Wondering if WordPress hosting is for you? We answer your questions…

What is WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting is a type of web hosting that’s specifically designed for running a website on the WordPress content management system. Hosting companies will optimise their hosting packages for WordPress in several ways.

Firstly, they’ll hone the technical elements of a hosting bundle. Heart Internet’s WordPress hosting plans come with WordPress preinstalled, so you can start creating a WordPress website immediately. Heart’s engineers have also created a bespoke plugin for the WordPress hosting servers that improves the performance of WordPress compared to regular shared hosting.

Secondly, WordPress hosting packages come with inclusions that are specific to WordPress. Heart Internet’s WordPress hosting plans, for example, give you access to a selection of premium WordPress themes for free.

Is WordPress hosting free?

The simple answer to this is no.

However, it’s easy to get confused about this question.

Here’s why…

As a software, WordPress is free to download and use. However, to use WordPress on the web, you’ll usually need to have independent WordPress hosting, which you can buy from various hosting companies.

Did you notice the word usually in that last sentence?

It’s there because you can use a limited version of WordPress without needing independent hosting. This type of WordPress is available through WordPress.com rather than WordPress.org.

With WordPress.com you are limited to certain themes, you can’t customise existing themes, and you’re not allowed to upload your own plugins, you have to stick to the ones built into the version of WordPress that’s available through WordPress.com.

Why do I need WordPress hosting?

If you’re using the limited version of WordPress that’s available through WordPress.com, you don’t need WordPress hosting.

However, if you want to take full advantage of the WordPress CMS, you’ll need to get it online using a hosting package.

This hosting package will let you link your website content to a domain name and give you the resources you need to store your website’s files.

Why managed WordPress hosting?

When you choose managed WordPress hosting, you don’t need to do any hosting admin. Chores like backups and updates are done for you, so you can concentrate on making the content of your site the best it can be.

Which is the best WordPress hosting?

When it comes to choosing a WordPress hosting provider, the first thing many people look at is price. However, the cheapest package isn’t always the best.

You’ll want to look out for the following qualities in a hosting provider…

• The tech specs
• Automatic updates included
• Automatic backups included
• The support offering
• Security
• Inclusions

For more information on what to look for with regard to all of the above, visit our blog 9 things to look for in a WordPress hosting provider.

How much does WordPress hosting cost?

As with everything you can buy in the world, WordPress hosting plans ring through the tills at various prices.

As a rule of thumb, though, a basic plan with enough resources to support a single website costs around £4 a month.

You can buy a plan with enough resources to support a high traffic site, meanwhile, for about £10 a month.

If you’re looking for a cheap WordPress hosting plan, keep an eye out for hosting sales. Heart Internet hosts regular sales and puts on various offers and deals throughout the year.

Is WordPress hosting good?

According to recent stats, 455 million websites currently use WordPress – that’s 35 per cent of the internet.

So there’s no denying that WordPress is a quality tool. WordPress hosting, meanwhile, is designed to make WordPress websites work at their prime. Together the WordPress CMS and WordPress hosting are a force to be reckoned with.

Want to know more about WordPress hosting at Heart Internet?

Check out the tech specs, inclusions and the price of plans on our product pages.