Best web hosting services for 2024

PRICE
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Web host logos on TechRadar background
(Image credit: Future)

There is a best web hosting provider for each type of website and application. Picking the right one can make a big difference when it comes to value for money and website performance. I’ve handpicked the best web hosts for the most popular use cases based on our expert reviews and used industry leaders to compare control panels, try out tools, build sites, consult customer support, and run uptime and speed tests. These reviews are completely independent and I regularly update them to ensure that you always have the most informed and accurate information. We do not sell page rankings.

These are the best web hosts for these categories but if you're looking for more information and options on a specific category you can check out our other buying guides like the best WordPress hosting, best Minecraft hosting, or best VPS hosting.

If you're looking for the best website builder, keep in mind that using a host like Hostinger can be just as easy to set up but cost considerably less.

Top three best web hosting providers in short

1. Best for beginners: Hostinger

1. Best for beginners: Hostinger
Hostinger is so easy to use even if you have no technical experience. There are loads of great features and AI tools that help you set up, monitor, and troubleshoot your site without the need to have any technical know-how. 

You can use our exclusive discount code "TRUK10" to receive 10% discount at checkout.

2. Best for the tech savvy: inMotion Hosting

2. Best for the tech savvy: inMotion Hosting
If you're not new to hosting and you're looking for power, speed, and reliability this is the host for you. With plans that are designed for developers you get a great balance of affordability and features.

3. Best for enterprise: ScalaHosting

3. Best for enterprise: ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting's managed VPS plans offer all the benefits of cloud such as auto scaling and redundancy so you can focus on growing your business. An excellent pick for eCommerce.

TechRadar Pro readers can use the link above to receive an exclusive 15% off at checkout on top of other discounts.

Best web hosting services of 2024

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The web hosting services we've selected are the best in their respective categories. While each web hosting provider offers several different types of hosting, I’ve highlighted each one based the service it excels in the most.

The best web hosting service for beginners

Hostinger has the most cost effective starting prices of all the mainstream web hosting companies and is one of the easiest to set up (Image credit: Future)
Feature-packed web hosting that's easy to use

Specifications

Free domain: Yes
Free SSL: Unlimited
24/7 customer support: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Terrific value for money
+
High-end features in even the cheapest plans 
+
Free automated WordPress migration
+
Good uptime during testing 
+
Easy to use with no technical skills
+
AI troubleshooting tools

Reasons to avoid

-
Prices change on renewal
-
That buy now count down refreshes all the time (Don't be fooled by it)
-
If you plan on being able to migrate your site don't use Hostinger's builder (use the WordPress installer)
Buy if:

✔️ You've not used a web host before: Hostinger make setting up web hosting super easy

✔️ You want a website builder: Hostinger's website builder has great reviews (but the WordPress installer is still the better option)

Don't buy if:

 You want to use the AI website builder & migrate from Hostinger at a later date: As you cannot migrate a website made with the AI builder to another host, I cannot recommend it from a hosting perspective

❌ You can't accept the renewal price: The prices will jump so be prepared

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Hostinger can host fast loading reliable websites and provide AI tools that make hosting and making a site easy.

Over the years, Hostinger has grown into a giant hosting company which offers everything from shared hosting, Minecraft hosting and an easy-to-use ecommerce-friendly website builder, to WordPress hosting, powerful VPS products, and business-oriented email hosting.

Features

Value for money is a big Hostinger plus. Even the cheapest shared hosting plans come with a free domain, free SSL, email, backups, unlimited bandwidth, malware scanning and more.

Upgrading gets you professional extras such as fast NVMe storage, dedicated IPs, a free CDN, and speed-boosting WordPress object caching, amongst others.

There are surprise bonus features everywhere. Some providers can only host your website in North America, reducing speeds if your target audience is elsewhere. Hostinger has data centers in North America, Europe and Asia, and you can choose the site you need when you sign up.

And once you've got your plan, Hostinger doesn't just make it easy to install WordPress and create your first site: it now even has custom AI tools to generate text content (AI-generated images should arrive soon).

My experience

Getting started with Hostinger is easy. There's support for paying by card, PayPal, crypto and others, and the well-designed web dashboard quickly pointed us in the right direction. 

Hostinger doesn't offer the industry-standard cPanel control panel, but its own hPanel (and a simple 1-click installer for WordPress, WooCommerce and other top apps) helps even hosting newbies get their sites up and running.

My tests found Hostinger offered a capable 99.96% uptime over six months; not perfect, but better than its 99.9% uptime guarantee, and very acceptable for many sites.

