If you’re looking into building a website, then you’re probably considering the ever-popular and user-friendly WordPress platform. Utilizing WordPress to build your website allows you to completely customize your site’s look and feel while providing an intuitive backend interface for updating your content and managing your website. If you’re stuck on what host provider you should use to host your WordPress website, though, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the homework for you.
We reviewed dozens of WordPress hosting providers to identify the best of the best. We’ve found the WordPress hosts that excel in security and those that are simple enough for even a beginner to use. We looked at managed and unmanaged hosting providers as well as budget providers for the “just for fun” pages.
For a WordPress hosting provider that will give you full control of your site while managing all the server-side details for you, look no further than WP Engine.
Check PriceIn the course of our research, one WordPress hosting provider stood out among its peers. WP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting with excellent support and security, making it the complete package for most WordPress users.
The 5 Top-Rated WordPress Hosting Providers
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best WordPress Hosting Provider Overall | WP Engine | 4.7 |
| Best Easy to Manage WordPress Hosting Provider | Hostgator | 4.6 |
| Best WordPress Hosting Provider for Beginners | GoDaddy | 4.5 |
| Best Budget WordPress Hosting Provider | Bluehost | 4.8 |
| Best WordPress Hosting Provider for Security | SiteGround | 4.7 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Best WordPress Hosting Provider Overall: WP Engine
WP Engine is specifically designed to host your WordPress website, so you know that you’ll receive a high-quality digital experience, and your website visitors will see equally high performance every time they visit. Your website is backed up automatically each day with your data encrypted at rest and in transit, and WP Engine offers automatic updates and maintenance to enhance performance and security, too.
With a fully-managed content delivery network, which routes local requests to the nearest server, your website will be loaded quickly no matter where in the world it’s accessed. They include SSL certificates in each of their plans, and their security team will monitor and alert you of any potential risk for new or updated plugins. Plus, WP Engine offers a Host Intrusion Prevention System that automatically detects and blocks attacks, keeping your website and its users more secure.
WP Engine Key Features:
- Global support team available 24/7/365
- 35+ themes included
- Managed hosting
Best Easy to Manage WordPress Hosting Provider: Hostgator
HostGator offers an intuitive WordPress Cloud Interface for top-notch usability.
Check PriceBecause of the high-performance and super charged cloud architecture, Hostgator boasts 2.5 times faster load times than its competitors. That means your website cand handle more requests to make it all the more appealing to your users. The WordPress Cloud Interface was designed with usability in mind, making tasks like managing your email accounts simple. Plus, Hostgator offers automatic backups, but if you need to revert to a pre-backup state, you can do that from the control panel with just one click. Need to scale your website to handle more traffic or increased capacity requirements? That’s a single-click effort, too.
Though there are three different plans that vary in the number of average visitors per month, the number of sites, relative compute power, and other features, there are a couple of constants for all the plans with HostGator’s WordPress hosting. No matter how high or low your site’s traffic, you’ll still get a domain and SSL certification included in your plan. So you can check that off your growing list of “to-dos” when starting up a site. All plans offer automatic malware removal, and storage is unmetered across all plans, as well.
Hostgator Key Features:
- Unmetered storage space
- Free migration service
- 3 plans available
Best WordPress Hosting Provider for Beginners: GoDaddy
If you’re not sure where to start on a WordPress hosted website, GoDaddy is an excellent provider to walk you through your site creation and management.
Check PriceGoDaddy offers many customization options, along with access to thousands of free themes and plugins, making it easy for users to create a fully functional WordPress site. It has pre-built sites and a drag-and-drop editor so that even beginners can build a WordPress website with ease. If GoDaddy ends up not meeting your needs, they also offer a money-back guarantee.
There’s a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and the first year of your plan comes with a free business email account, as well as a temporary domain name. GoDaddy’s security team finds and removes malware before it affects your website at all, and each day, your site will be backed up automatically to prevent you from losing any data. You can even restore a file with just one click.
