Many wonder if they need web hosting for a WordPress site. It’s easy to see why. There are two types dedicated server hosting for of WordPress: WordPress.org and WordPress.com.
In short, WordPress.org needs a hosting service, like a WordPress plan. WordPress.com offers a fully hosted solution. But that’s not the only distinction between them.
We’ll break down the key differences between these two platforms. This will help you choose the best option for building your site. Plus, this guide will explain why a hosting service is essential and how to choose the right one for your WordPress site.
Is WordPress.org a web host?
No, WordPress.org isn’t a web host. WordPress.org is actually a widely used content management system (CMS). Known for its flexibility, it’s suitable for all kinds of WordPress websites and is a top choice for many website owners. If you’re unsure about what web hosting means, take a look at our article on the basics of web hosting.
WordPress.com, on the other hand, does include traditional web hosting itself as part of its service, but it isn’t a web host itself. Instead, it offers a customized version of WordPress software within its platform.
Let’s dive deeper into the differences between these two types of WordPress.
WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org
Let’s start by breaking down the main differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com. This will help you decide which one suits your needs best.
WordPress.org overview
People often call free plugins for WordPress.org “self-hosted WordPress.” It requires hosting and a domain name to launch your site.
Advantages of WordPress.org:
- Full customization – You can install any plugins and themes. This gives you control over your site’s look and functionality.
- Custom domain – You can choose any website address simply by searching for and registering an available domain name.
- Monetization options – You can place ads or even set up an online store.
- Better SEO – WordPress SEO plugins help you optimize your meta titles, descriptions and key phrases. Also, WordPress.org allows you to create custom URLs.
Drawbacks of WordPress.org:
- Learning curve – For beginners, WordPress.org may require a bit of extra research to get the most out of its features.
- Maintenance – You must keep the WordPress software, plugins and themes updated. Also, back up your site regularly.
- Security – WordPress is secure. But be cautious when installing new themes and plugins. They can sometimes introduce vulnerabilities.
WordPress is free to download. But using WordPress.org will cost you. You’ll pay for your domain name, any premium themes or plugins and your hosting.
WordPress.com overview
WordPress.com is a fully hosted service by Automattic that provides a streamlined way to set up a WordPress website.
With WordPress.com, you can select a plan, pick a theme and start creating content without needing separate hosting.
Benefits of a free WordPress.com plan:
- Simple setup – Just choose a plan and sign up to create your website.
- User-friendly – The dashboard is straightforward and includes built-in features.
- Maintenance and security – WordPress.com manages your site’s hosting, updates and security.
- Theme library – WordPress.com provides a variety of themes, so you don’t need to search elsewhere.
Limitations of a free WordPress.com plan:
- Subdomain – Your website address will have a WordPress.com subdomain, such as https://[yourwebsite].wordpress.com.
- Ads – WordPress.com places ads on free sites, which can only be removed by upgrading to a paid plan.
- No monetization – You can’t earn revenue from ads on a free site and eCommerce features are unavailable.
- Limited flexibility – You cannot add custom themes or plugins. This restricts your options for personalization and functionality.
Some of these limitations can be overcome by opting for a paid plan, which ranges from $5 per month to $63 per month.
For a deeper comparison, we recommend you to go our blog on WordPress.com vs. WordPress.org.
Types of hosting for WordPress
Choosing the right web hosting plan is essential it ensures your website can handle more visitors, enhances security and helps keep your site online reliably. Most hosting providers offer options that work well with WordPress.
To host a WordPress site, hosting providers should meet a few specific WordPress requirements:
- PHP version 7.4 or higher
- MySQL version 5.6 or MariaDB version 10.1
- HTTPS support
There are three popular hosting options for WordPress that typically meet these requirements: shared hosting, cloud hosting and managed WordPress hosting. Let’s explore what each option offers.
Shared hosting
In shared hosting, multiple websites use the same server resources. It’s not exclusive to WordPress, but many shared hosts meet its requirements. Most plans even include one-click WordPress installation to simplify setup.
Benefits of shared hosting:
- Affordable – Shared hosting is the most budget-friendly option among hosting types.
- Managed service – The hosting provider handles server setup and maintenance, so you don’t need technical expertise.
However, shared hosting has some limitations:
- Performance impact – Your site may slow if another site on the server gets high traffic. All sites share the same resources. This makes it less suitable for high-traffic websites.
- Security risks – If one site on the server is compromised, it can put other sites at risk.
For smaller WordPress sites, like personal blogs or small business site, shared hosting is a good choice. For sites needing stronger security and higher traffic capacity, cloud hosting is a better fit.
WordPress hosting
WordPress hosting is for WordPress sites. Its servers are optimized to run WordPress smoothly. This setup often supports multiple PHP versions and allows unlimited MySQL databases.
A major advantage is that managed WordPress hosting includes automatic updates and backups. So, you don’t have to manage these manually.
Many managed WordPress hosting plans come with pre-installed performance plugins, like LiteSpeed Cache.
Benefits of WordPress hosting:
- Optimized performance – The server and hardware are tuned for WordPress. This minimizes downtime and performance issues.
- Easy setup – Most providers offer one-click WordPress installs. Some even come with WordPress pre-installed for a quick setup.
- Managed support – Hosting experts configure the server. This helps beginners.
- Better security – Automatic updates and backups protect your data.
Prices vary by provider. But, managed WordPress hosting is best for high performance, security and ease of use in setting up a WordPress site.
Cloud hosting
Cloud hosting uses a network of servers to host your site, ensuring great uptime. If one server goes offline, another server immediately takes over, keeping your site up and running.
