Price over three years
Bluehost's Starter plan is $3.99 a month on a 36-month term, which happens to be exactly the three-year window, so the whole period is billed at the intro rate: $143.64. SiteGround's StartUp is $2.99 a month for the first 12 months and $17.99 a month after that, so the same three years cost $467.64. The renewal rate, not the headline, makes the difference.
WordPress features
Bluehost installs WordPress as part of sign-up and its dashboard is organised around managing the site. Starter allows 10 websites on 10 GB of NVMe storage, with a free domain for the first year, free SSL and weekly backups.
SiteGround's StartUp covers one website on 10 GB, also with a free domain and SSL, and adds the managed layer: daily backups with 30 restore points, automatic WordPress updates and Google Cloud infrastructure. Staging sites arrive on the GrowBig plan, which is worth considering if you develop the site actively.
Support and locations
Both hosts offer phone support alongside 24/7 chat; SiteGround adds a ticket system. SiteGround hosts in the US, UK, EU, Singapore and Australia, so you can place the site near your visitors. Bluehost's shared hosting is US-based.
Who should choose which
First WordPress site, modest budget: Bluehost Starter. Guided setup, phone support and no renewal inside three years.
Business site that must be restorable daily: SiteGround StartUp or GrowBig, with the $17.99 or $29.99 renewal in the budget.
Several small sites: Bluehost Starter's 10-site allowance beats SiteGround's single site at this tier.