WordPress is one of the most popular content management system (CMS) solutions for managing the backend of websites available today. Using a CMS like WordPress eliminates the need for coding. Unless you want to customize your website this way, WordPress offers a blog-style backend complete with plugin support, templates, SEO, and user management making it a great choice for new and experienced webmasters alike.
According to W3Techs, around 60% of all websites with a known CMS use the service. With this in mind, you should opt for a hosting service that supports WordPress right from the start, and preferably with one-click installation. That said, just because so many hosting providers offer WordPress support doesn’t mean that every service is good value for money, reliable, or trustworthy.
Also: Best free web hosting service 2026
In ZDNET’s February update, we refreshed our guide to the best WordPress hosting services of 2026, revisiting each of our recommended services and performing a thorough editorial update.
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What is the best WordPress hosting provider right now?
Our pick for the best WordPress hosting service overall is Hostinger. It’s an excellent WordPress website hosting solution that combines affordability, support, and scalability, and is suitable for the majority of use cases. Plans begin at $2 per month.
ZDNET has extensively tested and reviewed many WordPress hosting providers for years, often designing our own websites using these services. Read on for the rest of our top picks for the best WordPress hosting providers that provide security, support, and features suitable for various needs and budgets.
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Best WordPress hosting providers of 2026
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Hostinger, one of our top picks for web hosting and email hosting, is also our favorite option for your new WordPress installation.
Why we like it: We consider Hostinger a great all-rounder because it offers affordable pricing tiers tailored to your needs. Whether you want a bare-bones package for one website or need support for hundreds of WordPress installations, this could be your best provider.
Review: Hostinger
Hostinger’s features include e-commerce support, one-click WordPress installation, automatic updates, management tools, a vulnerability scanner, Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, and 24/7 support. I find the user interface to be slightly dated, but it is user-friendly, and live chat support is always on hand.
As a bonus, AI tools and prebuilt website templates are available to help you get online faster. In recent news, Hostinger has debuted a one-click OpenClaw installation for customers who want to use AI agents.
Who it’s for: For most customers, Hostinger is all you need. Anyone who wants quick and easy web hosting that is consistently affordable.
The basic hosting plan will cost you $2 per month, with three months of service thrown in for free. This deal includes a free domain for one year and free website migration.
Customers applaud the customer support team, but some said they would like more flexibility in the services provided.
Who should look elsewhere: Hostinger might not be the right choice for businesses hoping to scale up their online operations quickly. I use this service for a side project myself, and while it’s perfect for that level, I don’t see it working well for larger business enterprises.
Hostinger features: Multi-tier plans | Support for up to 100 websites | Weekly or daily backups | E-commerce | Free domain and email | AI tools | Website migration | 30-day money-back guarantee | 24/7 support | Trustpilot: 4.7/5
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ScalaHosting is one of our top choices for short-term affordability and generous storage for WordPress hosting.
Why we like it: You can spend as little as a few bucks for its entry plan, which is currently available for $2.95 per month. Top-tier subscriptions start around $15 per month.
ScalaHosting offers shared and dedicated WordPress hosting, unlimited website support, free secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates, daily backups, staging features, anti-malware tools, free migration, and a one-click WordPress installer.
Storage options beyond the entry level are generous, ranging from 10GB to 50GB+ on standard plans. You can also select your preferred size if you opt for a custom build. A free domain is also included in premium plans.
Also: Best VPS hosting service 2026
Who it’s for: Customer feedback indicates the helpdesk team is professional and dedicated, with excellent customer support and pricing. I recommend this service if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option for up to two years or if you want to pick your storage size.
Who should look elsewhere: If you need to run more than one WordPress site, you should sign up for the $6 per month plan. However, this jumps to $15 per month after its introductory price ends. There are cheaper options around.
ScalaHosting features: Multi-tier plans | One-click installation | Staging | Migration tools | Daily backups | One or unlimited websites | Free SSL certificates | 24/7 support | Generous money-back guarantee | Trustpilot rating: 4.9/5
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WP Engine is a key WordPress hosting provider for small and medium-sized businesses, and I recommend it as a scalable, flexible online solution.
