InMotion Hosting and Bluehost are some of the oldest web hosting companies around. They’re known for impeccable qualities, such as speed, ease of use, and hosting variety. Moreover, they’re pretty affordable, with flexible plans that offer something for everyone.
This makes the InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost seesaw leveled. They’re both great and after our in-depth assessment, we found InMotion Hosting just a bit better for speed, security, and VPS hosting, with Bluehost having superb uptime, response times, and WordPress features.
In today’s Bluehost vs InMotion Hosting comparison, we’ll explain their differences and help you determine the right choice for your needs. Stay along for the ride. We have ample ground to cover — from plans and pricing to interface, speeds, security, and more.
InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost – Quick Comparison
| InMotion Hosting | Bluehost | |
| 🌐 Shared Hosting Price | $2.99/mo | $1.99/mo |
| 💾 VPS Hosting Price | $4.49/mo | $46.99/mo |
| ☁️ Cloud Hosting Price | / | $75/mo |
| 🧑 Dedicated Hosting Price | $35/mo | $141.19/mo |
| 🆓 1-Year Free Domain | Yes | Yes |
| 🔐 WHOIS Domain Privacy | No | Yes (Choice Plus at $3.95/mo) |
| 🌎 Data Centers | US, EU | US |
| ✅ Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% | 99.9% |
| 🖥️ Free SSL Certificate | Yes | Yes |
| ⏬ Automated Backups | Weekly; daily updates are $2.99/mo on top | Weekly; daily updates for a year are in Choice Plus ($3.95/mo) |
| 💿 Storage | 100 GB to unlimited | 10 GB to 100 GB |
| #️⃣ Number of Hosted Websites | 2 to unlimited | 10 to 100 |
| 🤖 AI Website Builder | No | Yes |
| 💸 Money-Back Guarantee | 90 days | 30 days |
Hosting Plans, Pricing & Features
We’ll start this comparison by examining their plans, prices, and features. We appreciate hosting variety and when the provider offers different types of hosting. While shared hosting is the most popular, sometimes, you need a bit more with VPS or dedicated hosting. Luckily, you’ll get both in these two.
Here’s a brief rundown of their hosting services:
| InMotion Hosting | Bluehost | |
| Shared | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dedicated | ✅ | ✅ |
| Cloud | ❌ | ✅ |
| VPS | ✅ | ✅ |
| WordPress | ✅ | ✅ |
| Reseller | ✅ | ❌ |
Both InMotion Hosting and Bluehost are well-suited to meet your demands. While the former lacks cloud hosting, Bluehost doesn’t let you be a reseller. We don’t think these are big drawbacks considering their flexible prices and tons of exciting features and tools.
Shared Hosting Prices & Features
Both providers are incredibly affordable, but Bluehost is a bit cheaper than InMotion Hosting.
- Bluehost starts at $1.99/mo for the Basic plan
- InMotion Hosting starts at $2.99/mo for the Core plan
These are annual plans, although InMotion Hosting lets you switch to the triennial plan variant, which is, for some odd reason, pricier. In terms of features, we’d give a slight edge to Bluehost. We’ll explain once we list the features you get in their cheapest plans, starting with InMotion Hosting:
- 2 websites
- 100 GB SSD storage
- Free domain, email, website migration, and SSL
- WAF, with malware and DDoS protection
- Unlimited bandwidth
- 90-day money-back guarantee
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On the other hand, Bluehost brings to the table:
- 10 websites
- 10 GB SSD storage
- AI website builder
- Free domain, SSL, site migration, and CDN
- Managed WordPress hosting
- WAF, malware scanning, and DDoS protection
- Content and object caching
- WordPress staging
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Get the Best Price on Bluehost
Moving up the ladder increases limits on both sides. InMotion Hosting allows you to host unlimited websites on unlimited storage in its higher-tier plans. Bluehost caps at 100 websites and 100 GB of NVMe storage, but with more features and managed WordPress.
One of the biggest turn-offs for InMotion Hosting is the way it handles WordPress. To get fully managed hosting for WordPress, you have to splurge at least $200/mo. Its “classic” WordPress plans start at $3.49/mo and are more expensive than “standard” shared hosting plans.
