WordPress is the easiest way to create your website or publish a blog on the internet. More than 40% of the websites on the internet are powered by WordPress. To explain it more technically, one can say that it is GPLv2 licensed open-source content management system. It can be modified by anyone since the software is free to use. Without knowing any programming, you can modify your website, and this is done by using a content management system.
Initially, WordPress was used to write a blog. Now, due to modification of the core code of WordPress and with the additions of plugins and themes, a website can be created through it as well.
There are two types of hosting services provided on the internet: shared hosting service and managed hosting service. When physically a single server entertains many sites, it is called a shared hosting service. The main benefit of a shared hosting service is that the costs are low since hundreds of users are entertained on one server.
Managed hosting service is a service whereby all the activities and functions are managed by the web host. This would usually include web content, backup management, site security, performance, and updates.
When and Why Do We Need a Managed WordPress Hosting Service?
There are many reasons why managed WordPress services would be utilized. Some of those reasons are stated below:
- To manage a website that is on the path of rapid growth.
- When a lot of web traffic is diverted to the website.
- Websites belonging to businesses that want 24/7 presence and cannot go offline.
- Expanding business that is looking for expansion of the website and growth of the content.
- Businesses, blog writers, or individuals who do not have the technical know-how but want their WordPress website to run glitch-free without any hassle.
Comparison of Managed WordPress Hosting Service Providers
1. LiquidWeb Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
LiquidWeb has been in business for more than 22 years. They have acquired quite a lead in managed virtual private server (VPS) niche, dedicated server hosting, and managed cloud hosting. They are offering 24/7 support to their clients and a wide range of options on stable and dependable platforms.
It also offers unlimited traffic to the website, no extra charge for using resources provided, plugins are automatically updated, and unlimited pageviews. This web hosting service provider is applying a picture optimization plugin to enhance page loading speed.
Users are provided with daily backup service, web developer tools, SSL certificates for free, and full access to the server. The LiquidWeb has many price plans, the basic plan starts with support for 10 websites with 50GB of SSD storage. It is an ideal choice for large companies who need multiple websites that are managed by quality web hosts.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Powerful features and very fast WordPress hosting
- Free SSL certificates
- Astonishing 24/7 Support and high-performance servers
- Great for large-scale business; many options to expand
Cons
- It is slightly higher than market prices.
2. Kinsta Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
As per Kinsta, they are a premium web hosting service, and they cater to all, whether big or small. Kinsta started in 2013 and since then they are working hard to provide the best experience to their customers. Like other web hosting services, it also gives faster loading time for the websites and lesser downtime.
As compared to other generic web hosting services Kinsta is promising fewer performance issues. The best part about it is that they are only working with WordPress websites. Because of this feature, only all the staff at Kinsta are highly trained in WordPress-related matters. Some of their workers have also contributed to WordPress software.
One of the main differences that Kinsta has with other WordPress hosting services is the Google Cloud Platform usage. The good part of using Google Cloud Platform is that it provides a massive infrastructure that is managed and developed by Google.
Google Cloud Platform is available from 21 server locations globally. Kinsta is offering premium services, but it is not cheap, for $30 per month for a basic plan. Kinsta is also offering two plans which are more suitable for smaller businesses.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- High-class networking with the usage of Google Cloud Platform
- Every plan gets free CDN
- Migrations and fixing hacks for free on the websites
- Atmosphere provided for cloning and stagging
- Once a week MySQL database augmentation for WordPress websites
- Auto-curing PHP
- 1440 times daily uptime checks
- Automatic scaling
- Git, SSH, Let’s Encrypt, WP-CPI, and many others are supported
- Fast SSD storage
Cons
- The cheapest plan offered is $30, which is quite higher than other web hosting sites.
- Google Cloud Platform is provided at a lower price but monthly visits maximal are lower.
3. WP-Engine Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
WP-Engine is exclusively focusing on providing web hosting service for the most famous content management system which is WordPress. WP-Engine is an exceptional quality web host that provides WordPress-explicit security, premium uptime, daily backups, cloud platform workability, real-time threat detection, and many other exquisite features.
WP-Engine bagged the Editor’s Choice award for enterprise-class managed WordPress plan, it makes your website functional in very little time, but there are some drawbacks. WP-Engine does not give the option for domain names and email account facilities.
For registering your website’s domain name, you would need to use other means available on the net. Similarly, if you need to have an email account, WP-Engine is not offering one with its plans. For an email account, you also need to find different options available on the net.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Outstanding uptime
- Choice in cloud hosting, Amazon Web Service, or Google Cloud Platform
- Real-time threat detection
- Daily backups
- Great customer service
Cons
- For Basic (Startup) plan customers phone support is limited.
- No email service was provided.
- WP-Engine does not sell domains.
4. BigScoots Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
BigScoots is not a famous name in the web hosting industry. This company has been in business since 2010, and the probability that you may have not heard or may have very little information about them is quite high. They are registering their presence on the net bit by bit.
