WordPress is the fastest way to build a website, but hundreds of companies offer services that may all seem similar at first glance before you get started. But their features are not the same, and there are key factors to consider when deciding on the best WordPress hosting for your website.
This article will show you how to choose a more convenient service for your website, and we will examine its best features.
Checklist for hosting services
When looking for the best hosting services for your website, there are a few things you should prioritize (listed below). Because if every web hosting company has these features, it means that it will be a good option.
- PHP version 7 and up
- MySQL version 6/5 and up
- HTTPS support
- WordPress pre-installed or one-click installation
- Internal cache
- Guaranteed to keep the site high
- Support by email, chat, or phone
The first three items on the list may seem a little unfamiliar to you unless you are a developer or have already purchased a host. Hosting companies use servers (like supercomputers) to provide their hosting services. These servers should use the latest version of WordPress without any problems, which according to WordPress.org, is currently at least PHP 7.2 and MySQL 5.6.
WordPress also recommends HTTPS, and we consider that. A good hosting company sells either SSL certificates or allows you to use a free third-party service such as Let’s Encrypt to ensure that users can access your website securely.
We strongly recommend choosing a host that is either fully managed (i.e., WordPress is already installed and maintained for you) or offers easy one-click installation. Although you can also install WordPress manually on hosts, we only recommend this if you are an experienced developer.
Finally, good hosting companies need to provide uptime guarantees and strong support. This means assuring you that 99.9% of the time, your website is up and running, and updates are done in a fraction of the time. Support is also really necessary because if you have a problem, there is someone to guide you at the moment. Good hosting companies have several easy ways to get you in touch with a support technician.
Types of WordPress Hosts
Companies usually offer many plans with different names for hosting services, but here is a summary of the most common types of services.
Shared hosting
This hosting is the most common and cost-effective option that combines multiple user accounts on one server. This means that you share resources such as bandwidth and memory with other users. Such a service is great for novice bloggers, as they will not need a lot of resources when they start and can upgrade later.
Hosted cloud
Cloud hosting provides users with separate virtual servers hosted on the cloud (this includes a network of servers around the world). The advantage of cloud hosting (in theory) is that your website will never be lost because servers in different parts of the world are up and running at any given time. Cloud hosting is also known for its high scalability, as it is very easy to add more resources when needed.
We recommend this option for techies who manage their server settings. However, some companies offer managed cloud hosting, which makes it a good choice for novice bloggers. Because it is scalable, it can be a great option for social media, image sharing, or content-generating websites with high traffic.
VPS hosting
VPS stands for Virtual Private Server. That is, the hosting company uses software to partition digitally. This is a more cost-effective option for having a dedicated server, although it requires advanced technical skills to work because you control the virtual server settings yourself.
For medium-sized blogs or businesses, VPS is a great option. Remember that you have to install WordPress manually on your server and manage all the settings yourself. For this reason, we recommend that you take the time to learn these things or hire a specialist.
Hosting with a dedicated server
This type of hosting provides you with a standalone server that you can rent from a hosting company. In this way, they maintain a physical server for you, but you manage all the settings and software. Although it costs more, you will have complete control, and you can use 100% of the server resources. This feature makes it the best choice for large businesses.
Like VPS, we recommend that you hire an expert to manage your server or spend time learning the various settings, software, and programming languages for your server to work properly. That’s why it’s not a good choice for beginners.
Managed hosts
Managed WordPress hosting is the easiest (and, in our opinion, the best) way to host a WordPress website. Because a managed hosting company completely optimizes the server for WordPress and manages all updates and settings.
Most managed hosts are based on a shared or cloud platform suitable for bloggers, small businesses, product providers, and online portfolios. Good hosting companies also offer fully managed proprietary features for websites and large corporations.
Which hosts should be chosen?
First, determine the purpose of your website. For example, a blog has very different needs than an e-commerce store. Blogs, personal portfolios, or small professional websites are usually lightweight and require fewer large hosts. E-commerce and social media, on the other hand, require a lot of resources and, therefore, a larger and more expensive hosting service.
Also, consider your content. A site with one page works well on small, shared hosts. But a business website with hundreds of pages and a network for private employees will probably work best with a dedicated server.
In addition, traffic plays an important role in your hosting needs. A new website takes some time to reach an audience and increase traffic. Unless you already have a large presence on social media, you can safely start your service from the bottom up and upgrade as your website grows.
