Bluehost vs Netfirms: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Bluehost vs. Netfirms, both offer a variety of hosting solutions but with distinct strengths and weaknesses.

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  Bluehost (Overall grade: 8.2)
  
  
  excels with its comprehensive hosting options, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting, tailored for diverse user needs. Users benefit from automatic WordPress installation, AI site creation tools, and a strong focus on performance with 100% network uptime guarantee and fast server response times. Bluehost also offers versatile scalability and robust security features such as free SSL and automated backups. However, its pricing can be less transparent, with potential additional costs that might not appeal to budget-conscious users.
  
• 
  Netfirms (Overall grade: 7.3)
  
  
  caters to users seeking simplicity and affordability with straightforward shared hosting plans that include unlimited storage and free SSL certificates. It stands out in customer support with quick response times and multiple support channels, including email/ticket support. Netfirms is solid for eCommerce due to its superior SSL and PCI compliance options but lacks advanced hosting types like VPS and cloud hosting. While it provides reliable uptime and easy-to-use cPanel, it doesn’t match Bluehost’s advanced performance features and global presence, making it less suitable for high-traffic or complex websites.
  

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: A reliable hosting provider with outstanding uptime and performance.

Bluehost boasts remarkable uptime, scoring 100% in short-term tests and near-perfect scores in extended evaluations. The hosting provider demonstrates strong server response times and efficient handling of traffic surges. Furthermore, it offers a clear SLA that credits accounts for any network downtime, ensuring accountability.

Netfirms provides a stable hosting experience with an uptime promise of 99.9%, verified through various tests. They offer 24/7 customer support and maintain data centers in New York and Toronto. However, they lack a specific uptime guarantee detailed on their official site, making Bluehost the more reliable option.

🏆 Winner Bluehost: Excellent performance with top-tier speed and global data centers.

When comparing the general performance of Bluehost and Netfirms, Bluehost stands out with its impressive speed and 100% network uptime guarantee, leveraging SSD storage for faster data access. It uses a built-in CDN to optimize images and deliver caching from edge servers, reducing load times globally. Additionally, Bluehost supports increased CPU frequency and scalable PHP workers, aiding in faster request processing. Its global data centers further enhance site speed by reducing latency. Netfirms, while cost-effective, offers stability with a 99.9% uptime and free SSL certificates, but lacks the global presence and advanced speed optimization features seen with Bluehost.

Website Speed

Bluehost offers superior website speed, thanks to its SSD storage and built-in CDN, which work together to ensure quick page loads. The optimized infrastructure with increased CPU frequency enhances performance, especially for WordPress sites. Bluehost’s commitment to 100% network uptime ensures consistent speed and availability. In contrast, Netfirms provides reliable performance with scalable bandwidth and free SSL certificates but does not match the advanced speed features and optimizations that Bluehost offers.

Scalability

Bluehost provides flexible scaling options, especially for high-traffic websites, with shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting plans. Users can easily upgrade their plans to match their needs, with options like dedicated resources and managed cloud hosting ensuring seamless scalability. Netfirms offers scalable plans with options to accommodate growing websites, but specific details on automatic scaling are not provided. Both platforms offer dedicated servers, with Bluehost providing a more integrated and optimized approach to scaling.

🏆 Winner Netfirms: Netfirms offers superior SSL and PCI compliance options, making it highly reliable for eCommerce and high-security needs.

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

Technical security measures:

Bluehost and Netfirms both offer robust SSL certificate options. Bluehost provides free SSL powered by Let’s Encrypt and a premium SSL with a $10,000 warranty. Netfirms, on the other hand, includes a free SSL and offers more extensive paid options, such as Organization Validated and Wildcard SSL, with warranties up to $1.75M. For DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall, both providers are equally competitive. Bluehost includes automated backups with Jetpack, whereas Netfirms integrates SiteLock for extensive security layers. Bluehost’s plans include traffic encryption and automated WordPress updates to keep the platform secure.

