11 Best WordPress Hosts: Which Providers Present Perfection?
Our independent research projects and impartial reviews are funded in part by affiliate commissions, at no extra cost to our readers. Learn more
Discover the Best WordPress Hosting for Sites of All Sizes
WordPress now powers over 30% of the internet. It’s the most popular (and one of the best) platforms for building websites on. But with a great website comes great responsibility. More specifically, you need a great hosting package to accompany your website.
Step forward WordPress hosting – specially designed for the needs of all WordPress users. In fact, there are two main types of WordPress hosting, to cater for sites of all shapes and sizes. Shared WordPress hosting is ideal for smaller sites, while managed WordPress hosting caters for sites with more advanced needs.
Shared vs Managed WordPress Hosting: An Overview
The main difference between shared and managed WordPress hosting is the level of assistance you receive, and therefore how much it costs. Shared WordPress hosting is cheaper, and you share resources with other websites on your server. With managed WordPress hosting, you pay a little more, but your site’s resources and updates are managed by your host. Most people start out with shared WordPress hosting, and can then consider moving on to managed WordPress hosting later down the line.
Website Builder Expert takes ‘getting online’ very seriously. It’s why we conducted our own, full-scale research project into web hosting. We wanted to know which providers offer the best service, and which ones excelled at certain types of hosting.
In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between shared WordPress hosting and managed WordPress hosting, review each of the top providers, and provide you with a checklist of things you need to host your WordPress site.
Further Information
- Learn more about the Best Overall Web Hosting Providers in our full review.
- Compare the top providers side-by-side in our Web Hosting Comparison Chart.
- Do you need hosting for your blog? Check out our review of the Best Blog Hosting Providers before deciding!
Best WordPress Hosting: Shared
So, what actually is shared WordPress hosting?
Shared WordPress hosting is where your site is hosted on a server that it shares with other sites. You’ll share everything, from bandwidth and storage space to support and security.
Because the hosting is WordPress specific, you get access to useful features like one-click WordPress installs and automated WordPress updates.
This is the cheaper of the two WordPress hosting options, and is best suited to personal sites – such as blogs – or small static sites.
To give you an idea of the type of features available, resource limits, and the costs involved, here’s a side-by-side look at our top six shared hosting providers.
6 Best Shared WordPress Hosts
- Bluehost – best overall WordPress host, starts at $3.95/month
- HostGator – best for uptime, starts at $14.95/month
- GreenGeeks – best for green hosting, starts at $9.95/month
- DreamHost – best for storage space, starts at $4.95/month
- A2 Hosting – best for customer service, starts at $7.99/month
- Hostinger – best for hosting multiple sites, starts at $3.95/month
Shared WordPress Hosts Side-by-Side
| Provider | Bandwidth | Automated WordPress Software Updates | Automated WordPress Plugin Updates | 24/7 Support | Free Backups | Price (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | $3.95 – $5.95 |
| HostGator | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $14.95 – $27.95 |
| GreenGeeks | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | $9.95 – $24.95 |
| DreamHost | Unmetered | Yes | No | No | Yes | $4.95 – $10.95 |
| A2 Hosting | Unmetered | No | No | Yes | Yes | $7.99 – $24.46 |
| Hostinger | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | Yes** | Yes* | $3.95 – $58 |
*Bluehost only offers free backups on its highest priced plan, while Hostinger charges $0.99 per month for backups on its cheapest plan.
** Hostinger’s live chat is only available to users signed into their hosting accounts.
#1 Bluehost ($3.95/month)
Best All-Around WordPress Host
- Uptime guarantee: 99.98%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: Automated software updates, one-click installs, one of only three providers to be recommended by WordPress
Bluehost came top of our WordPress hosting research, and it’s easy to see why. It offers a free domain, backups and SSL security, automated software updates and one-click installs, unmetered bandwidth and storage, and 24/7 support. All of that, at a starting price of just $3.95/month, makes Bluehost impossible to beat. Plans start from $3.95/month.
Bluehost Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| Bluehost Pros | Bluehost Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#2 HostGator ($14.95/month)
Best for Uptime
- Uptime guarantee: 99.99%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: Automated updates, free backups
Bluehost may be the WordPress top dog, but HostGator emerged as the overall best hosting provider from our research. It offers strong plans across the board, and WordPress hosting is no different. Free domain, SSL security and backups, unmetered bandwidth and storage, automated updates, and 24/7 help and support – all its missing is the option to upgrade to managed WordPress hosting. Plans start from $14.95/month.
