How to Compare Hosting Options for Managed WordPress Hosting

If you’re looking for the best managed wordpress hosting, then you’ve come to the right place! In this article, we’ll review the best choices and highlight the differences between each host to help you make the right choice for your needs.

What is Managed WordPress Hosting?

Managed wordpress hosting is, in short, hosting that provides a WordPress environment, tools, and applications to you (the customer) so you don’t have to worry about anything technical. More specifically, a managed WordPress host will take care of installing, updating, and debugging WordPress alongside providing you with the raw servers’ IP addresses so you can connect to their sites directly (without needing to go through an intermediary like a web host).

This type of hosting is usually priced on a per-month basis with discounts available for recurring payments or on a per-year basis with some hosts offering a free trial. Typically, managed WordPress hosting is more expensive than other types of hosting but, in return, you get a much more streamlined experience that takes the stress out of setting up and running your own WordPress installation.

To learn more, check out our managed WordPress hosting review. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the differences between the four most popular managed WordPress hosts, including pricing, features, and customer support.

The 4 Major Differences Between Managed WordPress Hosts

There are four major differences between the four most popular managed WordPress hosts. Let’s examine each one and highlight the differences between them.

Pricing

Probably the most important factor to consider when choosing a managed WordPress host is pricing. The cost of hosting is becoming less of a concern for content creators and entrepreneurs as the costs keep declining, but it still plays a crucial role in some situations. For example, if you’re just starting out and don’t have a million dollars to spare, then you’ll want to look for a cheaper option.

The four most popular managed WordPress hosts are priced fairly similarly – the first three are offered at a steep discount if you pay yearly, and Bluehost provides a special annual rate of up to 2% if you’re a veteran website owner. There are, however, a few significant differences:

• Pricewatermelon.com: This host offers a free trial for new customers and a special 2% discount for annual subscriptions. If you’re looking for a host that provides a one-click install to get you up and running quickly with WordPress, then visit this host.
• Towelry.com: This host provides a free domain and offers a special discounted rate of $2.95/mo for the first year and then $5.45/mo thereafter. If you’re looking for a long-term solution, then this option might be worth considering.
• Clickfunnels.com: This is one of the more expensive hosts on our list but provides a lot of value for the money. Sign up for a free trial and you’ll receive a special link that’ll get you a 15% discount on the purchase of a product from their store.
• Bluehost.com: This is the most popular, and thus, the most expensive of the four hosts we’re reviewing. However, if you’re looking for a reliable, stable solution that provides a one-click install of WordPress and offers 24/7 support via liveChat, then Bluehost is the way to go.

Features

Just as important as the cost of hosting is the features that the host provides you as a customer. Every host we’re reviewing here provides a one-click install of WordPress, offers a free domain, and provides advanced features such as free backups, free malware scans, free content removal, etc. The four most popular managed WordPress hosts also provide free SSL certificates, free caching, and free WordPress updates.

To be fair, not all hosts offer all of these features and some require you to pay for additional features (such as SSH access and domain privacy), but you’ll want to make sure that the host you choose offers what you need. In any case, these are features that you wouldn’t want to live without as a customer.

Performance

One of the main reasons why people choose hosting companies is because of the performance of their sites when hosted on those servers. When it comes to managing a WordPress installation, no one wants to spend their time waiting for WordPress to load slowly or for pages to load time, especially as the costs keep rising and rising due to the increasing demands of digital publishers. 

All of the hosts we’re reviewing here are fairly reliable when it comes to performance, loading speeds, and uptime. The key is to make sure that you’re not paying for what you don’t need. For example, if you’re a professional blogger who rarely if ever sees more than 500 unique visitors per month, then a slower-performing host is probably not the best choice for you. Instead, you might want to look for a fast-performing host that doesn’t cost as much. 

User Experience (UX)

Finally, let’s not forget about the User Experience (UX) when choosing a host for your WordPress installation. Some hosts are just plain ugly and complex to use, and it’s easy to see why people wouldn’t want to host their sites on those platforms. 

Thankfully, the four most popular managed WordPress hosts are all fairly well-designed and even come with a shiny new look that was inspired by Apple products and the modern look and feel of corporate websites.

In any case, you shouldn’t let looks alone determine which host you choose as there are many more important aspects to consider. For example, does the UI match the UX of other platforms you’re used to working with? Is the documentation clear and easy to follow? Are the customer support agents easily accessible and understanding?

The above four points should help you figure out which hosted WordPress is best suited for your needs. Keep in mind that, ultimately, it’s up to you to determine the type of user experience you want for your site but, for the best user experience, we recommend Bluehost as it offers a lot for the money.