Looking for the perfect WordPress hosting in 2025?
With WordPress powering over 40% of all websites, the hosting space has exploded with options. From ultra-affordable shared hosting to high-end managed WordPress solutions, the choices can feel endless — and overwhelming.
So how do you know which host is best for your needs, budget, and technical expertise?
We did the hard work for you. We personally tested 10 of the most recognized WordPress hosts, assessing real-world speed, scalability, support quality, pricing, and features — beyond the marketing fluff.
You’ll get a quick summary of our top picks, then a deep-dive review of each host with performance benchmarks, pros and cons, and our expert opinion.
Best WordPress Hosting in 2025: Quick Summary
We’re going to go much more in-depth in this post with our hands-on tests and experience-backed opinions. However, if you’re in a rush, we want to start things off by giving you a quick summary of our top picks.
So – you can either use this simple summary table as a jumping-off point. Or, you can keep reading to learn exactly why we’ve chosen these hosts and see the test data.
Quick Comparison: Best WordPress Hosting in 2025
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick snapshot of our top picks:
| Host | Best For | Starting Price | Key Strengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| GreenGeeks | Budget-friendly performance | $2.95/mo | Great value, eco-friendly, uses LiteSpeed Server |
| WP Engine | High-traffic managed hosting | $30/mo | Top-tier performance and WordPress support |
| Bluehost | Beginners | $2.75/mo | Easy setup, includes website builder |
| Nexcess | WooCommerce + No traffic limits | $19/mo | Solid performance, no visit caps |
WordPress Hosting vs. Shared Hosting – The Key Differences
You may have noticed that many web hosts offer general shared hosting plans and WordPress hosting plans. These are two very different things. To illustrate why, let’s walk through their differences one by one:
| Feature | Shared Hosting | WordPress Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Server Load | Shared with many sites | Optimized for WordPress-only environments |
| Performance | Varies depending on neighbors | Typically faster due to WP optimizations |
| Security | General-purpose firewalls | WP-tailored firewalls and malware scanning |
| Support | Generic support staff | WordPress-trained experts |
| Features | Manual backups, minimal extras | Often includes backups, caching, auto-updates |
- When you get shared hosting, you’re paying for a set amount of space within a server. You have the freedom to install any content management system (CMS) you want, but performance will never be as good as say a dedicated server (i.e. one that is reserved for your use only).
- With WordPress-specific hosting, you’re usually paying for space within less crowded servers. Each of these servers is optimized to provide you with a better WordPress experience right out of the box.
- WordPress-specific hosting often includes security measures tailored for the CMS.
- WordPress-friendly hosts are more knowledgeable when it comes to the CMS, so they offer better support.
- Web hosts optimized for WordPress often offer better loading speeds. For example, their servers are tuned for WordPress and they often include optimizations such as server-level page caching for WordPress.
- Often, WordPress hosts also take care of backups for you, which is a huge load off your shoulders
These days, there’s arguably no good reason for a WordPress user to opt for generic shared hosting. WordPress hosting plans usually start at competitive prices, so they’re the best choice – even if you’re on a tight budget.
Our Testing Methodology
To find the best hosts, we used a standardized process:
- Test Setup: We set up a WordPress site on each host’s entry-level plan.
- Performance Testing:
- WebPageTest: For TTFB, LCP, and fully loaded time.
- Load Focus: Simulated concurrent visitors to test scalability.
- Support Evaluation: We contacted each host’s support team with WordPress-related queries.
- Pricing Analysis: We considered both promo and renewal rates to give a full picture.
We measured:
- TTFB (Time To First Byte) – server responsiveness.
- LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) – how fast users see visible content.
- Fully Loaded Time – total page load time.
- Load Focus Average/90th Percentile – performance under stress.
The 10 Best WordPress Hosts for 2025 Ranked
After wrapping up our extensive testing, one thing became crystal clear — not all WordPress hosts are created equal. Some providers outperformed others by a wide margin in both speed and stability, while others offered better value or features at lower price points. To give you a well-rounded picture, we’ve ranked the hosts from best to worst based on a combination of real-world performance, feature set, customer support, and overall value for money.