GoDaddy Key Features:
- 24/7 support available
- 1-click migration tool
- 4 plans available
Best Budget WordPress Hosting Provider: Bluehost
If you’re looking for a WordPress hosting provider that won’t break the bank, be sure to check out Bluehost.
Check PriceBluehost holds the distinction of being a hosting provider that WordPress.org actually recommends, and that’s saying a lot. That partnership means that as soon as WordPress releases updates or adds plugins, you’ll have access to it right away. In fact, Bluehost installs WordPress updates automatically to keep your site secure and ensure consistent performance. Once you sign up for your WordPress hosting plan, you’ll install the most up to date version of WordPress, making it easier to get started on the creative aspect of your website. You’ll also get 24/7 support.
This is a shared server, so you can expect the cost to be a bit lower, but Bluehost definitely gives you the best bang for your buck. Though there are dozens of reasons why Bluehost is an excellent choice for a WordPress hosting provider you should go with, we would be remiss if you didn’t mention the price tag – you can get the starter plan for under $3 a month and the most advanced plan for just over $5! No matter how you shake it, this is a superb value.
Bluehost Key Features:
- Free domain for 1 year
- $200 marketing credit included with each plan
- 3 plan options
Best WordPress Hosting Provider for Security: SiteGround
For a WordPress hosting provider that will protect your site and your data with top-notch security, try SiteGround.
Check PriceSiteGround will allow you to migrate your existing WordPress site in just a few clicks with access to their free SiteGround Mitigator plugin, but if you’re not comfortable doing that on your own, they also have a team of experts that will handle the transfer for you. You’ll also maintain access to their support team that mans their help desk 24/7 for any and all problems that come up while you’re managing, customizing, and updating your website.
Where this WordPress hosting provider really shines, though, is their security. If you go with SiteGround, you’ll get a daily backup, a free SSL certificate, and a security team managing your site at the server and application level. You’ll see frequent automatic updates to give you the best protection and a server firewall that provides a barrier between your site and the most common WordPress exploits.
SiteGround Key Features:
- 3 plans available
- SSL certification included
- Daily backups
Who Should Find a WordPress Hosting Provider
If you use WordPress, you’ll need a way to host your WordPress website. There are a variety of different hosts you can choose, but one key detail you’ll need to bear in mind is that you can acquire a domain name without finding a host. You will, likely, need to pick a hosting provider in addition to the domain name. Unfortunately, it isn’t always as simple as a one-stop-shop; you may need to find a way to purchase the domain as well as the host. Just make sure your host is a WordPress hosting provider to get the full benefits. And if you want a fully customized domain, then you’ll need to purchase it, and the hosting.
If you’re wondering why a person would opt for building a site on WordPress, then you’ll want to consider the sheer convenience. Building a website on WordPress is easier than coding a website from scratch, and possibly more important, you won’t need to hire someone to build your site for you. When you choose a WordPress hosting provider, you can take advantage of free templates, plugins, and other tools that make building and customizing your WordPress website even easier. If you’re operating a small business site, then you’ll greatly appreciate the ease of a WordPress hosting provider.
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For a WordPress hosting provider that will give you full control of your site while managing all the server-side details for you, look no further than WP Engine.
Check PriceImportant Features to Consider
A WordPress hosting provider should do several things well. Here’s what to consider when selecting a WordPress hosting provider:
- Managed vs. unmanaged. If you’re not sure you can keep up with your site’s technical needs, then you may want to look into managed hosting that will take care of the ins and outs on the server side. If you want the most control and are comfortable with IT tasks like server management, then you can opt for an unmanaged hosting provider.
