I secretly test hosts every month for speed, reliability, and support. Here’s a comparison between Bluehost and Yahoo Small Business with real proof of their performance.
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Bluehost Hosting Plan
Bluehost claims to have unbeatable technology, optimized hosting for wordpress, and genuine support. They have been around since 2003 and hosts over 2 million websites worldwide. Their data centers are located in Provo, Utah.
I have purchased a hosting plan on Bluehost and set up a typical web site. I use that example website to run these tests. Learn more about how I test.
Here is the plan information I chose:
| Plan Name | Basic Shared |
|---|---|
| Cost | $9.99/month |
| Disk Space | 50 GB |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited |
| Uptime Guarantee | None |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 days |
| Notes | Site was ready within minutes after I purchased. Although when I signed up I was under the impression it was a monthly plan, but it was billed annually (at $83.40). They have called and left me several messages to 'verify' my account, but when I call back I'm placed on hold (so I hang up). I'm assuming they're just trying to upsell me, or my account will forever be in 'unverified' status. |
Yahoo Small Business Hosting Plan
Yahoo Small Business Web Hosting is known for their simple site design tools make it easy to create your own website.
I have purchased a hosting plan on Yahoo Small Business and set up a typical web site. I use that example website to run these tests. Learn more about how I test.
Here is the plan information I chose:
| Plan Name | Advanced |
|---|---|
| Cost | $9.99/month |
| Disk Space | 500GB |
| Bandwidth | 50000GB |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% |
| Money Back Guarantee | 30 days |
| Notes | Their setup process was the most frustrating. They forced me to create a YahooID, tried to transfer my domain from my registrar to them, and my admin panel was disabled for an hour due to an error that magically went away. Also you have to manually install phpMyAdmin, and look up FTP instructions on your own. This was after upgrading from their Basic plan because it didn't support FTP (what plan doesn't have FTP?!) |
Page Speed Test Results
This test measures the total time it takes to load a standard web page. Lower is better. Learn more about the Page Speed Test.
Bluehost performs above average in the Speed Test, with an average result of 2.89 seconds. It's best result was 0.00 s but it has been as bad as 9.17 s. Bluehost most recent result on Dec 13 was 2.00 s. Bluehost is usually pretty inconsistent with its page speeds - sometimes quicker than other hosts, sometimes slower. Its slowest times are usually when accessed from the east coast. While they do optimize connections and compress images, they fail to set caching properly for repeat views.
Yahoo Small Business performs mediocre in the Speed Test, with an average result of 3.84 seconds. It's best result was 2.00 s but it has been as bad as 60.96 s. Yahoo Small Business most recent result on Dec 13 was 3.00 s. Yahoo is not someone I'd expect to do well, but they're nothing to laugh at when it comes to speed. Their performance headers could be optimized a bit, but overall they're not going to leave you waiting for your site to load.
Let’s see how Bluehost and Yahoo Small Business compare in detail for their page speed stats:
Uptime Test Results
This test is performed by measuring the % uptime of a host. Higher is better. Learn more about the Uptime Test.
Bluehost performs okay in the Uptime Test, with an average result of 99.94 percent. It's best result was 100.000 % but it has been as bad as 84.931 %. Bluehost most recent result on Dec 12 was 100.000 %. Bluehost had a terrible day back in August that's bringing their average uptime way down. Other than that they're usually pretty reliable.
Yahoo Small Business performs miserably in the Uptime Test, with an average result of 99.85 percent. It's best result was 100.000 % but it has been as bad as 82.778 %. Yahoo Small Business most recent result on Dec 12 was 100.000 %. Yahoo started out strong with their reliability, but tanked in November. Several outages lasting hours at a time - almost every day for two weeks straight. Unless they get their act together fast, I'd be careful with Yahoo.
Let’s see how Bluehost and Yahoo Small Business compare in detail for their uptime stats:
Support Response Test Results
This test measures how quickly the host’s support team responds to your request. Lower is better. Learn more about the Support Response Test.
Bluehost performs under par in the Support Response Time Test, with an average result of 34.67 hours. It's best result was 0.10 h but it has been as bad as 168.00 h. Bluehost most recent result on Mar 22 was 168.00 h. Bluehost is pretty inconsistent in its response times. I've seen instances where they get back to you in minutes, and other times I've had to wait days.
Yahoo Small Business performs under par in the Support Response Time Test, with an average result of 50.89 hours. It's best result was 16.00 h but it has been as bad as 124.00 h. Yahoo Small Business most recent result on Mar 22 was 16.00 h. If you feel like being ignored, send a support ticket to Yahoo's team. Almost 3 days to get a response from one of them. What if my site had been down? I'd recommend a more caring host.
Let’s see how Bluehost and Yahoo Small Business compare in detail for their uptime stats: