Which WordPress Plan Should You Use? (Expert Answer)

Deciding to build your own website is an exciting step. However, when you start looking at WordPress hosting plans, the number of options can feel a bit overwhelming.

It can be tricky to figure out which plan is right for you. Some options might seem very affordable, while others have higher prices, and it’s not always clear what you’re getting or if you might pick a plan that limits you later on.

Many of our readers have been in the same spot. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the common WordPress hosting plans, explaining what they include and who they’re best suited for, whether you’re starting a blog, an online store, or a small business website.

Our goal is to help you understand which WordPress plan offers the features you need without overpaying. This way, you can choose your hosting with confidence.

Most Common Types of WordPress Plans

There are different types of WordPress plans you’ll come across, each with different pros, cons, and pricing. These apply when you’re using WordPress.org, which gives you full control over your website.

We’ve tested and used all of these across our own projects, and we’ve helped countless users choose the right one for their site. Here’s how they compare (click each one to jump to the expanded explanation):

1. Shared Self-Hosted WordPress Plans – A budget-friendly option great for blogs and small sites.
2. Managed Hosting WordPress Plans – Offers better speed, support, and updates, ideal for business websites.
3. Fully Hosted WordPress Plans – Similar to WordPress.com, often expensive and more limited in flexibility.

Some hosting companies offer hybrids or extras, like staging tools or custom dashboards. We’ll explain those later when we cover specific providers.

And if you’re still unsure about the difference between WordPress.org and WordPress.com, check out our comparison: WordPress.org vs WordPress.com.

Shared Self-Hosted WordPress Plans

We’ve noticed that shared self-hosted WordPress plans are often the first choice for beginners. They provide an affordable, flexible, and easy-to-manage solution, making them ideal starter plans.

These plans are cheaper because they let you share hosting resources with other small businesses or individual users.

Most new websites don’t need pricier WordPress plans at the start. Shared hosting plans are a great starting point for launching a blog or a small business site.

These plans can even support you if you’re looking to start an online store.

Downsides of a Shared Self-Hosted WordPress Plan

There are two major downsides to using a shared self-hosted WordPress plan.

The first is limited server resources. These plans are designed for start-up websites, which helps keep the cost low so you can invest in growing your business.

As you start generating revenue online, upgrading to a more powerful WordPress plan becomes easy.

Many shared hosting providers offer different upgrade levels with more resources. You can move up to their VPS hosting plans or switch to a managed WordPress plan, which we will discuss soon.

The second downside is site maintenance. You’ll need to handle WordPress updates, manage backups, and more.

Thankfully, WordPress is user-friendly, and we’ve found that millions of non-technical beginners manage their sites using simple point-and-click tools without trouble.

Which Shared WordPress Plan is Right for Me?

With hundreds of companies offering shared WordPress plans, it can be overwhelming for a beginner to choose the right one.

That’s why we’ve done the research for you.

We’ve signed up for and tested all the leading WordPress hosting providers to evaluate their performance and services.

Read our comprehensive guide on choosing the best WordPress hosting plan for your site for detailed insights.

If you’re just starting, we recommend Bluehost. They are one of the largest hosting companies worldwide and an officially recommended WordPress hosting provider.

Bluehost offers WPBeginner users an exclusive discount on hosting, including a free domain name and SSL certificate. This means you can get started for just $1.99 per month.

Why We Recommend Bluehost:

• Trusted by millions and officially recommended for WordPress hosting.
• Reliable performance ensures your site runs smoothly.
• Affordable plans with a free domain name and SSL certificate included.
• 24/7 expert customer support to help whenever you need it.

For more details, see our complete Bluehost review to learn more.

Other top choices in this category are Hostinger and SiteGround.

Hostinger is perfect if you have a limited budget. SiteGround may cost more, but offers excellent value with top-notch support and advanced technology.

Starting with their basic plans gives you access to powerful WordPress features without the higher costs of fully hosted plans.

Many beginners don’t realize this value until they’ve paid for more premium options.

Bonus: Need help setting up your blog? Our team offers a free WordPress blog setup service.

So, what happens when your site grows and traffic crosses 100,000 visitors per month?

That’s when the next type of WordPress plan becomes ideal for your needs.

Managed WordPress Plans

Managed WordPress plans are like a concierge service where the host manages all technical aspects of running WordPress.

