Bluehost vs Hawk Host: guide for 2024

Bluehost vs Hawk Host: Final verdict

Overall, comparing Bluehost vs. Hawk Host, Hawk Host demonstrates slightly better value through its comprehensive features, improved site performance, and exceptional customer support.

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  Hawk Host (Overall grade: 8.4)
  
  is a solid choice for those prioritizing performance, security, and a customer-centered approach. Known for its reliability, Hawk Host delivers 99.9% uptime and a robust support structure, including 24/7 live chat and proactive malware scanning. Its use of LiteSpeed Web Server and enterprise-grade hardware ensures excellent page loading speeds and scalability suited for multimedia sites and growing businesses. It also offers a competitive pricing model, particularly for VPS and cloud compute plans. Despite lacking a built-in website builder, Hawk Host’s extensive one-click installations and strong security measures make it a reliable hosting provider.
• 
  Bluehost (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  caters to a wide range of hosting needs with its user-friendly AI Site Creation tools and specialized hosting plans, such as those for WooCommerce and WordPress. Its high uptime, built-in CDN, and advanced protection features like Web Application Firewall and DDoS protection provide a blend of performance and security. Bluehost’s offerings are particularly advantageous for beginners due to its smooth onboarding and comprehensive support. However, potential downsides include hidden fees, occasional outages, and a mixed customer support experience, primarily influenced by complicated navigation and occasional upselling practices.

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner Bluehost: Superior uptime and SLA terms.

Bluehost offers impressive uptime, highlighted by multiple tests showing near-perfect performance. With a 100% uptime SLA for cloud hosting and compensation for downtime, Bluehost remains a dependable option. Their server response times are satisfactory, making them a reliable choice for sustained website performance.

Hawk Host provides a solid 99.9% uptime guarantee and comprehensive data center redundancy. Their quick support response and proactive security measures add value. Customers appreciate its reliability and affordability, marking it as a competitive alternative in the hosting space.

🏆 Winner: top-tier web hosting provider with guaranteed uptime and high-speed performance.

When comparing the general performance of Bluehost and Hawk Host, both provide impressive features that enhance website speed and reliability. Bluehost boasts top-tier speed for WordPress with built-in CDN and SSD storage, ensuring low latency globally through its extensive data center network. Its optimized infrastructure allows for increased CPU frequency and scalable PHP workers to handle more requests swiftly. Hawk Host, on the other hand, utilizes SSD/NVMe storage alongside high-performance processors, such as Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC, ensuring fast load times. They, too, offer a CDN, optimized through CloudFlare for excellent DNS management, and have multiple global data centers. Both hosts provide daily backups and proactive malware scanning to enhance security.

Website Speed

Bluehost ensures fast website performance with SSD storage and a built-in CDN to reduce page load times efficiently. Its optimized infrastructure, including scalable PHP workers, significantly boosts processing speed. Hawk Host employs high-performance SSD/NVMe storage and utilizes LiteSpeed Web Server technology for snappy browsing and page load times. They also leverage CloudFlare, ensuring rapid content delivery and optimized site performance. Both hosts offer excellent speed metrics, making either option a strong choice for fast website hosting.

Scalability

Bluehost provides a range of scalable hosting plans, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting, ensuring users can upgrade as their needs grow. It also guarantees 100% network uptime for its cloud hosting plans. Hawk Host offers similar scalable options, including cloud compute and shared hosting, with competitive pricing starting from $2.24 per month. While both providers require plan upgrades to scale, the specifics of automatic elasticity are not mentioned. Dedicated servers are available with both hosts, catering to users needing higher performance. The exact costs for scaling aren’t detailed, but both offer affordable options to meet various needs.

🏆 Winner Hawk Host: Secure and reliable hosting with high customer satisfaction and a range of security measures.

Both Bluehost and Hawk Host, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Both Bluehost and Hawk Host offer solid SSL certificate options. Bluehost provides free SSL with all plans and Premium SSL with a $10,000 warranty, powered by Comodo. Hawk Host offers several SSL options ranging from $14.99 to $399.99 per month, with varying warranties from $1,000 to $250,000. Bluehost features automated malware scanning and daily backups via Jetpack, while Hawk Host includes proactive malware scanning and daily backups. Bluehost provides advanced protection like a Web Application Firewall, DDoS Protection, and automated WordPress updates. In contrast, Hawk Host emphasizes powerful servers and also includes DDoS protection.

