Peace of mind starts here – Pagely
Proudly placing itself above other hosting brands, Pagely – the premium WordPress hosting provider, promises great flexibility, scalability, and hosting solutions “engineered from the ground up for maximum uptime and durability”.
But, wonder what’s missing from the diagram? The price tags.
The cheapest plan at Pagely costs $199 a month – 600% more expesive than Kinsta and 6,700% more expensive than BlueHost entry price.
The diagram is not an apple-to-apple comparison by far.
WordPress Host? Managed WordPress Hosting… What?
A WordPress hosting simple means a web host that accommodate blogs (or sites) that are built with WordPress.
Technically, you can host a WordPress site on any server that support PHP 5.2.4 (or higher) and MySQL 5.0 (or higher).
A “Managed WordPress host” simply means hosting solutions with extra concierge service and extensive WP-specific features (more about how is Managed WordPress hosting different here).
Worth the Price?
It’s nice (and for many, a necessity) to have all the advanced hsoting features, expert tech supports, and ultra-fast servers – but they all come at a much higher price. Does your business need such sophisticated hosting infrastructure; or you are buying it simply because your web developer said so?
For those who are unsure – here’s my input for you.
Advantages of Managed WordPress Hosting
So what makes these high-priced managed WP hosting plans tick?
- Faster Speeds – Due to the optimized nature of Managed WordPress hosts, you’re usually getting fantastic architecture to run WordPress sites off. To what extent depends on the host, but generally, this would be faster than regular shared hosting
- Built-in WordPress tools – These range from all round tools such as JetPack to WordPress themes for you to use. They know you’re going to run WordPress and they provide for it.
- WordPress-specific Support – Rather than rely on tech who are expected to know everything, Managed WordPress Hosts often hire WordPress experts for you. These specialists will know all the tips and tricks that can help you anytime, anywhere.
- Automated Updates – Due to the modular nature of WordPress, you must update not only the core files, but also each plugin you run. Managed WordPress hosts can keep all of these up to date for you, reducing security risks.
- Tools for Developers – Aside from pre-built tools, Managed WordPress hosting providers know that WordPress site owns often like to tinker. As such they will give you access to development tools and environments that you can play around with and not destroy your site in the process.
Disadvantages
And what’s the downside?
- Price – Almost unilaterally, Managed WordPress hosting is more expensive than standard low-cost shared hosting offerings. If you find a plan that’s the same price (or God forbid, cheaper) then you know you’re getting conned.
- Only WordPress – You asked for WordPress and you get WordPress. Want to change your mind? Change your hosting provider or switch to an entirely different type of plan. That usually means site migration though.
- Automated Updates – Yes, this can be a drawback too, if you opt for auto updates. There are times when developers (of WordPress or other plugins) make a boo-boo and release an update that is disastrous to its users. Your system will auto update. If you’re not around and don’t realize it, you can’t do anything.
So…
Personally I feel that Managed WordPress hosting generally offers at least some form of benefits, but it’s not meant for everyone. As I’ve listed above, consider your situation before looking towards Managed WordPress Hosting.
Note that, if you’re aiming to own a successful, large volume site. technical skills, server management should be part of your web skill set.
It’s not rocket science, there are literally hundreds of tutorial and forums to learn from and you have to playground to fool around in on the WWW. Ignoring the tech altogether is sheer laziness – and could cost you some day. With that, the decision is in your hands.