 vCPU | 1 GB | $15 |
Standard Plan 6 | 80 GB | 4 TB | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | $20 |
Standard Plan 7 | 160 GB | 5 TB | 4 vCPU | 8 GB | $40 |
Standard Plan 8 | 320 GB | 6 TB | 6 vCPU | 16 GB | $80 |
Standard Plan 9 | 640 GB | 7 TB | 8 vCPU | 32 GB | $160 |
Standard Plan 10 | 960 GB | 8 TB | 12 vCPU | 48 GB | $240 |
Standard Plan 11 | 1 TB | 9 TB | 16 vCPU | 64 GB | $320 |
Standard Plan 12 | 1.9 TB | 10 TB | 20 vCPU | 96 GB | $480 |
General Purpose Plan 1 | 25 GB | 4 TB | 2 vCPU | 8 GB | $60 |
General Purpose Plan 2 | 50 GB | 5 TB | 4 vCPU | 16 GB | $120 |
General Purpose Plan 3 | 100 GB | 6 TB | 8 vCPU | 32 GB | $240 |
CPU Optimized Plan 1 | 25 GB | 4 TB | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | $40 |
CPU Optimized Plan 2 | 50 GB | 5 TB | 4 vCPU | 8 GB | $80 |
CPU Optimized Plan 3 | 100 GB | 6 TB | 8 vCPU | 16 GB | $160 |
Winner:
The flexibility of DigitalOcean’s plans wins it this round. DigitalOcean offers users monthly payments and decent features on all plans, along with cloud hosting and content delivery support for all subscribers. BlueHost users may need to pay extra for some basic services available on DigitalOcean.
4. Customer Support: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Poor customer support is a bane of any Web hosting platform. Subscribers need a reliable Web host to help with issues and offer information on new plans, features, and much more.
Let’s see what BlueHost vs DigitalOcean have on offer when we consider customer support options they currently offer.
Type of Support | BlueHost | DigitalOcean |
24/7 support | Yes | Yes |
Phone Support | Yes | Yes |
Live chat | Yes | Yes |
Email Support | Yes | Yes |
Ticket support | Yes | No |
Forum Support | No | No |
Video guides | Yes | No |
Knowledgebase | Yes | Yes |
Twitter Support | No | No |
BlueHost Customer Support
BlueHost provides subscribers with live chat, phone, ticket, and email support services. All BlueHost users also have access to a vast knowledgebase stocked with information about major products and new features.
However, BlueHost doesn’t have the best customer support team at the moment. Phone support is also available during business hours and largely unreachable for users outside North America.
DigitalOcean Customer Support
DigitalOcean offers customer support services to subscribers through email, phone, and live chat. Support services are advertised as available round-the-clock, but that’s not the case right now.
Subscribers might have a hard time connecting with the phone support team, but live chat is typically available across all locations.
DigitalOcean has a dedicated customer support team unlike BlueHost, so it’s safe to expect more service from DigitalOcean’s team.
Winner:
DigitalOcean edges out BlueHost in this round, even if the latter offers more customer support options overall. BlueHost shares its customer support team with JustHost and other sister Web hosts, and their services leave much to imagination if we’re completely honest.
DigitalOcean also seems to have a more reliable live chat support to BlueHost’s.
5. Ease of Use: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Countless website builders and admins seek ease whenever they select a Web host. Ease of use is essential, especially for newbies keen to build websites from scratch or get professional hosting after few clicks.
Let’s see what BlueHost vs DigitalOcean have to offer subscribers when we consider their ease of use features.
BlueHost Ease of Use
BlueHost’s website builder is one of the industry’s easiest to navigate, and it’s a main reason why many newbies prefer this Web host. The site builder adopts a drag-and-drop format, allowing beginners create professional sites without assistance.
BlueHost also furnishes its site builder with a good number of templates to allow builders merge templates and concepts with relative comfort.
DigitalOcean Ease of Use
DigitalOcean adopts a common ease of use template with its simple control panel. The control panel allows users access to significant management ease of connected websites.
Many developers and experienced webmasters prefer DigitalOcean since it has one of the industry’s best account management tools.
DigitalOcean also offers flexible plans and other great features to make the overall hosting experience easier for skilled users.
Winner:
There’s an obvious tie in this round, as BlueHost is great for beginners while DigitalOcean might serve experienced users better.
BlueHost allows newbies build sites and offers support via one-click installs, easy-to-understand settings, and other great features.
Both Web hosts have something to offer, it all depends on what ease of use settings you need.
6. Scalability: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Scalable websites allow admins accommodate more traffic, offer more features, grow their online reach, and do so much more. The Web host you choose typically determines how successful your scaling attempts will be.
Let’s check out the scalability of BlueHost vs DigitalOcean to see which hosting platform has every feature your website needs for seamless growth.
BlueHost Scalability
BlueHost’s plans offer basic, intermediate, and high-level support to website admins. These plans and supporting tools allow subscribers enough access to grow their websites, accommodate massive traffic, and do so much more.
Other common ease of use features like one-click app installation and unlimited size requirements allow subscribers gain enough freedom to boost their online spread.
DigitalOcean Scalability
DigitalOcean has a staggering eighteen (18) bundles to offer subscribers. Each bundle comes with vital settings, tools, and features to allow subscribers build, manage, and grow their websites with added comfort.
Scaling options from DigitalOcean also get a boost with the easy-to-use control panel and flexible payment plans on offer. Developers and experienced website admins can rely on the ease these plans provide to scale their sites however they want.