Why we like it: WP Engine offers two stand-out features that make it our favorite recommendation for these use cases. The first is scalability. You can start with a relatively inexpensive plan and upgrade. WP Engine will not cap out if you need an enterprise-grade, high-performance plan after a major growth spurt.
Review: WP Engine
The second feature is what the company calls „transferable installs.“ While moving a WordPress installation from one hosting provider to another is possible, it can be a time-consuming process fraught with potential errors. There are migration tools and plugins to make the process more reliable. You can also simply push/pull databases, plugins, and website content.
The company also achieved ISO 27001:2022 certification and recently acquired Big Bite, an editorial tools provider.
Who it’s for: In addition to these great features for small and large businesses alike, WP Engine is suitable for clients who want to prioritize speed and security. Customers say the live chat support and WordPress assistance are top-notch. Plans begin at $55 per month.
Who should look elsewhere: WP Engine is a top pick for businesses, but this will likely be over what the average webmaster needs.
WP Engine features: Design and build tools | 1-click staging and migration | Transition plugins | Rollback functions | Strong security and automatic updates | Headless WordPress | 24/7 support | Trustpilot rating: 4.3/5
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Pagely, a GoDaddy brand, is one of the best WordPress hosting providers for mission-critical websites that require solid uptime.
Why we like it: While it can be expensive, Pagely provides top-tier hosting and supports blue-chip customers such as Disney, VMware, and Cisco through its flexible tech stack.
Plans support multiple WordPress websites and include features such as dedicated and custom CPU resources, high levels of RAM, custom storage amounts, and managed DevOps.
ZDNET author and tech expert David Gewirtz has used Pagely for years. Every time he’s had a support issue, the service jumped in and went above and beyond.
„I also like that Pagely hosts on top of the AWS infrastructure, so I never worry about maintenance and server reliability issues,“ Gewirtz says. „To be blunt: If I had one hosting provider to recommend, and if you can handle their pricing, I’d unreservedly recommend Pagely. And no, it’s not paying me to say that. I pay them every month.“
Who it’s for: Customers applaud Pagely as a solid platform with great support. Plans begin at $499 per month for Performance plans, so this price point is best suited for enterprise-grade projects.
However, Pagely has made a relatively recent change and now provides Pro plans for professional projects at a lower price point. These packages cost between $99 and $299 per month, depending on your WordPress hosting needs.
Who should look elsewhere: Small businesses and individuals who want to launch new, entry projects won’t need this sort of power or infrastructure, but there’s always the option to migrate in the future.
Pagely features: Enterprise-grade hosting | E-commerce support | Staging | Dedicated or decoupled databases | Flexible configurations | Managed DevOps | High storage levels | 24/7 support | Trustpilot rating: 4.5/5
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Automattic, which operates WordPress.com, also offers a top-tier solution for enterprise customers: WordPress VIP.
Why we like it: WordPress VIP provides infrastructure, operations, and security at scale, freeing content producers to focus on creating content. Think of it as a concierge service with a ton of horsepower.
WordPress VIP provides hosting services for a wide range of household names and should be considered if you need a streamlined, flexible content management system backed by an expert team.
Products include Parse.ly content analytics, API orchestration, developer workflow tools, and enterprise-grade security and performance tools designed to keep websites operating, even in the face of high traffic demand.
Who it’s for: Businesses or individuals looking for enterprise-grade, managed WordPress hosting.
Pricing is available upon request, and demos are available.
Who should look elsewhere: As a top-tier, custom service, this hosting provider is best suited for individual, high-profile projects and the enterprise sector — and so will not be suitable for those who only need to maintain a small online presence.
Alternatively, you can visit WordPress.com to take advantage of a range of plans suitable for personal use or entry-level businesses. Subscriptions start from $4 per month.
