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What Are the Best Hosting Providers for WordPress? Which One Should You Choose?

April 30, 2023 By WP Helpline Off

WordPress is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, reaching over 450 million monthly active users as of January 2020. Its popularity as a CMS and the community around it make it a great fit for almost any business or project. But the same as with many technologies, there is more than one way to host WordPress and the numerous differences between the various hosting platforms may leave you wondering which is the best option for you.

In this guide, we’ll cover the most important considerations you need to make when choosing a WordPress hosting provider, including pricing, features, reliability, and more.

Pricing

The pricing of a web hosting plan can vary greatly, so it’s important to look at what you need and want from a hosting service before making a decision. There are three primary types of hosting plans: 

  • Basic (free)
    • This plan gives you access to a single dedicated IP address and allows you to install one website per account. The benefits are that it’s free, there are no commitments and it’s highly recommended by WordPress itself. However, this plan may not have all the features you’re looking for.
    • Plus (paid)
      • This plan gives you access to a pool of dedicated IP addresses that can host multiple websites and offers the same advantages as the basic plan. The difference is that with this plan you need to pay for the privilege of using the IP addresses. This plan is highly recommended by WordPress itself because it’s reliable and has good performance. This plan may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a free dedicated IP address.
      • Choice Plus (paid)
        • This plan gives you access to a pool of dedicated IP addresses that can host multiple websites and offers the same advantages as the basic plan plus the reliability of a premium plan. The difference is that with this plan you need to pay for the privilege of using the IP addresses. This plan is highly recommended by WordPress itself because it’s reliable and has good performance. This plan may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a free dedicated IP address.
      • Choice Plus (paid)
        • This plan gives you access to a pool of dedicated IP addresses that can host multiple websites and offers the same advantages as the choice plus plan and reliability of a premium plan. The difference is that with this plan you need to pay for the privilege of using the IP addresses. This is the plan recommended by WordPress itself because it’s highly reliable and has good performance. This plan may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a free dedicated IP address.
        • Pro (paid)
          • This plan gives you access to a pool of dedicated IP addresses that can host multiple websites and offers the same advantages as the choice plus plan and reliability of a premium plan. The difference is that with this plan you need to pay for the privilege of using the IP addresses. This plan is highly recommended by WordPress itself because it’s reliable and has good performance. This plan may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a free dedicated IP address.
          • Reliability
          • Performance
        • Additional features
        • Domain privacy
        • Free backups
        • Free domain name registrations
        • Free SSL certificates
        • Pricing discounts

        Features

        One of the most important things to consider when choosing a host is making sure that the features you’re looking for are available. Some of the features that WordPress hosting providers offer can be extremely useful, including:

        Geolocation-based CDN

        Geolocation-based content delivery networks (CDNs) allow content to be delivered from servers that are closest to your visitors, which can result in faster load times and more reliable performance.

        WordPress is a content management system, which means its primary function is to manage the content on your website. But what is content, in essence? Content is information that can be consumed and shared by humans. In the past, this was physical content, like books and CDs, but today it can be just about anything: articles, videos, etc.

        Because WordPress is so popular, there are a variety of plugins and tools available that can make managing content easier, like a geolocation-based CDN. One of the most popular CDNs is MaxCDN, which provides features like automatic content updates via WordPress’s built-in Cron job feature and advanced caching. In addition to these features, MaxCDN provides a free shipping option on all orders above £20 and a money-back guarantee if you meet the right conditions.

        SSD Storage

        Solid state drives (SSDs) are the future of computer storage, offering many advantages over traditional hard drives (HDDs). To run an SSD, you don’t need a lot of space and you don’t have to worry about overheating or crashing due to excessive read/write actions. Because of these advantages, many larger and more established hosting companies have started offering SSDs as standard, included features, rather than as an extra perk.

        When choosing a WordPress hosting provider, make sure to look for one that offers SSDs as standard. This will make a substantial difference in the performance and user experience of your site. And if they offer other perks, such as dedicated IP addresses or free domain name registrations, the better.

        Multiple Sites

        One of the most useful features of a WordPress hosting provider is the ability to run multiple sites from a single account. These are called multi-site setups and they’re made possible by the inclusion of the WordPress Multisite feature. When used properly, this feature can offer an incredible amount of convenience and flexibility.

        Say you want to set up a blog for your brand which should stay separate from your personal sites. You can use a WordPress hosting provider and create a free account for each site you have, making it easy to update content on all of them from one place. In the event that one of your sites becomes very popular and starts receiving a lot of traffic, you can always merge it with one of your other sites to create a larger, more robust network.

        Because this feature is so useful, it’s worth considering whether you should pay for it. Many hosting providers offer multiple sites as a complimentary feature, but you should always read the fine print in their terms and conditions to make sure.

        Free SSL

        It’s important to secure your site with an SSL certificate to ensure the privacy and integrity of your visitors’ personal information as they log in or purchase goods on your website.

        If you have your own certificate, you can install it on your site with just a couple clicks. But if you want to install a trusted certificate issued by a well-known CA (certificate authority) like Google, Apple, or Microsoft, you’ll have to do some research to find a suitable certificate for your needs. Once you find one, you’ll need to contact the CA’s certificate authority to request an installation.

        Installing and using an SSL certificate can be a time-consuming and sometimes tedious process, so make sure you choose a hosting provider that offers this convenience feature. This feature alone may not be worth the price you’ll have to pay for a premium account, but it can make a substantial difference in the security and trust of your site’s visitors.

        24/7 Support

        While it’s not always essential to have a fully-functional website 24/7, it can be extremely useful to have someone available to help you whenever you need them. A WordPress hosting provider that offers 24/7 support is ideal because it means you can get your questions answered promptly and professionally, even when you’re sleeping or on vacation.

        You should never have to worry about accessing technical support for your site because it will always be available when you need it. Additionally, a company that offers 24/7 support is likely to have specialists who are highly qualified and knowledgeable about WordPress and its various functions, which can translate to faster response times and better service overall.

        Free Backups

        One of the most stressful things about running a website is losing all of your precious content when your web host goes down for some reason or another. Backups are an essential part of any hosting plan because they allow you to retrieve and restore your site’s content in the event of a crash. Many web hosting providers offer this feature as a part of their service, but it’s always good to check.

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