Managed WordPress Hosting – Is The Quality Really Better?

If you’re running a WordPress website, you probably came across managed WordPress website hosting and realized that the prices are higher to much higher than shared web hosting services. So you probably think, is there a real difference in quality, and is the price worth it for the provided services?

Let’s face it. WordPress installation, management, updating, and security are not a walk in the park. Combine it with the already loaded workflow of running a business and juggling many things at once, and you have the perfect combination for disaster.

If you’re a small or medium business just starting with a WordPress site, a hosting company with shared resources will probably be enough. However, managed hosting becomes important when your WordPress site grows and the traffic to it also grows. The best WordPress hosting becomes more essential as your website matures.

In this guide, we’ll examine how choosing the best managed WordPress hosting provider can bring value to your business, as well as the most trusted website hosting platforms to help you make an informed decision. Let’s dive in!

What is Managed WordPress Website Hosting & What are the Benefits Over Other Hosting Options?

Think of managed hosting as keeping your website at a five-star hotel. This means that your website will enjoy exceptional support from a concierge service that will also take care of the technical aspects of keeping it updated, secure, and fast. The concept behind a managed WordPress hosting plan is to offer a hassle-free experience so that you can focus on your business.

On the other hand, shared hosting technically hosts your website in a shared web server along with other WordPress websites. That’s why shared hosting plans usually come at cheaper rates starting as low as $2.75 per month, which is essentially their biggest advantage.

On the contrary, a managed WordPress hosting account might be more pricey but offers significant benefits. Here are the most important ones:

• Expert Support – Your website will be managed by WordPress experts with the technical know-how to offer premium support at all times. Their assistance includes consulting on performance, WordPress errors, and site functionality.
• Security – Such companies offer the highest levels of bulletproof security to protect your website from malware, hacking, or DDoS attacks.
• No Downtime – The main aim of the best WordPress hosting solution is to ensure your website is always running despite the amount of traffic it gets.
• Improved Speed – One of the most critical factors for ranking is speed which can be improved with proper content caching and image size reduction. Managed WordPress hosting offers server-level caching, so you can avoid relying on external plugins.
• Daily Backups – If you’re using paid backup services, managed hosting will save you some money, as it offers daily backup for your website files, data, content, plugins, and themes.
• Automatic Updates – WordPress releases frequent updates necessary for keeping your website secure. Managed WordPress hosting automatically does the core updates for you without additional charges. Some hosts also update WordPress plugins for you as well.
• Less Hassle – For those who choose the shared or DIY hosting route, there’s another heavy load to lift, quite often without the results experts would achieve. With a managed web hosting account, your secure that the work will be done efficiently, and you also get insights into your website’s performance.
• Free SSL – A free SSL certificate is typically provided with a WordPress installation and managed plan. That's one additional expense you won't need to worry about and you'll be following all best practice protocols for online websites.

Now, of course, as with any service, there are disadvantages. It goes without saying that managed hosting only applies to WordPress websites. In addition, the cost is on the expensive side of WordPress hosting prices.

Prices can vary between $30-$100 per month compared to shared WordPress hosting which starts at around $3.00/month. Finally, there are certain limitations in the plugins you’re allowed to use in case they interfere with the website’s speed.

The Best Managed WordPress Web Hosting Platforms

Deciding which managed WordPress hosting platform is right for you requires knowledge, research, and experience. To help you secure the best deal, we’ve rounded the top managed WordPress hosting platforms for 2022. Let’s review them!

WP Engine

If you’re looking for a VIP web hosting provider, WP Engine is a hassle-free WordPress hosting solution that promises a bulletproof website. In fact, your website will not be able to get hacked, and it’ll run fast due to WP Engine’s robust servers. You know that when huge brands like SoundCloud, FourSquare, and Balsamiq trust their website to WP Engine, it’s the way to go.

The service includes daily backups, security updates, one-click restore points, and automatic caching. We’d say that WP Engine offers both beginner-friendly and developer-friendly packages.

So, if you want the assistance of an army of specialists that offer king-worthy support, the choice is easy. WP engine is one of the best web hosting providers available online.

WP Engine Pros

• Suitable for WordPress hosting with rapidly increasing traffic
• Free CDN is included in all plans
• Free automated migration
• Included a free SSL certificate
• 24/7 live phone support with the Growth plan and up
• Staging sites for testing and development

WP Engine Cons

• Costs are more pricey, with charges running over $1 per 1,000 website visits
• Due to modifying the native WordPress code significantly, it’s harder to migrate to another host in the future
• Add-ons can get quite pricey

WP Engine Pricing

Multiple pricing plans are available for WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress hosting plan starts at $20/month but you can build your plan using the slider on the pricing page. The eCommerce plans start at $50/month. Advanced solutions start at $600/month.