It’s essential to remember that the fastest host isn’t always the best for you. If you’re working with a limited budget, you may benefit more from a host that strikes a balance between decent performance and affordability, even if it’s not the top performer. Take WP Engine, for instance: it’s one of the most powerful hosts in terms of speed and features, but its higher pricing makes it less accessible to casual bloggers or beginners, which is why it lands in the third position rather than first.
We’ve also considered use-case scenarios in our rankings. For example, while HostGator delivered strong results in low-traffic environments, its performance under high traffic wasn’t as reliable, making it suitable mainly for personal or low-traffic websites rather than resource-heavy or high-traffic sites.
With that context in mind, let’s break down the top WordPress hosting options in 2025, based on our firsthand experience and data-driven insights.
1. WP Engine
When it comes to cutting-edge performance, enterprise-grade security, and effortless scalability, WP Engine stands alone. It’s built specifically for WordPress and optimized right down to the core, offering features such as automatic speed optimizations, advanced caching, one-click staging environments, and robust developer tools.
However, these premium features come with a price. Unlike most other hosts on this list, WP Engine targets professional users and businesses, not hobbyists or casual bloggers. It’s an investment — but for those who demand top-tier performance and rock-solid reliability, it’s worth every penny.
Security and Support Services
WP Engine is known for its exceptional customer support, and our experience confirmed that reputation. We were connected to a knowledgeable support agent via live chat in under two minutes, and they efficiently addressed our WordPress security questions with clarity and confidence. The support team is well-trained specifically in WordPress, which ensures faster, more accurate resolutions.
One of WP Engine’s standout advantages is its comprehensive built-in security. Unlike many hosts that rely on external plugins, WP Engine includes features like real-time threat detection, daily malware scans, automatic updates, and a proprietary firewall — all managed at the server level. This not only reduces reliance on third-party tools but also gives peace of mind knowing your site is proactively protected.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.144 s | 0.641 s | 0.739 s | 0.347 s | 0.516 s |
As a premium managed WordPress hosting provider, WP Engine lives up to its reputation when it comes to performance — and our testing results backed that up. It delivered exceptional results in both WebPageTest (for one-off load speed) and Load Focus (for handling traffic spikes), consistently ranking among the top performers across all metrics.
In fact, WP Engine recorded the fastest response times during load testing, outperforming every other host in our lineup. This proves that it’s not only optimized for speed under ideal conditions but also highly reliable when your site experiences surges in traffic, making it an excellent choice for high-traffic websites, agencies, or growing businesses that demand top-tier performance and stability.
Pricing and General Impressions
As a premium managed WordPress hosting provider, WP Engine fully delivers on its promise of top-tier performance, and our tests confirm it. It excelled in both WebPageTest, which measures real-world load times, and Load Focus, which simulates high-traffic environments to test how well a site handles simultaneous visitors.
What stood out most was WP Engine’s industry-leading response times during load testing. It outperformed every other host in our lineup, proving that it’s not just fast in ideal scenarios, but also incredibly resilient under pressure.
Whether you’re running a high-traffic blog, a large eCommerce store, or managing multiple client sites, WP Engine offers the speed, reliability, and scalability needed to keep your site performing flawlessly — even during peak demand.
Pros
- Blazing-fast performance, even under heavy traffic loads
- Highly scalable infrastructure — ideal for enterprise-level or rapidly growing sites
- Robust, built-in security features, including malware scans and firewalls
- Expert WordPress support, available 24/7 with fast response times
Cons
- Premium pricing may be out of reach for beginners or small personal sites
In Summary
WP Engine would likely top this list if not for one key factor — its price. This platform is purpose-built for serious WordPress users who demand exceptional speed, rock-solid security, and enterprise-level reliability. And while it absolutely delivers on those fronts, the premium pricing puts it out of reach for many casual users and smaller websites.
That said, if your budget allows, WP Engine is one of the most capable and dependable hosts available today — rivaled only by a few, such as Flywheel. For businesses, agencies, or high-traffic sites, it’s an investment well worth making.
2. GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks stands out in the budget hosting space not just for its affordability, but for its commitment to sustainability. True to its name, GreenGeeks offsets its energy usage with 300% renewable energy credits, making it an excellent choice for environmentally conscious users.
