Pressable vs Bluehost – “WordPress Winner …”

Pressable vs Bluehost

97.8 %

Overall Score

Pressable vs Bluehost

88.8 %

Overall Score

Pressable and Bluehost are popular hosting providers catering to different needs. Pressable specializes in managed WordPress hosting, offering optimized performance, automatic updates, and strong security, making it ideal for users seeking a hassle-free WordPress experience.

Bluehost is a versatile provider, offering shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting along with managed WordPress hosting. It’s known for its ease of use, excellent support, and affordable pricing, appealing to both beginners and advanced users.

While Pressable is focused on WordPress optimization, Bluehost offers broader hosting options for users who might need different types of hosting as their websites grow. Pressable is better for WordPress-specific needs, while Bluehost is more flexible for general hosting.

Pressable

Performance: |5.0| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pressable is highly optimized for WordPress, offering fast loading speeds and strong performance through features like a custom CDN, automatic caching, and a solid infrastructure. Its servers are fine-tuned for WordPress sites, ensuring excellent uptime and minimal delays, making it an ideal choice for high-performance WordPress hosting.

Uptime: |4.9|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pressable guarantees a 99.99% uptime, ensuring high availability for WordPress sites. With its managed WordPress hosting platform, it is built to handle traffic spikes and deliver consistent performance, backed by a robust infrastructure that minimizes downtime. Users can rely on Pressable’s dedicated focus on WordPress to maintain strong uptime even during high-demand periods.

Customer Service: |4.8|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pressable is known for its high-quality customer support, specifically tailored for WordPress users. It offers 24/7 assistance through live chat, email, and phone, with a team of WordPress experts who can resolve issues quickly. Users appreciate the level of expertise provided, especially when troubleshooting complex WordPress-related problems.

Bluehost

Performance: |4.8| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bluehost, while offering solid performance for WordPress hosting, may not be as fast as Pressable in comparison. Its WordPress hosting is optimized, but it serves a broader range of users, and its infrastructure is more generalized. Bluehost is reliable, but Pressable’s specialized tools give it a performance edge for WordPress-specific sites, especially under heavy traffic.

Uptime: |4.9|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bluehost also offers a solid uptime guarantee of 99.98%, which is competitive but slightly lower than Pressable’s. While Bluehost’s general hosting infrastructure is reliable and offers decent performance, its broader focus on different hosting types can sometimes result in less optimization compared to Pressable’s WordPress-specific services. However, Bluehost still ensures a reliable hosting environment with minimal downtime for most users.

Customer Service: |4.7|⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bluehost also provides 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email, with a large team available to assist users with general hosting issues. While its support is reliable, it is more generalized compared to Pressable’s specialized WordPress support. Bluehost’s customer service is friendly and helpful but may take longer to address specific WordPress-related inquiries, as its team handles a broader range of hosting services.

Overall Comparison Pressable vs Bluehost

Many reviewers claim that Bluehost outshines Pressable for managed WordPress hosting. However, it’s worth noting that Bluehost often compensates these reviewers if their recommendations lead to a purchase. While this doesn’t inherently mean Bluehost offers a poor service, it can result in biased reviews that may not serve your best interests.

To provide an unbiased, expert perspective, I’ve thoroughly researched and tested both providers. Since Pressable specializes exclusively in managed WordPress hosting, I’ve focused on comparing their WordPress-optimized plans. In my evaluation, Pressable consistently outperformed Bluehost in every category.

Aspect PressableBluehost
Primary Focus Managed WordPress hosting Shared, VPS, Dedicated, and WordPress hosting
Performance Optimized for WordPress with custom CDN and caching Optimized for WordPress but more general hosting performance
Uptime Guarantee 99.99% 99.98%
Security Strong security with daily backups,
free SSL, malware protection
Free SSL, DDoS protection, SiteLock security
Customer Support 24/7 WordPress expert support24/7 general hosting support
Best For WordPress-focused websites General-purpose hosting with WordPress options

1. Plans and Pricing

Bluehost May Seem Cheaper Than Pressable, But Their Prices Are Actually Comparable

Many reviewers highlight Bluehost’s lower prices compared to Pressable’s more premium plans. However, while Bluehost’s shared hosting options are indeed budget-friendly, its managed WordPress plans come at a significantly higher cost. Since Pressable specializes in managed WordPress hosting, it’s more accurate to compare equivalent plans rather than exaggerate the price difference, claiming Bluehost is up to ten times cheaper.