InMotion Hosting’s upselling practices aren’t our favorite and this is a great example. Bluehost’s managed WordPress in every plan makes it so much easier to set up and manage your WordPress websites while keeping the price in check.
Winner: Bluehost
VPS Hosting Prices & Features
InMotion Hosting has some of the most beautifully designed VPS hosting plans. They’re affordable, feature-rich, and reliable overall. Bluehost isn’t very affordable and is a bit less flexible. Here are their starting prices:
- InMotion Hosting: $4.49/mo for the VPS 2 vCPU plan
- Bluehost: $46.99/mo for the NVMe 4 plan
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InMotion and Bluehost’s starting plans are very similar resource-wise, so let’s draw some parallels:
- Storage size: 50 GB NVMe vs 100 GB NVMe respectively
- CPU: 2 vCPU cores on both sides
- RAM: 4 GB DDR5 on both sides
- Unlimited bandwidth on both sides
- 2 vs 1 dedicated IPs respectively
As you can see, the differences are minimal, except for storage, but Bluehost costs virtually 10 times more. Bluehost’s range-topping plan has less storage and RAM, with a less powerful CPU, while costing $101.99/mo (Ultimate NVMe 16 plan).
InMotion’s “answer” is only $49.99/mo for 16 vCPU cores, 32 GB of RAM, 460 GB NVMe storage, 10 dedicated IPs, multiple control panel choices, and support for Docker. No doubt, InMotion Hosting wipes the floor with Bluehost in this VPS plans comparison.
Winner: InMotion Hosting
Dedicated Hosting Prices & Features
InMotion Hosting again dominates with variety and offers 10 dedicated server plans in 5 different lengths. 5 plans are “Standard” and 5 are “Commercial Class” plans with enhanced performance and more resources. Bluehost offers just one plan called Standard NVMe 32.
Bluehost’s plan costs $141.19/mo and offers:
- 8 CPU cores
- 32 GB DDR5 RAM
- 1,000 GB NVMe storage
- Unmetered bandwidth
- 3 Dedicated IPs
- Free site migrations
Other features from shared hosting are there as well — no point in repeating.
On the other hand, InMotion Hosting’s dedicated servers start at $35/mo for the Aspire plan or $499/mo for the CC-1000 Commercial Class plan. The former is way more popular, so let’s analyze its features:
- 4 CPU cores/8 threads
- 16 GB DDR3 RAM
- 1 TB SSD storage
- 1 Dedicated IP
- 10 GB free backup storage
Moving down the pipeline, we can see that InMotion offers more storage and RAM, which even more so applies to Commercial Class plans. However, it doesn’t use faster DDR5 RAM, except for the most expensive CC-4000 plan at a gigantic $1,599/mo.
After testing InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost and examining their dedicated server plans, we found the latter a bit better, mostly because of these “other” features. By that, we refer to its rock-solid security, AI website builder, managed WordPress, and other excellent freebies.
InMotion has some too, but not to Bluehost’s extent, plus, Aspire and Essential plans don’t have NVMe storage. So, despite costing less than Bluehost’s only plan, that “only” plan is a better value for money.
Winner: Bluehost
Overall Winner: Bluehost
The overall winner is Bluehost because it’s more affordable and better value for money for the most part (especially in the most popular web hosting category). It offers cloud hosting on top, and there’s managed WordPress in all plans, without upselling attempts seen in InMotion Hosting.
InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost Speed Comparison
The next thing you want to know is which web host is faster, Bluehost or InMotion Hosting. In short, they’re considerably faster than you’d expect and are very reliable. However, their server locations play a big role in how reliable they will be for specific worldwide users.
So, Bluehost has servers in North America. It’s great for websites that get the bulk of their users from this region. InMotion Hosting also has North American servers, but with European servers on top, making it slightly more versatile.
For this InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost comparison, we chose their North American servers and made a WordPress website with an identical theme and layout. Our testing was performed in GTmetrix and Pingdom to gauge their speeds and uptimes respectively.
