Shopify vs BlueHost: Comprehensive comparison guide for 2024

Final verdict

Shopify and BlueHost both offer valuable tools for building and managing websites, but they cater to different needs and audiences.

• 
  Shopify (Overall Grade: 8.1/10)
  
  is a robust ecommerce platform designed for businesses looking to create and manage online stores. It excels in providing advanced ecommerce features, strong security, and comprehensive customer support. When comparing Shopify vs BlueHost, Shopify is the preferred choice for users who prioritize ecommerce functionalities and scalability.
• 
  BlueHost (Overall Grade: 6.8/10)
  
  is a versatile web hosting service that includes a user-friendly website builder. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress, offering a wide range of customization options and access to numerous themes and plugins. Considering Shopify vs BlueHost, BlueHost is ideal for users seeking a more general-purpose website builder with strong hosting capabilities, especially those familiar with WordPress.

	Overall grade: 8.1	Overall grade: 6.8
Design functionalities & templates	8.2	7.2
Ease of use	7.5	8.2
Ecommerce	9.2	6.8
Website Editors	7.9	7.3
Product testing options	8.1	6.2
Price	8.2	7.2
Hosting quality	9.0	8.0
Website speed optimization	7.8	6.5
Plugins and integrations	8.7	9.1
Marketing features	8.8	7.3
Customer support	8.6	7.6
Security	9.0	8.3
AI capabilities	7.9	1.5
User Management	6.5	4.4

Best for ecommerce

9.2

6.8

Verdict

: Shopify is the superior choice for ecommerce, offering a robust and flexible platform with extensive features, while BlueHost is a viable option for those familiar with WordPress and WooCommerce, seeking a more budget-friendly solution.

• 
  Shopify
  
  : With a score of 9.2, Shopify excels in ecommerce with its comprehensive store builder, advanced inventory management, and multi-channel selling capabilities. It supports a wide range of payment gateways, including Shopify Payments, and offers detailed analytics and reporting. Shopify’s extensive library of apps and unique features like Augmented Reality make it ideal for businesses looking to scale and enhance their online presence.
• 
  BlueHost
  
  : Scoring 6.8, BlueHost integrates seamlessly with WooCommerce for WordPress sites, providing essential ecommerce features like product listings, shopping carts, and secure payment gateways. While it lacks the advanced capabilities and extensive app ecosystem of Shopify, BlueHost is a versatile option for users familiar with WordPress, offering robust customization features and a variety of hosting plans to cater to different needs.

Best for informational & business websites

6.8

7.5

• 
  Shopify
  
  : Shopify, scoring 6.8, is primarily an ecommerce platform. While it can be used for informational sites, its features are more geared towards online stores. The platform offers professional templates and robust tools for managing products and orders, but it may feel overly complex for simple informational websites.
• 
  BlueHost
  
  : BlueHost, with a score of 7.5, excels in creating professional-looking informational websites. Its integration with WordPress provides access to thousands of themes and plugins, making it highly customizable. The drag-and-drop interface is user-friendly, catering to users with little to no coding experience. When comparing Shopify vs BlueHost, BlueHost stands out for its versatility and ease of use for informational and business websites.

Detailed comparison

8.2

7.2

🏆

Winner: Shopify.

If you’re looking for a platform that offers more professional and ecommerce-focused design functionalities and templates, Shopify is the preferred choice.

Shopify’s templates are sleek and professional, ideal for ecommerce sites. They offer a sophisticated look with a focus on online stores. While the free template selection is not large, Shopify’s premium theme store provides a variety of industry-specific options, offering advanced features for a strong brand presence.

Shopify Themes

Compared to Shopify, BlueHost’s WordPress website builder offers over 300 pre-installed templates and designs to cater to the diverse needs of its users, ensuring that there’s something for everyone, regardless of the niche or industry. With hundreds of customizable templates available, users can easily find a design that aligns with their vision and brand identity. These templates are designed to be responsive and SEO-friendly, enhancing the user experience and visibility of the websites. From simple blog layouts to complex ecommerce designs, BlueHost provides a comprehensive selection to help users create professional-looking websites with ease.

