Final verdict
BlueHost and Showit cater to different audiences with their unique strengths, making the choice between them dependent on the user’s specific needs.
-
BlueHost (Overall Grade: 6.8/10)
excels in providing a comprehensive web hosting service with a user-friendly website builder that integrates seamlessly with WordPress. It offers a wide range of customization options, access to thousands of themes and plugins, and robust ecommerce features through WooCommerce integration. BlueHost is particularly strong in hosting quality, website speed optimization, plugins and integrations, and customer support, making it a solid choice for users looking for a versatile platform that supports websites at various stages of growth. -
Showit (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)
stands out for its design flexibility and ease of use, especially appealing to creative professionals such as photographers, designers, and bloggers. With its unique dual canvas interface, Showit offers unparalleled customization control over the website’s appearance on different devices and integrates seamlessly with WordPress for blogging. While it may not match BlueHost’s comprehensive ecommerce and hosting capabilities, Showit is the preferred choice for users prioritizing aesthetics and content presentation.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Design functionalities & templates |
7.2 |
8.5 |
Ease of use |
8.2 |
8.6 |
Ecommerce |
6.8 |
4.8 |
Website Editors |
7.3 |
8.0 |
Product testing options |
6.2 |
8.3 |
Price |
7.2 |
7.9 |
Hosting quality |
8.0 |
7.3 |
Website speed optimization |
6.5 |
5.4 |
Plugins and integrations |
9.1 |
5.8 |
Marketing features |
7.3 |
7.2 |
Customer support |
7.6 |
6.4 |
Security |
8.3 |
8.3 |
AI capabilities |
1.5 |
0 |
User Management |
4.4 |
6.7 |
Overall |
6.8 |
6.4 |
Best for ecommerce
Verdict
: For users seeking a robust ecommerce platform, BlueHost offers more comprehensive features and integrations, making it the better choice for building and managing online stores. Showit, while excellent for design and aesthetics, falls short in ecommerce functionality without additional integrations.
-
BlueHost
: With its seamless WooCommerce integration, BlueHost provides a solid foundation for ecommerce, including product listings, secure payment gateways, and inventory management. It’s suited for users who need a more traditional online store with extensive features. -
Showit
: Focused on design and aesthetics, Showit is best for creatives who prioritize the look of their site. Its ecommerce capabilities, primarily through Shopify and WooCommerce integrations, offer basic online selling functions, making it suitable for smaller, design-focused shops.
Best for informational & business websites
Verdict
: Showit stands out as the superior choice for informational and business websites, thanks to its higher score and focus on design and customization. BlueHost, while strong in hosting and security, doesn’t quite match Showit’s tailored approach for creative professionals.
-
BlueHost
: Offers a solid foundation for informational sites with its WordPress integration and a variety of hosting plans. It’s a reliable choice for those who prioritize robust hosting and security features alongside the flexibility of WordPress. -
Showit
: Excelling in design flexibility and user experience, Showit is ideal for businesses and professionals seeking to create unique, visually compelling websites. Its higher score reflects its suitability for users who need a high degree of customization without the complexity of coding.
Detailed comparison
Design functionalities & templates
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
🏆
Winner: Showit.
Showit offers a wider variety of templates and designs, greater customization flexibility, and more creative design possibilities.
BlueHost’s WordPress website builder offers over 300 pre-installed templates and designs to cater to the diverse needs of its users. These templates are designed to be responsive and SEO-friendly, enhancing the user experience and visibility of the websites.
On the other hand, Showit offers a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to diverse aesthetic preferences and business needs. The platform is known for its flexibility and user-friendly interface, allowing for easy customization of templates.
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Ease of use
Ease of useReflects the platform’s overall user-friendliness.Score
Components:
- Learning curve (40%): Quickness and ease of getting started.
- Interface design (30%): Simplicity and intuitiveness of layout.
- User guidance (20%): Quality of tutorials and support.
- Flexibility (10%): Adaptability to various user skills.