There's no phone support, but Hostinger has 24/7 live chat, and its ticket system gave us helpful replies with some of the fastest response times I've seen (under two minutes in some cases).

Graph showing Hostinger's performance

(Image credit: K6)

What else you need to know
Hostinger doesn't provide high-end dedicated hosting plans, so it's not an ideal candidate for very demanding websites (that's sites with hundreds of thousands of visitors a month). But overall, we found Hostinger to be a top quality web hosting provider which offers an array of capable features for a very fair price. 

Hostinger's own AI website builder is well rated but I'd recommend not using it because you don't have complete ownership of your site. If you use the website builder you won't be able to migrate your site to another host. This could happen if you decide you want to go to managed VPS hosting or dedicated hosting in the future because Hostinger don't offer those plans. Instead, I recommend that you use Hostinger and install WordPress or another opensource website builder so you're free to migrate your site to any host you please.

If you do decide to go with the AI website builder and you want to use a different host at a later date, it's not that much of a big deal. You'll just need to create the site from scratch and if you're moving to upgrade your hosting then that financial or time investment wont seem like much.

Why it's best

Packed with features, the service is great for most users - so long as you don't run demanding, high-traffic sites. If you're unsure which service to choose, or if you're new to web hosting in general, I'd recommend choosing Hostinger as the best overall service - it's easy to use and understand, and it's also really fairly priced considering what you get.

Read our full Hostinger review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyHostinger has some of the most competitive prices on the market★★★★★
Ease of useFrom signing up to navigating through, Hostinger is straightforward to use★★★★★
FeaturesIt has plenty of features in all departments, from security to technical details and more ★★★★★
Speed testIt's not significantly ahead of the competition when it comes to speed but it's pretty fast★★★★☆

The best web hosting for WordPress

SiteGround logo on colourful background

(Image credit: Future)
SiteGround have been supporting the WordPress community from the beginning

Specifications

Site limit: One to unlimited
Monthly visits: 10,000 - 400,000
24/7customer support: Yes
CDN: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Eco friendly
+
Worldwide datacenters
+
Global WordPress sponsor
+
Contributed code to WordPress

Reasons to avoid

-
A bit more pricey that other WordPress plans but worth it if you can make the most of the features
-
Storage is a little low for the price but should be sufficient
Buy if:

✔️ You want the best WordPress support: SiteGround have been supporting WordPress almost since the beginning so they have loads of experience in helping people with WordPress hosting

✔️ You are conscious of the environment: SiteGround provide a 100% renewable energy match on their hosting

Don't buy if:

 Your site is storage heavy: SiteGround's plans are a little low on storage. If you're eco conscious and have a storage heavy site then try GreenGeeks. 

❌ You're hosting multiple sites: While SiteGround offer unlimited sites I think InMotion Hosting are the better host for multiple websites although InMotion do not include a CDN in there plan. If you're hosting multiple sites check them both out.

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

SiteGround have been contributing to the WordPress community with code and community events since almost the start of WordPress.

I think SiteGround are the best WordPress hosting provider because SiteGround has been working closely with the WordPress community for 20 years. Giving them loads of experience with how to optimize WordPress configurations for security, speed, and reliability. Plus, it means SiteGround and their users have acquired a lot of experience in customer support for WordPress. If you search SiteGround into WordPress's search bar you get more than 10,000 results in the forums. This level of expertise and experience is why we think SiteGround is the top recommendation for WordPress and worth the little extra you pay each month compared to some of the other WordPress hosting solutions. 

Features

If you already have a WordPress site, you can take advantage of the free WordPress migration tool and email migrator. Some providers charge you for this but with SiteGround, migration is free. If this is your first WordPress site, there a one-click WordPress installer.

For security, your site is protected by a custom firewall that monitors your site for malicious code and attacks. SiteGround are constantly adding new rules and also have an AI anti-bot system that stops millions of threats every day. You also get daily backups with up to 30 copies of your account. This is another one of the reasons we think SiteGround are worth the money and it also makes having less storage space not much of an issue. Other providers like Hostinger are cheaper but only offer weekly backups on their lower spec plans.

For speed you get a CDN as part of the package which isn't standard with plans from other providers, and out-of-the-box caching based on SuperCacher technology that's enabled automatically for NGINX-based static and dynamic caching.

Managed WordPress gives you an easy WP starter wizard for site-building auto updates for the core software and plugins, and expert support. There's also a 30 day money back guarantee if you're not satisfied but that's unlikely as SiteGround's customer reviews are some of the best in the industry. 

