Writer: Alexandra Anderson
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Cristian Lopez
Who better to rank the best WordPress-approved hosts than the developers of the software itself?
WordPress, the wildly popular open-source content management system, now supports more than 74 million websites, and the most reputable hosting providers are answering the demand with plans tailored to its use.
For some hosting shoppers, the abundance of plans is daunting, and the information is often clouded with marketing jargon. Many experts, including yours truly, have set out to review and rank the best WordPress hosting plans, but it’s always wise to go straight to the source.
Several requirements and recommendations for hosting the software are posted on the official website — but only a select few companies have been deemed WordPress-approved. Here, we discuss the three web hosts that have been given the WordPress.org seal of approval and why.
1. Bluehost
Bluehost frequently tops the charts when it comes to WordPress-friendly hosting. The team prides itself on its WordPress services, and the company is widely known in the shared hosting space.
Every account features one-click installations for the WordPress software, and the Bluehost team is made up of WordPress veterans who are ready, willing, and able to assist you every step of the way.
Enjoy a complimentary domain name registration for the first year of service, and sign up with the confidence of an anytime money-back guarantee.
We frequently recommend Bluehost to first-time site owners, and you can check out our expert review below to determine whether this is the best WordPress host for you:
Bluehost.com
Monthly Starting Price $1.99
- Recommended by WordPress.org since 2005
- Automatic WordPress updates and initial install
- FREE WordPress themes in the Bluehost Marketplace
- 24/7 support via live chat, phone, and email
- Get exclusive discounts on WordPress plans
- Get started on Bluehost now.
Bluehost's WordPress hosting packages are aimed at first-time site owners and personal bloggers. These services come at a premium compared to the standard Bluehost web hosting (basic shared hosting) plans, but the WordPress optimization and platform-specific resources are arguably worth the cost. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 10 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 7 minutes |
More on WordPress hosting from Bluehost »
2. Hostinger
When it comes to WordPress, the folks at Hostinger are certified experts. Hostinger delivers both quality and technical know-how on a level that’s rarely seen with budget web hosts. And the best part? It doesn’t mark up its WordPress hosting plans.
Customers get access to a premium, fully managed WordPress hosting experience that includes a bevy of WordPress optimizations to boost your site’s performance. As you upgrade plans, you get additional features included for a low monthly price.
The Cloud Startup plan is a personal favorite and includes advanced WordPress features such as a site accelerator, standard WooCommerce, and smart automatic updates. Plus,
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.69
- Officially endorsed by WordPress.org
- 1-click WP install, PHP 7+, HTTP/2, and LiteSpeed
- All-in-one security protections from BitNinja
- No price markup for WordPress services
- Daily backups, FREE SSL certificates, and AI Tools
- Get started on Hostinger now.
As much as we love WordPress, one of our biggest pet peeves is when hosting providers exploit the popularity of the world’s most-used content management system by offering so-called WordPress hosting that, in reality, is exactly the same as the host’s shared server plans. Fortunately, Hostinger’s ultra-fast infrastructure and easy access to SSL certificates and backups sets up the company to outperform the vast majority of the violators of our admittedly made-up rule. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 100 GB SSD – 200 GB NVMe | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
More on WordPress hosting from Hostinger >>
3. DreamHost
DreamHost boasts “supercharged” managed and unmanaged server plans for WordPress users.
Standard WordPress shared hosting customers benefit from one-click software installations and automatic updates, and your domain is free for your first year with DreamHost. Many members of the DreamHost team have been actively contributing to the WordPress Core for 10-plus years.
The company knows the platform inside and out, and the expertise shows up in the in-house solutions DreamHost continues to roll out to better serve the WordPress community.
For those looking for a little more oomph, we recommend looking into DreamPress: the fully managed, preconfigured, VPS-powered solution for WordPress.
For a complete rundown of DreamHost services, check out our full review below:
DreamHost.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.59
- WordPress hosting for up to unlimited sites
- FREE WordPress website migration
- Fully managed hosting with DreamPress plan
- NEW WordPress website builder tool
- 1 of 3 providers endorsed by WordPress.org
- Get started on DreamHost now.