The website has a modern and enticing look and is offering managed WordPress hosting solutions only. To keep the customers interested they are offering very nifty and exclusive plans.
Their basic plan is called 50cc and they have a medium-range plan called 155cc. Turbo Diesel is their high-end plan. Their customers rely on their fast and reliable web hosting service. BigScoots is offering shared plans managed on solid-state drives (SSD). They store data on hard drives and for caching they use SSD.
If the customer needs more storage, then BigScoots is offering SSD-Accelerated plans; this plan is providing, for the same price, a double storage facility. The network speed provided by BigScoots is also excellent. Since they are based in Chicago, their central location provides exceptional network speed and bandwidth.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Reliable service
- Fast and supportive customer service
- Good and dependable performance
- Good prices for shared hosting
- Ample flexibility for shared hosting
- Easy to use
Cons
- It has less storage.
- It has no domain for a basic plan.
- The monthly payment for the non-shared plan.
- It is expensive in comparison with other providers.
5. Pantheon Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
Pantheon started on its mission in 2010 to enable development and sales teams to internet triumph because of its impressive learning center and platform. Its office is based in the US and the target audience for web hosting service is medium-sized businesses. It also offers tailor-made solutions to larger companies.
Pantheon does not offer domain registration; domains can be purchased from NameCheap or other domain registrar sites and connected with Pantheon servers. CPanel is not provided at Pantheon, rather it provides its custom control panel with which you can install WordPress, WooCommerce, or Drupal.
A central dashboard makes it easy to manage the websites, this is a likable feature for WordPress and Drupal developers. With the click of a button, this central dashboard allows you to do backups, updates, and much more.
Fastly CDN is one of the features which helps in accelerating the website loading time. This feature has connections in all the continents. The customer gets complete control of the numerous levels of caching manipulation.
An assuring solution provided by Pantheon for security and failover is the presence of a redundant server in another location. In case of failure of the primary server, the secondary server will take over. Teams are monitoring the systems round the clock and customers are informed via alerts in case of any adversity.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- SSL certificates are provided for free
- An offsite server for the instant switchover in case of system failover
- Faster website loading times because of Fastly CDN
Cons
- Money-back guarantees are not provided.
- There is no option for registering a domain.
6. Pressable Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
For Pressable web hosting service it is paramount that they focus on web hosting services that are WordPress based. The prime objective is to keep the websites functional in a smooth, efficient, and seamless manner. The owners of Pressable are also the company at the back of WordPress, which is Automattic.
The WordPress hosting offered by Pressable is far more sophisticated than the one offered by other web hosting service providers. The environment is explicitly devised for installing WordPress and applying WordPress themes and plugins. It removes the requirement to install WordPress like the case with other web hosts.
The preinstalled content management system provides great ease. In comparison with other web hosts, it is a sight for sore eyes to be able to open the introductory email, view log-in details, and not waste type in any extra setups. Some preinstalled plugins are provided beforehand.
It does not sell domains, and you need to get a domain name registered with another domain registering company. Pressable is equipped with e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce. For $45 per month, you get 200,000 page views and 10 WordPress installations, along with the email marketing tool Jilt.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Across the board unlimited storage
- Free CDN and SSL provided
- Daily backups
- Malware scanning
Cons
- Customer service is available for a limited time during the day.
- There is no email account is offered.
- There is no domain registering facility.
- Cloud platform selection choice is not provided.
7. Pagely Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
Pagely’s objective is to put the customer at ease by taking care of all heavy-duty work. It has developed the mindset to secure and safeguard the WordPress-powered websites, ensure that the page and post-load times are enhanced, do daily backups by applying S3 technology provided by Amazon, and automatically update plugins.
Pagely is now focusing more on large enterprises and larger businesses to provide them with high-end business plans. It is providing managed hosting atmosphere, which is purely based on WordPress installations and plugins. WordPress does not need to be installed as it is already provided, which is also the same case with other web hosting services.
It also offers two types of backend interfaces: the regular self-managed WordPress interface, which gives you the option to construct pages, galleries, and posts, and the second backend interface is the custom Atomic Core interface, which provides you with the facility to check your billing and account information, view traffic stats, and send support requests.
The WordPress sites are protected against malware with PressArmor real-time scanning and removal. This feature also secures the websites against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) and brute force attacks. For faster page loading and sturdy security, Pagely supports content delivery networks (CDN). Many other security tools are mentioned on Pagely’s website.
For customer service and support requisition, the requests are sent through webchat that is available on the website. Webchat is available from 8 a.m. to 5 a.m., also a 24/7 ticketing system is available for the resolution of queries.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Daily updating of plugins and backups
- Regular scanning of malware for tight security
- Staging mode provided for testing
- Easy interface even for beginners
- Detailed help features
Cons
- Its prices are high in comparison to other hosts.
