Sometimes, when a client has inadequate web host (or doesn’t have one at all) I get the question — which web host should I choose?
And I can’t blame them for asking. When it comes to choosing the right WordPress hosting services, the options can feel overwhelming. From budget-friendly options to premium white-glove providers, each claims to be the best.
But how do they really perform under the hood? As you may be aware, website speed is very important for the overall UX. Our Speed Loss Calculator allows you to project how much revenue your website loses due to its speed.
The four big ones — Woocommerce WordPress Hosting Services
In this case study, I put four of my favorite top providers, each with its own merits — Hostinger, Cloudways, Indystack, and Kinsta — to the test, running a rigorous 100-tests case study to measure speed and reliability on both a blog page and a checkout page from one of my older, smaller, previously speed-optimized website.
This in-depth case study compares performance, customer support, and pricing to help you find the best WordPress hosting for your needs.
As its been quite some time since I’ve written 3 Best Web Hosting Providers for WordPress here’s its natural evolution.
Methodology: Testing WordPress Hosting for Real-World Speed and Consistency
For website I used one of my older, smaller websites (around 500MB), which was optimized for speed in the past. The website has a blog and a WooCommerce section, as I wanted to test both — this website is ideal.
Every of these four WP hosting services offers a free migration, but to make thing more efficient — I did it myself.
For the migration, I used a little plugin called MigrateGuru, and I can only recommend it as the best tool for the job—it does not have a size limitation, it’s quite simple to use, and it’s absolutely free.
All of the hosting plans had PHP version 8.2.
Why 100 Tests?
To understand how each host performs, I ran a series of 100 tests across four hosts, using Google PSI (PageSpeed Insights) and WebPageTest (WPT).
For accuracy, I tested the blog page and checkout page on desktop and mobile devices, allowing me to capture First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) scores on multiple fronts. This approach helps smooth out any variability due to network conditions or server inconsistencies.
Using a speed-optimized blog and checkout page from one of my older projects ensured that the results reflect real-world scenarios for blogs and e-commerce alike. Multiple tests were conducted to obtain median values, as they provide a better baseline by minimizing outliers.
I personally prioritize WebPageTest (WPT) results for their accuracy and consistency (it outputs the median result from three tests at once), though PSI results were included for a comprehensive picture.
In the end, I calculated a divination % on each test from a median WPT test result, as the more uniform results tend to point to a more reliable host server.
For the server performance test I used tools.keycdn.com, my go-to tool for testing server performance. I mind you that this one should be taken with a grain of salt, as the Cloudways trial plan, for example, does not include a CDN service. I mitigated that by setting all server locations in Frankfurt (Germany), closest to my current location, so this shouldn’t affect PSI or WPT tests.
About the web host plans
I’ve targeted the plans at a medium-price niche. These plans are most interesting to medium-sized e-commerce websites and blogs, which are attractive to most small business owners and bloggers.
Needless to say, you can always upscale your plan if you outgrow your current one.
I won’t be listing hosting services special offer prices, as they are available for a short time. Instead, I’m using regular renewal prices. But you should be aware that occasionally (BF, for example), you can benefit from special offers.
Without further ado, here they are, the four best WordPress hosting services for any pocket.
WordPress Hosting Services Finalized Tests Data (e-commerce and blog page)
-Green fields indicate the best results (or shared first place)
*For testing purposes, I used the renewal Hostinger price, which can be cheaper at the sales.
*Indystack’s customer service has not been properly tested. Unlike the others, whom I used many times over the years, I didn’t have the reason to do so in a short period of time when I used Indystack. Its customer service grade is mainly based on the interaction with their representative (and their documentation).
Here’s more in-depth information on the WordPress hosting services included in these tests.
Hostinger: Affordable and Reliable WordPress Hosting Services
For those seeking cheap WordPress hosting that doesn’t skimp on performance, Hostinger is a solid contender.
Their Business Woocommerce hosting plan, currently available at $10.99 (renewal price), despite its budget pricing, performed consistently well across mobile and desktop.
It has scored the highest (or shared the highest scores) in the following categories:
- blog page test for PSI mobile LCP and the desktop PSI FCP
- checkout page PSI desktop FCP test
- won by margin on price scoring
Pushing it top scores tally to 4. It is a truly formidable feat for a web host plan with a fraction of the cost of other contenders.
