What Does it Cost to Use AWS for WordPress Hosting?
Everyone likes to save money, but sometimes we have to spend money in order to make money. It’s a fact of life. Now is one of those times. If you’re looking for a way to save money without having to cut corners or skimp out, you should consider hosting your WordPress-powered website or blog on Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). And what is more, you might actually find that it’s not that expensive. We’re going to tell you exactly what it costs to use AWS for WordPress hosting, in order to give you a better idea of what you’re paying for and how much it might cost if you host your site elsewhere.
The Hardware Is Free, Thanks to EBS
If you’ve been paying attention to the news over the past year, you might have heard of Amazon Web Services. Most people know Amazon as an online marketplace, with an incredible array of products from all over the world, delivered to your door in two days or less. But Amazon has so much more than just online stores. If you have a piece of equipment that you need in order to run your business or website, you can host it on AWS. Including all the hardware and software you need to run your site.
To host your website or blog on AWS, you’re going to need a virtual private server (VPS). A VPS is exactly what it sounds like: a server that you rent from Amazon, in which you can install and run your own software. It’s a great solution if you’re looking to save money but you don’t want to give up the privacy and security of your own hardware.
VPSs come in a variety of sizes, with varying amounts of storage and memory. The perfect size for your needs is going to depend on how many people you expect to be visiting your site, how often you expect to be making changes, and how much memory and storage space you need to feel comfortable.
One of the great things about VPSs is that they’re highly resilient. In the event of a server failure or significant degradation in performance, Amazon sets up automatic failovers, so that your site is always up and running as much as possible. This means that even if your site goes down for a little while, traffic still flows to your content as normal. Nobody wants to lose a significant amount of money and time because their site wasn’t available during a time when they were most needed.
The Great Web Hosting Competitor
If you’re looking to host a WordPress-powered website or blog on a VPS, you’re going to want to compare the different hosting providers, to get the best possible deal. There are several options available, including Bluehost, which we recommend, with their famous ‘all-in-one’ hosting plan. This plan allows you to install and run WordPress on the same server, along with several other popular CMSs (Content Management Systems).
Another great WordPress hosting provider is Hetzner — you can read our in-depth review of them here. They also offer a ‘Gold’ plan, which comes with a lot of additional perks, like free backups, free domain privacy, and free malware scanning. If you’re looking for a one-stop shop for all your WordPress needs, Hetzner is the best option available. They also have offices in 44 countries, so if you have any inquiries about international delivery, feel free to contact them directly.
The Monthly Fees Are Annually-Based
The best thing about VPSs from Amazon is that the monthly fees are based on an annual commitment. So, if you decide that this is the best option for your business or website, you’ll only pay for what you use. And you can scale up or down as needed, depending on your needs.
This means that you’re not locked into a long-term contract, if you decide that this hosting solution isn’t right for you. You can always cancel your account at any time, without any penalties. (You will have to pay for any unused data at the end of the month.)
One of the other great things about this type of hosting solution is the privacy and security it provides. Since your site or business data is safely isolated and segregated from the Amazon infrastructure, you don’t have to worry about third-party hackers getting access to your sensitive information. (Unless, of course, you tell them otherwise.)
You Have Unlimited Disk Space
One of the things that makes VPSs so great is that you have unlimited disk space. This means you can install and run as many programs and applications as you want. All you have to do is pay for what you use. Plus, you have a free backup from Amazon, which you can restore, in case anything goes wrong. (You can choose to have your site’s backups stored using Amazon’s S3 service, for an additional fee.)
If you’re looking for a reliable and cost-effective solution for your business’ website, we recommend checking out Amazon Web Services. Not only are their VPSs extremely affordable, with some packages costing as little as $2.45 per month, you have all the privacy and security you need, along with the flexibility to quickly and effortlessly scale up or down, as needed. (You might also like to read our in-depth review of Flywheel, another popular web host that also offers great prices and an easy-to-use dashboard.)
Another option to consider is HostGator. Similar to Bluehost, HostGator offers an all-in-one plan, that includes a free domain, free installation, and free backups. However, HostGator’s pricing is based on a monthly commitment. And just like VPSs, HostGator offers an incredibly affordable and practical solution for anyone looking for web hosting.
Installation Is Super Easy
Another great thing about VPSs is that they make installation incredibly easy. Since all you have to do is download and install the software on your own computer, via a remote connection, you can have your blog or business website up and running in less than five minutes. (You will need to have installed WordPress before you start the installation process.)
If you’re looking for a solution that doesn’t require any technical knowledge, we recommend checking out Bluehost. They make the process very easy, and their installation guides are very detailed, including step-by-step instructions.
Backups Are Automatically Created
One of the great things about Bluehost is that they back up your site automatically. So, if you tell them that you’re losing your phone and you don’t have a computer available, they will create a backup of your site, immediately. This means you’ll always have access to your data, even if you don’t have time to actively update or maintain your site. (You can choose to have your site’s backups stored using their own enterprise grade backups, for an additional fee.)
Another great option to consider is Hetzner. Similar to Bluehost, Hetzner backs up your site for you automatically. And like their competitor, they offer a variety of plans, with varying amounts of storage and bandwidth. If you’re looking for a cheap and manageable solution, Hetzner is the best option available. They also offer a free domain privacy option, which you may or may not want to take advantage of.
A Whole Different Gaming Paradigm
If you’re a gamer, you may not want to host your site or blog on a general-purpose webserver. These types of servers are great for the public, since they are always available to anyone who wants to visit a website. But if you’re looking for the best possible performance, especially when connecting on mobile devices, we recommend trying out a dedicated server. (Dedicated servers are exactly what they sound like: a server that is solely dedicated to handling web requests from client devices. This type of server can offer incredible performance, especially when dealing with high traffic.)
Dedicated servers from AWS are incredibly affordable, with some plans costing as little as $2.45 per month (plus whatever cost you might incur for additional storage and bandwidth). But if you’re looking for the best possible performance, with no compromises in terms of security and privacy, we recommend checking out Hetzner. Not only do they offer a great price for a dedicated server, with a lot of additional perks, like free domain privacy, backups, and more, but their support is also top-notch.
Hosting your site or blog on AWS can be a great option, especially if you’re looking for a robust, reliable platform that is very cost-effective. Plus, with all the freedom and flexibility it provides, there’s a good chance you’ll find it appeals to you. If you’re looking for a robust, reliable web host with a great community, you can’t go wrong with Amazon.