What Is Managed WordPress Hosting? What the Host Manages, Managed VPS Differences, Pros and Cons
Managed WordPress hosting is hosting where the provider handles the server management a WordPress site needs. This guide covers what the host manages, how plans are priced, and how it differs from a managed VPS.
With managed WordPress hosting you don't have to deal with servers, but it costs more and you can't change server settings yourself. This guide also covers the pros and cons of managed WordPress hosting and which sites it suits.
1️⃣ How Managed WordPress Hosting Works: What the Host Handles
Managed WordPress hosting is hosting for WordPress only. The host configures the server, web server, PHP, and database for WordPress, and you only upload your site. The host handles four things: WordPress core updates, backups, security, and caching.
With shared hosting, the provider also manages the server. The difference is WordPress. On shared hosting you look after WordPress updates, backups, and caching yourself, while on managed WordPress hosting the host does.
Providers that offer only managed WordPress hosting replace cPanel with a WordPress-only dashboard. You add sites, restore backups, and use staging from that dashboard. You do not get root access.
2️⃣ What Managed WordPress Hosting Runs On: Shared, VPS, and Cloud
Managed is not a way of splitting up a server but a way of managing one. That is why it can sit on top of shared hosting, a VPS, or the cloud. What you get depends on what it runs on.
Managed hosting on top of shared hosting is cheap. Hostinger sells its WordPress plans under the name [Managed Hosting for WordPress]. One server is still shared by many accounts, so the CPU and memory caps are still there.
Managed hosting on top of a VPS gives you a whole virtual server. Cloudways works this way. You choose the server size yourself and run several WordPress sites on one server.
Managed hosting on top of the cloud is sold as per-site plans, and each site gets its own resources. Kinsta runs each site in an isolated container, and Pressable assigns each site its own share of PHP workers, so your site can use its share regardless of neighboring sites.
3️⃣ How It Differs from a Managed VPS: You Buy Sites, Not a Server
With a managed VPS you buy a server: you choose the server size and put as many sites on it as you want. The provider manages the server.
With managed WordPress hosting you buy sites. The plan is set by the number of sites and visits, and the host manages both the server and WordPress. When resources run short, on a managed VPS you move to a larger server, and on managed WordPress hosting you move up to the next plan.
4️⃣ How Plans Are Priced: Visits, Sites, and PHP Workers
Managed WordPress hosting splits its plans by visits and number of sites instead of CPU and memory. Pressable's smallest plan is 1 site and 30,000 visits a month for $20.83 a month billed yearly. Going over the visit limit brings overage fees; Kinsta keeps the site online past the limit and charges for the excess. WPX does not count visitors and splits plans by number of sites only.
A PHP worker handles uncached requests one at a time, and logged-in visitors, carts, and checkout all use workers. When workers run short, requests queue up, so online stores and membership sites should look at the number of workers before the number of visits.
5️⃣ Pros and Cons of Managed WordPress Hosting
With managed WordPress hosting the host manages updates, backups, and caching, so you spend your time only on running the site. When something goes wrong, a support team that knows WordPress responds, and you can test changes on staging before applying them.
The trade-off is a higher price, and for the same money a managed VPS gives you more resources. Going over the visit limit brings overage fees. Some hosts put caching and backup plugins on a banned list; at Kinsta, WP Rocket has been taken off that list and can now be used. Starting prices are $20.83 a month billed yearly at Pressable and $24.99 a month at WPX, while Cloudways, a managed VPS, starts at $11 a month.
6️⃣ Who Should Use Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress hosting suits WooCommerce stores and membership sites, and it also fits site owners with no time to deal with servers and agencies that look after many client sites.
For a blog with few visitors, shared hosting is enough, and if you want to work on the server yourself, a managed VPS is the right fit. The providers we recommend are Kinsta, Pressable, and WPX, and we are direct affiliates of each.
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