TOOLNAVIA / BUYING GUIDE
Bluehost Starter Checkout Add-Ons: What to Keep, Skip or Add
The short answer
Bluehost Starter buyers should keep the cart lean by default. Do not pay again for features the plan already lists, and add a recurring product only when it closes a specific gap. Domain privacy can make sense for contact masking, CodeGuard for daily managed backups, and Professional Email for Bluehost-hosted mail. SiteLock is not a current new-purchase option through Bluehost.
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At a glance
- Best for
- Starter buyers reviewing the final cart.
- Price model
- CodeGuard from $3.99/mo; domain privacy $15/yr renewal
- Check first
- Cart, trials, TLD eligibility and prices can change.
Start with what Starter includes
The current Starter page lists SSL, CDN, managed WordPress updates, migration tooling, weekly backups and a malware protection baseline. If an add-on appears to repeat one of them, compare scope, frequency, retention and restore control before accepting it.
Bluehost says optional add-ons are itemized separately from hosting, domains and tax. The payment page—not a third-party screenshot—is the final record. Save the cart summary and note every renewal date.
Add domain privacy only for a real need
Domain Privacy + Protection replaces supported public registration contact data with proxy details while you remain the owner. It can reduce exposure, but it is a separate recurring domain service and some TLDs do not support it.
Bluehost's current reference lists privacy renewal at $15 per domain per year. Add it when public contact masking matters and you do not already receive equivalent protection. Skip it when the TLD or another registrar already provides privacy.
Add CodeGuard for a stronger recovery objective
Starter's weekly backup baseline and CodeGuard are not the same product. CodeGuard adds daily automatic backups and change monitoring; higher tiers add storage, on-demand backups and priority features. Current official monthly prices are Basic $3.99, Professional $4.99, Premium $8.99 and Enterprise $19.99.
Choose it when a daily managed recovery layer or separate restore path is worth the fee. Skip it when an existing, tested system already meets recovery-point and recovery-time needs. Two backup products without a tested restore do not create reliable recovery.
Add Professional Email only if it replaces another service
Professional Email provides domain-based mail plus plan-specific calendar and productivity features. Bluehost also warns that a Pro Email free trial can renew at the regular rate unless canceled before renewal.
Add it when Bluehost-hosted branded email is your chosen system. Skip it when Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 or another provider already covers the mailbox. Verify mailbox count, storage, trial length and renewal in the live cart.
Skip SiteLock as a new Bluehost purchase
A Bluehost notice updated September 29, 2026 says SiteLock Security is no longer available through Bluehost and existing plans will not auto-renew. Older Bluehost help pages still display SiteLock descriptions and prices. For a new checkout decision, the newer notice controls.
Do not accept a stale guide or legacy table as proof that SiteLock can be newly purchased. Use Starter's current security baseline, then add a current solution only after defining the missing protection.
Treat other recommended extras as optional
SEO, eCommerce and marketing extras need a job. Keep one only if it supplies a required capability, its renewal is acceptable and no equivalent tool exists. Do not buy because it is recommended, discounted or preselected; cart presentation can change and is not a quality guarantee.
Before you pay
Read the final cart line by line. Confirm the hosting term, remove duplicates, record trial conversion dates, check privacy eligibility, and decide who owns backups and email. Save the order summary.
If Starter's included stack meets the need, use the lean cart. Add privacy, CodeGuard or email only when the need is already real. That reduces purchase anxiety without pretending every risk disappears.