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Is managed WordPress hosting worth it? Pros and cons
When trying to build a WordPress website, people often ask is WordPress hosting worth it?
To answer the question in more detail and help you decide what hosting solution is best for your website, we put together this post explaining what WordPress hosting is and why it’s worth the cost.
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Why do you need WordPress hosting?
WordPress is a content management system used to build websites. The system is essentially software you use to create and modify your web content. Much like word processing or graphic design software, you need someplace to install the application. Your web hosting server is the hardware and other technical systems, like databases, that make WordPress work.
WordPress without hosting is like having a copy of Adobe Photoshop without a laptop to install and use the application.
What are the requirements for WordPress hosting?
WordPress recommends using Apache or Nginx servers. But the system will work on any server that supports PHP and MySQL.
To run WordPress, your host needs to support:
- PHP version 7.4 or greater
- MySQL version 5.6 or greater OR MariaDB version 10.1 or greater
- HTTPS support
What types of WordPress hosting are available?
WordPress operates on a variety of servers as long as they meet the above specifications. The platform’s flexibility gives website owners several options when looking for hosting.
Types of web hosting for WordPress include:
- Self Hosted. You have the option of setting up your own web server to host your WordPress website. But, the hardware costs and technical expertise prevent most website owners from pursuing this option.
- Shared Hosting. This affordable option hosts several websites on the same server. The hosting provider maintains the server. Each website owner can access an allotted amount of resources like memory, storage, processing, and bandwidth.
- VPS Hosting. A Virtual Private Server is an upgrade from shared hosting. Your website still shares a physical server with other websites, but your website runs from a dedicated virtual machine on the server. It works like owning a townhome or condo. You’re all in the same building, but you have control and responsibility for everything in your unit.
- Dedicated Hosting. If you want the ultimate control and privacy, dedicated hosting plans are your choice. They allow you to rent a web server exclusively for your site.
- Cloud Hosting. Instead of renting space on one server, cloud hosting takes a distributed approach. Your website runs on the infrastructure of several servers as a part of the hosting service cloud.
- Managed WordPress Hosting. Managed hosting services combine support and technology. Managed WordPress hosting means the host company optimizes the technology to work best for WordPress. The host also ensures the server settings and software are up-to-date and compatible with WordPress.
Which type of hosting is best for WordPress?
Managed WordPress hosting is the best option for most WordPress sites. Managed hosting delivers superior performance with less maintenance.
Benefits of managed WordPress hosting include:
- Automatic Updates. Managed hosting often includes automatic updates for WordPress system files and plugins. The host also maintains and updates the server.
- Backups. You may not know how to backup a WordPress website, and that’s ok. Many plans include automatic backups, so you never have to worry about losing your content.
- WordPress Optimization. While WordPress works with many configurations and servers, a managed WordPress hosting service optimizes the technology to deliver the best performance for WordPress.
- Faster Speeds. Since the host takes care of server optimization and system updates, sites on a Managed WordPress hosting plan tend to be faster than those on basic hosting plans. If you’re hosting a WordPress site on a shared hosting plan and experiencing slower site speeds, it’s a sign you should consider upgrading to managed WordPress hosting.
Managed WordPress hosting isn’t for everyone. On a managed WordPress plan, you do not have the same level of access to the server to make custom configurations. If your business needs to run any applications or websites outside of the WordPress environment, you’ll need to consider a different type of hosting such as VPS or dedicated plans.
How much does WordPress hosting cost?
Managed WordPress hosting plans vary in price, depending on the number of sites and resource utilization. Most plans include a set amount of storage and bandwidth.
For one to three websites, expect to pay $10 to $30 a month. Plans with multiple sites or extra bandwidth can range from $100 to $300 per month.
For comparison, you can often find deals for basic shared hosting services for as low as $2 per month. But, these cheap hosting plans do not offer the same level of service and frequently experience slow loading speeds.
Is WordPress hosting worth it?
Benefits of managed WordPress hosting include:
- Faster Websites. All managed WordPress plans include premium image compression, automatic CDN, and advanced caching to deliver the quickest WordPress sites.
- Automatic Updates. Never worry about updates again with our automatic plugin updates with visual comparisons.
- Security Monitoring and Support. Our WordPress experts are available around the clock to keep your site running securely.
- Plugin Performance Monitor. Our exclusive Plugin Performance Monitor tracks your site speed and alerts you when a new or updated plugin starts to slow down your site.
Getting started with managed WordPress hosting
Ready to take the training wheels off your WordPress site? Upgrade to professional hosting and see how better speeds, security, and reliability provide a foundation for a website and a brand that people find engaging and trustworthy. Liquid Web’s WordPress hosting options configure business-class servers and support plans specifically for WordPress websites.
Click through below to explore all of our WordPress hosting options, or chat with a WordPress expert right now to get answers and advice.
Additional resources
What is managed WordPress hosting? →
Get details and decide if managed WordPress hosting is right for you.
The benefits of managed hosting →
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Lindsey Miller is the former Partner Manager for Nexcess Managed WordPress Hosting. She’s been involved in various aspects in the WordPress community for over 7 years and helped start a non-profit teaching kids to code, The Div.