Best WordPress Hosting – 2022 Review

Though it operates quietly in the background, choosing the best WordPress hosting is crucial to your website’s success. Your search engine rankings (SEO), reliability, security, speed, user experience, and ultimately success all rely on the web hosting provider you use.

Not to mention, the only way you can have a website up and running on the internet is to use a web host.

The problem is, there are so many reliable options available in the market it can be tough to know which one to choose, especially if you’re just starting out. Even when you narrow down the list to the most “popular” WordPress hosting companies, you’ll find yourself with too many to pick from. And to make things more complicated, every WordPress hosting provider caters to different needs.

That’s why today, we’re here to take some of the hassle out of picking the perfect WordPress host. We’ve rounded up a versatile list of the best WordPress hosting companies around to help you find a web hosting company to match your individual needs.

So, let’s get started!

What is WordPress Hosting?

In simple terms, WordPress hosting is web hosting that has been optimized to work well with the WordPress content management system (CMS). It will best meet WordPress’s speed, and security needs and usually includes an easy one-click installation process of WordPress. Making it super simple for even the most novice website owner to get started. Plus, it ensures your WordPress site performs its best at all times.

It’s good to know that there are two different kinds of WordPress hosting in a little more complicated terms: shared WordPress hosting and managed WordPress hosting.

Here’s a brief overview of each:

What is Shared WordPress Hosting?

Shared WordPress hosting is the most affordable type of hosting available. With it, your site is stored on a server alongside many other websites. Though the servers are optimized for the WordPress platform, you will be sharing the available resources.

You will also have access to a one-click WordPress installation tool and basic security features. If you’re lucky, your host may even automatically update the WordPress core for you so your site doesn’t become vulnerable. This is important, seeing as how 90% of web attacks can be linked to WordPress sites. On top of that, 37% of those attacks are because of outdated software.

Shared WordPress hosting is best suited for beginners who don’t have much site traffic or limited budgets.

What is Managed WordPress Hosting?

Managed WordPress hosting comes with everything that shared WordPress hosting does, plus features like:

  • Built-in speed optimization
  • Server-side caching configuration
  • Increased security (e.g., malware scanning and hack fixes)
  • Staging sites for testing changes before pushing live
  • Automated site backups stored in off-site locations
  • WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates

Managed WordPress hosting is best for those with a bigger budget because they tend to cost more than shared hosting. Anyone who wants a more hands-off approach or has a highly trafficked website will benefit from managed WordPress hosting.

What is the Best WordPress Hosting?

Now that you know a little bit about web hosting, it’s time to dive into the best WordPress hosts available so you can make an informed decision that best suits your needs.

Managed WordPress hosting is best for those with a bigger budget because they tend to cost more than shared hosting. Anyone who wants a more hands-off approach or has a highly trafficked website will benefit from managed WordPress hosting.

Siteground

SiteGround is one of the most popular and affordable shared and managed WordPress hosting companies in the market. Best known for its stellar 24/7 WordPress support, SiteGround also ranks well in terms of speed and security. For example, it deploys blazing fast servers that utilize the latest speed technologies. In fact, you’ll have access to three levels of caching, which sets it apart from many other web hosting providers.

Plus, it comes with proactive security features such as a free SSL certificate for encrypting information, automated WordPress updates, daily site backups, and free WordPress installations. Lastly, SiteGround is one of three officially endorsed web hosts by WordPress.org.

Pros

  • Super-fast Solid State Drives with any hosting plan
  • Free Cloudflare CDN and access to 5 datacenters spanning three continents
  • Affordable shared and managed hosting plans
  • Free website migration services
  • Exceptional 24/7 customer support and community support
  • Free email services to match your business brand
  • 100% renewable energy matching

Cons

  • No free domain name with initial sign up
  • Limits on monthly visits and storage
  • Currently switching from familiar cPanel to proprietary control panel

Kinsta

Kinsta is a high-quality, fully managed WordPress hosting provider that excels in giving website owners optimized hosting services and an easy-to-use interface with plenty of built-in WordPress management tools.

Offering cloud-based hosting powered by Google Cloud Platform, Kinsta is a premium web host that understands that being able to grow your business without worrying about web hosting is the key to success. Hosting plans are fully managed and come with free site migrations, daily backups, an integrated CDN, and a custom control panel.

Pros

  • iCloud-based infrastructure made for speed and scalability
  • 99.9% uptime guarantee with generous compensation if downtime occurs
  • Uptime checks every minute to prevent DDoS attacks and free site hack fixes
  • In-house caching tool that performs a full page cache from your dashboard
  • One-click staging area
  • Packed full of developer features for advanced website creation and control
  • Month-to-month payment option

Cons

  • It is costlier than other WordPress hosting options because not competing with shared hosts.
  • No email hosting available

Bluehost

Bluehost is another WordPress host that WordPress.org officially endorses. But more than that, Bluehost is one of the largest web hosting companies in the world. Powering over 2 million websites worldwide, Bluehost comes highly recommended for websites of all kinds and sizes.

