How to Get WordPress Hosting
WordPress is an uber-popular content management system that powers more than 32 percent of the world wide web. Its success is understandable; WordPress is easy to use, and it boasts an incredible library of themes and plug-ins that enhance your site in many ways. In fact, WordPress is the foundation for millions of websites, from personal pages to big brand online destinations, such as Bloomberg and The New Yorker. If you're thinking about building a website and don't want to code it from scratch, WordPress is the way to go.
Most web hosts offer some form of WordPress-specific service, be it an optimized or a managed environment. Both types boast platforms specifically designed for WordPress. In each, the CMS comes preinstalled, so you don't have to download and set up a WordPress installation as you'd do when using a traditional web hosting environment.
The four templates, according to Comp. TIA, include: Comp. TIA Managed Services Agreement – For use by companies providing software- as- a- service, cloud computing, data management, website development or hosting, network monitoring or other services to customers. Web hosting can be complicated and difficult for non-technical people to understand, so reading and understanding the fine print is a must. At the WordPress level, for instance, some hosts may tout automatic updates, free backups, expert support, and malware and virus scanning tools as special managed services.
Note that we're speaking here of the WordPress.org CMS that acts as the foundation for your self-hosted website, not WordPress.com. The latter CMS has more in common with website builders than traditional website hosting. In effect, WordPress.com is a turnkey (and more limited) WordPress solution, whereas the services in this roundup offer a vastly more flexible (and labor-intensive) DIY approach.
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Depending on the web host, you can enjoy a huge variety of site-friendly features, including automatic data backups, page caching, and automatic CMS updates. Note that some web hosts restrict a short list of plug-ins that may duplicate features already built into the optimized or managed setup or negatively affect your site's performance.
Managed WordPress builds upon optimized WordPress hosting in a few key areas. Your website will be assigned a customer support squad that isn't just super-knowledgeable in all things WordPress, but one that also ensures that you don't have to ever worry about going into your site's back end to do anything other than create content. Managed WordPress hosts typically offer site-staging for posts and pages so that you can test them before they go live, automatic malware detection and removal, and enhanced security, too.
It's important to understand that the dividing line between optimized WordPress and managed WordPress can be quite thin, and also that each site may have its own slightly different definitions for the two terms. You should contact a web host's customer support team to learn the specifics of its WordPress hosting.
WordPress Pricing and Features
WordPress hosting prices are all over the map. Entry-level plans should cost roughly the same as shared web hosting, but higher-tier plans can scale upward to around $60 per month. The upside? Your WordPress installation should run more smoothly and setup should be easier in a WordPress environment than in a traditional hosting environment. In addition, going the managed WordPress route may save you money in the long run, as it might save you the cost of hiring a system administrator to perform the same tasks. This can be particularly beneficial to small businesses.
Before you sign up for a WordPress web hosting service, you should look for these attractive—and possibly essential—features. Ideally, you'll want to invest in a WordPress host that provides unlimited monthly data transfers, email, storage, and 24/7 support. Many WordPress web hosts that place caps on those features, particularly on the managed side of things. WP Engine, for example, limits sites to 400,000 visitors and a relatively paltry 30GB of storage. If you expect lots of site growth, you'll want a host that can properly accommodate your website's future expansion.
Additionally, you'll want a service that offers Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) if you plan to sell products. Ever see a green padlock in your browser's address bar while you're on your bank's website? That's the symbol that tells visitors that SSL is in place. It's a symbol of trustworthiness.
Update Services Wordpress List 2018
An SSL connection encrypts the data that travels between your site and users' web browsers, thus safeguarding the transmission of purchasing information. All the WordPress hosting services in this roundup offer SSL certificates, but the prices vary from company to company. Some companies include a free SSL certificate when you sign up for a hosting plan, while others charge close to $100.
Naturally, your web hosting needs will differ from the next person's, but keep these features in mind if you want a silky smooth WordPress experience.
The Importance of Uptime
Wordpress Themes
The aforementioned features are valuable to the web hosting experience, but none can match the importance of site uptime. If your site is down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your blog or your products or services. Potential new customers may miss your site altogether, and existing customers may go elsewhere out of frustration or confusion.
We've added uptime monitoring to our review process, and the results show that most web hosts do an excellent job of keeping sites up and running. Web hosts with uptime issues cannot qualify for inclusion among the best services in the field, no matter how solid the rest of their offerings are.
Do You Need WordPress-Specific Hosting?
If you're planning to create a WordPress-powered site, there's no reason not to invest in WordPress-specific hosting. It's chock full of benefits. That said, a WordPress environment won't allow you to set up a non-WordPress site—that's something else to keep in mind, especially if you have a site in mind that will rely on specific frameworks, for example. In such instances, you'll want to go build your site on shared hosting, VPS hosting, or dedicated hosting services. And, if you want to start your own web hosting company, reseller hosting is the way to go.
