When bloggers first start out, shared hosting is usually the default. It’s cheap, simple, and more than enough for a personal blog that might get a few hundred visitors a month. But as a blog grows—whether that’s in readership, ad revenue, or the number of plugins and customizations—it’s not unusual for shared hosting to start feeling cramped. That’s when many bloggers look toward VPS hosting as a natural next step.
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. Unlike shared hosting, where you’re fighting for resources with dozens or even hundreds of other sites, a VPS carves out a guaranteed slice of a server just for you. It’s not as expensive as a dedicated server but still gives you more breathing room, control, and consistency.
Two of the most talked-about options in this space are Bluehost and Hostinger. Both companies market themselves heavily to beginners and small businesses, but their VPS offerings target users ready for something a bit more advanced—bloggers who want their sites to run smoother, faster, and without as many hiccups.
The question is: if you’re a blogger thinking of moving up to VPS, which one should you pick? Let’s break it down.
Pricing: The First Reality Check
Money is usually the first concern. Bluehost VPS plans start higher than Hostinger’s, with entry-level VPS pricing hovering around $30 per month. Hostinger, by contrast, advertises plans starting at less than $6 monthly if you catch a promotion and commit to a long contract.
At first glance, that difference is striking—especially if your blog is only just beginning to bring in ad revenue or affiliate income. Paying $30 versus $6 can feel like a dealbreaker.
But here’s the nuance. Bluehost’s VPS pricing tends to include more resources upfront: more storage, more RAM, and unmetered bandwidth. Hostinger’s cheaper plans often look great on the surface but may throttle you if you go over certain limits. A blogger with just a few thousand monthly readers might not notice those caps, but anyone running a busy food blog with dozens of high-resolution photos could hit them sooner than expected.
So while Hostinger appears cheaper, the value depends heavily on what kind of content you publish and how quickly you expect your audience to grow.
Performance and Speed
Page speed has become a non-negotiable for bloggers. Readers don’t like waiting, and Google is blunt about rewarding faster websites in its rankings.
Bluehost’s VPS servers use solid-state drives (SSDs) and include guaranteed resources, which usually translates into steady performance even during traffic spikes. A blogger who sees seasonal surges—say, a parenting blog that goes viral around back-to-school season—will likely benefit from this consistency.
Hostinger also offers SSD storage and claims faster response times, and in independent speed tests, it sometimes edges out Bluehost for lighter websites. But here’s the caveat: cheaper Hostinger VPS plans come with fewer resources, so if your blog is heavy with images, plugins, or multiple authors posting daily, you might start noticing slowdowns earlier than you would on Bluehost.
There’s also the question of data centers. Hostinger has more global locations than Bluehost, which can be an advantage if your blog targets readers outside North America. A blogger in India or South Africa, for instance, might find Hostinger loads noticeably quicker simply because its servers are closer.
Ease of Use: How Beginner-Friendly Are They?
Not every blogger is a techie. In fact, most aren’t. Many are writers, photographers, or niche experts who don’t want to spend their evenings learning Linux commands. That’s why the usability of a VPS provider matters.
Bluehost has a reputation for being very beginner-friendly. Its VPS hosting includes a familiar control panel (cPanel) and lots of hand-holding during setup. For bloggers making their first jump away from shared hosting, that comfort factor can be huge. It feels less intimidating, and there’s usually live support ready to walk you through basic tasks.
Hostinger takes a slightly different route. Instead of cPanel, it uses its own custom control panel called hPanel. Some bloggers actually prefer it, finding it cleaner and less cluttered. But others complain that it feels too stripped down and that certain features are buried in odd places. If you’re already used to cPanel, there may be a learning curve.
Customer Support: Who’s Got Your Back?
Support is one of those things you don’t think about—until you need it desperately. A broken plugin, a hacked site, or a misconfigured setting can turn into hours of lost traffic if your hosting provider drags its feet.
Bluehost offers 24/7 support through chat and phone, which can be reassuring if you want to talk to a real human. The quality of support, though, gets mixed reviews. Some bloggers report quick fixes and helpful agents, while others complain about long wait times or scripted answers.
