The No-BS Guide To Choosing A WordPress Host – WPCAST019

In this episode, we talk about the different types of hosting options for your WordPress site – shared, managed, dedicated, or closed systems.

The Changelog

* First episode we’re recording in person, both in Bangkok with new microphones

* Thanks for the 5-star reviews!

* MoneyPlan SOS from US

* davbrn from UK

* LuisMartinspt from Portugal

* PiersJW from Australia

* downandproud from Australia

The Core

* We’ve seen people have bad experiences with shared hosts like BlueHost – slow, less secure

* Lots of hosting comparisons are skewed due to affiliate links to lower quality hosts

* Examples of these (we don’t recommend): BlueHost, HostGator, GoDaddy, DreamHost, etc.

What You Should Look for in a Hosting Provider

* Fast load times for usability and SEO, especially important for mobile

* Preventing malware and the chance of getting hacked

* High uptime – check your uptime with Pingdom, Uptime Robot

* Great support, ideally specialized WordPress support

Beginner – Shared Hosting

* Inexpensive but lower performance, security, etc.

* We only recommend this option for less non-business websites

* Recommendations:

* A Small Orange

* SiteGround

Business – VPS / Dedicated Server

* Can be very cheap to start out (if you have low usage)

* Requires more overhead and a capable in-house team

* For most business, we don’t recommend this option

* Options:

* Digital Ocean

* AWS

Business – Managed Hosting

* WordPress-only, blacklist for some plugins (caching, backup, security, etc)

* Fast, secure platform

* Recommendations:

* WPEngine (David’s choice, has staging area) (non-affiliate link)

* Synthesis (most cost-effective for extremely high traffic sites)

* Flywheel (Doug’s choice, fastest and highest uptime)

Business – Closed System

* Can be a great solution depending on your requirements, upside is no technical work for you

* Limited features and customization, can’t install your own themes and plugins

* Options:

* WordPress.com (designed mainly for blogs)

* PodWP (Doug’s company, designed for podcast websites)

* EfficientWP (Doug’s company, designed for business websites)

Our conclusion: invest in quality and peace of mind.

What host are you using, and are you happy with them? We’re happy to give recommendations!