These are the best managed WordPress hosting providers

WordPress offers one of the easiest and quickest ways to set up your own blog or website. With a few clicks of your mouse you can select from one of hundreds of templates, as well as create interactive content such as contact forms.

The usefulness of WordPress has not been lost on web hosting providers. In this guide, you’ll discover some of the very best vendors on the market today who offer managed WordPress hosting. This is a great way to avoid the time and trouble of creating content from scratch.

1. WP Engine

24/7 support

Unlimited monthly transfers

No mid-range pricing

WP Engine is the leading WordPress digital platform. It hosts excellent uptime, WordPress specific security and unlimited monthly transfers.

WP Engine includes many great tools needed for web hosting. These range from automated backups to 24/7 support. 

You can use WP Engine’s ‘actionable intelligence’ to gain insight into the performance of your pages, content and applications.

WP Engine has four different price plans. All include free migration and free page performance. If you pay for a year’s subscription upfront, you get two months free.

Prices start off at $35 (£27.08) per month which include a 60-day risk free guarantee. WP Engine also have a ‘Custom’ tier for larger businesses who want a plan more tailored for their individual needs.

Some users have asked for a mid-range pricing option between the $35 (£27.08) and $115 (£88.98) tiers.

2. GoDaddy Pro

Free

Multiple client management

Bandwidth monitoring not included

GoDaddy Pro is part of GoDaddy Inc, founded in 1997. It offers users a more robust, wider range of tools for developers and businesses.

GoDaddy Pro offers client management tools and advanced support. This solution allows developers to add multiple clients and manages their accounts from one single dashboard. 

GoDaddy gives users access to a management dashboard. From here all products and clients can be viewed. The dashboard can alert the user via SMS and email to any issues the client may have.

As GoDaddy Pro has been designed to make developer’s lives easier, the platform is user-friendly and everything is at your fingertips via the dashboard.

Access to the dashboard is free and includes reporting and basic maintenance for as many WordPress sites as needed. Paid services include cloud backups, migration, uptime monitoring and automated security checks. These can be purchased as add-ons to your free plan.

Users have noted that bandwidth monitoring is not included.

3. Bluehost

Affordable plans

Geared to new and experienced users

Some dashboard issues

Bluehost is a web hosting company owned by Endurance International Group. It was founded in 2003. It’s part of a web hosting family that includes HostMonster, FastDomain and iPage.

Bluehost tries to make the daunting task of starting a new web site easy. It offers plenty of options to those new to web hosting while still offering tools for the more experienced user.

All new subscribers can set up a WordPress site with a single click of their mouse.

Bluehost are currently offering all their WordPress plans at a reduced rate. Prices start at $3.95 (£3.09) a month for a single WordPress site complete with 50GB of website space. The ‘Plus’ and ‘Premium’ packages are on offer for $5.95 (£4.64) per month. These both include unlimited WordPress sites and unlimited website space. The ‘Premium’ package includes domain privacy and SiteBackup Pro.

More inexperienced users have reported that the dashboard can be difficult to navigate if you do not know all the terminology.

4. WordPress VIP

24/7 customer service

Strict coding standards

Some setup issues

WordPress VIP is a fully managed cloud platform. Users of VIP have access to expert guidance, code review and around the clock support.

Users get their own Git repository and ZenDesk account. Once your code is ready, you send it to the VIP team. Experts at VIP go through each line of code in your repository. This can take 4-6 weeks. If any issues are found, they’re raised on GitHub. Once these have been removed the code is transferred to your project and you are online. VIP adhere to strict coding standards.

One of the main attractions of VIP, is their ‘always on’ support. VIP engineers watch for any issues that may arise and fix them proactively on behalf of the client. Once rectified, a report will be sent to you explaining what occurred.

Users will need to contact VIP directly in order to get a quote.

Some users have reported delays with setting up and building sites.

5. SiteGround

Affordable

24/7 support

Some logging in issues

SiteGround was founded in 2004. It provides shared hosting, cloud hosting and dedicated servers.

SiteGround lets you choose from one of their five data centres on which to host your website. These are based in the US, Amsterdam, Milan, Singapore and the UK.

SiteGround offers users CloudFlare CDN, free SSL certificates and daily backups of their website’s data. All of their shared hosting plans include managed WordPress.

The platform’s customer support includes live chat as well as a phone in option. All support services are available 24/7.