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7.5

8.2

🏆 Winner: BlueHost

. With a score of 8.2, BlueHost’s website builder is designed with simplicity in mind, making it highly accessible for users of all skill levels. Shopify, scoring 7.5, offers a robust platform but with a steeper learning curve, especially for those new to ecommerce. If ease of use is a priority, BlueHost is the clear winner in this category.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. While both platforms offer solid learning resources, Shopify goes a step further with its wide array of detailed tutorials and active community forums, making it easier for users to learn and adapt.

9.2

6.8

Shopify, with a score of 9.2, is a leading ecommerce platform that provides a comprehensive set of features for online businesses. It offers tools for creating and customizing online stores, managing products, processing payments, and handling order fulfillment. On the other hand, BlueHost, scoring 6.8, is a comprehensive web hosting service that also offers a user-friendly website builder with ecommerce features. These features include integration with WooCommerce for WordPress sites, allowing for the easy setup of product listings, shopping carts, and secure payment gateways.

Ecommerce themes and templates	8.2	6.5
Product page customization	8.5	7.0
Payment processing and commissions	8.8	6.8
POS capabilities	8.1	0.0
Payment gateways	9.5	7.5
Product numbers	9.0	6.0
Additional ecommerce features	9.1	6.5

Shopify ecommerce features:

• Comprehensive store builder
• Shopify Payments and other gateways
• Advanced inventory management
• Multi-channel selling
• Abandoned cart recovery
• Detailed analytics and reporting

BlueHost ecommerce features:

• Product Listings
• Shopping Carts
• Secure Payment gateways
• Shipping Options and Tax Calculations
• Inventory Management

Ecommerce themes & templates

Shopify offers about 150 modern responsive themes for creating a virtual storefront, ensuring a good look on both desktop and mobile devices. While some themes are free, others cost between $170 to $380. In contrast, 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.

Product page customization

Shopify has a limit of three options per product, totaling 100 unique variations. This limit may not pose a significant constraint, and it is suggested that for products with numerous options, creating separate listings on Shopify can be a more manageable approach. While Shopify offers titles, descriptions, and image galleries with zoom effects, customization options like adding ribbons, size charts, and wishlists are not as straightforward. However, Shopify distinguishes itself with additional features through its extensive library of extra apps, offering functionalities like reviews, Facebook stores, eBay item importers, and a unique Augmented Reality feature for an enhanced customer experience.

On the other hand, 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. Additionally, the platform allows for the integration of customer reviews and ratings, enhancing trust and potentially boosting sales by providing valuable social proof.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, Shopify offers payments with typical charges of

2.9% + 30¢

per online transaction on basic plans, and lower fees for higher-tier plans. However, it adds extra fees for using other payment gateways. Shopify Payments is Shopify’s own payment processing gateway. It allows merchants to accept credit card payments directly on their store without having to integrate third-party payment providers. This simplifies the payment process, reduces transaction fees, and streamlines the handling of finances.

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. While BlueHost doesn’t impose transaction fees, the payment gateways might. Furthermore, it lacks Point of Sale (POS) capabilities.

Considering the features, availability, cost, and flexibility, Shopify appears to be a more robust and flexible ecommerce solution compared to BlueHost. However, if you are familiar with WordPress and WooCommerce, and are looking for a more budget-friendly option with some free extras, BlueHost might still be worth considering.

7.9

7.3

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify, with a score of 7.9, excels in providing a streamlined, ecommerce-focused editing experience. It’s particularly beneficial for users who prioritize efficient management of online stores. The editor is straightforward, making it easy to add products, manage inventory, and set up payment methods. Shopify’s editor is optimized for sales and business growth, with built-in tools specifically designed for ecommerce businesses.

BlueHost’s 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

8.0

5.0

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Both Shopify and BlueHost offer mobile editing capabilities, but they cater to different needs and skill levels. Shopify provides a dedicated mobile app that allows users to manage their online store from their mobile device. This feature enables the addition, removal, editing, and rearrangement of content on the store’s website, offering convenient on-the-go adjustments to the store’s appearance and layout.

On the other hand, BlueHost does not have a dedicated mobile app. However, users can edit their website on a mobile browser, albeit with some limitations. This might not provide the same level of convenience and functionality as a dedicated mobile app.

