Choosing the right web hosting can make or break your website’s performance—and when it comes to Bluehost vs Cloudways in 2025, Bluehost continues to outperform in areas that matter most for beginners, bloggers, and small business owners. While Cloudways is known for advanced cloud infrastructure, Bluehost offers a more user-friendly, cost-effective, and WordPress-optimized experience that’s hard to beat.
Whether you’re launching a blog or scaling an eCommerce store, Bluehost stands out with its free domain, seamless WordPress integration, and 24/7 expert support. If simplicity, performance, and value are what you’re after—Bluehost is clearly the smarter choice in 2025.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Cloudways offers advanced features like server-level caching, choice of cloud providers (like DigitalOcean or AWS), and custom PHP configurations. Bluehost, on the other hand, remains a reliable choice for bloggers, small businesses, and WordPress users. Still evaluating Bluehost’s capabilities? Check out this detailed Bluehost user experience review to see if it’s right for you.
Bluehost vs Cloudways 2025 (Quick Comparison)
| Feature | Bluehost | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Official WordPress Recommendation | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Free Domain for 1 Year | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Free SSL Certificate | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Starting Price | $2.95/month | $11/month (DigitalOcean plan) |
| Beginner-Friendly | ✅ Extremely Easy | ❌ Requires Technical Know-how |
| 1-Click WordPress Install | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| 24/7 Customer Support | ✅ Chat, Call, Email | ✅ Chat Only |
| cPanel Access | ✅ Included | ❌ Not Available |
| Email Hosting | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Website Builder | ✅ Drag-and-Drop | ❌ Not Included |
| Automatic Updates | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Backup Options | ✅ CodeGuard (addon) | ✅ Available (varies by plan) |
| Free CDN | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Server Level Caching | ✅ Built-in | ✅ Advanced (Varnish, Redis) |
| Staging Environment | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Global Data Centers | ❌ US Only | ✅ Multiple Locations |
| Customizability | ❌ Limited | ✅ Highly Flexible |
| Uptime Guarantee | ✅ 99.99% | ✅ 99.99% |
| Money-Back Guarantee | ✅ 30 Days | ✅ 3 Days Trial Only |
| Best For | Bloggers, SMBs, WordPress Users | Developers, Agencies |
Why Bluehost Beats Cloudways in 2025
While Cloudways appeals to developers with its high customization and cloud scalability, Bluehost is the better all-in-one solution for most users in 2025.
Here’s why Bluehost comes out on top:
- Beginner-Friendly: Ideal for non-techies with a smooth onboarding process and simple UI.
- All-in-One Hosting: Includes domain, email, SSL, and WordPress tools under one roof.
- Official WordPress Recommendation: Backed by WordPress.org for over a decade.
- Lower Cost: Starts at just $2.95/month, significantly cheaper than Cloudways’ base plans.
- cPanel Access: Full control with an intuitive panel, which Cloudways lacks.
- Superior Support: Offers 24/7 phone and chat support vs Cloudways’ limited live chat.
- Free Domain & Email Hosting: No need to purchase extra services.
In short, Bluehost is purpose-built for website owners who want speed, simplicity, and savings—without compromising on performance.
👉 Ready to launch your site with a trusted, high-performance host?
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
💙 My Honest Take: Why I Still Recommend Bluehost After 12 Years
I’ve been using Bluehost for the past 12 years, and despite what you might read in some negative reviews, it has consistently delivered the best value for my money. From fast WordPress installation and a beginner-friendly dashboard to responsive support and solid uptime—it just works.
If you’re starting your blog in 2025 and don’t want to get overwhelmed with technical setups, Bluehost is the safest, smartest, and most affordable way to launch.
✅ I still use it for many of my blogs
✅ It’s officially recommended by WordPress.org
✅ You get a FREE domain, FREE SSL, and 75% off hosting
✅ And it takes less than 15 minutes to launch your blog
👉 Skip the detailed guide and get started right away using my special Bluehost link below:
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Choosing a Bluehost plan for beginners? You’ll love how this Bluehost plan overview simplifies the decision. Also, browse our handpicked blog hosting options for beginners.
Read Detailed Review of Bluehost Hosting Services
- Bluehost Dedicated Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost VPS Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost WooCommerce Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost Cloud Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost WordPress Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost Web Hosting Review 2025
- Bluehost Webmail Setup 2025
- Why Use Bluehost for WordPress in 2025
- Bluehost Basic vs Choice Plus vs eCommerce
- How to Start a WordPress Blog on Bluehost in 2025
Bluehost vs Cloudways Comparison 2025: Which Hosting Should You Choose?
Choosing between Bluehost and Cloudways in 2025 can be confusing if you don’t know which features matter the most for your business. Both are respected hosting providers, but they cater to slightly different audiences. In this post, we’ll compare them across key features like speed, uptime, support, pricing, and ease of use—so you can make the best choice for your website. Let’s dive in.
