Before you get to build your website, you’ll need to acquire web hosting first. As your chosen web host will have a significant impact on website performance, it’s important to go with a reliable hosting provider from the very beginning.
With tons of options on the market, choosing the best WordPress hosting company can be challenging. Many hosting providers are claiming to be the best, but there’s no guarantee you won’t end up with a disappointing service. The last thing you want is to jeopardize your website’s launch.
This article will review the performance of the 21 most popular WordPress hosting companies. I have tried every one of them for a year, so I’ll be speaking from first-hand experience. Feel free to check out my video
I also tested web hosting companies and here are my results
First, let’s see my picks for the best WordPress hosting providers that are worth checking out.
Notable features: nightly backups, LiteSpeed web server, and a dedicated knowledge baseCons: only offers shared hosting, managed cloud hosting, and reseller hostingPricing: $2.42-$9.58/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5NameHero 90-day web hosting test
The cloud-based WordPress hosting services are divided into four plans for $2.42-$9.58/month . Each WordPress hosting plan includes a free SSL certificate, LiteSpeed web server, Cloudflare Content Delivery Network (CDN), one-click WordPress installer, and nightly or weekly backups.
NameHero’s most popular plan, Turbo Cloud ($8.98/month ), comes with a free domain name, free premium SSL, enhanced WordPress security, and NVMe storage.
Resource-wise, NameHero offers unlimited bandwidth, parked domains, sub-domains, and email accounts. If you’re familiar with cPanel, you’ll feel right at home with NameHero’s hosting panel. In addition to the dedicated knowledge base, 24/7 support is also available via phone, live chat, and email.
During my one-year performance test, NameHost’s average load time was 770 ms while the average server response time was 530 ms. It had 99.85% uptime.
All in all, NameHero WordPress hosting offers excellent value for your money. Therefore, I highly recommend it for users wanting to launch a WordPress site at a low starting cost.
Notable features: multiple cloud hosting providers, staging environment, and auto-healing serversCons: steep pricing plansPricing: $12-$274.33/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Unlike most hosting companies, CloudWays
DigitalOcean, with plans for $12-$96/month , scored average load and server response times of 664 ms and 578 ms respectively, with 100% uptime. The base plan offers 1 GB of RAM, 25 GB of storage space, and 1TB of bandwidth.
Despite achieving 100% uptime, Linode had the slowest performance of the five options. The average load time was 2.96 seconds, with the server response time averaging 387 ms. The pricing plans, ranging between $12-$90/month , provide similar specs to DigitalOcean.
Vultr had an average load time of 704 ms. Its average uptime and server response time were identical to Linode. Interestingly, Vultr offers more storage space for $13-$100/month .
The ever-so-popular AWS averaged 1.46 seconds of load time and 338 ms of server response time, being up 100% of the time. The only downsides are its steep starting costs and smaller bandwidth. AWS hosting options cost between $36.51-$274.33/month .
Google Cloud’s average load time was 1.58 seconds, while the average server response time was 369 ms. With 100% uptime and similar resources to AWS, its hosting plans cost between $33.18-$225.93/month .
All hosting plans include a free SSL certificate, automated backups, unlimited application installation, and team management features. Security-wise, CloudWays provide dedicated firewalls, auto-healing servers, and 24/7 live chat support.
With plenty of cloud providers to choose from, CloudWays is an ideal solution for WordPress users looking for scalability.
Notable features: 30-day money-back guarantee, Jetpack license, and free site migrationCons: higher renewal pricesPricing: $1.99-$11.59/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Hostinger
Hostinger’s managed WordPress hosting plans, costing between $1.99-$11.59/month , come with a free SSL certificate, LiteSpeed Cache, WordPress optimized servers, and Cloudflare protected nameservers. Free website migration services are available with the assistance of WordPress specialists.
Its most popular plan WordPress Starter includes a free domain name, Google Ads credit, and unlimited FTP accounts. You’ll also get access to 100 GB of SSD storage space, WordPress multisite support, unlimited databases, and the ability to host up to 100 WordPress websites.