Operational security measures:

Netfirms has multiple SiteLock plans offering daily malware scans, blacklist monitoring, and PCI compliance scanning, which makes it compelling for operational security needs. Bluehost features malware scanning with SiteLock and automated backups, but does not bundle PCI compliance in its basic plans. Both offer two-factor authentication and email security features. Bluehost provides backup solutions and traffic encryption, while Netfirms includes domain protection to secure personal information from WHOIS databases and domain security alerts for unauthorized changes.

Compliance and certifications:

Both Bluehost and Netfirms comply with GDPR, enabling European users to exercise their data rights. Bluehost does not support PCI compliance for shared hosting but assists with compliance for VPS and dedicated servers. Netfirms assures PCI compliance for online retailers across all plans, verified through SiteLock. HIPAA compliance is not specified by either provider.

🏆 Winner Bluehost: A reliable hoster providing diverse hosting types and extensive features to meet various needs.

Bluehost and Netfirms offer solid hosting solutions, but their feature sets and unique advantages make them appealing to different user segments. Bluehost shines with comprehensive hosting options, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and cloud hosting, making it adaptable for users with varying technical needs and scalability requirements. The inclusion of AI tools for site creation and help provides a user-friendly experience, especially for beginners looking to quickly set up their website. Meanwhile, Bluehost’s specialized WordPress and WooCommerce hosting underscore its commitment to optimized performance for content-heavy and ecommerce websites, which can be a significant draw for those specific needs.

Netfirms, on the other hand, focuses on straightforward and affordable hosting plans that offer unlimited disk space, scalable bandwidth, and free SSL certificates across all tiers, which is beneficial for budget-conscious users and small businesses. The free domain registration for the first year is a notable perk both providers offer. However, the potential additional costs associated with Bluehost’s free domain policy and its more advanced hosting solutions requiring higher expenditure should be considered against Netfirms’ simpler, more transparent pricing model. Netfirms doesn’t explicitly mention SFTP and SSH access, potentially limiting advanced user configurations, whereas Bluehost provides robust security and backup features which might be a deciding factor for more complex or higher-traffic sites.

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 Example hosting one and Example hosting two 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 provides professional email hosting through Google Workspace, allowing users to manage their email campaigns effectively. Netfirms does not specify dedicated email hosting services, which might necessitate users seeking third-party solutions for comprehensive email management. This distinction is key for those prioritizing integrated email services as part of their hosting package.

🏆 Winner
Bluehost Bluehost offers a comprehensive range of hosting solutions with enhanced features and competitive pricing.

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 provides a variety of hosting plans from shared and VPS hosting to dedicated and cloud options. Their shared hosting plans start at $2.95/mo, offering features like free domains, SSL for the first year, and AI tools. Netfirms offers simplified shared hosting starting at $3.95/mo that includes unlimited storage and SSL by Let’s Encrypt. Bluehost’s cloud hosting begins at $29.99/mo, offering up to 50 websites and 100% network uptime. Netfirms doesn’t offer standalone cloud hosting but includes various services across their plans. For enterprises, Bluehost’s dedicated hosting provides robust solutions with high storage and bandwidth.

Enterprise plans

For enterprise hosting, Bluehost offers dedicated hosting with robust resources. The Standard plan starts at $79.99/mo featuring 4 GB RAM, 4 Core CPU, 500 GB storage, and 5 TB bandwidth. Netfirms doesn’t provide detailed information for dedicated hosting but offers scalable shared plans fitting enterprise needs. While both providers offer strong options, Bluehost’s detailed plans and additional features make it a preferred choice for enterprise hosting solutions.

🏆 Winner
Bluehost: Offers easy setup with AI WonderSuite tools and extensive support resources.

Both Bluehost and Netfirms provide user-friendly admin panels designed for accessibility. Bluehost employs a custom solution enhanced by its AI WonderSuite tools, offering a seamless experience from setup to customization. With features like automatic WordPress installation and a simple setup wizard, even non-technical users can get a site running quickly. The dashboard is intuitive, providing clear navigation and actionable steps for site management. On the other hand, Netfirms uses a more traditional cPanel which is known for its flexibility and familiarity among experienced users. While it might have a steeper learning curve for beginners, cPanel’s extensive range of functionalities and modular approach make it a powerful tool for managing web hosting and domains. Both options cater to different user needs; Bluehost for ease and simplicity, Netfirms for control and functionality.

