Understanding WordPress Hosting Options

Best WordPress Hosting Provider

Understanding WordPress Hosting Options

You have set up a WordPress account with the hopes of building your website using its simple CRM. But you still need to choose a hosting provider! But which one will you go with?

How do you choose the best WordPress hosting provider?

First off, know that WordPress is compatible with just about any hosting provider. The only requirements: PHP version 5.2.4 or higher, and MySQL version 5.0 or higher. Because most providers understand the popularity of WordPress, the major hosting companies offer quick install for WordPress.

What Should I Be Looking For In A Hosting Provider?

Besides the obvious security, reliability, and speed, you really need to think of what your site needs are and your personal preferences. There is a wide range of wordpress hosting options, so let's go through each one to help you make your decision:

• Free WordPress Hosting. Who doesn't like free? you can find some free hosting options out there, but there is one little thing: these options are often one person reselling a portion of their server to make some money. They will most likely request that you place a banner ad on your site, or a text link in the footer. The ad or link recoups some money for them to take care of the space you are getting for free, but just know that this hosting option is extremely unreliable. Oftentimes, they disappear without a trace, leaving your website in the dark, with no warning whatsoever. You should seriously avoid the free WordPress hosting option!
• Shared WordPress Hosting. This is the best choice for beginners to WordPress, and the most affordable as well. Just as with typical shared hosting, you share a server with other websites. That's what makes it so affordable! The only problem with this type of hosting: the claims they make of offering “unlimited” resources. Do you know of a server that offers infinite space? I didn't think so. There are always restrictions, you just won't know until your site starts using too much space on the server. They will then make you upgrade your account as you are affecting the performance of the sites that share the server with you. When your site becomes more popular, you might want to upgrade in advance. If your site will be receiving a lot of traffic, you might want to choose another option.
• WordPress VPS Hosting. This is just like VPS hosting. It's like having a dedicated server, but you share the server with others. Your data, however, is unaccessible by anyone else as you rely on a partition of that server that is all yours, your “virtual private server.” If you choose this option but don't know much about what you're doing, you'll want to go with a managed VPS, where your hosting provider takes care of system upgrades and is there to help with any problems.
• Dedicated Server WordPress Hosting. This option is for the large sites that receive an ungodly amount of traffic. You should never go this route when you're just starting out! It's costly! You have full control over the server and all software and hardware. It is best to get a managed dedicated server plan if you don't plan on hiring a system administrator, or if you don't know the first thing about servers.
• Managed WordPress Hosting. Do you have a popular site, but no time to deal with updating it or performing backups? Go with Managed WordPress hosting. There aren't a lot of providers that offer this service. They assure that everything is taken care of, and contact you with any problems. It can cost a bit more than other hosting options (one provider offers $29 each month for one site, $99/month for multiple domains) so you have to make sure you really need it, or make money off of your site. WPEngine is a great option for managed WordPress hosting.

Understanding WordPress Hosting Options

Now, let's look at some of the top WordPress hosting providers based on the reviews of wpbeginner .com. Each provider mentioned below has received a 5-star rating by the site!

• Bluehost : In the hosting game since 1996, this provider is an official WordPress – recommended hosting provider. Great uptime, free domain and site builder complete with templates, and fast.
• InMotion : They offer 99.9% uptime, highly reliable, and offer customer support better than any other company. Their WordPress hosting is highly scalable, allowing your blog to grow unhindered.
• Web Hosting Hub : This is the simplest way to get your site up and running. They offer a beginner-friendly control panel and website builder, and with numerous awards for their performance, it makes them a great, affordable choice.
• Hostgator : With over 8 million domains and counting, this is a very well known hosting company. They offer one-click WordPress installation, 24/7 support, and 99.9% uptime.
• JustHost : This company used to go by the name Super Green Hosting, and offer reliable servers with amazing tech support. Another bonus: free domain for life with every single new account!

Check out the providers above to find the perfect WordPress hosting provider for you! Is there anything more you'd like to know about WordPress hosting? Just ask so that we can address your questions in a future article!