Best WordPress hosting

Best WordPress hosting.

  • Webpop Design
  • 29th December, 2022
  • No Comments

Quick Look: Comparing Leading WordPress Hosts

  • Real-world reviews – These five WordPress hosts are the only ones I’ve personally used and still recommend to paying clients. No affiliate padding, no filler.
  • Performance tested – Each host was tested using the same clean WordPress install, so the speed and uptime results are accurate and fair.
  • Support quality – I rated support based on real experience: how fast they reply, who you talk to, and whether they fix things properly.
  • Useful features – Backups, staging, SSL, email, and developer tools—find out which hosts include what, and whether those features are any good.
  • Pricing honesty – Entry-level prices are often low, but renewals can sting. I’ve included what to expect and whether the cost is worth it.

The reality is that many WordPress hosting providers commonly recommended by webmaster blogs are often lacking in quality. While numerous hosts make grand promises, in my experience, they rarely deliver on them. In many cases, these providers are simply resellers of WordPress hosting or offer low-cost plans with subpar service levels. Others have grown too large and appear to have lost focus on delivering quality customer support.

Below, I’ll be reviewing five of the best WordPress hosting services I’ve personally worked with. Each of these providers has consistently delivered excellent service, minimal hassle, and—most importantly—high-quality WordPress hosting for both my own websites and those of my clients.

5 best WordPress hosting providers

The WordPress hosting providers listed below range from low to medium-high budget levels. If your website is critical to your income or serves as your primary revenue stream, I would strongly recommend considering the higher-end services over the more economical options. While all of the providers featured here are reliable and offer solid hosting solutions, the level of service you receive typically reflects the amount you invest—quality and support often come at a premium.

1

WP Engine (www.wpengine.com)

WP Engine - WordPress Hosting

VISIT WWW.WPENGINE.COM

  • Uptime: 100%
  • Load time: 336 ms
  • Support: 24/7 live chat with WordPress development experts
  • Features: Automated backups with one click restore, 24/7 live support with WordPress developers, free SSL (https), staging server, automated migration, developer friendly.
  • Website: www.wpengine.com

If you’ve read any of my previous posts on this blog, it will come as no surprise that WP Engine tops my list of recommended WordPress hosting providers. Running a web design agency in London we’ve worked with countless hosting companies over the years—and none have come close to matching the level of service we’ve consistently received from WP Engine.

That said, WP Engine isn’t the right fit for everyone. If you’re an experimental blogger or simply exploring WordPress as a hobby, this provider may not be the most cost-effective option. However, if your website is central to your business and primary source of income, WP Engine stands head and shoulders above the rest on this list.

WP Engine is an award-winning, managed WordPress hosting provider headquartered in Austin, Texas. Since its founding in 2010, the company has delivered premium hosting services to websites across the globe, with data centres located in the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Germany, and Taiwan.

WP Engine Dashboard

WP Engine is extremely popular among online business owners and bloggers who rely on WordPress—and for good reason. They consistently deliver reliable performance, offer automated backup and restore functionality, provide one-click staging environments, include free SSL certificates, and offer exceptional 24/7 customer support. Their support team comprises knowledgeable WordPress developers and server technicians who are on hand to assist whenever an issue arises with your site.

Over the past 12 months, WP Engine reported a 100% uptime score with zero outages and an average page loading speed of 336ms for their shared hosting service. Their platform is specifically built and optimised for WordPress websites, making them the fastest-loading host on this list—with a flawless uptime record to match.

They are not the most affordable option—however, this is to be expected from a provider offering services of this calibre. The cost of their Startup hosting plan, suitable for a single website, is £24 per month. That said, they are currently offering a 10% discount on your first month or three months free when you sign up for an annual plan—making it an excellent time to get started.

PROS:

  • 100% Uptime and performance
  • 24/7 WordPress-specialised support
  • Developer-friendly environment
  • Automated backups and restore
  • One-click install WordPress
  • Free SSL certificates
  • Genesis framework
  • Free StudioPress themes

CONS:

  • Email hosting not available
  • Some plugins are banned

Click here to see if the 10% discount is still valid

2

Kinsta (www.kinsta.com)

Kinsta - WordPress Hosting
VISIT WWW.KINSTA.COM

  • Uptime: 99.97%
  • Load time: 364 ms
  • Support: 24/7 live support with WordPress technicians
  • Features: Cloud-based WordPress-only hosting, auto-scaling, 20 server locations, automated backups.
  • Website: www.kinsta.com

Another WordPress-specific host offering cloud-based WordPress hosting is Kinsta. Founded in 2008, Kinsta boasts 21 global server locations and places a strong emphasis on website performance and premium support.

