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If you have chosen to use WordPress.org as the platform to create your website, then you will need to host it somewhere. This is not a consideration if you want to use WordPress.com as Automattic Inc. will host the website. There are numerous hosting optiond, so you need to give very careful consideration to which one you will use. It is possible to migrate from one to the other but for some sites this can be quite complicated and some features may no longer be supported.
Overview
WordPress hosting plans can be extremely confusing when you’re creating your first website. To start with there are several types of hosting, four of which we cover here – Shared, VPS, Cloud, and Dedicated. Hosting providers complicate matters further by using buzzwords and vague technical jargon, making it difficult to understand what you’re actually getting. It’s not always clear which hosting plan best suits your needs, or even what they include. Phrases like “built for WordPress”, “everything handled for you”, or “one-click install” sound appealing but are imprecise. Core features like email, CDN, backups, and malware scanning may be included in some plans and missing in others. Transparency can also be an issue when it comes to the number of sites you can host, acceptable traffic limits, or whether your plan provides sufficient CPU and RAM for your needs. Hopefully we can shed some light on the matter here by offering some practical guidance.
Shared Hosting is the bottom tier of the WordPress hosting world. It’s marketed as a simple, budget-friendly option for individuals, bloggers and small businesses with low to moderate traffic, especially those with limited technical experience. In our opinion, while it’s true that no real expertise is required, the setup can still be confusing for first-time users. And despite being labelled as ‘easy to use’, it can be frustrating when issues arise and support proves to be limited.
“Shared” means that multiple websites are hosted on the same physical server, often hundreds at once, all drawing from a limited pool of resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage). Because many sites compete for the same resources, Shared Hosting plans may experience inconsistent performance. Who gets priority depends largely on the hosting provider and the specifics of your plan.
Shared Hosting comes with several limitations. Some providers restrict the use of resource-intensive or potentially insecure plugins, and automatic backups may not be included or are constrained by strict storage limits. Support tends to be broad rather than WordPress-specific, and users typically have little control over server-level configurations such as firewall rules or security policies. Access to advanced features like custom server settings or SSH is frequently disabled, leaving users with limited flexibility.
Because Shared Hosting involves housing numerous websites on a single server, it introduces a risk of cross-site contamination. If one site is compromised, attackers may be able to access files or databases of other sites on the server, potentially spreading malware or executing other malicious actions. Site owners have little control over this risk and must rely on the hosting provider to implement strong security measures to prevent such breaches.
VPS Hosting
VPS Hosting is the next tier up in the WordPress hosting world after Shared Hosting. With VPS Hosting, the physical server is still shared, BUT each user gets a specific set of resources which are linked to the plan. So the resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage) are dedicated and you’re website is not competing with other sites for resources. This means VPS environments are more stable and reliable, with fewer vulnerabilities, crashes or slowdowns.
Because a VPS environment is isolated from other users there is less risk of malware or hacks spreading from neighbouring sites. There are none of the cross-site contamination vulnerability risks associated with Shared Hosting. VPS Hosting allows for the installation of firewalls, malware scanners, and other tools as needed. So you can take far more security precautions than with Shared Hosting.
One often overlooked advantage of many VPS hosting plans is that, because users have dedicated resources, they can host multiple websites under a single plan. This makes VPS an excellent choice for anyone looking to run several sites without significantly increasing costs. Naturally, the number of websites you can run effectively depends on your VPS’s resources and how demanding each site is. Still, a well-provisioned VPS can comfortably support a surprising number of sites. While Cloud Hosting typically outperforms VPS in most areas, many plans include fixed limits on the number of websites allowed — which can make them less cost-effective for hosting multiple small sites. Our approach is to use VPS hosting for lightweight or lower-traffic sites and reserve Cloud Hosting for larger, more resource-intensive projects.
Cloud Hosting
While Cloud Hosting isn’t technically the pinacol of the WordPress hosting world, it effectively serves as the top tier for most practical purposes. It strikes a powerful balance of performance, scalability, reliability, and cost-efficiency — meeting the demands of growing websites without the complexity or overhead of enterprise-level infrastructure. For those not operating at massive scale, Cloud Hosting offers ample resources, flexibility, and control to run high-performing WordPress sites with confidence.
When evaluating hosting providers, it’s important to understand what Cloud Hosting truly means. In its proper sense, Cloud Hosting refers to websites being hosted on a network of interconnected virtual servers, rather than on a single physical machine as with traditional VPS hosting.