Testing

We tested SiteGround with Uptime.com which takes logs every five minutes for 14 days to record any possible failure. SiteGround scored a perfect 100% uptime with an average response of 0.207 seconds with other hosts getting between 0.3 and 0.8 seconds on average. 

We also used GTmetrix, which measures how long it takes to load a web page. In these results SiteGround was slightly below average with 0.7 seconds compared to other top hosts but well above average in general.

SiteGround's response time

(Image credit: K6)

What else you need to know

If you're a complete beginner and are worried about using WordPress Bluehost might be a better option for you because of their WordPress academy and AI website builder tools that'll help you build WordPress sites. If you're not starting from the beginning then SiteGround's features will give you good value for money but if you only need a very basic site then I would recommend Namecheap instead.

What makes them best

Years of experience, vast amount of help articles, incredible customer reviews considering the size of the company.

Read our full SiteGround review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneySiteGround's features make the price worth it★★★★☆
Ease of useOne click installers and great support make SiteGround easy to use★★★★☆
FeaturesSiteGround's daily backups and CDN are essential features and come standard★★★★★
Speed testHiger than average★★★★☆

Best for management

Namecheap has expanded its offerings beyond web hosting to include a VPN (Image credit: Future)
A web host that also provides domain registration and other essentials

Specifications

Free SSL: Yes
Free CDN: Yes
Free Domain: Yes (only with unmanaged hosting)

Reasons to buy

+
Temptingly low prices
+
Every hosting product you need in one place (maybe)
+
Valuable bonus features with even the cheapest plans 

Reasons to avoid

-
No phone support 
-
No Windows hosting
-
SSL only free in year one with shared hosting plans
Buy if:

✔️ You want easy management: You can get your hosting and domain name services all through Namecheap

Don't buy if:

 You manage multiple sites: You can get a better deal elsewhere

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you want to keep things simple and have your domain name service and hosting under one provider then Namecheap is the best option. However, if you're tech savvy and need to manage multiple sites there are better options such as using your own VPS if you have the time.

Namecheap began life more than 20 years ago as a domain registrar and over the years has expanded to offer a vast range of hosting, business, and other services. If you like the convenience of getting all the web-related products you need from a single provider, then Namecheap could be your perfect partner.

If you're looking to host a WordPress site as a beginner, you have two main options: shared hosting and WordPress hosting. For shared hosting, you get a free domain name and the first year is $1.98/mo (renews at $4.48/mo). This is the most cost effective option but you'll have to manage the site yourself. Meaning, you'll have to keep on top of updates and security. The other option is WordPress hosting which is $2.91 for the first year (renews at $6.88). You'll also have to pay for your own domain name which will add to the cost. Although WordPress hosting is more expensive, Namecheap say that their managed WordPress hosting is 3x faster than traditional hosting and your site will be managed by them. Leaving you to focus on your website rather than the hosting.

Features

Namecheap offers a full range of hosting plans, from budget shared products and a website builder, to managed WordPress, VPS and dedicated hosting for demanding sites, even reseller products if you'd like to set up as a hosting provider.

Prices are temptingly low, and the specs are impressive. All shared plans come with a free domain name, at least 3 websites, 30 email accounts, 1-click WordPress installs, and more. Something to note is that SSL is free only in year one for shared hosting plans.

Namecheap is a one of the most well known domain registrars, with lots of domains to choose from and some of the most trusted SSL certificates. You can also sign up for business email hosting, speed up your site with premium DNS or Namecheap's own CDN, image creation tools, marketing services, and a VPN.

Testing

Namecheap's account control panel confused me at first. The UI is a bit cluttered with lists, sidebars, menus, and icons. After I'd spent a few moments exploring and mastering the basics, the dashboard felt more intuitive giving me quick and easy access to all the most important site management areas.

Although Namecheap deserves credit for its wide range of hosting products, the high-end plans in particular don't give you the same choice compared with other hosts. There are only three VPS plans, for instance, and no Windows hosting.

My tests found Namecheap achieved 100% uptime over the testing period. Speeds weren't quite as impressive, with my site (on a shared hosting plan) managing slightly below average load times. They were still very acceptable for a budget host, though, and overall Namecheap offers good value for what you get.

Namecheap uptime score

(Image credit: Uptime)

What else you need to know

There's no phone support, but we had helpful and reasonably quick responses via both live chat and ticket, and there's a huge web knowledgebase if you're happy to search for solutions yourself.