Kinsta

Kinsta is one of the most popular options for WordPress hosting. It focuses on performance and has all the features you’d expect from a managed hosting provider, such as caching on the server level, automatic backups, and more.

Its initial prices started from $100 per month but eventually were reduced to $30 per month to be an affordable option for small businesses. For your investment, you get a premium platform that’s scalable and ready to support higher traffic. Here are some of the perks:

Kinsta Pros

• Built on the Google Cloud Platform and its premium partners
• Free CDN powered by Cloudflare for every plan
• Free unlimited migrations & hack fixes
• Automatic backup to save site changes
• Automatic scaling
• MySQL database optimization on a weekly basis
• User-friendly hosting dashboard to easily manage your website
• Solid security with additional WordPress logging hardening and over 1440 uptime checks
• 24/7 live chat support

Kinsta Cons

• Email hosting is not supported
• The cheapest plan comes at $25, which is not the most affordable option when it comes to managed WordPress hosting
• Lower-priced plans have lower monthly traffic maximums
• There’s no phone support

Kinsta Pricing

Kinsta has 10 different pricing plans. Four plans are for business, and 4 are for enterprise, while the remaining 2 are named Starter and Pro for individual and mid-sized businesses.

Flywheel

Flywheel is an excellent beginner-friendly option for freelancers, small businesses, agencies, designers, and bloggers. In addition, it’s an ideal choice for non-technical people who simply wish to launch a WordPress site and make sure it runs without interruptions.

Although a new addition to managed WordPress hosting providers, Flywheel managed to create a name for itself. With a variety of unique features such as a demo site, billing transfer, and blueprint (which lets you create WordPress websites with default themes and plugins), it’s made to stand out.

Flywheel Pros

• Beginner-friendly with an easy-to-navigate interface
• Server-level caching
• Automatic backups
• 24/7 live chat support for all plans
• Relatively inexpensive for beginners wishing to start with managed hosting, with prices as low as $15 per month
• Free SSL certificate included in all plans
• Data centers around the world guarantee your website's performance

Flywheel Cons

• Additional features like multisite ability, and CDN, can increase the price by $30 on top of your plan
• There’s no phone support

Flywheel Pricing

Flywheel offers 4 WordPress hosting plans. The Tiny plan starts at $13/month and their most expensive WordPress hosting plan costs $242/month. These are annual plan prices. Monthly plans cost more.

SiteGround

If you’re looking for the cheapest managed hosting solution that combines quality service with exceptional rose-and-petals support, this is the one for you. You know that when WordPress.org itself recommends SiteGround, you’ve hit the jackpot.

Again, since this is an inexpensive service, it’s also appealing to bloggers, agencies, or small businesses. With prices starting as low as $2.99 per month, it’s great for people who want to experiment with managed WordPress site hosting without committing to higher pricing tiers.

In addition, SiteGround guarantees speed and security with modern technologies while taking care of updates, caching, and CDN. They are well-known for having strong security and quality customer support.

SiteGround Pros

• Offers free site migration
• Free SSL certificate included in all plans
• Staging sites
• Free CDN
• SSD drives
• Multiple websites per account
• Daily free backup and restore features
• Unlimited free email accounts
• Managed updates and security at the server level
• Free PCI compliance (for e-commerce)
• 24/7 chat and phone support

SiteGround Cons

• The cheaper pricing tier of $2.99 is not the most suitable for high-traffic websites
• Renewal rates are significantly higher than the deeply discounted teaser rates

SiteGround Pricing

SiteGroud offers 3 WordPress hosting plans starting from a $2.99/month introductory price to their most expensive plan of a $7.99/month introductory price. The renewal rates are significantly higher.

Liquid Web

You know that when Motorola, Audi, FedEx, and Red Bull trust their websites on Liquid Web, the service is exquisite. Liquid Web is another popular choice amongst the WordPress community with multiple hosting levels. Notably, it supports dedicated server hosting, managed WordPress hosting, cloud sites, and VPS. 

So, if you’re looking for a hassle-free solution tuned for performance, speed, and security, there’s your option. Notably, customers rave about its “heroic” customer support, with staff bragging about the technical know-how to assist you in no time.