But eco-friendliness isn’t its only strength. GreenGeeks also delivers solid performance at a budget-friendly price point. While it may not be the fastest host overall, it consistently offers reliable speeds and uptime, which is especially impressive given its low entry cost.
We ranked GreenGeeks as our top pick because it strikes the right balance between price, performance, and ease of use. For users seeking dependable WordPress hosting without incurring a high cost, GreenGeeks is a smart and well-rounded choice. If you have the budget to go higher, you’ll find faster alternatives — but within its price range, GreenGeeks is hard to beat.
Security and Support Services
GreenGeeks provides 24/7 customer support across all plans, available through live chat, email ticketing, and phone. Whether you’re dealing with technical issues or just need help setting up your site, their responsive support team is accessible around the clock.
On the security front, GreenGeeks takes a proactive approach. It runs automated daily malware scans and utilizes advanced firewall protection to detect and block threats before they reach your site. These built-in safeguards help ensure your WordPress site remains secure without requiring you to install or manage third-party security tools.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.298 s | 0.951 s | 0.818 s | 2.234 s | 2.701 s |
Considering its price point, GreenGeeks delivers impressive performance. While it doesn’t match the elite speeds of premium providers like Flywheel or WP Engine, it holds its own remarkably well among budget hosts. In fact, GreenGeeks outperformed many competitors in our load testing, making it a standout choice for users who need reliable speed without stretching their budget.
A key reason behind this strong performance is GreenGeeks’ use of the LiteSpeed Web Server across all plans. LiteSpeed is known for its high efficiency and built-in caching capabilities, which significantly enhance WordPress site loading times, especially important on shared hosting environments.
Pricing and General Impressions
GreenGeeks offers excellent value, particularly for budget-conscious users who still want dependable performance. Introductory WordPress hosting plans start at just $2.95 per month, and this price includes helpful features such as free nightly backups, a CDN, and LiteSpeed Server technology for faster page loads.
However, it’s important to be aware of the pricing structure. After your initial term, the renewal rate increases to $10.95 per month. While this is still competitive in terms of performance and features, it’s a noticeable improvement, so it’s wise to plan if you’re looking for long-term hosting.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Solid performance at a budget price
- Powered by LiteSpeed Server for faster speeds
- Free backups and CDN included
- 300% green energy match for eco-conscious users
Cons:
- Significant difference between promotional and renewal pricing
GreenGeeks is a top-tier choice for affordable WordPress hosting. It delivers reliable performance, includes essential features out of the box, and aligns with eco-friendly values — all at a price point that’s hard to beat. If you’re working within a limited budget but don’t want to compromise on speed or sustainability, GreenGeeks is an excellent option.
Remember to consider renewal rates in your long-term planning.
3. Flywheel
Flywheel is a WordPress hosting company that targets both regular users and agencies. It offers a wide variety of plans at different price points and incorporates advanced features across all of them. These features include nightly backups, free security scans, and the ability to create staging sites.
As of 2019, Flywheel is now owned by WP Engine (the next entry on our list). However, the two are still run separately and have separate features, though their prices are almost identical now.
Fun fact – Flywheel is the host that we use here at WPKube, so we really believe in Flywheel as a quality hosting product.
Security and Support Services
Flywheel offers 24/7/365 live chat support. You can quickly access their support channels from any page in the Flywheel dashboard, whether you need a quick chat, to check the status of a ticket, or reference their handy help docs.
This host also takes security very seriously. They enforce significant login measures and take great pains to keep your site stays safe and malware-free.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.134 s | 0.397 s | 0.542 s | N/A | N/A |
Flywheel performed remarkably in the WebPageTest analysis, beating out all the other hosts on this list by far for the lowest times.
Unfortunately, we were unable to test Flywheel with Load Focus due to Flywheel’s firewall and DDoS protection. This firewall is great for protecting your site from malicious actors – it’s only bad for load testing.
With that being said, personal experience lets us know that Flywheel can maintain the same great performance under scale – after all, we do host WPKube on Flywheel and WPKube is a pretty high-traffic site.