Why it's best

There are big differences between unlimited vs metered vs unmetered bandwidth hosting. If you're tired of strict storage limits on hosting accounts, Namecheap has unmetered storage (no fixed limits) on some plans. While plenty of other web hosting services offer unlimited bandwidth, I found Namecheap's prices to be fair value for money considering what's on offer.

Read our full Namecheap review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyPlans are good value with low starting prices★★★★☆
Ease of useNamecheap's account control panel is a little cluttered ★★★☆☆
FeaturesIts features are sufficient but doesn't cover every need★★★☆☆
Speed testOur site speed was average in our speed test★★★☆☆

Best for small business

(Image credit: Future)
Business-friendly features

Reasons to buy

+
Unlimited bandwidth, emails, websites
+
Free SSL
+
Wide range of plans
+
Cheaper than most

Reasons to avoid

-
Many plans are short on features or configuration options
-
US-only data centers
-
No phone support
Buy if:

✔️ You're on a budget: these plans offer good value for money

Don't buy if:

 You want root access to a VPS: the VPS plans are not strictly virtual private servers.

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Great value for small businesses with an AI business advisor tool. There are some features missing like a CDN so if you have customers all over the world you'll need to spend extra money and time setting one up. Small businesses could consider SiteGround if customers are located in more than just the US.

We recommend DreamHost as best for small businesses because of their good value and their innovative AI Business Advisor tool that gives you advice and actionable ideas tailored to you.

For small businesses that don't have large differences between normal and peak traffic the shared plan which starts at $2.59/mo ($4.95/mo after renewal) is good value and provides a free domain name for one year, unlimited traffic, and an SSL certificate. You can also opt for the shared unlimited plan which gives you unlimited websites for $3.95/mo ($8.95/mo after renewal).

Shared hosting can suffer from being unstable if other people on the server are using more than the usual resources. This is generally fine if your business is not sensitive to fluctuations in available resources. For example, if search terms for your business are very unique and you're using your site to promote the location of a physical store. If customers are browsing and purchasing items on your site this can have a negative impact. For these types of businesses we recommend VPS plans.

The VPS plans at DreamHost start from $24.99/mo after renewal for 2 GB RAM and 60 GB SSD and go up to $114.99/mo after renewal for 12 GB RAM and 360 GB storage. If you need help determining which plan you should use their support is very helpful and can guide you on selecting the right plan for you.

As mentioned in our best VPS guide, these plans are not strictly VPS plans so if you need root access you'll need to either choose a cloud plan for your business or select another host from possibly the best ecommerce web hosting or best small business web hosting providers.

Features

In addition to the AI Business Advisor tool, you get expandable RAM and storage with the VPS plans to meet changes in business demands and keeping customers happy. You get automatic software updates to free up your time as you don't need to handle security patches, Ubuntu OS updates, PHP releases, and the latest WordPress versions.

DreamHost GTMetrix score

(Image credit: DreamHost)

Testing

We put DreamHost to the test over a week, and the results were good. Our site had 100% uptime, and an average response time of 0.342 seconds.

We also used GTmetrix to access a page from our test site and calculate how much time it takes to display the main content. Most good hosts get results between 0.55 and 0.90 seconds. DreamHost scored a perfectly acceptable 0.732 seconds.

DreamHost k6 performance score

(Image credit: k6)

What else you need to know

While there is no phone support, that doesn't mean you cannot get help when you need it. The chat support had good response times and the user reviews of support are good.

Why it's best

As mentioned before, the value for money is a good argument for why small businesses should use DreamHost and the AI Business Advisor tool can offer valuable insights that you may miss.

Read our DreamHost review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyPlans are good value with low starting prices★★★★☆
Ease of useWe didn't find anything difficult to use in our testing ★★★★☆
FeaturesLacks some feature that other hosts provide★★★☆☆
Speed testSpeed was average in our tests★★★☆☆

Best VPS

InMotion shared business hosting impressed when tested (Image credit: InMotion Hosting)
One of the best hosts for VPS

Specifications

CPU: 4-32 cores
RAM: 16-512GB
Storage: 1TB SSD - 2 x 3.2TB NVMe SSD
Bandwidth: Up to 10 Gbps

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful hardware
+
World-class security features
+
99.999% uptime guarantee 
+
Eco-friendly data centers 
+
Data centers in the USA, the UK, France, Lithuania, Brazil and India 

Reasons to avoid

-
No Windows hosting 
-
No HDD for cost savings 
Buy if:

✔️ You have an established business: InMotion Hosting have experience hosting a range of medium-sized businesses 

✔️ You want dedicated or managed plans: InMotion Hosting have a strong reputation in this area too

Don't buy if:

 You don't want to pay for a control panel: InMotion Hosting's control panel is only $5/mo but lacks the features of the more expensive plans

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

InMotion Hosting have well balanced plans and plenty of security features to make their VPS offerings some of the best on the market.

