When it comes to choosing the right WordPress hosting for you, you may face a lot of confusion and doubts.
Don’t know how to determine the most suitable virtual hosting for you, but are you worried about making the wrong choice and causing subsequent troubles? We have all experienced this situation.
After years of experience using various virtual hosting and trying many free and paid plans, I have gradually come to understand which ones are really suitable for you.
Through multiple comparisons and reviews, we will help you find the WordPress hosting that best suits your needs, making your website building journey smoother. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
WordPress hosting types, understand the differences between virtual hosting and VPS hosting at once!
Let’s first introduce the 3 types of WordPress hosts. Next, we will use a practical example to tell you the differences between virtual hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting!
Let’s say you’re planning a friend’s birthday party, and the party, like your website, needs a “place” to host it. Here are three different types of WordPress hosting types, explained using a birthday party analogy:
(1) Virtual hosting (shared hosting)
Imagine you rent a small party room in a small community to host a birthday party. This party room can only accommodate a small party, and you can only use the basic facilities provided by the party room, and share resources with other party rooms, such as parking and toilets. It’s like running a WordPress website on a virtual hosting, you can share server resources, but with limited functionality and performance.
(2) VPS hosting
Let’s say you rent a small, self-contained hotel room for a birthday party. This room is yours to decorate and arrange according to your needs without interference from other rooms. Although this room isn’t as luxurious as a hotel suite, you have the freedom to use the space and facilities as you see fit. It’s like running a WordPress website on a VPS hosting, you have a separate virtual server that you can configure and manage according to your needs.
(3) Cloud hosting
Finally, imagine you have a birthday party at a large party venue. This party venue has multiple indoor and outdoor venues, as well as various facilities and services such as a dance floor, bar, kitchen and parking. You have the flexibility to adjust your venue and services as needed, and pay based on the size of your party. It’s like running a WordPress website on a cloud hosting, where you have the flexibility to adjust resources and services based on your needs and pay based on usage.
The difference between virtual hosting, VPS hosting and cloud hosting
There are many types of hostings to choose from when building a website, so Yuanzhen has compiled a comparison of the differences between virtual hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting , so that you can better understand whether the virtual hosting best meets the hosting requirements for your website.
| Comparison items | Virtual hosting (shared hosting) | VPS hosting | Cloud hosting |
| Price | Low | Medium | High |
| Hosting resources | Shared | Exclusive | Exclusive |
| Applicable object | Personal website, small-sized enterprises | Small and medium-sized enterprises | Large enterprises, high-traffic website |
| Scalability | Limited, virtual host users cannot choose to add or delete devices and change time by themselves, but they can choose the host upgrade plan to increase capacity and traffic usage | Medium, VPS host users can use plan upgrades or add-on upgrades to fully upgrade the host plan or only add hard disk space, CPU or memory | Higher, cloud host users can increase or decrease resources, such as processors, memory, storage space, etc., at any time as needed to cope with traffic fluctuations or changes in application requirements |
| Efficacy | Generally, affected by shared resources | Higher, with dedicated resources | Very high and flexible resource allocation |
| Safety | Generally, when other users use too many resources, it may affect your website’s performance and security | Higher, each user has his or her own virtual environment or independent virtual server, and the risk of being attacked is low | Higher, each user has his or her own virtual environment or independent virtual server, and the risk of being attacked is low |
| Recommended manufacturers | Bluehost、HostGator | DigitalOcean、Linode | AWS、Google Cloud、Azure |
| Applicable websites | ✔ Infrastructure website (image website, blog)
✔ Stable flow rate with small changes ✔ Lack of IT management staff ✔ Beginner website setup with budget considerations |
✔ Medium and large websites
✔ Large traffic, member information website ✔ Complex program/frequent database access ✔ Have Linux/Windows system management capabilities |
✔ Highly scalable and available
✔ Multiple service models, such as IaaS, PaaS, SaaS ✔ Strong security and compliance ✔ Flexible payment model, billing based on actual usage |
WordPress hosting recommendation and selection points
(1) Stability of virtual hosting operation
It’s like if we want to buy a house, the first condition is that the house must be built solidly and not easily collapse. For a virtual hosting, we need to ensure that it runs stably and is not vulnerable to attacks or failures.
An excellent hosting provider must have an uninterruptible power supply system (UPS), 24-hour system service monitoring, and an uptime of 99.99%. Even if there is a power outage, customers do not have to worry about the website being shut down!
