10 Best WordPress Hosting Companies in 2023 Compared
John Hughes If you’re starting a WordPress site, it makes sense to choose a hosting plan that’s tailored to the platform. This can make your site run more smoothly. However, finding the best WordPress hosting service can be a daunting task.
To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the top WordPress hosting providers available. By looking at what each host has to offer, you should be able to find a plan that suits your needs and budget.
👉 In this post, we’ll discuss what to look for in a WordPress host. Then, we’ll review some of the best WordPress hosting plans on the market. Let’s get started!
What to look for in a WordPress host
WordPress hosting is a service that’s designed specifically for the platform. Web hosts that provide it usually offer one-click WordPress installations.
However, there are other features to look for, including:
- Performance: 📈 You’ll want to look for a WordPress hosting provider that can handle the demands of your site. This includes factors like page load speed, uptime, and the ability to handle traffic spikes. The hosting provider should have ample server resources such as CPU, RAM, and storage to ensure optimal performance.
- Security: 🔒️ You’ll want to look for a web host that offers security essentials for WordPress, including Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates and malware scanning.
- Scalability: 📊 As your site grows, you’ll need a hosting provider that can scale with you. This means they should have options to easily upgrade your hosting package to accommodate increased traffic and storage needs.
- Support: 🖱️ 24/7 customer support is a must. Whether it’s a small issue or a large one, make sure you have access to assistance whenever you need it. Look for providers that offer support through multiple channels like phone, chat, and email.
- Backups: 🗄️ Regular automatic backups are essential. In the event that something goes wrong with your site, you’ll want to be able to restore it quickly.
- WordPress-specific features: ⚙️ Some hosts offer services specifically tailored for WordPress, including one-click installs, automatic updates, and WordPress-specific security measures.
- Reputation: ⌛ Lastly, look at the provider’s reputation. Read reviews, see what other customers have to say, and check their reliability ratings.
Best WordPress hosting companies in 2023
Now, let’s look at some of the best WordPress hosting companies. We’ll discuss their key features and pricing to help you pick the right solution for your site.
1. SiteGround
SiteGround is one of the few hosting providers that’s officially recommended by WordPress.org. The web host provides a one-click WordPress installation to get you started straight away.
Plus, its WordPress Starter wizard will help you choose from a selection of professional site designs and add key elements like contact forms and portfolios. All selected tools will be automatically installed on your new website.
⚙️ Key features:
- Free CDN and SSL certificate
- Automatic updates and daily backups
- An all-in-one WordPress security plugin
- Various caching solutions via the SiteGround Optimizer plugin (included in the plan)
- 24/7 support
💳 Pricing: SiteGround’s StartUp plan starts at $2.99 per month and comes with 10 GB of web space. If you need more resources, the GrowBig plan starts at $4.99 per month.
2. WP Engine
WP Engine may be a little pricier than other options, but it offers one of the best WordPress hosting services. Plus, it’s a WordPress-only company, which means it’s an expert in the platform.
This web host makes it super easy to migrate your site. Its WordPress migration plugin can help you move your content from your old hosting provider to WP Engine’s optimized servers.
⚙️ Key features:
- A global CDN with over 200 data centers
- Automated WordPress & PHP updates
- A built-in caching solution, EverCache®
- Auto-renewing SSLs and daily backups
- 24/7 expert support
💳 Pricing: The Startup plan starts at $20.00 per month and includes 10 GB of storage space. If you want more value for your money, the Professional plan starts at $40.00 per month and comes with additional resources.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is known for having some of the most affordable and beginner-friendly WordPress plans. It’s also another host that’s recommended by WordPress.org.
After purchasing the chosen plan, Bluehost will automatically install WordPress for you. It will also give you a free domain for one year.
⚙️ Key features:
- A selection of unique WordPress themes
- Free SSL and CDN (with the Choice Plus plan or higher)
- Automatic WordPress updates
- Malware scanning and daily website backups (with Choice Plus or higher)
💳 Pricing: The Basic plan starts at just $1.99 per month, but you’ll have minimal features and resources. The Choice Plus plan starts at $7.45 per month and comes with added privacy and security features.
4. DreamHost
Another recommendation by WordPress.org, DreamHost prioritizes speed and reliability. Its plans come with WordPress pre-installed and a user-friendly admin panel for managing your site.
Additionally, DreamHost has its own website builder. You can choose from a variety of free templates and customize the design with a drag-and-drop editor.
