Not all hosting services are equal, and one may be tempted to say you get what you pay for.  But that isn’t true either. Some say that free hosting is a big con. And sometimes it is, but there are companies that offer free hosting with no catches and no con. This smashes the idea that you get what you pay for when it comes to hosting. Buying hosting services are like buying a car–you can spend a fortune. And still come away with a crap car, and you can spend a modest amount and get a nice little runner. Here are a few benefits of specifically having WordPress hosting.

 What is WordPress-specific?

It is just the term used in this article to represent the hosting companies that offer “WordPress hosting.” They are the companies that have hosting packages made especially for WordPress content management system users.

 Is WordPress hosting just for WordPress?

Metaphorically, you could ask the same thing of a vets practice. Is a vet capable of operating on humans? Yes, but he or she is better at operating on a fluffy bunny. There are plenty of WordPress hosts that can handle other types of websites, but a WordPress specific host is better to set to handle the nuances of the WordPress content management system (CMS).

WordPress (the CMS) has nuances that are going to affect the hosting provider. If you pick a managed hosting provider that specializes in WordPress then they also specialize in these nuances. You are more likely to get better security, more optimized caching, and you are more likely to get WordPress-specific technical support.

 Advice on what to choose

WordPress-specific managed hosting is probably the best option for most middle to big companies and/or webmasters that have big plans for their WordPress website. If you are only a small business, a hobbyist, or are looking to build a modest WordPress website, then you are probably better off with a WordPress-specific shared hosting provider. The upload speed will not be as robust, but prices will be a lot lower. Otherwise, your website is probably better off with WordPress-specific managed hosting.

What other perks are there?

Depending on the package you use, there may be advanced security protocols in place, some of which will forgo the user from having to purchase some security plugins. There are some WordPress-specific hosts that offer Virtual Private Servers for people that need to scale their websites very quickly, and some that offer dedicated servers for those that want to scale their websites quickly whilst maintaining high speeds and security.

Photo cred: Flickr / nbachiyski