(2) Virtual hosting reading speed
The reading speed of a virtual hosting is just like driving a car. The speed determines the time it takes you to reach your destination. If the speed is too slow, visitors will feel like they are stuck in a traffic jam and will become impatient and may turn away.
But if your virtual host uses some newer technologies, such as LiteSpeed Web Server, it is like giving you a pair of wings to easily reach your destination in a short time. The functions of these technologies are mainly to provide cached pages, reducing the burden on the website, allowing your website to more easily face the challenge of high traffic, and provide visitors with a faster and more pleasant experience.
(3) Server location
If your server is located close to your target audience, they can access your site faster and enjoy a better experience. Moreover, local server locations can also provide better network connectivity, reduce network latency, and allow your website to run more stably. Simply put, if your service target is Taiwanese customers, then the best choice is to choose a server in Taiwan or other nearby countries, such as Singapore and Japan.
(4) Hardware space
Hardware space refers to the storage space you can use. If your virtual hosting provides enough hardware space, you can store more data and make your website more colorful. But on the contrary, when the space becomes less and less, you need to expand it, otherwise it will affect the speed of the website.
Therefore, when choosing a virtual hosting, you need to first determine your needs. If it is a large corporate website, it will need more space. If it is a personal blog, you can choose general space.
(5) Website traffic
Most e-commerce platforms have high traffic, so they will need to purchase enough traffic to prevent the website from not functioning properly due to excessive traffic.
The method of judging website traffic demand is the same as that of hardware space. They are all judged according to the nature of the website. Most hosting providers can also expand the traffic, so basically you don’t have to worry too much about buying too little at the beginning and then not having enough.
(6) Evaluation of hosting providers
The purchase of a virtual hosting is usually calculated on a yearly basis. Unless there are special circumstances, you will not move casually, so it is really important to do your homework beforehand and it is worth it! The evaluation of hosting providers will reflect their service quality, performance stability, technical support and customer satisfaction.
(7) Virtual hosting function
Most WordPress hosting providers provide one-click automatic installation of WordPress, website traffic viewing, SSL/TLS services, etc. These additional functions all come from the same virtual hosting management system called cPanel, which greatly reduces the technical threshold for setting up a website.
(8) Virtual hosting security
To ensure that your website and user data are fully protected, security features are a very important consideration. Therefore, you should look for hosting providers that offer strong security features. These features may include WAF firewalls, intrusion detection systems, SSL credentials, data encryption, secure backups, and more.
(9) Service consultation
Service consultation such as customer service and after-sales service consultation is also a key point. If you encounter serious problems when using the host, every minute and second is precious! At this time, the time it takes for customer service to respond is an important cost consideration, so when choosing a hosting provider, try to choose a company that can communicate in your native language and has 24x7x365 service hours.
(10) Virtual hosting costs
The price of web hosting depends on the features and resources you require.
If you are a starting website owner, or a small business, you may want to choose a less expensive shared hosting plan with basic features such as disk space, traffic, and support as your needs increase later and then upgrade.
If your website has a lot of traffic, or requires higher performance and security, then you may want to consider a higher-priced plan, such as VPS hosting or cloud hosting. These plans provide more resources and flexibility, but are also relatively more expensive.
If you are hesitant, you can first use a free trial to evaluate whether such a function is what you want.
Next, we will introduce the comparison of entry-level and advanced virtual hosts!
How to choose a popular WordPress hosting？Take a look at the virtual hosting comparison table！
| Hosting provider | Advantage | Disadvantage | Novices
friendly |
Cost | Efficacy |
| Yuanzhen Information | Provides free installation of SSL digital certificates to protect website data transmission under secure HTTPS. Free website malware scanning and WAF (website firewall). A variety of hosting solutions suitable for users with different needs | The price may be slightly higher | High | Medium | High, providing fast and stable hosting performance, and professional technical support. |
| HostGator | A variety of hosting solutions are available to suit users with different needs. Have a large number of users and a long operating history | Some users reported that customer service response speed is a bit slow | Medium | Medium | Medium, stable hosting performance |
| Bluehost | Provides unlimited bandwidth and storage space, suitable for websites that need expansion. User-friendly interface, suitable for novices | No traditional cPanel or Plesk control panels are provided. May not directly provide services for registering domain names | High | Medium | Medium, good performance and user experience |
| Hostinge | Offers a variety of hosting plans at relatively low prices. Has an intuitive interface, suitable for novices | Performance issues may sometimes occur | High | Medium | Medium, provides moderate performance, but may sometimes have some performance issues |
| Kinsta | Dedicated WordPress hosting provider focusing on high performance and security. Provides free SSL certificate and fast website acceleration
The price is relatively high |
The price is relatively high | Medium | Medium | High, providing excellent performance and security, suitable for professional users who require high-performance hosts |
| Cloudways | Provides cloud hosting services with high scalability and elasticity. User-friendly interface, suitable for novices | Sometimes there may be performance issues | Medium | Medium | Medium, providing highly scalable and flexible hosting plans, but may sometimes have performance issues |
| A2 Hosting | Various hosting plans are provided to suit different needs. Provide fast and stable host performance | The price may be slightly higher | High | Medium | High, providing fast and stable host performance, but the price may be higher |
HostGator(recommended for beginners)
Advantages of HostGator:
- Very flexible: There are many options for renting a hosting, and you can rent it for one month, three months, half a year, or even more.
