7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting of 2023 (Ranked!)
The best managed WordPress hosts are not only fast and reliable, but offer all the features and support to make ‘managing’ your WordPress site a piece of cake.
Our top pick of managed WordPress hosts has got to be DreamHost. We’ve reached that decision after rigorous speed and uptime testing, and from our first hand experience with over 95+ WordPress test sites, hosted on 45+ web hosts. Yeah – a lot!
The magic of a managed WordPress host is that it offers you something of a ‘hands-off’ way to run a website, by essentially ‘managing’ your website behind the scenes. They’re perfect if you want results, but don’t have the time or know-how to manage things under the hood.
That said – not all managed WordPress hosts are made equal. Here are the ones that managed to get past all our tests, and earn a gold star of approval.
7 Excellent Managed WordPress Hosting Services
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A quick note on speed
We’ve ranked every host’s speed using Bitcatcha Server Speed Checker. It records response time from ten locations around the globe and calculates the average. Scores below 180 ms are ranked “A+” and scores from 181 ms to 210 ms will be ranked “A.”
1. DreamHost — Best Overall Managed WordPress Hosting
https://www.dreamhost.com/
Overall score
Overall Rating
Speed
Price
Key Features
- Unlimited email
- 60GB SSD
- 1-click staging
- Free daily backup
- 100% uptime guar.
"Managed Hosting as it should be: fast, feature-rich and affordable, even for beginners."
After setting up way too many test sites and running the numbers – we’re calling it. Our top managed WordPress host has got to be DreamHost.
Sure, they’re an established brand that you’ve probably heard of. But the main reason we’re putting them #1 is because they make it dead easy for anyone – even total beginners – to build, launch and manage a WordPress site. Their Managed WordPress plans – aptly named ‘Dreampress’ – are pretty unbeatable in terms of value and ease. They’re also one of the few hosts with an official WordPress endorsement!
Typically, anyone looking for Managed WordPress hosting wants something as hands-off as possible. DreamHost has essentially thought of every possible annoying part of running a website – whether that’s designing it or updating the latest security patches – and takes it off your shoulders. You can then focus on the important business of growing your business.
All of DreamHost’s plans give you automated backups (to keep your site safe), built-in caching (no need to implement anything) and free site migrations. Their team is highly-trained in WordPress and manages all your security updates and server optimization, so your site stays safe and speedy without you needing to think twice about it.
How speedy? We set up 2 WordPress test sites on DreamHost and ran them through our speed checker tool to find out.
| US (W) | US (E) | London | Singapore | São Paulo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 ms | 2 ms | 77 ms | 242 ms | 117 ms |
| Bangalore | Sydney | Japan | Canada | Germany |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 194 ms | 210 ms | 169 ms | 16 ms | 87 ms |
They scored a top-notch A+ ranking and were the fastest hosts on this list! As expected, server loading speeds got slower in regions that were further away from their data centers (both in the US). But if your audience is based near the Americas, your WordPress site should be lightning-fast.
DreamHost pricing
- DreamPress – $16.95 per month
- DreamPress Plus – $24.95 per month
- DreamPress Pro – $71.95 per month
What’s not good with DreamHost
- No data centres outside the US, which means slower speeds for those with audiences in Asia or Oceania. However, their average worldwide speed is still great!
- Live chat support is limited to 5:30AM – 9.30PM Pacific Time. However, they do have a round-the-clock ticketing system.
Learn more about DreamHost
- Read our complete DreamHost review for more information.
- Visit our DreamHost test site.
Exclusive for Bitcatcha readers: Get 17% OFF on DreamHost’s 12-month plan
2. Kinsta
https://kinsta.com/
Speed
Excellent
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$35 /mo
Key Features
- Google Cloud powered
- Daily backups
- WP expert support
- Cloudflare & SSL
- 24/7 monitoring
"Ideal for mid-large businesses & enterprises."
Kinsta’s big selling point is that it’s powered by Google Cloud, which they claim makes them faster than their competitors. We certainly were impressed with the speed of our Kinsta-hosted test site, which scored an A+ rating. They provided super fast response speeds across the US. They’re also the host of choice for Ubisoft and Asos, so they are no stranger to demanding clients.
Their smallest package costs $100 $35 – updated Jun 2022 – so Kinsta is an option tailored for businesses, bigger sites, and higher budgets.
But if you need that much power, Kinsta has it in bucketloads. The service checks your website once a minute for security and support. You can choose your own CDN. and boasts all the developer tools you could want (including a bespoke dashboard that is beautiful and intuitive).
