WP Engine is one of the most popular and reliable managed WordPress hosting providers in the market. It offers fast, secure, and scalable hosting solutions for WordPress websites of all sizes and niches.
However, WP Engine is not the only option for WordPress hosting. Many other providers offer similar or even better features, performance, and pricing than WP Engine.
In this article, we will review some of the best WP Engine alternatives in 2024 and compare them based on their features, pros and cons, and pricing.
Best Web Hosting Software 2024
1. Cloudways
2. Digitial Ocean
3. Bluehost
4. Liquid Web
5. Hostwinds
6. Hostinger
7. Nexcess
8. WP Engine
1. Cloudways
Cloudways is a WordPress hosting platform that offers five distinct cloud service providers: Digital Ocean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud. The platform boasts a straightforward and user-friendly interface, facilitating the management of various aspects of WordPress sites, including domains, backups, security configurations, and performance optimization.
One noteworthy feature of Cloudways is its compatibility with multiple cloud providers, allowing users to tailor their hosting environment according to their specific preferences and requirements. The platform emphasizes simplicity, making it accessible for users to navigate and manage their WordPress hosting needs.
Moreover, Cloudways offers ongoing support services, available 24/7, ensuring assistance is readily accessible to users. Additionally, the platform provides free SSL certificates to enhance website security, offers free migration support for a smooth transition, and operates on a pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing users to pay for the resources they utilize.
Pros:
1. Choose from different cloud providers and locations
2. Full control over your server resources and settings
3. Cloudflare Add-on
4. SSH and SFTP Access
5. Free SSL
6. HTTP/2 Enabled Servers
7. Free Migration
Cons:
1. Technical knowledge required to set up and manage your server
2. Pay extra for email hosting and CDN
3. You don't get a free domain name
Pricing: Cloudways pricing depends on the cloud provider and the server size you choose. The cheapest plan starts from $6.60/month for 1 GB RAM, 1 CPU core, 25 GB storage, and 1 TB bandwidth. For more info, click here.
2. Digital Ocean
Digital Ocean is a WordPress hosting service that facilitates the creation and management of servers, termed "droplets," within its platform. The service offers an array of droplets, each characterized by distinct configurations and features. These include standard, general-purpose, CPU-optimized, memory-optimized, and storage-optimized droplets.
One notable feature of Digital Ocean is its provision of a one-click WordPress installation option, streamlining the setup process for users. Additionally, Digital Ocean includes several complimentary services, such as a free firewall to enhance security, free backups for data protection, free DNS management for efficient domain control, and a free Content Delivery Network (CDN) for optimized content delivery.
The inclusion of free security and management features further adds value to the hosting service, making it a comprehensive choice for those in search of flexibility and convenience in their WordPress hosting experience.
Pros:
1. $200 credit for 60 days when you sign up
2. Easily accessible
3. Inexpensive
4. Offers excellent support for developers
5. Free DNS management
6. Free cloud firewalls
Cons:
1. Relatively limited support for operating systems other than Linux
2. No Windows Server is available
Pricing: Digital Ocean pricing depends on the droplet size and type you choose. The cheapest plan starts from $4/month for 1 GB RAM, 1 CPU core, 25 GB storage, and 1 TB bandwidth on a basic droplet. Click here for more info.
3. Bluehost
Bluehost is a widely recognized shared WordPress hosting provider, featuring various plans tailored to meet the needs of diverse WordPress users. The platform is characterized by a straightforward and user-friendly interface, allowing for the one-click installation of WordPress and the seamless management of domains, emails, backups, security configurations, and performance parameters.
Its noteworthy features include its round-the-clock support services, provision of free SSL certificates to enhance website security, complimentary domain name registration for the initial year, and a 30-day money-back guarantee for user satisfaction.
Bluehost's popularity is derived from its user-friendly approach and the array of services offered, catering to a broad spectrum of WordPress users. The platform's commitment to providing support, security features, and a money-back guarantee contributes to its reputation as a reliable choice for shared WordPress hosting.
Pros:
1. Low-cost and beginner-friendly hosting service
2. Free domain name for one year
3. Unlimited websites, storage, and bandwidth on some plans
4. Store Analytics
5. Free SSL
6. Malware Scanning
Cons:
1. You have to share your server resources with other users
2. Slow loading times and downtime
Pricing: Bluehost pricing depends on the plan you choose. The cheapest plan starts from $2.95/month for one website, 50 GB storage, and unlimited bandwidth. Other plans include Choice Plus at $5.45/month, Online Store at $9.95/month, and Pro at $13.95/month.