Cloud hosting is ideal for high-traffic sites, as it can handle traffic spikes without slowing down. Unlike shared hosting, you don’t share server resources with other customers, giving you more control and stability.
Managing cloud hosting is also simple, as most web hosts handle the technical setup and maintenance for you.
Advantages of cloud hosting:
- High uptime – Your site has copies on multiple servers. If one server fails, another takes over instantly to prevent downtime.
- Enhanced security – A security breach on one server won’t affect your site, as backups are stored on other servers.
- AI website builder – Some cloud hosting providers, like Bluehost, offer AI tools to help you quickly set up a WordPress site.
Cloud hosting tends to be more expensive than shared or managed WordPress hosting. Due to the cost, cloud hosting is best suited for larger WordPress websites and established businesses. eCommerce sites, in particular, benefit from cloud hosting’s high uptime. It ensures they’re always available for customers.
What to consider in a web hosting service
Before selecting a web hosting service, take time to assess your website’s needs. Think about factors like expected traffic, the size of your site and your budget for general web hosting alone.
To guide your decision, consider these key features in a hosting provider.
Affordability
Since web hosting is a subscription service, choose a plan that’s budget-friendly over time. Consider any extra features the provider includes beyond basic traditional hosting services.
For example, some web hosting providers also offer a free domain name, which can help reduce your site’s initial setup costs. Just remember that this is usually free for the first year; afterwards, it renews at the regular rate.
Also, look for hosting plans that include free SSL certificates, which are essential for securing your website.
Fortunately, many providers now offer these added benefits, making it easier to find an affordable and complete hosting solution.
Ease of use
Look for a hosting company or provider that makes setup easy, especially if you’re new to website hosting. Ideally, the provider should guide you through setting up WordPress and creating an admin account with minimal technical steps.
For example, after purchasing a hosting plan with Bluehost, you’ll go through a streamlined onboarding process. This includes WordPress installation, admin account setup and even theme and plugin recommendations.
With Bluehost’s Business or Cloud hosting plans, you can also use their AI Website Builder for WordPress during onboarding. Just describe your website idea and the AI will set up a draft for you. You can then adjust the content and design easily in WordPress.
A user-friendly control panel is also essential for managing important tasks like SSL certificates, domains and backups. Bluehost’s account manager has a clear layout, with everything you need accessible from the main page, including a dedicated WordPress section to manage your site efficiently.
Extensive customer support
Dedicated customer support can make a big difference when you run into issues with your site.
Most hosting providers offer support through phone, live chat or a ticket system. Some also provide access to WordPress experts if you’re using a managed WordPress hosting plan.
It’s also helpful to review the host’s knowledge base. A good knowledge base includes detailed articles that guide you through setting up and managing your hosting account.
For example, Bluehost provides 24/7 live chat support, along with a knowledge base filled with helpful articles and tutorials.
Optimal performance
A high-performance hosting service is essential for a smooth user experience. Visitors may leave if your site is slow to load and if it goes down, you risk losing potential traffic.
Choose a web hosting provider that promises high uptime, ideally backed by a service level agreement. Check the compensation details if they don’t meet the uptime guarantee.
For instance, Bluehost offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee. If uptime falls below that, you can request a 5% credit on your monthly fee.
Look for hosting plans that include a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up loading times. WordPress works well with Cloudflare CDN and some WordPress hosting plans also include the LiteSpeed Cache plugin for better performance.
Finally, consider the location of data centers. Hosting on a dedicated server somewhere close to your primary audience can improve load times. With Bluehost’s WordPress hosting plans, you can choose from seven different web server locations.
WordPress hosting vs. shared hosting: Which is better?
If you want to build a WordPress site and avoid technical maintenance, managed WordPress hosting is a great choice. With managed hosting, the provider handles updates, backups and adds extra security measures, like firewalls and malware scans, to keep your site safe. This setup also ensures your site runs at peak performance.
On the other hand, shared hosting is a budget-friendly option for WordPress sites, though it requires a bit more hands-on work. With shared hosting, you’ll need to handle tasks like software updates, performance checks and malware scans yourself.
Overall, shared hosting is ideal if you don’t mind spending a bit of time managing technical details, while managed WordPress hosting lets you focus more on growing your site.
For a more detailed comparison, take a look at our article on shared vs. managed WordPress hosting.
Final thoughts
To know if your WordPress site needs web hosting, you must understand the difference between WordPress.com and WordPress.org.
WordPress.com is a hosted platform that includes web hosting, making it easy to set up a basic site. A free plan is available, though it has some limitations.
For more control, we recommend WordPress.org. It’s a CMS you install on your own hosting. With WordPress.org, you’ll need to secure a hosting plan, which gives you full ownership of your site and customization options.
To choose the best hosting for your WordPress site, follow these simple steps:
- Assess your website’s needs
- Select the right type of hosting
- Compare prices and plans from various providers
- Choose a hosting provider that meets your needs and offers good value
Many providers offer managed WordPress hosting. It helps maintain your site and keep it running well.
With these tips in hand, you’re ready to start building your WordPress website. Best of luck!
FAQs
Not exactly, if you’re using WordPress.org instead of WordPress.com. WordPress.com plans include web hosting. But, they limit your control over it compared to self-hosted options.
Yes, you can set up a WordPress site without hosting if you’re not ready to go live yet. By installing WordPress locally on your computer, you can build and test your site offline. However, to make the site accessible online, you’ll eventually need to choose wordpress hosting for providers.
No, WordPress works with other hosting types, such as shared or cloud hosting. Dedicated WordPress hosting can simplify installation and setup. It’s not a strict requirement, though. You can run WordPress on other hosting plans.
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