1. Hosting Plans and Flexibility
Bluehost offers a wide variety of hosting types—shared, VPS, dedicated, WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting. Their shared hosting is beginner-friendly, while advanced users can easily upgrade to more powerful VPS or dedicated plans. Their managed WordPress plans include staging, updates, and Jetpack add-ons.
Cloudways, on the other hand, doesn’t sell traditional shared hosting. Instead, it provides a managed cloud hosting platform that supports five cloud providers: DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode. Users can scale resources based on demand but need more technical understanding.
Key Comparison:
- Bluehost Shared Hosting: Starts at ₹169/mo, includes cPanel, 1-click WordPress.
- Cloudways: Starts at $11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB), no cPanel.
- Bluehost offers built-in email hosting; Cloudways requires third-party setup.
- Bluehost provides free domain, Cloudways does not.
- Cloudways offers better server-level customization.
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost is better for most users due to its all-in-one plans, domain integration, and user-friendly scaling options for both beginners and growing websites.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
2. Performance: Speed, Uptime & Reliability
Cloudways has an edge in raw server performance due to its use of cloud infrastructure. You can select from multiple providers like AWS or Google Cloud, making it a good option for developers and performance enthusiasts. Their built-in caching (Varnish, Redis) and dedicated resources per app help boost speed.
Bluehost, powered by its own data centers, delivers consistent performance for small to mid-size websites. With SSD storage, custom NGINX architecture, and CDN via Cloudflare, Bluehost has significantly improved its speeds in 2025.
Performance Stats:
- Bluehost average page load speed: 450–650 ms
- Cloudways (DO plan): 300–500 ms
- Uptime: Bluehost 99.98% | Cloudways 99.99%
- CDN included in both
- Cloudways allows scaling by provider (DO, GCP)
🏆 Winner: Cloudways
Why: While Bluehost performs well for shared and managed WordPress sites, Cloudways offers more raw speed and customization through cloud infrastructure.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
3. Security Features
Bluehost includes strong security tools across all plans, including free SSL, domain privacy, CodeGuard backups, and SiteLock. Their security dashboard is easy to use, even for non-tech users.
Cloudways uses server-level firewalls, bot protection, and application isolation. Backups, however, are charged separately depending on configuration. SSL certificates are available but require manual installation or Let’s Encrypt integration.
Security Comparison:
- Bluehost includes SSL, Sitelock, backups in basic plans.
- Cloudways has IP whitelisting, fail2ban, bot protection.
- Cloudways charges extra for offsite backups.
- Bluehost offers 24/7 malware scanning.
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: For non-technical users and growing businesses, Bluehost offers out-of-the-box security with easier implementation and no hidden costs.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
4. Control Panel & Ease of Use
Bluehost provides an enhanced version of the classic cPanel, which is ideal for beginners. Their dashboard integrates domain, email, and hosting controls in a simplified UI.
Cloudways has its own proprietary control panel—not cPanel. It’s functional and clean but has a learning curve, especially for beginners who expect traditional control panels.
User Experience Facts:
- Bluehost uses cPanel + custom dashboard (easy for all).
- Cloudways has no cPanel; setup takes longer for beginners.
- Bluehost has guided onboarding; Cloudways expects server familiarity.
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost wins for ease of use. The familiar interface, guided setup, and intuitive design make it perfect for bloggers, businesses, and non-techies.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
5. WordPress Optimization: Official vs Basic
Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress.org. Their managed WordPress plans include automatic updates, Jetpack tools, WP staging, and one-click installs with performance-optimized architecture.
Cloudways supports WordPress well, offering advanced caching tools like Breeze, Redis, and Varnish. However, users need to handle setup, plugin selection, and scaling themselves.
WordPress Hosting Facts:
- Bluehost: Official WordPress.org partner
- Built-in WP tools (Jetpack, backups, staging)
- Cloudways: Better for developers wanting more control
- No built-in Jetpack, staging, or email on Cloudways
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: For most WordPress users, Bluehost delivers a plug-and-play experience with features already optimized for speed, security, and simplicity.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
6. Customer Support: Real Help When You Need It
Bluehost offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and ticketing. Their knowledge base is robust, and most common issues are resolved within minutes.
Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat and tickets, with optional premium support starting at $100/mo. Their support is technically strong but more suited for developers.
Support Highlights:
- Bluehost: 24/7 phone/chat/ticket support (free)
- Cloudways: 24/7 chat + ticket, phone via premium plan
- Bluehost resolves most shared hosting issues quickly
- Cloudways support better for complex tech questions
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost provides faster, more accessible help for non-technical users without needing to pay extra for advanced support.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
7. Pricing Breakdown & Long-Term Value
Bluehost offers highly competitive entry-level pricing starting at ₹169/month (with offers). Renewals are higher, but the long-term value includes domain, SSL, and backups.
Cloudways uses a pay-as-you-go model. Plans start at $11/month (DO), scaling up based on usage. There are no long-term contracts, which can be cost-efficient for optimized use.
