How to Choose the Best WordPress Hosting

When you create a WordPress website, the first thing you need to consider is your choice of web hosting. Many people end up neglecting their choice of web hosting and their website ends up suffering from sub-standard web hosting. By choosing reliable WordPress hosting, your website will remain performant, secure, and online when your users need it most.

Different Types of WordPress Hosting Offered

Since WordPress is such a popular CMS, you’ll find a variety of different WordPress hosting services with various hosting types and server configurations suitable for WordPress sites. From your basic shared hosting all the way to managed and dedicated hosting environments.

Below you’ll learn the key differences between the various types of WordPress hosting available so you can better understand which type of WordPress hosting is best for your website.

Free WordPress hosting

If you want to host your WordPress site for free, you have to go through WordPress.com. Note that if you choose this option, your domain name will contain the wordpress.com extension, ie “yourdomain.wordpress.com”. While you won’t have the prettiest or most branded domain name, you can have your website up and running in minutes.

If you’re not sure if you’re ready to commit to running your own website on a dedicated domain, using this hosting option can be a good first step. The downside of this approach is that you don’t have your own dedicated domain name and you will be limited in what you can do with your site. Having your own branded domain means you can brand yourself under your own domain and have things like a domain-specific email address instead of just having a site on a subdomain of WordPress.com

Shared WordPress Web Hosting

Most website owners end up starting with a hosting service, such as shared hosting. It’s usually one of the cheapest options and offers plenty of resources to help beginners get started online. Using shared hosting means that your website will be on the same server that hosts hundreds of other websites, so you’ll be sharing the same server resources, but it also helps keep personal costs down.

Shared hosting is a great option because it’s very affordable, typically running you $5-$7 per month. Plus, you get access to some really powerful and useful hosting features. Shared plans are often sold with “unlimited” bandwidth and storage. Often this is misleading because the performance bottleneck you’ll run into has to do with processing power, not your bandwidth or storage.

Now, a shared server will give you enough processing power so your site can handle thousands of visitors per day without much loss in performance. However, as your website grows and a large number of visitors come to the site at the same time, you’ll need to upgrade your plan to a VPS, dedicated server, or other hosting solution. When you choose shared hosting, make sure to choose one that allows you to upgrade your service, as this is usually easier than migrating your entire site to a new server.

Your shared hosting will provide you with a web-based interface, such as cPanel, so you can easily manage your server environment. Plus, you can create domain-specific email addresses, set up a database, and easily install WordPress on your website with one-click installation or software like Softaculous.

Installing WordPress manually isn’t too difficult either, but by using the 1-click installer, you can have WordPress up and running on your website in minutes. These installers handle every aspect of the installation process, including setting file permissions, so all future WordPress core, theme, and plugin updates can happen seamlessly within your WordPress dashboard.

VPS WordPress Hosting

A VPS is a good intermediate solution for sites that may have outgrown their shared server capacity but are not large enough to need their own dedicated server. A VPS server is still technically a shared server, but it operates like a dedicated server environment.

VPS hosting utilizes machine virtualization to allow your server environment to run in isolation from other sites on the server. This type of server typically has fewer sites using the same physical server, and you’ll have more direct server access than a shared hosting account would provide.

There are some benefits to using a VPS setup compared to a shared hosting setup. For starters, you’ll have more control over your server environment, and you’ll have more server configuration options. A VPS will be more expensive than a shared hosting plan, but as the price goes up, you will have more server power and overall flexibility at your disposal. However, there are cheaper VPS options available. Finally, your VPS server will run in an isolated server environment, so your overall security will be enhanced.

Your VPS will usually come with a control panel like WHM which will make server management and configuration easier.

However, VPS servers are not perfect. Although you have more control over your server setup, you don’t have complete freedom and you still run into hardware limitations. However, unless you need a very specific server setup, it’s probably sufficient. Also, since a VPS requires more detailed server setup and configuration, you’ll need technical skills to maintain your own server. Your hosting support team may be able to help you with some issues, but the overall maintenance will fall on your shoulders.

Managed WordPress hosting

If your site continues to grow in size and traffic levels, but you don’t have the ability, time, or skills to manage your own server environment, then managed WordPress hosting might be the perfect solution for you. Managed WordPress hosting is available on dedicated, VPS, and cloud hosting plans.

Managed hosting can be a great option if you don’t have the skills to effectively manage and optimize your server environment, or if you’re pressed for time and want to focus all your energy on growing your website, and you can justify the added expense hosted.

