WP Engine Hosting for WordPress: A Thorough Review
Managed WordPress hosting with WP Engine has become an increasingly popular option for site owners seeking performance, security, and simplified management. But does WP Engine live up to its reputation? This in-depth review provides a detailed look at WP Engine’s features, capabilities, and value proposition for WordPress users.
WordPress has grown to become the world’s most dominant content management system
As WordPress has grown to become the world’s most dominant content management system, the need for specialized WordPress hosting tailored to the platform’s needs has become apparent. This has led to the rise of managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine that aim to provide an optimized hosting environment specifically for WordPress sites.
With over 100,000 customers, WP Engine has established itself as one of the leading managed WordPress hosting providers. They’ve built a reputation for fast performance, high security, and excellent support. But there’s stiff competition in the market from rivals like Kinsta, Pagely, and Flywheel.
In this comprehensive review, we’ll take an in-depth look at WP Engine’s managed WordPress hosting to see if it lives up to the hype. We’ll be assessing critical factors like speed, security, pricing, and support quality to provide site owners with the insights needed to make informed hosting decisions. Let’s dive in!
Key Features and Highlights
WP Engine differentiates itself from standard web hosting through specialized WordPress-centric features and optimizations. Here are some of the key capabilities that set WP Engine apart:
- Built-in CDN – WP Engine has a global content delivery network (CDN) built into its plans by default to accelerate media delivery and site performance.
- Server-level caching – Caching dynamically generated pages at the server level significantly boosts site speed compared to plugin-based caching.
- PHP 7.4 – Sites are run on the latest PHP 7.4 runtime for better performance and access to modern features.
- Git integration – WP Engine allows users to integrate with Git for version control and seamless development workflows.
- Staging environments – Test changes on a staging copy of your site before pushing to production with just 1-click.
- Malware detection – Proactive malware scanning and removal helps protect sites from being compromised.
- Automated backups – Daily and on-demand backups provide protection against data loss and disaster recovery.
For site owners and developers, these capabilities add up to an optimized WordPress hosting environment with security, speed, and convenience features that enable success.
Performance and Speed
Speed is a critical factor when it comes to WordPress hosting. Slow loading times can negatively impact conversions, SEO rankings, and user experience. So how does WP Engine deliver in terms of real-world performance?
In extensive third-party testing across global locations, WP Engine consistently achieved exceptional page loading speeds:
- 1.27s average load time across North America and Europe
- 2.5s average on 4G networks in India
- Up to 4x faster than competing managed WordPress hosts
WP Engine’s integrated CDN, caching, and PHP 7.4 runtime combine to minimize server response times. The CDN also reduces distance to users by serving content from edge locations closest to them. These optimizations enable WP Engine sites to load blazingly fast for visitors worldwide.
For resource-intensive processes like cron jobs, WP Engine implements queue systems to prevent slowdowns. By properly handling high loads, your site stays speedy no matter how much traffic it gets. Fast performance is clearly a priority at WP Engine.
Security and Reliability
A study found that 68% of site owners see web security as their top worry when choosing a host. For good reason – your website is exposed to constant threats of malware, hacks, and DDoS attacks. So WP Engine places a heavy emphasis on security:
- Web application firewalls block malicious requests and prevent intrusions
- 24/7 threat monitoring with proprietary intrusion detection utilizes AI to identify anomalies and protect sites
- Regular malware scans are performed to detect and remove any infections
- Automated daily backups provide 1-click restores in case your site is compromised
This defense-in-depth security model ensures 360-degree protection against the diverse security risks facing modern WordPress sites.
WP Engine also offers an industry-leading 99.95% uptime SLA with financial guarantees, ensuring your site stays continuously available. With proven infrastructure reliability and scalability, even unexpected traffic spikes won’t take your site down.
These security and reliability capabilities enable WP Engine users to rest easy knowing their sites are safe and stable at all times.
Pricing and Plans
WP Engine offers 4 managed WordPress hosting plans suitable for different needs and budgets:
| Plan | Starting Price | Key Features | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Startup | $30/month | 25K visits/month 10 GB storage | Smaller sites |
| Growth | $115/month | 100K visits/month 20 GB storage | Medium traffic sites |
| Scale | $290/month | 400K visits/month 30 GB storage | High traffic sites |
| Custom | Quoted price | Enterprise-level customization | Large businesses |
All plans include essential features like automatic WordPress core updates, dynamic caching, CDN, clones/staging sites, and free migrations. Higher plans add more resources and sites supported.
Compared to other managed WordPress hosts, WP Engine is competitively priced. They offer a value-packed solution for the features and performance delivered. For sites needing enterprise-level support and resources, WP Engine’s custom plans can accommodate huge WordPress deployments.
Customer Support
Delivering quality customer support is vital for any hosting provider. Slow or unhelpful support results in frustration for users.
WP Engine has gained a stellar reputation for responsive 24/7 support and WordPress expertise:
- 24/7 live chat, email & phone support with average sub-2 minute response times
- Engineers well-versed in WordPress capable of tackling platform-specific issues
- High 4.7/5 customer satisfaction rating for support quality
- 99.95% support SLA guaranteeing exceptional assistance
It’s clear WP Engine invests heavily in support staff training and resources to optimize the user experience. Their focus on WordPress support specifically is a key advantage.
Alternatives and Comparisons
The managed WordPress hosting market has expanded with many competitors vying for business alongside WP Engine. Here’s how WP Engine stacks up against some top alternative providers:
- Kinsta – Similarly fast performance and security make it robust for high traffic sites, but more limited features and higher costs per resource than WP Engine.
- Pagely – Close competitor on performance with strong enterprise plans, but support ratings lag behind WP Engine’s excellence.
- Flywheel – User-friendly and design-focused WordPress hosting good for agencies, but speed and capabilities less than WP Engine.
- SiteGround – Affordable starter-friendly hosting though lacks dedicated WordPress optimizations of true managed WordPress hosts.
The choice between WP Engine and others depends on your specific requirements and budget. Still, WP Engine remains a top contender in WordPress hosting with exceptional all-around capabilities.
Conclusion
WP Engine clearly lives up to its reputation as a premier managed WordPress host. Their solutions deliver across the board in terms of WordPress performance, security, ease of use, and supportive assistance.
For site owners prioritizing a fast, secure, and optimized WordPress environment, WP Engine is likely the ideal choice. Their expertise and specialization in WordPress hosting give them an edge.
Before deciding on any host, always compare features and costs closely aligned to your needs. But in most cases, WP Engine’s competitive pricing combined with top-tier capabilities make them a recommended option for managed WordPress hosting.
Give WP Engine’s hosting a try to see why over 100,000 WordPress sites trust them for their hosting needs!
Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting provides a hosting environment specially optimized for WordPress along with expert management and support. Companies like WP Engine offer performance enhancements, security, and features designed specifically around the WordPress platform.
How much does WP Engine cost?
WP Engine’s managed WordPress hosting plans start at $30/month for their Startup tier. Pricing scales up based on traffic needs and additional capabilities, with enterprise-level custom quoted pricing.
Does WP Engine offer a free trial?
Yes, WP Engine has a free 60-day trial on all plans so you can test their managed WordPress hosting first-hand. This helps evaluate if their solution fits your site’s requirements.
What happens after WP Engine’s trial ends?
At the end of the 60-day trial period, you would begin being billed normally for the WP Engine hosting plan you selected.