Operational security measures:

Bluehost includes automated daily backups, 2-factor authentication, and email security features in its plans. They use SiteLock for malware detection and traffic encryption to maintain data security. Hawk Host also ensures operational security with proactive malware scanning, free daily backups, and the inclusion of CloudFlare for enhanced security and DNS management. SSH access is provided by Hawk Host for secure connections, adding another layer of protection. Both services offer comprehensive DDoS protection to safeguard against malicious attacks.

Compliance and certifications:

Both Bluehost and Hawk Host are GDPR compliant, protecting user data and privacy. Bluehost does not support PCI compliance for shared hosting, but VPS and dedicated servers can achieve PCI compliance. Hawk Host’s focus on SSL certificates suggests it supports secure transactions, but HIPAA compliance is not specified. Bluehost has clear documentation on PCI compliance for various hosting types, providing a more defined pathway for those needing PCI adherence.

🏆 Winner
Bluehost: Bluehost: An excellent all-rounder with an array of hosting options, high performance, and comprehensive customer support.

Bluehost and Hawk Host both offer strong hosting services, but with some notable differences. Bluehost provides a user-friendly AI Site Creation tool making website building accessible even for beginners. This tool offers simple yet effective customization options. Bluehost also stands out with its specialized hosting plans like WooCommerce and WordPress hosting, which come with extra features like daily backups, Yoast SEO, and more. However, keep in mind that some offers, such as the free domain and daily backups, are only free for the first year. Their domain registration policy involves an expiration fee if you cancel your plan but wish to keep the domain, which is something potential customers should consider.

Hawk Host, on the other hand, does not offer a built-in website builder but supports over 380 one-click app installations, including WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, via Softaculous. This makes it ideal for users who prefer using popular CMS platforms. Hawk Host shines in terms of performance with its use of LiteSpeed Web Server and enterprise-grade hardware like XEON/EPYC servers. It also excels in security, with features such as proactive malware scanning and Imunify360 WAF. Offering unlimited domains, email accounts, MySQL databases, and free SSL certificates through Let’s Encrypt, Hawk Host is a robust choice for those who need scalability without hidden fees.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Bluehost and Hawk Host offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Bluehost offers professional email hosting services through Google Workspace, useful for setting up custom email campaigns and managing domain-specific emails. Hawk Host provides unlimited email accounts with enterprise-level spam filtering included. This may appeal to users looking for more integrated email services with fewer additional costs. Both provide transactional email capabilities but handle the specifics differently based on their respective ecosystems.

🏆 Winner Hawk Host:
Attractive pricing and a breadth of features across various hosting types make it highly appealing for budget-conscious users.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Bluehost offers a wide range of plans catering to various needs, including shared, VPS, dedicated, cloud, and WooCommerce hosting. Hawk Host, on the other hand, has a robust selection of shared, VPS, and cloud compute plans, along with specialized WordPress hosting. Hawk Host’s pricing model is competitive and often cheaper than Bluehost, especially for VPS and cloud compute plans. Hawk Host’s plans also generally include unlimited bandwidth and proactive malware scanning, which provides added value. Here, we break down some key plans for easy comparison.

Enterprise plans

Bluehost’s enterprise solutions such as high-tier VPS and dedicated hosting plans come with higher costs but include additional features like greater storage, advanced support, and high resources like CPU and RAM. Hawk Host, while offering slightly less storage and RAM overall, compensates with its price points and bandwidth, presenting affordable enterprise options with essential features like root access and SSD storage. Hawk Host’s high-end plans are often more budget-friendly, making it a strong contender for enterprises looking to optimize costs while maintaining essential services.

🏆 Winner: Hawk Host – Efficient setup and excellent user support services.

Bluehost uses AI WonderSuite tools and a simple setup wizard to make setting up a website straightforward. Its AI tools provide a guided and automatic installation of WordPress, making it very user-friendly, especially for beginners. The control panel is accessible and intuitive, making it easier for non-technical users to navigate and manage their websites efficiently. By automatically installing WordPress and offering an easy onboarding process, Bluehost simplifies the initial setup process significantly.

In contrast, Hawk Host employs cPanel, a well-known control panel, to make managing hosting services easier. cPanel’s wide recognition and ease of use provide a comprehensive toolset suitable for both technical and non-technical users alike. It offers functionalities like one-click installers for various applications and daily backups, which add a layer of convenience and security. Users familiar with traditional hosting setups will appreciate the simplicity and effectiveness Hawk Host’s cPanel offers.