In terms of support, Kinsta’s team responds quickly to our tickets, and clearly knows their stuff when it comes to all things WordPress. Their entire support team is composed of high-level WordPress developers and experts, which should help you resolve any issues quickly. You’re in safe hands here.
Kinsta pricing
- Starter – $35 per month
- Business 1 – $115 per month
- Enterprise 1 – $675 per month
What’s not good with Kinsta
- It’s more expensive than many hosts on this list. Kinsta’s smallest plan now starts from $35 /month.
- No email hosting. Kinsta recommends G Suite for email hosting ($6 /mo for Basic plan)
Learn more about Kinsta
- See our detailed Kinsta review.
- Visit our Kinsta test site.
3. HostPapa
https://www.hostpapa.com/
Speed
Excellent
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$39.95 /mo
Key Features
- 50GB SSD
- 1 website
- Free WordPress migration
- Daily offsite backups
- PapaSquad support
"Well-rounded host with great support, suitable for all types of sites."
Coming in next is HostPapa, a hosting solution hailed from Canada.
We’ve been impressed with them for years and their server speeds have consistently scored top A+ scores on our speed test tool. So we were happy to see them launch Managed WordPress plans in 2022! Finally!
With 3 fast data centers in the US, Canada and Amsterdam, and budget-friendly prices, we think HostPapa makes for a great no-frills optimized WordPress solution.
They’ve piled lots of great features into their interface, so you won’t need to fuss around and look for / pay for extra plugins for your WordPress site. Highlights include:
- Being able to automate CDN configuration, core updates, plugin updates and more by default or in a few clicks.
- Optimizing your site performance with Full Page Caching
- Free WordPress site migrations
- Software boosters like WordPress Super Caching to help speed up site loading
HostPapa also offers great security features packaged up into their ‘Website Security Suite’ that gives you enterprise-grade WordPress protection. For one – you get not one, but two firewalls PLUS real-time malware scanning and offsite daily backups made automatically.
Finally – we just love their support team, AKA the ‘PapaSquad’. They’re highly trained in WordPress and you can even schedule a 30-minute training session with them to answer any WordPress or website questions you have!
HostPapa pricing
- Launch – $19.95 per month
- LaunchPlus – $39.95 per month
- LaunchPro – $69.95 per month
What’s not good with HostPapa
- They don’t yet have any datacenters near to Asia or Australia.
Learn more about HostPapa
- Find out more at our full HostPapa review.
- Visit our HostPapa test site.
4. Hostinger
https://www.hostinger.com/
Speed
Excellent
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$2.99 /mo
Key Features
- 100GB SSD
- Free site migration
- Automatic WordPress updates
- 1-click installer
- DDoS Protection
"Fantastic features, a global support team and very wallet-friendly pricing."
Hostinger is one of our favorite hosts and they’ve come a LONG way from just being known as ‘the cheapest host around’.
In fact, our research found Hostinger to be the Most Sought-After Web Host of 2020! Today, they provide premium-level performance and support at prices that are still surprisingly affordable. Oh – and they’re perfect for WordPress.
Hostinger is now the most popular hosting brand in the world!
Why?
- Use their easy 1-click WordPress installer.
- Convenient pre-installed WordPress plugins and marketing tools.
- You’ll manage everything from the hPanel (a more user-friendly version of cPanel)
- Let their team handle automatic WordPress updates for you.
Your WordPress site performance ALSO gets a nice boost thanks to things like NGINX caching, LiteSpeed cache, and PHP7.4 support. The result is some of THE fastest loading speeds we’ve ever seen on our speed tests!
Another thing that has always made Hostinger stand out is how global their servers and support team are. They have 10 data centers worldwide, which means you can simply host from the one that’s closest to your audience and enjoy the speediest of high speeds. It’s not something you’d usually expect at their low price point, but hey – we’ll take it.
Overall, Hostinger offers amazing value for WordPress site owners. For $2.99 a month (on the 48-month plan), you get a ton of value.
Hostinger pricing
- Single WordPress – $1.99 per month
- WordPress Starter – $2.99 per month
- Business WordPres – $3.99 per month
- WordPress Pro – $11.59 per month
What’s not good with Hostinger
- Hostinger doesn’t offer free daily backups. However, they do have free weekly backups which serves our needs well enough.
- Also, their rates are low BUT it’s only applicable with a longer subscription period (48 months).
Learn more about Hostinger
- Find out more at our full Hostinger review.
- Visit our Hostinger test site.
