7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Plans: Pros & Features

Are web hosting hassles causing you to lose sleep?

If so, you’re not alone.

Many WordPress site owners find themselves struggling with hosting-related issues at some point or another.

While web hosting services offer a variety of features, not all of them are created equal and apply to everyone’s needs.

It’s essential to know how to choose the best hosting plan for your needs to get the most out of your investment.

This is where managed WordPress hosting comes into play.

Managed WordPress hosting is a premium hosting service that takes care of all the technical aspects of running a WordPress site for you.

In this article, I’ll compare the best managed WordPress hosting plans, based on their features, pros, and cons, so that you can decide which one is right for you.

Let’s get right into it.

What Are The Best Managed WordPress Hosting?

The following are the best managed WordPress hosting services based on my findings.

1. WP Engine.

Best Overall Managed WordPress Hosting.

WP Engine is one of the best choices for a reliable and secure managed WordPress hosting solution.

This provider offers excellent features, great performance, and outstanding customer support.

Also providing developer solutions as needed, all brands and businesses can take full advantage of WP Engine.

With award-winning WordPress support, you can be sure that any issues you have will be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Their site monitoring ensures that you’ll get to know if/when something happens to your site so you can take action right away.

Whether you want effortless scalability and transform your site or keep your WordPress blog up and running, WP Engine is a provider you should consider.

Key Features:

• They provide the option to have a robust and scalable network, and I like how it helps to create a more efficient workflow.
• Using their WooCommerce optimized plans is a great way to save time and make any online stores faster.
• I think that the interface provided to manage clients, sites, and billing is helpful because it keeps everything organized in one place.
• It’s great that they offer the complete headless WordPress platform because it provides everything one needs to build a successful website.

User Experience:

Seeing your sites, users, tools, and billing all in one place is extremely helpful and makes managing everything a breeze.

I also like how easily scalable their plans are.

Pricing:

WP Engine offers their managed WordPress plan, billed at $240 per year, then $300 per year after the first year.

What I Like/Dislike About WP Engine

Like:

• Making automatic backups and restores for my website is a breeze, so I don’t have to worry about losing any data.
• Also, migration to this host is straightforward and stress-free.

Dislike:

• They are pricier than other solutions, but as the saying goes, it’s a case of “getting what you pay for.”

Product Updates:

• Automatic WordPress core updates happen automatically once their security team ascertains that the update is ready for production.

Get started with WP Engine.

2. HostGator.

Best Budget-Friendly Solution.

HostGator has been around for a long time and is one of the most popular managed WordPress hosting providers.

With their wide range of plans, you can find a solution that fits your needs and budget.

They also offer a free domain for the first year so that you can start your new WordPress site immediately.

With scaling resources, you can be sure that your site will be able to handle increased traffic as your business grows.

Then, features like 1-click restore, auto-backups, and more, help you rest easy knowing that your site is always safe.

Key Features:

• With a ready-to-go WordPress setup, one can quickly get their site up and running.
• I like the simplified control panel because it’s easy to use.
• The free domain is a great perk because it saves users money.
• The lightning speed is fantastic and helps sites run smoothly.
• The 24/7 support is beneficial because as a user, you can know that someone is always there to help if needed.

User Experience:

The user interface is straightforward to use and navigate.

Everything can be done with just a few clicks – whether you want to set up new email addresses or add new domains.

Pricing:

HostGator offers these pricing plans:

• Starter Plan: $5.95/mo
• Standard Plan: $7.95/mo
• Business Plan: $9.95/mo

What I Like/Dislike About HostGator

Like:

• Hostgator offers many reliable tools to help you easily set up and manage your website.
• Their domain registration is also very affordable, which is excellent for those on a budget.

Dislike:

• Their speed is not the fastest, but it’s still pretty good.

Product Updates:

• A 99.9% uptime guarantee ensures that your site is almost always up and running.

Get started with HostGator.

3. SiteGround.

Best For Site Backups.

SiteGround creates a WordPress site that’s already set up, and comes bundled with popular plugins that are always kept up-to-date.