🏆 Winner: Showit
. With a score of 8.6, Showit edges out BlueHost (8.2) in terms of ease of use. Showit’s drag-and-drop interface and high degree of customization make it a user-friendly choice, especially for creative professionals. BlueHost also offers a user-friendly interface and integrates seamlessly with WordPress, but falls slightly short in this comparison.
Learning Resources
🏆 Winner: BlueHost
. Both platforms offer solid learning resources, but BlueHost’s WordPress Academy provides a wider range of comprehensive courses developed by WordPress experts, making it a more robust learning resource.
For ecommerce
EcommerceMeasures the platform’s effectiveness in supporting online business activities.Score Components:
- Ecommerce themes and templates (20%): Variety and design of templates.
- Product management (25%): Ease of managing and organizing products.
- Payment options (25%): Variety and convenience of payment methods.
- Ecommerce features (20%): Features for managing an ecommerce store.
- Integration (10%): Compatibility with external e-commerce tools and services.
When it comes to ecommerce, BlueHost and Showit cater to different needs. BlueHost, with its integration with WooCommerce, offers a more comprehensive set of ecommerce features, making it suitable for users who want to build and manage online stores effectively. Showit, on the other hand, is more focused on design and offers basic ecommerce functions. It allows integration with Shopify and WooCommerce for enhancing ecommerce capabilities, making it ideal for businesses prioritizing aesthetics and content presentation over robust online sales functionalities.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Ecommerce themes and templates |
6.5 |
2.0 |
Product page customization |
7.0 |
2.5 |
Payment processing and commissions |
6.8 |
4.0 |
POS capabilities |
0.0 |
1.0 |
Payment gateways |
7.5 |
4.5 |
Product numbers |
6.0 |
3.0 |
Additional ecommerce features |
6.5 |
3.5 |
BlueHost ecommerce features:
- Product Listings
- Shopping Carts
- Secure Payment gateways
- Shipping Options and Tax Calculations
- Inventory Management
Showit ecommerce features:
- Shopify and WooCommerce integration
BlueHost’s website builder for eCommerce provides a selection of specific templates designed to streamline the creation of online stores. These templates are optimized for sales, featuring designs that accommodate product galleries, shopping carts, and checkout processes. Showit, however, does not have any ecommerce specific templates.
BlueHost’s website builder offers robust customization features for product pages, allowing users to tailor product details like titles, descriptions, images, and pricing according to their preferences. It supports the creation of product variants and options, facilitating the sale of items with multiple choices such as size, color, and material directly from the product page. Showit has very basic ecommerce capabilities, primarily through its integration with WooCommerce and Shopify.
When it comes to payment processing, BlueHost doesn’t directly support numerous payment gateways. However, it does integrate with WooCommerce, a platform that facilitates integration with various payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe. Showit supports e-commerce by allowing integration with third-party platforms like Shopify Lite, ThriveCart, WooCommerce, and Podia, rather than offering direct payment processing or POS capabilities. Users can add e-commerce functionalities to their Showit sites using embed codes for “Buy Buttons” or similar features from these platforms. The choice of platform depends on the user’s specific needs, including product type, store size, and budget, as each platform has its own pricing and transaction fee structures. Additionally the platform supports integration of PayPal pay button, allowing users to pay directly through their PayPal account.
Website Editors
Website EditorsEvaluates the platforms’ website building and editing capabilities.Score Components:
- Customization tools (40%): Range and power of editing features.
- Editor usability (30%): User experience within the editor.
- Design flexibility (20%): Freedom in layout and design changes.
- Update and maintenance ease (10%): Simplicity of updating and maintaining the site.
🏆
Winner: Showit
. Showit, with a score of 8.0, is designed for creating custom, responsive websites with a focus on ease of use, especially for photographers and creative professionals. It allows users to design their website visually with a drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for coding knowledge. Users can create highly customized pages by adjusting layouts, fonts, and colors, and can also incorporate multimedia elements like videos and images directly into their designs. Additionally, Showit offers deep integration with WordPress for blogging, enabling users to manage and publish blog posts within the same platform, providing a seamless experience from website design to content management.
