Bluehost vs WP Engine:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Bluehost had more branded searches than WP Engine among managed WordPress hosting platforms worldwide. Bluehost had about 201,000 branded searches, while WP Engine had 33,600. Bluehost made up 34% of all managed WordPress hosting platform searches we track, and WP Engine accounted for 5.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about managed WordPress hosting platforms, WP Engine appeared in all five answers and Bluehost in two. WP Engine was mentioned before Bluehost in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Bluehost, about 6 searches for every 1 for WP Engine
Who does AI mention more?
WP Engine, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
WP Engine, named ahead of Bluehost in 3 of 5 answers
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Top managed WordPress hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, WP Engine appeared in all five answers. Bluehost was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. WP Engine was listed before Bluehost in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
WP Engine5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
SiteGround4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Cloudways4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kinsta4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Pressable3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bluehost2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Flywheel0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Pagely0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about managed WordPress hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which managed WordPress hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best managed WordPress hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best managed WordPress hosting platform for a WordPress site?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“managed wordpress hosting”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wordpress site hosting”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Bluehost or WP Engine more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Bluehost and WP Engine by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight managed WordPress hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Bluehost, WP Engine. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | SiteGround | Bluehost | Cloudways | WP Engine | Kinsta | Pressable | Flywheel | Pagely |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41% | 33.5% | 12.3% | 5.7% | 5.9% | 0.95% | 0.46% | 0.15% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.9% | 34.3% | 12.6% | 4.7% | 5% | 0.97% | 0.44% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 42% | 34.3% | 12.6% | 4.8% | 5% | 0.8% | 0.36% | 0.12% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.4% | 31% | 11.4% | 5.2% | 4.5% | 0.88% | 0.4% | 0.14% |
| Feb 2026 | 46.4% | 31% | 11.4% | 5.2% | 4.5% | 0.89% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.8% | 29.9% | 13.5% | 5.1% | 5.3% | 0.86% | 0.36% | 0.13% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.3% | 30.2% | 13.6% | 5.1% | 4.5% | 0.87% | 0.32% | 0.14% |
| May 2026 | 40.7% | 33.3% | 15% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 0.96% | 0.33% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 44.7% | 30% | 13.5% | 5% | 5.3% | 1% | 0.36% | 0.13% |
| Jul 2026 | 44.8% | 30% | 13.5% | 5% | 5.3% | 1% | 0.28% | 0.13% |
| Aug 2026 | 42% | 34.3% | 12.6% | 4.7% | 4.9% | 0.98% | 0.25% | 0.13% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.6% | 34% | 12.5% | 5.7% | 4.9% | 0.97% | 0.26% | 0.15% |
How has the Bluehost and WP Engine comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Bluehost was ahead of WP Engine in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bluehost’s share of searches among managed WordPress hosting platforms worldwide moved from 33.5% to 34%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WP Engine’s share of searches among managed WordPress hosting platforms worldwide held steady at 5.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 34.2K to 33.6K.
How did search popularity change for managed WordPress hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change

In September 2026, WP Engine overtook Kinsta to rank 4th among managed WordPress hosting platforms worldwide, with 5.7% of the searches.
How are branded searches counted?
7 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bluehost’s and WP Engine’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among managed WordPress hosting platforms

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