What’s the Difference Between WordPress Hosting and Regular Hosting?
You might be wondering, what’s the difference between WordPress hosting and regular hosting?
Well, the short answer is: quite a lot. While both hosting options provide you with a space to install and run WordPress, the differences between them go far beyond that.
Here, we’ll discuss the differences between WordPress hosting and regular hosting, including the pros and cons of each. Hopefully, this will help you make the right decision about which type of hosting to choose for your WordPress site.
Features
The first and probably the most obvious difference between WordPress hosting and regular hosting is the level of control and features that each provides. WordPress hosting is mainly designed for blogging, social media, and other sites that don’t require too much power.
On the other hand, dedicated hosting is meant for sites that require a lot of horsepower and offer a variety of features. These are some of the most common ones:
- Dedicated IPs
- Databases (MySQL, MariaDB, etc)
- SSH Access
- Mail Functions
- Full-featured Control Panel
- Image Optimization
- …and more!
So, as you can see, WordPress hosting provides you with a stripped-down interface that doesn’t offer too many features. However, if you’re looking for a simple and lightweight option, then WordPress is the way to go. On the other hand, dedicated hosting provides you with a large number of features that make managing and administering your site much easier. The choice should depend on your specific needs.
Cost
One of the major differences between WordPress hosting and dedicated hosting is cost. While the cost of WordPress hosting is pretty low, dedicated hosting can get pretty pricey. The cost of a dedicated server ranges from $15 to $30 per month. This can be a significant investment upfront, especially if you’re not sure whether or not dedicated hosting is right for your needs.
Another important factor to consider is the cost of additional features. Some web hosting companies charge you monthly for specific features, like the Mail Function in the example above. So, if you want to use those features, you’ll have to add them to your plan. The same goes for the amount of storage and bandwidth that you’re provided. So, if you decide to go with WordPress hosting, be sure to check with your web hosting company about the specifics of the plan. Some offer a free trial period, so you can check out the features before making a commitment.
Deployment
Another critical consideration when choosing a web host, especially if you’re planning on using WordPress, is the deployment of your site. Do you want to install and configure your site yourself, or do you want to have someone else do it for you? With WordPress hosting, you have the option of either setting up and configuring your site yourself, or paying a small fee to have someone else do it for you. The fee is usually between $10 and $20 per site, per month. So, if you decide to have someone else set up and configure your site for you, then WordPress hosting is a great choice. This is because you can save a lot of time and effort, and get your site up and running quickly. Of course, your site will be a little less secure and you’ll have to take care of any issues yourself. But, at least you’ll have a sense of comfort knowing that you can quickly and easily get it up and running.
On the other hand, with dedicated hosting, you’ll have to choose from one of their pre-configured WordPress environments. While this may seem like an advantage because you won’t have to worry about setting things up yourself, the trade-off is that you won’t be able to change the theme or the configuration of the website without having someone else do it for you. This could become quite an issue if you’re not comfortable doing technical tasks like setting up a MySQL database or configuring your Apache web server. So, if you want to be able to quickly deploy and reconfigure your site as needed, then dedicated hosting might not be the best option.
Speed
Last but not least, we have speed. How fast do you want your site to load? You’ll have to make a decision here. Do you want a super-fast website, or one that loads pretty quickly?
The good news is you have multiple options when it comes to choosing a web host. So, you don’t have to settle for one that was built for sharing WordPress content, because there are hundreds of other reliable hosts out there. The bad news is, not all of them are created equal. Some are built for speed, while others are optimized for reliability.
If you want a quick website that loads fast, then choosing a brand that focuses on speed is the way to go. Things like SSD storage, free backups, and a reliable host that offers live support are all worth looking into. Keep in mind, though, that the more features you want, the more you’ll have to pay for. So, although it might be tempting to go with a free host that comes with a ton of features, keep in mind that you might be compromising on speed in the process.
On the other hand, if you want a more reliable site that won’t load as fast as a freshlywaked snail would, then dedicated hosting is the way to go. These are some of the most popular and well-known brands when it comes to dedicated hosting, and they all offer a money-back guarantee if you meet the right conditions. So, if you don’t want to spend too much money and you don’t want to worry about speed, choose one of these hosts!
Final Takeaway
At the end of the day, what’s the difference between WordPress hosting and regular hosting? Quite a lot, actually. While both provide you with the basic infrastructure that you need to install and run WordPress, the differences between them go far beyond that. If you’re looking for a simple and lightweight option, then WordPress hosting is a great choice because you can get up and running quickly and don’t have to worry about much. On the other hand, if you want a more robust and secure site, then dedicated hosting is the way to go because you can control all of the aspects of the site, from design to speed. The choice should depend on your specific needs.