From affordable pricing and reliable customer service to robust site features that are easy of use, HostMonster and BlueHost share a lot in common – including the same mailing address and CEO, Matt Heaton! BlueHost has been around a couple of years longer than HostMonster – BlueHost was founded in 2003, HostMonster in 2005 – making it slightly more established and a larger network.

The two web hosting companies are so similar in their features and benefits, that it makes the task of choosing between the two darn near impossible. To assist you in the decision making process, let’s run through their similarities as well as their subtle differences to determine which service will best serve your website needs.

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HostMonster and JustHost are two of the biggest names in web hosting companies. Easy to use and affordable – both services offer similar features and benefits, making the task of choosing between the two a little tricky. While both hosting companies are smart choices, there are some distinct differences that should help you choose the one that is right for your website.

Compare HostMonster & JustHost on Our Expanded Comparison Chart

Pricing
With regard to pricing, JustHost costs slightly less than HostMonster. For a two to three-year contract, JustHost charges $2.95 a month when you use the 50OFF coupon code. Plus, regardless of what contract length you choose, there are NO set up charges and a free domain number is always included. In comparison, if you choose a 24-month contract at HostMonster, it will cost $3.95 a month. While there is typically also a $30.00 set-up fee and $10.00 domain registration charge, both are waived if you choose a 12, 24, or 36-month contract.

Update: In February 2011, HostMonster changed its minimum contract to 1 year and now charges $4.50/month whether you purchase a 1, 2 or 3 year contract. There are no set-up fees and a free domain still comes with every package. If price is your primary concern, BigHosts.com is one of the only places where you can purchase JustHost.com for only $2.95/month!

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Watch out for hidden set-up fees, especially on short-term contracts

Website hosting services are typically not that expensive. For less than $5 a month, you can host your website on a secure, reliable, feature-packed server. What few know, however, is the actual cost of getting your site up and running can be quite a bit higher. That’s because some web hosting companies will charge you setup fees. These typically range between $40 and $60, which is a decent amount of money to pay just to get your site live. You can avoid this fee, however, if you know which companies to choose.

Compare Web Hosting Plans with No Set-up Fees

Many web hosting companies are now dropping the setup fee if you sign up for a long enough contract. They do this to ensure your loyalty over a few years, encouraging you to go for the longer contract rather than the month to month option. If you find a host that has enough features to carry your website few a couple of years of growth, this is a great option for you, because it saves you a lot of money at the outset, which is typically when you need to save money the most since your website has not yet begun to earn any for you. Here are a couple of hosts that offer free setup fees.

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