BlueHost’s website builder editor, scoring 7.3, is designed for ease of use, catering to both beginners and advanced users. It offers a section based drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily add, remove, and customize elements on their website without needing to code. Users can choose from a wide range of templates and customize them to fit their brand, including adjusting layouts, colors, and fonts. Additionally, the editor provides access to stock photos, SEO tools, and responsive design features, ensuring websites look great on all devices and can rank well on search engines.
Mobile editor/app
🏆
Winner: BlueHost
. Neither BlueHost nor Showit offer a dedicated mobile editor app. However, BlueHost does allow for some editing via a mobile browser, albeit with limitations. This gives BlueHost a slight edge over Showit, which does not support editing on a mobile browser at all. Therefore, if mobile editing is a priority for you, BlueHost may be the better choice.
Product testing options
Product Testing OptionsAssesses the options for trying out platform features before commitment.Score Components:
- Trial quality (40%): Extent and usefulness of the trial or free version.
- Feature accessibility (30%): How many features are available to test.
- Trial duration (20%): Length of the trial period.
- Ease of transition (10%): Smoothness of moving from trial to paid plans.
Overall Result
:
Showit Wins
. Showit scores 8.3 in product testing options, while BlueHost scores 6.2. Both BlueHost and Showit offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. However, Showit provides a 14-day free trial, during which all premium features can be tested. BlueHost, on the other hand, does not offer a free or trial version, but it allows testing of premium features within the 30-day refundable period.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Free Plan |
No | No |
Trial Duration |
No |
14 days |
Testing Premium Features |
Within 30-day refundable period |
All features during 14-day trial |
Price
PriceLooks at the cost-effectiveness and value for money of each platform.Score Components:
- Plan value (40%): What each pricing tier offers.
- Transparency and clarity (30%): Clearness of pricing structures.
- Flexibility of plans (20%): Range of options to suit different budgets.
- Hidden costs (10%): Additional expenses not included in the plan.
BlueHost and Showit offer a range of pricing plans to cater to different needs, with BlueHost offering more comprehensive hosting services and Showit focusing on creative professionals and bloggers.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
$15-$25 |
Basic ($15.99/month): Made for a simple website or blog, 1 website with 10GB SSD storage, Free CDN, Free Domain 1st year, Managed WordPress Hosting, Free SSL 1st year and Chat Support. Value for price: 6.5 |
Showit ($24/month): Ideal for sites without a blog. Includes 20GB storage and secure certificate. Regular design backups stored for 7 days. Value for price: 6.0 |
$25-$30 |
Choice Plus ($27.99/month): Ideal for multiple sites needing storage, security, backups, 3 websites with 40GB SSD storage, Free CDN, Free Domain 1st year, Managed WordPress hosting, Free SSL, Free Domain privacy 1st year, Malware scanning, daily site backups are free for the 1st year with the purchase of a 12 or 36-month package. Otherwise, users are required to pay a one-time fee of $35.88 for backup services. Value for price: 7.5 |
Showit + Basic Starter Blog ($29/month): For new blogs. Includes everything in the Showit plan, plus blog-specific features. 20GB storage, up to 10k monthly visitors, daily backups stored for 30 days, pre-installed plugins (no additional plugins are permitted), 1 WordPress user. Value for price: 7.0 |
$30-$35 |
Online Store ($32.99/month): Great for all online selling, built-in eCommerce tools, 3 websites with 40GB SSD storage, Free CDN, Free Domain 1st year, Managed WordPress hosting, Free Domain privacy 1st year, Malware Scanning, Exclusive Theme Store, Store Analytics, Unlimited products, Secure Payment options, Bookings & appointments, Shipping labels, product search and filtering, daily site backups are free for the 1st year with the purchase of a 12 or 36-month package. Otherwise, users are required to pay a one-time fee of $35.88 for backup services. Value for price: 8.5 |
No offering at this amount. |
$35-$40 |
Pro ($39.95/month): Perfect for high traffic, advanced storage, security, 5 websites with 100GB SSD storage, Free CDN, Free Domain 1st year, Managed WordPress hosting, Free SSL, Free Domain privacy 1st year, Malware Scanning, daily site backups are free for the 1st year with the purchase of a 12 or 36-month package. Otherwise, users are required to pay a one-time fee of $35.88 for backup services. Value for price: 9.0 |
Showit + Advanced Blog ($39/month): For migrating or high-traffic blogs with custom plugin needs. Includes everything in the Basic Starter Blog plan, plus up to 25k monthly visits, unlimited number of plugins, unlimited number of WordPress users, Free advanced blog migration from WordPress or Squarespace and FTP access. Value for price: 8.0 |
$60-$70 |
No offering at this amount. |
Showit + Advanced Blog 50k ($69/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 30 GB storage, up to 50k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for price: 8.5 |
$100+ |
No offering at this amount. |
Showit + Advanced Blog 100k ($129/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 50 GB storage, up to 100k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for Price: 9.0 |
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.
