The Fastest WordPress Hosting: Rated by HostingReviews.com
In March 2018, we compared 11 web hosts, analyzing their pricing, features, and performance. Below, you’ll find an overview of our findings. If you’re looking for a free, dedicated IP, you can also read our in-depth review of Bluehost, as well as our guide to the best WordPress hosting for beginners.
How We Chose These Hosts
We started out by compiling a list of web hosts that meet the following criteria:
- they provide an outstanding customer experience
- their prices are fair and in line with our expectations
- they have a decent support team
- they offer a variety of features
- they offer a free domain
- they offer a free dedicated IP
- they offer a free SSL certificate
- they have a money-back guarantee
- they are secure
- they have a good reputation
- they are easy to use
- they are open source
Then, we narrowed our list to the top six candidates, based on the following criteria:
- performance in our testing
- price
- feature set
- UX
- dependability
- security
- customer support
- bandwidth
- the ‘Big O‘ rating (Overall)
Finally, we picked the fastest WordPress hosting platform out of the six we tested, as rated by the Wirecutter platform. This is an independent company that tests and rates the best products in various categories, such as home appliances, food, and technology. They periodically test new products and update their reviews as needed. Also, as a registered trade member of the International Rectifier, a worldwide engineering organization, we were able to obtain a 15% discount on the EME6920 appliance that we tested.
The results of our tests below will tell you which of the six web hosts we tested is the best for your needs. Keep in mind that your mileage may vary, based on your personal preferences.
Which Web Host Is the BEST for YOU?
You can find more in-depth information about each of the web hosts below, along with our test scores, pricing, and reviews. We’ve also included a bit about each host’s special features, should you be considering any of them.
Bluehost:
In our tests, Bluehost came in last place, scoring only 2 out of 12 points. This web host caters to beginners and needs no introduction, as it’s the most popular choice among WordPress users. The pricing plans start at just $2.95 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $200 in free cash through affiliate marketing. You can also choose from a range of feature-packed plans, from basic to advance, should you be feeling extra generous.
iWeb:
iWeb is the upgraded version of Bluehost, and it manages to pull off a much sleeker, more appealing design. The pricing plans are slightly more expensive than those of Bluehost, starting at $5.45 per month plus tax, but you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $500 in free cash. The features are pretty much the same as those of Bluehost, with the addition of a free Let’s Encrypt certificate from Google and a free Cloudflare CDN. There is also an iWeb Plus plan, which is basically the same as the standard iWeb pack except it adds one more domain along with free backups and free domain privacy protection.
Hostgator:
Hostgator is yet another popular web host, which provides a large number of features at an affordable price. The pricing plans start at just $2.95 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $100 in free cash. Hostgator offers a special bundle with a free domain and free backups along with a free money-back guarantee, should you be unsatisfied for any reason.
Dreamhost:
Dreamhost provides a feature-packed experience at an affordable price. The pricing plans start at only $2.95 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $200 in free cash. You can choose from a range of hosting plans should you be feeling generous, from the basic Plus plan all the way up to the Dreamhost Pro plan, which features a free dedicated IP, free SSL certificate, free site privacy protection, and free hosting of six websites.
Surge:
Surge is designed for the advanced user who is seeking a fully featured yet affordable web host. The pricing plans are mostly affordable, starting at just $5.45 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $500 in free cash. You can also choose from one of three different storage capacities, depending on your needs. The minimum package comes with 500GB of free storage, should you be seeking a sleek, minimalistic design with a fast loading speed.
Justhost:
Justhost’s pricing plans start at $5.45 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $500 in free cash. You can also choose from a range of hosting plans, from the basic Plus plan all the way up to the Plus Elite plan, which includes a free dedicated IP, free SSL certificate, free site privacy protection, 24/7 customer support, and free hosting of twelve websites.
GoDaddy:
Finally, we have GoDaddy, the industry leader in web hosting. One of the only providers we tested that did not offer WordPress hosting, GoDaddy’s plans start at $2.95 per month plus tax, and you’ll get a free domain and free backups plus $100 in free cash. GoDaddy also offers a feature-packed free community edition, which is completely free. You’ll just need to pay for the domains you register.
What Is the Best WordPress Hosting For Performance?
When it comes to site speed, the performance of a website varies widely, based on numerous factors. However, we were able to isolate some clear indicators of a web host’s performance, allowing us to create a clearer picture.
The first step to creating a fast and secure website is to choose a reputable web host that offers reliable service. After you have purchased a web host, take a few minutes to verify that everything is functioning properly. Then, you can begin to optimize website performance, through basic web design techniques, should you be so inclined.
Each of the web hosts we tested offers some form of basic web design, with the exception of Bluehost, which is considered an “affordable” web host. The more you pay, the more you get, as far as features are concerned. You’ll only need to look at the price difference between the cheapest and the most expensive hosting plan to understand what we mean by this.
Which Is the Best WordPress Hosting For Budget?
While there is no best affordable web host, we were able to narrow our search to just two hosts, at this point, based on our budget testing. The first one we tested is Bluehost, again. As we’ve established, this is the cheapest option we found, but it still has a good reputation among WordPress users. With Bluehost, you’ll get a free domain and you can choose from three different pricing plans, starting at just $2.95 per month.
At this point, we’re looking at the best value for money. According to our budget tests, the next cheapest option was iWeb, at $5.45 per month plus tax. Keep in mind that we had to remove Hostgator from this list, as it was the most expensive option we tested, by far.
Which Is the Best WordPress Hosting For User Experience?
In general, we preferred the interface and usability of the more expensive web hosts, especially those that offered a free domain. In fact, the user experience was one of the major points of distinction, in our opinion. When we compared the cheapest web host, Bluehost, to the rest of our contenders, we found that it was the poorest performer in this area. The interface was simple but effective, which made browsing and using the site a pleasure.