- The email facility is not provided.
- Domains are not sold and have to be arranged from other sources.
8. Siteground Managed Web Hosting Service
Many things are put into consideration before a web hosting service is selected. Some of the considerations are price, storage, and other functions. To do business, some business-focused matters are also considered such as the provision of e-commerce and server locations.
All of the above are beautifully taken care of by Siteground. At a reasonable price, Siteground is providing several operations intensifying tools, a lot of hosting types, and exquisite customer service. It does not offer Windows servers and lacks VPS, but still ensures quality service to persons and small businesses.
In terms of security options, Siteground provides several features. It deploys SG Site Scanner to alert if the site has come under attack, blocklists for IP addresses, antispam tools like SpamAssassin and SpamExperts, and hotlink protection. Homepage links are scanned to check and ensure that they are clean.
Siteground is customer-centric. Its customer service is available 24/7 with a ticket-based system, telephone support, and live chat. The customer service team connects to you in less than a minute and provides a clear and immediate response.
Another one of the good aspects of Siteground is that it is focusing on newcomers who do not have advanced web skills or design time. This is further confirmed with the presence of an ample number of security features.
Since newbies are more susceptible to website attacks, the reason is that they would not be investing in a site scanner for protection from malware or cloud service to protect them from denial-of-service attacks. Siteground is doing all that in the current pricing plans.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Good uptime during testing
- Monthly and annual hosting plans
- Free SSL is given with all the plans
- Great customer service
- Server locations are chosen by the customer.
- A lot of free services are provided
Cons
- The windows servers, dedicated, and VPS are not provided.
- Its storage is comparatively low.
9. BlueHost Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
Are you starting on your website? This website could be for your business, which is about to start. Although there are many ways to engage customers online by using social media platforms, if you are determined to dig out in the online business battleground, then you would need the services of a web hosting service provider.
BlueHost offers balance plans to its customers in terms of features and price. For novices who are starting, fresh BlueHost is offering sound support. Meanwhile, they are also giving ample options to veteran administrators. They are achieving and implementing all through a strong and amazing customer service platform.
It also offers shared web hosting services on annual plans. This means that you need to commit with them an annual package that may be yearly, two years, or three years. Web hosting on a shared basis is good for those who would not expect large traffic volumes but still need an online presence.
Shared web hosting is cheaper since server resources are shared with others, but it may impact site performance if the shared server encounters large traffic. In case more traffic is anticipated or have definite conformity requirements that restrict you from using shared servers, then BlueHost offers a virtual private server (VPS) that is worthwhile.
VPS has lesser sites sharing resources and guarantees a preset resource amount. BlueHost is also offering dedicated hosting, which applies to those who expect huge traffic numbers. There are dedicated server configurations for those who need them.
BlueHost also offers a variety of tools for building sites, managing emails, using analytics, and filtering spam. It offers Weebly’s drag and drop function to get a site up and running in a short time. BlueHost offers good e-commerce tools as well.
Apart from many other features, the security options are also worthwhile. Free antispam tools are provided. Tools like Apache Spam Assassin, Spam Hammer, and Spam Experts. It is also providing hotlink protection. Apart from these, there are many other features available for its customers.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Exquisite uptime in a test phase
- Very easy to use interface
- Site building made easy with Weebly
- Free site migration
- Great customer service provided
Cons
- The windows-based servers are not available.
- Cloud hosting is not available.
- The monthly shared hosting plans are not provided.
10. GoDaddy Managed WordPress Web Hosting Service
You have all things chalked out and are ready to jump into the ocean of website building. You want your website to be up and running, and you want the world to notice your presence on the web. Now the question arises, which web hosting service to choose from? There are many web hosting service providers available on the internet.
GoDaddy is well-known for providing quality service to individuals as well as enterprises. It offers amazing and purposeful elements that are required by prospective customers.
One such element is the provision of shared hosting services. As we have discussed earlier as well that shared web hosting is much cheaper in comparison to dedicated or VPS. The websites that are sharing the server are competing with each other for these resources.
Apart from shared web hosting, GoDaddy is also offering VPS Web hosting. It is also offering dedicated web hosting in case you expect heavy traffic towards your website. GoDaddy has its Website Security product. Website Security product has automatic malware scanning, Web Application Firewall, Content Delivery Network, and continuous security monitoring.
There are many other security options. Some are included in the plans and some can be added to further strengthen the safety net.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Customer support around the clock
- Servers are Linux and Windows-based
- Email thoroughly embedded in Microsoft apps
Cons
- The Cloud hosting not available.
- Its email plans are not strong enough.
Conclusion
Like any other product, which may opt for an online or physical store, you would need to make a list of your needs and requirements. Based on that list you would then shortlist, ask which web hosting service then best suits your needs. If you are new to this world of web hosting, you would need a host who offers ample guidance.