The ‘StartUp’ plan begins at $11.99 (£9.28) per month which includes one website, 10GB web space and is suitable for 10,000 visits monthly. The ‘GrowBig’ plan for $19.95 (£15.47) monthly allows for multiple websites, 20GB of web space and is suitable for 25,000 visits. SiteGround’s ‘GoGeek’ plan starts at $34.95 (£27.08) per month which includes 30GB of web space and is suitable for 100,000 visits monthly. SiteGround do not offer a free trial but do have a 30-day money back guarantee.

Some users reported issues with being automatically logged out when signing in on multiple devices.

6. DreamHost

Wide-range of plans

Affordable pricing

Not for beginners

DreamHost is owned by New Dream Network, LLC which was founded in 1996. It’s both a web hosting provider and a domain name registrar.

DreamHost’s ‘Shared Starter’ plan starts at $4.95 (£3.87) per month. This includes a shared hosting server, 1 WordPress website, unlimited traffic, 1-click SSL certificate, fast SSD storage, 24/7 support and an upgrade to add email.

The ‘DreamPress’ package starts at $19.95 (£15.47). This includes all of what the ‘Shared Starter’ plan has to offer along with 30GB SSD storage and JetPack free preinstalled.

All of DreamHost’s hosting solutions are a fully managed service.

Inexperienced users have reported issues with getting started. 

7. InMotion

90-day money back guarantee

Variety of hosting options

Expensive

InMotion Hosting is an employee-owned and -operated domain name and web hosting company founded in 2001.

InMotion offers dedicated, shared, virtual private server and WordPress hosting along with several Ecommerce tools. 

Their WordPress hosting plans start off at $8.99 (£6.96) per month and include one website, 40GB SSD storage and is suitable for 20,000 visitors a month. InMotion have six price plans available. These plans offer unlimited data transfers and disk space.

Besides having numerous price plans for each of their hosting options, InMotion have numerous free add-ons, free ecommerce tools and unlimited emails. While they do not have a free trial, they do include a 90-day money back guarantee.

Some users have complained that InMotion is not as competitively priced as other hosting providers.

8. HostGator

Multiple plans available

Linux and Windows based servers

Additional purchases are expensive

HostGator was founded in 2002. It provides shared, reseller, VPS and dedicated web hosting.

HostGator’s Website Builder comes with a handy drag and drop feature. The builder includes a wide range of themes. Some of the features are pre-built to help make the process easier and faster.

HostGator claim that load times for WordPress sites are up to 2.5 times faster than other providers due to their superior server architecture.

The utility offers a WordPress Cloud Interface where you can manage backups, access all your email accounts and other hosting options. You can also allocate server bandwidth from here.

HostGator offer three WordPress cloud hosting plans. The ‘Starter’ plan is currently $5.95 (£4.64) per month for 1 site, 100,000 visits per month, 1GB free backups and a free SSL certificate. The ‘Standard’ plan is on offer at $7.95 (£6.19) per month for 2 sites, 200,000 visits per month, 2GB backups and a free SSL certificate. 

HostGator’s ‘Business’ plan is also on offer at $9.95 (£7.73) per month. This includes 3 sites, 500,000 visits, 3GB backups and a free SSL certificate.

According to online commentators, the purchase price for additional domains can be quite steep.

9. 1&1

Suitable for new users

Mobile website builder

Some downtime issues

1&1 is owned by German company, United Internet. It was founded in 1988. It offers domain registration, cloud servers, virtual private servers and dedicated servers.

1&1 boasts excellent customer support and easy to use web creation tools. More inexperienced users might find this provider more suitable to their needs.

1&1’s ‘Basic’ packages starts at $0.99 (£0.77) per month for the first 12-months and then $7.99 (£6.19) per month thereafter. This includes 1 WordPress project, 50GB SSD storage, unlimited visitors and managed WordPress. Upon registration you are offered a domain name free for 12 months. This is only valid upon purchase of any of their plans.

Users that sign up for the ‘Unlimited Pro’ plan receive 5 WordPress projects, 250GB SSD storage and unlimited visitors. This plan starts at $4.99 (£3.87) per month for the first 12 months and then $9.99 (£7.73) per month thereafter. 

The ‘Unlimited’ plan starts at $8.99 (£6.96) for the first 12 months and includes unlimited WordPress projects and unlimited SSD storage.

Online commentators have complained about long periods of downtime. 

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