When looking for a hosting provider for their site, one of the most common things people consider is how long a platform has been in the hosting business for. In the case of Bluehost and Network Solutions, both have been around for more than two decades, a sign that they’re good at what they do. Does that mean, however, that they provide the same level of service or is one better than the other? To help you answer that question, here’s an in-depth look at the two hosting providers, taking their performance, key features, ease of use, and pricing into consideration.
Contents
Bluehost vs Network Solutions Comparison Chart
| Model | Bluehost | Network Solutions |
| Â |  |  |
| Price | Check Price at Bluehost | Check Price at Network Solutions |
| Uptime Guatantee | None | 99.99% for Linux; 99.9% for Windows |
| Domain Registration | Yes | Yes |
| Email Allowances | Yes | Yes |
| MySQL Databases | Yes | Yes |
| Managed WordPress Hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Security Features | -SiteLock -internal protection against DDosS attacks -regular backups -free shared SSL certificate | -malware, virus, and DDoS scans -snapshot backups and restoration -free shared SSL certificate |
| Control Panel | Modified version of cPanel | Proprietary control panel; Plesk for Windows plans |
Performance
Bluehost wins for better uptime and faster loading times.
One of the best benchmarks of a hosting provider’s performance is their uptime but it’s quite difficult to compare Bluehost and Network Solutions in this department. Bluehost doesn’t have an uptime guarantee but statistics show that their uptime is actually around 99.9% or better. As for Network Solutions, they have an uptime guarantee of 99.9% for Linux and 99.99% for Windows. However, there isn’t much proof anywhere to back this claim up. They also don’t promise you a refund in case their uptime guarantee isn’t met. So if we had to choose, we’ll give this one to Bluehost because while they have no guarantee, sites that use their platform have provided the numbers and they’re good.
In relation to uptime, it’s also important to look at a hosting provider’s reliability. Fortunately, both Bluehost and Network Solutions fare well in this area. For redundancy, Bluehost has multiple sources that power and cool their data centers for them. To boot, hey have diesel backups in place in the event of an emergency. As for Network Solutions, they create redundancy by utilizing clustered servers made up of HP and IBM blades. In addition, they have diesel backups and their data centers are monitored onsite.
Another indication of performance is loading times and this is where Bluehost takes the lead yet again. Statistics show that Bluehost is able to manage a load time of 2.37 seconds which is faster than 65% of the other providers tested. As for Network Solutions, they produced a load time of 3.21 seconds, pegging them as slower than 48% of the others.
Key Features
Bluehost and Network Solutions boast of similar features such as hosting security, domain registration, WordPress hosting, and e-commerce solutions.
Because threats such as malware, hackers, and data breaches are all too real in the cyber world, it’s important for a hosting provider to have security features. The good news is that both Bluehost and Network Solutions have layers of protection in place. Bluehost makes use of SiteLock which sniffs out malware and gets rid of them. They also have internal protection against DDoS attacks and performs regular backups. Similarly, Network Solutions proactively scans for malware, viruses, and DDoS attacks and provides snapshot backups and restoration. Both Bluehost and Network Solutions offer free shared SSL certificates.
Another feature that these providers have in common is domain registration. In fact, Network Solutions was the very first hosting provider to be acknowledged as a domain registrar. They offer a free domain for a year although they charge quite a hefty renewal fee for the following years. Similarly, Bluehost will give you a year of free domain registrations for your new accounts. In addition, both Bluehost and Network Solutions provide email allowances and MySQL databases.
For WordPress users out there, you’ll be glad to know that both Bluehost and Network Solutions offer managed WordPress hosting. This means that they’ll take care of all the technical details for you, including WordPress backups and updates, so that you can focus solely on improving your site’s content. As for the e-commerce site owners out there, these providers have something for you as well. Bluehost lets you use shopping carts for free while Network Solutions has their own storefront builder.
Ease of Use
Bluehost wins for having an easy-to-use control panel and more one-click app installations.
When it comes to control panels, Bluehost’s is definitely easier to navigate. They use a modified version of the standard cPanel so while users might have to do a bit of adjusting, the user interface should be familiar enough. As for Network Solutions, they have a proprietary control panel that many might find frustrating to use. It’s unfamiliar and finding the features takes a lot more clicks than needed. Fortunately for Windows users, you get to use the standard Plesk control panel to navigate Network Solutions which should be less of a confusing experience.
Another point goes to Bluehost for their use of the MOJO Marketplace one-click installer which allows for easy installation of around a hundred applications. As for Network Solutions, they have a one-click installer for WordPress and Joomla as well as a few applications. The downside is that you need to go through a bunch of other clicks before you can get to them which kind of defeats the purpose of one-click installations.
Pricing
Bluehost and Network Solutions each have pros and cons in terms of pricing.
When it comes to pricing, both Bluehost and Network Solutions have advantages over each other. Bluehost, for example, has dedicated server plans, something you can’t get at Network Solutions. You get to choose from three dedicated server tiers which offer varying numbers of IPs. Other advantages of choosing Bluehost is that their rates a little bit more budget-friendly and straightforward and they also don’t charge you an excessive fee for early cancellation.
As for Network Solutions, their managed WordPress plan is more affordable than that of Bluehost. This already includes staging which allows you to test out new themes, apps, and plugins as well as make edits without breaking your live site. Another point goes to Network Solutions for having more unlimited features such as bandwidth, storage, and email forwarding included in their plans.
Verdict
Bluehost wins for having better performance, ease of use, and value for money.
While both Bluehost and Network Solutions are long-time players in the hosting industry, there are more reasons to choose the former over the latter. First off, Bluehost boasts of better overall performance, able to provide impressive uptime and page loading times. In addition, Bluehost is much easier to use, thanks to their modified cPanel and wide range of one-click app installations. To top it all off, Bluehost has dedicated plans for those who don’t want to share resources and their rates are more affordable as well.
FAQs
Bluehost wins because while they don’t have an uptime guarantee, statistics show that their uptime is actually around 99.9% or better. In addition, statistics show that Bluehost is able to manage a load time of 2.37 seconds which is faster than 65% of the other providers tested.
Bluehost and Network Solutions boast of similar features such as hosting security, domain registration, WordPress hosting, and e-commerce solutions.
Bluehost is much easier to use, thanks to their modified cPanel and wide range of one-click app installations.
Bluehost’s rates are generally more affordable than those of Network Solutions. While Network Solutions does offer low rates for the first month, their prices skyrocket after that.