Hostinger, on the other hand, focuses on live chat only. There’s no phone support, which can feel limiting if you like talking things through. That said, Hostinger’s support team is often praised for being responsive in chat, especially for straightforward problems. But like Bluehost, they can stumble when issues get more complex.
For a blogger who just wants reliable guidance when things break, neither is flawless, but Bluehost’s phone support may provide an extra safety net.
Scalability and Growth
Most bloggers don’t want to think about servers or scaling. But if your site takes off—a recipe blog picked up by Pinterest, a lifestyle site gaining traction on Instagram—you’ll be glad you planned ahead.
Bluehost makes upgrading relatively painless. Its VPS packages are clearly tiered, and moving from one to the next doesn’t usually involve downtime. If you eventually outgrow VPS altogether, Bluehost also offers dedicated hosting, which means you don’t have to leave the platform to keep scaling.
Hostinger is flexible too, but its VPS plans may require more manual tweaking. For example, you may need to configure certain upgrades yourself, which could be daunting if you’re not technically inclined. On the flip side, Hostinger tends to attract a slightly more DIY-oriented crowd, so if you’re comfortable tinkering, it can feel empowering rather than frustrating.
Security Features
Bloggers may not always think about security until it’s too late. A hacked WordPress blog can wipe out months of work overnight. Both Bluehost and Hostinger emphasize security, but they approach it differently.
Bluehost bundles in features like free SSL certificates, domain privacy, and optional SiteLock add-ons. These tend to appeal to less technical users who want security handled for them.
Hostinger also includes SSL certificates and offers tools like weekly or daily backups, but many of the most useful security features require a bit more setup on your end. For instance, configuring firewalls or malware scans may not be as “one-click” as Bluehost makes it.
If you’re the kind of blogger who prefers an all-inclusive, set-it-and-forget-it approach, Bluehost may feel safer. But if you like being hands-on and customizing your defenses, Hostinger gives you more control.
Real-World Example: Two Bloggers, Two Needs
Imagine two different bloggers.
The first is a travel blogger who updates once a week, posting photo-heavy articles but not expecting more than a few thousand readers monthly. For her, Hostinger’s entry-level VPS might be perfect. It’s cheap, fast enough for her traffic, and she doesn’t mind a little tinkering in hPanel to save money.
The second is a personal finance blogger who posts daily, runs a newsletter, and earns steady affiliate revenue. He can’t risk downtime during peak traffic because every visitor potentially equals income. For him, Bluehost’s higher-priced VPS could be worth it, offering steadier performance and easier scaling as the blog grows.
These aren’t hard rules, but they show how the “best” VPS host depends on what you need as a blogger.
So Which Should Bloggers Choose?
The truth is, both Bluehost and Hostinger have strong cases. Bluehost offers stability, beginner-friendly tools, and more direct support. Hostinger offers lower prices, global server locations, and decent performance if you’re willing to do a bit more yourself.
If budget is the top priority and your blog is still small, Hostinger seems the smarter bet. But if you want peace of mind, predictable growth, and less hassle with technical details, Bluehost may save you headaches in the long run.
Final Thoughts
Blogging is one of those pursuits that starts small but can snowball quickly. At some point, shared hosting starts to feel like trying to run a growing café out of your own kitchen—you can do it, but the strain shows. VPS hosting offers more space, better performance, and more control, and both Bluehost and Hostinger make strong pitches to bloggers at that stage.
Hostinger shines with affordability and flexibility, making it great for bloggers willing to trade a little convenience for lower costs. Bluehost, though pricier, appeals to those who want something closer to a “plug and play” upgrade—reliable, easy to manage, and ready to scale when the blog takes off.
In the end, the right choice depends less on which company is “better” overall and more on what kind of blogger you are. Are you scrappy and budget-conscious, comfortable tinkering to get things working? Hostinger fits the bill. Are you someone who prefers stability, predictability, and less technical fuss? Bluehost is likely your safer bet.
Either way, making the jump to VPS hosting is a milestone. It signals that your blog isn’t just a hobby anymore—it’s something growing, something worth investing in. And that’s an exciting place to be.