Whether starting your site from scratch or transferring an existing one, they make it easy to get started.

With their caching system, you can add speed to your site without lifting a finger.

Their ‘Wildcard SSL certificates’ and ‘Let’s Encrypt Standard’ plans will keep your site secure without breaking the bank.

They also save as many as 30 copies of your site as backups, so you can rest assured that your place is always safe.

Key Features:

• Their staging tool feature is good, and I enjoy how this helps test out changes to my site before pushing them live.
• Their email service is fantastic, and it has helped many business owners stay in touch with their customers.
• The managed security and updates are helpful because one knows their site is always safe and up-to-date.

User Experience:

From security and speed, to statistics and developer options, all the required options are within easy reach.

Pricing:

You can choose from the following plans on SiteGround:

• StartUp: $2.99/mo
• GrowBig: $4.99/mo
• GoGeek: $7.99/mo

What I Like/Dislike About SiteGround

Like:

• Their customer service offers a lot of helpful information, and they’re always willing to go the extra mile to help you.
• There’s no need to know anything about Cpanel to get up and running – their WordPress hosting makes it easy for beginners to get started.

Dislike:

• It’s not cheap to renew your web hosting compared to other providers.

Product Updates:

• Users can expect up to 95% fewer bot attacks with their improved brute-force prevention system. This means that sites are safer than before.

Get started with SiteGround.

4. Hostinger.

Best For Site Speed.

Hostinger is one of the fastest WordPress hosting providers.

They also provide a 99.9% uptime guarantee, which is excellent for businesses that rely on their website to generate leads or sales.

Being a TrustPilot top-rated web hosting provider, they offer excellent customer support.

Regarding speed, they use the LSCWP cache plugin, meaning your site performance will improve significantly.

Hostinger also offers a 1-click installer, so you can always stay on top of your WordPress updates.

Finally, your needs will always be met with business hosting packages, no matter how small or big your operation gets.

Key Features:

• It’s beneficial that they have set up optimized technology because it helps sites run quickly and smoothly.
• I think that their staging tool is excellent because it allows users to test all changes they want to make.
• The 1-click WordPress installer is helpful because it keeps users from having to do manual updates.
• With automatic WordPress updates, one never has to worry about their site being outdated.
• The free SSL certificate is great because it keeps sites secure.
• ECommerce optimization is beneficial because it allows online stores to run smoothly.

User Experience:

The user interface is straightforward, with big buttons making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

Pricing:

Hostinger offers these pricing plans:

• Single WordPress: $1.99
• WordPress Starter: $2.99
• Business WordPress: $3.99
• WordPress Pro: $11.59

All of these are on a per-month basis.

What I Like/Dislike About Hostinger

Like:

• Better uptime at a lower price ensures your site is always up and running.
• A knowledgeable support team helps you with any problems you might have.

Dislike:

• The premium plan offers multiple website hosting with SSL for only one domain, which could be a turnoff for some users.

Product Updates:

• You can now ensure that your personal information is kept private with Hostinger’s automatic WHOIS protection, ensuring that your data is never sold or shared.

Get started with Hostinger.

5. Nexcess.

Best For Scaling Businesses.

Nexcess helps you build your online business with a scalable solution that can grow with you.

With elevated performance and security, your site will be in good hands.

You also get premium plugins not usually found (or have to be paid for as extra) within managed WordPress hosting.

With in-house specialists who take pride in providing excellent customer service, you can always get the help you need.

Furthermore, ongoing testing alerts you as soon as any issues with your site, so you can always keep it running smoothly.

Key Features:

• Nexcess has WordPress core updates enabled, and I like how it helps keep sites up-to-date.
• Their WordPress plugin updates keep everything running smoothly, and it’s great to see that they take pride in having the latest, most secure versions of plugins that run on their hosting.
• The visual comparison tool is helpful because it allows users to see the changes made before publishing them.
• Email is included in their plans, which is great because it helps business owners stay in touch with customers quickly.
• The page builders are beneficial because they offer quick custom page creation.

User Experience:

The Dashboard layout is designed in a user-friendly way, allowing you to access essential features with ease.