Bluehost on the other hand, offers a dual interface that combines a custom dashboard with full cPanel access, catering to both beginners and technically advanced users. The platform includes a comprehensive help center filled with a wide variety of guides and tutorials, aimed at assisting users in managing and optimizing their websites effectively.

Both Bluehost and Netfirms offer migration services for websites, but their approaches and costs differ. Bluehost provides free automated migrations for WordPress sites specifically within the first 30 days after purchasing a new shared hosting plan. For non-WordPress sites, however, Bluehost charges $149 for migration services, although users have the option to undertake manual migrations, which demand considerable technical expertise. On the other hand, Netfirms doesn’t appear to offer free automated migration tools, but they do provide support to assist users with manual migrations. This could involve more effort and potentially some technical knowledge, which may be a drawback for users without the necessary expertise.

The help centers of Bluehost and Netfirms offer extensive resources aimed at resolving user issues. Bluehost has a comprehensive knowledge base filled with articles, step-by-step guides, and tutorials covering a wide range of topics from WordPress installation to VPS hosting. Their 24/7 expert support via chat, phone, and email is efficient and reliable. Netfirms’ knowledge base also provides useful content, including articles on website backup, GDPR compliance, and Google Workspace integration. Their customer service offers 24/7 support as well, but the resources are somewhat less extensive compared to Bluehost.

🏆 Winner
Bluehost: A versatile hosting provider with comprehensive user management features.

Bluehost and Netfirms both offer structured user role management, but their approaches significantly differ. Bluehost provides a hierarchical system with predefined roles like Primary Contact, Admin Contact, and Tech Contact. These roles cater to various administrative and technical responsibilities, enabling precise control over user actions. Primary Contact holds maximum privileges, including user role management, making it suitable for comprehensive account oversight. Netfirms, integrated with WordPress, emphasizes content management roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. While Netfirms is content-centric, Bluehost’s roles are broader, accommodating both account management and technical tasks effectively.

Bluehost features a user-friendly interface for managing users through its Account Manager. By accessing the Accounts & Users section, users can easily add, edit, or remove roles. The platform’s straightforward navigation simplifies role assignments and adjustments. Netfirms, leveraging the WordPress Dashboard, allows users to manage roles within the familiar WordPress interface. Adding and managing users via the Users section is efficient but primarily focused on content management. Both platforms aim for simplicity, but Bluehost’s interface offers more specialized user management options.

Effective access control is crucial for securing user management, and both hosting providers exhibit strengths in this area. Bluehost’s hierarchical structure allows systematic access control, with each role having defined permissions, thus ensuring that account and technical management duties are well-distributed. This system is beneficial for growing teams, as it supports adding multiple users with distinct responsibilities. Netfirms’ WordPress-based roles provide adequate access control for content management but are less oriented toward comprehensive account and technical tasks. For organizations needing robust user growth capabilities, Bluehost’s structure offers greater scalability.

Bluehost User Roles Table:

🏆 Winner
Netfirms: Netfirms offers a more comprehensive range of customer support options with consistent positive feedback for quick response times and quality service.

Bluehost and Netfirms provide extensive customer support options, but there’s a notable difference in their approaches and user feedback. Bluehost offers 24/7 live chat and phone support, but has phased out ticket-based support to focus on direct channels. Their knowledge base is extensive, and they offer expedited support for dedicated hosting. However, user reviews are mixed, citing issues with wait times and upselling.

Netfirms, on the other hand, excels in providing 24/7 phone, web chat, email, and ticket support. Their response times are quick, and customer feedback is generally positive, highlighting knowledgeable representatives and efficient service. They also offer prioritized support for top-tier plans. Though some users have issues with billing and cancellations, Netfirms still stands out for its quick and helpful responses.

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.

Based on user reviews, the hosting provider appears to offer decent uptime and moderately reliable customer support. However, users frequently report slow server performance and connectivity issues that significantly hamper the experience. While some appreciate the low costs and basic domain registration services, others criticize the clunky system, confusing server setup, and unreliability, especially when working with CMS tools. Overall, the service seems better suited for those with low budgets and high patience.

FAQ