On our site, when we refer to Cloud Hosting, we’re not talking about the raw infrastructure services offered by major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Instead, we’re referring to purpose-built, fully managed WordPress hosting solutions that sit on top of those platforms. Providers such as Kinsta, Cloudways, Rocket.net, and WP Engine leverage the underlying infrastructure of those cloud platforms, but add performance-optimized software stacks, user-friendly dashboards, and expert support tailored for WordPress. The result is a cloud-based hosting experience that delivers the power and reliability of enterprise-grade infrastructure — without requiring users to manage the complexity themselves.
Some providers brand traditional VPS plans as “cloud” even though they don’t meet this definition. This kind of marketing can be misleading – or even dishonest- as these plans offer fewer benefits for a similar price. To ensure you’re getting genuine Cloud Hosting, look for providers that mention features like elastic, auto-scaling, high-availability, and distributed architecture. These terms typically indicate a true cloud-based solution
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting is the highest tier of the hosting world, favoured by large enterprises, digital agencies, and developers deploying complex WordPress applications. It involves leasing an entire physical server or, in some cases, a dedicated virtual environment within a cloud infrastructure. This exclusive access empowers organizations to tailor their server environment precisely to their needs. The result is enhanced performance, strong security, and high scalability – ideal for large-scale, resource-intensive projects that demand maximum CPU power, ample RAM, or fast disk I/O. Additionally, users have the flexibility to install specialized firewall appliances, fine‑tune network stack settings, and even attach specialized hardware when necessary.
As a premium solution, Dedicated Hosting also comes at a significantly higher cost. For site owners with the budget, the additional investment can be considered worthwhile. However, because of the expense it’s outside the reach of most website creators.
Managed or Unmanaged Hosting
When choosing a hosting plan, you’ll often see the terms Managed and Unmanaged used, regardless of the hosting type. This is an area full of confusion and ambiguity, so it’s essential to understand what these terms mean — and just as importantly, to know what’s not included in a plan. Always check the details carefully to make you’re getting everything you need.
Unmanaged WordPress Hosting provides a WordPress-compatible environment — often with one-click installers and a basic control panel — but places responsibility for setup and maintenance on the user. This includes not only keeping themes and plugins updated, configuring backups, and optimizing performance (such as caching and CDN integration), but in most cases also managing the underlying server (including installing software packages, configuring system settings, applying security patches, setting up firewalls, and troubleshooting issues at the system level). These plans are generally much cheaper than Managed Hosting, but the trade-off is clear, lower cost and greater control in exchange for significantly more hands-on responsibility.
In contrast, Fully Managed WordPress Hosting is a turnkey concept where the provider handles almost every aspect of running the WordPress site. Freed from the demands of server management, users can focus on creating content and growing their brand. Quality Managed Hosting should include automatic updates (core, themes, and plugins), security hardening & malware scanning, advanced caching, staging environments, and access to expert WordPress support teams.
Both approaches have their place. If you need maximum reliability, aren’t able to maintain a website, or simply want the peace of mind that comes with expert support, Managed Hosting is probably your best bet. However, if you’re comfortable handling the server-side tasks yourself, an Unmanaged Hosting plan can offer comparable performance at a fraction of the cost. Ultimately, the right fit depends on your budget, technical skills, and the time you’re willing to devote to managing your site and its underlying infrastructure.
Shared Hosting
With Shared Hosting, your website server resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage ) are shared with many other sites. The hosting provider manages the underlying server environment — including software updates, server security, and performance optimizations — allowing users to benefit from a stable server environment without managing the technical backend.
However, most Shared Hosting plans are still technically unmanaged — although they are rarely labeled that way, since the term suggests complexity and risk, which runs counter to the providers’ marketing strategy. Instead, these plans are typically branded as WordPress Hosting or simply Shared Hosting. Users are responsible for managing their own websites — including WordPress core updates, plugins, themes, backups, and basic security. Support teams generally won’t assist with bugs, plugin conflicts, or slow performance caused by bloated themes. They’ll step in if the server itself is down, but if your site crashes or gets hacked, you’re often on your own — aside from a backup restoration, if one is available.
Some providers also offer Shared Hosting plans that bundle a few extra features you’d normally have to handle yourself — and market these as Managed Shared Hosting. These plans may include automatic WordPress core updates, improved security features, and enhanced support (such as help debugging plugin issues, recommending performance optimizations, or restoring broken sites). For this, you might expect a $3/month Shared Hosting plan to become a $10/month Managed Shared Hosting plan. In our view, paying significantly more for Shared Hosting just because it’s labeled “Managed” doesn’t make sense. We believe your money is better spent on a VPS or Cloud Hosting plan, where you get far more control, scalability, and value.
VPS Hosting
VPS hosting is offered under two distinct service models, Managed and Unmanaged. This separation caters to different levels of user involvement and technical proficiency. The divide is far more explicit than in shared hosting, where server management is standardized and largely hidden from view.
