Hostinger vs Bluehost (2026): Intro Prices, Renewals and Plan Limits Compared
Hostinger and Bluehost compared on official pricing, renewal costs, site limits, backups and refund terms, for solo bloggers and small-business sites.
| Feature | Hostinger Premium | Bluehost Starter |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price (as of Oct 2026) | $2.99/mo on a 48-month term | $3.99/mo on a 36-month term |
| Renews at | $10.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Websites | 3 | 10 |
| Storage | 20 GB SSD | 10 GB NVMe SSD |
| Backups | Weekly | Weekly |
| Free domain | 1 year | 1 year |
| Money-back window | 30 days | 30 days |
Affiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. We may earn from either host, so this comparison isn’t steering you toward one paycheck.
How this comparison was made: Research-based. All prices and plan limits come from Hostinger’s and Bluehost’s official web hosting pages, checked as of Oct 2026. We haven’t run our own speed or uptime tests, and we don’t repeat either vendor’s marketing benchmarks as fact.
The short version
Hostinger and Bluehost go after the same buyer: someone starting a WordPress site who wants it cheap and simple. They differ in the details.
- Hostinger has the lower intro price, on a longer 48-month term.
- Bluehost has a slightly lower renewal price on its entry plan and allows more websites on that plan, but with less storage.
Neither is the best for everyone. Your choice depends on how many sites you’ll run, how long you’ll commit and what you’ll pay after the first term.
Entry plans side by side (as of Oct 2026)
| Hostinger Premium | Bluehost Starter | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $2.99/mo (48 months) | $3.99/mo (36 months) |
| Renewal | $10.99/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Websites | 3 | 10 |
| Storage | 20 GB SSD | 10 GB NVMe SSD |
| Backups | Weekly | Weekly |
| CDN | Included | Free CDN |
| Free domain | 1 year | 1 year |
| 2 mailboxes/site free for 1 year | Pro Email free trial |
Bluehost notes that its prices exclude VAT/GST. Hostinger says all plans are paid up front.
Mid-tier plans (as of Oct 2026)
| Hostinger Unlimited | Bluehost Business | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $3.99/mo (48 months) | $6.99/mo (36 months) |
| Renewal | $16.99/mo | $13.99/mo |
| Websites | Unlimited (Fair Usage Policy) | 50 |
| Storage | 50 GB NVMe | 50 GB NVMe SSD |
| Backups | Daily | Weekly |
| Phone support | Not listed | Included |
This tier is where they separate. Hostinger Unlimited costs less up front and includes daily backups. Bluehost Business renews for less and adds phone support, a web application firewall, DDoS protection and free first-year domain privacy, according to its plan list.
What a four-year budget looks like
Using only the official figures, here’s a rough picture for the entry plans. Terms don’t line up exactly, so this is directional rather than a quote.
- Hostinger Premium: $143.52 for 48 months.
- Bluehost Starter: $3.99 × 36 = about $143.64 for 36 months, then $9.99/mo for the next 12 months, about $119.88. That’s roughly $263 over 48 months.
On the entry plans, Hostinger works out cheaper over the first four years if you’re willing to prepay the full 48 months. After that, the renewal rates ($10.99 vs $9.99) are close.
Check the price at checkout for the term you actually pick, because shorter terms are usually more expensive per month at both hosts.
Refunds and the free-domain catch
Both offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. Bluehost spells out a catch: if you cancel within 30 days and your plan included a free domain, it deducts a non-refundable domain fee at the regular domain price. Bluehost also says its free domain must be redeemed within 90 days and applies to listed TLDs only.
Hostinger states that its 30-day refund applies to hosting. Read both refund policies before you buy, especially if you plan to keep the domain.
Features both include
According to their official pages, both hosts include:
- Free SSL
- Malware scanning
- A CDN
- One-click or managed WordPress
- A free site migration option
- 24/7 chat support
- AI site-building tools
Bluehost highlights that it has been recommended by WordPress.org and that it has worked with WordPress since 2005. Hostinger highlights its hPanel control panel, LiteSpeed servers and an AI agent for WordPress.
Where Hostinger fits better
- You want the lowest total cost for the first multi-year term.
- You want daily backups without paying for a top-tier plan (Unlimited).
- You like having SSH, Git and WP-CLI in a custom panel.
Read the full Hostinger review for plan-by-plan details.
Where Bluehost fits better
- You want to host up to 10 small sites on the entry plan.
- You prefer a 36-month commitment over 48 months.
- You want phone support, which Bluehost includes from its Business plan.
- You expect to stay long term and care about the lower renewal on the mid-tier.
What neither tells you
Speed and uptime vary by data centre, plugins, caching and traffic. Bluehost’s page cites third-party benchmark comparisons, and Hostinger cites its own infrastructure. Neither is a substitute for testing your own site. If you choose either host, use the 30-day window to build your real site, run a page-speed test and contact support once to see how it responds.
Do you even need shared hosting?
If you don’t want to manage WordPress updates and plugins, an all-in-one builder like Wix or Squarespace may be simpler. They cost more per month but handle hosting for you. See best website builders for small business. And if you’re starting a content site, our blog setup guide covers the full stack.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Hostinger or Bluehost? As of Oct 2026, Hostinger’s entry plan has the lower intro price ($2.99/mo on 48 months vs $3.99/mo on 36 months). Bluehost’s entry plan renews slightly cheaper ($9.99/mo vs $10.99/mo).
Which allows more websites? On entry plans, Bluehost Starter allows 10 sites and Hostinger Premium allows 3. On the next tier, Hostinger Unlimited allows unlimited sites under a fair-use policy and Bluehost Business allows 50.
Do both include a free domain? Yes, for the first year on qualifying terms. Conditions differ, so check each host’s free-domain policy.
Bottom line
For a single new blog on a tight budget, Hostinger Premium is the cheaper multi-year buy. If you’ll juggle several small sites, or want phone support and a lower mid-tier renewal, Bluehost is worth the extra up front. Whichever you choose, budget for the renewal price.
Sources
Official vendor pages used for prices and features (checked October 2026; plans change, so confirm before buying):
What works
- Both include free SSL, a free first-year domain and a 30-day refund window
- Both support one-click or managed WordPress
What to weigh
- Both rely on long prepaid terms for their lowest prices
- Both renew at much higher rates than the intro price
Affiliate links. Prices and plans change; confirm on the vendor's site.