Did you know that nearly 43% of all existing websites were created using WordPress? No wonder WordPress hosting is one of the most popular hosting-related services today!

But which hosting is in the first place? Let’s put it this way: if you want a website, consider hosting as one of the staples. It’s the virtual home where its contents will be.

If you want to create one trusted by both startups and the biggest businesses in the world, keep reading. Let’s cover each WordPress hosting server option that you have today.

Shared Hosting

Starts at $2.18

This is the most basic option you can find. You share the server space with hundreds or thousands of users, many of which may have multiple sites.

Think of it as living with a roommate. Even though you have your own space in the apartment or house, you all share the utilities. This is recommended for very new businesses or anyone who will not lose customers due to downtimes.

Advantages

1. The cheapest option

If you’re just testing the waters, you understandably don’t want to spend too much money on something. This makes it a good starter product for you.

2. No need for any technical know-how

This is created to be easy to use by everyone just starting out. That’s why the setup process is easy to follow.

Disadvantages

1. You may experience more downtime

Some of the users may be hosting websites on your shared server that are getting a lot of traffic. Once all the resources are used, it may cause your site to be down.

The same goes if you get too much traffic. Performance would be much worse during these traffic surges.

2. No option for customized configurations

Your needs may be a little different than the existing configurations on the server. But even if you know how to solve the issue, you’ll have to stick with the presets.

This means you can’t do anything to improve site performance or solve a potential problem since the uptime and speed here are generally worse.

Dedicated Hosting

Starts at $47.88

With WordPress dedicated hosting, you get an entire server to yourself. There’d be no other site owner so that you can maximize your use of the resources there.

Think of it as building your own empire. You can have everything exactly according to your liking. The efficiency by which tasks are done is also amazing. But here’s the catch: you have to build yourself.

And building from scratch means taking care of everything that has to do with the chosen software. This includes installation, operation, configuration, and everything else. See this option’s list of pros and cons below:

Advantages

1. You’re the only user

With an entire server reserved just for you, you’d have all the bandwidth you need. This ensures that it will still work smoothly despite the huge traffic going into the site.

You’ll also have complete freedom to do any modifications you desire. So if you need specialized configurations and tools, there would be no restrictions.

2. Better security

What are the odds of someone bumping into you if you’re alone? Just like there’s no chance of that happening, it’s also impossible that you’d encounter security issues because of other users.

Plus, you can install or create customized protections fitting your needs. And because you know better the potential vulnerabilities of your website, you’d be able to secure it better.

3. Superb customer support

It offers 24/7 support to all our clients. But due to the higher level of technical involvement associated with dedicated hosts, you may need help more than usual.

That’s why the hosting makes sure to have experts that can address all your concerns. In doing so, they’re helping you avoid any hiccups in running your site on the server.

Disadvantages

1. More expensive

In some circumstances, the extra cost is worth it. However, if you’re just starting out, the monthly fee can eat up a lot of your budget.

In this case, please consider cheaper options. You can always upgrade later on.

2. You’ll have to do everything

With other types, they normally provide management. But here, you’d be completely in charge. If you don’t know your way around these tasks, you’ll need to hire someone.

That’s why experts don’t recommend this unless you have a sufficient budget to delegate the tasks or the technical know-how to do it on your own.

Managed Hosting

Starts at $4.88

To reuse the analogy from the previous type, managed hosting is like buying a prefabricated home. You can select from the various designs and floor plans available, but you can’t customize every little detail.

This package comes with a lot of features related to WordPress, enhancing your experience in managing and running your site. For you, this means increased security, faster loading time, and many more.

People who use WordPress for their site normally get this type because it’s built specifically for that content management system. Let’s look at the pros and cons of selecting this option:

Advantages

1. Specialized WordPress support

To improve your experience, specialists consistently examine the system. It’s fine-tuned all the time to see potential room for improvement and existing vulnerabilities.

You’d even get advice on which plugins to avoid! For as long as you update your CMS to the latest version, you should be good.

2. More efficient

Resource management is very important to maintaining a good site speed. With this type, you’ll be able to perform the same tasks while using fewer resources.

3. Better WordPress-related support

By having specialists in your corner, you’ll be able to solve complex issues more easily. They’re more knowledgeable in this area, giving you better support.

Disadvantages

1. Less flexibility

Depending on your needs, you may feel that it’s a little too restrictive for your taste. If you plan on trying other CMS, this may not be your best option.

2. A little more expensive

Compared to shared hosting, this is priced higher. Most users who would rather rely on the expertise of the hosts think it’s worth it. But if you’re looking for freedom to install whatever plugins you want and explore other CMS, the extra cost may not be worth it.

Which of the Options Should You Choose?

To summarize, check out this quick reference table. This should help you select which one fits your needs the most:

	Best when:
Shared	You don’t expect heavy site traffic. You don’t have the budget for the pricier options. You don’t plan to monetize it.
Dedicated	You have very particular requirements. You use various servers for redundancy.
Managed	Site speed isn’t super important. You have one big website. You want to prioritize a smooth browsing experience for visitors.

The latter is the more favorable option between shared hosting vs. managed WordPress hosting unless you’re working on an extremely tight budget. Meanwhile, the dedicated counterpart is good if you have access to the technical expertise needed to build everything from scratch. If you are still struggling to choose a hosting provider, we recommend WPX, which combines the advantages of shared and managed hosting and has most of the perks of dedicated hosting, like 24/7/365 expert support, Fixed for you Guarantee, superb speed all across the globe and 99.95% Uptime.

With this information, you should decide which would be the best fit. Here’s to hoping to see your site live soon!

Dedicated, Shared or Managed: Which Hosting Options Are Available to WordPress Users?