GTmetrix Test Results Comparison
GTmetrix offers many servers, but we opted for the default one in Vancouver (Canada). During our assessment, we observed five important page-loading metrics displayed below:
| GTmetrix Metrics (Canada) | InMotion Hosting | Bluehost |
| TTFB | 191 ms | 463 ms |
| FCP | 389 ms | 278 ms |
| LCP | 583 ms | 572 ms |
| CLS | 0.03 | 0.01 |
| FLT | 583 ms | 732 ms |
We confirmed that these are some of the best-performing picks on the market. If we used a GTmetrix server from the UK or another European location, we’d see a slight performance dip. However, even with this proposition, InMotion Hosting and Bluehost are awesome.
FLT or Fully Loaded Time, is just a smidge higher in Bluehost, but everything under a second is extraordinary. This is likely a result of its slightly higher TTFB that produced the difference in the end. I mean, these are minor, if at all noticeable differences.
In practice, during our tests, our sharp eyes noticed nothing and both WordPress websites functioned like well-oiled machines. Look at our list of the fastest web hosts and you’ll see both hosts there and for good reasons.
Uptime and Response Times
Moving on to our Pingdom tests, we wanted to see if the providers would adhere to their 99.9% uptime promises. To do this, we tested them in the 3 previous months and checked for downtimes. According to our statistics, InMotion Hosting had 3 outages that lasted about 10 minutes in total.
That’s still 99.9% uptime. Bluehost, interestingly, had no outages, or they were so brief, that Pingdom couldn’t detect them. With 100% uptime, Bluehost was better in this test, but this is a 3-month period, so in the next 3 months, things could (or couldn’t) turn around.
Their average response times are:
- InMotion Hosting – 852 ms
- Bluehost – 489 ms
Sort of an industry standard for shared hosting is ~700 ms. As you can see, Bluehost is way below, while InMotion is a bit off. In the latter’s case, we detected a response time spike of over 1 second, which offset its lowest response time of around 600 ms.
Bluehosts spiked at around 800 ms, while its minimal response time was in the neighborhood of 200 ms.
Winner: Tie
In our Bluehost vs InMotion Hosting duel, both providers were fast and reliable. However, Bluehost had superior uptime and lower response time and InMotion Hosting displayed faster page-loading speeds, making this round a tie.
Which Hosting Provider is Easier to Use?
Bluehost and InMotion Hosting are designed to be enjoyed by both beginners and professionals. As a beginner, you’ll appreciate their pronounced menus for easier access to important features. As a professional, you’ll enjoy a well-known cPanel that screams simplicity.
So, here’s the dashboard of Bluehost:
And now, let’s examine InMotion Hosting’s dashboard:
Bluehost does look a lot better, and in our book, it’s more functional and easier to navigate. While Bluehost separates its hosting management and cPanel, its competitor sort of blends them, creating a somewhat confusing mess. Luckily, it’s easy to untie this knot.
Once you realize you can use some cPanel modules from your Account Management Panel, you’ll be content. For example, we often used Softaculous from the home screen to install some apps on our website. Of course, you can access the full cPanel for all other tools.
Here’s how cPanel in Bluehost looks:
And here’s InMotion Hosting’s version of cPanel:
Bluehost’s version does look tidier, but they’re pretty much identical. If you love InMotion’s red theme more, good for you. If not, you’ll prefer Bluehost’s blue-ish theme. As some of the best cPanel hosts, both provide all the essential tools that you can access with a single click.
The addition of a search bar is great, as it allows you to fetch the tool you need without hassle.
Winner: Tie
Each web host is easy to use in its own way. InMotion Hosting blends its Account Management Panel with cPanel functions for easier access. Bluehost splits them completely while retaining simplicity on both sides, for beginners and seasoned users. The only logical conclusion is a tie.
Which Web Hosting Is More Secure?
Website security is unavoidable in today’s day and age. While some providers we tested, like HostGator, lack many security features, these two are pretty good. However, in our Bluehost vs InMotion Hosting assessment, we found the latter just a bit more convincing. Here’s why.