WordPress VIP features: Expert support and management | Scalable | API Mesh | Content and developer tools | Analytics | Security focus | SEO assistance | Professional support
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|
WordPress hosting service |
Starting Price |
Multi-domain? |
Installation support? |
Entry-level plans? |
|
Hostinger |
$2 per month |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
ScalaHosting |
$2.95 per month |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
WP Engine |
$55 per month |
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Pagely |
$99+ per month |
✓ |
✓ |
x |
|
WordPress VIP |
On request |
✓ |
✓ |
x |
There are many WordPress hosting providers, and we’ve done our best to highlight the top picks. The best WordPress hosting providers are listed below, depending on your needs and particular use case.
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Choose this WordPress hosting service… |
If you want… |
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Hostinger |
An all-rounder, affordable WordPress hosting service. Hostinger provides everything from multi-domain support to AI tools, making it our top choice for the majority of users. |
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ScalaHosting |
A solid WordPress hosting provider with flexible storage options. ScalaHosting consistently earns positive customer reviews and provides a range of advanced features on premium plans including custom storage and a broad range of computer resources. |
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WP Engine |
A comprehensive WordPress hosting solution that combines speed, security, and scalability. This is our top pick as a scalable hosting solution for businesses. |
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Pagely |
A scalable WordPress hosting provider for mission-critical websites and services. While expensive, this is the best option for enterprises, or as there are now high-grade plans with a lower price point, mid-sized businesses and professional projects. |
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WordPress VIP |
A dedicated WordPress hosting service that goes above and beyond. This service is best for ongoing support, content creation, and time-sensitive campaigns. If you need a personalized, tailored hosting service, this is for you. |
If you’re looking at the hosting providers included in this guide, you’ve already made one decision: To pick a provider experienced in hosting WordPress. Next, you should consider the following factors:
- Size and scalability: Depending on how many sites you want to operate and the traffic you expect, consider providers that offer hosting that can adapt and scale up to your needs.
- Budget: Consider your budget and how much you would be willing to spend on your project or business. Keep in mind that hosting multiple WordPress websites beyond introductory periods may result in price increases.
- Customization: Consider whether you need a „one size fits all“ WordPress host or one that allows you to perform deep customization.
- Plugins: If there are WordPress plugins you need for your website and they require a subscription, this can be an ongoing cost you should factor into your overall budget.
- Media: If you intend to showcase bandwidth-intensive media on your website, including 4K videos, you may need to check how much storage and traffic support are available.
- Security: DDoS and similar attacks are no joke. They can hamper access to your website and frustrate visitors. Ensure you pick a hosting provider dedicated to security.
- Free trials: If a service offers a free trial period, test out porting your site, getting support, the dashboard interface, and overall performance before agreeing to a long-term contract.
- Support and services: The more complex your site, the more you might want WordPress hosting with stronger support and administrative functions. At the very least, you will want to choose a provider with a variety of customer support channels in case you need technical support or help migrating your website.
At ZDNET, when we considered the best WordPress hosting providers of 2026, we took into account the following factors:
- Experience: Many ZDNET authors have personal, long-term experience with the vendors on this list, with everything from budget-conscious WordPress hosting services to enterprise-level support. We also consulted with experts for their recommendations.
- Customer reviews: We considered customer feedback and reviews, and shied away from vendors with poor track records or ongoing security problems. We keep an eye on customer reports to monitor for any drastic changes in service.
- Use cases: We included a range of WordPress hosts suitable for different users and purposes, including vendors offering scalable solutions, products suitable for small businesses and projects, and enterprise-ready WordPress hosting options.
- Migration, one-click installs: These are two features we like WordPress hosting providers to offer. Setting up a new WordPress backend or moving a website can be time-consuming, and so we appreciate it when vendors provide a way for customers to quickly manage these tasks.
- Advanced features: We wanted to see optional advanced features for customers who need more than standard hosting. These include SEO assistance, AI-based technologies, e-commerce, security functions, and tailored support.
- AI: While AI is still in its infancy and the quality of services varies between providers, we like to see organizations experiment — especially in the development of user features, such as WordPress website builders.
- Pricing: The prices set by WordPress hosting providers vary widely, so we have endeavored to include a range of options suitable for most budgets.
Latest news
- A Russian web hosting provider was sanctioned for alleged links to ransomware operations.