Cost Comparison:
- Bluehost Shared Plan: ₹169/mo (promo), ₹499/mo (renewal)
- Cloudways DO: $11/mo base, higher with backups/add-ons
- Bluehost: Free domain, SSL, CDN, emails
- Cloudways: No free domain or email hosting
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost offers more bundled value—especially for beginners looking for an all-in-one hosting solution.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
8. Website Migration & Onboarding
Bluehost offers free WordPress migrations and easy setup wizards. Their onboarding process is designed for first-time users and non-techies.
Cloudways allows free first migration and server-level cloning, but onboarding assumes you understand cloud instances, stack selection, and SSH keys.
Migration Facts:
- Bluehost: 1-click WordPress transfer, free migration tool
- Cloudways: 1 free migration via support
- Bluehost: Guided dashboard onboarding
- Cloudways: Manual or semi-automated steps
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost ensures smooth onboarding even for beginners, with less friction and automated steps compared to Cloudways.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
9. Free Domain and Other Advantages
Bluehost provides a free domain for one year with every shared or WordPress hosting plan. You also get free email hosting, SSL, and CDN.
Cloudways does not offer domains. You’ll have to purchase and configure your domain elsewhere. Email hosting must be set up via third-party services like Google Workspace or Rackspace.
Bonus Features:
- Bluehost: Free domain (1 year), SSL, CDN, email
- Cloudways: No domain or email hosting
- Bluehost integrates everything in one dashboard
🏆 Winner: Bluehost
Why: Bluehost makes it easier and cheaper to launch a full website with domain, email, and security all included.
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
Final Verdict: Why Bluehost Wins in 2025
If you’re looking for an easy, affordable, and reliable hosting provider in 2025, Bluehost is your best bet. While Cloudways excels in raw performance and developer control, it comes at the cost of complexity and extra fees for essentials like email and backups.
Bluehost shines because it simplifies the entire hosting process—from free domain and email to robust WordPress optimization, excellent support, and unbeatable pricing for new bloggers and businesses.
Why Choose Bluehost:
- ✅ Official WordPress recommendation
- ✅ Free domain, SSL, email, CDN
- ✅ 24/7 expert support
- ✅ Simple dashboard with cPanel
- ✅ Affordable long-term pricing
- ✅ Beginner-friendly migration & onboarding
👉 Ready to launch your site with a trusted, high-performance host?
👉 Get Started with Bluehost for Just $1.99/month
✅ Free Domain | ✅ Free SSL | ✅ Built for WordPress | ✅ 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
FAQs – Bluehost Vs Cloudways Hosting Comparison 2025
Which is better in 2025 – Bluehost or Cloudways?
In 2025, Bluehost is better suited for beginners, bloggers, and small business owners due to its user-friendly dashboard, free domain, email hosting, and affordable pricing. Cloudways is ideal for developers who need high-performance cloud servers and greater flexibility.
Is Bluehost good for WordPress in 2025?
Yes, Bluehost is officially recommended by WordPress.org and offers 1-click WordPress installs, automatic updates, and free SSL—making it an excellent choice for WordPress websites in 2025.
Does Cloudways offer a free domain like Bluehost?
No, Cloudways does not provide a free domain. Bluehost includes a free domain name for the first year with all shared hosting plans, making it more cost-effective for new site owners.
Is Cloudways faster than Bluehost?
Cloudways generally offers faster performance due to its cloud-based infrastructure and advanced caching options. However, Bluehost still delivers strong speed and uptime for most standard websites at a fraction of the cost.
Can I host emails on Cloudways?
No, Cloudways does not offer built-in email hosting. You’ll need to use third-party services like Google Workspace or Rackspace. Bluehost includes free email hosting with your domain.
Which is more affordable, Bluehost or Cloudways?
Bluehost is significantly more affordable, starting at $2.95/month with free domain and SSL. Cloudways starts at $11/month and charges based on usage, which may increase over time.
Is Bluehost suitable for developers?
Bluehost is more beginner-friendly and not ideal for advanced development environments. Developers needing full control, SSH access, and custom stack configurations may prefer Cloudways.
Do both Bluehost and Cloudways support staging environments?
Yes, both offer staging environments. Bluehost provides a one-click staging feature in its WordPress plans, while Cloudways supports staging via its platform for all apps.
Does Bluehost use cloud hosting like Cloudways?
No, Bluehost primarily offers shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Cloudways is built entirely on cloud infrastructure, integrating with providers like DigitalOcean and AWS.
What type of customer support is better – Bluehost or Cloudways?
Bluehost offers 24/7 support via chat, email, and phone. Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat, but phone support requires a premium add-on. For most users, Bluehost offers more accessible and complete support.
Which host is better for eCommerce websites?
For small eCommerce sites using WooCommerce, Bluehost is a solid choice with its WooCommerce hosting plans. For high-traffic or complex stores, Cloudways provides more flexibility and performance.
Can I switch from Cloudways to Bluehost?
Yes, you can migrate from Cloudways to Bluehost. Bluehost offers free website migration services for WordPress websites, making the transition smoother.