While not the most beginner-friendly dashboard you’ll find, it’s still relatively straightforward.

Pricing:

Nexcess offers a range of pricing plans.

These range from Spark, priced at $13.30 per month to Enterprise priced at $699.30 per month.

What I Like/Dislike About Nexcess

Like:

• Nexcess usually resolves technical difficulties within 24 hours max, no matter how big they are.
• Transitioning from Magento to WordPress as a content management system is super easy on this host.

Dislike:

• Having dedicated servers that use NGINX would greatly benefit this WordPress hosting service.

Product Updates:

• The New Nexcess Panel offers quick and easy access to the tools you need most.

Get started with Nexcess.

6. Bluehost.

Best For Expert Guidance.

Bluehost provides a solid foundation for WordPress websites with great design and performance.

With excellent design and performance, speed and security are two crucial features of Bluehost.

Composed of a team that has worked with over 80 open-source platforms, Bluehost knows WordPress inside out.

Their managed hosting comes bundled with the most secure version of WordPress at the time, ensuring that your site is always safe.

Then, with other tools, services, and tools that help traffic and conversions, you can be sure that your site will stand out from the crowd.

Key Features:

• Their automatic WordPress installation is one of the best features because it makes it easy to start.
• The free domain name for one year is great for those just starting.
• The automatic WordPress updates are beneficial because they keep sites up-to-date.
• Their Google My Business verification is beneficial because it makes building customer trust easier.
• Their secure setup of login credentials helps ensure top notch security.

Pricing:

Bluehost offers the pricing plans:

• Basic: $2.95/mo
• Plus: $5.45/mo
• Choice Plus: $5.45/mo
• Pro: $13.95/mo

Get started with Bluehost.

7. Namecheap.

Best For Cheap Hosting.

Namecheap is one of the cheapest managed hosting providers around.

That said, the user interface is easy to use without the need for a learning curve.

Without the need to understand how old cPanel interfaces work and what they do, you can get your site up and running in no time.

They take care of your WordPress installation in one click, saving you time and money.

Their EasyWP solution does the hard work for you to focus on more important things.

If you want a WordPress site installed in under 90 seconds, then Namecheap is the way to go.

Key Features:

• It’s beneficial that they have the option to have your site hosted on Namecheap Cloud because it’s fast and reliable service.
• Creating backups and restores is effortless, and I appreciate that they offer SFTP and database access.
• Namecheap’s WordPress hosting is safe and secure, with 99.9% uptime.

Pricing:

Namecheap’s pricing plans are as follows:

• EasyWP Starter: $34.88
• EasyWP Turbo: $58.88
• EasyWP Supersonic: $68.88

Get started with Namecheap.

Other managed WordPress.org hosting providers include Dreampress, Flywheel, Dreamhost, and Kinsta.

What Are Managed WordPress Hosting?

Managed WordPress hosting refers to a web hosting service that is specifically designed for WordPress sites.

It is generally more expensive than shared hosting but offers better performance and security.

There are several managed WordPress hosting companies to choose from, and each one offers different features and pricing plans.

The right managed WordPress hosting company for you will depend on your needs and budget.

Key Features of Managed WordPress Hosting

The following are the top features of a managed WordPress hosting provider.

Uptime Guarantee

A hosting company should offer an uptime guarantee to ensure your website is always available.

Whether you want to ensure tip-top SEO rankings or avoid losing visitors during high-traffic events, a site that’s working as it should is critical.

Downtime is never ideal for high-traffic sites, so a hosting platform should have a plan to minimize it.

The right hosting environment can make a big difference in site performance.

WordPress Updates And Security Patches

From SSH features to one-click staging, a managed WordPress hosting plan provider should offer tools to help you manage your website.

In addition, WordPress plugins and themes are updated regularly to keep your site secure and improve page load times.

Daily Backups

The top-managed WordPress hosting providers offer daily backups to keep your site safe.

Automatic updates are also essential to keep your site running smoothly and protect it from security threats.

Developer Tools

Developer tools like staging and Git are essential for small businesses that rely on their website to generate leads and sales.

