WordPress is free, open-source software used to build millions of websites of all varieties. There are tens of thousands of free plugins and themes in the WordPress repositories. WordPress is just PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript so any LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) stack can easily be used to host a WordPress site. You can even create WordPress sites on your local computer.
Just because WordPress core is under 5 megabytes, takes less than 5 minutes to install, and runs on LAMP doesn’t mean hosting should be a minor consideration for a “real” website. WordPress extensions are the fun part and hosting is the necessary part, but hosting can also be fun when you understand the benefits of managed WordPress hosting.
Premium WordPress Hosting Providers
Premium WordPress hosting, to me, means one thing – only hosting WordPress sites and doing it well. Since these providers host only WordPress sites, or have separate servers just for WordPress installs, they typically provide managed WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress hosting means different things to different providers, but it definitely means they handle the server administration and optimize it for WordPress. Other features that may or may not be included, depending on the provider:
- Customer support from WordPress specialists, typically ticket-based with optional phone support
- WordPress core (definitely) and/or plugin updates done for you (they won’t let you stay on an old version of WordPress core)
- High-security server settings, including firewalls and certain PHP extensions turned off
- Security-related items like SFTP (not FTP) access, malware detection, updating or removing known vulnerabilities (like the timthumb.php script that’s included in many themes)
- Staging server for each WordPress install, a copy of your Production server to be used for testing and being click-happy
- A black-list of plugins that are disallowed, due to redundant features (like caching plugins) or security concerns
- A white-list of plugins the host likes and supports first-hand
- Backups, lots of backups, including off-site backups
- High-performance server settings, using NGINX and PHP optimizations
- WordPress-friendly shortcuts in the hosting admin panels, like one-click install, one-click backup restore, and quick access to customer support
- Excellent hardware and infrastructure
- CDN usually included, might only be included on upper-level plans
- Minimal downtime, usually with a SLA (service-level agreement, i.e. money-back guarantee)
- Your site never gets taken down, they just charge you more if you go over your bandwidth or page view limits (so feel free to make the news and enjoy tons of publicity)
- Generous trial period or money-back guarantee time period
What’s the big deal?
Do you have a love affair with Host Gator, Bluehost, Dreamhost, or GoDaddy shared hosting? Or does not managing your own VPS or dedicated server(s) give you nightmares?
Whatever side of the spectrum you’re on, I’d recommend premium WordPress hosting with an optional separate server for non-WordPress stuff, if needed. Personally, I use WP Engine. I like that they have funding from Automattic, WordPress.com’s parent company.
Each provider has pros and cons. If you’re considering WordPress MultiSite, make sure to get firm answers on how each sub-site is billed, if at all. Typically, you’ll need an upgraded plan to be allowed to use MultiSite and then each sub-site counts as an additional WP install on your plan.
With any of them, there will be a learning curve because each accomplishes similar things but in their own ways. Undoubtedly, the quality and security of hosting and support is, dare I say, unparalleled.
The Contenders
In no particular order, here’s a list of the best-known Managed WordPress Hosts:
- WP Engine, starting at $29/mo for a single WP install, up to $249/mo for 25
- ZippyKid, starting at $25/mo for 1, up to $100/mo for 10
- Synthesis, starting at $27/mo for 1, up to $300/mo for 5
- Page.ly, priced per site from $24.95/mo to $650+/mo, with each subsequent site receiving a 30% discount from those prices
- WordPress.com VIP, starting at $3,750/mo for SaaS hosting (like the others here). It’s one of those “if you have to ask, it’s too expensive” things. Plus, you apply to host with them and they may or may not choose to accept you even if you have the money. It’s called a “curated” service. They also offer a $15,000/year “VIP Self-Hosted” support plan (i.e. support, not hosting). You can see some of the sites hosted with WordPress.com VIP in the WordPress Showcase.
Did I miss any? Do you have any positive or negative experiences with any of these or other companies providing managed WordPress hosting (i.e. hosting only WordPress sites)? Please share your comment below.
Hey there Clifford!
Great post about the variety of hosting available for WordPress. The industry is growing super fast right now, and there are a ton of different options for everyone. Some folks are die-hard, self-hosting, DIY fanatics, and they usually love having full control of their system to tweak and monitor things on a constant basis. And of course, shared hosts like BlueHost and HostGator are great options for so many sites. Managed Hosting, like WP Engine, ZippyKid, etc, take care of all the management of security, speed, and scalability, and then support the sites with WordPress experts.
We’re building lots of awesome stuff at WP Engine, and host some really cool WordPress sites, including yours. Thanks for the shout-out :-)
-AG
Hi Austin. Thanks for dropping by with your thoughts. My pleasure. :-)
I host my main WordPress site with WP Engine and my site loads superfast.
Couldn’t be happier with the speed and security WP Engine offer especially considering i came from level 4 VPS.
Brad, thanks for sharing your experiences. Why’d you choose WP Engine instead of another provider?
Great article! So far I’ve been using a general hosting provider, Bluehost, because it offered decent pricing for quality resources and because it’s recommended by theme generator, like Lubith. I never thought there would be hosting services specialized on WordPress, that’s great news! It really shows how great the platform is becoming!
Yes, George, the WordPress “industry” is coming into its own, but I’m sure there’s a lot more growth and innovation to come.
I am using pressracks.net and I love them. Live chat support and its not shared hosting. I like cloud better. I have used wpengine and they do rock but they are pricey and pressracks.net is just as good… Zippy kid served my site slow and synthesis was ok. Site was not too fast but they support was good…
This is a great overview of the industry, Clifford. Easily one of the best we’ve seen.
We would just like to add that since this was written, we’ve launched a service called BlogDroid. We’re another alternative to the contenders you mentioned and our prices start at $25 per month for one site.
Thanks for the great article.