Finding the right web hosting service for a WordPress site may not always be a straightforward process. There are endless choices of providers and a lot of big promises that will come at you from all directions.
Knowing which type of web hosting is most suitable for your website is the first step you should take before getting into more specific details.
The two types of hosting that the majority of WP sites use are shared web hosting, and managed WordPress hosting.
We’ll focus on the latter type in this article, and we’ll look at some of the main reasons why it can be a superior choice to regular shared hosting.
Higher Server Performance
Despite being a relatively simple content management system, WordPress does consume a sizable chunk of server resources, especially if it is a dynamic website like an e-commerce store.
Managed WP solutions usually offer higher quotas of server resources, which include RAM, CPU, IOPS (input/output operations per second), and database connections. The more of these your website has access to, the better and faster it’ll perform.
Another thing that often distinguishes managed WP hosting is the use of SSD or NVMe SSD storage devices. Since WordPress constantly transfers data from and to the database stored on the server’s disk, the high I/O speed of SSDs leads to faster loading of the site’s pages.
In addition to the increased hardware capabilities, the server’s software comes specifically optimized to work with the WordPress system seamlessly and efficiently.
Enhanced Server and Site Security
Having all the websites on the server use WordPress allows the hosting company to only install the software that is required to run this system and nothing else. This reduces the number of possible server software vulnerabilities and also enables the implementation of strict and customized security configurations.
In addition to that, a malware scanning and removal tool is a standard feature in managed WordPress hosting plans that are particularly aimed at small business WordPress websites. This is a very important security feature since WP websites are a big target for malware attacks.
Essential WP Tools
One of the main conveniences of managed WordPress hosting is that a lot of useful tools come preinstalled and preconfigured for instant use. This can save you the time and effort it takes to search for and install those tools on your own.
Here are a few examples of the most important tools you often get at no additional cost:
Automatic installer: This makes it super quick and easy to set up as many WordPress sites as you need without having to manually upload the files or go through the manual installation steps. An automatic installer will only require you to provide some basic details and check a few boxes, then it takes care of the rest and you’ll be able to log in to your new site within less than a minute or so.
Automatic updates: You won’t need to edit your site’s code in order to enable or disable automatic updates of the core, themes and plugins. You’ll be able to easily manage all automatic update settings from one page.
Staging: This is one of the common reasons many site owners choose managed WordPress hosting over shared hosting. A staging tool allows you to test changes and updates in an offline clone version of your website and then publish those changes to the live version once you are happy with the results.
Caching: A built-in server caching tool helps speed up the loading of the site’s content and can be more efficient than third-party cache plugins.
Automatic backups: Every WordPress site owner should keep daily backups of both the files and the database. Instead of searching for external plugins to do the job, managed WP plans normally include an automated backup tool with an instant restoration function.
Advanced Technical Support
Another key advantage that separates managed WordPress hosting from shared web hosting is that the former usually comes with a more skilled support team.
Many professional WP hosts that target small businesses have knowledgeable support agents who have a high proficiency with technical issues related to WordPress.
Shared hosting services may only cover basic server-related support issues, but with a managed WordPress plan, you get more advanced technical support that may cover site-related issues and customization requests.
Some enterprise-grade WordPress hosting providers charge hundreds of dollars per month for an entry-level plan — not because their server equipment or software is more expensive, but because they hire real experts to monitor the services and resolve support requests in a comprehensive and prompt manner.
Managed WordPress vs. Shared Hosting: Summary
The following list sums up the main points we discussed above about the advantages of managed WP hosting over shared web hosting.
Managed WP provides more server resources than shared hosting.
Managed WP servers are optimized for maximum performance and security.
Managed WP comes with automatic installation and updates.
Managed WP includes a staging tool for development and testing purposes.
Managed WP servers are configured for optimal caching.
Managed WP comes with an automatic backup generating and restoring feature.
Managed WP support teams are usually more skilled and helpful compared to shared hosting support.
You should note that each provider may have a different definition of what “managed WordPress” hosting means. You’ll notice that the technical specifications and features vary from one company to another.
It is important that you don’t make any assumptions as to what’s included in the service and what’s not. You should carefully examine all the features of any plan you are interested in before you hit the checkout button.