WordPress vs. WP Engine (2023)

Written by: Alexandra Anderson

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Updated: May 13, 2023

Alexandra Anderson Hosting Expert

“We tested WordPress & WP Engine — The winner is WordPress!”

WordPress is the world’s most popular content management system for several reasons — it’s free, easy to use, and flexible enough to be leveraged for various site types. Due to its popularity, WordPress users can choose from a wide range of hosting providers with tailored services for the CMS. WordPress needs no introductions; it’s the OG software. Below, we’ll compare our top-rated WordPress host, InMotion, with another big name in the space — WP Engine.

Overall Rating

4.7/5.0 ★★★★★

WP Core Plan: $2.99/month »
WP Launch Plan: $8.99/month »
WP Power Plan: $8.99/month »

Visit WordPress »

Overall Rating

4.5/5.0 ★★★★★

Startup Plan: $20.00/month »
Professional Plan: $47.20/month »
Growth Plan: $92.00/month »

Visit WP Engine »

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Overall Hosting Comparison

Best Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

WordPress, the best blogging platform and content management system in the world, powers the online presence of brands such as Disney, Sony, and Spotify.

Rookie website owners can turn toward WordPress.com for a limited version of the browser-based publishing system that lets them stretch their website design wings. But many of the top hosting providers make the software even easier to access by offering single-click installations for WordPress (which can also be downloaded from WordPress.org).

As a WordPress hosting front-runner, InMotion Hosting will preinstall the platform for you at checkout. Once the platform is successfully set up, site owners can begin browsing the theme marketplace, and preview site content before publishing to the web.

Find the perfect theme, incorporate any plugins you'd like to extend your site's functionality, and begin drafting your first post! Whether you're building a blog or an online store — hosting on a shared server or your very own VPS — you can have a new WordPress site online in less than an hour.

It only has to take a few minutes, but we're no strangers to perfectionism. You'll have the support of the open-source community in your corner, as the WordPress core code is actively maintained by a team of all-star contributing developers. And just about any question you could imagine having has probably been asked and answered somewhere on the web.

Whether you're looking for shared, cloud-based, or dedicated server WordPress hosting, we recommend InMotion. Throughout our review of the WordPress platform, we'll use InMotion's pricing, storage allowances, uptime rates, and support standards to illustrate the ease and excellence of building a website with WordPress and a WP-friendly host.

FREE software with 1-click install
Trusted by millions of site owners
1,000s of drag-and-drop themes
#1 blogging platform
Huge online community
Get started on WordPress with InMotion Hosting.

Money Back Guarantee

90 days

Disk Space

100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Best Overall Rating

★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

We absolutely adore WP Engine as a hosting company, but there's one huge reason we can't recommend it to everyone: It's exclusively built for WordPress users. If you are a WordPress fan, then read on!

If not, you'll want to try one of our other recommendations. If you care enough about your WordPress site — its security, scalability, load time, and uptime — to spend upward of $15 per month on it, then WP Engine is an ideal choice for you. It'd be tough to make a strong case arguing otherwise.

Although WP Engine's price tag may scare off newbies, those who know WordPress will attest to the impressiveness of WP Engine's proprietary platform.

Always updated with the latest hardware to maximize server performance, WP Engine boasts a market-leading software layer built exclusively for WordPress users. This includes the company's own caching system to ensure your site loads super quickly for visitors, a one-click staging area, and constant security monitoring to ward off online threats.

For beginners, installing a WordPress theme and getting a site up and running couldn't be easier. For more experienced folks, WP Engine's advanced features, such as single-click development staging areas, Git integration, multiple server locations, CDN compatibility, and a ton of other niceties, can't be beat.

These features make the monthly price worthwhile, compared to what the more economically competitive hosts offer.

Enterprise-level WordPress hosting
Built-in caching and staging
Unlimited data transfer
Daily backups and 1-click restore
33% discount for HostingAdvice users (was $30/month)
Get started on WP Engine now.

Money Back Guarantee

60 days

Disk Space

10 GB - 50 GB

Domain Name

New or Transfer

Cheap Hosting Comparison

Cheap Rating

★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

WordPress hosting is incredibly cost-competitive. The software itself is free, and most shared hosts offer WordPress packages in the $2- to $5-per-month ballpark.

It's easy to get started, as hosts will often offer single-click installations for WordPress, and then you can begin browsing the thousands of themes available in the Appearance section of the WordPress dashboard. Customize to your heart's desire, click "Publish," and voila! You've got yourself a self-hosted WordPress website.

Whether you're looking to build an online presence for your brick-and-mortar or a blog for your interior design musings, WordPress is the ideal space in which to spread your website-building wings.

The additional free resources you'll have at your fingertips include plugins (add-on software that extends the functionality of the WordPress platform), ecommerce tools, and features to optimize your website for online search.

By partnering with a cheap shared hosting provider, you'll get more than shared space on a server. To remain cost-competitive, most hosts include additional freebies such as a complimentary domain name registration, unlimited storage and email, and a few hundred dollars' worth of paid search marketing credits.

