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WPEngine is designed exclusively to host websites built using the WordPress CMS. The simple layouts and helpful customer support make it easier than ever to get a website online. You do sacrifice some features and functionality, as well as any variety in hosting plans – but if you're looking for ease of use, you found it.
- Excellent customer support
- Simple to grasp and easy to use
- Terrible uptime performance
- Exclusively for WordPress websites
WPEngine Review Summary
WordPress is one of the most recognizable blogging/website builders on the market today, which gives WPEngine quite a bit of clout when it comes to web hosting. In fact, our testers found that it is one of the best web hosting providers for WordPress websites. Plus, with 90,000 customers in 140 countries, its expertise is well-established, which makes it a reputable provider on the spot.
However, despite its stellar customer support scores, WPEngine does have a few downsides that are hard to overlook. For one, the types of hosting available on WPEngine are limited in the space – there are no VPS, cloud, or dedicated hosting options at all, since it caters exclusively to WordPress websites. Additionally, the sparse additional features and poor uptime performance can seriously hinder a robust online plan from meaningfully flourishing online. To make matters worse, WPEngine costs a bit more than other providers, so you aren’t getting much bang for your buck.
For a little more information on why you might choose WPEngine over another web hosting provider, take a look at the price plans, hosting types, and other features below.
In this review:
Which WPEngine Plan Is Best?
WPEngine isn’t like other web hosting providers, in that it exclusively caters to the WordPress Content Management System (CMS). This means that in terms of types of hosting plans available, WPEngine is seriously lacking – in fact, the only option is the WordPress-specific plan, which puts users up on a shared hosting server.
As we’ve mentioned before, a shared hosting plan means that your site will be hosted on a server that shares space with a wide range of other individuals and companies. This can lead to the occasional outage and lagging speeds, but the price is decidedly lower than other types in other plans.
WPEngine Hosting Costs
Because WPEngine has a unique approach to web hosting, it’s difficult to compare its price plans in context. WPEngine offers three shared hosting plans, with ascending storage, visitor, and bandwidth allotments depending on price.
Additionally, WPEngine provides a custom plan that is specifically tailored to your particular needs – and the price reflects that. This plan hosts your website on a dedicated server, so the concerns about outages and slow speeds can be assuaged. However, the price tag is pretty high, so be sure to weigh up your options before making a decision.
Take a closer look at how all four plans stack up price wise, and follow the links to check them out for yourself on the WPEngine website.
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| Startup | Growth | Scale | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 | $115 | $290 | N/A |
| Type of Hosting | Shared | Shared | Shared | Dedicated |
| Deals | Click Here | Click Here | Click Here | Click Here |
If you’re interested in a more thorough look at how other web hosting providers stack up against WPEngine, be sure to give the Tech.co comprehensive guide to web hosting costs a look today.
WPEngine Hosting Plans for WordPress
Despite the limited hosting plan options, WPEngine does provide a unique set of features that can make hosting your WordPress website a little bit easier. The comprehensive setup, combined with WordPress’ Genesis Framework, creates a basic layout that even a tech newbie could figure out.
If you’re looking to get your website online as soon as possible without all the bells and whistles, one of these WPEngine plans could seriously help. Take a look at some of the specific features in each, and make an informed decision.
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| Startup | Growth | Scale | Custom | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $35 | $115 | $290 | N/A |
| Free Domain | X | X | X | X |
| Email Accounts | X | X | X | X |
| Allowed Domains/Websites | 1 | 5 | 15 | 25 |
| Included SSL Certificate | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bandwidth | 50GB | 200GB | 400GB | 400GB+ |
| Storage | 10GB | 20GB | 30GB | 100GB-1TB |
| Knowledge Center | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 Live Chat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 Phone | X | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Uptime Performance | 99.95 | 99.95 | 99.95 | 99.95 |
Verdict – Should You Use WPEngine?
It very much depends on what you’re looking for in a website. If you need a basic layout with simple instructions and minimal functionality, WPEngine and WordPress are perfect. You’ll be able to get your site up and running with almost no expertise.
However, if you’re looking for a more complicated, high quality website that can do more than provide information, you might want to stay away from WPEngine. Because you can only host WordPress websites, you’re limited to WordPress’ CMS, which – while easy to use – is restricted in functionality. Plus, the higher price doesn’t exactly bode well for companies on a strict budget.
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