HostGator Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| HostGator Pros | HostGator Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#3 GreenGeeks ($9.95/month)
Best for Green Hosting
- Uptime guarantee: 99.98%
- Support: Via live chat 24/7, via phone during the day
- WordPress-specific features: Automated software and plugin updates, one-click installs, free backups
One standout feature that sets GreenGeeks apart is its 300% energy commitment – perfect if you’re after environmentally friendly WordPress hosting! Apart from that, it provides a free domain, automatic software and plugin updates, and free backups, so your site will be well looked after. The lack of a managed WordPress plan is a shame, and it’s not the cheapest host on our list, but on the whole GreenGeeks is a solid choice. Plans start from $9.95/month.
GreenGeeks Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| GreenGeeks Pros | GreenGeeks Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#4 DreamHost ($4.95/month)
Best for Storage Space
- Uptime guarantee: 99.95%
- Support: Via phone or ticket, not 24/7
- WordPress-specific features: WordPress-recommended, automated updates, free backups
DreamHost is very up and down with its offerings but, depending on what you need, it may well be perfect for you. There’s automated software updates, but not for plugins; there’s unmetered bandwidth and storage, but no 24/7 help and support. We’d see DreamHost as a provider for those who want a cheap plan and are confident in their own technical ability. Plans start from $4.95/month.
DreamHost Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| DreamHost Pros | DreamHost Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#5 A2 Hosting ($7.99/month)
Best for Customer Service
- Uptime guarantee: 99.95%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: WordPress pre-installed, fast page load speeds
When it comes to A2 and WordPress hosting, its managed plans are far better than its shared ones. Sure, you get unmetered bandwidth, storage, and 24/7 support – but as we’re guessing you’ve seen, these features tend to be commonplace. Having no automated updates is a big flaw, and although there’s an anytime money back guarantee, we’d recommend choosing a provider higher up this list. Plans start from $7.99/month.
A2 Hosting Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| A2 Hosting Pros | A2 Hosting Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#6 Hostinger ($3.95/month)
Best for Hosting Multiple Sites
- Uptime guarantee: 99.97%
- Support: Via knowledge center and tickets, plus 24/7 live chat for users
- WordPress-specific features: Automated software and plugin updates, one-click installs
Although Hostinger has some good perks – it allows 100 websites on its cheapest plan, for example – it struggles to compete against the better providers on our list. It comes with the usual WordPress features, including automatic software and plugin updates and one-click installs. However, its small storage limits let it down – you only get 20GB on its cheapest plan – as well as its serious lack of support options. Plans start from $3.95/month.
Hostinger Pros and Cons: Shared WordPress Hosting
| Hostinger Pros | Hostinger Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Further Information
- Read our Bluehost Review to find out why it’s the best WordPress host
- Discover the Best Cheap WordPress Hosts and compare the best deals in our handy comparison
- Torn between the top two shared WordPress hosts? Our Bluehost vs HostGator lays out their differences clearly.
- Tempted by Hostinger’s cheap pricing? Find out which host is best for you in our Hostinger vs Bluehost comparison
Best WordPress Hosting: Managed
So that’s shared WordPress hosting covered! Now let’s take a look at the best managed WordPress hosts.
While shared WordPress hosting is solely shared hosting, managed WordPress hosting can come in many forms, such as VPS, or dedicated hosting.
The main benefit of opting for managed WordPress hosting is the level of support and maintenance you receive. With shared WordPress hosting, you have to wait around for updates, as you’re on a shared server and not a priority. With managed WordPress hosting, you’ll be seen to right away.
Think of this like a theme park. You have a normal waiting queue, and a fast track. Both are ultimately getting the same thing, but with fast track, it’s quicker, you’re a priority, and the experience is better.
Not only is the experience better for you, it’s also better for your site’s visitors. Managed WordPress hosting comes with faster loading speeds and a higher level of security.
Managed WordPress hosting tends to be used by businesses of any size that need plenty of resources and tight security around customer data.
5 Best Managed WordPress Hosts
- Bluehost– best overall WordPress host, starts at $29.99/month
- A2 Hosting – best for customer service, starts at $24.46/month
- InMotion – cheapest starting price, starts at $8.99/month
- WPEngine – best for help and support, starts at $35/month
- SiteGround – best for reliability, starts at $14.99/month
Using our top five providers as an example, here’s a side-by-side breakdown of some of the features they do (and don’t) offer.
Managed WordPress Hosts Side-by-Side
| Provider | Bandwidth | Automated WordPress Software Updates | Automated WordPress Plugin Updates | No. of Websites | Free Backups | Price (monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | Unmetered | Yes | No | Unlimited | Yes | $29.99 – $59.99 |
| A2 Hosting | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | 1 – Unlimited | Yes | $24.46 – $75.48 |
| InMotion | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | 1 – 20 | Yes | $8.99 – $142.99 |
| WPEngine | 50GB – 400GB | Yes* | No | 1 – 25 | Yes | $35 – $290 |
| SiteGround | Unmetered | Yes | Yes | 1 – Unlimited | Yes | $14.99 – $39.99 |
*WPEngine will only automate core WordPress updates.