With Unmanaged VPS, all setup and maintenance responsibilities fall entirely on the user. That means no help with software installations, server configurations, security settings, or site migrations. If the server crashes or develops issues, it’s up to the user to diagnose and resolve them. The hosting provider typically only assists with physical hardware failures or network connectivity. While Unmanaged VPS can be cheaper than Managed VPS and offers greater flexibility, it’s not a viable option for users who lack the technical expertise to manage and secure a server on their own.
With Managed VPS plans, the hosting provider takes care of the heavy lifting when it comes to setup, maintenance, updates, and security. You can expect:
Cloud Hosting
As with VPS, there are two distinct types of Cloud Hosting, Pay-as-You-Go and Fixed. Pay-as-You-Go Cloud Hosting is typically unmanaged, offering maximum flexibility and scalability but requiring a high level of technical expertise to configure, monitor, and maintain. By contrast, Fixed Cloud Hosting plans are usually managed, providing a more structured environment with expert support, making them better suited to users who prefer convenience over hands-on control.
With Unmanaged Cloud Hosting (Pay-as-You-Go), users have full control over their environment but are also responsible for managing everything themselves. This involves setting up the server, installing and configuring software, managing security, performing updates, and troubleshooting any issues that arise. While this approach offers greater flexibility and potentially lower costs, it demands a high level of technical expertise. It’s best suited to developers or system administrators who are comfortable managing the full server stack and want complete control over how their hosting setup is configured and maintained.
With Managed Cloud Hosting (Fixed), users don’t have direct control over the underlying server infrastructure. These plans are designed to remove the complexity of server management while delivering enterprise-grade performance, reliability, and ease of use. Managed Cloud Hosting offers a suite of premium features that go far beyond what’s typically included with Shared or even VPS Hosting, such as:
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting involves leasing an entire physical server reserved exclusively for a single website, offering full control over the hosting environment. As a premium solution, it provides maximum flexibility and is available in both Managed and Unmanaged variants, depending on the level of technical expertise required.
While Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting is a popular choice among developers and enterprises, it’s generally not suited to mainstream users. These plans requires them to handle everything themselves — including software installation, updates, monitoring, maintenance, and security. The trade-off is lower cost and maximum control, but it demands the technical expertise to configure and secure the system properly.
Many businesses opt for Managed Dedicated Hosting not because they want control, but because they need top-tier performance and security without the burden of server management. These users often lack the time or technical know-how to maintain a server and prefer to leave it in expert hands. Managed plans typically include maintenance, updates, security hardening, and backups. While much more expensive, they offer peace of mind and professional support — making them ideal for non-technical users who still need enterprise-grade hosting.
Performance
Website performance reflects how well a site handles page loading, user engagement, and system demands behind the scenes. It’s not just about speed — it’s also about providing a seamless, stable experience under all conditions. Search engines like Google factor performance into their ranking algorithms, making it a key component of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). As a result, a slow or poorly performing site can suffer in search rankings. Regardless of a site’s purpose, performance-focused WordPress hosting is essential for lasting success.
It’s worth noting that performance can be significantly improved with the use of CDNs, caching, and plugins. However, these enhancements are most effective when built on a solid hosting foundation. Even the best optimization tools can’t compensate for poor server infrastructure or overcrowded environments.
Shared Hosting
Shared Hosting performance is generally adequate for small websites, blogs, or entry-level business sites, but it comes with clear limitations. As multiple websites reside on the same server this setup is cost-effective, but performance can be inconsistent, especially during periods of high demand. A major drawback is that a site’s speed and stability can be affected by the activity of others. If one site experiences a traffic spike, runs inefficient code, or comes under attack, it can slow down the entire system — affecting the performance of every other site being hosted on the server.
The use of performance-enhancing features like CDNs, caching, and plugins are often limited by the underlying server constraints of Shared Hosting. Users typically can’t adjust server settings or fine-tune performance. There are often limits on how many processes can run at once, how scripts are executed, and how much database activity is allowed. In some cases, the provider may even throttle or temporarily suspend a site if it exceeds certain usage thresholds.
In summary, while Shared Hosting is an affordable entry-level hosting option, its performance is best suited to lightweight sites with modest, predictable traffic.
VPS Hosting
When properly configured and optimized, VPS Hosting delivers strong, reliable performance — even during periods of heavy site activity. It is a significant upgrade from Shared Hosting, with faster load times, better uptime, and more reliable site behaviour. As each virtual server is allocated dedicated resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage), sites operates independently of others on the same machine. This isolation enhances overall stability and responsiveness, especially during traffic spikes or demanding workloads.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud Hosting is purpose-built for high performance, making it ideal for websites that demand speed, responsiveness, and reliability under varying workloads. Unlike Shared Hosting, where competing users can drag down performance, or VPS Hosting, where resources are fixed unless manually upgraded, Cloud Hosting uses an elastic model. This allows CPU, RAM, and bandwidth to be scaled automatically as demand increases. Most providers also use high-speed SSDs, globally distributed data centres, and integrated CDNs to minimize latency and ensure fast load times from any location. The result is consistent speed and stability — even during traffic surges or sustained high usage.
