Hosting Reviews · Web Hosting
Bluehost vs GoDaddy: Which Is Better for a Small Business Website?
Hosting Comparison • Small Business • Price • Support
If you run a small business and need a website, Bluehost and GoDaddy are two of the first names you will run into. GoDaddy is the domain registrar many owners already use. Bluehost is a long-running WordPress host with a strong focus on beginners. Both sell shared hosting that can run a simple business site, but the plans, limits and fine print are not the same.
This guide compares the plans each company publishes today, the cost over a three-year term, the features a small business actually uses, and which owner should pick which host. For a wider list, see our guide to the best hosting for a small business website.
Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy Bluehost hosting through them, TechCognate may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We do not earn anything from the GoDaddy links. Prices and features were checked against Bluehost’s and GoDaddy’s official pages on November 13, 2026, and we have not hands-on tested either service. Both companies change plans and promotions often, so confirm current pricing before you buy.
Quick answer: Bluehost is the better value for most small businesses. It costs less for the first three years, publishes its renewal prices, and lets you run 10 sites on the entry plan. GoDaddy is the better pick if you want daily backups and phone support on the cheapest plan, or you want your domain, email and hosting with one company you already use.
- Bluehost: Starter $3.99 a month and Business $6.99 on a 36-month term, renewing at $9.99 and $13.99.
- GoDaddy: Economy $5.99 a month and Deluxe $7.99 for the first 3-year term. The page we checked did not state renewal prices.
- Sites: Bluehost Starter allows 10. GoDaddy Economy allows 1.
- Backups: GoDaddy lists automatic daily backups on all plans. Bluehost’s plan grid lists weekly.
- Phone support: GoDaddy on every plan. Bluehost from the Business plan up.
Each block is one section, sized by how long it is. The orange block is the longest: Features a Small Business Actually Uses (about 2 min). Tap a block to jump.
Plans and Prices Side by Side
Both companies show their best monthly price for a three-year term paid upfront. That makes this comparison fairer than most, but there is one key gap: Bluehost lists its renewal prices, and GoDaddy’s web hosting page did not.
| Plan | Promo price a month | After the first term | Sites | Storage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost Starter | $3.99 (36 months) | Renews at $9.99 | 10 | 10 GB NVMe SSD | No phone support |
| Bluehost Business | $6.99 (36 months) | Renews at $13.99 | 50 | 50 GB NVMe SSD | Phone support, free domain privacy year one |
| Bluehost eCommerce Essentials | $14.99 (36 months) | Renews at $21.99 | 100 | 100 GB NVMe SSD | WooCommerce tools, payments, subscriptions |
| GoDaddy Economy | $5.99 (first 3-year term) | Not stated; $11.99 shown struck through | 1 | 25 GB NVMe | cPanel, daily backups |
| GoDaddy Deluxe | $7.99 (first 3-year term) | Not stated; $16.99 shown struck through | 10 | 50 GB NVMe | cPanel, unlimited SSL |
| GoDaddy Ultimate | $12.99 (first 3-year term) | Not stated; $21.99 shown struck through | 25 | 75 GB NVMe | cPanel, unlimited SSL |
Sources: Bluehost shared hosting and WordPress hosting pages and GoDaddy’s US web hosting page, checked November 13, 2026. Bluehost’s prices exclude VAT and GST. GoDaddy also lists a “Hosting for WordPress Basic” plan at $5.99 a month for the first 3-year term (one site, 10 GB), and separate Managed WordPress plans from $6.99 a month on a first 1-year term.
How the two compare on the basics
What each company lists on its plan pages.
Facts from each company’s official plan pages, checked November 13, 2026.
Price and Renewal: What a Small Business Pays
On the first term, Bluehost is cheaper at every comparable tier. Starter is $2 a month less than GoDaddy Economy, and Bluehost Business at $6.99 is a dollar less than GoDaddy Deluxe while allowing 50 sites instead of 10.
Illustrative arithmetic on published prices (excluding tax, domains and add-ons):
- Bluehost Starter for 36 months: $3.99 × 36 = $143.64.
