Before you buy WordPress hosting, you need to have a solid understanding of the difference between managed and non-managed plans. Otherwise, you stand to make the wrong selection at the outset and be stuck with a hosting plan that’s time-consuming to maintain.
We’ve put together a comprehensive breakdown of what WordPress hosting is, who needs it, and what features managed WordPress hosting offers that standard hosts don’t provide.
| Company | Main features | Price | Rating | More |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bluehost | Free domain name included SiteLock security & advanced CDN Migrate & manage multiple sites & backups 30-day money back guarantee More features at bluehost.com | From 12.49 /mo | 61% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Cloudways | Free WordPress site migration VMAN cloud server deployment Click&Go console, 1-click operations Free 30 day trial More features at cloudways.com | From 5.00 /mo | 71% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Flywheel | Free WordPress site migration Managed WordPress updates & backups Built-in caching & staging sites Free 30 day trial Endorsed by WordPress More features at flywheel.com | From 15.00 /mo | 70% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 InMotion Hosting | WordPress comes pre-installed & ready Free domain name included SSD storage for 20x faster hosting Free 90 day trial More features at inmotionhosting.com | From 4.89 /mo | 70% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Media Temple | WordPress-certified 24/7 support 30 day file backup & restore Automatic WP core updates 30-day money back guarantee More features at mediatemple.net | From 20.00 /mo | 78% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Pagely | Free WordPress site migration Fully managed updates & security PressCDN, PressCache, PressDNS & PressArmor Free 30 day trial More features at pagely.com | From 64.00 /mo | 50% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Pressable | Automatic WordPress updates & backups Automatic nightly backups Premium CDN included Free 15 day trial More features at pressable.com | From 20.83 /mo | 50% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Pressidium | Full server management & DevOps Managed WordPress auto updates Staging sites & automated backups Free 60 day trial More features at pressidium.com | From 17.90 /mo | 71% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 SiteGround | Free SSD, Free SSL & HTTP/2, Free domain Automatic updates & daily backups SuperCacher caching & CloudFlare Free 30 day trial Endorsed by WordPress More features at siteground.com | From 3.95 /mo | 90% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 Liquid Web | Free "white glove" site migration included Free SSL certificate included On-site "heroic" support team Free 30-day trial & 100% uptime guarantee More features at liquidweb.com | From 89.00 /mo | 75% score | Visit website Read reviews |
 WP Engine | Premium managed WordPress hosting Staging sites & in-house caching technology Free automated site migration Free 60-day trial & SLA credits. More features at wpengine.com | From 29.00 /mo | 71% score | Visit website Read reviews |
What is WordPress Hosting?
WordPress hosting comes in two variants: managed WordPress hosting, and unmanaged WordPress hosting.
Managed WordPress hosting is a specialized service where all the technical aspects of running your WordPress site are managed by the web host. This includes installation, security, updates, and backups.
If you opt for a non-managed WordPress hosting plan, it’s essentially just regular hosting. So you would have full control of your hosting services, and all of the technical management would be your responsibility.
For instance, with non-managed WordPress, you would have to configure daily backups to ensure that your website is protected against data loss.
Regular hosting is ideal for more technical people, because you’re in control of everything. But if you don’t have the time or skills, managed WordPress hosting could be ideal for your business.
It lets you focus on your day-to-day business, not whether or not your website is up to date.
That being said, many developers do like managed WordPress hosting, since it helps to ensure their clients’ websites aren’t having problems.
Managed WordPress hosting is a relatively new form of web hosting. And whether you’re running a blog, an e-commerce site, or a business page, you need to trust your web host to provide a reliable service. Managed WordPress hosting tends to be more expensive than non-managed, so checking out reviews is important.
WordPress hosting explained
WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system or CMS. It lets anyone create a site from scratch.
You have the option of customizing files and modifying the code, but users without coding experience also have the opportunity to build beautiful websites.
With a non-managed WordPress hosting plan, you’ll need to install the free software on a hosting account. Then you pick out a WordPress template, which is basically a pre-formed design for making the front end of your site look nice.
After that, you can write your content, create blog posts, develop static pages, upload images, and add video or audio. Although it may take a few hours to get accustomed to the interface, WordPress is ideal for newbies.