4. Liquid Web
Liquid Web stands as a premium managed WordPress hosting provider, delivering a fully optimized and user-friendly hosting experience. The platform operates on a cloud-based infrastructure supported by enterprise-grade hardware and software. Notably, Liquid Web boasts a dedicated team of WordPress experts available around the clock, offering 24/7 support and facilitating free automatic updates for plugins.
Liquid Web's managed WordPress hosting plans incorporate various features designed to enhance the overall user experience. These features include free SSL certificates, providing encrypted connections for heightened website security. Users also benefit from a free Content Delivery Network (CDN), which improves content delivery speed and overall site performance. The hosting plans further to offer free migration services, simplifying the transition for users moving to Liquid Web's platform.
The inclusion of staging sites allows users to create and test changes in a controlled environment before deploying them to the live site, contributing to a smoother website management process. For developers, Liquid Web provides a suite of developer tools, enabling customization and optimization according to specific requirements.
Pros:
1. Guaranteed support response time of 59 seconds or less
2. High-performance hosting with advanced caching and image optimization
3. No traffic limits or overage fees
4. Customizable plans with add-ons and bundles
Cons:
1. Expensive compared to other providers
2. No domain registration service
Pricing: Liquid Web's managed WordPress hosting plans start from $29/month for 1 site, 15 GB storage, and 2 TB bandwidth, and Spark Plus, is priced at $43/month. The most popular plan is $73.80/month for 25 sites, 100 GB storage, and 5 TB bandwidth. There are other expensive plans as well for $147 and $270, respectively.
5. Hostwinds
Hostwinds positions itself as a budget-friendly managed WordPress hosting provider, providing swift, secure, and reliable hosting solutions tailored for WordPress websites. The company has strategically placed data centers in both the US and Europe, utilizing SSD drives, LiteSpeed web servers, and Cloudflare CDN to ensure optimal performance for hosted websites.
The WordPress hosting plans include a variety of features to enhance user experience and website management. Users benefit from free SSL certificates, contributing to the overall security of their websites.
Nightly backups are an integral part of Hostwinds' offerings, providing users with regular data backups for enhanced security and data protection. The inclusion of staging sites allows users to create and test changes in a controlled environment before deploying them to the live site, ensuring a smooth website management process.
Pros:
1. Affordable pricing with discounts for longer terms
2. Unlimited domains, storage, bandwidth, and email accounts
3. 99.9999% uptime guarantee
4. 24/7 support via phone, chat, and tickets
5. Email Hosting
Cons:
1. No free trial or money-back guarantee
2. No advanced security features like firewall or DDoS protection
Pricing: Hostwinds' managed WordPress hosting plans start from $5.24/month for 1 site, unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts. The advanced plan is priced at $6.74 and the Ultimate plan is $8.24/month for unlimited sites, storage, bandwidth, and email accounts.
6. Hostinger
Hostinger emerges as an affordable managed WordPress hosting provider, presenting fast, secure, and user-friendly hosting solutions tailored for WordPress websites. The platform operates on its cloud infrastructure, incorporating SSD drives, a LiteSpeed web server, and Cloudflare CDN to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
Hostinger supplements its hosting services with a dedicated team of WordPress experts, available around the clock to provide 24/7 support and assistance, emphasizing their commitment to customer service. The managed WordPress hosting plans offered by Hostinger encompass various features designed to enhance the user experience:
Users benefit from Free SSL Certificates, contributing to website security through encrypted connections. Additionally, a Free Domain Name for the initial year is provided, simplifying the process of establishing an online presence. Free Migration services facilitate a seamless transition for users migrating to Hostinger's hosting platform. Weekly Backups are implemented to ensure regular data backups, contributing to overall security and data protection.
Pros:
1. Very low pricing with discounts for longer terms
2. Unlimited domains, storage, bandwidth, and email accounts on higher plans
3. 99.9% uptime guarantee
4. Easy-to-use control panel with WordPress toolkit and auto-updates
Cons:
1. No daily backups or malware scanning on lower plans
2. No advanced security features like firewall or DDoS protection
Pricing: hostinger's managed WordPress hosting plans start from $2.99/month for 100 Websites, 100 GB SSD Storage, and Weekly Backups. Business Plan, priced at $3.99/month, offers 200 GB NVMe Storage, Daily Backups ($25.08 value), and Free Email. The most popular plan is $8.99/month for 300 sites, 100 GB storage, and unlimited bandwidth.
7. Nexcess
Nexcess positions itself as a premium managed WordPress hosting provider, delivering hosting solutions characterized by speed, security, and scalability for WordPress websites. Notably, Nexcess is powered by Liquid Web and leverages its cloud platform, which operates on enterprise-grade hardware and software, ensuring robust performance and reliability.