- You get what you pay for. You can host your WordPress site for free, but you should bear in mind that will come with several limitations. The biggest limitation you’ll face with free WordPress hosting is that you’ll probably have to deal with shared hosting. This means that you’ll have to share your server with other websites and, for the most part, you can expect to have a cap for your scalability. It also means you may be competing with other sites – sometimes sites with much higher traffic – for your site’s speed and performance. You can find a shared hosting plan that will give you access to a portion of the server allotted entirely to you with VPS hosting. A dedicated server offers the most versatility and best performance, but you should expect to pay a bit more for it.
- Speed. Speaking of speed, you’ll want to consider just how important a site’s speed is when you browse a website. If it takes forever for the next page to load, is it going to hold your visitors’ attention? For this purpose, you may want to look into a WordPress hosting provider that will allow you to have your own piece of the pie, so to speak. That is, even if you’re using a shared server, some hosting providers will still guarantee you a specific speed, that will remain untouched by other sites on the server.
- Uptime. How often does the hosting provider go down? If your users are trying to load your site and it fails to load, you may very well have lost their business forever. Finding a WordPress hosting provider that gives you assurances of 99%+ “uptime,” or time when the site is “up” and accessible, gives you the assurance that your visitors won’t be greeted by page loading errors or gateway timeouts when they try to access your website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is WordPress hosting? What is a WordPress hosting provider?
In the most simple terms, WordPress is a website builder – but you’ll still need to find a way to host your site. It’s by far the most popular website creator, in fact, nearly 40% of all websites on the internet use WordPress, making it the leading content management system, or CMS.
A WordPress hosting provider is just a website hosting provider that’s been optimized to better suit the needs of WordPress websites. It’s designed to complement all of WordPress’s security and performance needs to make your site function at its fullest potential. Many WordPress hosting providers allow you to install WordPress with as little as one click, and you’ll be able to start the process of website customization immediately – and without expert help, too. You can opt for managed or unmanaged WordPress hosting, giving you as little or as much control as you like.
Can I use WordPress without hosting?
Yes and no. You can find two different versions of WordPress: WordPress.com and WordPress.org. The former is a self-hosting CMS, and the latter is the one that you’ll need a host for. For WordPress.com, you’ll have access to a free site and domain name while using WordPress as a CMS – but it will be a sub-domain of the WordPress.com site. That is, you can’t have your own customized domain name; the best you can hope for is for your customized name as part of the domain name. Think of it as renting a room in someone’s house. It may be your space, but it’s not your home. The performance, speed, and uptime are all in the hands of the homeowners.
WordPress.org will allow you to host your site on a server of your choosing (shared or not), and to create your own domain name – customized exactly as you choose. You’ll have far more control over the ins and outs of your website management (even if you choose a managed site), and you’ll be able to customize your site far better and handle higher traffic if you find another host.
What is the difference between web hosting and WordPress hosting?
Generally speaking, web hosting is a shared service where you share a server with multiple other websites or, in some cases, rent a dedicated server to host your website. While some general hosting providers offer WordPress site-building tools and applications, they must also accommodate other platforms, meaning the needs of WordPress websites aren’t the company’s only priority. If you opt for a WordPress hosting provider, you’ll be sharing with only WordPress websites. All optimization, service, and support efforts are tailored to WordPress features, so solutions are designed to maximize the performance of WordPress websites.
Can you use your own domain with WordPress?
Yes, you’ll need to secure your own domain name when building a website with WordPress.org. Once you purchase and register your domain, then you can pick any hosting provider you like. You can use WordPress to create your website as long as you choose a hosting provider that accommodates WordPress. Even if you’ve used a general hosting provider that’s not dedicated to WordPress hosting, you can still switch hosts to better accommodate your WordPress website and maintain your domain name. Keep in mind that if you get a free domain name with a hosting provider, it can be more complex to transfer your domain name if you need to switch hosts.
Other WordPress Hosting Providers We Reviewed
For a WordPress hosting provider that will give you full control of your site while managing all the server-side details for you, look no further than WP Engine.
