Are you looking for WordPress plans but can't figure out which one to use?
There are so many companies that offer different WordPress hosting plans that it becomes difficult to choose the right option for your website.
In this guide, we'll help you decide which WordPress hosting plan you should use, and how to compare different plans for your own needs.
But first, if you've never installed WordPress, find out How to Install a WordPress Blog in 7 Steps et How to search, install and activate a WordPress theme on your blog
Then to why we are here.
Most common types of WordPress plans
WordPress is the world's most popular website builder. Many companies offer WordPress hosting plans with different types of services and features.
When we say WordPress, we mean popular software WordPress.org and not only WordPress.com which is actually one of the blog hosting services.
Please you can view our guide on the difference between self-hosted WordPress.org vs free WordPress.com blog for further.
To easily explain all the different types of WordPress hosting solutions, we've categorized them into the most commonly used WordPress plans:
- Self-Hosted and Shared WordPress Plans - Good for small websites and blogs.
- Managed WordPress Plans - Good for large websites.
- Fully Hosted WordPress Plans - Very Expensive - Not Recommended.
Now each of these WordPress plans can be ranked further.
This is because individual WordPress hosting companies try to create their own plans with different features and service levels. Later in this article, we'll discuss these options.
Let's take a look at the most common WordPress plans available and what types of websites you can build with them (at the lowest cost).
Self-hosted and shared WordPress plan
Shared self-hosted WordPress plans are the most popular web hosting solution for newbies. They are affordable, flexible, and easy to manage, which is why they can also be referred to as starter plans.
The reason behind their low costs is quite simple. These plans allow you to share hosting resources with other small businesses / individual users.
Most websites when they are just starting out don't need more expensive WordPress plans. If you are just starting a blog or creating a small business website, then shared hosting plans are quite sufficient to get started.
You can even use these plans to create an online store.
Cons of a self-hosted and shared WordPress plan
There are two big drawbacks to using the self-hosted and shared WordPress plan.
First of all, you have limited server resources because these plans are designed for startup websites. These plans keep the cost of building a website lower, so you can spend that money to grow your business.
Once you start earning money you can easily upgrade to a more powerful WordPress plan.
Most shared web hosting companies offer several types of upgrades with more resources, so you can also upgrade to their VPS hosting plans if needed, or upgrade to a managed WordPress plan, which we'll discuss.
The other downside is the maintenance of the website. You will be responsible for installing WordPress updates, making backups, etc.
However, WordPress is incredibly easy to use, and millions of newbie users easily manage their own websites without any technical skills.
Which shared WordPress plan is right for me?
There are hundreds of companies that offer shared WordPress plans. The competition in this industry is fierce which means that the choices available can easily overwhelm a novice user.
If you are a beginner then we recommend Bluehost. It is one of the largest hosting companies in the world and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.
It also offers users generous discounts on hosting with free domain name + free SSL certificate. Basically you can get started for just $ 2,75 per month.
The other main competitors in this category are HostGator et SiteGround.
HostGator is better if you are on a budget. SiteGround costs a bit more, but offers greater value for your money with premium customer support and industry-leading technology.
You can start with their lowest plans and get all the powerful WordPress features without paying the high prices of a fully hosted WordPress plan.
It's a great value that many newbies don't find out until they overpay for more premium plans.
Now what happens when your business grows, and your website starts to receive high traffic, over 100 visitors per month?
So the next type of WordPress plans are best suited to these requirements.
Managed WordPress plans
Managed WordPress plans are like a janitorial service where all technical aspects of running WordPress are handled by the host.
They handle WordPress security, website speed, installation of updates, backups, and scalability.
These plans include premium support for more WordPress engineers. It's like having your own small team of developers to take care of the maintenance of your website.
When and who needs a managed WordPress plan?
Most startup websites and businesses don't make money at the start. They may find it more difficult to justify the cost associated with managed WordPress plans.
However, if you started on a shared plan and now your website is bringing in enough revenue and traffic, then upgrading to a managed WordPress plan may be a good idea.
Cons of choosing a managed WordPress plan
One obvious downside is the pricing. Managed WordPress plans are expensive.
The basic plan usually starts around $ 29 per month. However, if you compare it to hiring a full time developer or website administrator then it would still be a bit cheaper.
The other downside is the limits and the control. Managed WordPress hosting providers need tighter control over what you can install on the platform to ensure its stability.
They may also prohibit certain WordPress plugins, which are notorious for slowing down websites.
Which managed WordPress plan is right for me?
Managed WordPress industry has grown a lot over the past few years. There are many companies offering managed WordPress plans with similar functionality.
