The short answer: cheap shared hosting rents you space on a server, and everything else is up to you: setup, security, backups, and fixing problems. Managed WordPress hosting includes that work. The server is set up for WordPress, SSL is configured, the site is backed up daily and monitored for downtime, and someone else handles problems. You pay a little more each month to not be your own server administrator.
Hosting is one of those decisions that feels like it shouldn’t matter, right up until the site goes down or gets hacked. Here’s what actually separates the two options.
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting puts many websites on the same server, sharing its processing power and memory. It’s the cheapest way to get a website online, which is why it’s the default at big hosting companies, often with a low introductory price that goes up at renewal.
The hosting company keeps the server running. Almost everything about your site is still your job: installing WordPress, configuring security, setting up backups, running updates, and working out what went wrong when the site is slow or offline.
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is hosting set up specifically for WordPress, with the day-to-day care included. What “managed” covers varies by provider, but it should include at least:
- A WordPress-tuned server, with caching configured for speed
- SSL and security setup, so the site is encrypted and hardened from day one
- Automatic daily backups you can restore from quickly
- Uptime monitoring, so someone is alerted the moment the site goes down
- Help when something breaks, from people who know WordPress
How do they compare?
| Cheap shared hosting | Managed WordPress hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | A few dollars a month (often more at renewal) | Roughly $25 a month and up for a small-business site |
| Setup | Do it yourself | Done for you |
| SSL | Usually available; you configure it | Configured for you |
| Backups | Sometimes extra, often weekly, restore is up to you | Daily, restored for you |
| Downtime alerts | Rarely | Monitored for you |
| Speed | Depends on the other sites on your server | Configured and cached for WordPress |
| When something breaks | Support ticket, general hosting support | Someone who knows your site |
Is managed WordPress hosting worth the extra cost?
For most small businesses, yes, because the comparison isn’t really $3 against $25 a month. It’s $3 a month plus your time (or a developer’s hourly rate) every time something needs setting up, restoring, or fixing. One afternoon recovering a site with no recent backup costs more than a year of the difference.
Shared hosting can still be the right choice for a hobby site, a short-lived campaign page, or someone who enjoys managing servers and has the time to do it.
Does hosting affect my website’s speed and SEO?
Yes. A slow server makes every page slow, and page speed affects both how visitors experience your site and how it performs in search. On shared hosting you’re also affected by your neighbours: if another site on the server gets a traffic spike, yours can slow down with it. A host tuned for WordPress, with good caching, removes most of that variability.
Hosting isn’t the only factor, though. A site built on a heavy theme or overloaded with plugins will be slow on any server. That’s one reason I build on Breakdance, which produces lighter pages than most page builders.
Will I have downtime if I switch hosts?
Typically little to none. A careful migration copies your site to the new server and tests it there first. Only then is your domain pointed at the new host. Your domain name can usually stay where it’s registered.
What does PowerUp’s hosting include?
PowerUp Hosting is $25/month and includes managed hosting for WordPress, SSL and security setup, automatic daily backups, and uptime monitoring. Migration from your current host is handled as part of getting set up. If you also want updates and support, Hosting + Maintenance together is $60/month; see the Care plans. There’s no long-term contract.
Not sure what you’re on now? Send me your site’s address and I’ll tell you.