Best managed WordPress hosting
Read on for our detailed analysis of each service
As a content management system, WordPress offers one of the easiest and quickest ways to set up your own blog or website. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can select from one of hundreds of templates, as well as create interactive content such as contact forms.
The usefulness of WordPress has not been lost on web hosting providers. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the very best vendors on the market today who offer managed WordPress hosting. This is a great way to avoid the time and trouble of hosting your content from scratch as they take the trouble of creating and maintaining your website away from you. Don't underestimate the importance of managing an online property. Between SEO, admin, content and social marketing, there's more than enough work for a small business.
- Also check out our list of the best web hosting solutions
1. WP Engine
Powerful web hosting from a market leader
WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital platform. It hosts excellent uptime, WordPress specific security and unlimited monthly transfers.
WP Engine includes many great tools needed for web hosting. These range from automated backups to 24/7 support (phone support on Growth and Scale packages).
You can use WP Engine’s ‘actionable intelligence’ to gain insight into the performance of your pages, content and applications.
WP Engine has four different price plans. All include free migration and free page performance. If you pay for a year’s subscription upfront, you get three months free.
Prices start off at $37 per month ($22.5 per month if you choose annual billing) which includes a 60-day risk free guarantee. WP Engine also has a ‘Custom’ tier for larger businesses that want a plan more tailored for their individual needs.
Some users have asked for a mid-range pricing option between the $30 and $115 tiers with the most expensive tier, Scale, costing $290 per month and offering support for up to 15 sites.
2. GoDaddy Pro
Customizable web hosting via an intuitive dashboard
GoDaddy Pro is part of GoDaddy Inc, founded in 1997. It offers users a more robust, wider range of tools for developers and businesses. While it doesn't mention WordPress in the opening few introductory phrases, GDP is actually wholly focused on WordPress installs.
GoDaddy Pro offers client management tools and advanced support. This solution allows developers to add multiple clients and manages their accounts from one single dashboard.
GoDaddy gives users access to a management dashboard. From here all products and clients can be viewed. The dashboard can alert the user via SMS and email to any issues the client may have.
As GoDaddy Pro has been designed to make developer’s lives easier, the platform is user-friendly and everything is at your fingertips via the dashboard.
Access to the dashboard is free and includes reporting and basic maintenance for as many WordPress sites as needed. Paid services include cloud backups, migration, uptime monitoring and automated security checks. These can be purchased as add-ons to your free plan.
Users have noted that bandwidth monitoring is not included.
3. Bluehost
Well-structured pricing and ideal for beginners
Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group. It was founded in 2003. It’s part of a web hosting family that includes HostMonster, FastDomain and iPage.
Bluehost tries to make the daunting task of starting a new web site easy. It offers plenty of options to those new to web hosting while still offering tools for the more experienced user.
All new subscribers can set up a WordPress site with a single click of their mouse. Also, newbies can rely on Blue Spark, a specialized service that helps new users with everything WordPress related.
Bluehost are currently offering all their WordPress plans at a reduced rate. Prices start at $2.75 (£2.2) a month for a single WordPress site complete with 50GB of website space. The ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ packages are on offer for $5.45 (£4.4) per month. These both include unlimited WordPress sites and unlimited website space. The ‘Premium’ package includes domain privacy and SiteBackup Pro. Furthermore, WP Pro plans are available, which bring additional improvements and features with prices starting at $17.95.
More inexperienced users have reported that the dashboard can be difficult to navigate if you do not know all the terminology.
4. WordPress VIP
Dedicated checking of your code around the clock
WordPress VIP is a fully managed cloud platform. Users of VIP have access to expert guidance, code review and around the clock support.
Users get their own Git repository and ZenDesk account. Once your code is ready, you send it to the VIP team. Experts at VIP go through each line of code in your repository. This can take 4-6 weeks. If any issues are found, they’re raised on GitHub. Once these have been removed the code is transferred to your project and you are online. VIP adhere to strict coding standards.
One of the main attractions of VIP, is their ‘always on’ support. VIP engineers watch for any issues that may arise and fix them proactively on behalf of the client. Once rectified, a report will be sent to you explaining what occurred.
Users will need to contact VIP directly in order to get a quote.
Some users have reported delays with setting up and building sites.
5. SiteGround
Easy setup and excellent support 24 hours a day
SiteGround was founded in 2004. It provides shared hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated servers.
SiteGround lets you choose from one of their four data centers on which to host your website. These are based in the US, Amsterdam, Singapore and the UK.
SiteGround offers users CloudFlare CDN, free SSL certificates and daily backups of their website’s data. All of their shared hosting plans include managed WordPress.