You also need to consider how long you'll need WordPress web hosting. If it's a short-term project—say, less than a month or two—you'll typically receive a refund should you cancel your hosting within 60 days. Some companies offer 30-day money-back guarantees, while others offer 90-day money-back guarantees. Once again, it's beneficial to do your homework.
We've reviewed many WordPress hosting services aimed at individuals and small businesses, and included our favorites this guide. The chart above, which includes traditional web hosts that offer WordPress hosting and dedicated WordPress services, gives you a quick overview of the features you can find with each service. If you want a more in-depth look at those WordPress hosting services, read the full reviews, linked below.
Deluxe Managed Wordpress Websites
If you're just getting started with web hosting, make sure to check out our primers, How to Get Started With WordPress, How to Create a Website, and How to Register a Domain Name for Your Website.
Best WordPress Web Hosting Services Featured in This Roundup:
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HostGator Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $10.95Pros: A variety of feature-packed hosting plans. Excellent shared hosting offering. Good for novice webmasters. Useful site-building software. Good customer service. Outstanding uptime.
Cons: No Windows-based VPS hosting.
Bottom Line: HostGator is an excellent web hosting service that's simple to use and offers an array of useful plans for consumers and small businesses. It's our top pick for shared web hosting and for novice webmasters in general.
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Hostwinds Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.50Pros: Terrific uptime in testing. Excellent dedicated, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. Good customer service. Minecraft server hosting.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option.
Bottom Line: Hostwinds is an excellent web hosting service that has the tools you need for building attractive, functional websites. It's a top choice overall, and VPS and reseller hosting plans are particularly strong.
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AccuWeb Hosting Review
MSRP: $3.36Pros: Stellar uptime. Excellent dedicated hosting plans. Good customer service. Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers.
Cons: Lacks unlimited email with Windows accounts. No month-to-month shared hosting plans.
Bottom Line: AccuWeb Hosting has many useful features, including terrific uptime, customer service, and server options, but its excellent dedicated hosting plans are where this web host truly excels.
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A2 Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress. Excellent customer service. Terrific uptime. Good money-back refund plan.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option. Relatively expensive.
Bottom Line: Packed with features, A2 is a web hosting service that's more than worthy of being the foundation for your website, especially if you're looking to use WordPress.
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DreamHost Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.95Pros: Strong security features. Extensive domain-management tools. Excellent cloud hosting offerings. Unlimited data transfers per month. Generous money-back guarantee. Useful WordPress staging feature.
Cons: No Windows-based servers. No true reseller hosting plans. No telephone support.
Bottom Line: DreamHost boasts outstanding features that should satisfy most expert users, and a new easy website builder tool makes the web host more welcoming to newbies as well.
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Liquid Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $59.00Pros: Excellent dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages. Prorated VPS plans. High-end specs. Terrific customer service and uptime in testing.
Cons: Lacks shared hosting plans. Expensive.
Bottom Line: Liquid Web is expensive and lacks shared Web hosting, but it's a flexible, feature-packed online host with outstanding customer service.
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1&1 Ionos Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Excellent customer support. Dependable uptime in testing. Offers basic and advanced hosting packages. Linux- or Windows-based servers. Easy-to-use website creation tools.
Cons: Lacks reseller hosting plans. Relatively skimpy storage options.
Bottom Line: Web hosting service 1&1 Ionos has rich website-creation tools and excellent customer support options. It's particularly good at large-scale cloud hosting, for which it wins an Editors' Choice.
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WP Engine Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $35.00Pros: Excellent uptime. Good customer service. Daily backups. Real-time threat detection. Useful Staging Area. Choice of either Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform cloud hosting.
Cons: Limited phone support for Startup plan customers. Doesn't come with email. Doesn't sell domains.
Bottom Line: Excellent uptime, reliable customer service reps, and platform flexibility make WP Engine more than worthy of hosting your WordPress pages, even if you're running an enterprise-class site.
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FatCow Web Hosting Review
MSRP:Pros: A wide array of hosting types. Strong uptime. Excellent customer service.
Cons: No Windows-based servers.
Bottom Line: Web hosting service FatCow is stable in our testing and has top-notch support. It's particularly good at shared and WordPress hosting.
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GoDaddy Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Excellent 24/7 customer support. Windows- and Linux-based servers. Email tightly integrated into Microsoft apps. Managed WordPress hosting.
Cons: No cloud hosting. Skimpy default email plans.
Bottom Line: GoDaddy has evolved into a mature and flexible web hosting provider that offers a slew of tools and services to help satisfy most website needs.
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