5. Cloudways
https://www.cloudways.com/
Speed
Good
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$50 /mo
Key Features
- Cloud hosting
- Responsive support
- CloudwaysBot
- Scalability
- No contracts
"Managed cloud hosting for everyone."
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting provider. It’s a little different from many traditional web hosts in that you can choose to deploy WordPress through Cloudways on the cloud of your choice, like AWS, Digital Ocean and Linode. Cloud hosting is much more powerful and reliable than traditional VPS.
As for features, Cloudway’s managed WordPress hosting comes with 24/7 support and free migration across all packages. Advanced options come with GIT integration, staging URLs, and managed backups. There’s also an intuitive and user-friendly control panel – something that a lot of cloud hosts don’t have. We also just love their pay-as-you go model – it’s much more flexible than most pricing plans.
Cloudways pricing
- Digital Ocean – starting from $12 per month
- VULTR – starting from $13 per month
- Linode – starting from $12 per month
- AWS – starting from $36.51 per month
- Google Cloud – starting from $33.18 per month
What’s not good with Cloudways
- Cloud hosting can be a little technical, but the user-friendly control panel does help smooth out the process.
- Cloudways is built on top of other cloud hosting facilities. They have minimum control over the hardware.
Learn more about Cloudways
- Find out more at Cloudways official website.
6. WP Engine
https://wpengine.com/
Speed
Excellent
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$44 /mo
Key Features
- Fully managed
- GeoTargeting
- Daily backups
- Malware scan
- Firewall, CDN ready
"It’s one of the most well-rounded options out there."
WP Engine are perhaps the biggest name in managed WordPress hosting. They were one of the first to offer it, and now provide hosting for Cancer Research, Rightmove, HTC and a variety of other big-name clients.
The entry level option, ‘Startup’ is generous, offering a staging environment, one click backup, and free site migration. It’s perfect for up to 25,000 visitors per month, but you’ll have to upgrade to unlock more resources and 24/7 phone support.
Their server is located on the East Coast of the US, so the server speed is faultless if your audience is based there. I also love their 60-day money-back guarantee, so if it’s not working out, you can simply cancel it. In short, it’s very solid and extremely easy to use – even for newbies.
WP Engine pricing
- Startup – $20 per month
- Professional – $44 per month
- Growth – $113 per month
- Scale – $275 per month
What’s not good with WP Engine
It’s more expensive than many competitors(Exclusive deal! Get a $90 discount on first bill – Starts from $22.50 /mo), but they do back it up with strong service and reputation.- WP Engine has a list of prohibited plugins, which is worth looking at before you commit.
- 24/7 support is only available to premium customers.
Learn more about WP Engine
- Find out more at WP Engine official website.
7. Bluehost
https://www.bluehost.com/
Speed
Good
Overall Rating
Price (USD)
$19.95 /mo
Key Features
- Unlimited websites and storage
- Jetpack integration
- Resource protection
- Automatic backup
- 24/7 support
"Suitable for small sites & beginners."
A complete managed WordPress host isn’t the right option for everyone, particularly newer or smaller websites. In that case, a cheaper option will be more than adequate. And Bluehost is one of the best budget options out there.
Their speed is consistently fast across the US and is especially zippy from the West Coast – coming in at 23 ms! And whilst we wish it had more data centres around the world (there’s only one in the US, and in India), their global average speed is still very decent at 153 ms.
It’s secure, and 24/7 customer support is available as standard. Unlike some hosts like Inmotion Hosting with no CDN included, Bluehost supports Cloudflare.
Plus – Bluehost has been is recommended by WordPress.org since 2005!
Bluehost pricing
- Build – $19.95 per month
- Grow – $29.95 per month
- Scale – $49.95 per month
What’s not good with Bluehost
- There’s no free site migration.
- Some reports have cited slow load speeds and support responses.
Learn more about Bluehost
- Find out more at our Bluehost review.
- Visit our Bluehost test site.
What is Managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is like having your personal tech team, specifically optimized for WordPress sites. It’s a step above shared hosting, taking care of technical aspects behind the scenes while you focus on site growth.
Once you handle the initial setup, the experts manage your site, allowing you to relax and enjoy the process. With managed hosting, your website remains updated, lightning-fast, and highly secure. Regular backups and security checks protect against hackers.
Managed hosts can handle higher traffic and bandwidth, preventing crashes during sudden spikes. In essence, a good managed WordPress host ensures your site is always up to date, fast, backed up, and secure.
Who Could Need Managed WordPress Hosting?