⚙️ Key features:
- Built-in caching
- Free SSL certificate
- Automatic WordPress updates and daily backups
- 24/7 support via live chat and email
💳 Pricing: The shared plans start at $2.59 per month. If you want better performance, you can upgrade to the managed WordPress hosting plans. These start at $16.95 per month.
5. IONOS
IONOS may not be as popular as some of the companies we’ve looked at so far, but this is one of the best WordPress hosting providers for those who want to start on a super cheap setup. It also hosts your website in an isolated environment for improved speed and added security.
Additionally, there’s no limit on traffic or bandwidth. This makes it ideal if you’re anticipating steady growth over the next few months.
⚙️ Key features:
- Customizable automatic updates and daily backups
- Malware protection and removal
- Integrated blueprint tool that enables you to easily import themes and plugins from another WordPress site
- A caching plugin
- Free SSL
- 24/7 support
💳 Pricing: The Start plan costs $4.00 per month for the first year. Then, the Growth plan starts at $4 per month for the first year.
6. Kinsta
Kinsta offers managed WordPress hosting for small businesses, single sites, agencies, and more. It uses a scalable infrastructure, built on Google Compute Engine servers, to help your site handle surges in traffic and perform smoothly at all times.
Plus, you can choose from 35 global data centers and serve your site from the location that’s closest to your target audience. However, this powerful setup means that Kinsta costs more than other options.
⚙️ Key features:
- A CDN with over 260 server locations
- Edge Caching that serves cached content from multiple data centers
- Automatic daily backups and uptime checks
- Simplified SSL management
- Firewall protection
- 24/7 expert support
💳 Pricing: Plans for WordPress sites start at $30.00 per month.
7. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is another web host that promises fast loading times for WordPress sites. WordPress is pre-installed for you, and you also get additional tools for better optimization and compatibility with the web server.
There’s also an option to host your site on what they call their “Turbo servers” for enhanced performance.
⚙️ Key features:
- Free automatic updates (with the Drive plan or higher)
- Free SSL certificate
- WordPress toolkit that includes mass updates, protection against vulnerabilities, and more
- Support through live chat, tickets, and phone
- Their own “A2 Optimized” plugin that improves your WordPress site’s performance
💳 Pricing: Shared WordPress hosting plans start at just $9.95 per month. Managed plans start at $16.95 and are hosted on the Turbo servers.
8. Flywheel
Flywheel specializes in managed WordPress hosting for creatives, including freelancers and agencies. It offers a user-friendly dashboard that facilitates team collaboration on multiple sites.
Flywheel’s hosting plans are powered by the Google Cloud Platform, which should guarantee good performance and availability.
⚙️ Key features:
- Free SSL certificate
- Nightly backups
- Site cloning and staging
- Managed updates
- 24/7 support
💳 Pricing: Flywheel’s managed WordPress plans start at $13.00 per month.
9. Hostinger
Hostinger is another popular WordPress host.
All their WordPress plans are managed, and your site will be hosted on LiteSpeed web servers. Plus, you’ll get access to the in-house CDN and LSCWP cache plugin for better performance.
Hostinger also offers AI tools to help you generate a site in minutes, based on your preferences.
⚙️ Key features:
- Vulnerability and malware scanner
- Free SSL
- One-click WordPress installation
- Auto-updates
- 24/7 support
💳 Pricing: Plans start at $2.69 per month and let you run multiple sites on one setup.
10. HostGator
The final host on our list of best WordPress hosting providers is HostGator. This company offers managed solutions with one-click WordPress installs and a simple control panel.
HostGator has two standout services: SiteLock Fix and CodeGuard. These are designed to protect your site from viruses and hackers with scans and daily backups.
⚙️ Key features:
- Free SSL certificate
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Free migration
- 24/7 support via phone or live chat
💳 Pricing: Plans start at $3.75 per month for one site.
Conclusion 🧐
When you purchase a WordPress hosting plan, you’ll get features that are optimized for the platform. These may include caching solutions, security tools, and increased PHP resources. Managed services also come with automatic backups and updates.
👉 If you’re looking for an affordable solution, Bluehost could be the best option for you. If you have a larger budget and want a platform that’s more scalable and will handle any volume of traffic, you might want to look at WP Engine or Kinsta instead.
Do you have any questions about choosing the best WordPress hosting provider for your site? Let us know in the comments section below!
