Are you looking for a managed hosting provider for your WordPress website?
A managed WordPress host takes care of all the technical stuff for your site and allows you to concentrate on your business.
In the article, we’ll compare the best-managed WordPress hosting companies and help you choose the right service for your website.
Best Managed WordPress Hosting Comparison
Here’s a quick comparison of the hosts we’ll be covering in this post.
| Price | Traffic | Support | |
|---|---|---|---|
| WordPress.com | $25/month | Unlimited | 24/7 priority support for Business plan users and above |
| WPEngine | $20+/month | 25,000+/month | 24/7 online support |
| SiteGround | $2.99+/month | 10,000+/month | 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support |
| Hostinger | $2.99+/month | 10,000+/month | 24/7 live chat support |
| Bluehost | $1.99+/month | 10,000+/month | 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support |
| DreamPress by DreamHost | $16.95+/month | 100,000+/month | live chat and email support, with phone support available at an additional cost |
| HostGator | $3.05+/month | 100,000+/month | 24/7 live chat and phone support |
| Liquid Web | $21+/month | Unlimited | 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support |
| Kinsta | $30+/month | 25,000+/month | 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support |
Now we’ll dive into detailed reviews of each of these providers.
Best Managed WordPress Hosting in 2024
By now, you should have made up your mind that you need to buy or migrate to a managed WordPress hosting for your website.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at the best managed hosting options.
Note: Our sister site WPBeginner conducted speed tests on some of the hosting service providers listed here. We’ll be using those results to give you a better idea about each of them.
1. WordPress.com
WordPress.com has been a staple for bloggers and website owners for a long time and the platform’s managed hosting options make it an attractive choice.
While WordPress.com does offer Personal and Premium plans for bloggers and more casual website owners, we’re going to focus primarily on the plans that are more suited to businesses.
The allure of managed hosting is that you, the site owner, don’t need to have a lot of technical skills. In this case, WordPress.com takes care of making sure that your updates are made. That goes a long with for small business owners who may not have the skills necessary to build, manage, and maintain their own websites.
And if you do get stuck? All users on the Business plan or above get 24/7 access to priority support.
WordPress.com’s Business plan offers 50 GB of storage, the power of JetPack’s advanced security, performance, and growth features, and a free SSL certificate for site security.
Because functionality is important, Business plan users also get access to WordPress’s repository of 50,000+ plugins and themes. Of course, you can also use your own custom code if you’d like.
With security front of mind, WordPress.com management also takes care of malware scanning and removal, plus it offers real-time backups and one-click restoration. It boasts 99.999% uptime and unmetered bandwidth.
As the plans increase, so does the functionality, with room to grow for commerce and enterprise businesses.
Whether you’re migrating your site to WordPress.com’s managed hosting or getting started there, the convenience, impressive features, and power of WordPress make it our top pick for managed hosting.
The WordPress.com Business plan starts at $25/month when billed annually and includes a free domain name for 1 year.
2. WPEngine
WPEngine is a fast and reliable managed WordPress hosting provider powered by Google Cloud Platform. It’s one of the most popular managed hosts out there.
WPEngine comes with some fantastic features like daily automated backups, Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, disaster recovery system, and handles core WordPress updates.
And it also offers the Genesis framework and 35+ StudioPress themes with every plan. Isn’t that great?
Not only that, but it also provides free CDN to all its customers. This will help your website’s page load time to be faster compared to your competitors by storing your site’s content in multiple data centers.
Let’s take a look at the speed test result of WPEngine:
| Performance Grade | 94 (A) |
| Load Time | 337 ms |
| Page Size | 155.0 KB |
| Requests | 15 |
WPEngine is known for providing excellent customer support with fast response times. And it’s got a team of trained WordPress experts who are ready to help you at any time of the day.
The startup plan of WPEngine starts at $20 per month. It allows you to host just one website with a traffic limit of 25,000 per month. And you can always upgrade to a higher plan to host more sites. This makes it a great alternative Kinsta for cloud hosting.
Planning to migrate your site to WPEngine but scared of the technical stuff involved? Don’t worry! Its expert team will handle the migration process for you at no additional cost.
Bonus: WPEngine also owns Flywheel, one of the best hosting solutions for professional WordPress freelancers and agencies. Pricing starts at $13 per month for 5GB of storage and 20GB bandwidth, which is enough for one small site that receives up to 5,000 visitors per month.