Hostinger averaged 1.68 seconds of load time and 216 ms of server response time during our performance test. It had 99.99% annual uptime.
When it comes to support, Hostinger takes the cake. Its customer support team is not only accessible 24/7/365 via live chat and email but is also available in multiple languages. The web host also has a dedicated knowledge base and a massive collection of WordPress tutorials.
If you’re looking for cost-effective WordPress hosting with excellent support, Hostinger is worth checking out.
Notable features: free site migration, Imunify360 security solution, and DDoS protection Cons: outdated user interface and an inconvenient WordPress installation processPricing: $5.98/month and $9.98/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Despite being one of the oldest web hosting providers on the market, KnownHost
KnownHost has two managed WordPress hosting plans ‒ Entry Level WP ($5.98/month ) and Business Level WP ($9.98/month ). The only difference is that the latter comes with more SSD storage space and accommodates up to 200,000 monthly visitors.
Both WordPress hosting solutions come with unlimited email accounts, free SSL, Imunify360, and complementary DDoS protection. In addition to the knowledge base and community forums, 24/7 support is also accessible via a ticket system.
KnownHost’s average load time was 1.16 seconds, while the average server response time was 763 ms. It delivered an impressive 99.97% uptime. The use of LiteSpeed Cache and web server most likely contributed to this great performance.
That said, keep in mind that both plans only support one WordPress website. Some standard features like CDN integration and staging environment are also missing.
If you have no issue with these limitations, KnownHost may be the right WordPress hosting solution for you.
Notable features: staging environment, Jetpack license, and pre-installed WordPressCons: complicated billing and backend interfacesPricing: $12.99-$43.99/month (3 years)Overall rating: 4/5A2 Hosting
The provider has three managed WordPress hosting plans at prices between $12.99-$43.99/month for three years . The base plan, which allocates 10 GB of storage space, can only host one WordPress site. The top-tier plan with 40 GB of storage space doesn’t have this limitation.
All plans come with a free SSL certificate, Jetpack Personal license, Plesk control panel, and one-click site staging. Free site migrations and a money-back guarantee are also included.
Other notable features include automated daily backups, Cloudflare ServerShield, and unlimited email accounts. Besides pre-installing WordPress for you, A2 Hosting also gives you access to over 100 free WordPress templates.
24-hour GuruCrew, email, and ticket support complement the extensive knowledge base. Additionally, A2 Hosting phone support is available globally.
A2 Hosting performed well overall, averaging 1.17 seconds of load time and 676 ms of server response time with 99.97% uptime.
If you’re looking for a reliable hosting service, consider checking out A2 Hosting.
Notable features: malware scanner and removal, daily backups, and a free lifetime domainCons: limited storage capacityPricing: $1.58-$4.38/month (3 years)Overall rating: 4/5ChemiCloud $1.58-$4.38/month , ideal for anyone looking to build their first WordPress website cost-effectively.
The base plan, WordPress Starter, is designed to accommodate one WordPress website with up to 25,000 monthly visits. It allocates 15 GB of SSD storage space, unlimited bandwidth, and daily backups stored for 10 days. The mid and top-tier plans offer backups stored for up to 30 days and SSD storage space to host unlimited websites.
All WordPress hosting services come with a free site transfer, one-click WordPress installation, a free lifetime domain, a free SSL certificate, and Cloudflare CDN. You’ll also have access to the 45-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support via live chat and the ticket system.
ChemiCloud’s performance has improved significantly since we tested it in 2020. It averaged 2.47 seconds of load time and 676 ms of server response time with 99.99% uptime.
ChemiCloud is an excellent choice for anyone looking for cheap WordPress hosting with above-average performance.