On closer inspection of their WordPress-optimized plans, Bluehost initially appears more affordable—but there’s a catch. You must pay in advance for three years of hosting in order to obtain the advertised cost for Bluehost’s WordPress Pro plans. If you choose a shorter billing cycle, the cost can increase by as much as 50%, narrowing the price gap between the two providers.

Plan TypePressableBluehost
Starting Price $19/month (Managed WordPress Hosting) $2.95/month (Shared Hosting)
WordPress Hosting Starts at $19/month Starts at $3.95/month (Basic WordPress Plan)
VPS Hosting Not available Starts at $19.99/month
Dedicated HostingNot available Starts at $79.99/month
Free Domain NoFree for the first year with annual plans
Free Migrations Yes Yes

With Pressable, pricing remains consistent regardless of whether you pay monthly or annually, though opting for an annual plan rewards you with two free months of hosting. Additionally, renewal fees with Pressable stay the same as your initial price, offering a predictable cost structure.

In contrast, Bluehost’s renewal fees are significantly higher—about 50% more for the Build and Grow plans and roughly 20% more for the Scale plan. After renewal, Bluehost’s entry-level Build plan actually costs more than Pressable’s Personal plan, even if you commit to a 3-year billing cycle. So much for Bluehost’s reputation as a budget-friendly option.

Pressable also delivers better value for your investment. For example, its Personal plan includes Jetpack Premium, a robust suite of tools for security, performance, design, and marketing, as detailed in the Features section. Meanwhile, Bluehost’s comparable Build plan only offers Jetpack Basic with far fewer features.

However, one drawback of Pressable is that it doesn’t include email hosting or domain registration, meaning you’ll need to purchase these services separately. If you’re looking for a comprehensive managed WordPress hosting plan that’s more affordable than both Bluehost and Pressable, Hostinger is worth considering.

Hosting management

Pressable provides a WordPress-focused management platform, offering an intuitive interface for tasks like backups, updates, and performance optimization. It includes staging environments and automatic updates for WordPress core and plugins, ensuring sites stay secure and current.

Bluehost offers a general hosting management experience with WordPress tools. Its user-friendly control panel simplifies domain, email, and website management. While it supports WordPress, its tools are more basic and require extra setup for advanced needs compared to Pressable’s specialized features.

2. Features

Pressable Outshines Bluehost in Basic WordPress Features

While Bluehost advertises unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email on all WP Pro plans, these “unlimited” resources come with hidden limitations. A closer look at Bluehost’s User Agreement and Acceptable Use Policy reveals that your account can be suspended or terminated—potentially without notice—if your resource usage negatively impacts other users on the shared server.

In contrast, Pressable sets a clear storage limit of 200GB on all plans. This is more than sufficient for most websites, including e-commerce stores with thousands of high-resolution product images. Although Pressable does impose a monthly visitor cap, your account won’t be shut down for sudden traffic spikes. Instead, you’ll be notified and can upgrade to a more suitable plan if needed.

At first glance, Bluehost might seem to have the edge with its unlimited resource claims. However, Pressable compensates for its limits by offering a superior suite of WordPress features and tools that Bluehost doesn’t provide at the same price point.

For instance, while Bluehost charges extra for website migrations, Pressable includes them for free. You can either use Pressable’s automated migration plugin or request assistance from their support team.

Both hosts offer preinstalled WordPress and automatic plugin updates. However, Bluehost’s entry-level Build plan comes with Jetpack Basic, which includes 100 free WordPress themes, brute force protection, and basic caching for static files and images. For more advanced Jetpack features, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan.

On the other hand, all Pressable plans run on the same robust infrastructure and include access to every feature, even with the entry-level Personal plan. This includes Pressable’s WordPress-optimized environment, advanced performance tools, and Jetpack Premium. With Jetpack Premium, you get video caching, SEO tools, Google Analytics integration, PayPal support, and more.

FeaturePressableBluehost
Hosting TypesManaged WordPressShared, Managed WordPress, VPS, Dedicated Servers, Reseller
Free Domain
Free SSL CertificateYesYes
Disk Space200GBUnlimited
BandwidthUnmeteredUnmetered
Automatic BackupsYesYes
Control PanelProprietary control panel (MyPressable)cPanel
Email AccountsNoUnlimited
Free CDNYesYes
Free Site MigrationYesNo
Money-Back GuaranteeNo, but you can apply for a 15-day trial30 days
JetpackPremiumBasic
Performance Optimization Custom CDN, automatic caching Optimized for WordPress but more general performance
Uptime Guarantee 99.99% 99.98%
Security Daily backups, free SSL, malware protectionFree SSL, DDoS protection, SiteLock security
Support 24/7 WordPress expert support 24/7 general hosting support

3. Performance

Pressable Offers Superior WordPress Optimization

Both Bluehost and Pressable provide features aimed at enhancing website performance, including SSD storage and an integrated CDN (content delivery network) on all plans. Pressable uses Jetpack’s CDN, whereas Bluehost uses Cloudflare. In both cases, the CDN caches your site on multiple servers worldwide, ensuring faster loading speeds by connecting visitors to the server closest to them.