With managed hosting, you’re not only paying for the server space but also for the support and maintenance team that fully supports your website’s success. Depending on the hosting you choose, you’ll have access to different levels of support, but you’ll typically find the following included with your plan:

• Software installation and automatic upgrades
• On-site troubleshooting and daily maintenance
• Server hardware maintenance and regular server monitoring
• fast page load times
• Higher level security features plus regular monitoring and bug fixing

One of the biggest reasons to consider managed WordPress hosting is the ability to handle your issues quickly and efficiently. The team of professionals behind you will have in-depth knowledge of WordPress and your server environment, so issues with your website can be resolved fairly quickly.

When your website goes down, you lose money and turn off users visiting your website. In this regard, using managed WordPress hosting can actually save you money, or pay for itself over the course of a year. This is especially true considering the additional cost of full-time technical experts required to maintain and optimize the server environment.

Dedicated WordPress hosting

When it comes to hosting, dedicated hosting is a top priority, and it’s the logical next step for those who want complete control over their server environment. If your site ends up being a huge success, you’ll eventually want to upgrade to a dedicated server. However, a VPS solution is usually sufficient for 98% of all websites.

A dedicated server gives you an entire physical server hosted by a provider of your choice. This will give you full access to the server’s disk space, processing power, memory, bandwidth, and more. Plus, you’ll have full control over your server’s security.

The biggest difference between shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated hosting is that with dedicated hosting, you have complete control over your server environment while having all resources at your disposal.

Typically, if you need this level of hosting, you’ll either have the skills to manage your own server or be able to rent the service. Most dedicated server providers will also offer managed solutions, which will ease the burden of managing and keeping servers updated.

Dedicated hosting is suitable for larger sites, which are larger and receive a lot of traffic. However, with significantly higher performance, you will pay more, and you will need a lot of technical knowledge to get the most out of your available server resources.

Types of hosting companies to avoid

If you spend enough time browsing through the different types of WordPress hosting, you’ve likely come across a variety of very cheap hosting offerings for around $1 a month or less. Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it? $12 per year hosting fee, sign up.

However, these hosting deals are almost always too good to be true. Companies that offer this very wallet-friendly custody service usually do so with good intentions. But when you’re only charging people that much, you simply can’t provide the level of support and performance most WordPress site owners need.

One of the biggest costs with most hosting companies is support, so when you end up choosing budget-level hosting, you may not be getting a top-notch support team. This means that when something goes wrong with your website, it’s up to you to fix it. Or, when your website goes offline, you’re stuck waiting without being able to contact a support technician to clarify the issue.

Your best bet is to stick with a reputable WordPress host with a reliable and helpful support team and a verifiable track record. Now, no host is perfect, but it’s best to choose one who is there when you need it most. Your time and peace of mind are worth more than a few dollars per month.

Managed vs. Unmanaged WordPress Hosting

One of the bigger decisions you have to make when choosing WordPress hosting is deciding between unmanaged and managed WordPress hosting. Generally, managed hosting costs more, but there are a few other differences you need to be aware of.

With managed hosting, basically, everything related to your server and site administration will be taken care of by the host. This means you don’t have to worry about things like your site’s security, uptime, updates, and server configuration.

With unmanaged hosting, you basically get a blank server where you can install WordPress yourself, manage the server, upgrade security, optimize performance, and more.

Don’t let the word unmanaged scare you off. It’s entirely possible to manage your own hosting, especially if you have a smaller WordPress site and want to take the time to learn the ins and outs of the platform.

However, using managed hosting gives you the following advantages:

• Have a solid team behind you to walk you through, or handle any technical issues related to your website.
• There’s no need to stress or even think about keeping your site online, updating your WordPress core, and maintaining your site’s security.

Overall, your choice of managed or unmanaged depends on how much responsibility you want for your managed environment. If you prefer to do all the work yourself, unmanaged can be a great way to learn the ins and outs of WordPress. However, if you don’t want to think twice about hosting and want to let an experienced team handle it so you can focus on your website, then check out managed WordPress hosting.

If in doubt, you can always start with an unmanaged hosting environment and upgrade to managed hosting in time.

What to look for in a good WordPress host

Choosing a good WordPress host right from the start is a great way to avoid future hosting issues. The last thing you want is to choose the wrong host, have a bunch of issues, and then have to go through the entire site migration process. With the sheer number of options available for WordPress hosting, there’s no reason to make a poor hosting decision.

When evaluating WordPress hosting, some of the things you need to look out for include:

host performance. If you want your website to be successful, you absolutely need a high-performance host. In addition to on-site optimization, your host’s hardware and software settings can also affect how quickly your website loads.

