Are you looking for the best WordPress hosting for your website? We've highlighted the features to look out for and 7 hosting companies to consider.
A web host provides the server space and technology you need to run your website. As a result, the reliability of your website, and by extension, the success of your business may depend on your hosting.
Thankfully, there are many quality options to choose from. But at the same time, this luxury poses a problem: how do you choose the best WordPress hosting from all the good providers in the market.
Well, one way to make your decision easier would be to consider your needs and do some research about the most effective hosting companies in your price range.
Afterward, you can compare what you require with the services provided by the companies. This should whittle down your list and make it easier to find a great service to host your website.
In this article, we'll look at a few factors to consider when choosing a web host. Then, we'll cover 7 of the best WordPress hosting options available.
Let's get started!
What to look for in a WordPress hosting provider
Not all WordPress hosting is the same. There are a few important details you must keep in mind before you choose a service.
Firstly, there are 3 main types of hosting: shared, Virtual Private Server (VPS), and dedicated.
With shared hosting, you pay the lowest cost. This can be helpful if you have a tight budget. However, you share server space with several other websites, and this can slow down your site or expose you to a security breach. WordPress security plugins can help, but won't be able to completely solve the problem.
If you get a VPS server, you'll probably pay a little bit more. But the servers are divided into distinct environments for each site that's being hosted. So, you have more control over your resources and security settings.
Finally, you can get a dedicated server. With this option, your website is hosted in an exclusive environment that's under your control. However, it usually comes with a steep price tag.
There are also free servers available. In return for using the service, you'd be asked to display the host's branding on your site.
Free servers can be very unpredictable and if you are serious about your website, it would not be prudent to consider using one.
Should I get managed hosting or not?
With managed hosting, the provider handles the technical responsibilities, e.g., daily backups, malware scans, and security monitoring. This can help you save time for tasks like getting responses from users.
But as expected, managed hosting typically costs more.
The alternative is unmanaged hosting. If you opt for this, you'll need to handle the technical tasks yourself.
This will save you some money, but it requires that you're comfortable with the technology.
If you are new to WordPress and can afford it, managed hosting may be the way to go. It's more expensive, but you won't have to worry about routine tasks that are important to your website's health.
Your guide to the best WordPress hosting (7 top picks)
Now that you know the factors to consider, let's get down to the real business. Here are our 7 top hosting picks for WordPress users:
1. Pagely
If you're a fan of managed WordPress hosting plans, you have Pagely to thank for that. The company was the first provider to offer the service back in 2009. Consequently, Pagely has years of experience in that area.
Pagely's hosting service is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The cloud computing platform serves some of the biggest companies out there, including streaming giant Netflix.
This indicates that you can count on Pagely to support your traffic, no matter how heavy it gets.
In addition to the underlying technology, Pagely has a lot of user-focused features to help you succeed, including:
- Automatic backups with 14-day retention
- Specialized solutions for different website niches, e.g., educational institutions or WooCommerce sites
- No caps on PHP workers, meaning there's no limit on how many simultaneous uncached requests your page can handle
All in all, Pagely gives you a lot of control over your site. However, it may not be an optimal choice for small businesses. It is geared mainly toward large companies.
So, if you run a medium to enterprise-level website, you may consider Pagely.
The pricing options reflect the company's target market as well. The cheapest available plan will cost you $199 per month. It only scales up from there, topping out at a high availability configuration for $3,600 per month.
2. Bluehost
Bluehost is another beginner-friendly hosting option with affordable plans. However, it is incredibly powerful. WordPress has been recommending the service to users since 2005.
Just like WordPress, Bluehost is focused intently on open-source technology. As such, it is designed to work seamlessly with the WordPress platform and support all the third-party tools that make it effective.
In addition to its optimized hosting style, Bluehost also offers functionalities like:
- A library of "getting started" articles to help new users learn the best ways to create their sites
- Hundreds of themes and plugins to tailor your pages to your exact needs
- Built-in tools to help you boost traffic and optimize your content
Bluehost offers different types of WordPress web hosting services. You may choose from shared, managed, or online store options.
Ultimately, its affordability and performance make Bluehost worth considering if you run an online store.
The company has a variety of pricing options for WordPress. Unmanaged hosting begins at $3.95 per month. If you want managed hosting, the price increases to $9.95 per month. Finally, online store options start at $12.95 per month.
3. WPEngine
WPEngine is a WordPress-specific option, and the managed hosting environment has been optimized to work with the CMS.
You don't need to install WordPress when you sign up with WPEngine; it comes pre-installed. This should help you get started a little quicker.
In addition to the above, WPEngine has some impressive features that include:
- Simple staging site setup to help you avoid accidentally breaking your site
- A free Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate to keep your website safe
- Over 30 premium WordPress themes to choose from
WPEngine offers a variety of plans. The plans vary based on specialized features and website size. If you plan on expanding your operations in the future, this provider may be a smart choice.
Similarly, WPEngine makes it easy to migrate your site, a process that is often difficult and complicated.