One of Pressable’s standout features is the option to choose from four data centers—three in the US and one in Europe—allowing you to host your site closer to your target audience. In contrast, Bluehost operates a single data center in the US but does not disclose its specific location.

Pressable’s infrastructure was revamped after its acquisition by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress. Now built on Nginx web servers, Pressable offers faster and more reliable performance compared to Bluehost’s Apache servers. Additionally, Pressable incorporates server-side caching for rapid content delivery and load balancers to distribute traffic efficiently across servers, ensuring stable performance even during traffic spikes.

On the other hand, Bluehost’s Acceptable Use Policy indicates that resource usage may be restricted during traffic surges unless you upgrade to a higher-tier plan.

When it comes to uptime, Pressable offers a 100% uptime guarantee, with compensation for every 30 minutes of downtime in a given month. Bluehost, however, makes no formal uptime guarantees. While it claims to provide top-notch uptime, this promise is neither backed by compensation nor clearly defined in its Server Uptime Agreement.

In performance tests, Bluehost delivered subpar results. You can find the details in our comprehensive Bluehost review. While we haven’t yet conducted similar tests for Pressable, its performance-enhancing features are discussed in detail in our expert Pressable review.

Pressable Speed Test USA

Pressable Speed Test USA

Pressable Speed Test Canada

4. Ease of Use

Pressable is designed with WordPress users in mind, making it highly user-friendly for those looking to manage WordPress sites without technical hassle. Its streamlined interface simplifies tasks like site backups, updates, and performance optimization, and it includes features like staging environments and automatic updates, so users can focus on content rather than technical details.

Bluehost, while also offering a user-friendly experience, is geared more toward beginners across various hosting types. Its control panel is intuitive, and it includes one-click WordPress installations, making it easy for users to get started. However, it may require more manual intervention for advanced configurations compared to Pressable’s specialized, WordPress-focused management tools.

What Our Customers Have to Say?

Pressable

Great for WordPress: Customers praise Pressable for its excellent WordPress optimization, especially the fast performance, security, and ease of managing multiple sites.

Responsive Support: Users appreciate Pressable’s knowledgeable and responsive customer support, particularly for WordPress-specific issues, resolving problems quickly.

Bluehost

Good for Beginners: Customers like Bluehost for its ease of use, particularly for those new to website management, thanks to its intuitive control panel and helpful setup guides.

Reliable but Basic: While many users find Bluehost reliable, some note that it lacks the advanced features of more specialized hosts, especially for larger or more complex sites.

Advantage of Pressable and Bluehost

Pressable Bluehost
Optimized specifically for WordPress Supports various platforms, including WordPress
Includes free staging environmentsStaging available only on higher plans
Offers automatic WordPress updates Manual updates required unless configured
Built-in performance monitoring tools Limited performance monitoring tools
Expert WordPress support specialists General support team with WordPress knowledge
Free Jetpack Premium on all plans Jetpack available at an additional cost
Daily automatic backups included Backups available on higher-tier plans

Disadvantage of Pressable and Bluehost

Pressable Bluehost
Higher pricing plans for small websites Affordable plans for beginners but with limited features in basic plans
Limited flexibility in server customizationMore flexible in server and hosting customizations
Focused on WordPress, less versatilitySupports a wide range of CMS and platforms
May lack some beginner-friendly featuresBeginner-friendly but with upselling practices
Customer support can be inconsistent Reliable customer support with long wait times during peak hours
No email hosting included Includes email hosting in most plans
Advanced features may overwhelm new users Simpler interface but fewer advanced features

5. Support

Pressable’s Support Is More Helpful and Professional

Both Bluehost and Pressable provide 24/7 customer support via phone, live chat, and tickets, though the quality of support varies depending on your plan.

With Bluehost, entry-level Build plan users do not have access to specialized WordPress support (Blue Sky). On the Grow plan, Blue Sky support is available only through tickets, while the Scale plan adds live chat support.