3. SiteGround
If you’re looking for a WPEngine alternative, then you can certainly use SiteGround managed hosting. And the best part is it’s one of the officially recommended hosting providers by WordPress.org.
Even though SiteGround is a popular shared hosting provider, it also offers a powerful managed hosting solution, too. It uses the latest technologies to make sure your WordPress website is fast and suffers zero downtime.
So let’s take a look at some of the features of SiteGround:
- Free SSL certificates by Let’s Encrypt
- Automatic WordPress installation
- Automatic updates
- Create unlimited professional email accounts
- Free Cloudflare CDN to make your site faster
- 1-click staging tool to create a copy of your website, make necessary changes to it, and then make it live
- Free site migration service
And like most hosting providers on our list, SiteGround takes daily backups to make sure your data is always safe. It keeps up to 30 backup copies which can be restored quickly. You can even manually backup your site with a single click.
Here’s the speed test result of SiteGround:
| Performance Grade | 94 (A) |
| Load Time | 491 ms |
| Page Size | 184.4 KB |
| Requests | 16 |
You can purchase the entry-level or startup plan of SiteGround at $2.99 per month. However, that limits you to just one website. Plus, free site migration isn’t included with this plan.
Instead, we recommend you use one of the higher level hosting packages. The GrowBig plan is priced at $4.99/month. The highest GoGeek plan is just $9.99/month and gives you all the features. There’s a 30-day money back guarantee if you change your mind.
4. Hostinger
Hostinger is a top managed WordPress hosting solution that’s known for being reliable and secure. It offers 1-click WordPress installation for a quick and easy startup process.
You’ll also be able to take advantage of improved loading times for WordPress. Hostinger automatically installs the LiteSpeed Cache plugin to help your site stay speedy.
Speaking of speed, tests show that Hostinger provides excellent load times:
| Performance Grade | 86 (B) |
| Load Time | 181 ms |
| Page Size | 333.2 KB |
| Requests | 11 |
So you can count on a good experience for all your site visitors. On top of impressive load times, Hostinger customers will enjoy:
- WP Starter site-building wizard
- Managed auto-updates for core and plugins
- Access to WordPress-savvy technical support 24/7
- Free SSL certificates
- Malware scanning and Cloudflare security protection
- Free migration from your previous host
Pricing-wise, Hostinger is super accessible with costs starting at just $2.99 per month. Upgrading your plan gives you a higher site limit, more storage, unlimited bandwidth, more performance improvements, and additional WordPress tools, like staging and multisite compatibility.
Hostinger’s 30-day money-back guarantee will give you plenty of time to be sure it’s the right managed WordPress host for you.
5. Bluehost
Bluehost stands out for managed WordPress hosting because it’s renowned for its ease of use and comprehensive support.
With a focus on simplifying the website setup process, Bluehost offers a one-click WordPress installation feature, making it perfect for beginners and seasoned webmasters alike.
One of the key benefits of choosing Bluehost is the enhanced site performance. The hosting platform is optimized for WordPress, ensuring fast loading times for your website.
This optimization includes integrating advanced caching solutions to keep your site running smoothly and efficiently.
In terms of speed, Bluehost has proven to deliver robust performance metrics:
| Performance Grade | 87 (B) |
| Load Time | 200 ms |
| Page Size | 320 KB |
| Requests | 15 |
These figures highlight Bluehost’s commitment to providing a seamless experience for website visitors, which is crucial for maintaining engagement and reducing bounce rates.
Bluehost users also enjoy a range of features designed to enhance the WordPress experience, including:
- WordPress-centric Site Builder: An intuitive tool for creating beautiful websites with ease.
- Automated WordPress Updates: Ensuring your site always runs the latest, most secure version of WordPress.
- Round-the-Clock Support: Access to knowledgeable WordPress experts available 24/7 to assist with any issues.
- Free SSL Certificate: Essential for website security and SEO.
- Comprehensive Security Measures: Including malware scans and Cloudflare protection.
- Hassle-Free Migration: Bluehost offers free migration services for those looking to switch from another host.
Pricing for Bluehost’s managed WordPress hosting is competitive, starting at just $1.99 per month.
This entry-level plan is ideal for new websites, while more advanced plans provide additional resources and features like unlimited websites, enhanced storage, and staging environments.
With Bluehost’s 30-day money-back guarantee, you have ample time to test their hosting services to ensure they meet your needs.