Notable features: automatic WordPress updates, 100% renewable energy match, and collaboration toolsCons: higher renewal fee, services not available in some major countriesPricing: $3.99-$10.69/monthOverall rating: 4/5SiteGround
The managed WordPress hosting solution comes in three plans, with prices ranging between $3.99-$10.69/month . The base plan, StartUp, allocates 10 GB of storage space to accommodate one WordPress site. The other two plans provide 20 GB to 40 GB of storage space to host unlimited websites.
Some notable features include daily backups, free site migration using WP Migrator, a free SSL certificate, unlimited databases, and collaboration tools. Unfortunately, the staging environment and on-demand backup copies are only available for GrowBig and GoGeek plans.
SiteGround’s partner, Google Cloud, will match 100% of the energy consumed by users with renewable energy. It also aims to maintain a commitment to carbon neutrality.
In terms of performance, SiteGround managed to deliver fast load speeds and good uptime, averaging 1.65 seconds and 99.62%, respectively. The server response time could use some work as it only scored 1,166 ms on average.
Unfortunately, as of November 2020, SiteGround has stopped signups from several major countries
Notable features: premium WordPress plugins, instant backups, and multi-layered cachingCons: steep pricing plans and a complex user interfacePricing: $19-$999/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Now powered by Nexcess, Liquid Web $19-$999/month .
The base plan, Spark, provides 15 GB of storage space and 2 TB of bandwidth to host one site. It has a free 14-day trial, allowing you to test out the services before committing to a long-term plan.
Its most popular plan, Designer, allocates 60 GB of storage space and 4 TB of bandwidth to accommodate 10 WordPress websites. The highest-tier plan, Enterprise, comes with 800 GB of storage space and 10TB of bandwidth to support up to 250 websites ‒ ideal for medium to large-sized businesses.
All WordPress hosting plans come with a staging environment, unlimited email accounts, and 30-day backups. Additionally, you get access to over $1000 worth of premium WordPress plugins, such as Astra Pro Beaver Builder Elementor
Liquid Web’s average load time was 1.31 seconds, while the average server response time was 1,059 ms. Its annual uptime was 99.99%.
Despite not being the cheapest WordPress hosting, Liquid Web offers great value for your money.
Notable features: site speed optimization, malware removal, and multi-user accessCons: steep pricing plans, only offers shared hostingPricing: $24.99-$99/monthOverall rating: 4/5WPX Hosting
There are three WordPress hosting options to choose from, priced between $24.99-$99/month . Professional, the most popular plan, supports up to 15 WordPress websites, with 20 GB of storage space and 200 GB of bandwidth.
WPX Hosting delivered an average load time and server response time of 892 ms and 530 ms respectively, with data centers located in the US, UK, and Australia. It had an annual uptime of 99.85%.
Some of the benefits WPX Hosting offers include one-click WordPress installation, a free SSL certificate, 28-day automatic backups, and unlimited site migrations. Additional user management access to your hosting account is also available for team-based projects.
While WPX Hosting WordPress hosting plans don’t come with free domains, you can register one through its domain registration service.
WPX Hosting handles customer support via their ticket system and live chat.
Take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee to check whether this hosting provider is the right choice for you.
Notable features: hack fix guarantee, Wildcard SSL support, and performance monitoring toolCons: steep pricing plans and limited customer supportPricing: $30-$1,500/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Kinsta $30-$400/month .
The Starter plan, costing $30/month , allocates 10 GB of storage space and 50 GB CDN bandwidth to support one WordPress installation. Meanwhile, the highest-tier Business plan provides 60 GB of storage space and 500 GB of CDN bandwidth to host 40 sites.
Users have access to free unlimited site migrations, 24/7 customer support via the ticket system, and a free SSL certificate. Other notable features include site cloning, multisite support, and automatic database optimization. The guaranteed hack fix ensures that Kinsta will clean your site in the event of malware attacks.
All sites hosted on Kinsta can use the free custom-designed Application Performance Monitoring to identify WordPress performance issues. It monitors the site’s PHP performance, MySQL database queries, and external HTTP calls among other metrics.