Perhaps the most reassuring benefit of Cloud Hosting is that users don’t need to constantly monitor performance. As a site grows, the infrastructure adapts automatically, reducing the need for manual intervention or server management. It’s an ideal solution for those who want reliable performance without the complexity of maintaining physical or virtual hardware.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting delivers top-tier performance, ideal for websites with intensive workloads or mission-critical requirements. It’s main advantages are it’s predictability and sheer power. Because the user is renting an entire physical server, all resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage) are reserved exclusively for the site. This means there is no competition for resources, resulting in consistently fast load times, low latency, and excellent stability.
Dedicated Hosting gives users full control over hardware and software configurations. They can fine-tune performance settings, install custom applications, and optimize server environment to meet the exact needs of the website or application.
Scalability
Website scalability describes a hosting platform’s capacity to adapt to increasing traffic, data, or resource demands without compromising performance or reliability. Simply put, it’s the ability of your hosting to grow with your website — whether handling 100 visitors or 100,000 — without crashing or slowing down.
Scaling up means adding more resources (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, and storage) to handle increased demand, while scaling down means reducing resources to save costs when demand drops. Elastic scaling takes this a step further by automatically adjusting resources based on real-time demand.
Scalability is crucial because it allows your site to grow at its own pace — you can start small and expand as needed without overspending. In essence, it means being prepared for growth without the hassle of frequent migrations or risking downtime.
Shared Hosting
Shared hosting scalability is extremely limited, and in most cases, it’s not truly scalable at all because:
When a website experiences a sudden increase in traffic, hosting providers may respond by throttling resources or, in some cases, suspending the account to prevent excessive strain on the shared environment. If the allocated resources prove insufficient to handle the increased demand, an upgrade to a higher plan or tier is required. This upgrade might involve migrating to a different hosting type altogether, such as moving from Shared Hosting to VPS. This process involves manual intervention and a change in hosting setup, rather than the seamless, automatic adjustment of resources based on real-time needs — which is what we mean by scalability.
VPS Hosting
VPS Hosting strikes a balance in scalability — significantly better than Shared Hosting but limited and manual compared to Cloud Hosting. It’s a reliable choice for users seeking predictable pricing while maintaining the ability to scale resources gradually as needed.
Scaling up is generally straightforward with VPS Hosting. Most providers offer tiered plans (e.g., 2 GB RAM → 4 GB RAM → 8 GB RAM) that can be upgraded with just a few clicks, though changes may involve a reboot, brief downtime, or even a migration. Managed VPS plans typically include provider-assisted upgrades, while Unmanaged VPS requires the user to handle server configuration. In both cases, resource increases are usually manual and performed via the control panel.
Scaling down, however, is more complicated and generally not supported. If permitted, it involves changing the plan, creating a new server instance and manually migrating the site. As such, scaling down is rarely practical with VPS hosting.
Cloud Hosting
One of Cloud Hosting’s key strengths is its ability to scale resources on demand. As site requirements change, additional resources can be allocated or withdrawn almost instantly — without downtime or complex migrations. This elasticity is built into the architecture and is typically achieved through three core mechanisms:
Because cloud hosting relies on a network of interconnected servers, it also offers a range of additional performance and cost-related benefits:
Dedicated Hosting
Traditional Dedicated Hosting scalability is limited compared to VPS or Cloud Hosting. Unlike cloud platforms, it cannot automatically adjust resources in response to traffic spikes. In a Dedicated Hosting setup, an entire physical server is leased for exclusive use. While this provides full control and consistently high performance, the server is constrained by fixed hardware limits. There is no elasticity — capacity remains static whether the site receives 100 or 100,000 visitors.
Scaling up is possible by upgrading resources (RAM, CPUs, or storage), but this is a hardware-based process that often requires downtime. It may involve physically modifying the server or migrating to a new machine. Scaling down, on the other hand, is rarely viable. Once a high-spec server is provisioned, reducing capacity typically means cancelling the existing plan and transitioning to a lower-tier one.
It should be noted that some providers offer Dedicated Hosting within cloud infrastructures, combining dedicated resources with greater flexibility and scalability. In such cases, resource allocation may be more dynamic than traditional dedicated hosting allows. These plans are growing in popularity but remain relatively niche.
