5 Best Managed WordPress Hosts Compared

Using a managed WordPress host is an effective way to run your website with minimal hassle. However, it can be challenging to know which company to trust with your site. If you’ve never used a managed hosting service before, you may even feel overwhelmed by the number of options available.

Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to distinguish between different managed WordPress hosts. You can evaluate key factors such as technical support, scalability, site speed, and price, to determine the provider that best suits your business.

In this guide, we’ll look at what managed WordPress hosts are and why you should consider using one. Then we’ll discuss the five leading companies and how to decide which one is best for your website. Let’s get started!

An Introduction to Managed WordPress Hosts (And Why You Should Consider Using One)

Managed WordPress hosting is where your host takes care of many technical aspects of running your site. It is an all-inclusive package that takes away much of the stress of running a website.

There are various benefits of choosing managed WordPress hosting, with the most significant being convenience. Your host will handle key tasks such as backups and updates, and you’ll have access to a support team for any troubleshooting needs. Furthermore, your provider will ensure that your site has secure systems in place to prevent malicious attacks.

These are a few more advantages of managed WordPress hosts:

The host will likely optimize your site’s performance.
You usually have access to staging environments and development sites.
You’ll typically get the option to add an SSL certificate to your site easily.

However, using managed WordPress hosting is more expensive than opting for a non-managed plan. It’s an option worth considering if you have a larger site and/or an accommodating budget.

How to Choose the Best Managed WordPress Host for Your Site

There are a few factors to consider when choosing a managed WordPress host:

Technical support. Ideally, the hosting service should offer 24/7 technical support and access to troubleshooting documents. You’re paying a premium for the service, so you likely want your issues to be solved quickly.
Scalable plans. If you have a small site now, you may want to increase its size and reach as your profits grow. Therefore, hosting providers that enable you to upgrade to premium plans could be beneficial in the long term.
Site speed. A slow loading site can be a nightmare for your traffic and conversions. As such, you should consider choosing a hosting provider that actively works on reducing loading speeds and has access to a Content Delivery Network (CDN).
Price. Most managed WordPress hosts offer monthly plans. Therefore, we recommend making sure that your budget will cover these ongoing costs without compromising your business.

Some hosting providers may offer additional perks, such as access to exclusive themes or plugins for your website. As such, it’s worth doing your research to see which features are most beneficial for your business’ goals.

5 Best Managed WordPress Hosts

If you’ve already decided that a managed WordPress host is a good fit for your site, you may be looking for a specific provider. Let’s take a look at five of the best options on the market (in no particular order).

1. WP Engine

WP Engine is specifically designed to work with WordPress sites. It is also one of the most secure and dependable hosting options, due to its numerous security features (including SSL encryption and uptime protection). Furthermore, it guarantees excellent site speed with a dedicated global CDN and a sophisticated caching solution.

The WP Engine dashboard is intuitive and user-friendly. You also have access to a WordPress support team and 24/7 technical assistance. You can start with a smaller site and easily scale it to accommodate increased traffic as your business grows, or when you have unexpected traffic spikes.

Pros:

Excellent customer service and technical support
Developer-friendly features
Excellent uptime and site speed

Cons:

More expensive than other managed WordPress hosts
Doesn’t include a domain

WP Engine could be an excellent option if you have a medium or enterprise-sized business. While it is a little more pricey than other hosts, it offers some of the best technical support and most reliable hosting on the market. It is also a great option for developers, due to its readily-accessible staging areas and open-source technology.

Price: WP Engine managed hosting plans start at $25 per month.

2. SiteGround

SiteGround offers fully-inclusive managed hosting plans at low introductory prices. Even if you choose the cheapest package, you get access to an award-winning customer service team with 24/7 support available via live chat, phone, and a ticket help desk. However, you should be aware that its plans increase significantly in price after your first subscription ends.