The platform’s customer support includes live chat as well as a phone in option. All support services are available 24/7.
The ‘StartUp’ plan begins at $14.99 (£11.99 for UK) per month ($6.99 for initial payment) which includes one website, 10GB web space and is suitable for 10,000 visits monthly. The ‘GrowBig’ plan for $24.99 (£19.99 for UK) monthly ($9.99 for initial payment) allows for multiple websites, 20GB of web space and is suitable for 25,000 visits. SiteGround’s ‘GoGeek’ plan starts at $39.99 (£29.99 for UK) per month ($14.99 for initial payment) which includes 40GB of web space and is suitable for 100,000 visits monthly. SiteGround do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money back guarantee.
Some users reported issues with being automatically logged out when signing in on multiple devices.
6. DreamHost
Powerful hosting plans to suit any budget
DreamHost is owned by New Dream Network, LLC which was founded in 1996. It’s both a web hosting provider and a domain name registrar.
DreamHost’s ‘Shared Starter’ plan starts at $2.59 (£2) per month. This includes a shared hosting server, 1 WordPress website, unlimited traffic, 1-click SSL certificate, fast SSD storage, 24/7 support and an upgrade to add email.
The ‘DreamPress’ (the managed WP plan) package starts at $16.95 (£12.8). This includes all of what the ‘Shared Starter’ plan has to offer along with 30GB SSD storage, JetPack free preinstalled, daily backups and a few other things.
All of DreamHost’s hosting solutions are a fully managed service.
Inexperienced users have reported issues with getting started.
7. InMotion
Flexible and powerful hosting for those who can afford it
InMotion Hosting is an employee-owned and -operated domain name and web hosting company founded in 2001.
InMotion offers dedicated, shared, virtual private server and WordPress hosting along with several Ecommerce tools.
Their WordPress hosting plans start off at $5.99 (£4.8) per month (for the initial payment and for the 1-year plan) and include one website, 50GB SSD storage and is suitable for 20,000 visitors a month. InMotion have three price plans available and all of them offer unlimited data transfers.
Besides having numerous price plans for each of their hosting options, InMotion have numerous free add-ons, free ecommerce tools and unlimited emails. While they do not have a free trial, they do include a 90-day money back guarantee.
Some users have complained that InMotion is not as competitively priced as other hosting providers.
8. HostGator
Reasonably priced hosting with a range of options
HostGator was founded in 2002. It provides shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting.
HostGator’s Website Builder comes with a handy drag and drop feature. The builder includes a wide range of themes. Some of the features are pre-built to help make the process easier and faster.
HostGator claims that load times for WordPress sites are up to 2.5 times faster when compared to its own shared hosting due to the superior server architecture of its managed WordPress hosting.
The utility offers a WordPress Cloud Interface where you can manage backups, access all your email accounts and other hosting options. You can also allocate server bandwidth from here.
HostGator offer three WordPress cloud hosting plans. The ‘Starter’ plan is currently priced from $5.95 per month for 1 site, 100,000 visits per month, 1GB free backups and a free SSL certificate. The ‘Standard’ plan is on offer from $7.95 per month for 2 sites, 200,000 visits per month, 2GB backups and a free SSL certificate.
HostGator’s ‘Business’ plan is also on offer at $9.95 per month. This includes 3 sites, 500,000 visits, 3GB backups and a free SSL certificate. However, do note that the prices quoted are based on multi-year subscriptions.
According to online commentators, the purchase price for additional domains can be quite steep.
9. 1&1 IONOS
Some fantastic web tools and first-rate customer support
1&1 (called 1&1 IONOS since October 2018) is owned by German company, United Internet. It was founded in 1988. It offers domain registration, cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers.
1&1 boasts excellent customer support and easy to use web creation tools. More inexperienced users might find this provider more suitable to their needs.
1&1’s packages start at $3 (£2 for UK) per month, renews at the same price. This includes 1 WordPress project, 25GB SSD storage, unlimited visitors and managed WordPress. Upon registration, you are offered a domain name free for 12 months. This is only valid upon purchase of any of their plans.
Users that sign up for the ‘Business’ plan receive 2 WordPress projects, 100GB SSD storage and unlimited visitors. This plan starts at $1 (£1 for UK) for the first month and then $7 (£7 for UK) per month thereafter.
The ‘Unlimited’ has a price of $18 (£18 for UK) per month with renewal being the same. It includes unlimited projects and unlimited SSD storage, unlimited databases and email accounts, as well as SiteLock malware protection and RailGun CDN.
Online commentators have complained about long periods of downtime.
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