Reliability
Website reliability refers to how consistently a website is available, functional, and performing as expected without downtime, errors, or interruptions. A reliable website loads quickly, stays online consistently, and handles traffic efficiently – ensuring users can access content or services whenever they need, which is especially critical for business credibility and user trust.
Shared Hosting
Shared Hosting reliability tends to be inconsistent, largely due to how resources are allocated. Since many websites share the same server, performance can fluctuate depending on the activity of neighbouring sites. If one site experiences a spike in traffic or consumes more than its fair share of resources, others on the server may suffer slowdowns or temporary outages.
Another common issue is overselling. To keep prices low and profit margins high, providers often pack more sites onto a server than it can comfortably support. This results in frequent resource contention and unpredictable performance, especially noticeable during peak traffic hours or when the server is under strain.
While Shared Hosting may offer decent uptime on paper, real-world reliability often lags behind more premium options. For websites with even modest traffic or performance expectations, this variability can be very frustrating.
VPS Hosting
VPS Hosting offers a clear improvement in reliability over Shared Hosting, as each virtual server receives its own dedicated portion of system resources. This isolation makes a site’s performance far less susceptible to the activity of others on the same physical machine, resulting in more stable and predictable operation — even during peak traffic times.
However, reliability also depends on how the VPS is managed. With unmanaged plans, the responsibility for maintenance and updates falls on the user, and poor configuration can lead to downtime. Managed VPS plans, by contrast, tend to deliver uptime and stability on par with Cloud or Dedicated Hosting — provided they’re backed by a quality provider.
In short, VPS Hosting strikes an good balance between cost and consistent reliability, especially for sites that have outgrown the limitations of shared hosting but don’t yet require the full power of cloud-based or dedicated solutions.
Cloud Hosting
Typically built on modern, well-maintained infrastructure and supported by robust data centres, Cloud Hosting offers excellent reliability. Thanks to its distributed architecture and automated failover capabilities, it is inherently more dependable than VPS Hosting. With a cluster of interconnected servers, there’s no single point of failure — if one goes offline, another seamlessly takes over, ensuring uninterrupted availability. Resources can be scaled up or down almost instantly to meet demand. These features enable cloud environments to absorb traffic spikes smoothly, minimizing performance issues or outages during periods of high load. This reliability is often reinforced by strong Service Level Agreements (SLAs), providing additional assurance of uptime and service quality.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting typically delivers exceptional reliability. With exclusive access to all resources, there is no risk of other users consuming CPU, RAM, or bandwidth, eliminating a common source of reliability issues found in shared and even VPS environments. This isolation significantly reduces unpredictability and facilitates maintaining consistent uptime.
However, maintaining this level of reliability requires careful server management. Without consistent monitoring, timely patching, and ongoing optimization — especially in unmanaged environments — system stability may be at risk. Hardware failures also pose a potential threat, as dedicated servers typically lack automatic failover. That said, many providers offer enterprise-grade hardware, high-availability setups, continuous monitoring, and proactive support to ensure sustained uptime and long-term stability.
Support
Website support refers to the level of assistance and technical help provided by the hosting companies. The quality, availability, and depth of support can vary significantly depending on the type of hosting plan (Shared, VPS, Cloud, or Dedicated), and whether it’s Managed or Unmanaged. Support methods can also differ, including live chat, email, tickets, phone, dedicated account managers, or community forums. Additionally, the hours of availability vary, with few hosts offering true 24/7 support.
WordPress relies on a mix of themes, plugins, and core software that are regularly updated. These components don’t always play well together, and many WordPress sites break due to updates or plugin conflicts. Site owners without technical expertise rely on hands-on support to troubleshoot and resolve these problems quickly. Fast, knowledgeable assistance is crucial to diagnose issues and restore functionality without causing further complications. A host with good WordPress-trained support staff can step in quickly to restore functionality, or at least restore a backup.
The best WordPress hosting support is provided on Managed Hosting plans, where teams understand their platform inside-out. This level of support is ideal for non-technical users or site owners seeking peace of mind and minimal server management. If uptime, stability, and rapid problem resolution matter to you, investing in a Managed Hosting plan with strong support is worthwhile. Such support may include:
In contrast, Unmanaged Hosting plans often come with limited or generic support, which can be inadequate when addressing urgent or complex issues.
Shared Hosting
Shared Hosting is the most affordable hosting option, but its support is generally broad and not tailored specifically to WordPress. Basic assistance — such as help with installations or backups — can be expected, but more complex issues like plugin or theme conflicts often fall outside the scope of support.
Support is usually available through live chat (often 24/7), email, and ticket systems, with phone support sometimes offered during business hours. However, be aware that budget providers may use premium-rate phone numbers, which can add extra cost.