InMotion Hosting does all of the above, which is one of the many reasons we recommend the host as a true value offering in WordPress hosting. Get started today and enjoy free SSD storage, one-click installations for other WordPress-compatible tools, and business-class hardware at an ultra-affordable monthly rate.

#1 site-building software is FREE
Install in 1 click with top hosts
FREE themes to customize your WordPress site
Works for eCommerce, blogging, galleries, and personal sites
Trusted by millions of website owners
Get started on WordPress with InMotion Hosting.

Money Back Guarantee

90 days

Disk Space

100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Cheap Rating

★★★★★ N/A

WP Engine does not currently offer this type of hosting. We would not recommend choosing this host for this hosting category.

Dedicated Hosting Comparison

Dedicated Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

If you're a mid-sized to large-scale online business, or if security and compliance are of utmost concern, you may be considering a dedicated server for your hosting needs.

Dedicated resources come at a premium, but leading WordPress host InMotion makes it worth your while. Should you opt for one of InMotion's dedicated hosting plans for WordPress, the team will download and install the software for you.

Begin writing your site from scratch or get a jumpstart on design with a professional-looking theme. Either way, the end result will be blazing-fast page load speeds backed by an always-on uptime guarantee (99.999%). InMotion Hosting dedicated servers feature SSD storage, rebootless kernel updates, full root access, and around-the-clock server monitoring.

Plans include plenty of RAM, IP addresses, storage, and processing power, so your WordPress site is equipped to scale alongside your business.

WordPress is a robust, comprehensive platform for designing, deploying, and maintaining an exquisite and performant online presence, and it has a loyal community of contributing developers and avid users to show for it. Follow the forums, confide in the WordPress Codex, and spend some time getting to know the nuances of this incredible interface. You won't be disappointed.

Robust blogging platform meets resource-capable dedicated servers
Ideal for fast-growing sites and enterprise
InMotion guarantees 99.99% uptime for your WordPress site
1-click software installation for WordPress
FREE SSD storage
Get started on WordPress with InMotion Hosting.

Money Back Guarantee

30 days

Disk Space

1 TB SSD - 3.2 TB SSD

Domain Name

New or Transfer

Dedicated Rating

★★★★★ N/A

WP Engine does not currently offer this type of hosting. We would not recommend choosing this host for this hosting category.

VPS Hosting Comparison

VPS Rating

★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Virtual private servers yield the utmost flexibility at a cost-effective price point. Some of the most performant and popular websites in the world are powered by VPS hosting, and the same can be said of the WordPress platform.

From the New York Post and Fortune.com to Spotify and Beyonce.com, millions of websites run on WordPress. HostingAdvice is backed by a virtual server and managed via the WordPress platform. It's a match made in hosting heaven.

For your VPS and cloud hosting needs, we recommend InMotion Hosting for WordPress. The company touts enterprise-grade hardware, and solid-state drives come standard, accelerating performance with up to 20x faster page loads.

With your choice of datacenter locations, East or West Coast, InMotion delivers all the flexibility, performance, and security the VPS niche can offer. Once your virtual server is provisioned and WordPress is installed, you can choose to write your HTML from scratch or take a head start with one of thousands of themes.

Extend your site's functionality with plugins for ecommerce, page caching, comment moderation, and other essentials for a modern web presence. Backed by an active, open-source developer community, the WordPress interface is easy to befriend, and just about any question you have about bugs or updates has probably been answered in the Codex or community forums.

Instantly provision your VPS and install WordPress with 1 click
SSD speed gives your WordPress site a performance boost
WordPress is trusted as the #1 site builder platform
InMotion is trusted as the #1 WordPress VPS host
Tons of support available via your host and online forums
Get started on WordPress with InMotion Hosting.

Money Back Guarantee

90 days

Disk Space

90 GB SSD - 360 GB SSD

Domain Name

New or Transfer

VPS Rating

★★★★★ N/A

WP Engine does not currently offer this type of hosting. We would not recommend choosing this host for this hosting category.

WordPress Hosting Comparison

WordPress Rating

★★★★★ 5.0/5.0

Good news, website owners: The software that powers upward of 40% of websites is free and open for public enjoyment and customization. WordPress is ready for download at WordPress.org, and the team is actively maintaining its core code.

As long as you stay current with your WP software versions and install plugins with caution, the site-building possibilities and benefits of WordPress are seemingly endless.

It should come as no surprise that many of the web's most trusted hosts have zeroed in on the popularity of WordPress, offering single-click installations for the software and WordPress-specific optimizations for performance, security, and support.

Once you get up and running with a WordPress host, you can choose from thousands of free and paid themes — premade website templates that expedite your site design process, allowing you to skip to the content and customization.

For a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) experience, we recommend installing BoldGrid, a site builder tool that layers on top of the WordPress platform to create a drag-and-drop site builder environment. InMotion will install BoldGrid for you at checkout as well, making WordPress setup a non-issue.

Incorporating additional plugins, apps, and scripts extends the robust functionality of the WordPress interface. From calendar widgets to page caching for performance, there's essentially a plugin for every WordPress need.

