Managing a WordPress website requires a lot of time and energy. Users will have to take care of everything from content and marketing to design and social media. Before you come around to enhancing other elements of the site, you have to ensure your WordPress website is running smoothly. To ensure smooth operations, you will need a managed WordPress hosting. Having a managed hosting is similar to having your own personal tech team. Without a managed hosting, you will have to ensure everything is configured correctly. This will add a lot more work to your daily routine and can be a headache to maintain as well.
But with a managed WordPress hosting all the backend operations are managed by the provider. Thus, your sites will be faster and will never crash. Since every downtime, slow operation, and crash cost you money, having a managed hosting will be extremely beneficial for your website. Every small issue will be resolved quickly and you will save a lot of money with maximum uptime. Even though managed WordPress hosting costs more than shared hosting solutions. But, users will get a lot of major benefits by choosing this option. Improved page load speed and professional maintenance are only some benefits of managed hosting. You will find several managed hosting providers in the market, and we have put together a list of the top options to make this decision easier for you.
1. WP Engine
WP Engine has set the bar quite high in the market. They are the first company to offer managed WordPress hosting. Since they have optimized every aspect of their service for WordPress, you can expect the best services from them. When users choose WP Engines as their hosting partner, they will experience enhanced security performance and speed. Even though the price of WP Engine services is higher than the others. But you will get support from some of the most talented teams in the world. Customers can simply make a request about the issue and the support team will get it done. They offer a range of other features that can be an added benefit for your site maintenance.
WP Engine runs on Google Platform which allows you to make the most of Google’s resources. Since it is running on Google’s global network, you will get a fast and reliable website. This managed WordPress hosting also lets you enable a CDN (Cloud Delivery Network) to boost the loading speed of your page. They offer a built-in CDN in all of their hosting plans, users can make the most of it to speed up their WordPress sites. Since they have partnered with other companies like Cloudflare, Let’s Encrypt, AWS, you will have the framework to support the latest technology on your website. You can find the plans starting at $25 per month for their Startup plan. However, with more premium plans you will get more resources and will be able to host more sites.
Notable Features of WP Engine
- Single sign-on authentication
- SSH Gateway
- Automated SSL certificates
- Development and staging environments
- 55,000 WordPress plugins
- Evercache
- Testing and debugging tools
You can also get access to a number of packages. They offer a wide range of plans, and users can select depending on the number of sites they want to host. You can choose from the four following plans
- Managed Hosting
- Managed Hosting PLus
- Ecommerce Hosting
- Secure Hosting
This range of plans gives you the option to choose. Companies with complex websites will have access to a variety of tools within their premium packages. Thus, if you are looking for a managed WordPress hosting provider with advanced features and complete support, WP Engine can be a reliable choice.
2. Bluehost
Bluehost is another fantastic managed WordPress hosting option. Unlike WP Engine, they offer a balance between features and value. Thus, users can experience a range of advanced features at a competitive price. You can choose from their variety of plans depending on your needs, and they will get your needs covered. Bluehost is one of the best options for users who are just developing new sites. With them, you can take care of everything and ensure your site performs well. If you have been managing your site for a long time, but are now looking for a managed WordPress hosting, Bluehost will meet you right in the middle. Their services are at par with accepted standards, and they are even recommended by WordPress itself.
They offer complete customer support, so if you face any issue while setting up. You can simply let the support team know, and Bluehost will resolve your issue in no time. With this hosting provider, you will get a faster loading speed, increased security, and better performance as well. Bluehost has dedicated servers and also offers in-house caching systems that will give your site an edge in performance. Their specific features will be enough for simple users and allow them to handle high traffic on the website. You can set up a beautiful WordPress website using their tools. You can also install plugins to increase your site’s performance. We would recommend checking out CloudInnovare, this plugin can boost your site performance. And can be used for caching purposes, CSS minification, Javascript minification, and image optimization.
Notable Features of Bluehost
- Daily backups
- Site staging
- Free SSL for all sites
- Sitelock malware detection and removal
- Automatic updates
- Global CDN
- Malware detection and removal
- Free domain name for one year
Bluehost offers 3 times more storage than its competitors WP Engine and Kinsta. They also offer a range of additional support features to their customers. You can also access tools for SEO, Paypal integration, video compression, etc. In addition to all this, you can check out the Bluehost affiliate program to earn side income as well.
3. Kinsta
Kinsta is a more premium managed WordPress hosting solution. They are primarily used and trusted by big businesses and large websites. If your website sees large traffic or has high availability, then Kinsta will be the right option for you. Similar to WP Engine, Kinsta is also built on a Google Cloud platform. However, Kinsta houses each site in its own container, and this is the major difference between Kinsta and WP Engine. This option allows the benefits of better stability and security. Since each container is isolated, it is capable of running on its own. Also, upgrading your plan becomes so much easier with this technology. With KInsta you will get the container setting by default. But with other solutions like WP Engine, you will have to ask for it specifically.