Since 2001 InMotion Hosting has grown to host over 170,000 customers across a range of hosting services including shared, WordPress hosting, VPS, reseller, and dedicated for everything from hosting basic websites. Their selection of VPS plans is impressive and starts with a package featuring 4 vCPU cores, 4GB of RAM, 90GB of storage, and 2TB of bandwidth. The plan costs $14.99 per month for a three-year term which is very reasonable. 

Building on the base plan, InMotion Hosting provide six other plans. At the top end of the spectrum, you get unlimited bandwidth, 32 cores, 32GB of RAM, and a generous 540GB NVMe SSD storage, costing $74.99 per month. 

One of the best features from InMotion Hosting is their Launch Assist. If you get stuck, InMotion Hosting provide you with up to two hours of assistance free of charge. They help can be with adjusting domain settings, migrating WordPress, configuring cPanel, or managing database files.

InMotion Hosting provide DDoS protection and VPS servers come with redundancy in place. If one server has a serious issue, traffic will automatically get routed to an identical server. This makes InMotion Hosting also one of the most reliable hosts along with having great support.

InMotion Hosting's data centers are in locked vaults protected by hand scanners and armed guards. They don't only protect your servers though. They also do their bit for protecting the environment. InMotion Hosting has invested heavily in green cooling technology to not only make servers more efficient but also reduce costs and save the planet.

InMotion hosting beat Digital Ocean when it comes to value for money on their plans but prices can still add up a bit. cPanel is an extra $20/mo and the most cost effective option, CWP panel ($5/mo), doesn't seem good enough to be a viable alternative. InMotion Hosting offer a lot of unlimited features in their shared plans which can be a put off for some so these VPS plans are a good alternative.

For more information about dedicated hosting see our full best dedicated hosting guide

Results of InMotion Hosting's load time of a single page

(Image credit: K6)

What else you need to know

While most hosts offer only a 30-day money-back guarantee, InMotion Hosting gives you an amazing 90 days for most plans (including reseller): a very major plus. 

Why it's best

For companies like web design and marketing agencies, and even freelancers, the ability to sell domains and plans to clients is a must - and in my experience, the reselling packages are where InMotion Hosting really excels. 

Read our full InMotion Hosting review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyMost of InMotion Hosting's plans are good value for money★★★☆☆
Ease of useIt was easy to use but the layout of the dashboard could be more simplistic★★★★☆
FeaturesLots of important and vital features including in each plan★★★★★
Speed testInMotion Hosting was the fourth fastest in our recent speed tests★★★★☆

The best green web host

(Image credit: GreenGeeks)
Green hosts that don't compromise on performance

Specifications

Free domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
24/7 customer support: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
World leading green hosting
+
Great features for beginners
+
Global data center coverage

Reasons to avoid

-
A little more pricey
Buy if:

✔️ You want to host a WordPress site: Optimised WordPress plans from $2.95/mo

✔️ You expect your business to grow: Simple scaling to meet increasing demands

Don't buy if:

 You don't want to pay above average prices: This isn't the cheapest host

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½

Loads of hosting providers are green these days. GreenGeeks are definitely the most green but they're not far in front of InMotion Hosting and SiteGround.

GreenGeeks has an excellent range of shared and VPS hosting services that are good for the environment. Plans start at just $2.95 a month (rising to $11.95 a month after the second year). The entry level plan comes with 50GB web space, a free domain name for one year, unlimited databases and free nightly backups. 

GreenGeeks are particularly good for those wanting a green hosting solution for a WordPress site as they offer managed WordPress hosting plans which can take a lot of the hassle out of running a website. All servers provided by the company  respectable in terms of performance with even the lowest plans providing free caching and CDN, and unmetered bandwidth.

GreenGeeks don't provide dedicated servers or any cloud options so for more powerful plans you might want to check out SiteGround or InMotion Hosting which also have really impressive green credentials. If you try GreenGeeks but find out they're not powerful enough GreenGeeks offers free website migration and a 30 day money back guarantee so there is nothing to lose.