Managed WordPress hosting includes WordPress management and hosting as a single package. So with this option, you’re passing over all of the responsibilities to the hosting company. It’s a clean process that should include full support. So if you have questions about accessing your website files or notice that your site is running slower than usual, a team of support representatives is a phone call away.
Whichever option you choose, WordPress allows for users of all experience levels to take advantage of a powerful CMS at a low price. WordPress is completely open source and free, and there’s an entire community of people online making improvements and giving advice on how to get setup and running. You’ll find blogs, forums, and plugins to make your site the best it can be. In fact, a quick Google search is generally all you need in terms of support.
Although WordPress is free, you will find that some services, like premium plugins and themes, need to be paid for. You can absolutely find free themes and plugins, but the premium ones are often more powerful.
Do You Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
Managed hosting looks enticing for just about anyone utilizing the WordPress platform. You don’t have to think about what’s going on behind the scenes. Hosting companies have developed technologies and scripts that will automate management and make the experience as straightforward as possible for you.
It’s prudent to figure in the additional cost of managed hosting and see if it makes sense for your budget. That extra cost could be worth it if it means you don’t have to put lots of time into fixing problems. You should think about trying managed WordPress hosting if you have the cash, want to spend less time worrying about hosting, and want to ensure that your site is secure and reliable.
Whether you’re a startup or run a mid-sized business, managed hosting may provide faster site speeds, easier scaling, and less downtime. This isn’t a guarantee, but the fact that managed WordPress hosting is optimized means that there’s a good chance everything will run smoothly.
There are three main downsides to managed WordPress hosting, and it’s only fair to mention them here so that you can make a full and honest evaluation:
- Email services may not be included. If you want business email at your domain, you may need to purchase separate email hosting elsewhere. You could use something like G-Suite, or buy an email hosting plan from a regular web hosting company.
- Your host may restrict plugins. Hosts do this because they’ve identified certain plugins that result in poor performance or security risks. If you try to use a prohibited plugin, the host may remove it, rendering parts of your site inaccessible.
- It’s not always easy to migrate away from a managed WordPress host. Technically, you can export your content at any time, but creating an exact website clone could be more difficult.
These caveats don’t apply for every managed WordPress hosting company, and the benefits often outweigh them. But keep your eyes peeled for missing features that your business may need in the future.
Features and Benefits of Managed WordPress Hosting
Here’s a breakdown of some of the features that come standard on most managed hosting plans.
Less Crowded Servers, and Content Delivery Networks
With a managed WordPress account, you are very likely to share your server with fewer hosting customers, compared to a shared hosting account.
Many hosts use virtual private servers (VPNs) and bolstered by content delivery networks (CDNs):
- The VPN provides resources to your website only. Remember, though, that most managed WordPress plans don’t include any root server access to the VPN itself, and you won’t be able to install anything else.
- The CDN speeds up the delivery of your WordPress site since it utilizes an entire network of servers located all over the world. Since content delivery depends on the proximity of the server to the end user, someone living in India would see your site faster since it would be delivered for a server closest to India, regardless of the location of your host.
Speed
A fast website is essential in business. The longer a site takes to load, the more people will leave. So a fast website will increase conversions and improve user experience.
Managed WordPress hosting is optimized to run WordPress as fast as possible.
High Security
A hack or data breach can lead to business disaster. You could lose data, expose customer details, or accidentally infect others with malware. You’re responsible for keeping your website secure, and if it’s not, you may face penalties or the collapse of your company.
On any hosting platform, WordPress is secure. And with a managed WordPress host, your site is scanned for security holes constantly. The host will fix any issues before you know it. And if you are compromised, they’ll quickly revert your site back to how it was before the breach.
Automatic Updates and Backups
With managed WordPress hosting, backups are almost always taken care of for you. Check the exact provision with your host, but you can expect daily restore points at a minimum.
WordPress Hosting Alternatives
If you enjoy using WordPress, but managed hosting isn’t right for you, traditional shared hosting or a VPS work just fine. You may have access to more features, as well as increased functionality, such as the ability to create email accounts. Provision varies from host to host, but these are important points that need to be considered.
Managed hosting is ideal for many businesses, but an expensive waste for others. If you’re a busy entrepreneur, and you’re not interested in getting technical, it’s likely the perfect choice for your website.