They handle WordPress security, updates, website speed, backups, and scalability.

These plans include premium support from more knowledgeable WordPress engineers. It is like having your small team of developers take care of your website maintenance.

When and Who Needs a Managed WordPress Plan?

Most starter websites and businesses do not make money in the beginning, so they may find it harder to justify the cost associated with the managed WordPress plans.

However, if you started on a shared plan and now your website is bringing in enough revenue and traffic, then upgrading to a managed WordPress plan can be a good idea.

Cons of Choosing a Managed WordPress Plan

One obvious downside is pricing. Managed WordPress plans are expensive.

The base plan usually starts around $29 per month. However, it is still a bit cheaper than hiring a full-time developer or website admin.

Other disadvantages are the limits and control. Managed WordPress hosting providers need tighter control over what can be installed on the platform to ensure its stability.

This means you can only use WordPress on your site, which is not an issue for most users who build their sites with WordPress.

They may also disallow specific WordPress plugins that are known to slow down websites.

Which Managed WordPress Plan is Right for Me?

The managed WordPress industry has grown a lot in the last several years. Many companies are offering managed WordPress plans with similar features.

We decided to put them through tests and signed up for the most popular managed WordPress companies.

You can read about it in our guide on choosing the best managed WordPress hosting plan for a side-by-side comparison.

We recommend using SiteGround as the best managed WordPress hosting provider.

SiteGround, offers incredible performance, reliability, and security. We have been a SiteGround customer for many years hosting many of our business websites with them.

WPBeginner is also hosted on SiteGround’s Enterprise cloud platform. You can read about our experience in our case study on switching to SiteGround.

Why We Recommend SiteGround

• Offers incredible performance built on Google Cloud platform
• 24/7 customer support with faster response times.
• Easy for beginners and powerful for advanced users

To learn more, see our complete SiteGround review, which offers a more detailed analysis.

Alternatives: Rocket.net and Hostinger

Fully Hosted WordPress Plans

These hosting plans provide a slightly customized version of the WordPress platform, allowing you to create specific types of websites.

You don’t get to use WordPress the way you would normally use on a self-hosted platform. You are limited to the features provided by the platform, which vary based on the plan you choose.

Who Needs a Fully Hosted WordPress Plan?

If you need to quickly create a website and are not super-concerned about making money with it, a fully hosted WordPress plan could be a good option.

You can also get started for free without even buying a domain name. This is a good option for personal journals, family websites, travel photos, and more.

Disadvantages of a Fully Hosted WordPress Plan

You have limited control over your website. You can only use the features available for your plan and cannot extend them on your own.

You also have fewer options to monetize your content. Even if you pay for a business account, your options to grow your business will be less flexible than a self-hosted WordPress plan.

Which Fully Hosted WordPress Plan is Right for Me?

WordPress.com is the largest such company. They offer a basic free WordPress plan and allow you to create a website using the wordpress.com subdomain.

Paid plans start from $4 per month, billed annually. Their business plan is typically $25 per month, and their eCommerce plan costs $45 per month, both billed annually.

The good news is that you can get 50% off your first year of WordPress.com hosting by using our discount coupon.

Keep in mind that you don’t get the ability to install WordPress plugins until you pay for the business plan.

You can’t start your online store until you pay for the eCommerce plan.

You can do both of these for as low as $1.99 per month with the shared WordPress hosting plans mentioned above while enjoying the full freedoms of WordPress.

How Do I Choose a WordPress Plan for My Website?

Choosing the right WordPress plan for your website depends on your business goals and budget.

If you are just starting out, we recommend Bluehost. Their self-hosted WordPress plan offers powerful WordPress hosting features and a free domain for only $1.99 per month.

You can use it to start a blog, create an online store, make a small business website, and so much more.

As your website grows, you can upgrade to a managed WordPress hosting account with SiteGround or Rocket.net. This allows you to focus on growing your business and easily scale to match your needs.

If you already have an established business or a large website, we recommend skipping the starter step and going straight to managed WordPress hosting plans for the best experience.

We hope this article helped you learn which WordPress plan you should use. You may also want to see our guide on easy-to-start online business ideas that make money and our comparison of the best email marketing services to grow your website traffic.

Bonus: Need help setting up a blog? Our free blog setup service is available with any of the shared hosting services.

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