Free domain names, 24/7 expert WordPress support, 1-click WordPress installations, and a free SSL certificate for encrypting information are just some of the great things you’ll get with this cheap web hosting provider. Also, its servers are based in their datacenters (managed by their team), meaning Bluehost can confidently claim its servers have a 99% uptime. This truly sets it apart from the competition.

Pros

  • Works for businesses of all sizes and kinds
  • Free domain name registration, site transfer, and SSL certificate
  • One of the most affordable web hosts around
  • Bluerock control panel optimized for WordPress and integrates seamlessly.
  • WordPress staging
  • Security is a priority (e.g., IP blacklisting, anti-spam tools, password protected directories)
  • 30-day money-back guarantee

Cons

  • No email support as the focus is placed on live chat and phone support
  • Lacks automatic backup guarantee
  • Support responses are known for being slow sometimes

WP Engine

WP Engine is the leader when it comes to enterprise-managed WordPress hosting. It offers nothing but WordPress optimized hosting and ensures your site will load fast, customer support will be excellent, and your data will be secure at all times.

As the first web hosting provider to adopt Google Cloud Platform’s newest infrastructure (Compute-Optimized Virtual Machines), you can expect your site to load the quickest when using this host. That’s because, in addition to using this advanced infrastructure, WP Engine prides itself in providing built-in EverCache caching, StackPath CDN services, a custom Page Performance Tool in your dashboard for monitoring your site’s performance. Hosting plans also come with the popular Genesis framework and 35+ premium StudioPress themes.

Pros

  • Plans come with the popular Genesis framework and 35+ premium StudioPress themes
  • One-click staging environments
  • 99.99% uptime guarantee and 60-day money-back guarantee
  • 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support
  • Automated WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates
  • Daily site backups and one-click restore option
  • Prevention against DDoS attacks, JavaScript/SQL-injection attacks, and brute force attacks

Cons

  • Only managed WordPress hosting is available
  • Lacks domain registrations and email hosting
  • Lengthy list of disallowed plugins, which can be limiting

HostGator

HostGator has been around for ages and continues to rank well amongst the best WordPress hosting providers around. Not only does it offer WordPress users great hosting, but it also hosts millions of domain names from all over the world.

For a fair price, HostGator gives WordPress site owners features such as one-click WordPress installs, free domain names and SSL certificates, and even free email hosting for creating a branded email to match your business. Lastly, you’ll also have access to a free website builder, which is perfect for anyone just starting and needing help building a website from the ground up. It comes with over 100 pre-designed templates that are mobile-friendly and a drag and drop interface. You’ll even get six ready-made pages to start off with.

Pros

  • Automatic WordPress software updates
  • Domain name features like domain locking, renewal, and cPanel management
  • Free SEO consultation, complete with keyword research, content creation strategies, and on-page optimization for higher rankings
  • One month hosting credit for failing to meet 99.9% uptime guarantee
  • Unlimited bandwidth, databases, disk space, and email accounts
  • Award-winning 24/7 support via live chat, email, or phone
  • Familiar and easy to use cPanel control panel for managing hosting account and website(s)

Cons

  • Domain name renewal prices can be pricey
  • Auto-install of “popular” WordPress plugins during WordPress installation, whether you like it or not
  • Must pay for backup restores

Which WordPress Hosting Provider is Best?

Every website owner is going to have specific priorities and needs. That’s why pinpointing one WordPress hosting provider and hailing it number one is impossible. That said, here’s a brief summary of each one in our roundup and who it’s best for:

SiteGround: Best for those in a limited budget that want managed WordPress services and lots of helpful speed and security features (blogs, eCommerce shops, and online businesses)

Kinsta: Best for those with lots of site traffic that need to scale quickly and don’t mind paying premium prices for premium services (large enterprises, corporations, and eCommerce shops)

Bluehost: Best for those in need of cheap hosting and a WordPress optimized control panel for seamless integration and easier site creation (blogs, small businesses, and WordPress beginners)

WP Engine: Best for those after truly managed WordPress hosting that is solely optimized for WordPress in terms of speed, support, and security (enterprises, big businesses, eCommerce shops)

HostGator: Best for those in need of a solid, mid-range web host that doesn’t come with too many features but doesn’t limit growth either (blogs, personal websites, eCommerce shops)

In the end, there are plenty of reliable WordPress hosting companies out there for you to pick from. The most important thing to think about before you make a decision is to decide what your overall goals are and what priorities you have when it comes to hosting. Every web host will have a different set of features and cater to a specific type of website owner. Knowing which kind you are is half the battle.