Still, this is a reliable hosting provider that maintains excellent site speeds and dependable uptimes. It uses the Cloudflare CDN, a speedy caching system, and automated daily backups to ensure that your website loads as quickly as possible.

Pros:

Affordable introductory hosting plans
Impressive customer service team
Dependable uptimes

Cons:

Not suitable for large enterprises
Higher renewal prices

SiteGround could be an excellent investment if you have a small to medium-sized business. The hosting plans are scalable up until a point, but they are insufficient for most large websites. The user-friendly dashboard and attentive customer service team also make SiteGround a great option for beginners.

Price: SiteGround managed hosting packages start at $4.99 per month.

3. DreamHost

DreamHost offers scalable managed WordPress plans for all business sizes. Each package includes unlimited bandwidth, generous storage, and daily backups to keep your site running quickly and smoothly. The more expensive plans also support more monthly visitors, and offer unlimited access to a CDN.

Although DreamHost isn’t the cheapest managed WordPress host, it offers a lot for what you pay. One of the best features is the one-click staging environment that enables you to test-drive new features on your website. Additionally, the dedicated support team can walk you through any technical problems.

Pros:

Value for money
Superior site performance
Scalable for most business sizes

Cons:

Not the most user-friendly interface
Long wait times for live chat support

DreamHost can be a suitable option for businesses of all sizes. It also includes access to advanced features such as a website builder and the Jetpack plugin. Therefore, it could be ideal for companies planning to scale their websites as they grow.

Price: DreamHost managed WordPress packages start at $16.95 per month.

4. Bluehost

Bluehost is a user-friendly hosting provider that is particularly beneficial for beginners. It has a simple interface that makes it straightforward to set up your WordPress site and configure its settings. In addition, the 24/7 customer support team is helpful and easy to reach.

It includes various freebies with its hosting packages, including an SSL certificate to increase your site’s security and a free domain for a year. Furthermore, each plan gives you access to Jetpack, daily backups, and reliable protection against malware. As such, it’s a great choice if you don’t want to worry about the technical side of your website.

Pros:

Beginner-friendly
Free domain and SSL certificate
Integrated marketing tools

Cons:

Limited scalability
Doesn’t support multiple sites

Bluehost is best suited to smaller sites and technically-minded beginners. It offers plenty of support, but lacks the storage space and servers to handle large websites and high volumes of traffic.

Price: Bluehost managed WordPress hosting plans start at $9.95 per month.

5. Kinsta

Kinsta is a premium service with plans that service everything from startups to huge enterprises. Each site is hosted within a container, which keeps it separate from its neighbors. As such, Kinsta has one of the best systems for security and stability, even when you’re faced with high traffic numbers.

It also includes various automated processes to keep your site optimized. For example, Kinsta analyzes and updates your WordPress databases to make sure they perform at their best. Additionally, it constantly monitors your PHP service and reboots it if it fails. Therefore, Kinsta manages everything behind the scenes to improve your website’s performance.

Pros:

Automatic optimizing processes
Easy to scale
Supports high traffic numbers

Cons:

One of the most expensive managed hosting options
No phone support

Kinsta can be an excellent option for large businesses. It offers sophisticated enterprise plans that can support up to three million visitors per month, without compromising your site’s speed or security.

Price: Kinsta managed WordPress hosting plans start at $30 per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the correct managed WordPress hosting package for your site can feel like a daunting task. However, a few key factors, such as technical support and scalability, make some platforms more suitable for your business than others.

To recap, these are five of the best managed WordPress hosts:

WP Engine: It has excellent site speed, technical support, and developer-friendly features for medium to large-sized businesses.
SiteGround: This hosting provider offers excellent packages for small to medium businesses, with its stellar customer service team and reliable uptimes.
DreamHost: It has fully-inclusive packages that suit businesses looking to scale their operations as they grow.
Bluehost: This user-friendly host best suits beginners and smaller sites that need more support.
Kinsta: It is a premium option that is ideal for large businesses with high-powered websites and significant traffic volumes.