In summary, Shopify scores higher in this category due to its dedicated mobile app and the convenience it offers to users.

8.1

6.2

Overall Result

:

Shopify Wins

. Shopify scores 8.1 in product testing options, while BlueHost scores 6.2. Shopify offers a 14-day free trial with access to all features, while BlueHost does not have a free or trial version but allows testing of premium features within a 30-day refundable period.

Free Plan	No (14-day free trial)	No
Trial Duration	14 days	No trial version
Testing Premium Features	All features during free trial	Possible within 30-day refundable period

8.2

7.2

Shopify offers more value for its price compared to BlueHost, especially for larger-scale ecommerce operations. However, BlueHost offers a higher discount for annual subscriptions.

	Offerings	Offerings
$10-$20	No offering at this amount.	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
$20-$30	Shopify Basic ($29/month): Unlimited products, 2.9% + 30¢ card fee with Shopify payments, Extra 2% gateway fee without Shopify Payments, Abandoned cart recovery, Automated sales tax, Digital products, POS Integration, 2 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.0	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
$30-$35	No offering at this amount.	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
$36-$154	Shopify Standard ($79/month): Lower card fees (2.6% + 30¢), Gift cards, Professional reports, 5 staff accounts. Value for price: 8.5	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
$200+	Advanced Shopify ($299/month): Lowest card fees (2.49% + 30¢), Advanced report builder, Real-time carrier shipping, Up to 15 staff accounts Value for price: 8.8	No offering at this amount.

9.0

8.0

🏆

Winner: Shopify

Shopify’s proprietary cloud-based hosting, with a 99.99% uptime guarantee and 5 global data centers, is designed for high-traffic online stores. BlueHost, on the other hand, offers managed WordPress hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and 6 data centers worldwide. While BlueHost’s hosting is versatile and integrates well with WordPress, Shopify’s e-commerce-focused hosting is more reliable, earning it a higher rating.

Do they offer hosting?	Yes, included in all paid plans	Yes, offers a range of hosting options
Data Centers:	5 globally: USA (Ashburn, Virginia; Santa Clara, California), Canada (Toronto, Ontario), Ireland (Dublin), and Singapore	6 data centers: Orem and Provo, Shanghai, Mumbai and Hong Kong, London
Type of hosting:	Proprietary cloud-based hosting	Managed WordPress Hosting
Uptime:	99.99%	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.99%	Yes, 99.9%

7.8

6.5

🏆 Winner: Shopify

Both Shopify and BlueHost place a high priority on website performance and page speed, with Shopify focusing on app efficiency and theme optimization, and BlueHost emphasizing CDN and server optimization. However, Shopify gets the edge when it comes to website speed optimization.

Focus	App efficiency, Theme optimization	CDN, Server Optimization
Performance Tools	Google Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights	Google PageSpeed Insights Integration
Key Strategies	App efficiency, Theme optimization	CDN, Server Optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, dependent on optimization	Varies widely, dependent on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Scores vary; influenced by apps, images	Varies widely, depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements

Shopify’s approach to enhancing site speed includes app optimization by removing unneeded app code, conditionally loading apps, avoiding immediate pop-up displays, and incorporating app functionality directly into themes. This approach leverages Shopify’s fast servers and CDN network to boost load speed. Shopify also suggests utilizing Google AMP for faster mobile page loads, although with some design compromises. Analysis of three Shopify sites showed a range of Shopify speed scores from 14 to 75, Google PSI scores from 8 to 80, and load times varying from 10.6 seconds to 2.3 seconds. Continuous maintenance and optimization are essential for keeping Shopify stores fast.

BlueHost, on the other hand, places a strong emphasis on CDN and server optimization to enhance website speed. It integrates with Google PageSpeed Insights to provide a holistic view of website performance metrics. However, both load times and Page speed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization and website complexity. BlueHost also emphasizes on improving Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS), similar to Shopify. Despite these efforts, BlueHost’s website speed optimization score is lower than Shopify’s, making Shopify the winner in this category.

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8.7

9.1

🏆 Winner: BlueHost.