Kinsta is an intuitive managed WordPress hosting platform. Thus, it will automatically fine-tune your database to match the need of your website. The database is optimized each week to ensure better and more optimized performance. However, you cannot get phone support from them. But they still provide good customer support and assist them during the setup process and whenever they face a query. With Kinsta you will not be allowed to use caching plugins on your website. They have a built-in caching which works better than any third-party plugin. Thus, users will not have to do caching themselves, as it will be managed with zero effort. Users will also get the benefit of KInsta self-healing technology. Under this, it checks the status of your PHP service every minute. And when it is down Kinsta will automatically try to start it back.
Notable Features of Kinsta
- Staging Environment
- Muli-site and multi-user support
- SSH access
- Application performance monitoring
- Automatic daily backup and on-demand backup
- Malware removal
- Free SSL certificates
- Site cloning
Users can choose from the range of plans they offer. Since it is a premium managed WordPress hosting solution, users will have to pay more when compared to other hosting providers. You can also sign up for premium migration. Where you sign the form and Kinsta engineers will take care of the migration with zero downtime.
4. SiteGround
SiteGround provides all types of hosting solutions and dedicated servers to their customers. Their managed WordPress hosting solution is considered one of the best in the market. Users can choose from six data centers to host their website. Their data centers are based in Iowa (USA), London (UK), Sydney (Australia), Eemshaven (Netherlands), Singapore (Asia), and Frankfurt (Germany). They offer a range of benefits to the users and provide complete support to all its customers. You can connect with their support team via phone, live chat, or email. They offer 24/7 support and can help you with any simple or advanced issue. Their managed WordPress hosting is the most cost-effective on this list. So, if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, SiteGround is the best.
Their services are considered perfect for both new website owners and experienced developers. They have an easy-to-use interface that allows the new owners to customize their website however they want. In addition to that, there advanced features like Git integrations and staging areas allow the developers to make most of their hosting experience. Their plans are priced in such a way that everyone can find an ideal solution for their website. You can find plans ranging from basic to premium and can support one or more websites. Although they do not offer a free trial, you will still get a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Notable Features of SiteGround
- Git Integration
- CDN
- Staging Environment
- Free backup and restore features
- Multiple websites via a single account
- SSD drives
- Free PCI compliance.
- 24/7 support
- Free SSL for all plans
Their plans start from a nominal $7.99. It is a basic plan suitable for new users. You can also get more advanced plans that offer more geeky features at $14.99. Thus, you can try the platform for a nominal price, and they also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee. So, if you are not satisfied, you can renounce your plans and get the money back.
5. Flywheel
Flywheel’s managed WordPress hosting solution is preferred by developers all over the world. Their IT environment is configured perfectly to provide the best WordPress performance. Similar to WP Engine and Kinsta it is also built on Google Cloud. This is why it can deliver better availability and uptime. Thus, you will never have to worry about your website’s speed or loading time. This platform allows access to a CDN, full-page caching, and Flycache their caching engine. Thus, you will not have to do as much effort to keep your site optimized. FlyCache refresh automatically ensuring your visitors will only see the latest content. Since all of this will happen behind the curtain, you will experience a fast and optimized site on the front.
You can design an appealing website with this managed WordPress hosting. You will have access to more than 30 themes that are included with every plan. Thus, you can choose your preferred theme and customize it according to your preference. Users can also create a new site for free, and stage it up for 14 days. They will only pay when the site goes live. This allows the team to get an idea about their site before launching it or making it live. Also, you acn purchase the extra site at any time for $20, without upgrading to a different plan. Flywheel offers a range of exciting features which allow you to show your site to potential customers as well.
Notable Features of Flywheel
- Malware detection and removal
- Staging environment
- Nightly backups
- SSH gateway
- Free SSL for every site
Pricing Flywheel is also flexible when compared to other managed WordPress hosting solutions. This is one of the primary factors that make this solution more appealing to the developers. Their plan offers complete control to WordPress developers without burning a hole in their pockets.
Final Words
You can find a range of managed WordPress hosting solutions in the market. Finding the best one among them can be a bit overwhelming. To make the right choice, you should first assess your website and your requirements. Doing this will help you limit your search and shortlist providers that offer similar solutions. Most of the managed WordPress hosting providers offer a range of features that allow you to establish a speedy website and scale your business with the best SEO tools.
Most developers prefer to go with WP Engine. Since this solution offers the best services and can make all your issues disappear with its advanced features and exceptional support. Their goodwill and reputation in the market make them a top choice on everyone’s list. However, Bluehost can be a tough competition and is especially recommended to new users. In the end, choosing the right managed hosting solution is your choice, and we trust you will make the right one. If you enjoyed reading this article, you should also check out our other one about How to Choose the Best Blogging Platform in 2021 (Compared). Keep checking our blog for more interesting articles like this. Happy reading!