What sets Kinsta apart from most other managed WordPress hosting providers is its use of the Google Cloud Platform. This means every website hosted on Kinsta runs on the same high-performance infrastructure maintained by Google. With major brands like Snapchat, Spotify, and Coca-Cola also hosting on this platform, you can be confident you’re in good company.

Kinsta offers an impressive range of features. I was particularly impressed by the autoscaling capability, which automatically adjusts server resources during traffic spikes to ensure optimal performance.

Other standout features include automated backups, a user-friendly dashboard, a wide selection of hosting plans, SSL import functionality, excellent support, and one-click WordPress deployment—much like WP Engine.

Kinsta Dashboard

Kinsta offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and in our testing over a 12-month period, they delivered on that promise—achieving a 99.97% uptime with only four outages throughout the year. Performance is equally impressive, with an average page loading speed of 364ms.

Kinsta is a strong contender for premium WordPress hosting. However, websites with lower traffic volumes may find it difficult to justify the $30/£24 monthly cost. This is not a low-budget hosting option. Unfortunately, at the time of writing, there are no special offers currently available from this provider.

PROS:

  • High uptime and performance
  • Google Cloud Platform-based
  • Huge range of VPS plans
  • Auto scaling during peak traffic
  • Choice of 21 datacenter’s
  • Very developer-friendly
  • Specialised WordPress support staff

CONS:

  • Email hosting not available
  • VPS plans only – no shared hosting
  • Does not support CRON
  • Some plugins are banned

You can visit Kinsta WordPress hosting here

3

Stablepoint (www.stablepoint.com)

Stablepoint - WordPress Hosting
VISIT WWW.STABLEPOINT.COM

  • Uptime: 99.97%
  • Load time: 351ms
  • Support: 24/7 live chat
  • Features: Unlimited email, 24/7 customer support, free SSL (https), free domain name.
  • Website: www.stablepoint.com

Stablepoint is a WordPress cloud hosting provider, launched in 2018. However, don’t let that fool you into thinking they’re new to the industry. Stablepoint was founded by the team behind TSOHost, VidaHost, and Speedydot, bringing with them over 16 years of experience in web hosting.

The company offers fully managed WordPress cloud hosting built on top of several enterprise-grade cloud platforms. When signing up, you can choose your preferred infrastructure from providers such as DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, or Alicloud.

Once you’ve signed up for Stablepoint’s WordPress hosting, your server is provisioned instantly. You can select from 12 global data centre locations across Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia, or Australia. Each hosting account is built on cPanel and includes a one-click installer, a suite of WordPress tools, and advanced security features.

Stablepoint Hosting - Cpanel

Stablepoint has maintained an impressive performance record over the past 12 months, achieving 99.97% uptime. In my page speed tests, they also performed exceptionally well, delivering an average load time of 351ms—demonstrating that their hosting is well-suited for WordPress, WooCommerce, and related plugins.

One feature I’ve particularly appreciated is their UK-based support. They offer live chat directly on the website, and if an issue cannot be resolved immediately, their straightforward escalation ticket system ensures fast follow-up. In my experience, any issues have been resolved within the hour.

WordPress hosting with Stablepoint starts at just £3.99 per month. The Starter plan includes 100GB of disk space, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, SSL certificate, and unlimited email addresses—offering excellent value for money.

PROS:

  • Free SSL
  • Free Domain Name
  • Unlimited Email Addresses
  • No long contracts
  • Free migration

CONS:

  • Will need to be comfortable using cPanel

Click here to learn more about Stablepoint

4

Hostinger (www.hostinger.com)

Hostinger - WordPress Hosting

VISIT WWW.HOSTINGER.COM

  • Uptime99.92%
  • Load time389ms
  • Support: 24/7 live chat
  • Features: Free email, 24/7 customer support, free SSL (https), free domain name on Premium and Business plans.
  • Websitewww.Hostinger.com

Hostinger is a major WordPress hosting company based in Lithuania, serving over 29 million users across 178 countries through its various subsidiaries. With data centres located in the USA, Asia, and Europe, Hostinger offers a truly global hosting solution for WordPress users.

The platform features a substantial library of WordPress tutorials and guides, along with a beginner-friendly website builder—ideal for those just starting out. Hostinger also provides live chat support, though one minor drawback is that it occasionally functions more like a ticketing system, with delayed responses.

