Worldwide there are more than 330,000 providers for web hosting. Finding the right host for your project can be a challenge. Above all, this raises the fundamental question: managed or shared hosting?
| Function | Managed WordPress hosting | Shared WordPress Hosting |
| Server | Dedicated resources, specially optimized for WordPress | Shared resources with multiple websites on one server |
| Performance | Optimized for speed and reliability | Performance may fluctuate due to resource sharing |
| Security | Improved security functions specifically for WordPress | Basic security; risk of security gaps through other sites |
| Maintenance | Automatic updates, security checks, backups and maintenance | Manual updates; backups may not be included |
| User friendliness | Very user-friendly, requires only minimal technical knowledge | More manual management and problem solving required |
| Support | Premium support with experts | General support, often without WordPress-specific expertise |
| Costs | Higher costs due to dedicated resources and services | Cost-effective and budget-friendly |
Is managed WordPress hosting or shared hosting better for me?
In a direct comparison, you will find that both types, shared and managed WordPress hosting, have their raison d'être. In the end, it's up to you to decide which is the better option. Here are a few important criteria to consider when making your choice WordPress hosting should pay attention to:
- Technical know-howManaged WordPress hosting is also suitable for users with little technical knowledge due to the premium service. Shared hosting often requires more active management and troubleshooting, so you need more technical know-how.
- BudgetManaged hosting is usually more expensive as it offers special services such as automatic backups and better support as well as a better technical infrastructure. Although these save you time, they are also the reason for higher prices compared to shared hosting. Shared hosting, on the other hand, is generally more affordable and therefore a good option for those who only have a small budget.
- SecurityThe server infrastructure of a Premium Managed WordPress Hosting is optimized for WordPress security and offers integrated measures such as malware scans, firewalls, DDoS protection and daily backups. Shared hosting offers basic security measures that apply to all types of websites. They are not specialized for WordPress and you have to take care of most of your website's security yourself.
- Performance requirements: Managed WordPress hosting scores particularly well when it comes to page speed and highly frequented websites. Managed WordPress hosting is usually optimized to guarantee better performance with high data traffic. Shared hosting can lead to problems and performance fluctuations due to shared resources, especially when there is a lot of traffic.
- Support levelManaged WordPress Hosting includes expert support from people who work with WordPress themselves on a daily basis. Questions and the customer are dealt with individually. Shared hosting, on the other hand, offers impersonal basic support, so you can expect less support for complex problems.
- Maintenance and updatesManaged hosting offers the option of automatic updates for plugins, themes and WordPress core. With shared web hosting, you have to take care of the installation of plugins, backups, maintenance etc. yourself.
- User friendlinessManaged hosting simplifies the user experience through integrated tools and automation. While shared hosting requires you to have better knowledge of the WordPress infrastructure.
What are the differences between shared and managed WordPress hosting?
Managed and shared WordPress hosting are both good hosting solutions for your WordPress website. The differences lie mainly in the resources, the price and the administration.
| Aspect | Managed WordPress hosting | Shared WordPress Hosting |
| Hosting Environment | Dedicated resources, specially tailored to WordPress | Shared resources with other websites |
| Updates | Automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins and themes | Manual updates are required |
| Backups | Regular automatic backups included | Backups may have to be set up manually |
| Security features | Advanced WordPress security, malware scans, firewalls | General safety measures |
| Support | Personal support from WordPress experts available | General impersonal support, without specific WordPress expertise |
| User Management | Simple user interface, hardly any technical knowledge required | Often requires knowledge of server and hosting administration |
| Performance | Powerful, good performance, optimized for WordPress websites | Possible loss of performance and may become slower during peak times |
| Ideal for | WordPress websites with high traffic and for business-critical sites | Small, personal or beginner websites |
Shared hosting
With shared hosting, several websites share server resources such as RAM and CPU. Although this helps to reduce costs, it does affect the performance of your website. If you have other websites with high traffic on your server, these websites will use the resources that your website could otherwise access. This makes your website performance worse and unstable.
With shared WordPress web hosting, you generally have more work involved in the initial setup and administration. As there are no automated update, security and backup solutions, you have to perform and configure these manually. This requires a certain amount of technical know-how and it may also be necessary to install additional WordPress plugins on your website.
Updates, security and backups are essential for the stable operation of your website. You should therefore take reliable care of these areas. If you fail to do so, your website may go down or even suffer a complete loss of data due to a hacking attack by a third party. Security gap come.