• Multiple plan options. Hosts that offer a variety of plans will be able to meet your website’s current needs. Plus, you can scale your site using the same hosting while saving money when you’re getting started.

• Knowledgeable WordPress support team. Having a dedicated support team can help take a lot of the stress out of running your website. Eventually, you’ll run into issues that require support, and you’ll want to have a team there to help when that happens.

• Powerful security features. No matter how big your site is, security is something you need to think about from day one. A good WordPress host will provide you with solid security features.

• WordPress-Focus. Some hosts call themselves WordPress hosts because they offer easy one-click CMS installation. However, a high-quality host will offer WordPress-specific features that will help you get the most out of your website.

• Combination of value and money. Of course, you want a host that improves your site’s performance and strengthens your security, but not if you’re spending far more than your site is actually making. You’ll want to balance WordPress-specific features with a price you can afford.

The points above may seem like a lot to consider, but choosing a WordPress web host is something you need to take seriously. When you start searching, you’ll find that many of the features highlighted above are common. Since the WordPress hosting market is highly competitive, you can often find high-quality hosting at affordable prices.

The Minimum WordPress Hosting Features to Look For

Now that you have an idea of ​​what quality features a good WordPress host will have, we’ll take a look at the minimum requirements your host needs to support your WordPress site.

Fortunately, WordPress has some very basic requirements and can run on almost any Linux server environment. Considering that WordPress is used on nearly 30% of all websites, it’s likely that almost any host you come across will support WordPress. Still, it’s important to know the exact requirements.

To run WordPress, you need the following:

• PHP 7.4 or higher.
• MySQL version 5.6 or later or  MariaDB version 10.1 or later.
• HTTPS  support

If your host currently runs or supports the above two requirements, then you are good enough to run a WordPress site. Any web server that supports PHP and MySQL is fine, but it’s advisable to also look for a host that uses the Apache web server, more specifically one that can enable the Apache mod_rewrite module, as this will allow you to enable the friendly URLs feature of WordPress.

As long as you choose a reputable hosting company with a long history, they are likely to support and complete the above technical tasks. If you are not sure, then you can contact support and ask them if the mod_rewrite module is enabled in Apache before you decide to sign up. A host running Apache, Linux, PHP, and MySQL is recommended.

final proposal

If sorting through the above WordPress hosts sounds like a hassle, check out the suggestions below. You’ll find two hosts that offer shared hosting packages suitable for beginners, and another host that offers the best-managed WordPress hosting for large and growing websites.

WordPress Hosting for New Bloggers

For bloggers who are just starting out and need an affordable yet reliable WordPress hosting option, Bluehost would be a great choice. Overall, they are one of the best WordPress hosting providers that can help you start and grow your website.

Personally, I have two of my own blogs hosted on Bluehost, and I absolutely love their performance and top-notch customer service. In addition to its high-performance servers, you’ll also have excellent uptime and a dedicated and helpful support team. Also, Bluehost is one of the only hosts recommended by WordPress.org.

Some valuable Bluehost features include:

• Enhanced cPanel for easy site management
• Up to 100 email accounts
• Simple one-click WordPress installation
• Free Domain Name Registration
• 100GB disk space
• 45-day money-back guarantee

If you want the best price with Bluehost, you can currently get their high-quality hosting plus a free domain name for just $2.95 per month (36-month contract). However, the promotion is ending soon, so you’ll need to act fast.

If you plan to quickly expand your content and traffic, then I recommend upgrading to the Plus plan for $5.45 per month. This will give you access to higher-level features, including unlimited website and email account creation and unlimited site bandwidth.

Overall, you won’t find a better price for this quality of shared WordPress hosting, especially with the aforementioned discounts.

Best WordPress Hosting for Growing Blogs and Businesses

If your website is currently growing and you want a hosting environment that can keep up while improving your site’s existing performance, then WPEngine is for you. In my opinion, WPEngine is the gold standard for WordPress hosting providers.

Of course, this will be a more expensive option than shared hosting, but it’s more expensive for good reason. With WPEngine, you get a team of knowledgeable WordPress experts dedicated to helping your website grow and thrive. I actually host this site using WPEngine.

They offer a world-class service and support team, daily backups, and a hosting infrastructure designed to keep WordPress running fast and smoothly. Now, using managed WordPress hosting isn’t for every type of website, but for those who are ready to spend a little more per month to keep your hosting in hand, WPEngine is definitely the place to go.