Pricing and General Impressions
Flywheel is one of the fastest hosts we tested. That benefit, combined with their wide range of plans, makes them a good choice for anyone that’s looking for a safe, fast WordPress host.
However, Flywheel is definitely a premium service; the cheapest plan is $15 per month for a single site install and a limit of 5,000 monthly visits. If you’re looking to host multiple websites with significant traffic, Flywheel will get pretty expensive pretty fast as their other plans are identical to WP Engine’s pricing.
Pros
- Very fast page load times.
- Offers a great variety of WordPress plans.
- Plenty of advanced features for solo WordPress developers and agencies.
- Great security measures, including nightly backups.
Cons
- Can be expensive if your site gets more than 5,000 visits per month or if you need to host multiple sites.
In Summary
Flywheel is a great managed WordPress host for anyone, which is why we use it for WPKube. The performance is excellent and we like they way they use full-page caching in conjunction with the built-in CDN.
However, it’s especially great for agencies or other people building client sites because of the agency-focused features that Flywheel offer.
4. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting is one of the largest names in the world of WordPress hosting. They offer only a few select plans, but plenty of WordPress-exclusive features, including WP-CLI support, a collection of free themes, and automatic backups.
Security and Support Services
Most of the time, InMotion Hosting offers swift support service via live chat, but in some cases, the wait can get quite long. We attribute this to their overwhelming popularity, but it can be jarring if you’re a new customer looking to fix a simple issue.
Despite the (occasionally) erratic wait times, InMotion Hosting’s support is friendly and knowledgeable. We’d even go as far as to say that it’s their strongest point.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.267 s | 0.545 s | 0.950 s | 0.445 s | 0.542 |
InMotion Hosting performed very well in our performance tests, especially when you consider their price. The one-off WebPageTest analysis was very good, especially when it came to LCP. More impressively, though, InMotion Hosting also aced the Load Focus test, which shows that InMotion Hosting can still deliver top-notch performance even in higher-traffic situations.
Pricing and General Impressions
InMotion Hosting’s managed WordPress hosting plans (which are what we tested) are very competitively priced, starting at $7.99 per month for up to two websites and improved features/performance.
Pros
- Very good performance, especially when considering the price.
- A good set of WordPress-specific features, including automatic backups.
- Very competitive prices for both shared hosting and managed WordPress hosting.
Cons
- Unpredictable support experience.
In Summary
InMotion Hosting’s standout achievement is its page load times, especially under scale. Beyond that, InMotion Hosting offers a decent set of WordPress-specific features, as well as competitive prices. Sadly, they drop the ball a bit when it comes to their support experience. We would recommend this host to webmasters on a budget who want solid performance for the money and are willing to sacrifice a bit when it comes to support.
5. WPX Hosting
WPX Hosting is an interesting WordPress hosting option because it offers performance that rivals premium managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine and Flywheel, but it doesn’t limit you to a single website on its entry-level plans like those hosts do.
This can make WPX Hosting a great option if you have 2+ sites as you can save a lot of money vs hosts like WP Engine and Flywheel.
Security and Support Services
WPX Hosting offers above-and-beyond support that’s available 24/7 via live chat. They boast a 30-second average response time, which is one of the faster times that you’ll find.
In terms of security, all of their plans come with automatic daily backups, daily malware scans (and free malware removal), DDoS protection, and a built-in firewall.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.182 s | 0.814 s | 0.844 s | 0.437 s | 0.580 s |
Pricing and General Impressions
WPX Hosting’s plans start at just $24.99 per month for five websites, 10 GB storage, and 100 GB bandwidth. That five website limit is the most unique thing, as most managed WordPress hosts only give you a single site for that price.
One thing to note, though, is that WPX Hosting counts staging sites as “regular” websites for billing purposes. So if you have one live website and one staging site for it, that counts as two websites for billing.
Pros
- WPX Hosting had excellent performance in both the one-off tests and load testing.
- You can host multiple websites on the entry-level plan.
- You get top-notch support.
Cons
- WPX Hosting counts staging sites as regular sites for billing purposes.