- GoDaddy Economy for 36 months: $5.99 × 36 = $215.64.
- Bluehost Business for 36 months: $6.99 × 36 = $251.64.
- GoDaddy Deluxe for 36 months: $7.99 × 36 = $287.64.
These are our calculations on listed prices, not quotes. After the first term, Bluehost Starter renews at $9.99 a month and Business at $13.99. Those are big jumps, so budget for them. GoDaddy’s page showed a struck-through “regular” price next to each plan ($11.99 for Economy, $16.99 for Deluxe), but it did not say that this is the renewal rate, and the footnotes that explain the offer were not on the page. We could not confirm GoDaddy’s renewal prices, so check them in the cart before you pay.
A small business owner should care about this more than anyone. A website is a long-term asset, and the renewal is what you pay for most of its life. Our Bluehost review explains Bluehost’s renewal and refund terms in more detail.
Features a Small Business Actually Uses
Number of websites
Many small businesses end up with more than one site: a main site, a landing page for a campaign, maybe a separate site for a second location or product line. Bluehost Starter allows 10 sites and Business allows 50. GoDaddy Economy allows one site, Deluxe 10 and Ultimate 25. If you think you will need a second site, Bluehost gives you room without an upgrade.
Domain and business email
Both companies include a free domain with their hosting plans. Bluehost’s free domain is for the first year, must be redeemed within 90 days, excludes premium domains, and renews at the regular rate. GoDaddy lists a free domain on every plan too, but the conditions sit in footnotes that did not load on the page we checked. Our Bluehost free domain guide covers the fine print.
Email is where the two differ. GoDaddy lists free email on all its web hosting plans, though the page did not say for how long. Bluehost includes a one-month free trial of Pro Email, then charges for it (we saw $2.99 a month on one Bluehost page and $2.50 on another). If you want a professional address like you@yourbusiness.com, factor that in. See our Bluehost business email guide for the options.
Backups
GoDaddy’s clearest advantage is backups. It lists automatic daily backups on all web hosting plans, with the ability to restore your account to the previous day. Bluehost’s plan grid lists weekly backups, while its FAQ says daily off-site backups. Since Bluehost’s own pages disagree, check the current backup frequency in your account. For a business site that takes orders or bookings, a daily backup matters.
Security and SSL
Bluehost lists free SSL, malware scanning, a web application firewall and DDoS protection, with AI-powered malware removal on Business and up. GoDaddy lists free SSL on all plans (one site on Economy, unlimited on Deluxe and Ultimate) and says its enhanced security includes a firewall and CDN. We have not tested either host’s security tools.
Control panel and tools
GoDaddy’s web hosting plans use cPanel, which many developers and tutorials still assume. Bluehost uses its own dashboard with WordPress tools built in, including staging, managed WordPress updates and an AI site builder. If you plan to use WordPress, Bluehost’s tools are more focused. If you want a generic cPanel host for any kind of site, GoDaddy is the more traditional choice.
Online store
If you plan to sell online, Bluehost’s eCommerce Essentials plan ($14.99 a month for 36 months, renewing at $21.99) includes WooCommerce auto-install, payments, subscriptions and memberships. GoDaddy offers WooCommerce selling on its Managed WordPress Ultimate plan. Compare both carefully if a store is your main goal.
Support and Uptime
GoDaddy lists free 24/7 support by phone and chat on every plan. Bluehost lists 24/7 chat on all plans, but phone support only on Business and higher. If you are a busy owner who prefers to pick up the phone, that is a point for GoDaddy, or a reason to choose Bluehost Business over Starter.
On uptime, GoDaddy lists a 99.9% guarantee. Bluehost’s shared hosting page promises 99.99% with a 5% monthly credit if it falls short, though one FAQ on its WordPress page says 99.9%. These are company claims. We have not measured uptime or support quality for either host.
WordPress Fit
Bluehost is listed on WordPress.org’s recommended hosting page, which called it the project’s “longest running recommended host” when we checked. GoDaddy is not on that list. Both can run WordPress well enough for a typical business site, but Bluehost’s plans are built around WordPress from the start. If you are not sure whether you want WordPress, GoDaddy’s cPanel plans give you more general flexibility.