VPS Hosting
VPS Hosting support can vary widely in both quality and scope, depending on whether the plan is Managed or Unmanaged. Managed VPS plans typically include infrastructure-level support — such as server uptime, OS maintenance, and security patches — and may offer limited assistance with WordPress-related issues like plugin conflicts or performance troubleshooting. In contrast, Unmanaged VPS Hosting places full responsibility for the server setup, configuration, and maintenance on the user.
Support channels for VPS Hosting often resemble those used in Shared Hosting — such as live chat (typically 24/7), email, and ticket systems. However, the depth and expertise of support can vary significantly. In some cases, providers may use the same initial support teams for both hosting types, but more complex VPS issues are usually escalated to more experienced technical staff. Phone support is generally uncommon, especially for Unmanaged Hosting plans, although some Managed VPS providers may offer it as part of premium service tiers.
Cloud Hosting
The quality of support in Managed Cloud Hosting is one of its greatest strengths. It’s typically delivered by experienced engineers who are familiar with both the hosting infrastructure and the specific needs of WordPress users. This expertise allows them to diagnose complex issues efficiently and provide clear, practical guidance.
In Managed Cloud Hosting, many performance and security features — such as CDN integration, caching, optimization, and automated threat protection — are handled directly by the provider, reducing the need for hands-on support in routine operations. When assistance is required, support teams are typically responsive and offer help with backups, scaling, patching, and performance enhancements. Free website migrations are commonly included, and many providers are happy to set up a fresh WordPress installation to help users get started quickly. Support is primarily delivered through fast and reliable live chat and ticket systems.
It’s worth noting that Unmanaged Cloud Hosting is also available for users who prefer full control and are comfortable managing their own infrastructure. However, this typically comes with minimal support.
Dedicated Hosting
Dedicated Hosting is known for offering some of the highest levels of support available, reflecting its position as a premium service. Clients can expect expert assistance tailored to complex, high-stakes environments where performance, uptime, and reliability are critical. This level of support ensures that both routine maintenance and unexpected issues are handled swiftly and professionally.
In Managed Dedicated Hosting plans, support is comprehensive, covering a wide range of technical needs to keep your server and applications running smoothly. By contrast, Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting typically limits support to core infrastructure concerns such as server uptime and operating system maintenance. WordPress-specific issues — including themes, plugins, and optimization — are generally excluded.
Regardless of whether your plan is Managed or Unmanaged, a dedicated Account Manager is usually assigned to provide personalized, hands-on service. This manager becomes your single point of contact (SPOC), deeply familiar with your infrastructure, business goals, and specific requirements. This personalized approach eliminates repetitive explanations and enables faster, more effective issue resolution, helping to reduce downtime and ease the overall management burden.
Providers offering Dedicated Hosting plans are accustomed to demanding expectations and strict standards. They recognize that meeting their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) is a top priority, as these formal commitments define the baseline for the performance and uptime clients rely on. The critical nature of these guarantees — and the potential impact of any failure on a client’s business operations and reputation — is fully understood. This high level of accountability ensures clients receive expert technical support and dependable service around the clock.
STOP HERE AND WORK ON OTHER SECTIONS!!!!
Pricing
There is an enormous variation in hosting prices depending on the type, provider, and specific plan. This is a a very rough summary just to give you some idea of the variations and wide windows:
It’s not always easy to compare the plans from different providers as they are not always transparent, and in the case of Managed VPS Hosting they can be very opaque indeed. Make sure you are clear what type of plan you are signing up for (i.e. (Shared, VPS, Cloud, or Dedicated) as providers do not always make this clear, especially with Shared Hosting. Also ,make sure you understand what features are included (e.g. storage limits, domain, SSL certificate, email, backups, etc.) and if they are really included and/or free or if you have to have after a year. Make sure you understand and what level of support is included in the plan.
Shared Hosting
The Shared Hosting market is the biggest and there are hundreds, probably thousands, of providers. This means that plans are very competitive and you can find a very cheap plans. Be aware that predatory pricing is rife in the hosting world, and especially for Shared Hosting, with teasers offering great prices for the first year, but with renewal rates much higher (often two or three times the initial price). Actually it’s quite easy to change your hosting provider as many of their competitors will offer free migrations, but do you really need the hassle. Our advice is choose your hosting plan carefully so you only have to consider changing when your site is so successful you need to migrate to handle the traffic.
VPS Hosting
If anything the pricing structures for VPS Hosting are even less transparent and more confusing than for Shared Hosting. In theory, it should be easy to access plans…the more resources, the more expensive and the resources on offer are well defined. But actually it’s very difficult to compare plans between different providers, mainly because there are distinct types of VPS, Managed & Unmanaged Hosting. Users who know they want Unmanaged VPS Hosting have to be very technically competent and will be able to compare plans as anyway they will have to setup and maintain their own environment without much support. The confusion arises in the Managed VPS Hosting sphere where i’s difficult if not impossible to comprehend the actual level of support.