- The WPX Hosting dashboard isn’t as nice as what Flywheel and WP Engine offer.
In Summary
Overall, WPX Hosting is a great option if you have more than one website and you still want premium performance without breaking the bank. You get performance that can rival WP Engine and Flywheel but at an affordable price that still allows for multiple websites.
6. Nexcess
Nexcess is a subsidiary of Liquid Web that offers managed WordPress hosting and managed WooCommerce hosting. The managed WooCommerce hosting plans are especially interesting because they’ve been built for WooCommerce from the ground up.
Liquid Web has also been making huge investments into the WordPress space, so you can be confident that Nexcess will keep adding useful new features.
Overall, it’s one of the more affordable managed WordPress hosting providers that you’ll find, but it still offers excellent performance.
Security and Support Services
Nexcess offers 24/7/365 support on all plans. The support is fine and better than what you’d get with a cheap shared host, but it’s not quite as good as the support from more premium managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine and Flywheel.
In terms of security, Nexcess is a managed platform so it builds in proactive security rules and firewalls to protect your site. You also get useful features like automatic backups and automatic plugin updates with visual regression testing.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.159 s | 0.546 s | 0.725 s | 0.396 s | 0.512 s |
Pricing and General Impressions
Nexcess is priced competitively for the managed WordPress hosting space. One unique thing about its pricing is that it doesn’t apply arbitrary visit limits like many other managed WordPress hosts. Instead, you’re only billed based on your bandwidth.
The entry-level plan starts at $19 at full price with monthly billing for one site and 2 TB bandwidth. However, you’ll get 50% off for your first six months.
Pros
- Excellent performance in one-off tests and load testing.
- Useful managed WordPress features and an excellent staging tool.
- No arbitrary visit limits on the pricing plans.
- Nexcess offers special managed WooCommerce hosting plans.
Cons
- The support is not as good as what you’d get from WP Engine, Flywheel, or WPX Hosting.
In Summary
Like WP Engine and Flywheel, Nexcess is another great option if you’re looking for managed WordPress hosting. The performance is excellent, you get all the features you’d expect, and the entry-level plan is one of the more affordable options for managed WordPress hosting.
If you have a WooCommerce store, the special managed WooCommerce hosting plans are also definitely worth a look.
7. HostGator
HostGator is one of the best-known names when it comes to web hosting, but not one of the most highly regarded. In the past, the hosting service has experienced issues with site speed, but it has recently turned over a new leaf. HostGator’s WordPress Cloud Hosting plans are some of the fastest around in our one-off tests, and they include both free migrations and free SSL certificates.
Security and Support Services
HostGator offers 24/7 support on all of their plans. When we tested support, they were very friendly and helpful, though we did have to wait about 10 minutes to get in touch with a representative.
Their WordPress plans also come with useful features such as automatic backups and the option to add protection from SiteLock and CodeGuard.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.192 s | 0.545 s | 0.770 s | 3.908 s | 15.809 s |
HostGator is a bit of a mixed bag in terms of performance. They performed quite well in the WebPageTest analysis, with one of the fastest Largest Contentful Paint times of any host on this list. However, they didn’t do nearly as well in the Load Focus test.
This suggests that HostGator can be a good budget option for low-traffic sites as it offers stellar performance in low-traffic situations. However, for high-traffic sites, you’ll probably want to choose a different host that can perform better under scale.
Pricing and General Impressions
The Starter plan offers the best bang for your buck when it comes to WordPress hosting ($5.95 per month when you commit for a year), but prices increase sharply once you move into the enterprise-level range of plans.
That’s not to say HostGator is a bad option, but you may be mindful of the costs.
Pros
- Good loading speeds in the one-off tests.
- One of the cheapest starting plans among WordPress hosts.
- A helpful and friendly team with good WordPress chops.
Cons
- HostGator performed really poorly in the load testing.
In Summary
HostGator knocks the ball out of the park with low prices and great one-off speed tests. However, they didn’t perform well in the load testing, so we only recommend them for low-traffic sites. Still, most WordPress websites are low traffic, which makes them a solid budget pick for the average webmaster.