Integrating payment processing tools, such as Shopify and PayPal, converts your traditional site into a transaction-ready virtual marketplace. Cultivate a following with commenting apps, like Disqus, and link your social media accounts.

What's more, WordPress hosts often throw in free paid search advertising credits to help you kickstart your marketing efforts. WordPress remains the most popular platform for building a beautiful online presence from scratch. It's relied on by hosting novices and seasoned developers alike, and we're confident the software, matched with InMotion Hosting hardware, will deliver everything you need to establish and grow your next website.

WordPress powers more than 40% of websites
The #1 platform for blogging
FREE to download; install in 1 click
The top hosts offer WP-specific perks
Custom, elegant themes ease design
Get started on WordPress with InMotion Hosting.

Money Back Guarantee

90 days

Disk Space

100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

WordPress Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

With prices much higher than many WordPress users are accustomed to seeing, we understand that WP Engine may not be for everybody. But for those developers, designers, agencies, and growing businesses passionate about website performance, stability, and cutting-edge WordPress features, WP Engine will be a godsend.

Installing WordPress, setting up a theme, and moving a site from development to staging to production is simple for beginners.

The company's 2018 acquisition of StudioPress, the makers of the ultra-popular Genesis theme framework, further solidified customers' design options and WP Engine's involvement in the WordPress community.

More experienced users will appreciate the single-click staging areas, Git integration, choice of server locations, CDN compatibility, and other niceties. Plus, don't forget available add-ons for WordPress Multisite, geotargeting, and edge security.

These luxurious features make the higher-end monthly price exceedingly worthwhile. Plus, the built-in caching system allows WP Engine sites to outperform almost all other WordPress sites without the use of plugins, meaning you can focus more on your content and design and let the experts at WP Engine focus on maintaining your site's ridiculously great performance.

0% OFF your first payment for our readers
FREE Genesis Framework & StudioPress themes
Fast, scalable, and secure WordPress
FREE SSL certificate and CDN ready
Upgrade for geotargeting and edge security
Get started on WP Engine now.

Money Back Guarantee

60 days

Disk Space

10 GB - 50 GB

Domain Name

New or Transfer

Site Builder Hosting Comparison

Website Builder Rating

★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

While WordPress is technically blogging software, it's been called a website builder, a content management system, and even an ecommerce platform — basically, a website-building multitool.

Because it's open-sourced, the core code can be adapted to meet virtually any website need, and the wealth of plugins and WP-friendly apps built by third-party developers makes this platform a go-to for website owners around the world.

For added site-building functionality, we recommend downloading and installing BoldGrid, which functions on top of the WP interface to act as a drag-and-drop content management system. This is especially useful for first-time site owners or nervous hosting newbies.

Basically, BoldGrid takes away the one dig against WordPress, its semi-steep learning curve, by transforming the backend environment into a what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) website editor.

Best of all, both WordPress and BoldGrid are 100% free, and the InMotion Hosting team will set up the platforms for you at checkout. Once WordPress is installed and configured, you can begin designing one of two ways: Upload your own HTML files and style sheets and continue customizing in the backend, or choose from a library of thousands of premade website themes.

Paired with the abundance of plugins for extensibility, the WordPress interface brings utmost flexibility from a site construction and customization point of view.

Intuitive, drag-and-drop site builder BoldGrid sits atop WordPress
Developed and supported by the InMotion Hosting team
Responsive themes so your WP site looks good on any device
FREE to download WordPress software
SEO-friendly end result
Get started on BoldGrid for WordPress now.

Money Back Guarantee

90 days

Disk Space

100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD

Domain Name

FREE (1 year)

Website Builder Rating

★★★★★ N/A

WP Engine does not currently offer this type of hosting. We would not recommend choosing this host for this hosting category.

WordPress vs. WP Engine - Our Conclusion

Alexandra Anderson Hosting Expert

“We tested WordPress & WP Engine — The winner is WordPress!”

So what do you think? While both hosts deliver WordPress features that serve users, their differences are pretty striking. Although WP Engine does have a lofty price tag, it provides the latest server hardware and optimal loading speeds anchored by a proprietary platform exclusive to WordPress users. On the flip side of the coin, InMotion Hosting’s WordPress solution offers peak performance and easy-to-use web building capabilities for a low monthly price. In the end, which one is the better fit? Well, that’s all up to you.

Overall Rating

4.7/5.0 ★★★★★

Visit WordPress »

Overall Rating

4.5/5.0 ★★★★★

Visit WP Engine »

About The Author

Alexandra Anderson’s interest in website administration was sparked in her teens, priming her for a fast-paced career in managing, building, and contributing to online brands, including HostingAdvice, Forbes, and the blogs of prominent hosting providers. She brings firsthand experience reviewing web hosts, perfecting website design, optimizing content, and walking site owners through the steps that add up to a successful online presence. Today, she combines her extensive writing experience with technical understanding to unpack some of the most complex topics that daunt novice website owners, as well as the subjects that excite veteran technologists within the HostingAdvice readership.