During the performance test, Kinsta displayed an average load time of 1.34 seconds. The average server response time was 509 ms, with 99.99% uptime.
Kinsta may be more expensive than most of its competitors. However, it offers premium features and abundant resources to ensure optimal WordPress performance. If you have the budget to spare, I recommend giving Kinsta a shot.
Notable features: on-demand backups, local developer tools, and multi-factor password authenticationCons: confusing and steep pricing plansPricing: $30-$290/monthOverall rating: 4.5/5Like Kinsta, WP Engine
The default managed WordPress hosting plans, costing between $30-$290/month , accommodate up to 30 sites. They allocate 10-50 GB of local storage space and 50-500 GB of monthly bandwidth.
Other basic features like daily and on-demand backups, a free automated migration plugin, and one-click staging are present on all plans. Unfortunately, automated plugin updates and extra layers of security are offered as add-ons for $3 and $26 , respectively.
24/7 customer support is available via phone and live chat. However, Startup plan users must settle with live chat support only. WP Engine also provides various security, performance monitoring, and developer tools to enhance your web development process.
WP Engine delivered an average load time of 849 ms and an annual uptime of 99.99%. The server response time was no less impressive, averaging 509 ms.
If you’re looking for managed hosting with a wide range of features and don’t mind paying extra to get it, I highly recommend WP Engine.
Average WordPress Hosting Providers Now that we’ve taken a look at the best WordPress hosting available today, let’s examine hosting providers with average performance.
These WordPress hosting companies barely meet Google’s recommended page load time. That said, they do have some redeeming features.
Notable features: unmetered transfer, built-in caching, and LiteSpeed CachePricing: $2.95-$10.95/monthOverall rating: 3.5/5GreenGeeks
Performance-wise, GreenGeeks delivered inconsistent results. It had an average annual uptime of 99.95% and its average server response time was 494 ms. Unfortunately, it showed 4.08 seconds of average load time, two seconds longer than what Google recommends.
GreenGeeks compensates by offering abundant resources. The base plan alone allocates unmetered transfers, 50 email accounts, and 50 GB of web space to host one WordPress installation. The mid and top-tier plans do not have these limitations.
All WordPress hosting plans include a free domain name, SSL, CDN integration, WordPress migration, and automatic backups. 24/7 customer support is available via live chat, tickets, and phone.
GreenGeeks’ speed may need improvement, but it offers decent value for the money with the available hosting resources and features.
Notable features: daily and weekly backups, Softtaculous auto-installer, and hacked website recoveryPricing: $3.48-$6.98/monthOverall rating: 3/5FastComet $3.48-$6.98/month , are cloud-based and fully managed.
FastComet provides all the essential tools you’ll need to build a site. The website starter kit comprises an SSL certificate, Softtaculous auto-installer, drag-and-drop site builder, and over 350 free templates.
Besides offering various security and optimization options, FastComet also has multiple customer support channels available 24/7. Additionally, the hacked website recovery feature will ensure the safety of your website in case it is targeted by a malware attack.
That said, this hosting provider’s performance was mediocre, averaging 3.38 seconds of load time and 2,700 ms of server response time. Considering that they have ten data centers across the world, these results fall below our expectations. That said, the annual uptime was 99.97%.
FastComet offers less storage space than other web hosts. Even if you go for the top-tier plan, you’ll only get 35 GB of SSD storage space. Furthermore, FastComet doesn’t offer a free domain name. However, it does offer free domain transfers with all plans.
Notable features: business email, pre-built sites with a drag-and-drop page editor, and GoDaddy PaymentsPricing: $6.99-$15.99/monthOverall rating: 3.5/5GoDaddy
If you purchase any of the annual plans, GoDaddy will provide you with a free domain and an SSL certificate for the duration of the hosting as well as a complimentary business email address for one year. These add-ons are worth over $130 for the first year.
The allocated resources and basic features are no less impressive than its competitors. GoDaddy’s most popular WordPress hosting plan, Ultimate, provides unlimited storage and accommodates over 100,000 monthly visits.