GreenGeeks performance result

(Image credit: K6)

What else you need to know

GreenGeeks might not have the top end plans demanded by the most energy and resource consuming sites but what they do provide performs really well at that level. If you genuinely care about the environment and don't have such a demanding website then you'd be hard pressed to find another hosting provider that aligns with your goals

Why it's best

They care about the environment, they care about their customers, and they care about their products.

Read the full GreenGeeks review

For more information about the best green hosting see our full best green hosting guide

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test results
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyPlans are good value with low starting prices★★★★☆
Ease of useNot difficult to use and if you do have problems there's support★★★★☆
FeaturesPlenty of in-house features for security, speed, and management★★★★☆

The best managed WordPress hosting

Managed WordPress hosting is all that WP Engine does, with a lot of success. (Image credit: WP Engine)
Professional WP hosting with stacks of features

Specifications

Free domain: No
Free SSL: Yes
24/7 customer support: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Loads of premium features
+
Excellent performance
+
Speedy and expert support
+
60-day money-back guarantee

Reasons to avoid

-
A steeper than usual learning curve for beginners 
-
Cheaper managed WordPress hosting exists
-
Extensive features could intimidate newcomers
Buy if:

✔️ You're using WordPress: WP Engine are optimized for WordPress and provide a lot of support

✔️ You want someone to manage your server: If you don't have the time or knowledge to manage your server it's all done for you

Don't buy if:

 You're on a budget: WP Engine are one of the more expensive options

❌ You're not using WordPress: Yes, this just an opposite of the buy if but it should be stressed. If you're not using WordPress there really isn't any point using this provider

Bottom line: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

One of the best hosts for WordPress and support

WP Engine is a professional web host which focuses entirely on delivering the best managed WordPress hosting around (although it does have some great WooCommerce plans, too). Managed hosting can be more expensive, but if you don't want to be dealing with potential hassles at 3am on a Saturday morning then it can be worth while.

Features

Unlike some web hosts, WP Engine's plans aren't just the regular shared range with WordPress preinstalled. They're build for WordPress from the bottom up, with customized server and caching setups, extra security features, easier setup and genuinely valuable extras.

The difference is obvious. Lesser providers may give you free themes, but they're often basic offerings you'll never want to use. WP Engine throws in 10 gorgeous StudioPress themes, premium products with real value.

Staging is another WP Engine benefit. Whether I changed themes, adding site features or just making a few updates, the Staging area allowed us to safely test these on a copy of my site, before we put them live.

I found valuable extras everywhere we looked. WordPress has a vast library of free plugins, for instance, and most hosts allow you to install whatever you like. But WP Engine maintains a list of dubious plugins which bring performance or security problems, and warns you about anything dodgy, potentially saving you a lot of pain later.

Testing

The WP Engine dashboard isn't for beginners, and regular use of terms like Git, CNAME and redirect rules might confuse the not-so-technical. But it only took me a few minutes to begin to find my way around, and if you need more help, there's a truly outstanding support site. (Some of WP Engine's guides deliver more than I'd expect from a paid WordPress training course).

My performance tests saw WP Engine trample all over the conventional shared hosting competition, with only Liquid Web's own managed WordPress plan delivering better. Yes, WP Engine is more expensive than many, but it spends that cash wisely on quality servers, a fast network and its pile of premium features.

Support is vital when you're running a business-critical site. WP Engine only provides chat support with its cheapest plan, but the agents delivered speedy and expert responses to my test questions, and upgrading to a higher product gets you phone support, too.

What else you need to know

WP Engine may look expensive, but it's also very confident you'll be happy with the service: sign up and you're protected by a very generous 60-day money-back guarantee. 

Why it's best

With its laser-focus on WordPress, and its useful list of plugins that may cause issues with your site, I recommend checking out WP Engine for managed WordPress hosting.

Read our full WP Engine review

Swipe to scroll horizontally
AttributesNotesRating
Value for moneyWP Engine is expensive and although it comes with lots of features, some could be included as part of the overall price★★★☆☆
Ease of useNot the easiest to use for beginners but still straightforward enough★★★★☆
FeaturesLots of great features but a lot comes at an extra cost★★★★☆
Speed testWP Engine performed exceptionally well in our speed test★★★★★

The best shared web hosting provider

HostGator Hatchling comes with an industry-leading 45-day warranty (Image credit: HostGator)
Great value hosting for home users

Specifications

Free domain: Yes
Free SSL: Yes
24/7 customer support: Yes