6. DreamPress by DreamHost
DreamHost, known for its reliable and user-friendly service, is one of the oldest hosting companies in the market. And, it’s also officially recommended by WordPress.org.
DreamHost offers a managed WordPress hosting plan, known as DreamPress. Here are some of the amazing features provided by DreamPress:
- Built-in caching system
- 1-click WordPress install
- Automatic backups with 1-click restore option
- Free migration service with every DreamPress plan
- Pre-installed Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates
- Each plan comes with free SSD storage
- 24/7 expert support for solving your problems
So now let’s check out the speed test results of DreamHost:
| Performance Grade | 95 (A) |
| Load Time | 335 ms |
| Page Size | 330.0 KB |
| Requests | 10 |
So as you can see, the test site loaded in less than a second which is quite impressive.
And along with all the fantastic features, DreamHost also provides a free domain with privacy protection to all its customers.
The pricing of DreamPress hosting starts from $16.95 per month, making it a great alternative to more expensive platforms like InMotion Hosting. It also offers a money-back guarantee with all its plans.
7. HostGator
HostGator is a well-known shared hosting solution that’s popular with bloggers and small businesses.
One of the services HostGator provides for high-traffic sites is HostGator. It’s a managed WordPress hosting service with excellent performance-boosting and security features.
Speed tests found the following results, which show that HostGator can provide respectable speeds, too:
| Performance Grade | 85 (B) |
| Load Time | 1.03 s |
| Page Size | 594.1 KB |
| Requests | 19 |
Some of the features of HostGator are:
- Easy to understand control panel to keep track of everything
- Offers cPanel to manage things like email, domains, and more
- Advanced security including daily backups
- Free email
- One-click WordPress installation
- Free professional migration
Finally, let’s talk about the pricing plans of HostGator managed WordPress hosting. The Baby plan comes with just 1 domain and starts at $3.05/month. However, the Business and Pro plans increase the number of sites you can add.
8. Liquid Web
Liquid Web is a fully managed web hosting company. It provides complete service for your WordPress websites.
Plus, it’s one of the few companies to offer managed WooCommerce hosting service for eCommerce sites.
And Liquid Web uses the latest technologies including PHP7 and NGINX web servers. Also, each of its hosting plans comes bundled with an image optimization plugin to help you to improve the speed of your WordPress website.
So here’s the speed test result of Liquid Web:
| Performance Grade | 99 (A) |
| Load Time | 901 ms |
| Page Size | 580.3 KB |
| Requests | 24 |
Liquid Web offers tons of useful features like automatic daily backups, staging environments site, SSL certificate, 24/7 ticket support, chat support, and free migration service.
You can host a single website with them for $21 per month. To host more sites, you’ll need to upgrade to a higher plan.
9. Kinsta
Kinsta is a top-tier managed WordPress hosting provider known for its cutting-edge technology and exceptional customer service, making it a favorite among businesses and professional bloggers.
Kinsta stands out for its use of Google Cloud Platform’s premium tier network, ensuring lightning-fast speeds and robust security for websites. Speed tests highlight Kinsta’s impressive performance:
| Performance Grade | 90 (A) |
| Load Time | 512 ms |
| Page Size | 425 KB |
| Requests | 17 |
When it comes to pricing, Kinsta’s Starter plan begins at $30/month, which includes 1 WordPress install, 25,000 visits, and 10 GB of disk space. For those needing more resources, the Pro and Business plans offer increased capacity and additional features like more site installs and visits.
Kinsta’s focus on providing specialized WordPress hosting services means you get a host that’s not only incredibly reliable but also perfectly optimized for WordPress websites, ensuring peak performance at all times.
Which is the Best WordPress Managed Hosting?
And there you have it! We hope this WordPress hosting comparison helped you choose a managed web hosting service provider for your WordPress website.
For most, we can conclude that WordPress.com is the best managed hosting you can use for your WordPress website. This is based on a combination of cost and features. It’s simply the best value of the bunch.
Of course, everyone’s needs are different. All of these hosting companies are great, and we reviewed these to help you pick what’s best for you and your site.
Managed WordPress Hosting FAQs
Looking for answers to your questions? Here are some of the most common questions about managed WordPress hosting.
What is managed WordPress hosting?
A managed WordPress hosting solution provides the best infrastructure for your WordPress website and helps you with essential tasks, including daily backups, uptime monitoring, and security checks. It helps take the hassle out of website upkeep.
And unlike a shared hosting service, it assists you in optimizing your site for speed and high performance.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of managed hosting?