Check PriceWe looked at 15 other WordPress hosting providers. Even though they didn’t make our 5 best WordPress hosting provider list, they’re the best of the rest and each is still a great option for your website. The information you’ll need to compare each one is included with the listing.
Pay-As-You-Go WordPress Hosting Providers
With A2Hosting, you can choose to save big and create a shared WordPress site, or stick to what you know and allow the professionals to manage it for you.
Key Features:
- Free SSL certificates
- Pre-configured for optimal speed and security
- 7 plans available
Cost: $3-15/monthly
With DreamHost, you can opt to pay for your WordPress hosted site with a monthly fee, or sign up for a 1 or 3-year contract to save big in the long-run.
Key Features:
- Migrate with no downtime
- Free domain included
- 97-day money-back guarantee
Cost: $3-11/monthly
This WordPress hosting provider offers free migrations and SSL certifications and is best suited for the business that operates several sites.
Key Features:
- Managed WordPress hosting
- 3 plans available
- 1-click staging, cloning, syncing, and updating
Cost: $50-300/monthly
If you’re concerned you may lose data, then this WordPress hosting provider’s nightly back-ups will be music to your ears.
Key Features:
- Free domain name for 1st year
- 3 plans available
- Unlimited email accounts
Cost: $3-12/monthly
Hostinger will provide everyone with a website the exact product they want – whether you’re a beginner or professional.
Key Features:
- Free SSL certificate
- Managed WordPress
- 4 plans available
Cost: $2-12/monthly
You will get plenty of bang for your buck, whether you’re creating your first blog or operating a big-time enterprise, with the managed WordPress site from inMotion.
Key Features:
- Managed hosting and migration
- 24/7 support team
- 14 plans available (or customize your own plan!)
Cost: $5-530/monthly
With 99% uptime and “blazing fast” load time for your site’s pages, ionos is one way to ensure you have a high-performing page.
Key Features:
- 24/7 support
- Free Wildcard SSL Certificate
- Included domain for 1 year
Cost: $1-15/monthly
With a WordPress site hosted by iPage, you’ll have unlimited bandwidth and storage so you’ll easily be able to load your pages and store what you need.
Key Features:
- Pre-installed themes and plugins
- 1-year domain registration included
- 24/7 WordPress support
Cost: $4-8/monthly
With a 99.9% uptime guarantee, you’ll spend far less time wondering what happens if your site goes down.
Key Features:
- 24/7 tech support via chat
- 1-click install of WordPress
- Unmetered bandwidth and storage
Free WordPress Hosting Providers
If you’re not sure exactly what kind of traffic you’ll have, then you may want to start with a zero-cost host to gauge your market.
Key Features:
- 99% uptime guarantee
- 24/7/365 support
- 3+ GB bandwidth
Cost: $0-3/monthly
Probably the biggest selling point on this WordPress host provider is that if you sign-up for a free plan, you won’t ever need to provide a credit card.
Key Features:
- 24/7 support
- 25+ email accounts
- 2+ GB storage
Cost: $0-6/monthly
Though this hosting provider was not specifically designed with WordPress in mind, it can absolutely handle the installation and use, and should you have any problems, they also provide 24/7 support.
Key Features:
- No ads
- Free tech support and community access
- 5+ GB disk space
Cost: $0-40/monthly
With Freehostia, you’ll be able to create a WordPress site with no ads that you can scale with your traffic and needs.
Key Features:
- 5 hosted domains
- 3 email accounts
- 1-click application installer
Cost: $0-65/monthly
This WordPress hosting provider boasts that it can build its clients’ websites in half the time of its competitors and that’s certainly appealing.
Key Features:
- 99% uptime
- Unlimited disk space and bandwidth
- Free migration
Cost: $0-7/monthly
If you’re concerned about the security of a free hosting provider, WordPress.com offers a pre-installed SSL certificate on each of its plans.
Key Features:
- 5 plan options
- Dozens of custom themes available
- Easy scalability
Cost: $0-45/monthly