Regarding migration tools, Bluehost provides various resources and guides for migrating an existing site to their platform. While these tools and guides ensure that the process can be navigated even by non-technical users, it is not clearly specified whether this service is free or incurs a fee. On the other hand, Hawk Host supports site migration through its support system, but details about automatic tools or the associated costs are not explicitly mentioned. The ease of migration can heavily influence a user’s decision, hence the clarity in this area could be improved for both providers.

Bluehost offers extensive help through a comprehensive knowledge base, 24/7 expert support, and multiple support channels like chat, phone, and email. Users can find articles, guides, and resources tailored for WordPress and hosting services, which help simplify troubleshooting and setup. Hawk Host’s help center covers a broad range of categories with articles and also provides 24/7 support via live chat, email, and Twitter. Both hosting providers offer strong support systems, though Hawk Host’s inclusion of SSH access and specific feedback from satisfied customers enhances its credibility.

🏆 Winner
Hawk Host: A slightly better overall user management experience and flexibility.

Both Bluehost and Hawk Host provide a structured and efficient way to manage user roles, albeit with different approaches. Bluehost categorizes user roles into Primary Contact, Admin Contact, and Tech Contact with specific permissions allocated to each. This clear delineation of roles ensures that each user has designated tasks and permissions, helping to manage responsibilities effectively. Hawk Host, on the other hand, offers a simpler system where user roles can be customized using “All Permissions” or selective permissions, allowing for more flexible user management. This customization can be particularly advantageous for tailored access control, although it may require more initial setup.

In terms of user interfaces and tools, Bluehost provides a dedicated User Roles & Permissions page accessible through their profile icon and Accounts & Users option. The step-by-step interface for adding and managing users is intuitive, making it easy to delegate responsibilities quickly. Hawk Host, while slightly less detailed in its step-wise process, still offers a straightforward User Management page accessible via the client area. The simplicity of inviting new users and setting permissions through a single form allows for an efficient experience, though it may not offer as much detailed configuration as Bluehost.

Evaluating the effectiveness of access control measures, Bluehost’s specific roles (Primary, Admin, Tech) ensure clear and restricted access levels, promoting security and efficient user management as the user base grows. However, this tiered structure might be restrictive if unique or varying permissions are frequently required. Hawk Host’s flexible permissions model allows users to be granted specific access relevant to their role, which can adapt better to changing needs and a growing number of users. This flexibility makes Hawk Host better suited for businesses needing tailored access control, although it might slightly compromise on streamlined role-based administration found in Bluehost.

Bluehost user roles table:

Hawk Host user roles table:

🏆 Winner Hawk Host: With a wide array of support options and glowing customer reviews, Hawk Host stands out as a reliable choice for hosting services.

Bluehost and Hawk Host both offer robust customer support but differ in several key areas. Bluehost focuses on live chat and phone support, offering 24/7 availability for live chat but only from 7am-12am EST for phone support. There is no ticket-based support, pushing users to real-time engagement channels. Despite expedited support for dedicated hosting, mixed customer reviews indicate occasional long wait times and inconsistent service quality.

Hawk Host, on the other hand, provides an extensive array of support channels including phone support, live chat, a ticket system, online contact form, and email. They also offer free migration support and have a highly praised support team, as evidenced by numerous satisfied customer reviews. With consistent 24/7/365 availability across all channels and additional support resources like a community forum and status page, Hawk Host ensures comprehensive and reliable customer care.

Bluehost vs Hawk Host: User feedback

User feedback on Bluehost as a hosting provider is highly mixed. On the positive side, many users commend their affordable pricing, ease of use with WordPress integration, and the comprehensive range of features such as free domain names, SSL, and excellent customer support. However, numerous reviews criticize the service for frequent outages, technical support issues, hidden fees, and unreliable performance, which have significantly impacted users’ businesses. Additionally, complaints about complicated navigation, aggressive upselling, and a steep learning curve for first-time users are common. While some users find Bluehost reliable and cost-effective, others have had severely negative experiences, citing problems like non-functional websites, billing issues, and inadequate customer service.

Customers find the hosting provider highly reliable and stress-free to work with, especially when transferring domains and setting up hosting. The support team is consistently praised for being helpful and efficient. While the hosting packages may cost a bit more, users believe the quality of support and services justifies the investment in the long run.

Bluehost vs Hawk Host: FAQ