Comparison of the top WordPress hosting companies
Although most hosting companies offer similar features, no two companies are exactly alike. Each host has its service, and all the companies we recommend are great for WordPress. Join us to get acquainted with the best options for choosing WordPress hosts and know which one is right for your needs.
Bluehost: Affordable shared hosting
Bluehost is one of the largest hosting providers offering affordable plans with abundant resources, good support, and additional benefits. Features like free domain name, free SSL, free email accounts, and marketing offers with rewards.
Cloudways: Easy to use cloud hosting
Cloud hosting is a flexible way to host your website, but for some users, manually installing WordPress in AWS, Digital Ocean, or Azure is beyond their technical capabilities. This is where Cloudways comes into play. The service supports AWS, Google Cloud, Digital Ocean, Linode, and Vultr cloud hosting platforms. All you have to do is select the right one, but the CMS settings on WordPress and let Cloudways do the configuration process for you. The best Cloudways advantages of working with it. Creating and maintaining your cloud server can be time-consuming, but with Cloudways, you will have dedicated resources ( CPU, RAM, IP, storage). Features include one-click WordPress installation, site simulation, backup, scalability (RAM and storage), multiple databases, and thousands of great plugins (email, console, monitoring, etc.).
Media Temple: Shared and managed to host with VPS
Media Temple is a well-known hosting company that offers a wide range of hosting services and certainly meets the needs of any website. Services include shared hosting for bloggers, managed WordPress hosting for content creators, VPS for professionals, and even dedicated services for businesses requiring additional resources. All Media Temple applications are optimized and work great with WordPress. In addition, they have additional features such as SSD storage, scalable resources, malware scanning, email addresses, quality hardware, and, most importantly, 24-hour support.
Kinsta: Cloud and managed hosting
Kinsta is not just a regular hosting company. They provide Google Cloud Services well managed and optimized, so you as a customer enjoy all the benefits of cloud (fast and secure hosting, virtually no crashes) configured to support WordPress fully. Kinsta also has experts ready to help you with any issues related to running WordPress on cloud servers. Questions about using the Kinsta dashboard? Need some advice on how to scale your hosting plan? Don’t know how to increase your memory limit? Just ask them. Other features include free SSL, free CDN, daily backup, and even free service change.
WP Engine: Excellent managed to host.
When choosing the best WordPress host, WP Engine is highly recommended. They offer only managed hosting services and are excellent at what they do. Their entire hosting platform is based on Line Tech, meaning they have created an optimal environment for WordPress that is customized by design and coding rules. In this way, their servers can evaluate browser requests, balance server load, and integrate cache to scale the requested resources. All of this means that your website can run at maximum efficiency without the need to manage anything server-related. WP engine also provides professional support with WordPress experts 24 hours a day. So even if you need help on holidays, they are available. Other features include:
- Free SSL.
- Support for multiple WordPress sites.
- PHP7 support.
- Even built-in CDNs (for professional applications).
Pagely: Custom enterprise hosting
For large-scale projects, Pagely offers the best web hosting services. This service is not cheap, but it is a great investment in any business. A managed cloud system provides reliable and secure hosting that can easily adapt to your needs. Pagely offers great features, including image optimization, advanced security, universal CDN, internal cache, performance analysis, HTTP2, and PHP7 support. These include, in addition to specific WordPress features such as fully managed updates and WP-CLI.
But note that these services are not the only hosting options available to you. Rather, it is a collection of popular and well-rated companies that have passed the test.
What is the best WordPress host?
Since we can not choose just one, we introduce you to the top two.
In our opinion, WP Engine is the best WordPress host. This has been used a lot, and everyone has had a good experience working with it.
Bluehost is also in second place because it is great for bloggers just starting. They offer affordable services, are easy to set up, have enough resources to upgrade, and offer additional benefits such as domain name and promotional credentials when launching.
Frequently Asked Questions
When researching hosts, many questions may be asked. Here are some very common ones. We hope this helps you make the right decision when choosing the best WordPress host for your website.
– Does WordPress itself have hosted?
WordPress offers its VIP hosting, but it is very expensive. We only recommend it for businesses that need a custom option (for example, if you want to have an online blogging platform, a WordPress-based social network, or a photo-sharing site ).
– How to host your WordPress blog?
To host your blog, you need a service that is purchased monthly or annually from a reputable hosting company. There are hundreds, but they offer similar services such as shared, cloud, VPS, dedicated, or managed to host in most cases.
– Is there a free host for WordPress?
Some websites claim to offer free hosting but usually have few resources, do not guarantee support and maintenance, and cannot be trusted to share personal information.