While Hostinger is the most affordable provider on this list, its performance is surprisingly strong. With an average page loading speed of 389ms, it ranks among the fastest. However, uptime is somewhat average; during the past 12 months, our test site experienced several outages, resulting in a 99.92% uptime score.

Hostinger WordPress Hosting

Hostinger’s lowest-priced managed WordPress hosting plan starts at just £1.99 per month, renewing at £5.99 per month. This plan includes 20GB of disk space, unlimited bandwidth, a free domain name, SSL certificate, and up to 100 email accounts. Additionally, if you’re not satisfied with the service, you have 30 days to cancel and request a refund.
PROS:

  • Cheap pricing
  • Lots of tutorials and guides
  • Free Domain Name
  • Free SSL
  • Free Email

CONS:

  • Average uptime
  • High renewal fees

Click to see if the £1.99 discount is still available

5

GoDaddy (www.godaddy.com)

GoDaddy - WordPress Hosting
VISIT WWW.GODADDY.COM

  • Uptime: 99.91%
  • Load time454ms
  • Support: 24hr phone support and chat
  • Features: 1 free email address, 24/7 customer support, free domain name, automated backups.
  • Websitewww.godaddy.com

When it comes to domain name and hosting providers, GoDaddy is virtually a household name. Founded in 1997, the company gained recognition through widespread TV and radio advertising and is widely regarded as one of the pioneers in the domain and hosting industry.

As expected from a long-established and large-scale provider, GoDaddy is able to offer attractive discounts to its customers. However, in my experience, larger hosting companies can sometimes fall short when it comes to A) customer service and B) overall service quality. For that reason, I only recommend GoDaddy as an entry-level WordPress hosting option.

GoDaddy’s managed WordPress hosting is best suited to webmasters with low-traffic websites that are not their primary source of income. It’s also a good option for those who find platforms like Stablepoint a bit too technical, particularly due to a lack of familiarity with cPanel. GoDaddy’s managed hosting panel is very beginner-friendly, making it a solid choice for those new to website management.

GoDaddy WordPress Hosting

When you sign up for GoDaddy’s managed hosting service, your hosting environment is automatically provisioned—typically within 5 to 10 minutes. They also offer a convenient migration tool to help you transfer your existing site to GoDaddy, which has a success rate of approximately 99%.

In terms of performance, GoDaddy’s uptime is average, scoring 99.91% in my tests. Page speed performance is also on the slower side compared to others in this list, with an average load time of 454ms. While this is only around 100ms slower, it can make a noticeable difference, particularly for mobile users.

If you prefer traditional customer service and like speaking to someone over the phone, GoDaddy will appeal to you. Their IVR system is straightforward, allowing you to easily connect with the relevant department, and their support team is generally helpful in resolving hosting-related issues.

GoDaddy’s basic WordPress hosting plan starts at £2.99 per month, allowing you to host one website with 30GB of disk space. This plan includes a free domain name, one free business email address, and automated backups. However, do note that if you plan to accept payments on your website, you’ll need to purchase an SSL certificate separately.

PROS:

  • Free domain name
  • 1 x free email address
  • Telephone and chat support
  • Automated backups and restore
  • Low entry cost

CONS:

  • Higher price on renewal
  • Average uptime
  • Slightly slower performance
  • Annoying sales/account check up calls

Click here to see if the £2.99 discount is still valid

WordPress hosting summary

So, that concludes my in-depth review of the top five WordPress hosting providers. I hope you found it both informative and useful in helping you choose the right WordPress web host for your needs.

Each review is based on my own direct experience with these hosting companies, alongside a detailed analysis of their uptime, website speed, usability, pricing, and support quality. I used Pingdom to monitor and assess the performance and uptime of each provider.

To ensure consistent and accurate page speed results, I installed a fresh copy of WordPress using the TwentyTwenty theme across all hosts. This eliminated any variables—such as large images or third-party plugins—that could have impacted the results unfairly.

When choosing a hosting provider, I look for more than just speed and uptime. A reliable and responsive support team is equally important. If you’re anything like me, your time is best spent growing your business—not waiting in support queues or dealing with ticket delays stretching 24–48 hours.

This is precisely why WP Engine and Kinsta are at the top of my list. It’s also why you won’t find certain well-known providers featured here, despite their popularity on other blogs. I’ve chosen to prioritise reliability, performance, and real-world support over hype—because your hosting provider should empower your website, not hold it back.

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