Liquid Web Pros

• Ideal for enterprises with high traffic
• Incredibly fast hosting with quick page loads
• Stellar support with friendly, experienced, and skilled WordPress experts
• No limitations in plugins
• 1000% credit in case of downtime
• Free SSL certificate included for all plans
  websites
• Lots of plan options

Liquid Web Cons

• On the expensive side of WordPress hosting prices, you get what you pay for in customer support and quality service
• No money-back guarantee
• Plans get expensive quickly

Liquid Web Pricing

There are 7 managed hosting price plans offered by Liquid Web that you can select from. The prices range from the Spark plan at $13.30/month for a three-month introductory offer to the Enterprise plan at $699.30/month for a three-month introductory offer.

DreamHost

DreamHost is a WordPress hosting provider that offers shared, VPS, dedicated, and managed hosting. Along with Bluehost and SiteGround, it’s one of the few hosting platforms officially recommended by WordPress.org. In addition, its month-to-month competitive pricing tiers don’t require a heavy commitment or longer contracts.

With more than 1.5 million blogs and websites trusting DreamHost for their hosting needs, it’s safe to say it’s an industry leader. Compared to Bluehost, it offers a free domain name for the first year but is also a complete website builder with over 200 starter sites. Additionally, it offers domain privacy, saving you another $15 per year so that your information can remain personal.

DreamHost Pros

• Free SSL certificates
• 24/7 live chat support
• Free automated migrations
• Extra-fast WordPress hosting with built-in caching
• Suitable for all budgets
• SSD storage and custom control panel for each plan
• Free domain and privacy protection
• Automatic daily backups

DreamHost Cons

• Staging is only available with the Advanced plan
• Email hosting is not supported

DreamHost Pricing

DreamHost has 3 Managed WordPress hosting pricing plans that start at $16.95/month for DreamPress and scale to $71.95/month for DreamPressPro.

GoDaddy

One of the industry leaders for WordPress specific hosting solutions powering more than 2 million websites worldwide. In fact, it’s one of the managed WordPress hosting providers that WordPress.org actually recommends. It offers various hosting plans depending on your needs, but for the full experience, it has its “WP PRO” tier with a fully managed setup.

The complete package gives you access to a server admin panel and marketing center. This helps you keep all your SEO, email marketing, and social media tools in one place. So, if you wish to create your website from scratch, you can sign up at Bluehost, get a free domain name for a year and save time and money.

GoDaddy Pros

• Technical support is available when you need it
• Daily malware scans by Sucuri
• Free domain with all plans
• Staging site offered with Deluxe plan and up
• Free CDN
• Daily scheduled backups with 1-click restore

GoDaddy Cons

• Relatively high prices on domain renewals
• Automatic updates are not always applied automatically
• Proprietary basic SSL certificates cost money, they don't use a free service
• Support issues with undertrained staff or pushy sales in the CS role

GoDaddy Pricing

The Basic plan of GoDaddy starts at $6.99/month while the Pro plan costs $24.99/month. GoDaddy WordPress hosting offers 4 pricing plans in total.

A2 Hosting

One of the industry leaders for WordPress specific hosting solutions powering more than 2 million websites worldwide. In fact, it’s one of the managed WordPress hosting providers that WordPress.org actually recommends. It offers various hosting plans depending on your needs, but for the full experience, it has its “WP PRO” tier with a fully managed setup.

The complete package gives you access to a server admin panel and marketing center. This helps you keep all your SEO, email marketing, and social media tools in one place. So, if you wish to create your website from scratch, you can sign up at Bluehost, get a free domain name for a year and save time and money.

A2 Hosting Pros

• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Free SSL certificate on all plans
• Staging environment and site cloning
• 24/7/365 in-house support
• Automatic WordPress updates with Deluxe plans
• SSD storage
• Optimized speed and security
• Daily scheduled backups on and offsite

A2 Hosting Cons

• Mixed reviews when it comes to the quality of support
• Pre-configured security can get in the way of advanced WordPress users
• Additional restrictions on plugins that make it difficult to upload

A2 Hosting Pricing

There are 4 WordPress hosting plans that you can choose from. The lowest plan, Run, starts at $11.99/month and scales to the Sell plan for $41.99/month.

Bluehost

One of the industry leaders for WordPress specific hosting solutions powering more than 2 million websites worldwide. In fact, it’s one of the managed hosting providers that WordPress.org actually recommends. It offers various hosting plans depending on your needs, but for the full experience, it has its “WP PRO” tier with a fully managed setup.

