Comparison Details
CloudAccess and Bluehost take two different approaches to hosting websites. CloudAccess is Joomla as a service which means they only host Joomla websites and Bluehost offers plans for all types of websites.
1. Company Info
The major difference in these two companies is who they market to. CloudAccess targets Joomla website owners and Bluehost targets people who want a wide variety of hosting options.
CloudAccess
CloudAccess was founded in 2008, they are located in Traverse City, Michigan; and they have over 30 employees. They have over 7500 hundred customers. Their datacenters are in Detroit, Michigan; Phoenix, Arizona; and Bissen, Luxembourg.
CloudAccess is the official demo.joomla.org website host.
Bluehost
Bluehost was founded in 1996, they are located in Provo, Utah and they have over 200 employees. They have around 2 million customers and host around 3.5 million domains. Their datacenter is located in Provo, Utah.
Bluehost is known for their "All in one" plan. It gives you everything unlimited at an affordable price.
2. Plans and Prices
CloudAccess and Bluehost have different pricing structures. CloudAccess is considered a specialty service because their plans come with Joomla preinstalled and the staff are trained in Joomla. Bluehost has a budget friendly price and comes with a wide variety of website options and a technical staff is more well-rounded.
CloudAccess
Shared Hosting
- Standard - $19.95/Mo. RAM 1GB, 2 CPU cores, 20GB space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email addresses.
- Business - $49.95/Mo. RAM 2GB, 3 CPU cores, 50GB space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email addresses
- Pro - $99.95/Mo. RAM 3GB, 4 CPU cores, 100GB space, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited email addresses
VPMC (Virtual Private Memory Cloud)
- $699.00/Mo. 15GB RAM, 8 CPU cores, 15GB flash storage, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited emails.
Bluehost
Shared Hosting
- Professional Web Hosting $6.95/Month for unlimited storage, bandwidth, domains, unlimited email accounts.
VPS Hosting
- Entry VPS - $29.99/Month for 30GB storage, 1TB bandwidth, 1 domain name, and dedicated IP.
- Top VPS - $119.99/Month for 240GB storage, 4TB bandwidth, 1 domain name, 2 dedicated IP's.
Dedicated Hosting
- Entry Dedicated hosting - $149.99/Month for 500GB storage, 5TB bandwidth, 1 domain name, 3 dedicated IP's.
- Top Dedicated hosting - $249.99/Month for 1GB storage, 15TB bandwidth, 1 domain name, 5 dedicated IP's.
Discounts for paying upfront
- $6.95 for 12 Months
- $5.95 for 24 Months
- $4.95 for 36 Months
3. Control Panel and User Experience
The CloudAccess and Bluehost control panels are different but both are easy to use. CloudAccess uses a custom built control panel that integrates seamlessly with Joomla while Bluehost uses a widely popular control panel called cPanel which is compatible with multiple types of websites.
CloudAccess
For building a Joomla website there's nothing better than CloudAccess. You have all the essential tools you need to access FTP and MySQL without the extra applications that cPanel comes with.
It's very easy to use. When you're in the control panel there are only a couple of tabs which makes navigation simple. Server Information, MySQL, FTP, Application, Security, and Logs.
Bluehost
Using the Bluehost control panel is better for those who really need more tools for lots of different website types. If you need to change the PHP version for example, you can do that from with in cPanel.
It's easy to use once you get used to it. All the hosting applications are there ready to use and you can install any of them that you want.
4. Managing and Installing Joomla
Both CloudAccess and Bluehost manage Joomla differently. CloudAccess comes preinstalled with Joomla and you have to setup Joomla at Bluehost.
CloudAccess
Joomla comes preinstalled at CloudAccess so you don't have to install anything.
Managing Joomla is easy. If you need to use FTP or change lines in the database, you can easily do so.
Logging in and loading pages on the backend is quick and responsive. You have little to no wait time while navigating the different sections of Joomla.
Bluehost
You can install Joomla using Softaculous or by installing it manually. You won't run into any server compatibility errors.
Managing Joomla is easy because you have access to FTP, file manager and MySQL Databases.
Using Joomla on Bluehost is pretty good, but the responsiveness is better at CloudAccess. Navigating the backend was not as fluid as CloudAccess.
5. Performance
Both CloudAccess and Bluehost perform well.
CloudAccess
The response time on my CloudAccess test site is around 4 seconds according to webpagetest.org. This is pretty good, and it's hard to get it much faster than that.
Uptime on the CloudAccess site over a year is 99.72%. This is an extremely good record.
Bluehost
My response time at Bluehost test site is around 4.5 seconds. There's not a huge difference between Bluehost and CloudAccess, but it is slightly slower on the load.
Uptime has been consistent at 100%, but I have only been tracking it for around two months. No site can maintain a 100% uptime, and over time it will average down.
6. Technical Support
If you need help from Joomla experts, CloudAccess has the best support, but if you're looking for more than Joomla help, Bluehost is better.
CloudAccess
These guys are pros at hosting Joomla. Their whole model is based on Joomla specific hosting and management. Their technicians are all trained in Joomla, and you can get help with any aspect of Joomla including installation, migration or extension/template troubleshooting.
The best way to talk to technical support is through their ticket support system. You will get a response within 20-30 minutes and they will stick with your issue until it's resolved.
If you like talking to technical support over the phone, you can call in during business hours to get help resolving your issue. They are very helpful over the phone and you will get your problem resolved quickly.
They have live chat, but it's limited to only basic Joomla and hosting questions. If you need more direct help, you have to submit a ticket.
Bluehost
My most memorable thought about Bluehost is how good the technician's attitudes have been when I call in. When I'm in distress, I want to hear solutions, not excuses. They work until the issue is resolved and have often worked closely with me on issues that they probably weren't required for them to delve into.
I have always used the phone to talk with technical support. It's quick and easier to describe the problem. They are friendly and easy to work with.
Live chat is my next favorite way to get simple answers to questions I have with my website. You can get answers very quickly and that's why I like it.
Submitting is not something I have had to do, so my comments on this right now are zero.
Conclusion
If I had to choose a favorite host, it has to be CloudAccess. They are focussed solely on Joomla, they have a simpler control panel, the performance is better, and technical support is tailored for Joomla websites.
