Hosting and managing WordPress is a lot easier compared to other CMS or custom websites/web apps, which is one of the reasons why I prefer more than any other CMS. There are thousands of WordPress hosting options from fully-managed hosting to VPS, with a wide range of pricing.
Searching for the best host for your website can be stressful because there are lots of not fully honest reviews out there, containing affiliate links. I’m not saying those aren’t good, but different reviewers claimed different providers to be the best. I guess there can’t be the best. Anyway, here are some of the top hosting providers for me. The list is not necessarily in order of my preference. My choice will depend on the kind of website I am going to host.
Pantheon
Pantheon offers a more agile workflow with proper WebOps features. You have multiple environments – Development, Testing, and Live. Its performance is one of the best in the market. The pricing is a bit high and you need some technical knowledge, but if that’s not a problem for you and your website is a crucial part of your business, Pantheon is a good choice.
Kinsta
Kinsta is a Managed WordPress Hosting, which is a hosting specifically configured and optimized for WordPress. It is one of the best-performing providers in the industry. The pricing of Kinsta is also a bit high compared to another hosting. However, due to its simplicity, high speed, and other security features, it is definitely worth using it.
WP Engine
WP Engine is also a Managed WordPress Hosting. The features and pricing are quite similar to that of Kinsta. I honestly don’t know what to choose between these two.
SiteGround
SiteGround is one of the hosting suggested by the creators of WordPress themselves. It is cheaper than the likes of Pantheon, Kinsta, and WP Engine. It has multiple options of hosting like Shared, Dedicated VPS, Managed WordPress, Managed WooCommerce. Although you can use any one of the options, Managed WordPress plan is the best for WordPress websites. Performance is also quite good, however, its management features may not be as good and simple as Kinsta or WP Engine.
BlueHost
BlueHost is also suggested by WordPress. My comment will be the same as SiteGround.
Hostinger
Hostinger up their game recently and become one of the cheapest, yet high-performing hosting providers. They also have multiple hosting options. The best choice for WordPress would be Managed WordPress again. If you are on a low budget for your project, Hostinger is not a bad choice.
DreamHost
DreamHost is also suggested by WordPress. My comment will be the same as SiteGround.
VPS
AWS, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, etc. provide Virtual Private Server, where you have full access to your server and you can do pretty much everything if you have technical knowledge. They are a good choice if you have enough resources like time and technical knowledge. AWS is a bit expensive, while the rest offers pretty much the same pricing. I am currently using DigitalOcean.
As I mentioned earlier, there are tons of choices. If you are unsure of what to choose, I’ll recommend that you consult an expert, or even work with an agency for ongoing support.
DISCLAIMER: Some links are referral links.