If you have made the wise decision to choose WordPress for your website, the next task on your to-do list will be to find the perfect WordPress web host.
WordPress hosting provides the server space and technology your WordPress site needs to be accessible online. During your search, you may have seen phrases like “WordPress hosting,” “managed hosting,” or “self-hosted WordPress.” This can be confusing when you’re just starting out. In this article, I’ll explain the different hosting options, including managed hosting and self-hosted WordPress, and provide recommendations to help you choose the right solution.
What is WordPress hosting?
WordPress hosting is an optimised form of web hosting specifically designed to meet the security and performance needs of WordPress. This type of hosting setup usually includes one-click installs and advanced features if you opt for managed hosting which makes it very easy for beginners to get started with WordPress.
Why do I need WordPress Hosting?
It is true that a wide variety of hosts are technically able to handle WordPress; however, not all hosts are equal or well-equipped to host WordPress websites.
Many website owners who use optimised WordPress hosting have expressed a higher level of satisfaction with their hosts across a vast array of metrics, including:
Better Performance: WordPress Hosting optimises your site’s software, hardware, and network to enhance its performance and ensures that it excels past that of websites hosted by standard web hosts.
Enhanced Security: WordPress hosting will disable most or all of the usual unnecessary services that commonly run on a server leaving only the services that are essential for WordPress to run as smoothly and securely as possible. Most WordPress hosting companies will include highly advanced firewalls that are specifically configured for optimal security.
Types of WordPress Hosting
There are primarily three types of WordPress Hosting; shared WordPress hosting, managed WordPress hosting and do-it-yourself hosting. Let’s look at these options in more detail.
Shared WordPress Hosting
This is the most basic and affordable WordPress hosting option. Your website shares server space and resources with other sites on the same server. The hosting provider manages everything for you, including WordPress installation, software updates, and security. This requires little technical skill, but you will have to keep on top of simple maintenance tasks yourself such as keeping theme and plugins updated.
Recommended shared WordPress web hosts:
Read our Guru hosting review and our 20i hosting review
Managed WordPress Hosting
If shared WordPress hosting is a standard 3-star hotel, managed WordPress hosting is a five-star resort with a beach and a cabana!
This is a step up from shared hosting. Your site gets its own resources and you get tailored support for WordPress. The hosting provider actively manages and optimises the servers and WordPress for performance, security, and scalability, some even keep themes and plugins updated for you. This option costs more but provides faster load times, the ability to handle more traffic, and expert WordPress technical support.
Recommended managed WordPress web hosts:
Explore the Best managed WordPress hosting companies
Self-Hosted WordPress
Self-hosted WordPress or DIY hosting is an advanced do-it-yourself approach where you rent a virtual private server (VPS) or dedicated server, install WordPress yourself, and manage everything. This provides full control and flexibility but requires technical expertise. Recommended for experienced users with high-traffic or complex sites or for those looking for speed and performance without having to pay managed hosting prices. Service providers like DigitalOcean, Linode, Amazon LightSail and Vultr offer affordable cloud VPS plans.
In addition to the benefits mentioned above, DIY hosting also allows you to utilise SaaS cloud hosting control panels. These control panels fully manage your virtual servers, eliminating the need to pay someone to configure and maintain your servers. They also streamline WordPress deployment with lightweight, pre-configured server stacks containing everything your WordPress site requires.
Typical features of SaaS cloud hosting control panels include backups, free SSL, WordPress optimisation, caching, staging environments, security, and numerous other features and developer tools. These make managing your WordPress site easy and convenient.
Recommended SAAS WordPress cloud control panels:
Read more about WordPress cloud control panels
Takeaway
The best type of WordPress hosting depends on your goals, budget, traffic levels, and technical abilities. I recommend starting with shared hosting and upgrading as your site grows. Managed WordPress hosting is ideal if you want a hassle-free experience. Self-hosted is great if you are very tech-savvy.
This article has provided an overview of WordPress hosting and explained the differences between shared, managed, and self-hosted options. With this information, you can determine the best WordPress hosting approach for your website needs and budget.
Some key takeaways:
- If you have a busy website look for hosts using enterprise-grade infrastructure from Google Cloud or AWS.
- Ensure they offer essential WordPress-specific features like staging, auto-updates, and managed backups.
- Check reviews and reputation for the quality of customer support.
- Consider your budget and traffic needs to choose the right plan tier.
- Top providers like Kinsta, WPEngine, Cloudways excel in optimising hosting for WordPress.
- For very high-traffic sites, enterprise providers like WordPress VIP provide dedicated enterprise-grade hosting and support.
With the right WordPress host, you can stop worrying about the infrastructure and focus on creating great content and growing your site.