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- 10 websites, 10 GB NVMe
- Malware scanning and removal
- 30-day money-back
- Free email and daily backups
- Staging, Git and SSH on every plan
- 300% renewable energy match
Bluehost costs less over time: its Starter plan is $3.99 a month on a 3-year term, renewing at $9.99, so three years of hosting comes to about $144. GreenGeeks is cheaper for the first year ($1.95 a month during its Black Friday sale) and includes more, such as business email, daily backups and staging on every plan, but it renews at $13.95, so three years costs about $358. Pick Bluehost to keep costs down; pick GreenGeeks if you want email and daily backups included, or green hosting matters to you.
These two look alike on paper: both are cPanel-style shared hosts with free SSL, a free domain for the first year, a CDN and one-click WordPress. The real differences are in how long you can lock in the low price, what the entry plan leaves out, and what each company does with your money.
Shopping during Black Friday? Hosting prices drop this month. Our Black Friday hosting deals page tracks the sales we have checked and what each one costs over three years.
GreenGeeks vs Bluehost at a glance
| GreenGeeks Lite | Bluehost Starter | |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $1.95/mo (12 months) | $3.99/mo (36 months) |
| Renews at | $13.95/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Websites | 5 | 10 |
| Storage | 25 GB | 10 GB NVMe |
| Traffic | Unmetered | Ideal for about 40,000 visits a month |
| Backups | Daily | Weekly |
| Business email | Included | Free trial only |
| Staging | Yes, plus Git | Yes |
| Malware help | Free malware cleanup | Scanning plus detection and removal |
| Free domain | First year | First year |
| Support | 24/7 support | 24/7 chat; phone from the Business plan |
| Money-back | 30 days | 30 days |
| Energy | 300% renewable energy match | Not advertised |
Plans and prices
| Plan | Intro price | Term | Renews at | Sites | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GreenGeeks Lite | $1.95/mo | 12 months | $13.95/mo | 5 | 25 GB |
| GreenGeeks Pro | $3.95/mo | 12 months | $18.95/mo | Unlimited | 50 GB |
| GreenGeeks Premium | $6.95/mo | 12 months | $30.95/mo | Unlimited | 100 GB |
| Bluehost Starter | $3.99/mo | 36 months | $9.99/mo | 10 | 10 GB |
| Bluehost Business | $6.99/mo | 36 months | $13.99/mo | 50 | 50 GB |
| Bluehost eCommerce Essentials | $14.99/mo | 36 months | $21.99/mo | 100 | 100 GB |
Prices in US dollars from each host’s shared hosting page, checked November 2026. GreenGeeks’ prices are its early Black Friday rates. Both charge the full term up front.
What you’ll pay over three years
This is where the two split. Bluehost lets you lock its intro price in for 36 months. GreenGeeks’ sale price covers 12 months, then the regular rate applies.
| Plan | Year 1 | Years 2 and 3 | 3-year total | Each year after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GreenGeeks Lite | $23.40 | $334.80 | $358.20 | $167.40 |
| Bluehost Starter | $143.64 paid up front for 36 months | $143.64 | $119.88 | |
| GreenGeeks Pro | $47.40 | $454.80 | $502.20 | $227.40 |
| Bluehost Business | $251.64 paid up front for 36 months | $251.64 | $167.88 | |
Over three years, Bluehost Starter costs about $215 less than GreenGeeks Lite, and it stays cheaper after renewal too. GreenGeeks only wins on cost if you plan to leave after the first year, or you value what it adds. Its included email alone is worth a few dollars a month, since Bluehost’s email is only a free trial. Our renewal prices guide compares more hosts the same way.
Features
GreenGeeks packs more into its entry plan. Lite includes business email, daily backups, a CDN, LiteSpeed caching, staging with Git, SSH and WP-CLI, free WordPress migration and free malware cleanup. You also get unlimited databases, multi-user access and an AI website builder.
Bluehost gives you more sites and faster NVMe storage on its entry plan, but less space: 10 GB against GreenGeeks’ 25 GB. Starter includes a CDN, object caching, staging, SSH and WP-CLI, managed WordPress updates, malware scanning and removal, and a site migration tool. Backups are weekly rather than daily, and a web application firewall, DDoS protection and phone support start on the Business plan. Bluehost also lets you pick a data center in North America, South America, Europe or Asia at checkout.
Support and refunds
Both offer support around the clock and a 30-day money-back guarantee. GreenGeeks’ reviews often single out its patient, knowledgeable chat staff. Bluehost has 24/7 chat on every plan and adds phone support from Business up. With either host, the free domain’s cost is usually taken out of any refund, so check the terms before you cancel.
The green difference
GreenGeeks’ name is the point. It buys renewable energy certificates equal to three times the electricity its data centers and staff use, through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and plants a tree for every hosting account. The US Environmental Protection Agency has recognized it as a Green Power Partner since 2009. The electricity reaching each data center still comes from the local grid, so this is a matching program, but if lowering your website’s footprint matters to you, no mainstream budget host does more.
Which one should you choose?
Choose Bluehost if you…
Bluehost- want the lowest cost over three years or more
- plan to run several small sites
- want a data center outside North America
- are happy to set up email elsewhere
- may want phone support later
Choose GreenGeeks if you…
GreenGeeks- want email included with your hosting
- want daily backups on the cheapest plan
- need more storage than 10 GB
- want staging and Git without upgrading
- care about a greener website
Both are in our best shared hosting list. If you’re comparing Bluehost with another budget host, see Hostinger vs Bluehost.
Frequently asked questions
Is GreenGeeks better than Bluehost?
It includes more on its entry plan, such as email and daily backups, and it is the greener choice. Bluehost is cheaper over three years and allows more sites on its entry plan. Which is better depends on whether you value the extras or the lower long-term price.
Which is cheaper, GreenGeeks or Bluehost?
GreenGeeks is cheaper for the first year. Bluehost is cheaper over three years, because its $3.99 price lasts 36 months and renews at $9.99, against GreenGeeks’ $13.95 renewal after 12 months.
Does Bluehost include email?
Only as a free trial of its Pro Email service. GreenGeeks includes email accounts with its hosting plans.
Is GreenGeeks really green?
It matches three times its estimated electricity use with renewable energy certificates and plants a tree per account. Its data centers still draw power from local grids, so it offsets rather than runs entirely on renewable power.
Can I move from Bluehost to GreenGeeks, or the other way?
Yes. GreenGeeks offers free WordPress migration, and Bluehost has a free site migration tool.
For most small sites, Bluehost is the better deal: you lock in $3.99 a month for three years, host up to 10 sites, and pay less after renewal too. GreenGeeks is worth the higher long-term price if you want email and daily backups without add-ons, need more storage, or want your hosting to be as green as possible.
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