WPEngine's pricing plans start at $22.50 per month. At this price, you get managed hosting for one WordPress site that receives up to 25,000 visits per month.
If you want capacity for more visitors, storage, or security, you may consider other, more expensive plans.
4. SiteGround
Another option that's been optimized for WordPress is SiteGround. This provider is a strong all-around candidate for the best WordPress hosting solution.
SiteGround provides terrific customer support. Users get round-the-clock assistance through a phone call or live chat. And if you prefer to solve problems on your own, you can consult SiteGround's robust knowledge base.
In addition to these, SiteGround has a few other nice-to-have features, including:
- Use of the Google Cloud Platform, which helps websites load quickly
- On-demand backup copies of your site to allow you edit with confidence
- The option to collaborate with other SiteGround account holders on your projects
This WordPress host may be a smart choice if you have a global audience. With servers around the world, SiteGround is a leader in delivering your content to different countries hitch-free.
Pricing plans start at $6.99 per month for up to 10,000 visits per month.
However, you should take a look at the next tier plan at $9.99. For just a few extra dollars, you can receive up to 25,000 visits on an unlimited number of websites.
5. Flywheel
If you are big on design, you may consider Flywheel. It's a managed hosting option that's optimized for creative WordPress professionals, providing powerful performance at a reasonable price. Based on website hosting speed tests, Flywheel comes out as one of the fastest options.
One of Flywheel's stand-out features is the intuitive design of its user panel. No matter your level of technical proficiency, you should find it easy to navigate the panel.
This allows users to spend less time figuring out the hosting and more time creating content.
A few other powerful Flywheel features include:
- Blueprints, including themes and plugins to kickstart your design process
- Secure remote access, to allow you manage all of your WordPress sites with ease
- Simple billing transfer to ensure that your clients receive their hosting bills
You may consider Flywheel if you're web developer. The platform lets you build several individual sites simultaneously and seamlessly.
Flywheel also offers an agency partner program that grants your business access to extra features designed to increase stability and revenue. You don't need to be established either; new agencies are welcome.
If the idea of hosting with Flywheel is starting to sound interesting, you may be pleased to learn that pricing options start at $13 per month. The most basic plan will grant you up to 5,000 visits to a single site.
If you're creating websites for clients, however, take a look at the Freelance plan at $96 per month. It gives you 100,000 monthly visits on up to ten sites.
6. Kinsta
Sometimes, it's better to focus on the most necessary elements of your website. Kinsta can help with that. By presenting a non-traditional access panel, this WordPress hosting service enables you to simplify your site management experience.
Kinsta leverages the power of the Google Cloud Platform but it only shows you the essential features.
So, your server management is mainly hands-off, but you still get a powerful engine for your WordPress website.
In addition to the re-imagined user panel, here are a few other elements you may find useful:
- Powerful security features such as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) detection and hardware firewalls
- Free and easy site migrations to eliminate any downtime during your switch
- Active hacking prevention and a 'free hack fix' guarantee should any malicious actors gain access
Furthermore, Kinsta describes its service as "Secure like Fort Knox." So, Kinsta may be a good fit for websites that require the highest levels of security, e.g., if you accept payments on your site.
Kinsta's plans start at $30 per month. This gets you one WordPress installation and up to 25,000 monthly visits. The company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is great if you'd like to try out their services before committing.
7. HostGator
For some WordPress users, options are everything. If this sounds like you, check out HostGator. It offers a wide range of pricing plans and features that are perfect for budget-conscious and premium users alike.
In addition to pricing variety, HostGator also provides impressive performance. Once you subscribe, you get a pre-installed WordPress platform, advanced security, and a guarantee of 99.9 percent uptime.
Some of the WordPress-specific features that HostGator offers include:
- A free domain name for one year, making getting started even easier
- A simplified control panel that lets you tackle powerful management tasks with ease
- A SiteLock Fix feature that scans your site for malicious elements daily
Between the simple controls and round-the-clock support, this host makes it easy to get started with a website. Additionally, there are multiple options for scaling when your site grows.
If you've never set up a WordPress site before, HostGator's features will help you settle in quickly.
The pricing plans may also be attractive to new users. Managed WordPress hosting starts at just $5.95 a month. This includes services for a single site as well as hundreds of themes to kickstart your design.
Conclusion
Your web host is an essential part of your website. As a result, choosing one that fits your needs and budget is crucial.
In this article, we covered 7 of the best WordPress hosting options available.
Whether you're looking for a small-scale budget service (for a couple of WordPress blogs) or a premium enterprise solution (for a full-featured e-commerce website), you should find a good fit on this list.
Once you've selected a powerful host, consider choosing an equally powerful form builder for your website.
Formidable Forms is the most flexible form-building plugins on WordPress. Our forms help you do more with less.
Check out our advanced features to see how much functionality a Formidable form brings to your website and online store.
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Choosing the best WordPress hosting for your needs can improve your SEO and increase sales or you can take help ofux design services. There are various different types of WordPress hosting options available such as Free, Shared, VPS, Dedicated, and managed WordPress hosting.
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