Hosting quality
Hosting
qualityExamines the reliability and performance of the hosting solutions.Score Components:
- Uptime (40%): Consistency and reliability of website availability.
- Speed (30%): Loading times and performance.
- Bandwidth and storage (20%): Sufficiency of resources provided.
- Data centers (10%): Quality and distribution of hosting infrastructure.
Winner: BlueHost
. BlueHost offers a range of hosting options with features designed to support websites at various stages of growth, from shared to dedicated hosting. Their hosting plans include technologies to ensure fast load times, such as SSD storage, CDN services, and Cloudflare integration. Showit, on the other hand, offers managed WordPress hosting with daily backups and 20GB storage. However, Showit does not disclose any information about its data centers, which could be a concern for some users.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Do they offer hosting? |
Yes, offers a range of hosting options with features designed to support websites at various stages of growth, from shared to dedicated hosting. | Yes, Managed wordpress hosting, with daily backups and 20GB storage. |
Data Centers: |
6 data centers: Orem and Provo, Shanghai, Mumbai and Hong Kong, London | Showit does not disclose any information about its data centers. |
Type of hosting: |
Managed WordPress Hosting | Managed WordPress hosting |
Uptime: |
99.9% | 99.9% |
Uptime Guarantee: |
Yes, 99.9% | Yes, 99% |
Website Speed Optimization
Website Speed OptimizationEvaluates optimization of website loading timesScore Components:
- PageSpeed Score (30%): Google’s score indicating performance optimization.
- Loading Time (30%): The average time until a website is fully interactive.
- Mobile Optimization (15%): Optimization effectiveness for mobile devices.
- Resource Optimization (15%): Optimizing images, scripts, and other heavy resources.
- CDN Usage (10%): Use of CDN to enhance speed across geolocations.
🏆 Winner: BlueHost
Both BlueHost and Showit have strategies in place for website speed optimization, but BlueHost takes the lead with its emphasis on Core Web Vitals improvements and server optimization.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Focus |
CDN, Server Optimization |
Optimization plugins, Caching |
Performance Tools |
Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights |
Google PageSpeed Insights |
Key Strategies |
CDN, Server Optimization |
Optimization plugins, Caching |
Load Times |
Varies widely, depending on optimization |
Varies depending on optimization |
Page Speed Scores Range |
Varies widely, depending on optimization |
Varies depending on optimization |
Core Web Vitals Improvement |
Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements |
No disclosed information |
BlueHost, a comprehensive web hosting service, also offers a user-friendly website builder. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress, allowing for a wide range of customization options and access to thousands of themes and plugins. BlueHost’s approach to enhancing site speed includes server optimization and the use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN). It also places a strong emphasis on improving Core Web Vitals, specifically Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
On the other hand, Showit is a drag-and-drop website builder designed primarily for creative professionals. It offers users the ability to create custom, mobile-responsive websites without needing to write code. Showit’s strategies for speed optimization include the use of optimization plugins and caching. However, Showit does not disclose any information on their Core Web Vitals improvements.