- WordPress launched a new AI assistant to help website owners build and generate website content.
- A critical vulnerability was discovered in the WPvivid Backup & Migration website plugin.
- A WordFence advisory concerning older versions of the Ocean Extra plugin reveals that it could expose websites to cross-site scripting attacks.
There’s WordPress, and then there’s WordPress. Here’s a quick breakdown:
- WordPress (software) is an open-source content management system written mainly in PHP. You can install WordPress on your own server or contract with a hosting provider to run it for you.
- WordPress Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that protects the GPL licensing of WordPress, the WordPress trademark, and provides educational resources for the WordPress open-source community.
- WordPress.org is the central repository of WordPress information, where you can download the WordPress open-source software, and an online distribution source for the thousands of themes and plugins that work with WordPress.
- Automattic: This is the commercial company founded by one of WordPress’ original developers, Matt Mullenweg. Automattic also owns the popular blogging platform Tumblr.
- WordPress.com is owned by Automattic and is one of the largest hosting providers for WordPress websites. It offers free, somewhat limited WordPress hosting as well as more advanced plans.
- WordPress VIP is the top-tier enterprise-level hosting service provided by Automattic for large organizations.
When discussing WordPress, it’s generally possible to infer which one by the context of the conversation. If you’re unsure, however, ask the vendor.
One of WordPress’ key strengths as a content management system is its ease of use. Indeed, so many website owners opt for WordPress in part because of the thriving community of developers that provides templates, add-ons, e-commerce suites, and functions that can be quickly integrated with little technical knowledge.
Web hosting is required to display a website and store content. WordPress hosting can be considered a subclass of web hosting that is specifically designed to handle WordPress installations, and may also be optimized for improved CMS performance. Typically, web hosting providers offer free one-click WordPress installation.
Absolutely. Download the WordPress package and install it yourself. This isn’t a particularly difficult or long process. Some web hosts will also give you one-click WordPress installation options.
Also: Best website builders of 2026
If you want to host a website on the WordPress domain, you must consider the cost of hosting and a domain name. You may also want to buy premium plugins to improve the functionality of your website or service, or invest in a paid website template.
Shared hosting will be your most economical option. On WordPress, hosting starts at $4 per month.
Yes. WordPress works with a slew of hosting services, and GoDaddy even offers one-click installation to automatically set up the WordPress CMS for you.
The answer to this question depends on your needs and budget. Go for Wix if you need a simple website and want to try your hand at designing it yourself through the Wix designer platform. If you want to develop a website with additional functionality and explore plugins, WordPress is your best bet.
Latest updates
- February 2026: In ZDNET’s February update, we refreshed our guide to the best WordPress hosting services of 2026, revisiting each of our recommendations and providing a thorough editorial update.
- September 2025: In ZDNET’s September update, we performed substantial editorial and layout changes.
Alternative WordPress hosting solutions to consider
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GoDaddy’s substantial investment in high-quality WordPress properties enables customers to use a range of WordPress-based services.
The company has also recently released Airo, an AI-backed website builder. Plans start from $7 per month, but keep in mind that the entry-level plan’s storage is low.
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Ionos is an excellent alternative for those seeking affordable, e-commerce-friendly WordPress hosting.
AI tools are available, and there are daily security scans to alert you to any issues, as well as strong uptime. Plans start at $1 per month, but note the price hike after the first year.
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Cloudways by Digital Ocean is an excellent alternative if you want flexibility with your contract and the option to scale up as your business grows. You can also experiment with Lightning Stack, a new website optimizer.
You can also pick between flexible and autonomous hosting. A three-day trial is available, and plans begin from $14 per month.
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Liquid Web provides managed hosting, whether you’re running WordPress or not.
That said, it has deep WordPress expertise, and you can also take advantage of a dedicated Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), making this a great alternative for mid-level managed WordPress hosting. Prices start at only $4 per month.
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We hope you have found our guide on the best WordPress hosting services of 2026 useful. If you would like to explore more of our web host recommendations, check out our top picks for the best web hosting services overall, the best web hosts for small businesses, and the top free web hosts.