BlueHost scores 9.1, outperforming Shopify’s 8.7. BlueHost’s integration with WordPress opens up a vast ecosystem of plugins and extensions, expanding the functionality of the website builder beyond its base features. Shopify, while offering over 8,000 apps in its App Store, falls slightly short in comparison. However, Shopify’s plugins and integrations are more ecommerce-focused, making it a strong contender for online stores.

Shopify Applications

8.8

7.3

🏆

Overall Winner: Shopify

. Shopify stands out for its more advanced ecommerce-focused marketing tools, especially in analytics and ad campaign management. BlueHost, while offering a range of marketing features through WordPress integrations, is not as comprehensive or tailored for ecommerce as Shopify.

SEO Tools		✓ (with WordPress plugins)
Email Marketing		✓ (with Creative Mail plugin)
Blogging		✓ (with WordPress blogging tools)
Social Media Integration	Advanced integration for selling directly on social platforms	✓ (with WordPress plugins)
Analytics and Reporting	Detailed analytics for in-depth insights	✓ (with Google Analytics integration)
Ads and Promotions	Google Ads integration; sophisticated ad campaign management	✓ (with WordPress plugins)

8.6

7.6

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Comparing Shopify vs BlueHost, Shopify takes the lead in this category with a customer support score of 8.6. Shopify offers 24/7 support through chat, email, and phone, ensuring that users can get help whenever they need it. The platform also provides clear tutorials, an extensive community forum, and a valuable marketing blog, making it easier for users to find solutions and grow their businesses. For enterprise-level businesses, Shopify offers dedicated account managers, priority support, and additional resources through its Shopify Plus program.

BlueHost, with a customer support score of 7.6, also provides 24/7 support through chat and phone for general inquiries. However, technical assistance is available only from 7 a.m. to midnight EST. BlueHost’s support includes specific hours for account verification, renewals, and cancellations, and it offers global accessibility with different contact numbers for US and international customers. While BlueHost is committed to providing round-the-clock assistance, it does not offer enterprise-level support like Shopify.

9.0

8.3

🏆

Winner: Shopify

. Shopify’s security measures are comprehensive, including secure infrastructure, encryption, and limited access. They comply with data privacy regulations, practice data minimization, and ensure user control and transparency. Additional security measures include two-factor authentication, regular audits, and a dedicated incident response team. Shopify’s security score is 9.0, which is higher than BlueHost’s score of 8.3.

BlueHost also prioritizes data protection and offers SSL certificates, regular backups, and additional security features like SiteLock for malware scanning. They comply with data protection regulations and are committed to privacy. However, their security score is slightly lower than Shopify’s, making Shopify the winner in this category.

7.9

1.5

Personalized Design	Shopify AI Builder offers personalized design suggestions
SEO Optimization	AI-driven recommendations for better search engine visibility
Customer Behavior Analysis	Advanced analytics to understand customer preferences
Sales Predictions	AI-powered sales forecasting tools
Inventory Management	AI tools to assist in efficient inventory handling
Content Generation	AI assistance in creating and optimizing site content	Supports integration with WordPress plugins for content generation

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Shopify, with a score of 7.9, utilizes AI mainly to enhance the ecommerce experience. Its AI features focus on customer behavior analysis, personalized shopping experiences, inventory management, and sales predictions.

BlueHost, scoring only 1.5, does not have built-in AI capabilities. However, it supports integration with WordPress plugins, some of which may offer AI features. This flexibility can be beneficial for users who are familiar with WordPress and its ecosystem of plugins.

6.5

4.4

🏆 Winner: Shopify

. Shopify and BlueHost both offer user management features, but Shopify provides a more detailed and structured approach.

• Shopify enforces staff account limits based on plans, ranging from 2 to 15, with Shopify Plus offering unlimited
  accounts. Collaborators with limited access are also an option.
• BlueHost supports multi-user management, but does not provide specific details about the number of users or their roles and permissions.

Shopify User Roles and Access Levels:

Unfortunately, BlueHost does not provide detailed information about user roles and access levels.

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

Shopify

4482 reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars

BlueHost

263 reviews

3.5 out of 5 stars

Shopify’s slightly higher rating on G2 Crowd can be largely attributed to its specialization in ecommerce. Its comprehensive features, ease of use, and robust customer support cater specifically to online businesses, leading to high user satisfaction among those seeking a dedicated ecommerce solution.

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.

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