One of only three hosting providers recommended by the WordPress Core team, DreamHost has actively contributed to the WordPress community for more than a decade. The company's platform is optimized for the incredibly popular content management system, and plans include easy setup, automated updates and backups, unlimited bandwidth, and 24/7 specialized support. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97 days | Unlimited | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
More on WordPress hosting from DreamHost »
4. WordPress.com
It would be downright wrong to talk about the best WordPress hosts without mentioning WordPress.com. However, don’t confuse WordPress.com with WordPress.org.
The former is a platform created to build, host, and manage WordPress sites. The latter is where you can download the open-source software — but it doesn’t come with web hosting.
WordPress.com gives you all the tools you need to build a beautiful, dynamic website in little to no time. You can host your site directly through the platform for a seamless experience.
Its plans start for as little as $4.00 per month for personal use and scale up to luxury enterprise plans costing $25,000 yearly. The details below include the pricing and features included in the WordPress.com Business Plan, which is ideal for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
WordPress.com
- FREE domain name for one year
- Malware detection & removal and real-time security scanning
- Automatic updates and free staging
- No limits on monthly site visitors
- Dozens of premium themes and no ads
- Get started on WordPress.com now »
WORDPRESS
RATING
More on WordPress hosting from WordPress.com >>
Where Do WordPress-Approved Hosts Rank Among Competitors?
Sure, the three hosts listed above rise to the top of the heap according to the overall WordPress community of contributors, but they’re just a few of the top-ranked hosting providers out there that specialize in WordPress hosting.
The WordPress.org ranking page has seen its fair share of controversy over the inclusion — and exclusion — of certain hosts, so it certainly never hurts to seek a second and third opinion.
We have many favorites, but our experts’ top three choices for WordPress hosting are revealed below. Drumroll, please…
InMotionHosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.79
- Up to 12x faster WordPress hosting
- FREE SSL certificate and SSD storage
- Automatic WordPress plugin, theme, and core updates
- Features a FREE drag-and-drop WP page editor
- Premium themes and plugin subscriptions
- Get started on InMotion now.
InMotion Hosting, long known for affordable and high-performance shared hosting options, entered the WordPress space with a solid option built upon the company's reputation for great support and reliability. Build on an all-SSD infrastructure, InMotion's inherently quick speeds make the infrastructure a perfect fit for delivering rapid WordPress page loads. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 100 GB - Unlimited SSD | FREE (1 year) | 5 minutes |
A2Hosting.com
Monthly Starting Price $2.99
- FREE Cloudflare CDN and 1-click WP installs
- Turbo Server, SSD speed, and optimized caching
- A2-optimized plugins for performance and security
- FREE SSL certificates and 24/7 support
- FREE HackScan and KernelCare
- Get started on A2 Hosting now.
As experts in performance optimization, A2 Hosting is a top choice for powering resource-heavy WordPress websites. The company offers shared or managed plans for the ultra-popular content management system, with the benefits extending to Joomla, Drupal, and other platforms. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 50 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD | New or Transfer | 4 minutes |
HostGator.com
Monthly Starting Price $3.28
- Managed WordPress hosting on shared servers
- WordPress is preinstalled on all plans
- Unlimited email addresses hosted at your domain
- 99.9% uptime guarantee for your blog
- $150 in Google Ads spend match credit
- Get started on HostGator now.
HostGator is great for all things shared hosting, and application-specific services — such as the classic one-click-install WordPress hosting — are no exception. The team recently updated its already clean and intuitive HostGator cPanel dashboard, wherein users can find a myriad of free apps and scripts to install, including WordPress. Go to full review »
| Money Back Guarantee | Disk Space | Domain Name | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 20 GB SSD - 100 GB SSD | FREE (1 year) | 4 minutes |
Seal Your Website’s Fate With a Host Bearing Our Seal of Approval
As WordPress continues to dominate the online world, we’ll continue to identify and discuss the tools and services that will help users like you succeed. As noted on the official WordPress site, the ideal WP hosting provider will support:
We recommend finding a host that anticipates your every need — from initial domain setup to performance optimization and marketing tools.
We especially appreciate the hosting providers who off all-SSD storage, multiple caching tools, and a web application firewall specifically configured to protecting WordPress sites. Automatic updates and a free staging environment are always nice, as well.
The hosts that climb to the top of our recommendation list feature seamless WordPress setup, advanced caching features, SSDs and application-specific speed boosts, staging areas, and expert assistance with plugin maintenance and WordPress version updates.
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