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Does Bluehost Charge Monthly?

Does Bluehost Charge Monthly or All at Once?

Does Bluehost charge monthly? If you are considering Bluehost for web hosting, you might be wondering if they offer a monthly payment plan.

Bluehost is one of the best web hosting companies, and one that I recommend for anyone who wants to start a blog or other website. I’ve been using Bluehost for over five years, and I’ve found their price, service, and customer support to be unmatched. But can you pay by the month with Bluehost?

Unfortunately, Bluehost does not offer a monthly payment plan.

When you sign up for web hosting with Bluehost, you will have the option to choose from a 12-month, 24-month, or 36-month web hosting plan.

But Bluehost is still more affordable than other web hosts that do offer monthly plans, making it a savvy choice to pay for a year upfront with Bluehost.

 

Bluehost Web Hosting Plans

Let’s take a look at the web hosting plans that Bluehost offers.

First of all, when you sign up for Bluehost using my Blogging Her Way affiliate link you will be able to access a special offer for an exclusive low rate for Bluehost that is not publicly available through their normal homepage.

This allows you to get web hosting for just $2.95 a month for 12 months along with a FREE domain name (saving you around $15.)

That’s a total cost of just $35.40 for a whole year.

When you go to Bluehost just click the “Get Started Now” button:

How to Start a Blog

Then you’ll be able to see the plans that Bluehost offers:

How to Start a Blog

Most people will only need the Basic plan. The only time I recommend the Plus plan is if you want to start multiple websites on one hosting account.

The Basic plan from Bluehost is only $2.95 a month when you sign up for the 12-month plan, so you will only pay $35.40 for the whole year.

Here’s everything you get with the Basic plan:

  • 1 website with one-click WordPress install
  • Free domain name ($15 value)
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Free SSL certificate for your website
  • Unlimited live chat customer support

Although you cannot pay by the month, the overall cost is lower than comparable web hosts that do offer monthly billing, which I’ll compare below.

Click here to sign up for Bluehost.

 

Bluehost vs. Monthly Web Hosting Plans

Some web hosting companies do offer monthly payment plans.

However, the problem with this is that they charge a much higher monthly rate than if you just pay for a year of web hosting upfront.

So while you might save a little bit of money today with a monthly web hosting plan, you will pay for it over time. If you are serious about starting a blog you probably already know that you need to commit to it. So it makes more sense to pay for a year of web hosting now and save money in the long-term.

Here are some web hosting companies that offer monthly billing:

  • DreamHost: $4.95 per month (adds up to $59.40 per year)
  • HostGator: $10.95 per month (adds up to $131.40 per year)
  • A2 Hosting: $9.99 per month (adds up to $119.88 per year)
  • Lyrical Host: $11.99 per month (adds up to $143.88 per year)
  • GoDaddy: $12.99 per months (adds up to $155.88 per year)

So as you can see when you look at the annual cost, Bluehost still works out cheaper than all of these options at only $35.40 for the year.

Not to mention, none of these web hosting companies that let you pay by the month offer a free domain name. So you’ll still have to spend around $15 upfront for a domain name, whereas Bluehost offers that for free.

They also offer a free SSL certificate that makes your website secure, which some other web hosting companies charge extra money for too.

 

Bluehost Managed Hosting and VPS Hosting

Bluehost does have a few plans that allow you to pay by the month, but these plans are not going to be necessary for most people.

If you just want to start a blog or a website for your business, you will be fine with the $2.95 a month shared web hosting plan from Bluehost.

However, Bluehost also offers managed hosting and VPS hosting, which are web hosting plans that offer more concierge-like services and are better for large businesses and websites that handle huge amounts of traffic. These plans are more expensive, but they do offer the option to pay monthly.

With managed hosting, prices start at $27.95 per month and you can pay for a 3-month, 6-month, 12-month, 24-month, or 36-month term.

For VPS hosting, it starts at $29.99 per month and you have the same options, along with the option to pay for one month at a time.

Again, these plans are not necessary for most people, and in almost every situation I would recommend the Basic plan for $2.95 a month instead.

 

How to Start a Blog for Beginners

Are you ready to get started? Here is a step-by-step guide to help you get your blog up and running with Bluehost in less than 15 minutes.

 

1. Click here and then click the “Get Started” button:

How to Start a Blog

 

2. Select your hosting plan

How to Start a Blog

 

 

3. Put in your domain name

Related: How to Choose a Blog Name & Blog Name Ideas

 

How to Start a Blog

Select this option and you can go ahead and set up your blog now, then use the free credit to buy your domain name later.

 

4. Create your hosting account

How to Start a Blog

 

5. Choose your package and pay

How to Start a Blog

I recommend the 12-month plan for $2.95 a month, for a total cost of $35.40 for the year. But you can also choose a 24-month or 36-month plan.

 

 

6. Congrats, you’re done!

Now you’re all set! Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you.

What exactly is WordPress? WordPress is the content management platform that your blog will run on. Your WordPress dashboard is where you will go to edit the look of your blog, write blog posts, upload images, etc.

It’s extremely easy to use, even if you’re a total beginner.

Here are some guides to read after starting your blog:

 

Is Bluehost Good for Bloggers?

Overall, even though Bluehost does not offer a monthly payment plan and you must pay for a year upfront, it’s still the best option out there.

The annual price of just $35.40 based on selecting the $2.95 a month plan for 12 months is better than you’ll find anywhere else.

Although some other web hosting companies do offer monthly payment plans, you’ll end up paying much more over the course of a year than you would if you just paid for a year of Bluehost upfront. (Plus you would also have to buy your own domain name, which you get for free with Bluehost.)

If you’re still undecided, check out my complete Bluehost review. And if you’re ready to get started, read my complete guide on how to start a blog.