Which business fits which host
Match your situation to the plan, not the logo.
Facts from official plan pages, checked November 13, 2026.
Pros and Cons
Bluehost
- Pros: lower first-term prices, published renewal rates, 10 sites on Starter, staging and WordPress tools on every plan, listed by WordPress.org.
- Cons: renewal more than doubles, weekly backups on the plan grid, no phone support on Starter, business email costs extra after a one-month trial, best price needs a 36-month payment.
GoDaddy
- Pros: daily backups on every plan, phone support on every plan, cPanel, free email listed on all hosting plans, easy if your domain is already there.
- Cons: higher first-term prices, renewal prices not shown on the plan page, one site on Economy, key footnotes missing from the page.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Bluehost if you want a WordPress site for your business at the lowest cost over three years, with clear renewal prices and room for more than one site. Business is the plan we would point most owners to, because it adds phone support and better malware tools for $3 more a month than Starter. You can see Bluehost’s current business plans here.
Choose GoDaddy if daily backups and phone support on the cheapest plan matter more than price, if you want cPanel, or if your domain and email are already there and you value one bill. Just check the renewal price in the cart. Our Hostinger vs GoDaddy comparison looks at GoDaddy against another low-cost rival.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bluehost cheaper than GoDaddy?
On the first term, yes. Bluehost Starter is $3.99 a month for 36 months against $5.99 for GoDaddy Economy over its first 3-year term. GoDaddy did not show renewal rates, so we cannot compare renewals directly.
Which is better for a small business website?
For most small businesses using WordPress, Bluehost offers better value and more sites per plan. GoDaddy suits owners who want daily backups and phone support on the cheapest plan.
Does GoDaddy include daily backups?
Yes. Its web hosting page lists automatic daily backups on every plan.
Does Bluehost include daily backups?
Its plan grid lists weekly backups, while its FAQ says daily. Check the current backup frequency in your account.
Do both include a free domain?
Yes. Bluehost includes a free domain for the first year on 12- and 36-month plans. GoDaddy lists a free domain on its hosting plans, but the conditions were in footnotes that were not on the page we checked.
Which includes free business email?
GoDaddy lists free email on its web hosting plans, without saying for how long. Bluehost offers a one-month Pro Email trial, then a monthly fee.
Can I keep my GoDaddy domain and use Bluehost hosting?
Yes. You can point a domain registered anywhere to any host by changing its DNS settings or nameservers.
Which has phone support?
GoDaddy lists 24/7 phone support on all plans. Bluehost includes phone support on Business and higher.
Do both offer refunds?
Both list a 30-day money-back guarantee. Bluehost says domain fees are deducted and monthly-term services are not covered. GoDaddy’s refund conditions were not shown on the plan page, so read its terms first.
Final Verdict
For most small businesses, Bluehost is the better value. It costs less over a three-year term, shows its renewal prices up front, and gives you 10 sites on the entry plan and 50 on Business. GoDaddy earns its place for owners who want daily backups and phone support at the entry level, prefer cPanel, or already run their domain and email there. Whichever you choose, check the renewal price and use the 30-day window to make sure the host suits your business.
Get Bluehost for Your Business →
Sources
- Bluehost shared hosting plans (bluehost.com/hosting/shared)
- Bluehost WordPress hosting plans (bluehost.com/wordpress/wordpress-hosting)
- GoDaddy web hosting plans
- GoDaddy Managed WordPress hosting plans
- WordPress.org recommended hosting
Jaykishan Panchal
Founder & CEO, TechCognate · SEO Strategist & WordPress Expert
Jaykishan Panchal is the founder of TechCognate and an SEO strategist with 15+ years of hands-on experience driving organic growth for businesses worldwide. He specialises in technical SEO, content strategy and GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), helping brands stay visible in both traditional search and AI-driven discovery.
- Technical SEO
- Content Strategy
- AI & GEO
- Google Ads
- E-Commerce SEO