We’ve rounded up the best hosting services that play well with WordPress.
WordPress-based sites account for about 30% of websites online and for good reason — they’re simple to set up, reasonably secure, and highly flexible too. A consistently popular content management system, there are plenty of different ways to set up your own WordPress site, to the point that it can feel overwhelming to know where to begin. Fortunately, we’re on hand to help you figure out what you need most (and also to decipher the differences between the confusingly similarly named WordPress.org and WordPress.com, which offer very different experiences).
Initially built as a blogging platform, WordPress has become so much more over the years, thanks to a substantial number of plugins. Now, you can use the system as a portfolio for your creative work, or even set up your own ecommerce website. There are plenty of different WordPress hosting providers out there ready to streamline the process even further thanks to one-click installs and other features that make starting your own site simple.
When looking for somewhere to host your WordPress-based site, it’s smart to know what kind of features you may need. Managed hosting providers tend to offer email and a secure SSL certificate on top of the basic WordPress functionality, with a free domain name also often bundled in. However, it’s also a wise move to consider your budget. Different hosting providers offer various price ranges, with the best discounts coming if you’re willing (and able) to commit to multiple years of hosting in a row. Before hitting the buy button, you also need to know that you’ll get the nearest to 100% uptime possible and that you’ll get excellent service. Cheap isn’t always better. After all, whether you’re simply running a personal blog or providing your business with an online presence, early impressions count.
Our favorite WordPress hosting provider is DreamHost, but there are plenty of great alternatives that provide other key features. We’ve looked at many of the most popular hosting providers, narrowing them down to what works best for different situations such as business needs, a small vanity project, or somewhere in between. We’ve also answered some of your most commonly asked queries about what to look for.
WordPress.org or WordPress.com?
Having two different services called WordPress is definitely confusing. Simply put, WordPress.org is where you host your own site (or in the case of this article, you hire a company to be your WordPress host) while WordPress.com allows you to start a blog within seconds without needing to find your own hosting service. The latter may sound immediately more appealing, but it’s far less powerful than the .org equivalent, and often only best for blogging. If you’re looking to launch a business and therefore need an ecommerce host, or simply want more functionality, then you’ll need what WordPress.org provides. Fortunately, pretty much all hosting providers now offer a one-click install for WordPress.org, meaning you don’t have to get too involved with the finer details. For the purposes of this article, we will be focusing on WordPress.org.
What’s the difference between shared hosting and dedicated hosting?
Shared web hosting means that your WordPress site is hosted with other people’s sites on one server. You’re still independent of them, so no one can see or edit your files (and vice versa) but you’re all using the same storage and bandwidth, which can mean slightly slower service. It also means that your site will cost less to host, saving you money on your subscription fees.
Dedicated hosting provides you with a server all to yourself so you won’t have to worry about an adjoining site’s bandwidth needs affecting your site’s speed. Predictably then, it costs more than shared hosting. If you have a large business or a website that many visitors will view, it can be worth the additional cost.
A middle range option is to have your WordPress site hosted on a virtual private server (VPS) which is still shared hosting but involves far fewer sites, meaning a lower risk of performance issues. It can be a helpful alternative for a mid-sized business or popular blog if you can’t quite stretch to dedicated hosting.
What features should I look for when purchasing a WordPress hosting provider plan?
A WordPress hosting provider package isn’t for everyone. Consider why you need it. In some cases, a cheap web hosting plan might be a better option. Such options might require you to install WordPress manually, but not always. Some hosting companies still offer an installation process that only takes a few clicks. As WordPress is so well established, you’re often only a Google search away from solving any issues you may run into.
If you’re looking for something even less technical, a website builder like Wix or Squarespace might be a better option for you.
If you’re set on a WordPress hosting package, check that it offers some features that regular hosting packages don’t provide, such as enhanced speeds for WordPress installs or advanced assistance for WordPress. Consider what you want to do with it beforehand, such as if you need WordPress ecommerce features or simply are planning on setting up a personal blog.
If you’re keeping things small, then you don’t have to worry about high bandwidth requirements. However, if you’re running a business, you need a plan that will grow with you. Here are our favorite hosting providers for WordPress in 2021.
HostGator
With several tiers, easy installation, and lots of features, HostGator is offering a good deal.-
Starter Plan:
$5.95/month -
Standard Plan:
$7.95/month -
Business Plan :
$9.95/month
What HostGator offers: It’s the little things that add up to ensure HostGator stands out in a busy market. It utilizes a CDN (Content Delivery Network), offering multiple caching layers so it’s hard to beat this hosting service when it comes to fast load times. Designed with WordPress cloud hosting in mind, it’s super fast with one-click scalability for those times when there’s a traffic spike on your site. Combined, such features mean it’s perfect for a growing business that’s keen to go viral from time to time.
Automatic backups are implemented with one-click restores for added convenience, streamlining any need to go back to an earlier point. There’s a free migration service too which takes out all the effort when transferring your existing WordPress setup over to HostGator, with free automatic malware removal, domain privacy, and $100 of Google AdWords credit included to get your business started.