However, Pressable guarantees that all customers have access to specialized WordPress support. On the Personal plan, support is limited to tickets, while the Starter plan adds live chat, and the Pro plan includes direct Slack access to the technical support team.

In my comparison of both services, I tested their live chat support. While my experience was generally satisfactory with both, I was slightly disappointed with Bluehost’s agent, who repeatedly pressured me into making a purchase. For instance, when I inquired about a plan for a simple landing page website, the agent recommended Bluehost’s Basic shared hosting but repeatedly urged me to buy the SEO Tools addon as well.

Pressable

Specialized Support: Focused on WordPress-related issues, offering expertise in WordPress hosting.

Availability: 24/7 customer support via live chat and ticketing system.

Response Time: May experience slower response times during peak hours.

Knowledge Base: Extensive documentation and tutorials for WordPress users.

Personalized Assistance: Dedicated account manager for higher-tier plans.

Bluehost

Versatile Support: Support for multiple platforms beyond WordPress, including general web hosting issues.

Multiple Channels: 24/7 customer service available through live chat, phone, and email.

Wait Times: Long wait times during high-traffic periods.

User-Friendly Tools: Step-by-step guides and a comprehensive knowledge base for self-help.

Additional Services: Paid premium support for advanced technical issues.

6. Security

Bluehost and Pressable Provide Comparable Security Features for WordPress Plans

Whether you choose Pressable or one of Bluehost’s WP Pro plans, your website’s security is well taken care of. Both hosting providers offer malware scanning and removal, protection against DDoS attacks, and spam filtering via Akismet. When transferring websites to Pressable’s infrastructure, they conduct an initial malware scan to ensure security.

Additionally, both hosts provide automated daily backups—through Jetpack with Pressable or CodeGuard Basic with Bluehost’s Build plan. These backups allow for easy restoration of your site to a previous version with just a few clicks.

Both providers also offer free SSL certificates from Let’s Encrypt, which secure your website with padlock protection—critical for e-commerce sites where customers submit payment information. Even if you don’t run an online store, SSL certificates are still valuable for improving search engine rankings.

Security FeaturePressableBluehost
SSL CertificatesFree SSL included with all plans Free SSL included with all plans
Malware Scanning Automatic daily malware scanning Basic malware scanning; advanced tools require additional fees
Firewalls Built-in firewalls for enhanced protection Custom firewalls available on higher-tier plans
Backups Automatic daily backups includedBackups are limited in basic plans; full
backups available in premium plans
DDoS Protection Included in all plans Available but may require manual configuration on some plans
Login SecurityTwo-factor authentication (2FA) supported Two-factor authentication (2FA) supported
Security Tools WordPress-specific security enhancements Broader security tools for various platforms

With both Bluehost’s WP Pro and Pressable, SSL certificates are automatically installed, so you don’t have to worry about renewal or security maintenance.

Final Recommendations

Criteria PressableBluehost
Pricing Larger businesses or premium WordPress users Budget-conscious users and beginners
Ease of Use Experienced WordPress users Beginners and users requiring simplicity
Performance High-performance WordPress sites Moderate-performance sites with general needs
Security Advanced WordPress security Basic security with upgrade options
Customer Support WordPress-specific issues General hosting and beginner support
Versatility Exclusively WordPress hosting Broader CMS and hosting options
Features Advanced WordPress tools and features Basic hosting tools with optional upgrades

Frequently Asked Questions

Pressable is specifically optimized for WordPress, offering advanced features for WordPress users. Bluehost supports WordPress but caters to a broader audience.

  • Bluehost is more beginner-friendly with an intuitive interface and straightforward onboarding.
  • Bluehost offers more affordable pricing for basic hosting, while Pressable targets premium users.
  • Both Pressable and Bluehost include free SSL certificates with all plans.
  • Pressable has advanced WordPress-specific security features, while Bluehost offers general security tools with upgrades available.
  • Bluehost includes email hosting in most plans, whereas Pressable does not offer email hosting.
  • Pressable excels in WordPress-specific support, while Bluehost offers versatile support for multiple hosting types.
  • Pressable provides daily automatic backups, while Bluehost includes basic backups but charges extra for full-featured backup tools.
  • Bluehost supports multiple CMS and platforms, whereas Pressable is exclusively for WordPress.
  • Pressable is ideal for WordPress-based e-commerce (e.g., WooCommerce), while Bluehost supports broader e-commerce platforms.
  • Both providers offer DDoS protection, but the implementation may vary with configuration needed for some Bluehost plans.
  • Pressable is suitable for scaling WordPress sites, while Bluehost offers flexible plans for growing general-purpose websites.
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