Let’s take a look at the advantages of using managed hosting:
- Fast and secure compared to shared hosting environments.
- Daily automatic backup of your website and database.
- Expert support team to help you to solve your WordPress-related problems.
- Takes care of core WordPress and plugin updates.
And here are some of the cons of managed hosting:
- Limitations on using specific WordPress plugins that may slow down your website.
- It’s expensive compared to shared web hosts.
- You can host WordPress-based websites only, not even simple HTML sites.
What are some things to look for in a managed WordPress host?
First of all, you should understand one thing: we don’t recommend a managed hosting service provider to everyone.
If you’ve got a high-traffic website or you’re not confident with the technical aspects of running a WordPress site, then you should use a managed WordPress hosting service.
But with so many web hosting providers out there, how to decide which managed hosting company is suitable for your needs?
So here are the essential factors to look for before choosing a managed host:
- Fast, reliable, and secure service
- Daily backups of your website
- Free SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) and CDN (Content Delivery Network)
- Expert customer service team
And don’t forget to look for hosts that specifically offer WordPress plans like the ones on our list.
Do I need managed WordPress hosting to start my own website?
No, you don’t have to use managed WordPress hosting for your website. However, you will need some type of hosting.
There are many types of hosting available, but the most common option for new websites is shared hosting. Check out our post on the differences between shared and managed hosting to decide which option is a better fit for you.
How much does managed WordPress hosting cost?
The cost of managed WordPress hosting will depend on the provider and plan you select. If you’re trying to determine how much money you need to start your own website, see our guide to WordPress website building costs.
What are the benefits of managed WordPress hosting?
The main benefit of managed WordPress hosting is that it reduces the amount of website maintenance you have to do yourself. Sites hosted on managed WordPress plans also tend to have better performance, improved security, and a simpler setup process.
Will a managed host take care of website backups?
Yes, most managed WordPress hosting includes regular website backups. Always be sure to confirm this before you pay for service, but regular website backups are fairly standard offerings.
How is managed hosting different from shared hosting?
A shared hosting plan won’t actively manage your site. A managed hosting plan uses greater infrastructure and is typically optimized specifically for WordPress.
Does site speed increase with managed hosting?
Sites with managed hosting typically enjoy increased site speed as a benefit. Cheaper shared hosting options don’t include CDNs, caching, and server optimizations like managed hosting options do. These are what help boost site speeds.
Next, Learn How to Track Your Site Visitors
If you want to know how many people are visiting your website directly from your WordPress dashboard, then check out our tutorial on how to track site visitors coming to your WordPress site.
You might also want to check out this list of the best WordPress notification bar plugins to post your announcements and promotions on the top header across your site. And if you love comparison posts, make sure to check these out as well:
- WPForms vs Contact Form 7
- Wufoo vs WPForms Compared
- WPForms vs Formstack Compared
- Tableau vs WPForms
- WPForms vs SurveyMonkey
Create Your WordPress Form Now
Ready to build your form? Get started today with the easiest WordPress form builder plugin. WPForms Pro includes lots of free templates and offers a 14-day money-back guarantee.
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Great Article. Thanks
We’re so glad this article helped you out, Amos! 🙂
Hi Syed!
Thanks for the great information! I’m noticing that Flywheel did not make your list… any thoughts?
Hi Devin, thanks for your feedback!
I’m not sure the reason why it is not there, I’m not this post author, however, I believe there were some certain criteria we have used to make this list.
Anyway, we appreciate your suggestion!
Thanks 🙂
Hi,
I am a business owner and have a very video heavy site. Currently it is on HostGator Shared hosting and the site is really slow.
I wish to move to a managed hosting on a dedicated server. I have narrowed down to these 2 hostings
1 . WP-Engine
2. WPOven
I had considered pagely as well, but it turns out more expensive. I would have to pay for using the s3 backup with them, as in I will have to create my own S3 account and enter it’s details on the pagely dashboard. Whereas in WPOven it included in the price.
WP-Engine has great reviews everywhere, while WPOven does not have much reviews out there and seesm like a new hosting, but there plans seem very pocket friendly.
Can you help me pick out a good managed hosting.
Thanks in advance.
Hey Jack – As we haven’t reviewed WPOven in this article, we can’t say much about it but as per the research done during this article, I think WP Engine looks the best out of all the options mentioned here and if you are looking for economic hosting, Siteground is also a nice option.
Have a good one 🙂