how-to
What is managed WordPress hosting, you may ask — and is it worth the cost? The popular content management system undoubtedly makes web design more accessible to non-developers, but site admins and business owners don’t always want to get bogged down in the constant stream of backups, updates, security scans, and performance optimizations.
At the most basic level, managed WordPress hosting gives you a hassle-free experience. Your provider will take care of all the technical aspects of security, speed, updates, backups, uptime, and scalability so you can focus on getting the best content and making the most profit.
Whether for experienced WordPress users or rookie site owners, many hosting providers are optimizing their infrastructure and support teams to handle the quirks, nuances, and routine chores that go into running a WordPress site at peak performance. Read on to see how you can take advantage of the world’s most popular content management system in a fraction of the time.
1. Best Managed WordPress Hosting (Overall Comparison)
Hosts regularly offer managed services with VPS and dedicated plans, but managed WordPress packages dip into the shared hosting world to provide better services and experiences to the millions of site owners running the top-flight CMS. In addition to specially tuned hardware and software designed to run WordPress as quickly and securely as possible, service is tailored to the specific needs of the platform.
As with managed plans anywhere, pay attention to the fine print — “managed” means something different to seemingly every host. Semi-managed plans will typically only cover automated services, such as updates and backups, while fully managed services mean more personal attention to optimizing your site’s speed and scalability.
There should be no surprise that many of our favorite WordPress hosts rank near the top of our rankings for managed WordPress hosting. Already known for great support and reliability, these companies offer unlimited storage, bandwidth, and a number of WordPress sites on each account.
1.
InMotionHosting.com
- WordPress pre-installed for you at checkout
- Zero-downtime site transfers
- WordPress updates done automatically
- Plugins, SSDs, and caching for top speed
- Help from WordPress fanatics and FREE SSL security
- Get started on InMotion now.
InMotion: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Managed WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 40 GB SSD - 120 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.inmotionhosting.com/managed-wp |
2.
Bluehost.com
- 1-click WordPress installs via enhanced cPanel
- VPS power and NGINX architecture for extreme speed
- Advanced CDN and WAF protection
- Custom control panel simplifies WP site management
- Instant provisioning and regular backups
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Managed WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB SSD - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/managed-wp |
3.
SiteGround.com
- Managed services for all WordPress plans
- In-house-built technologies for speed and support
- WordPress kept up to date with automatic backups
- Easily test and deploy changes via staging area
- 3 levels of caching for optimal performance
- Get started on SiteGround now.
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Managed WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 30 GB SSD | New or Transfer | www.siteground.com/managed-wp |
See all top managed WordPress hosts »
2. Best for Cheap Managed WordPress Hosting
For those who prioritize price above all else, never fear. You can find some incredible deals when it comes to managed WordPress hosting. Because WordPress is so popular and used to power more than a third of all websites, hosting providers are all trained at how to troubleshoot common problems and ease the onboarding process via one-click installations.
These hosts offer the most bang for your buck and enable you to run WordPress effectively and securely — with around-the-clock managed support standing at the ready.
4.
Hostinger.com
- Unlimited everything, from bandwidth to databases
- FREE site builder & WordPress performance upgrades
- FREE daily or weekly backups
- 90+ auto-installation scripts and custom control panel
- SSH access & SSL certificates
- Get started on Hostinger now.
Hostinger: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 30 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | www.hostinger.com/shared |
5.
Bluehost.com
- Known for performance at a low price
- Endorsed by WordPress.org team
- FREE Weebly site builder
- FREE Cloudflare CDN
- Get 63% off today (was $7.99/month)
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB - Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.bluehost.com/shared |
6.
InterServer.net
- $0.01 for the first month, then $5 monthly after
- NO annual contracts and NO sudden price increases
- Unlimited storage space, data transfers, and email
- New domain is $11 with 1-month plan ($1.99 otherwise)
- 99.9% uptime and price-lock guarantee
- Get started on InterServer now.
InterServer: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Cheap Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited | New or Transfer | www.interserver.net/shared |
See all top affordable WordPress hosts »
3. Fastest Managed WordPress Hosting
When it comes to speedy WordPress hosting, one of the first features you’ll want to look for is solid-state drives. The modern storage devices regularly make page loads up to 20 times faster, with additional performance boosts possible via content delivery networks, cloud infrastructure, and the ability to choose your server location.
7.
InMotionHosting.com
- Shared business hosting with FREE SSD storage
- FREE website migration with zero downtime
- Develop in PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python, and MySQL
- FREE drag-and-drop builder or preinstalled WordPress
- FREE data backups and FREE SSL cert
- Get started on InMotion Hosting now.
InMotion: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | SSD Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.inmotionhosting.com/ssd |
8.
SiteGround.com
- 99.9% uptime guarantee and FREE SSDs
- Reliable support from custom chat and ticketing systems
- FREE site transfer and live setup assistance
- Unique downtime prevention technology, plus SuperCacher
- Easy cPanel management
- Get started on SiteGround now.
SiteGround: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | SSD Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 30 GB SSD | New or Transfer | www.siteground.com/ssd |
9.
A2Hosting.com
- FREE SSD speed boost and optional Turbo Server
- 1-click installs for all popular apps and scripts
- FREE CDN from Cloudflare and A2-optimized caching
- Get up to unlimited domains and databases
- Help from the Guru Crew available 24/7
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
A2 Hosting: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | SSD Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | www.a2hosting.com/ssd |
See all top WordPress hosts with SSDs »
4. Best for Fully Managed WordPress Hosting
A premium WordPress host, DreamHost is given high praise by our team for their speed, advanced technical support, and reliability. The company’s ultra-performant VPS infrastructure, muliple layers of caching, and ironclad security measures are among industry leaders. We also appreciate that DreamHost includes domain privacy for free, regularly contributes to WordPress Core, and frequently sponsors WordCamps. It’s DreamPress platform is the most impressive solution for fully managed features without spending a fortune.
DreamHost.com
- Fully managed, stress-free WordPress hosting
- More than 5x faster than traditional shared hosting
- Advanced site backup and security features
- Now includes Jetpack pre-installed
- Easily scale to handle traffic spikes
- Get started on DreamHost now.
DreamHost: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Managed WordPress Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | www.dreamhost.com/managed-wordpress |
5. Best for Managed WordPress Hosting Reseller Services
When it comes to reselling managed services, you’re the one in charge of customer support. Finding a high-quality reseller program, however, can ease some of the burden. HostGator provides all sorts of powerful tools and flexibility to manage your business while still offering free and easy scalability. Along with weekly, automatic backups and around-the-clock server monitoring, HostGator’s award-winning support through phone, chat, and email will let you focus on your managed WordPress services.
HostGator.com
- Start your own company with cPanel reseller hosting
- Unlimited domains, emails, and MySQL databases
- 99.9% uptime guarantee and 400+ tutorials
- All web hosting reseller plans include WHMCS
- FREE ResellerClub account for domain registrations
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator: Our Expert's Review
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Reseller Hosting Plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 days | 60 GB - 140 GB | New or Transfer | www.hostgator.com/reseller |
Let Your Host Handle the Hardware and Let the Blogging Begin!
I’ve learned to put my developer ego aside and appreciate the benefit of managed services. WordPress can be a challenging content management system to run well, so it’s worth giving the mundane and ultra-technical tasks to trusted experts while I create the content and products that drive business.
For other WordPress hosting options, be sure to check out our favorite WordPress hosts. Even if they don’t offer managed WordPress plans, many hosts include shared services and support teams that are optimized for the global WordPress community. For a complete list of the top recommended managed services for WordPress, click here.
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