The price: A starter plan currently costs $5.95 for one site, monthly average site traffic of 100,000 and unmetered storage space. A business plan is on offer at $9.95 per month and boasts up to three sites and 500,000 average site traffic per month.
DreamHost
Recommended by WordPress itself, DreamHost offers a one-click installation that will get your site up and running fast.-
Shared Starter plan:
Starts at $2.59/month -
DreamPress plan:
Starts at $16.95/month
What DreamHost offers: Recommended by WordPress itself, it’s safe to say DreamHost is a reliable option to pursue. It’s a fully capable web hosting service that offers shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting solutions. That means no matter what your needs are, DreamHost has you covered. The hosting service automatically updates WordPress as and when needed — often within hours of a new release — with a preconfigured installation that’s useful when starting out. It also recommends several themes and plugins with hosting optimized for maximum speed and efficiency.
Alongside the key features is email hosting, 1-click SSL certification installation so visitors can be assured their data is always safely encrypted, as well as automatic backups. Like any great web hosting provider, DreamHost simply just works. An ideal solution for any freelance or business’s growing needs, its series of different plans mean it’ll quickly adapt for your chosen scenario.
The price: The Shared Starter plan starts at $2.59 per month for shared hosting and 1-click WordPress installation, so it’s perfect for low requirements. The Dreampress plan, at $16.95/month provides a fast cloud server with up to 10k monthly visitors, WordPress pre-installed, and daily backups.
1&1 IONOS
A cheap and flexible solution for those who want a starter package for their business or blog.-
Essential:
$4/month -
Business:
$8/month -
Unlimited:
$16/month
What 1&1 Hosting offers: If you’re launching or running a small business, every penny counts, with 1&1 Hosting ensuring your budget will always be sufficient. It has some very low-priced packages making it our pick for the best cheap WordPress hosting. Its managed WordPress functions include a setup wizard along with pre-installed plugins. There are automatic updates too so limited technical knowledge is no issue here, although bear in mind there are no automatic daily backups if you make a lot of changes.
All its packages offer unlimited visitor numbers along with an SSL certificate for the security conscious. A free domain name for 12 months is also included which will save you even more cash.
The price: The Essential package costs $4 per month billed annually. That allows for one site and 25GB of storage. $8 per month buys you the Business service, which allows for one site but a massive 100GB of storage. Alternatively, the unlimited package costs $16 per month and provides unlimited sites and storage.
TMD Hosting
A popular favorite among users looking for WordPress hosting, TMDHosting deserves major props for its speed.-
Starter plan:
$9/month -
Business plan:
$12/month -
Enterprise plan:
$18/month
What TMDHosting offers: TMDHosting deserves plenty of attention thanks to its fast speeds. Optimized for WordPress, it promises loading times up to 16 times faster than its competitors, thanks to three layers of caching. It’s regularly updated too so you won’t have to worry about any slowdown. It’s ideal if speed is of the essence for your business such as if you have an image-heavy photography portfolio. Other useful features include automatic free installation, free transfers from existing sites, malware protection, daily backups, and a free domain name. There’s unlimited storage space and bandwidth for all service plans too making TMDHosting good value for money.
The price: The starter plan costs $9 per month with unlimited space and bandwidth, as well as a free domain. A Business account promises twice the speedo performance at $12 per month while the Enterprise plan suggests performance boosts of 3 times the starter plan speed.
Hostinger
With superior bandwidth and security features at a great price, Hostinger is a dependable option that can grow with you.-
Single WordPress Hosting:
$8/month -
WordPress Starter:
$15/month -
Business WordPress:
$16/month -
WordPress Pro:
$29/month
What Hostinger offers: Hostinger is a solidly dependable option, delivering precisely what anyone could need from a WordPress hosting provider. It has a one-click WordPress installation process with a series of pre-installed caching plugins that mean your site will run as fast as possible. Alongside that is extensive security technology courtesy of Bitninja so you won’t have to worry about malware or automated cyber-attacks. Other features include unlimited bandwidth on all but the cheapest package, Google Ads credit, and extensive storage options. Just bear in mind that this isn’t the cheapest of options out there but it’s certainly speedy.
The price: The Single WordPress plan costs $8 per month for one site, 30GB of storage, and 100GB bandwidth. Alternatively, the WordPress Starter plan bumps that up to 100 sites, 100GB of storage, and unlimited bandwidth. Businesses may wish to consider the Business WordPress plan which offers 200GB of storage while WordPress Pro provides the same storage but can host up to 300 websites.
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a well-known name for good customer service, but you’ll pay for the privilege.-
Basic:
$10/month -
Deluxe:
$15/month -
Ultimate:
$20/month -
ecommerce:
$25/month
What GoDaddy offers: GoDaddy is one of the most straightforward solutions for any kind of web hosting and that trend continues with WordPress hosting. Besides offering automatic setup and updates, it also includes pre-built sites and built-in SEO optimization so you’re good to go immediately. Switch over to GoDaddy’s website builder and you can also use a drag and drop page editor if you prefer. Crucially though, its quick start service means you can set up a site within minutes with thousands of high-quality images available to import.