To be honest – for small websites and those that are just getting started, managed WordPress hosting might be overkill. A simple shared hosting or optimized WordPress hosting may be sufficient in this case. Having said that, I still recommend managed hosting for beginners and pros alike. It’s ideal for:
- Bloggers or businesses that want to focus on running their site, without worrying about updates, backups and behind-the-scenes technicalities.
- Anyone who plans to grow their traffic fast and sees regular spikes in visitors.
- Any website that cannot afford any downtime.
- Anyone who values great support
How to choose the best managed wordpress hosting?
Different hosts pride themselves on different strengths and specialties, but there are certain non-negotiables that you’ll need from a managed WordPress Host. These include:
- Speed
A fast host ensures quick load times and better user experience. That’s why we’ve tested all the hosts in this article using our Bitcatcha Speed Test Tool to ensure their performance. Look for optimized hardware and software, along with free or discounted CDN and caching technology. - Security
Hosts should provide strong defenses against hackers and malware, including firewalls, SSL certifications, and proactive monitoring. Automatic updates for WordPress and security protocols are essential. - Reliability
A reliable managed WordPress host offers excellent customer support round the clock. Look for uptime guarantees of at least 99% to minimize downtime. - WordPress features
Ensure the host meets WordPress’s recommended requirements, such as PHP version 7.4 or greater, MySQL version 5.7 or greater (or MariaDB version 10.2 or greater), and HTTPS support. Consider a host with a user-friendly management interface and custom WordPress accelerators or caching technology. - Value for money
Assess the inclusions provided by the host, such as free email or domain registrations, CDN or SSL cert upgrades, and other value-added features.
The Benefits of Managed WordPress Hosting
Many website owners wonder if managed hosting is worth the extra money, but if you’ve got big plans for your website, it makes a lot of sense. Here are the benefits in more detail:
- Specifically optimized for WordPress
The servers are fine-tuned and optimized for WordPress alone. A specialist service is always better than a general one. - Auto-updates
The software behind your site automatically updates to the latest version, so it’s always at the highest performance. There’s no need to check and install updates manually. - Bulletproof security
Security is perhaps the biggest incentive to upgrade to a managed WordPress host. The auto-updates and specialist hosting environment means it’s better guarded against hackers and other security issues. As you’ll see, most hosting platforms run regular security checks, and may actively remove malware. - Super speed
A slow website can negatively affect your sales, conversions, and user experience, but speeding things up manually takes a lot of effort and skill. The best hosting uses built-in caching and (often) provides a CDN to super-charge your website speed automatically. - Auto-backups
Managed WordPress hosting platforms typically offer daily backups. You can sleep soundly knowing you won’t lose your website if the worst happens! - 24/7 support
It’s always good to know there’s an expert on the end of a phone if you start getting unexplained 505 errors. Managed hosting packages usually include access to a premium support service so you can skip the queue and speak to real developers. - Flexible & scalable for huge traffic
Managed hosts can handle a lot more traffic and bandwidth than a shared host. If you get a sudden spike of traffic, your site won’t crash.
The downside of Managed WordPress Hosting
Of course, managed hosts aren’t for everyone. There are one or two features that may put you off:
- Cost
They are more expensive than shared hosts. You can expect to pay between $15-$60 per month for a managed host, whereas you can pick up a shared host for as little as $1.99. - You can only use WordPress
This might seem like an obvious point, but it’s worth noting! If you also run websites on Joomla or Drupal, it’s pretty useless. - Lack of control
The beauty of managed hosting is that it’s self-sufficient. It updates, manages and tweaks everything to improve performance automatically. If you’re the type of person that loves to poke around, test things, and make changes yourself, you might find it restrictive, as access is sometimes limited. - Plugin restrictions
Some managed hosts prohibit the use of certain plugins. Why? Plugins suck up valuable resources and slow down performance, so some hosts ban the most resource-hungry ones. That said, most managed hosts come with the best plugin features already built in (like caching, backups etc.)
Verdict: Which Is The Best Managed WordPress Hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is ideal if you’re looking for consistent speed, security and performance without having to worry about the technical stuff.
It’s perfect if you’re planning to grow your site and traffic significantly in the future and want a host that will grow with you.
As for choosing the right option, here’s a reminder of my three top picks.
If you’re looking for all-round dependable managed WordPress-endorsed hosting, DreamHost is our top pick for most people. If you have the budget for a premium solution, Kinsta is as good as it gets – especially if you’re running a high-traffic site. And if you want great optimized WordPress hosting, HostPapa is worth checking out.
Before you make your decision, consider the price, features and level of customer support that best fit your website.