The platform reinforces its commitment to customer support by maintaining a team of WordPress experts available 24/7, underscoring the importance of continuous assistance. Additionally, Nexcess provides free automatic updates for plugins, contributing to the seamless management of WordPress sites.
Nexcess' managed WordPress hosting plans include a range of features designed to enhance the overall user experience. These features comprise Free SSL Certificates to enhance website security through encrypted connections, a Free Content Delivery Network (CDN) for improved content delivery speed, and Free Migration services for users transitioning to Nexcess' hosting platform.
Pros:
1. High-performance hosting with advanced caching and image optimization
2. No traffic limits or overage fees
3. Customizable plans with add-ons and bundles
4. 14-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
1. Expensive compared to other providers
2. No domain registration service
Pricing: Nexcess' managed WordPress Hosting plans range from $21 to $492 per month, accommodating 1 to 250 sites. Check more info here.
WP Engine
WP Engine is a favored option among WordPress enthusiasts for its comprehensive managed WordPress hosting services. The platform offers a seamless experience with features such as automatic updates, daily backups, and robust security protocols. WP Engine's commitment to hassle-free hosting is evident in its provision of services that enhance user convenience.
One notable technology employed by WP Engine is EverCache, a solution designed to optimize website performance by ensuring high-speed delivery of content. This technology contributes to a smoother and faster user experience for visitors to websites hosted on WP Engine.
In addition to user-centric features, WP Engine caters to developers with a range of tools crafted to be developer-friendly. This inclusion speaks to the platform's versatility, accommodating both novice users and those with a more technical background.
WP Engine's reputation as a reliable choice for managed WordPress hosting is further solidified by its consistent efforts to enhance user experience, prioritize website performance, and provide tools that cater to the diverse needs of its user base.
Pros:
1. Excellent customer support
2. Advanced security features
3. High-speed performance with EverCache
4. Automatic updates and daily backups
5. Developer-friendly tools
Cons:
1. storage capacity for lower-tier plans
Pricing: WP Engine's pricing starts at $15 per month for the Startup plan, $18 for e-commerce solutions plans, and $600 for the Custom Solutions plan.
What is a WordPress Hosting service?
WordPress hosting services are specialized hosting solutions designed to optimize the performance, security, and management of WordPress websites. WordPress is a popular content management system (CMS) used to create and manage websites, and WordPress hosting is tailored to meet the specific requirements of WordPress sites.
Here are some key features and aspects of WordPress hosting services:
1. Performance Optimization: WordPress hosting services are typically optimized for the specific requirements of the WordPress platform. This includes server configurations, caching mechanisms, and other performance enhancements to ensure fast loading times and smooth website operation.
2. Security Measures: WordPress hosting providers often implement security measures specifically designed for WordPress websites. This can include malware scanning, firewalls, and other tools to protect against common WordPress vulnerabilities.
3. Automatic Updates: Many WordPress hosting services offer automatic updates for the WordPress core, themes, and plugins. This helps ensure that your site is running the latest, most secure versions of the software.
4. Scalability: WordPress hosting plans are often scalable, allowing you to easily upgrade or downgrade your resources based on your website's needs. This is particularly important as your site grows and attracts more traffic.
5. Specialized Support: Some providers offer support teams with expertise in WordPress. This can be valuable for troubleshooting WordPress-specific issues and getting assistance with the platform.
6. Managed Services: Many WordPress hosting services provide managed hosting, taking care of tasks such as backups, performance optimization, and security monitoring. This allows website owners to focus on creating content and growing their business rather than managing server-related tasks.
7. One-Click Installs: WordPress hosting services often come with one-click installation options for WordPress, making it easy for users to set up their WordPress websites without dealing with complex installation processes.
8. Content Delivery Network (CDN) Integration: Some WordPress hosting plans include integration with CDNs to enhance the delivery of content to users around the world, reducing page load times.
Summary
In conclusion, the choice of a WordPress hosting alternative in 2024 depends on various factors, including individual preferences, technical expertise, and specific project requirements. WP Engine remains a solid choice for those seeking a fully managed WordPress hosting experience with advanced features, albeit at a higher cost.
Cloudways offers flexibility and scalability through its managed cloud hosting platform, while Digital Ocean provides a developer-friendly environment with customizable server configurations. Bluehost.com, with its user-friendly interface and various hosting options, is well-suited for beginners and small to medium-sized websites. Ultimately, the best WordPress engine alternative depends on the unique needs and priorities of each website owner or developer.