Other noteworthy features include a pre-installed Yoast SEO plugin, one-click backups and restoration, and daily automatic malware scans. All plans include GoDaddy Payments, allowing your online store to process debit and credit card payments hassle-free.
That said, GoDaddy falls short in terms of performance. It took 2.39 seconds on average to load a page, with 2,300 ms of average server response time. The annual uptime was 99.69%.
If you’re looking for a WordPress hosting service that offers a feature-packed eCommerce building kit, GoDaddy may suit your needs. Otherwise, we recommend checking other options with a better performance.
Notable features: single sign-on access to WordPress dashboard, website analytics, and WordPress Setup AssistantPricing: $3-$8/monthOverall rating: 3.5/5IONOS
The prices range between $3-$8/month for the first year . After that, plan renewals cost between $4-$16/month .
Free one-year domains, SSL certificates, business emails, and a 30-day money-back guarantee are included with all hosting plans. The built-in website analytics tool will help you track the site’s growth, bounce rate, and traffic sources.
Newbies can use the WordPress Setup Assistant feature to streamline the web development process. The single sign-on access lets you log in to the WordPress dashboard from the IONOS hosting account.
IONOS delivered an annual uptime of 99.98%. Unfortunately, its average load time was 3.1 seconds. The server response time was also underwhelming, averaging 2,249 seconds.
That said, I applaud the company’s participation in growing the WordPress community through the Five for the Future program. IONOS has also committed to reducing CO2 emissions by powering its data centers with 100% green energy.
Notable features: drag-and-drop site builder, NGINX web server, and website consultationPricing: $2.59-$4.19/monthOverall rating: 3.5/5HostArmada $2.59-$4.19/month , with better deals if you commit to a long-term plan.
The advantages of HostArmada include extensive security measures and default hosting features. Website building tools like a site builder, app installer, one-click WordPress installer, and email solutions are also included in all plans.
Being powered by NGINX and LiteSpeed web servers contributes to its good server response time, which averaged 440 ms. However, it only averaged a load time of 3.92 seconds. The annual uptime was 99.91%.
HostArmada offers a 45-day money-back guarantee with no cancellation fees with its WordPress hosting plans. Take advantage of this feature if you’re interested in what this provider has to offer.
Slow WordPress Hosting Providers I don’t recommend the following WordPress hosts mostly due to sub-par load and server response times and bad uptime. Other deciding factors include steep WordPress hosting prices and the lack of essential features.
Notable features: SiteLock Fix, CodeGuard, and multiple support channelsPricing: $5.95-$9.95/monthOverall rating: 1/5HostGator $5.95-$9.95/month . The highest-tier plan can support three websites with 500,000 monthly visits. All plans come with a free SSL certificate, up to three free website migrations, backups, and a 45-day money-back guarantee.
During our performance test, HostGator took a whopping 12.79 seconds to load on average. The server response time was no less underwhelming, averaging 2,300 ms. However, it did manage to deliver 99.87% annual uptime.
The pricing plans may not be the most expensive, but plenty of WordPress hosts offer unlimited website hosting for less. Essential features like a staging environment and CDN are also missing.
Having multiple support channels makes getting assistance easy. That said, there are too many cons to recommend this web host.
Notable features: premium WordPress plugins, pre-built custom themes and page templates, and Google Workspace integrationPricing: $6.99-$19.99/month (2 years)Overall rating: 2.5/5InMotion Hosting $19.99/month .
What’s more, you must commit to an annual or biannual contract to get the best deals. Monthly payment is only available for the highest-tier plan, which is $25.99/month .
In terms of performance, InMotion Hosting delivered sub-par results. Despite including advanced caching with all plans, InMotion Hosting’s average load time was 4.96 seconds, while the average server response time was 5,800 ms. Fortunately, it had 99.80% annual uptime.