This is a example of VPS plans we found at random on the internet with very similar features:
Managed VPS Hosting Comparison (2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM & cPanel)
| 🏢 Provider | 📛 Plan Name | 💾 Storage | 🎯 Additional Features | 💰 Price /Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS | VPS M | 120 GB NVMe | Full Root Access, 24/7 support | €21 |
| Ultahost | VPS Professional | 75 GB NVMe | DDoS Protection, 5 cPanel Accounts | $39 |
| Bluehost | Standard NVMe 4 | 100 GB NVMe | 2 Dedicated IPs | $47 |
| GoDaddy | 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM | 100 GB NVMe | Snapshot Backups, 24/7 Support | €106 |
We are not really trying to compare the plans here, just showing what a vast difference there is between providers. We have no idea if GoDaddy offer something extra that justifies plans being 5 times more expensive than the IONOS plan. The pricing is made much more confusing because they may be sold directly or via resellers. It must also be remembered that the price of plans, even the most expensive, can increase dramatically after the initial period expires.
You may wonder why prices for similar Managed VPS Hosting plans from different providers can differ so much. Undoubtedly they will offer justification like:
So there are a lot of additional features that providers may offer and maybe there might be some real advantage in choosing their plan, but most of this is window dressing. The more expensive plans usually don’t give you much more if you examine them in detail. This is where you have to do as much research as possible if you decide you want a Managed VPS Hosting service. Compare the technical details (even if you don’t understand them in depth) and read as many reviews as possible. If there is a feature you really want, check whether it can be provided even if it’s not specifically stated in the plan. We’ve often found that the Managed VPS support teams will do a lot to aid you with the best setup possible if they can usually at no extra cost. Remember that, even though a feature is included in a plan, it may not be the best solution and you’d be better off with a plugin or a subscription to a separate 3rd party provider. Also, many of the “additional” features such as security and CDNs might be available for free anyway is you set them up yourself. The main problem is that the level and quality of support can’t be judged untl you are actually using the service, so we suggest signing up and trying the plan for a short period first (say a month), before committing to longer periods which will be offered at a discount.
Cloud Hosting
Cloud Hosting is based on two different models, Fixed and Pay-as-You-Go (Usage-Based). With a Fixed pricing plan, you choose a plan with a the usual set of the usual standard features (CPU, RAM, bandwidth, storage, etc.) along with many additional features (Security, CDN, Optimization, etc.) and pay monthly or yearly in the same way as Shared or VPS Hosting. Fixed Cloud Hosting is quite transparent compared to Shared or VPS Hosting as it’s usually quite easy to compare features and prices. is best suited for businesses and consistent traffic. With a Pay-as-You-Go pricing plan, billed hourly or per-second based on services which are actual used. This is best suited for Ideal for developers, startups, and apps with variable traffic. As Pay-as-You-Go Cloud Hosting plans are usually Unmanaged, they nd require a high level of technical expertise and such users will usually already have clear idea regarding what they are doing. Consequently, when we refer to Cloud Hosting on our site we are focused on Fixed Cloud Hosting plans.
Because Cloud Hosting is highly scalable and reliable it is far more costly than Shared Hosting and usually more costly than most VPS Hosting. Having said that, some providers offer very reasonable Fixed Pricing plans and they mostly include optimizing and security features (e.g. WAFs, CDNs, Optimization tools, etc.) which would cost extra with other types of hosting.
Dedicated Hosting
Becuse Dedicated Hosting is the most powerful, it’s by far the most expensive type with costs running into the hundreds and even thousands of dollars per month. With a dedicated server, you’re renting an entire physical machine that’s entirely yours, giving you full control over performance, software configuration, and security. Pricing varies widely depending on hardware specs, management level, and added services.
The key thing to remember is, with dedicated hosting, you’re paying not just for hardware, but for freedom, reliability, and service. If your project demands consistent speed, high availability, or security compliance, the investment can absolutely be justified.
Conclusions
Nobody actually believes that “Red Bull gives you wings”, so similarly you should not believe some of the exaggerated claims of hosting plans. There is no such thing as “Unlimited Bandwidth”, “Unlimited Storage”, and certainly not on a cheap Shared Hosting plan. If you read the Terms & Conditions of the plan (which of course nobody does), there are quite strict limits on bandwidth and storage. If users exceed these limits the providers can (and often do), freeze and suspend user accounts. This means users will be unable to access, upload, or modify files until they resolve the problem or upgrade to a more expensive plan.