From PHP versions to memory limits, a managed WordPress hosting company should offer the latest in developer tools.

Staging Environment

A managed WordPress hosting company provides the ability to have a staging environment ready to use.

This is important for everything from page load times to preventing attacks that ensure your site is always available.

A one-click staging option is also convenient if you need to change your live site.

Free SSL Certificate

A managed hosting provider should offer a free SSL certificate.

This is important for security and to ensure your site is accessible over HTTPS.

One-Click Restore Points

One-click restore points allow you to quickly restore your site to a previous state if something goes wrong.

The best WordPress hosting offers restore points that help users quickly recover their website in the event of an issue.

CDN Integration

While not all companies offer a free CDN, many managed WordPress hosts integrate with a CDN provider like Cloudflare.

This can help improve security features and speed up WordPress sites.

Managed WordPress hosts with content delivery network integration for WordPress sites typically have more expensive plans.

That said, the right data centers will offer various hosting options that can be customized to meet your specific needs.

Malware Removal Assistance

Expert support is beneficial for malware removal, as it can be a hassle for freelancers and small business owners alike.

A managed WordPress hosting company will typically have a firewall in place to help protect your site from malware.

Technical Support 24/7/365

From needing help with free site migration, to ensuring managed WordPress plans are the best for you, technical support should be available 24/7/365.

For managed WordPress hosting, phone support is typically included in the monthly fee.

Fast speed

A fast WordPress hosting provider can improve a site’s load times.

Shared hosting is typically the most affordable option when it comes to hosting, but it can sometimes be slow.

For sites that receive a lot of traffic, bandwidth can be an issue, and as such, a managed WordPress host may be a better option.

Money-Back Guarantee

A money back guarantee ensures that you’re satisfied with the service you receive.

For managed WordPress plans, a 30-day money-back guarantee is typically offered.

Some companies also offer a money-back guarantee for free migration if you’re unsatisfied with the service.

Beginner Friendly

Hosting plans should cater to entry-level users as well as those with more experience.

Since email accounts and a simple hosting control panel are often all that’s needed for beginners, it’s important to ensure the hosting company you choose offers these features.

More experienced users may need access to developer tools and additional storage space, so ensuring the managed WordPress hosting company you choose can accommodate your needs is vital.

Fast Storage

SSD storage is the fastest type of storage currently available.

If you believe that you’re not getting the full benefits of a fast WordPress site, you may need to consider upgrading your storage.

A speed test can help you ascertain that your site is hosted on a fast-storage server.

Website Builder

A website builder helps to create a website without having to code.

This is especially useful if you want to create an online store that can aid you with selling on Amazon, a corporate site, a blog, or anything in between.

A Note On Managed WordPress Hosting Costs

Various WordPress hosting companies provide different features at different price points.

Some companies offer free SSL certificates, while others charge for them.

WordPress experts may get by with a less expensive host, but fully managed WordPress hosting is worth the extra cost for most users.

Knowing what’s important to you will help you decide which managed WordPress hosting company is the best for your needs.

Additionally, reading the fine print before signing up for any hosting plan is essential.

Hosting providers typically have terms of service you’ll need to agree to.

Additionally, some companies require that you sign a contract to receive certain features or discounts.

Wrap Up.

Managed WordPress hosting is an excellent option for those who want the convenience of having someone else manage their WordPress site.

For a small business or freelancer, managed WordPress hosting can save you time and money.

The best-managed WordPress hosts offer the right features that make creating and managing a WordPress site easy.

To sum up, the following are the best managed WordPress hosting sites to consider:

• WP Engine: Best Overall Managed WordPress Hosting
• HostGator: Best Budget-Friendly Solution
• SiteGround: Best For Site Backups

What do you think about managed WordPress hosting?

Do you have any preferred providers?

Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Further reading on AdamEnfroy.com: Here are various cloud hosting options for small businesses and startups that want to use the latest cloud technologies.

For those on a budget, cheap web hosting services can provide the features you need without breaking the bank.

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Last Updated on October 19, 2022 by Adam Enfroy