The complete package gives you access to a server admin panel and marketing center. This helps you keep all your SEO, email marketing, and social media tools in one place. So, if you wish to create your website from scratch, you can sign up at Bluehost, get a free domain name for a year and save time and money.

Bluehost Pros

• Free domain for the first year
• Unlimited websites with the Plus plan, great for small businesses
• Unmetered bandwidth
• 24/7 customer support
• Automatic WordPress updates
• $200 in marketing credits (Google Ads & Microsoft Advertising)
• Free CDN included
• 30-day money-back guarantee

Bluehost Cons

• Hit or miss when it comes to receiving quality technical support
• No SSL or automated backups are included unless you opt for the highest level plan
• Slow website speeds were reported compared to other WordPress hosting providers

Bluehost Pricing

There are 4 WordPress hosting plans that are offered by Bluehost. These plans compare well with the shared hosting plans but come with higher renewal fees.

How Does Managed WordPress Website Hosting Work & What Is Included in the Service?

Essentially managed hosting uses powerful technologies to ensure that your website is fast and secure. The best WordPress hosting Companies usually have their own CDN and caching plugins to avoid relying on external partners that might affect the quality of a WordPress site. This not only takes off a lot from your shoulders but also saves you time and workforce.

The service usually comes with many features and support, such as security, updates, daily backups, speed, website uptime, and scalability. In addition, most service providers go as far as offering insights into your website’s performance. The experience, research, and knowledge that the experts have set this service apart.

Who Should Consider Using a Managed WordPress Website Host and Who Should Stay Away?

If you’re a new blogger, small business, or personal website, managed hosting is probably not for you. On the contrary, you should start with regular web hosting, which is also the most affordable option. There are also some free WordPress hosting that you can check out.

You can create a WordPress blog with free WordPress themes if you are just starting out. Many WordPress hosting providers offer fully free WordPress hosting. You just need to invest in buying the domain name for a year and you are set to start.

On the other hand, if your website has high traffic and you have your hands full with other business affairs, managed web hosting is a one-way street. Think of it like this; if you try to wear many hats and leave your website to shared hosting, you’ll be responsible for its security, uptime, updates, and speed. But if you leave it to the experts, your business will be able to grow hassle-free.

It all comes down to your needs. Managed web hosting is an investment, but you should definitely opt for it if you think it will benefit your business in the long run. In other words, if your website is your business and you don’t have the technical skills or can’t risk downtime, then you should pay the extra money for peace of mind.

Which host offers better value for the money?

To conclude our list of best WordPress site hosting platforms, most people prefer Bluehost, WP Engine, and SiteGround over other hosting providers. That’s because they’re trusted by millions of users worldwide, WordPress recommends them, and they offer great value for money. Specifically:

1. SiteGround – An affordable managed hosting service for entry-level or established sites. It offers friendly customer support and overall outstanding performance.
2. WP Engine – Established brand with reliable services, performance-oriented with super-fast servers. Ideal for rapidly growing websites with high traffic.
3. Kinsta – A strong hosting company with exceptional security and customer service. Ideal for businesses ready to scale.
4. Flywheel – Great hosting at a manageable price to get your WordPress hosting off the ground.
5. Liquid Web – Enterprise class hosting company with strong capabilities, security, and overall service.

When it comes to picking your WordPress site hosting, consider the following criteria to help you make the most suitable choice for your needs. The best managed WordPress service must:

• Improve your website’s performance with scalability options
• Offer easy migration options
• Perform all the necessary updates and upgrades
• Have approachable pricing tiers for all budgets
• Offer super-fast support from a team of experts

As you wouldn’t put unleaded fuel in your Lamborghini, you shouldn’t leave your website at the mercy of hackers or non-tech-savvy employees that don’t know how to support it. So, make that decision wisely by checking online reviews about hosting platforms and familiarizing yourself with their support processes. 

Managed WordPress Website Hosting Wrap-up

The first step in finding the best WordPress hosting is to determine if managed WordPress web hosting is right for you. Once you've figured that out, selecting the best WordPress hosting provider is going to differ based on site goals and objectives.

Managed WordPress hosting costs are higher than shared WordPress hosting, but you should approach this as an investment in your business. Think of it this way; how much are data integrity, time, and peace of mind worth to you? Your answer will lead you to the hosting company that will best meet your needs.