WordPress has a significant presence in the digital world, with 43% of websites using the platform. However, when it comes to hosting, should you opt for a WordPress hosting plan or shared hosting for your WordPress website?

The answer varies for each individual, as factors such as budget, website traffic and web development experience play a crucial role in making the right decision.

What is WordPress hosting?

WordPress hosting is similar to shared hosting, but with some differences. It is designed specifically for websites created with the WordPress platform.

Your hosting provider will take care of WordPress-specific security measures, speed optimizations, updates and backups. This specialization ensures a more reliable and smooth experience for users.

It is also important to consider the specific type of WordPress hosting you choose, such as shared, dedicated, cloud or VPS hosting.

Shared hosting is a cost-effective and easy-to-use hosting option. On the other hand, WordPress hosting tends to be more expensive, but offers customized features, automated processes and optimization designed specifically for WordPress websites, making it a more suitable option for managing such sites.

Website management

Website administration tasks are largely influenced by your choice of hosting provider. Ultimately, you want control and the ability to customize your website.

However, the level of control and customization available to you may be restricted depending on the type of hosting you select.

The shared accommodation simplifies website administration by providing an easy-to-use control panel.

This centralizes several tasks, including domain management, application management and basic web management.

Performance

As mentioned above, website performance, including responsiveness, speed and stability, significantly affects the user experience. Portent's research reveals that the loading speed of your website has a direct impact on your conversion rates.

Specifically, a website that loads in one second has a conversion rate three times higher than a website that takes five seconds to load.

Shared hosting can have varying results depending on your host and the amount of traffic your website receives.

Since resources are shared with multiple servers, it is possible to experience slower speeds and increased downtime during periods of high traffic.

Ease of use

Shared hosting generally offers an easy-to-use control panel, such as cPanel, which makes it easy to perform tasks such as uploading files, managing domains and setting up email accounts.

This simplicity makes shared hosting a great option for beginners and those unfamiliar with the technology.

WordPress hosting takes things a step further, especially for people who use WordPress as their content management system (CMS).

As a WordPress user, you may need to update themes or plugins, monitor website performance, optimize images or manage comments in the WordPress Dashboard.

Prices

When starting a website, the main focus is often on the features and pricing it offers. In simpler terms, it's about getting the most value for your money. WordPress and shared hosting make it difficult to make the wrong decision.

Shared hosting plans are available for as little as a few dollars per month, making them affordable for new website owners or those with low-traffic sites.

In addition, you always have the option to upgrade in the future, as long as your web hosting provider allows it.

Is shared hosting good for SEO?

Yes, shared hosting is sufficient for search engine optimization (SEO). While you may not reach the best SEO results with shared hosting, you can still accomplish the task on a smaller level.

Aspects that affect SEO are generally improved with WordPress, VPS or dedicated hosting.