Which Is Better: Managed WordPress Hosting or Web Hosting?

As a business owner, it is essential to have a hosting service that ensures the safety and speed of the website.

For some people, though, understanding the technical parts and implementing optimization ideas might take a lot of work. A frequent question is whether to choose web hosting or managed WordPress hosting. Your choice of hosting provider significantly influences your domain’s performance, security, and scalability.

To make the best call, consider your website’s unique needs and your technical comfort level. This blog dives deep into comparing managed WordPress hosting and web hosting. Read to the end to gain crucial details about each option and equip yourself for informed website development!

Key Takeaways:

• Managed WordPress Hosting simplifies website management with automatic updates, enhanced security, and optimized performance, which is best for non-technical users or those prioritizing ease and security.
• Web Hosting offers more control and affordability, ideal for tech-savvy individuals or projects requiring specific configurations, but demands more hands-on management and security measures.
• Decision-making should factor in technical comfort, budget, website scale, and specific needs, whether prioritizing hands-off convenience or detailed control.

Basic Understanding of Web Hosting

Web hosting acts like renting valuable real estate on a powerful computer called a server. Here, you store all your website’s files, from vibrant images to informative text, ready to welcome visitors when they click your address. By doing this, it makes your website accessible online. Think of it as your website’s home address on the internet, which allows your guests (visitors) to access the available content.

Traditional web hosting comes in various flavors, categorized by resource allocation and control:

• Shared Hosting: It is the most inexpensive website hosting option, in which you have to share server resources with other websites. It is suitable for low-traffic personal blogs or small businesses.
• VPS Hosting: VPS Hosting offers a virtualized server environment in which dedicated resources are allocated to each website, which results in better performance than shared hosting at a slightly higher cost. VPS Hosting is perfect for websites that get decent traffic.
• Dedicated Hosting: In dedicated hosting services, you can access an entire physical server that offers maximum control and resources. This hosting service is perfect for big websites that get frequent traffic surges.

While web hosting covers the basics, you’ll still need to install, configure, and manage software like WordPress. This approach gives you complete control but requires technical expertise.

Basic Understanding of Managed WordPress Hosting

Managed WordPress hosting takes Traditional hosting a step further, explicitly catering to WordPress websites. They deal with all the technical aspects of managing your WordPress site, like:

• Automatic WordPress core updates: In such types of services, all the major updates are installed automatically to ensure your site runs the most recent version of WordPress for optimal security and performance.
• Security patches and monitoring:  If one website shows a sign of vulnerability, a server-wide patch protects your site from vulnerabilities and malicious attacks.
• Optimized Performance: All the server configuration and performance patches are tested in the background and pushed automatically to improve the caching and loading times.
• Backups and disaster recovery: Secures your website’s data in case of server issues. Many managed WordPress hosting services make website backups regularly, and you can quickly revert to them if any problem arises.
• WordPress-specific support: It Provides expert assistance tailored to your WordPress needs.

Think of managed WordPress hosting as an all-inclusive service, providing a pre-configured, secure, and optimized environment for your website.

Weighing the Pros and Cons: Which Option is Right for You?

Now, let’s compare the two options to help you make an informed decision:

Managed WordPress Hosting:

Pros:

• Easy to use: Managed WordPress hosting service is perfect for beginners with limited technical knowledge. You don’t have to read extensive documentation to make small changes in your hosting configuration. 
• Hassle-free management: With this service, you save time and effort by letting professionals handle server maintenance. You just set up your website and leave the rest to Professionals.
• Enhanced security: Provides robust security features and expert support. As discussed earlier, a single website breach triggers a server-wide patch to prevent further security vulnerabilities proactively.
• Robust Customer Support: Many providers offer excellent customer support, and some even include 24/7 phone support to guide the customer to troubleshoot and fix the issue quickly over the phone.

• Improved performance: managed hosting services offer Improved performance due to advanced caching techniques and regular database optimizations.
• WordPress-specific tools: Unlike web hosting services, which are barebone, managed hosting Includes features like staging environments and automatic plugin updates.

Cons:

• Higher cost: This can be more expensive than basic web hosting plans.
• Less control: Limited flexibility compared to unmanaged hosting.
• Vendor lock-in: Switching providers can be complex due to specific configurations.

Web Hosting:

Pros:

• Affordable: Traditional web hosting is often cheaper than managed hosting because of its low-maintenance nature. However, you must do it yourself if you want to make changes or update the plugins and configuration files.
• Flexibility: It offers complete control over server configuration and software installation. You can configure almost everything in your server and optimize it for your use case.
• Scalability: It is easier to scale your website in traditional web hosting services than in managed hosting services, as it allows you to make minor, granular upgrades depending on your budget.
• Suitable for diverse web applications: If you use CMS Like Drupal or Magento, traditional web hosting is the way to go, as it is not limited to WordPress websites.

Cons:

• Requires technical expertise: Managing server maintenance and WordPress can be challenging.
• Security responsibility: You’re responsible for implementing security measures and updates.
• Performance tuning: Optimizing server settings for WordPress performance can be complex.
• Limited WordPress support: Standard support may not be tailored to WordPress needs.

Making the Final Decision: Consider Your Needs

Choosing the correct hosting solution depends on your website’s needs and your technical skills:

• For beginners with limited technical knowledge or wanting a hands-off experience, managed hosting is a clear winner because its ease of use, security features, and performance optimization make it ideal for building and maintaining a successful website.
• For technically-savvy users who need more control and flexibility or are on a tight budget, web hosting provides a suitable option. However, You should actively invest time and effort in managing your server and WordPress installation.
• If you have multiple websites or plan to grow significantly, consider VPS or dedicated hosting for more power and control. But remember, the technical responsibility increases accordingly.

Ultimately, the best hosting solution is the one that empowers you to achieve your website goals while balancing your technical comfort level and budget.

Bonus Tip: Research and compare different hosting providers to find one that offers features and support aligned with your needs and budget. Feel free to contact their sales or support teams to clarify any questions.

Final Thoughts

After analyzing the above points, we conclude that choosing between managed WordPress and web hosting depends on your needs. You still, managed hosting offers superior advantages to generic web hosting solutions for WordPress Websites. But when you need enhanced hosting options and the freedom to customize your website, choose a reputable WordPress hosting provider. 

You should carefully consider the factors above and gain a clear understanding of your specific needs to make an informed decision.