#1 Bluehost ($29.99/month)
Best All-Around WordPress Host
- Uptime guarantee: 99.98%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: Automated software updates, one-click installs, one of only three providers to be recommended by WordPress, staging environment to test changes to your site, advanced security
Living up to its billing as the best provider for WordPress hosting, Bluehost again came out on top in the managed WordPress hosting category. Similar to its shared WordPress offerings, you get free backups, SSL security, and domains, automated software updates, unmetered bandwidth and storage, and 24/7 expert support. It’s as close to perfect as you can get. Plans start from $29.99/month.
Bluehost Pros and Cons: Managed WordPress Hosting
| Bluehost Pros | Bluehost Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#2 A2 Hosting ($24.46/month)
Best for Customer Service
- Uptime guarantee: 99.95%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: WordPress pre-installed, fast page load speeds, free backups, free Jetpack license
A2 Hosting’s managed WordPress hosting is far better than its shared service. On top of the unmetered resources and automated updates, you’ll receive 24/7 support, be able to host an unlimited amount of websites (on its top-tiered plan), and qualify for A2’s anytime money back guarantee. Given A2 is renowned for its customer service, though, we’ll doubt you’ll need to use it. Plans start from $24.46/month.
A2 Hosting Pros and Cons: Managed WordPress Hosting
| A2 Hosting Pros | A2 Hosting Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#3 InMotion ($8.99/month)
Cheapest Starting Price
- Uptime guarantee: 99.97%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: WordPress staging environment (for testing site changes), free Jetpack license, free premium subscription for WordPress themes/plugins (included with most plans)
InMotion is famous for its shared and VPS hosting plans. It’s also the cheapest provider if you’re looking for a bargain, and need a cheap managed WordPress hosting package. Automated updates to both software and plugins are a major plus, with unmetered bandwidth and free backups ticking another two boxes. The uptime is pretty good too, at 99.97%. Plans start from $35/month.
InMotion Pros and Cons: Managed WordPress Hosting
| InMotion Pros | InMotion Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#4 WPEngine ($35/month)
Best for Help and Support
- Uptime guarantee: 99.95%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: Core WordPress updates, free backups
If the name hasn’t already given it away, WPEngine is a provider that’s designed specifically for WordPress hosting. It’s pretty expensive in comparison to other providers, but it does a solid job nonetheless. Automated updates, SSL security and free backups are just some of the features you can expect, while its support is some of the best around. Plans start from $8.99/month.
WPEngine Pros and Cons: Managed WordPress Hosting
| WPEngine Pros | WPEngine Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
#5 SiteGround ($14.99/month)
Best for Reliability
- Uptime guarantee: 99.98%
- Support: 24/7 via live chat and phone
- WordPress-specific features: Managed security and updates, free site transfer, daily backups, staging environment (‘test site’)
SiteGround is a nice, cheap, reliable hosting provider. You’ll get the usual: automated updates, free backups and SSL security, and unmetered bandwidth. Storage space is the only let down; SiteGround only offers between 10GB and 40GB depending on your plan. For this reason, we wouldn’t recommend SiteGround for sites with lots of pages or heavy media content.
Regular prices start at $14.99 per month, but with a new user discount SiteGround’s plans start from $6.99/month.
SiteGround Pros and Cons: Managed WordPress Hosting
| SiteGround Pros | SiteGround Cons |
|---|---|
|
|
Further Information
- Do you want a more detailed look at the Best Managed WordPress Providers? Our full comparison looks into the top 8 providers to help you choose.
- Managed hosting is best for business sites. If you’re selling using WooCommerce, why not check out the Best WooCommerce Hosting Providers too?
- Thinking of switching from your current hosting provider? We’ve written a guide to Moving Your WordPress Site to a New Host.
Alternative WordPress Hosting Providers
Given how WordPress dominates close to a third of the internet, it should come as no surprise that there are more options than the eight providers we’ve mentioned.
We’ve listed the top five shared and managed WordPress hosts from our research, but there might still be another provider that’s better suited to your specific needs.
Here are a few more options to mull over:
HostPapa
Far from a spinoff of its pizzeria namesake, HostPapa offers shared WordPress hosting plans that come with all the major things you need. There are no free backups or automated plugin updates, but there is unmetered bandwidth and storage, plus 24/7 support. It offers three plans in total, ranging from $8.99 – $21.99/month.
