Shared vs Managed WordPress Hosting – The Key Differences

The WordPress community has been bugged with this question a lot of times. This discussion ranks up there as one of the most discussed issues when WordPress comes to mind. Neither shared nor managed WordPress hosting has managed to outdo the other when arguments come up.

Many hosting surveys, studies, comparison, and review has drawn a lot of support from both camps.

One thing that has contributed a lot to this argument as to which is better is the addition of WordPress specific services as well as performance changes that accompanies managed WordPress hosting. While shared hosting leaves backup, WordPress optimization, and other duties to you, managed WordPress hosting, on the other hand, helps you do practically all of these duties.

Helping you decide between the two types of WordPress isn’t as simple as it appears. This article, however, aims at helping you know what differentiates what from what, and how you can possibly make the right decision.

Shared WordPress Hosting

The major role shared hosting does in this kind of WordPress is to cram or squeeze in many websites that are different onto a single server. This singular act is geared towards reducing the cost of running it. What this also helps people do is to host an unlimited number of sites.

Shared hosting, therefore, solves the issue of proof-of-concept type of site. It also provides a sort of small business card for a small online site.

Choosing a professionally managed WordPress hosting set-up for each of your projects, on the other hand, will mean that you will be unable to test out more than one or two at once. Shared hosting helps you test more than ten at a go.

Pros

• The monthly fee paid on shared hosting is considerably low.
• You are permitted to host an unlimited number of websites at a flat rate.
• Shared hosting doesn’t have a specific number of visitors that can access their sites, and so a lot of shared sites do ads for unlimited visits. It doesn’t, however, state that there is room for unlimited visitors.

Cons

• Your site will take a bit of time to load owing a reduced performance because the major aim of someone who runs a shared hosting WordPress is to save money.
• The performances of shared hosting sites are dependent on other sites as well. This is often because they’re sharing their resources.
• Shared hosting also lacks value-added features like automatic backups and automatic updates.
• The security changes and performance will not be WordPress-specific.

Managed WordPress Hosting

This type of hosting is composed of performance optimizations, a set of services, as well as other features geared towards adding values. This hosting type contains tools to make your WordPress installation easy.

This option gives you the opportunity to manage your site in a custom-designed dashboard. It basically contains features that make the use of WordPress convenient for you.

Pros

• Your WordPress site’s security is guaranteed via its automatic update feature.
• Improved performance due to the presence of a compatible WordPress server architecture
• It has WordPress-specific security tweaks such as login hardening, firewalls, etc.
• Managed hosting has a convenient website management dashboard. This feature, however, is not present in all managed WordPress hosts.
• Your site keeps secure, safe, and functional owing to its automatic WordPress update.
• Just in case you have any issues with your site, WordPress experts are always a call away to give you customer support.

Cons

• Although Bluehost provides a middle ground for your hosting, managed hosting is usually more expensive.
• It enforces stricter website limits as well as visitors’ limits.
• If you desire to ensure performance, some managed WordPress hosts will limit the plugins that you’re able to use.

How Do You Choose Between The Two?

If you are bothered about the cost, you’ll probably go for the shared hosting, but if performance and security is your priority and not cost, then you will opt for the managed hosting. However, hosting sites like A2 Hosting, SiteGround, etc. have made deciding between the two simple.

To Wrap It Up

Shared and Managed WordPress hosting both have their unique advantages. However, If any expert opinion is needed, it would be recommended that you choose the managed WordPress hosting.