Web hosting vs WordPress hosting: Which is best?

man sat at computer with wordpress shirt on

(Image credit: Photograph by Fikret tozak on Unsplash)

Edifice a website may be easier now than information technology's ever been, specially with the best website builders, but new website owners notwithstanding face a lot of dissimilar decisions in the process. One of the most important decisions y'all accept to make early on on is figuring out which of the all-time web hosting services are ideal for your website.

You'll discover a lot of different terms and categories in your research nigh web hosts—It's a lot to navigate. A question you'll want to sympathize early on on is how spider web hosting and the best WordPress hosting compare, and hither we pit spider web hosting vs WordPress hosting to assist you brand a choice between the two.

What is web hosting?

What is WordPress hosting?

Web hosting vs WordPress hosting: What's the difference?

The difference between web hosting and WordPress hosting is that web hosting refers to a wide category of services of which WordPress hosting is i specific blazon. The term spider web hosting describes a variety of types of web hosting plans, with a range of costs and features. WordPress hosting is a specialized type of web hosting for people with websites built on WordPress.

All WordPress hosting plans count as a form of web hosting, only only some web hosting plans are WordPress hosting.

WordPress hosting: what to know

WordPress logo

Around 42% of all websites are congenital using WordPress (Image credit: WordPress)

WordPress has its own category of web hosting services considering of its immense popularity. Around 42% of all websites are congenital using WordPress. That means there'due south enough of a market of WordPress users for spider web hosting companies to offer plans specifically optimized for WordPress websites.

Reasons to consider WordPress hosting

WordPress hosting plans vary based on the program and provider, but the all-time WordPress hosting plans volition include some key benefits.

Managed WordPress hosting: Most WordPress hosting plans are a grade of managed hosting, where you get to outsource a lot of the technical work of spider web hosting to your provider. In the case of WordPress, that includes services like handling software updates and backups.
WordPress compatibility: Any WordPress hosting program should promise seamless compatibility betwixt your spider web hosting account and WordPress itself. That includes working with the most upwardly-to-appointment version of PHP, the programming language WordPress uses.
Enhanced security: WordPress websites confront specific security vulnerabilities. WordPress hosting providers should be committed to keeping upward-to-date on threats to WordPress and strengthening their security in response.
Automatic updates: WordPress unremarkably releases updates multiple times a year, and staying on top of them manually can exist tedious. Many managed WordPress hosting plans do the job for you.
Specialized support: A proficient WordPress hosting program will provide client back up staff that sympathize WordPress well plenty to provide skilful responses to whatever questions or issues yous have.

Limitations of WordPress hosting

WordPress hosting makes sense for a lot of websites, merely information technology'southward non necessarily for anybody.

It's only for WordPress websites. The virtually obvious limitation of WordPress hosting is that it's just useful for websites built on WordPress. If y'all used a website builder or some other CMS, information technology won't brand sense for y'all.
Information technology costs more than bones shared hosting plans. WordPress hosting—especially managed WordPress hosting plans—typically cost more than basic shared web hosting plans. If your needs are simple and you but want the nearly affordable web hosting option, it'south non for you.
Not all WordPress hosting plans are created equal. The benefits nosotros listed in a higher place are included in many WordPress hosting plans, but not all. Don't assume that just because something's labeled "WordPress hosting," y'all'll get all the features and services you want from it. Look closely at each plan yous consider to learn what it offers.

Web hosting: What to know

computer screen with web hosting graphics — Every website needs web hosting to appear online, with multiple types and plans bachelor (Paradigm credit: Shutterstock)

Web hosting is a necessary expense for every website, merely web hosting plans vary considerably in terms of blazon, toll, and the features and benefits they provide. The chief factor that determines the price and value of a web hosting plan is what type of plan information technology is. The main categories you lot'll see are:

Shared hosting: With shared hosting, your website will be i of many sharing a particular web server. That means it'southward cheaper, but also that you lot accept less bandwidth and infinite to work with. Shared hosting makes sense for many new and smaller websites, but some outgrow it.
VPS (virtual private server) : A VPS is still shared, only fewer websites volition be on the server, and each one is sectioned off so yous don't have to worry nigh your website beingness affected past the traffic surges of another. It costs more than shared hosting, just delivers a better operation.
Cloud hosting : With cloud hosting, instead of your website being stored on one server, your provider will apply a series of dissimilar servers that are all connected. For websites with inconsistent traffic levels, cloud hosting makes it piece of cake to calibration upwards and down as needed.
Defended server: For websites or applications that are either particularly complex or get a lot of traffic, a defended server ensures yous don't take to share your server with any other website. It costs more other options, but provides the near ability and bandwidth.

WordPress hosting isn't a different type of plan from these, rather it'due south a category that tin fall under any one of them. Depending on the plan you go with, information technology could be shared WordPress hosting, cloud WordPress hosting, etc, so y'all'll want to cheque earlier signing up for a WordPress hosting plan to learn which type information technology is.

The deviation with WordPress hosting is less nigh the server it's on, and more about the additional features that come with it.

Spider web hosting vs WordPress hosting: How to determine between the options

If y'all have a WordPress website, managed WordPress hosting is a good option if you desire a web hosting plan that will make your life a piddling easier, since you won't have to worry as much about updates and security. It tin too be a smart choice if you aren't peculiarly tech savvy, and want the convenience of having skillful WordPress back up on manus.

But if you lot either don't have a WordPress website, or if your priority is choosing the nigh affordable option, so another web hosting plan may make more sense.

Web hosting vs WordPress hosting: Which is best?