InMotion Hosting includes a 90-day money-back guarantee with all WordPress hosting plans. However, it’s only valid for six-month contracts or longer.
Users have access to unlimited email accounts, Google Workspace products, and the BoldGrid page builder. However, plenty of WordPress hosting services offer the same or more features at better prices.
Notable features: website builder, Office 365, and Google My Business supportPricing: $2.65-$11.95/monthOverall rating: 2.5/5Bluehost
These results are worrying, especially since they primarily target businesses that cannot afford any downtime or slow load times.
Bluehost includes a free one-year domain name in all WordPress hosting plans. However, domain privacy is only available with Choice Plus and Pro plans.
Premium features like automated CodeGuard backups and Microsoft 365 mailbox are included in some of the hosting plans. Unfortunately, only free trial versions for a limited time are available. Once it ends, Bluehost will automatically renew them at regular rates. Therefore, there’s very little difference between each WordPress hosting plan.
If you still want to give this hosting provider a shot, we recommend checking for any hidden fees before committing to a long-term plan.
Notable features: Jetpack marketing and security features and multilingual supportPricing: €2.95-€9.95/monthOverall rating: 1/5HostPapa
Its load and server response times were not impressive either, averaging 3.66 seconds and 3,400 ms respectively.
The only redeeming factors are the extensive SSD storage space that even the base plan includes and the availability of multilingual support via phone, live chat, and email. HostPapa also offers free 30-minute WordPress training sessions for users new to the content management system.
That said, the cons significantly outweigh the pros.
Notable features: free automated migration, a website builder, and domain privacyPricing: $2.59-$3.95/month (3 years)Overall rating: 2/5DreamHost
The managed hosting plans, priced between $16.95-$71.95/month , cater to medium-scale projects with one million monthly visitors. They come with more features like site staging, a Jetpack license, and on-demand backups. However, this hosting type can only support one WordPress site at a time, making it extremely cost-ineffective.
In addition to steep and limiting pricing plans, DreamHost’s performance also doesn’t live up to expectations. Despite promising a 100% uptime guarantee, this hosting provider had 98.54% annual uptime ‒ the second-worst figure after HostPapa.
Its load and server response times were sub-par, averaging 5.2 seconds and 3,900 ms respectively. Considering that DreamHost claims to have optimized its servers for WordPress, these results are incredibly disappointing.
Best of the Best: Which WordPress Hosting Provider Should You Choose? By now, you know which WordPress hosting companies performed well and are worth checking out. I’ve also reviewed average and slow web hosts and the reasons why I don’t recommend them.
If you need help narrowing down the options, here are the top three WordPress hosting providers based solely on the load time, server response time, and annual uptime:
NameHero CloudWays (DigitalOcean and Vultr) Hostinger There are tons of hosting options I haven’t covered yet. Since testing them one by one is expensive and time-consuming, I recommend using other metrics to evaluate a hosting provider’s quality.
The following are some crucial factors you should consider before purchasing a hosting service:
Hosting type ‒ opting for shared hosting may seem more cost-effective, but managed hosting will save you time as you won’t have to deal with hosting-related issues yourself.Features ‒ in addition to hosting resources like storage space and bandwidth, ensure your chosen hosting provider has all the tools you need. Project scope ‒ knowing the type of website you want to launch will help estimate the necessary amount of resources. For instance, a WordPress blog won’t be as resource-intensive as an online store.Security ‒ clarify whether you’ll have free access to standard security measures like SSL, domain privacy, backup features, and login authentication.Pricing ‒ other than picking a hosting plan that suits your budget, make sure to check the renewal fees and whether you’ll be able to cover them.Support ‒ go with a WordPress hosting company that’s accessible via your preferred channels. Checking the support team’s quality and response time on review websites is also recommended.Data centers ‒ choosing a WordPress host with data centers located close to you will minimize latency issues and improve your website’s speed.Feel free to share which WordPress hosting provider you end up going for and leave any WordPress hosting questions down below.
דירה דיסקרטית בחולון
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