Winner:
BlueHost has a slight edge over DigitalOcean in this round, but it’ll be safe to call this round a tie. Both Web hosts have great ease of use features and back them up with proper scaling tools.
7. Security: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Let’s see the features BlueHost vs DigitalOcean have to offer users keen to secure their websites:
BlueHost | DigitalOcean | |
Free SSL certificate | Available | Yes |
DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
CloudFlare | Yes | Yes |
Daily backups | Yes | Yes |
Malware scans | Yes | Yes |
SiteLock Security | No | No |
WAF (Web Application Firewall) | No | No |
Security features | Free SSL Cloudflare security Auto-backups Secure user login Malware protection | SSL certificate Automatic backups Malware scanning |
BlueHost Security
BlueHost has a massive assembly of security tools to help users protect their accounts. Some common security tools available from BlueHost include Spam Hammer, Spam Experts, SpamAssassin, and much more.
Subscribers also have access to malware scanners and SSL certificates for additional website protection.
DigitalOcean Security
DigitalOcean offers a good number of security features to subscribers and access to developers keen to improve their site protection. Some popular tools from DigitalOcean include DDoS protection, SSH access, SSL certificates, and much more.
Winner:
There’s a tie in this round, as both Web hosts offer decent security features to users at no extra cost. Both hosts offer SSL certificate protection to support secure browser-to-server transmission, and much more. However, you’ll likely get more support to build a better security framework through DigitalOcean as an experienced developer.
8. Server Location: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Let’s see where BlueHost vs DigitalOcean sites their servers. Such information will help us identify which Web host is likely to offer more support for highly-responsive, low-downtime websites.
BlueHost Server Location
It took some time to discover, as BlueHost doesn’t publicize the location of its servers. However, recent reports suggest that BlueHost runs its servers from a major data center in Provo, Utah.
The data center also runs data management for sister Web hosts like JustHost, so this strongly indicates BlueHost operates in Utah too.
DigitalOcean Server Location
DigitalOcean has 5+ data centers in over 3 continents. The Web host runs some of its major servers from:
- San Francisco,
- London,
- Frankfurt,
- Amsterdam,
- Toronto, and
- Singapore.
These servers also operate with a round-the-clock monitoring system and backups to reduce downtimes.
Winner:
DigitalOcean takes this round with its superior server spread and multiple data centers to BlueHost single server location.
However, both Web hosts use content delivery networks to serve subscribers, so their services are almost identical.
BlueHost vs DigitalOcean: Final Recommendations
We’ve seen several vital elements of both Web hosts side-by-side, so it should be easy to make your pick without hassle. But if you’re still unsure of the best Web host between these options, there’s no hassle. These recommendations will help you align your needs to both Web hosts for an easy, quick choice.
When to Choose BlueHost
You should select BlueHost if you want:
Cheap hosting
BlueHost’s plans are largely inexpensive and supports subscribers with different budgets. Some BlueHost plans can help you run fully-functional sites for less than $5 per month.
A money-back guarantee
BlueHost has a longer money back guarantee compared to other Web hosts. Some hosts offer no more than 14 days trial periods to first-time users. BlueHost more than doubles the trial period with a 30-day money back guarantee.
Many options to scale
BlueHost’s scaling options are some of the industry’s finest, allowing users add features and accommodate greater traffic without hassle. But you’ll need to pay some extra $$ per month if you want more scaling options.
Choose DigitalOcean If…
DigitalOcean is a great option for developers and experienced website builders. You should choose DigitalOcean as your preferred Web host if you seek:
Secure cloud hosting
DigitalOcean has some of the industry’s best security settings and a top level cloud hosting platform. All subscribers have access to host their websites through the cloud for faster, secure content delivery.
Service for international visitors
DigitalOcean has over five data centers on different continents worldwide. Users can expect significant support to serve more international visitors with super-fast loading times and fewer downtimes overall.
DigitalOcean also features scalable tools to help developers grow their sites to accommodate more users with ease. Anyone keen to create a super-responsive site with great features for an international audience will fancy what DigitalOcean has to provide.
Flexible plans
DigitalOcean has cheap plans and also supports flexible payment for all subscribers. Some Web hosts only allow 12 – 36+ months subscription, but DigitalOcean allows a per month payment plan with no price hikes.
Anyone keen on a flexible payment plan from a Web host will fancy the flexibility offered by DigitalOcean.
Custom control panel
DigitalOcean has a simple control panel to allow anyone manage their hosting accounts with comfort. The control panel also provides vital information subscribers seek to grow their websites.
Bottom Line: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
We’ve seen the features available from BlueHost vs DigitalOcean, so it’s easy to choose between both hosts to get your website live. Consider the vital elements described in this guide closely, as these features could determine how well your website performs online.
Both Web hosts seem to possess great scaling options, site performance offers, main hosting features, security tools, and much more. BlueHost seems to be a great option for newbies, but you can’t write off the ease of use features DigitalOcean has to offer.
In the end, no one can make the final decision on your behalf.
Pick a Web host that offers every element you seek to set your website online. Do not overlook major features like pricing, security, ease of use, and more to make an informed choice. Relying on vital information makes it easy to pick a Web host with every feature your website needs to thrive.
FAQs: BlueHost vs DigitalOcean
Does BlueHost Give Free Site Migration to New Users?
BlueHost does not have any free migration offer right now. New users from other Web hosts must sign up for a hosting plan before they gain access to all vital features BlueHost has to provide.
Does DigitalOcean Support SSD Storage?
DigitalOcean offers different sizes of SSD storage to subscribers.