InMotion Hosting plans no matter their tier, include:
- Free SSL
- Malware protection
- Web Firewall Application
- DDoS protection
- Weekly website backups ($2.99/mo for daily)
Bluehost’s Basic plan comes with:
- Free SSL
- Malware scanning
- Web Application Firewall
- DDoS protection
- Weekly website backups (daily updates in Choice Plus at $3.95/mo)
Do you see something missing? Daily website backups! Bluehost will gladly charge you more for the Choice Plus plan ($3.95/mo) to include free daily website backups and domain privacy, albeit for a year. After the first year, you’ll have to spend money on both.
To get daily backups after the first year, you’ll have to buy CodeGuard whose Basic plan is $3.99/mo or $47.88 a year. If you want domain privacy, that’s an additional $11.88 per domain every year. InMotion’s daily backups are only $2.99/mo in comparison, so you spend under $36 a year.
Winner: InMotion Hosting
As said, InMotion Hosting wins the security round. It’s not that Bluehost doesn’t have all the necessary security tools. It does, but you have to pay more to get them. InMotion Hosting’s plans are equipped with everything you need out of the box, and its daily website backups are less expensive.
Customer Support
Both services offer 24/7 live chat support, which was our preferred method of contact. We got used to Hostinger‘s timely support, as this is our primary host, but neither of these disappointed us in comparison. In fact, InMotion Hosting is just as impressive as we thought.
Its support responds almost instantly and tackles the problem without hesitation. The same goes for its email support, which, while a tad slower, is still efficient in problem-solving. A huge plus for InMotion is phone support, which lets you get in touch directly if you want.
Finally, you can rely on its ticketing system or dig through the knowledge base.
Bluehost repeats InMotion’s success. But, the best way to contact it is through live chat, in which case, agents immediately chime in. There’s a phone number on the site, as well, and again, you can use the knowledge base if you prefer seeking solutions on your own.
Winner: Tie
Prompt and precise customer support is always appreciated. Fortunately, both providers excel in this aspect by offering 24/7, phone, email, and knowledge base support for maximum convenience. Whichever web host you choose, you’re in for a pleasant surprise.
Summary: Which Web Hosting is Better for You?
Today’s Bluehost vs InMotion Hosting comparison for 2026 ended up in a tie. It’s a strange result, but one that speaks volumes about these outstanding providers. So, which one should you choose? Well, it all depends on what you want and expect from your web hosting plan.
Drawing from our experience, we’re slightly inclined to InMotion Hosting because we value:
- Blazing-fast page loading
- Affordable VPS hosting plans
- Lots of in-built security features
- Market-leading support
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Bluehost, however, excels in:
- Managed WordPress updates
- Uptime and response times
- All-time-cheapest web hosting
- Ease of use
In the end, we can conclude that InMotion Hosting and Bluehost are different but simultaneously, excellent in their own rights. Choose the one that fits your needs, and more importantly, your budget. Their introductory deals are some of the cheapest web hosting packages you can get.
You can get discounts on both using the buttons in this article. Now, take your pick.
FAQ
Let’s address a few more typical questions about InMotion Hosting vs Bluehost.
📰 Which web host is better for WordPress?
Both providers are suitable for WordPress, but as an official WordPress-recommended option, Bluehost is the best WordPress host of the two. This comes down to its managed WordPress updates and the interface adapted to creating, managing, and updating WordPress websites more easily.
💹 Can I sell online with InMotion Hosting and Bluehost?
Yes, you can, and they have dedicated plans for that. Bluehost has eCommerce Essentials at $6.45/mo, which includes various e-commerce tools. InMotion doesn’t have a dedicated e-commerce “variant”, except for WooCommerce hosting “masked” as WordPress hosting.
Either way, you can sell online with both. It’s just a matter of preference, because Bluehost has an e-commerce-friendly website builder, while InMotion’s e-commerce revolves around WooCommerce.
♻️ If I don’t like either, what’s the best alternative to try?
You can try Hostinger in that case. In our experience, it’s a bit better in performance, ease of use, AI website building, and customer support. Hostinger is affordable too, and offers a litanny of hosting types, from shared and VPS to cloud and agency hosting for various businesses.