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Plugins and integrations
Plugins and integrationsMeasures the range and effectiveness of additional plugins and integrations.Score Components:
- Variety of options (40%): Range of available add-ons.
- Integration smoothness (30%): Ease of integrating plugins into the site.
- Quality of plugins (20%): Functionality and reliability of the options.
- Custom integration capabilities (10%): Support for custom or third-party integrations.
🏆 Winner: BlueHost.
With a score of 9.1, BlueHost offers a vast ecosystem of plugins and extensions, primarily through its seamless integration with WordPress. This allows users to significantly expand the functionality of their websites, introducing capabilities like advanced SEO tools, e-commerce functionalities, and custom forms. Showit, scoring 5.8, also offers a variety of plugins, but these are primarily available for users with the Advanced Blog plan and compatibility issues exist with certain WordPress plugins.
Marketing Features
Design FunctionalitiesRepresents how well each platform allows for creative design and customization of websites.Score Components:
- Template Variety (30%): Range and quality of design templates.
- Customization (30%): Flexibility and options for design alterations.
- User Interface (20%): Ease and intuitiveness of the design process.
- Responsiveness (10%): Adaptability to different devices and screen sizes.
- Innovation (10%): Unique design features and tools.
🏆
Overall Winner: BlueHost
. BlueHost edges out Showit by a small margin due to its comprehensive integration with WordPress, which provides a wide range of customization options and access to thousands of themes and plugins. However, Showit’s unique dual canvas interface and high degree of customization make it a strong contender.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SEO Tools |
Yes, both built in and third party WordPress plugins integrations |
Yes |
Email Marketing |
Yes, with using the Creative Mail plugin |
Yes, through third-party integrations |
Blogging |
Yes, using WordPress blogging tools |
Yes |
Social Media Integration |
Yes |
Yes |
Analytics and Reporting |
Yes, integration of Google Analytics and other WordPress plugins |
Yes, through integration of Google Analytics |
Ads and Promotions |
Yes |
Yes, through third-party integrations |
Customer Support
Customer supportEvaluates the quality and availability of support options.Score Components:
- Response time (40%): Speed of support responses.
- Support quality (30%): Effectiveness and helpfulness of the support.
- Availability (20%): Range of support channels (phone, chat, email).
- Resource richness (10%): Quality of self-help and educational materials.
🏆 Winner: BlueHost
. With a customer support score of 7.6, BlueHost outperforms Showit, which has a score of 6.4. BlueHost offers 24/7 customer support, including chat and phone support for general inquiries, with specific hours for account verification, renewals, and cancellations. Technical assistance is available from 7 a.m. to midnight EST, seven days a week, via phone or by opening a Help Ticket for email support.
On the other hand, Showit provides customer support via email from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 11 PM Arizona Time. They typically respond to messages within 1-2 hours during these business hours. For more immediate assistance, particularly in the case of site outages, Showit also offers chat support with a similar response time during their business hours. However, Showit has limited support coverage on weekends.
Security
SecurityLooks at the platforms’ security measures and data protection.Score Components:
- Data protection (40%): Safeguards for user and customer data.
- SSL and encryption (30%): Implementation of secure connections.
- Compliance (20%): Adherence to industry security standards.
- Regular updates (10%): Frequency of security updates and patches.
🏆
Winner: It’s a tie
. Both BlueHost and Showit prioritize security and data protection, offering robust measures to ensure the safety of user data and websites. BlueHost provides SSL certificates, regular backups, and additional security features like SiteLock for malware scanning. They also offer 24/7 monitoring to promptly detect and respond to security threats.
Showit, on the other hand, adheres to GDPR guidelines and employs Amazon’s S3 for secure and redundant data storage. They also provide free SSL certificates for secure HTTPS connections and automated backups. For WordPress-integrated sites, additional protections such as firewall protection, disc write protection, and automatic updates are in place.