If you need better protection and control, especially for business or high-risk sites, VPS hosting, is significantly more secure at the server level than Shared Hosting. Cloud Hosting can offer even more advanced robust security than VPS hosting, but it depends heavily on the provider, the hosting plan, and how it’s configured.
True scalability means resources are scaled up when needed, and scaled down when it’s smart, with minimal friction. Only Cloud Hosting environments really deliver this flexibility. It’s ideal for businesses expecting variable traffic or needing enterprise-grade uptime and performance.
Dedicated hosting offers top-tier isolation and performance, making it ideal for security-conscious organizations, but only if it’s properly secured and maintained. Managed Dedicated Hosting plans relieve most of that burden, while Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting ones give you full control, but with full responsibility.
In summary:
Recommendations
Choosing the righ hosting plan is fundamental to creating a good website. In fact you can usually change the plan or migrate to another one but it might be costly as providers will enforce the obligations outlined in their Terms and Conditions.
If possible only commit to a plan for a short period at first (e.g. a month) and make sure there is reasonable cancellation policy if performance and/or support don’t meet your expectations.
We would never use Shared Hosting for our websites nor recommend anyone else to do so as there are far too many downsides. Remember that Shared Hosting is best for low-traffic sites that won’t need resource adjustments. If growth or traffic spikes are likely, consider a more flexible hosting environment from the start. Having said that, over 30% of websites use Shared Hosting so it’s a popular choice for small businesses, blogs, and personal sites. If you have a small site which does not have much traffic, you don’t have any great performance expectations, and are working on a very tight budget, this might indeed be the best hosting solution for you – just be careful regarding proprietary pricing teasing you into plans which jump up dramatically after the discount time elapses (usually for the second year onwards), and be sure all the features you want are included.
So our advice is that you do a lot of research before signing up for any hosting plan – ask the providers for clarification on points you don’t understand and read as many reviews as you can find.
If you have the budget, then we recommend that at the very least you consider choosing a VPS Hosting plan. The market is very competitive and are some very good Managed plans that are not much more expensive than Shared Hosting. It’s well worth for the much better support you will get.
We use UltaHost for our Managed VPS. Their plans are amongst the best on the market. Their hardware is based on the newest and best technology. The server side setup and maintenance is handles by UltaHost as they only offer managed plans. Prices are transparent and don’t jump up in price after the initial period finishes, rather they give discounts the longer the period you sign up for (i.e. 1/2/3 years contracts become progressively cheaper). AND….their support is excellent. Their live chat team are informative and helpful, and tickets are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
We should mention we use their Hestia Control Panel with UltaHost plan. As well as being free, Hestia is lean and not overloaded with advanced or confusing features. It’s a clean, web-based interface that allows you to manage thir websites without needing to rely heavily on the Command Line Interface. However this may not be suitable for everyone as although it’s quite user-friendly, it might be a bit intimidating for users with basic server management experience. In which case, you might consider adding a a more intuitive Control Panel to the plan like cPanel or Plesk which have better Graphical Interfaces. With these everything is presented in a web-based GUI with icons and grouped menus, so even non-technical users can navigate them. However they add something like $15-20 per month to the plans making them less competitive. Instead of this we would strongly recommend choosing a Cloud Hosting plan instead as the providers will include their own tailored Control Panel as part of the package.
For anyone that can afford it we absolutely recommend that they should choose a Managed Cloud Hosting plan as it bridges the gap between performance and scalability. I’s the ideal choice for businesses that have outgrown Shared and VPS Hosting but don’t want the complexity of managing a server. The provider will manage server updates, performance tuning, and security, which is ideal if you want cloud power without server management hassle. With features like auto-scaling, redundancy, and global reach, Cloud Hosting is now one of the most popular and future richhosting solutions available.
As well as the scalability and reliability, the support with the Managed Cloud Hosting plans is excellent and one of the reasons you should give them serious consideration right from the beginning. If you take into account all the extra features you get that you would have to pay for, and then struggle to setup, in our opinion Cloud Hosting becomes the best hosting type compared to it’s rivals, even the far more expensive Dedicated Hosting.
If staging is important and you prefer convenience over full server control, go with a Managed Cloud Hosting provider that offers one-click staging.
We should warn you that if a host claims to offer Cloud Hosting in a plan, make sure this is true Cloud Hosting as described on this site. A good starting point is to check if they name the cloud infrastructure provider (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode). If not, it may just be VPS rebranded as “cloud.”
We use Rocket.net for all our Cloud Hosting. Their plans are very competitive, support fantastic, and the technology is the best on the market. If you do some research you will find they have an excellent reputation and we can confirm it’s well deserved. All their plans include:
When you consider that all this comes included in all their plans without any extra cost and the Rocket.net support team take care of it all, you should be able to see why we hold them in such high regard.