If your website goes down and you contact support, they will probably only be able to help you to a limited extent. Shared hosting tariffs are often offered by mass hosts. The support here will refer you to help articles, give you general answers and will not deal with your problem individually.
Managed hosting
Managed WordPress hosting is a special solution that is optimized for WordPress and has special resources and functions that are all tailored to WordPress sites.
This hosting option is particularly suitable for anyone who values the performance, stability and security of their website. A very popular and essential feature is the regular backups (usually daily) of your website. These backups are available for you to import at any time in the hosting interface.
In addition, you can usually access your website's file system natively in the hosting interface, install plugins and themes, check logs and perform performance optimizations.
A support team of real WordPress experts is available to answer your questions. They will provide you with comprehensive support for all questions and problems relating to your WordPress website. For example, if your website is unavailable, the support staff will check the cause and provide you with specific measures to take. A premium managed WordPress host is therefore more than just a host, but rather an external service provider.
Various managed WordPress hosts even offer you a free migration service for your website and emails. This means that they move your website from the current host to the new host free of charge for you.
As the icing on the cake, the free migration can even include free pagespeed optimization. This means that you receive a premium caching plugin from the host. The settings are individually adapted to your website and you receive a detailed before-and-after report with individual performance optimization tips for your website.
Pros and cons of managed WordPress hosting
Managed WordPress hosting offers you numerous advantages. Especially if you are looking for a comprehensive, WordPress-optimized hosting solution that reduces your manual effort.
Advantages
- Powerful servers specially optimized for WordPress for fast pagespeed and generally good website performance.
- Comprehensive dedicated WordPress technical support that responds personally to your questions and advises and supports you beyond the standard support.
- Various support contact options, mostly by telephone, e-mail and support chat.
- User-friendly platform that provides you with various functions for automating processes, error analysis and performance optimization.
- No restrictions in the choice of plugins and themes.
- Extensive technical options that go far beyond the standards of web hosting.
- Increased security measures and reduced risk of cyber threats thanks to regular automatic updates and backups.
- Help articles on many different topics.
- Optional: Free migration service for your website and emails
- Optional: Free pagespeed optimization of your website including individual further optimization tips adapted to your website
Disadvantages
- Managed hosting is more expensive than shared hosting, as certain resources and services are provided separately.
- For small websites with low traffic, the premium features of managed hosting may not even be necessary.
Managed Web host are ideal for users who value performance, security and support and are prepared to invest in premium hosting at a higher cost.
The pros and cons of shared WordPress hosting
Shared web hosting is one of the most budget-friendly options, making it ideal for personal projects, small blogs and websites with low traffic. It allows you to launch a website without large investments.
Advantages
- Low-cost option from WordPress web hosting providers, available from an average of around €3 per month.
- Most providers offer a limited dashboard that provides you with the most important functions to get started.
Disadvantages
- You have to manage your project yourself, which means more work and you also have to manage updates, plugins, backups and more yourself.
- The security requirements are not designed for WordPress. So you cannot rely on the security measures of Shared WordPress Hosting and should use a first-class WP security plugin.
- Untrained and impersonal support that is often only available by email and does not respond to your individual questions.
- As you share a server with many others, this can have a negative impact on the performance of your website or even lead to frequent outages.
- There are often hidden costs, such as for SSL certificates or outdated PHP versions
Managed vs. shared WordPress hosting - which is better?
A detailed comparison of managed and shared WordPress hosting quickly makes it clear who the target group of which hosting option is.
Shared hosting is suitable for small websites, blogs and personal projects with moderate traffic and resource requirements. It also usually hosts a range of websites with different software, not just WordPress sites.
If you are looking for a cost-effective hosting solution and want to perform basic maintenance tasks such as updates and Take over backups yourself shared hosting is your perfect sparring partner! Watch out for hidden costs, otherwise shared hosting can quickly become more expensive than managed WordPress hosting.
Managed WordPress hosting, on the other hand, is ideal for everyone, beginners and experts alike, who value reliable WordPress hosting. This includes lightning-fast loading times, website stability and security as well as personal support.
In addition, managed WordPress hosting sets you no limits. You can install WordPress plugins and themes as you wish, configure automatic updates and use native functions in the hosting to minimize your daily workload. Specifically, managed WordPress hosting is ideal for companies, professional websites, e-commerce stores or websites with high traffic.
WPspace offers you lightning-fast loading times, real expert support and native functions that make your everyday website life easier. Our WordPress experts will be happy to advise you and help you with your project. Whether you have one or many installations, test managed WordPress hosting with a demo and benefit from the fastest loading time and the best price-performance ratio.