Both platforms have a security score of 8.3, indicating a high level of commitment to security and data protection.
AI Capabilities
AI capabilitiesMeasures the effectiveness of AI-driven features and tools.Score Components:
- Automation efficiency (40%): Impact of AI on streamlining processes.
- Personalization (30%): AI-driven customization for users or customers.
- AI-Assisted design (20%): Role of AI in website design and functionality.
- Data analysis (10%): Use of AI in interpreting user data and analytics.
|
|
|
---|---|---|
Personalized Design |
|
|
SEO Optimization |
|
|
Customer Behavior Analysis |
|
|
Sales Predictions |
|
|
Inventory Management |
|
|
Content Generation |
Possible through WordPress plugins |
|
🏆 Winner: BlueHost
. Neither BlueHost nor Showit have built-in AI capabilities. However, BlueHost, with a score of 1.5, has the advantage of being able to integrate with WordPress plugins, some of which offer AI content generation features. This gives BlueHost a slight edge over Showit in terms of AI capabilities. Showit, with a score of 0, does not offer any AI capabilities.
User Management
User ManagementAssesses the platforms’ capabilities in managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility.Score Components:
- Role Customization (40%): Flexibility in creating and defining user roles and
permissions. - Ease of Management (30%): User interface and tools for managing users.
- Access Control (20%): Effectiveness of access control measures for different user
levels. - Scalability (10%): Ability to manage a growing number of users efficiently.
🏆 Winner: Showit
. Both BlueHost and Showit offer multi-user management, but Showit provides more flexibility and control.
- BlueHost supports multi-user management, but there’s no specific mention about the number of users or their roles and permissions.
- Showit allows only one user on lower plans, but on its Showit + Advanced Blog plan, the platform allows an unlimited number of users with different access levels.
Showit User Roles and Access Levels:
Role | Description | Access Highlights |
---|---|---|
Administrator | Users with full access to all administration features, including Elementor settings. | Can edit all content, Access to Elementor settings, Can install plugins and themes, Can manage users |
Editor | Users who can manage and publish content including pages and posts. | Can edit pages/posts created with Elementor, Cannot access Elementor settings, Can manage categories, tags, and links, Can moderate comments |
Author | Users who can publish and manage their own posts. | Can create posts with Elementor, Cannot edit pages, Limited access to media library, Cannot access Elementor settings |
Contributor | Users who can write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them. | Can create content with Elementor, Cannot publish or edit pages, No access to Elementor settings, Submissions require review by higher-level roles |
Additional Features
|
|
|
---|---|---|
SSL Certificate |
|
|
Custom Domain |
|
|
Free Custom Domain Included |
|
|
International Domains |
|
|
Mobile Responsive |
|
|
Page Speed |
|
|
Website Builder Mobile App |
|
|
Convert a Website To An App |
|
|
Website Analytics |
|
|
Multilingual Sites |
|
|
Multiple Users |
|
|
User Feedback
Users appreciate BlueHost for its comprehensive free offerings, including SSL, subdomains, and custom email, along with additional services like free domain registration and CDN. The platform’s intuitive interface and user-friendly website builder cater to both beginners and experienced developers. However, concerns arise regarding the significant price increase upon renewal, limited free website templates, and unresolved technical issues with poor customer support, hindering users’ ability to effectively manage their websites and businesses. Addressing these concerns could enhance overall user satisfaction with BlueHost.
Unfortunately, there is no user feedback summary available for Showit.
The making of this blog
We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.
FAQ
Which platform is better for creative professionals, BlueHost or Showit?
Can I use BlueHost for ecommerce websites?
How do BlueHost and Showit compare in terms of ease of use?
Which platform offers better customer support, BlueHost or Showit?
Are BlueHost and Showit equally good in terms of website speed and hosting quality?
Which platform is more affordable, BlueHost or Showit?
Can I manage multiple users on both platforms?
How do BlueHost and Showit ensure the security of my website?