If you’re new to website design, it’s hard to fault a service like GoDaddy’s with everything catered for including social media features and ecommerce facilities on every package. Switch to the most expensive ecommerce plan and you get appointment scheduling and premium WooCommerce plugin options too. You may pay more for the privilege but as an all-in-one solution, GoDaddy is attractive.
The price: The basic plan costs $10 per month for 30GB storage, up to 25,000 monthly visitors and daily malware scans. The Deluxe package increases storage to 75GB and suits up to 100,000 monthly visitors. Alternatively, Unlimited provides precisely what the name suggests, and ecommerce bundles in premium ecommerce options.
BlueHost
If you’re planning to start an empire, BlueHost will allow for tons of traffic and offers excellent security.-
WordPress Hosting:
From $9/month -
Managed WordPress:
From $30/month -
Online Stores:
From $25/month
What BlueHost offers: BlueHost offers a lot of different plans which means there’s something for every budget and need. It’s possible to spend relatively little or quite a lot here, with whatever option you go for offering speedy performance thanks to optimized WordPress hosting.
In all cases, its hosting platform makes it simple to install WordPress with one click and there are tons of different themes and plugins to install quickly. The Managed WordPress hosting package is the best for features thanks to daily backups, malware detection, and plenty of SEO tools. However, the standard WordPress hosting plan will still satisfy those launching a personal blog. Just make sure to do your research before you commit to a plan.
The price: Standard WordPress Hosting starts at $9 per month for one website, 50GB of storage, and a free domain. A Managed WordPress hosting package begins at $30 per month and provides 20GB of storage, a staging environment, and extensive malware detection along with daily backups. Alternatively, the Standard WooCommerce plan begins at $25 and provides everything you could need to sell through your website.
SiteGround
SiteGround offers WordPress hosting plans for every need, but it’s the GoGeek plan that makes it stand out the most.-
StartUp:
$15/month -
GrowBig:
$25/month -
GoGeek:
$40/month
What SiteGround offers: SiteGround offers WordPress hosting plans for every need, but it’s the GoGeek plan that makes it stand out amongst a busy crowd. The plan includes features we’ve seen elsewhere like a staging area, but it also offers pre-installed Git which allows you to create a repository of your WordPress installation for later use. There’s also command line management support which gives the technically minded even more control over what they’re doing.
It’s not a cheap plan by any means and could be overkill for some purposes, but if you’re keen to get a bit more involved with the code behind your business site then SiteGround’s WordPress hosting packages are ideal.
The price: Siteground’s StartUp plan costs $15 per month for one website and 10GB of storage. There’s also GrowBig for $25 offering unlimited websites and 20GB of storage, and GoGeek with its wealth of technical features, unlimited websites and 40GB of storage for $40 per month.
Liquid Web
Liquid Web is a solution for high-end, serious businesses that can’t afford any site downtime.-
Spark:
$12.67/month -
Maker:
$52.67/month -
Designer:
$72.67/month -
Builder:
$99.33/month -
Producer:
$199.33/month -
Executive:
$366/month -
Enterprise:
$667/month
What Liquid Web offers: If your business needs a high-end, fully managed hosting package for multiple sites, Liquid Web is the best hosting provider for you. It offers staging and testing areas as standard so there’s no downtime risk, meaning it’s perfect for mission-critical websites. It also has automatic plugin updates, along with core WordPress updates, site management tools, and even automatic image compression. Users get full access to both the database and the server so you have plenty of control.
Liquid Web is more expensive than the competition by a long shot but for a good reason — it’s far more powerful. Able to monitor everything from your site uptime, to your SEO status, and even if any plugins are conflicting with each other, this is an ideal solution for the high-end user.
The price: The Spark plan starts at $12.67 for one site and 15GB of storage with extensive plans available to extend the amount of sites, storage, and bandwidth made available to you.
WordPress.com
If you just need a personal blog with your own URL, it might make sense to go straight to the source.-
Personal:
$4/month -
Premium:
$8/month -
Business:
$25/month -
ecommerce:
$45/month
What WordPress offers: The most straightforward option out there, WordPress is ideal if you want to set up a personal blog quickly and easily. Signing up and creating a site takes seconds and you won’t have to worry about doing much. That’s because set up is a lot like signing up to a social networking site. Thanks to being at the source, WordPress installations here are updated regularly and automatically meaning you can focus on writing.
There are some limitations though. While a business plan exists, it’s more restrictive than the competition and WordPress only offers email forwarding services not full hosting. If you’re looking for a business hosting provider, this isn’t really it.
The price: An ad-supported free version exists with basic design customization. The personal plan is $4 per month for a free domain and unlimited email support. There’s also the Premium plan for $8 per month, including Google Analytics integration, premium themes, and the ability to upload video. Alternatively, the Business plan costs $25 per month and adds plugin support, site backups, and advanced SEO functionality. The ecommerce plan is $45 per month and adds support for payment from over 60 different countries as well as integration with top shipping carriers.