Why do you recommend BlueHost?
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Hi,
I am looking to start a blog, and my first order of business is figuring out hosting. I know that you guys recommend BlueHost, among others, but I’m wondering why you would recommend them, when there are WordPress plans as well? In your FAQs, you clearly state that I do not need another web hosting service. I’m new to this, so I’m not really sure why you have your own plans, but recommend other hosting sites, even though they’re not necessary.
Can you help me understand the difference between hosting with you (with, say, your standard package of $2.95 per month), or a standard package with BlueHost? I believe that if I use BlueHost, I can then use WordPress for free, right? I don’t also need to buy one of your packages?
Are there advantages or drawbacks to either one? Do you have 24/7 tech support, like BlueHost?
Thank you very much in advance, I know I have many questions here!
Alex
The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)
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Hello!
To clear up any confusion, WordPress.com and WordPress.org are two different things. This guide explains the differences rather well: https://wordpress.com/com-vs-org/
WordPress.com Total simplicity — we take care of everything.
WordPress.org sites (like those found at Bluehost and elsewhere) More control — you install and host your site.
I hope that helps, and let me know if you have any other questions!
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Hey Alexmccullough,
One of the main reasons why a WordPress user would purchase a domain name elsewhere is because of the TLD. The TLD is the domain extension (.com, .net, …).
Not all TLDs are supported on WordPress, for example you can’t purchase a domain ending with .photography. The full list is available here:
That said, you can still purchase these domains elsewhere and map them to your WordPress site.
Browsing the help articles, I don’t think WordPress endorse a specific domain provider but it’s true that BlueHost is a popular one.
Web hosting and domain hosting are two different things, WordPress is your web host and provides a place on the internet to host your site even if you purchase a domain from a third-party provider, WordPress is still your web host.
Also, WordPress do not currently support incoming domain transfers. For those who already have a domain name they can map it to their site instead.
You can only use a custom domain with your site if you have an active plan. If you have a plan and this is the first domain you add to your site, then it’s free of charge:
Adding a domain to your site (either registering a new domain or mapping one you already own) requires a WordPress.com plan. Each plan comes with one free domain credit. However, you can setup additional domains on the same site as add-on upgrades.
For support, if you have a paid plan, you can contact the support staff via chat or email.
If you do not have a paid upgrade, you can get support via the Community forum here.
WordPress do not provide phone support at this time. More information on this is available here:
Hope this helps!
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Hi there,
I know that you guys recommend BlueHost, among others, but I’m wondering why you would recommend them, when there are WordPress plans as well?
You’ve seen above that there are two versions of WordPress – .com and .org. The fact is that WordPress.com won’t work for everyone, as there are certain things you cannot do here at all, like editing the source code of the site directly, and other things you can only do on our most expensive plan, like install plugins. We also have terms of service that restrict certain types of sites from using our services.
In those cases the self-hosted WordPress option would be better for you, but there are great hosting providers out there and there are terrible hosting providers out there. We’d prefer if you use a great hosting provider, so we recommend Pressable and Bluehost as two providers we know have solid infrastructure and good support. And we also have a business relationship with both those providers. See:
But you should still do your own homework regarding the different hosting plans and pricing structures, and also read online reviews about hosting providers before you make a decision, should you want to use the self-hosted version of WordPress.
I believe that if I use BlueHost, I can then use WordPress for free, right? I don’t also need to buy one of your packages?
You can use WordPress.com completely for free, unless you want an extra feature like a custom domain which comes at an additional cost. You don’t pay for hosting if your site is with us, though. You only pay for optional features. Hosting is free for life, so your site will never go offline unless you delete it.
With another provider you can use the WordPress software for free, but you’ll need to pay for hosting, i.e. you pay them to keep your site’s files on a server somewhere so other web users can access it. Stop paying for hosting, and your host takes your site offline and deletes the files.
Are there advantages or drawbacks to either one? Do you have 24/7 tech support, like BlueHost?
I think the com vs org doc @joerepublic linked to for you outlines that pretty thoroughly, but please ask if there’s anything still unclear for you.
On WordPress.com, if you have a plan you get 24/5 live chat support, and we’re working on expanding that to weekends.
With any other hosting provider, the level of support will depend on what hosting plan you pick. With most hosting providers you’ll only get support for your hosting account, and not the WordPress software, i.e. your site, itself, unless you have one of the more expensive plans. Pressable is a notable exception here, as all their hosting plans include support of the WordPress software as well.
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