8. Bluehost
Bluehost is one of the biggest and most popular WordPress web hosts around, with a decent variety of plans at mid-to-high prices. WordPress-specific features include dedicated backups and an enhanced cPanel interface.
Security and Support Services
Bluehost offers the SiteLock suite of security tools to its users, which takes care of malware detection, removal, and firewall duties.
Moving on to support, Bluehost provided one of the worst experiences for us. Waiting times for the live chat often stretched beyond half an hour, and from our experiences, the staff isn’t particularly knowledgeable about WordPress.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.236 s | 0.993 s | 1.308 s | 4.569 s | 15.818 s |
Like HostGator (from the same parent company), Bluehost performed well enough in the one-off test from WebPageTest but had really poor results in the Load Focus test.
This suggests that Bluehost can be fine for low-traffic sites, but will really struggle in high-traffic situations. So if you have a high-traffic site, you’ll probably want to choose one of the hosts that performed better in the Load Focus test.
Pricing and General Impressions
Bluehost doesn’t lead the pack when it comes to speed or support. What they do offer, however, is a wide variety of plans at midrange prices and adequate security features.
You can choose from:
- Shared WordPress hosting from $2.95 per month with promo price. At renewal, the regular price is $9.99 per month.
- Managed WordPress hosting from $9.95 per month with promo price. At renewal, the regular price is $19.95 per month.
- WooCommerce (eCommerce) hosting from $15.95 per month with promo price. At renewal, the regular price is $24.95 per month.
Make sure to factor the regular prices into your decision, as the difference between the promo price and the regular price can be quite large.
You also get a very beginner-friendly dashboard and setup experience, which makes it easy to get up and running with a site. This part makes them appealing for beginners who might feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to start a WordPress website.
Pros
- A good suite of security features.
- A decent variety of WordPress plans.
- Very user-friendly dashboard and onboarding process.
Cons
- Very poor performance in the load tests and the one-off tests were just “ok”.
- The support team takes ages to respond to queries.
In Summary
Bluehost is far from the lead when it comes to WordPress hosting. That being said, it offers a very user-friendly experience and a wide variety of WordPress hosting plans to choose from. The new WordPress website builder also might be attractive to some users. This can still make it a viable option for beginners who value ease of use and low prices over top-notch speeds and support.
9. DreamHost
Most web hosts focus on either regular or managed WordPress plans, but not DreamHost. They offer plans of all different kinds, from stripped-bare shared hosting plans to superior managed plans replete with all the bells and whistles.
Security and Support Services
DreamHost offered decent support times. You can connect with a live chat agent in a matter of minutes – approximately six, in our case – and the support reps were fairly knowledgeable about WordPress security.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 1.372 s | 1.657 s | 2.000 s | 2.359 s | 3.632 s |
DreamHost performed “ok”, but you can definitely see the drop-off in performance between it and more expensive hosts. One bright spot was the load test – DreamHost performed a lot better than HostGator and Bluehost under scale, though it was still way behind hosts like WP Engine and WPX Hosting.
Pricing and General Impressions
DreamHost fills a particular niche when it comes to WordPress hosting. They offer a decent service at reasonable prices:
- $16.95 per month for managed WordPress hosting
- Cheap shared plans from $2.59 per month for annual billing or $4.95 per month with month-to-month billing.
However, DreamHost won’t blow you out of the water with any particular feature.
One nice thing is that DreamHost’s regular prices are still pretty cheap. While there is a small difference between promo pricing and regular pricing, it’s nowhere near as severe as the difference at hosts like GreenGeeks and Bluehost.
Pros
- Offers a simple choice between two WordPress plans – one shared (single site or unlimited sites), and one managed.
- Good support response times and knowledgeable staff.
- Offers cheap month-to-month billing even on the shared WordPress plans, whereas most other budget hosts make you pay for at least a year upfront.
Cons
- The load times weren’t great.
In Summary
DreamHost offers a unique experience when it comes to WordPress hosting. It offers only two plans: one shared, and one managed. Their service is decent, except when it comes to loading times. We can only recommend this host to users who don’t want to choose between too many plans and aren’t too concerned with loading times.
Or, it can be a good option if you’re looking for cheap month-to-month payments.
10. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting is a popular budget web host that offers affordable shared WordPress hosting. One of the unique things about A2 Hosting is that they offer LiteSpeed Server on their high-tier “Turbo” shared plans, which can offer big performance improvements over the cheaper plans that we tested.
Security and Support Services
A2 Hosting offers 24/7 support on all of their plans. You can get support via phone, live chat, or email.
In terms of security, they offer automatic backups on higher-tier plans along with built-in security rules.
Speed Testing Results
| TTFB | LCP | Fully Loaded | Load Focus Avg. | Load Focus 90% |
| 0.932 s | 1.416 s | 1.351 s | 5.774 s | 7.308 s |
Unfortunately, A2 Hosting disappointed in both the one-off WebPageTest analysis and the load testing from Load Focus. With that being said, you would likely have much better results if you used one of A2 Hosting’s Turbo servers powered by LiteSpeed server. So if you’re considering A2 Hosting, you might want to spring for those Turbo servers.
Pricing and General Impressions
While the A2 Hosting plan that we tested didn’t do great in the speed tests, it does have the advantage of being very affordable. The shared plans start at just $2.99 per month with promo pricing. Or, you can upgrade to the Turbo LiteSpeed Server plans starting at just $6.99 per month with promo pricing.
Make sure to pay attention to the regular prices, though, as A2 Hosting has huge jumps between promo pricing and regular price. For example, the cheapest plan jumps from $2.99 per month to $10.99 per month.
Pros
- Very low promo prices, especially for the cheapest plans.
- Offers LiteSpeed Server on their Turbo plans.
Cons
- A2 Hosting didn’t perform very well in our tests.
- There’s a huge jump between promo pricing and regular pricing.
In Summary
A2 Hosting offers very affordable hosting, but the performance was disappointing so you’ll probably want to only go with the cheap shared plans if you’re on a tight budget. With that being said, the Turbo plans offer much-improved performance if you can afford them.
Performance Analysis
Performance Leaderboard (Speed Rankings)
| Rank | Host | Fully Loaded Time | Load Focus Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flywheel | 0.542s | N/A |
| 2 | Nexcess | 0.725s | 0.396s |
| 3 | WP Engine | 0.739s | 0.347s |
| 4 | WPX Hosting | 0.844s | 0.437s |
| 5 | GreenGeeks | 0.818s | 2.234s |
To make it easier to see how the different hosts compare in terms of performance, we’ll rank them in order from fastest to slowest for two metrics:
- Fully loaded time (WebPageTest)
- Load Focus average response time
Fully Loaded Time:
- Flywheel – 0.542 s
- Nexcess – 0.725 s
- WP Engine – 0.739 s
- HostGator – 0.770 s
- GreenGeeks – 0.818 s
- WPX Hosting – 0.844 s
- InMotion Hosting – 0.950 s
- Bluehost – 1.308 s
- A2 Hosting – 1.351 s
- DreamHost – 2.000 s
Load Focus Average Response:
- WP Engine – 0.347 s
- Flywheel – N/A (but likely rank here)
- Nexcess – 0.396 s
- WPX Hosting – 0.437 s
- InMotion Hosting – 0.445 s
- GreenGeeks – 2.234 s
- DreamHost – 2.359 s
- HostGator – 3.908 s
- Bluehost – 4.569 s
- A2 Hosting – 5.774 s
Final Thoughts: Ranking the Best WordPress Hosts in 2025
Having covered each web host in detail, there’s nothing left to do but rank the ten WordPress hosts we’ve discussed. We’ve included a brief, informative summary alongside each to help you quickly identify which one best fits your needs, goals, and budget:
- WP Engine – A premium host designed for high-traffic or mission-critical sites. It delivers industry-leading speed, support, and scalability — if your budget allows.
- GreenGeeks – A great all-around option offering dependable performance, useful features, and eco-friendly hosting — all at a very accessible price.
- Flywheel – A strong choice for developers and solo site owners who prioritize security, speed, and an intuitive dashboard — best suited for single-site setups.
Which WordPress web host are you leaning towards? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below — we’d love to hear which host you’ve chosen and why!