- Speed quality: Fast speed is definitely the most important thing, and HostGator has been tested to be one of the fastest.
- Plenty of storage: All plans come with unlimited storage, but be aware that the sum of all files should not exceed 250,000.
- Flexible Terms: Hosting plans are available for purchase for 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 or 36 months.
- The hosting is fast and 99.9% stable, so you don’t have to worry about disconnections.
- Some domain names are provided for free.
Disadvantages of HostGator:
- Price: HostGator prices are usually higher because they offer more value-added features and are priced competitively in the market.
- Performance: According to user feedback, HostGator’s speed and response time are slightly inferior compared to other hosting providers.
- Support: HostGator’s customer service response has been quite positive in recent years, but it is not the best choice in terms of Chinese support.
- Automatic selection of additional services: During the sign-up process, HostGator may automatically select the cost of other pre-selected services, such as backup functionality for an additional $32.95 per year.
- Server location: All HostGator servers are located in the United States, which may have a certain impact on network speeds for users in Asia.
Bluehost(recommended for beginners)
Advantages of Bluehost:
- Pricing: Bluehost’s web hosting plans are within the reach of most users, especially those who are just starting out.
- Reliability: Bluehost provides reliable service by powering a large number of websites with minimal downtime.
- Customer Service: Bluehost offers 24/7 customer service, including expert support from knowledge staff, and ofers affordable plans to fit any budget.
- Extensive knowledge base: Bluehost has a huge collection of article information and video tutorials as part of its extensive knowledge base, which is of great help to beginners.
- Brand advantage: Bluehost enjoys a good brand position in foreign trade hosting, providing stable, fast and high-quality virtual hosting products.
- System configuration: Bluehost adopts advanced system configuration to ensure stability and performance, and supports multiple programming languages and technologies, suitable for the needs of various foreign trade websites.
- Chinese service: Bluehost provides Chinese website services to provide convenient services for Chinese users.
Disadvantages of Bluehost:
- Slow speed: Some users reported that Bluehost’s speed is slow.
- Customer service language: Customer service needs to communicate in English. Users from non-English-speaking countries may have certain communication difficulties.
- Cancellation of Mail-based service system: Bluehost recently canceled Mail-based services to focus on real-time chat and phone services, which may affect the experience of some users.
Hostinger (recommended for beginners)
Advantages of Hostinger:
- Provide high-quality services, efficient technical support, user-friendly interface, and competitive prices.
- Provides an intuitive and user-friendly website transfer tool, and has dedicated customer service staff to help complete the transfer process.
- Offers 24/7 customer support, including chat support, and has good reviews
- Pricing is cheaper, especially when buying a long-term plan.
- Loading speeds and response times are generally better than other competitors, performing well.
Disadvantages of Hostinger:
- Free subscriptions have limited features and the service is more restrictive than other providers.
- Dedicated server hosting is not provided and if you need to purchase a dedicated hosting plan then you will need to look elsewhere.
- If a customer refuses to log in with a Hostinger account, live chat will not be possible.
- There are no servers located in Asia.
Kinsta (Advanced recommendation)
Advantages of Kinsta:
- Fast: Kinsta hosting offers fast server response times and outperforms Cloudways in user interaction responsiveness, main content loading speed, and layout stability.
- High stability: Kinsta hosting provides stable services and comprehensive support in website management and maintenance.
- High security: Kinsta hosting offers advanced security measures, including automated website backups and updates, to ensure website security.
- Optional computer room in Taiwan: Kinsta hosting provides the option of a computer room in Taiwan to ensure faster response time for the website.
- Save time and money: Thanks to the services and tools provided by Kinsta hosting, users can install fewer plug-ins.