We recommend that you use WP Engine as the managed WordPress hosting provider. It is one of the pioneers in the managed WordPress hosting space and offers a robust platform with great options for customer support.
alternatives: SiteGround et liquid web both offer great managed WordPress plans.
Fully hosted WordPress plans
These hosting plans provide you with a slightly customized version of the WordPress platform, so that you can build specific types of websites.
You don't need to use WordPress like you would normally use on a self-hosted platform. You are limited to the features provided by the platform which vary depending on the plan you choose.
Who needs a fully hosted WordPress plan
If you need to get a website up and running quickly, and you're not super concerned about making money from it, then the plan is WordPress fully hosted might be a good option for you.
You can also get started for free without even purchasing a domain name. It's a good option for personal blogs, family websites, travel photos, and more.
Cons of a fully hosted WordPress plan
You have limited control over your website. You can only use the features available on your plan and cannot extend them on your own.
You also have fewer options for monetizing your content. Even if you're paying for a business account, your options for growing your business will be less flexible than a self-hosted WordPress plan.
Which fully hosted WordPress plan is right for me?
WordPress.com is the largest such company. They offer a basic free WordPress plan and lets you create a website using subdomain wordpress.com.
Premium plans start from $ 4 per month billed annually. Their Business plan is $ 25 per month and the e-Commerce plan is $ 45 per month, both billed annually.
You do not have the option to install WordPress plugins until you pay for the Business plan ($ 25 per month).
Are you unable to take launch your online store until you pay for the e-Commerce plan of $ 45 per month.
You can do both of these things on the lower $ 2,75 per month cost of the shared WordPress hosting plan we mentioned above while enjoying the full freedom of WordPress.
How do I choose a WordPress plan for my website?
Choosing the right WordPress plan for your website depends on your business goals and budget.
If you are a beginner then we recommend you to go on bluehost. Their self-hosted WordPress plan gives you powerful WordPress hosting features with a free domain for just $ 2,75 per month.
You can use it to start a blog, create an online store, create a website small business, and more.
As your website grows, you can upgrade to a managed WordPress hosting account with WP Engine ou SiteGround. This allows you to focus on growing your business.
If you already have an established business or a large website then we recommend that you skip the start up step and go straight to hosting plans WordPress managed for the best experience.
Discover also some premium WordPress plugins
You can use other WordPress plugins to give a modern appearance and to optimize the handling of your blog or website.
We offer you here some premium WordPress plugins that will help you do that.
1.AAPro
The AAPro WordPress plugin comes with a bunch of tools that will allow you to create a website profitable affiliate business in no time. It connects your WordPress website with the Amazon Product Advertising API (Affiliate API).
Certainly there are many good plugins for affiliate marketing, but they all work with large networks, because generally local online stores do not offer their own APIs and do not participate in any affiliate network.
Its features include: WooCommerce support, the ability to use different search engines, widget support, responsive design support, easy setup and much more.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
2. Facebook Recent Comments Widget
This widget allows you to display a list of the latest Facebook comments from your WordPress blog on the first page, or anywhere there is a widget used by the website.
As features you will have among others: the display of all the latest comments of your website or WordPress blog, theAutomatic or manual approval of comments to be displayed on the widget,sending an email notification when a person comments through the Facebook comments plugin, good SEO, compatibility with any WordPress theme, ooptions to customize the widget and much more.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
3. Cache Total W3
W3 Total Cache is one of WordPress plugins most popular caching. It's a full-featured WordPress caching plugin with a ton of options that can make it a bit daunting for beginners.
It offers all the features needed to properly configure the WordPress cache. Which includes page cache, object cache, gzip compression, limited minification support, support for CDNEtc. ...
Beginners may find it difficult to use W3 Total Cache. For detailed configuration instructions, see our article on W3 Total Cache plug-in installation and configuration procedure.
Download | Demo | Web hosting
Recommended Resources
Find out about other recommended resources to help you build and manage your website.
- 6 WordPress plugins to add Authorize.Net to your website
- Some WordPress plugins to engage visitors
- WordPress backup: explanations and the best WordPress plugins
- 8 Best Competitive Research Tools for Marketing Pros
Conclusion
Here ! That's it for this tutorial. We hope this article has helped you learn which WordPress plan you should use. Do not hesitate to share with your friends on your favorite social networks.
However, you can also consult our resources, if you need more elements to carry out your projects of creation of Internet sites, by consulting our guide on WordPress blog creation.
If you have suggestions or remarks, leave them in our section Comments.
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