1&1 IONOS
1&1 IONOS is famed for its website builder first and foremost, but it’s also renowned for offering some of the cheapest hosting deals of any provider. In terms of WordPress hosting, it offers managed plans that come with automated updates, unmetered bandwidth, and a very respectable 99.98% uptime.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy has many strings to its bow. For starters, it’s the world’s largest domain registrar. It too boasts an impressive website builder, and offers managed WordPress hosting. There’s free domains and backups, automated software updates, unmetered bandwidth, and 24/7 support, all starting at the reasonable price of $8.99/month.
Further Information
- Discover if HostPapa is right for you in our full HostPapa Review
- Our detailed GoDaddy Hosting Review walks you through the pros and cons of using GoDaddy
- Should you use 1&1 IONOS? Find out in our 1&1 IONOS Hosting Review
What do You Need to Host WordPress?
The best WordPress hosting provider is not necessarily the same as the best web hosting provider. Different services try to cater to different needs – that’s why so many can co-exist in (relative) harmony.
WordPress has its own set of needs. It recommends a host that supports:
- PHP version 7.2 or greater
- MySQL version 5.6 or greater, OR MariaDB version 10.0 or greater
- HTTPS support
That might sound like a whole lot of not terribly meaningful letters, and it’s not essential that you know about these things inside out, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. With that in mind, here’s what that all means in a nutshell.
PHP is… an open-source scripting language for web development. It can be mixed with HTML, which makes it an excellent liaison between a website and its servers.
MySQL and MariaDB are… database management systems. MariaDB is an offshoot (or ‘fork’, if you want to use the technical term) of MySQL. Think of them both as digital filing systems.
HTTPS is… a means of making a secure communication over a computer network. You can tell if a site’s got one by looking out for the little padlock symbol next to the URL. Most of the world’s largest websites now advocate for HTTPS implementation, Google among them.
All the providers we’ve mentioned come with PHP and HTTPS, so they’re not things you’ll need to factor in when weighing up two hosts in this guide.
Best WordPress Hosts: Conclusion
Deciding which provider you want to host your website isn’t always straightforward. There are many things to consider when searching. One thing we can say with confidence, though, is that WordPress hosting is almost always the best option for WordPress websites.
The whole hosting process becomes a lot simpler, as your plan is designed to make hosting a WordPress site as simple as possible. One-click installs, automated updates, specialist support – it’s all there and readily available.
The main decision to be made, then, is whether to go for shared or managed WordPress hosting. Shared tends to be for personal sites or small businesses, whereas managed is better suited to medium-to-large scale companies, or those who hold customer-sensitive information.
To refresh your memory, here’s the top providers for both, based on our detailed and expert research:
6 Best Shared WordPress Hosting Providers: Recap
- Bluehost – Best All-Around WordPress Host.
- HostGator – Best for Uptime.
- GreenGeeks – Best for Green Hosting.
- DreamHost – Best for Storage Space.
- A2 Hosting – Best for Customer Service.
- Hostinger – Best for Hosting Multiple Sites.
5 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers: Recap
- Bluehost – Best All-Around WordPress Host.
- A2 Hosting – Best for Customer Service.
- InMotion – Cheapest Starting Price.
- WPEngine – Best for Help and Support.
- SiteGround – Best for Reliability.
It’s clear that Bluehost is the best option for anyone looking for a WordPress hosting provider. It has everything you need; from automated updates and one-click installs, to 24/7 specialist support and almost limitless resources.
It’s the standout provider in our books, and is the ideal place to bring your WordPress website to life.
6 Best WordPress Hosts: FAQs
How much does WordPress hosting cost?
The cost of WordPress hosting will vary depending on if you’re on a shared or managed plan. Shared WordPress hosting normally costs between $4 – $20/month, while managed WordPress hosting can be between $10 – $200/month. Most small businesses will pay around $15/month.
What makes a good WordPress host?
A good WordPress host should offer at least some of the features we’ve listed out above, such as automatic software updates, extra security measures, backups, and one-click WordPress installation or free site transfer. As with hosting of any kind, you also want great help and support, and to get good value for money.
What’s the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org?
WordPress.com is a blogging platform that is hosted for you. It’s very similar to a website builder in that everything, including hosting, is incorporated into your monthly bill. WordPress.org is a self-hosted content management system where you may need WordPress hosting.
Do you have to use WordPress hosting with a WordPress website?
No – you can use any type of hosting you please. However, we’d recommend you use WordPress hosting, as it’s designed to make your life easier. Features like one-click installs and automated WordPress updates can save you hours of maintenance work.
Can you host a non-WordPress website with WordPress hosting?
No – WordPress hosting is reserved exclusively for WordPress websites. If your website wasn’t built on WordPress, you can see other types of hosting and our overall top-rated providers here. Alternatively, check out our web hosting comparison chart here for a side-by-side look at the best web hosts.
Website Builder Expert aims to provide you with honest data. That’s why we conduct our own research and obtain direct, personal insight.
3 comments