- Powerful and comprehensive WordPress hosting services: Kinsta provides customers with powerful and comprehensive WordPress hosting services, allowing users to easily manage their websites and ensuring their stability and performance.
- Efficient Google Cloud Platform technical support and optimization: Kinsta hosting is based on Google Cloud Platform technology and provides efficient hosting solutions.
- Fast website loading speed: Kinsta hosting offers fast website loading speed, thereby improving user experience and SEO performance.
- Globally distributed data centers: Kinsta hosting offers globally distributed data centers to provide better connectivity and performance.
Disadvantages of Kinsta:
- Kinsta’s price is higher compared to other virtual hostings .
- A hosting solution based on Google Cloud Platform, so it may take some users a while to get used to it.
- Since Kinsta’s service specifically provides support for WordPress websites, it may not be suitable for users of non-WordPress websites.
Cloudways (Advanced recommendation)
Advantages of Cloudways:
- Provide VPS hosting plans to accelerate WordPress website performance.
- Provide independent cloud hosting, which is flexible, scalable and easy to use.
- Choose from multiple cloud service providers, including DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and more.
- There is a custom control panel that is easy to use and powerful.
- Provides 24/7 customer service support with extensive professional knowledge and can provide detailed explanations and guidance.
- Provide self-service support resources, including tutorials and guides, to help users solve common problems.
- One-click deployment, automatic backup and recovery and other functions make website management easier.
- An hourly billing method is provided, usage is calculated at the end of each month, and can be deactivated at any time, unlike other virtual hosting that require pre-purchasing for more than one year.
- There is a three-day free trial period, and you can start the trial without having to tie up a credit card.
- Provides highly secure and stable services with good website loading speed.
Disadvantages of Cloudways:
- Price is on the high side: Cloudways is more expensive than virtual hosting, but the service it provides is stable and fast, without any binding, billed by the hour, settled at the end of the month, and the host can be deactivated at any time.
- No traditional cPanel or Plesk control panel: Cloudways offers its own custom control panel instead of the traditional cPanel or Plesk control panel that some users may already be familiar with, so it may take some getting used to.
- No phone support available: Although Cloudways’ support team responds quickly and provides effective solutions, it does not offer phone support.
- You need to wait 5-10 seconds to switch some functions: You need to wait 5-10 seconds to switch some functions, such as login page, backup and restore, website settings, hosting settings and other related pages.
A2 Hosting (recommended for beginners)
Advantages of A2 Hosting:
- A variety of hosting plans are provided, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers and reseller hosting, etc. Users can choose the most suitable plan according to their needs.
- Provides free website moving services and SSL certificates to help users set up websites faster.
- Provides year-round online customer service support to help users solve problems.
- Provides multiple currency payment methods to facilitate users to pay.
- Provides options to upgrade hosting, increase website security and gain more permissions.
- WordPress hosting is provided, making it easy to set up a WordPress website.
- Various subscription periods are provided, and users can choose according to their needs.
- There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, and users can get a full refund if it doesn’t work for them.
Disadvantages of A2 Hosting:
- The free website moving service provided is limited to certain hosting plans.
- The customer service support provided may require a certain waiting time.
- Upgrading hosting options in the future will require additional fees.
- There are additional fees for choosing a paid domain to purchase.
- Dedicated server plans offered may cost more.
Yuanzhen Information (recommended for beginners)
Advantages of Yuanzhen Information:
- Provide a full range of hosting services, including virtual hosting, VPS, physical and cloud hosting services.
- Provide complete specification solutions and high-security backup mechanisms.
- Supports hundreds of new top-level domain registrations, allowing you to break away from traditional .com choices, have a more unique URL than others, and find the domain that best suits your website.
- One-click deployment, automatic backup and recovery and other functions make website management easier.
- We provide comprehensive mailbox services to ensure the safety of your mailings, and the solutions allow you to freely mix and match them flexibly, giving you more choices.
- Assist enterprises to maintain information security and risk management, eliminate potential threats, and make your brand a trustworthy and safe website.
- Offers free website moving services and SSL certificates.
- We provide year-round online customer service support, and 24-hour engineers are on call to ensure the normal operation of the website.
- Provides a variety of hosting solutions, including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated servers and reseller hosting, etc. Users can choose according to their own needs.
- Provides an S/MIME Email ID Certificate for encrypting and signing emails.
Disadvantages of Yuanzhen Information:
- Upgrading hosting options in the future will require additional fees.
- There are additional fees for choosing a paid domain to purchase.