As you can see for the TTFB, CDN performed well, and the Hostinger scored solid across the globe.
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Cloudways: Best WordPress Hosting for Speed and Performance
When it comes to the fastest WordPress hosting, Cloudways leads the pack. Their DO2GB plan, currently available at $28, had the best test results (9) across categories, reflecting its cloud infrastructure and robust server configurations that enhance performance across the board.
It’s not a surprise that Cloudways has scored the highest (or shared the highest scores) in the following categories:
- overall blog pages FCP scores (PSI mobile, PSI desktop, and WPT),
- blog pages LCP scores for PSI desktop and WPT test
- chekout pages PSI desktop FCP, and overall LCP (PSI mobile, desktop and WPT)
As you can see for the TTFB, Cloudways scored better timings near the test server location (Frankfurt/GE) then Hostinger did, but lack of CDN on trial account didn’t bode well for the further away areas. As it was expected.
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Indystack: Innovative Team with Solid Performance
Indystack is an emerging player with a team that includes former Cloudways employees, bringing industry expertise and unique insights into hosting. They decided they could do better, and the result is Indystack.
As a new player in the industry, I haven’t had a chance to test all of its aspects. Something I’ll probably do in the future. What I can say at this moment — Indystack delivers impressive speeds and stability.
Indystack scored highest (or shared the highest scores) in the following categories:
- blog pages PSI desktop FCP score (and WPT test uniformity),
- chekout pages PSI desktop FCP, and LCP (plus WPT uniformity test)
Their horse for this race is the Starter eCommerce plan, currently priced at $29.99 per month.
Indystack scored highest in 5 categories in total. Their hosting server showed the best consistency in these tests and scored best in two out of four (while Kinsta took the remaining two fields), which is impressive, especially for the new hosting service.
As you can see from the TTFB test, their servers scored similarly to Cloudways. The website uses CDN, response headers were hit, but the West Coast USA and Asian-Pacific area fails to score green.
They offer preinstalled Indystack server caching plugin, for the sake of same test conditions I turned it off, and applied the WP Rocket as I did on all other websites.
I wish they offer the possibility to turn off their bespoke cache solution in the GUI, as I prefer to have a freedom while choosing what I’ll have (pre)installed.
Note if you are doing the migration yourself — you should disable any caching and/or optimization plugins, as well as security plugins before migrating your site to Indystack. As stated in their documentation.
Kinsta: Premium WordPress Hosting Services
From the moment you log on to their website, you know Kinsta is different. Everything — the design of their pages, styling, articles, documentation, and support—is meticulously designed to provide a unique feeling.
But only if you can pay for it. For example, their persistent object cache (Redis) is not included in the hosting plan prices, and you’ll have to dish out another $100 per month to activate it. I consider persistent object cache a must for e-commerce or any other database-heavy website.
For those who can stomach it, and where budget is not limited, you are not buying only a web hosting service; you are buying the whole experience, an entrance into the Kinsta family.
Kinsta has been with us a long time. They found their place under the sun a long time ago, and their services are appreciated by major clients around the globe. And all of that comes with a higher price.
Kinsta scored highest (or shared the highest scores) in the following categories:
- blog pages PSI FCP score (desktop and mobile tests), PSI LCP mobile test (and WPT LCP uniformity test)
- chekout pages PSI desktop FCP, and WPT FCP (plus WPT uniformity test)
- Custome service and documentation
Their hosting plan for this article is the Business 1 plan, currently priced at $90 per month. Actually, when I asked for their Business 1 plan, a Kinsta representative kindly set me up with a custom trial account that was not exactly Business 1, but assured me it was closest to it.
Kinsta scored highest in 8 categories in total. Their hosting server showed excellent consistency in these tests and scored best in two out of four (while Indystack took the remaining two fields).
As you can see from the TTFB test, their servers scored similarly to others. The website uses CDN, response headers were hit, but the West Coast USA and Asian-Pacific area (except the Australia) failed to score green.
Their support and documentation is top-notch. Something you’d expect to justify their higher prices.
If you’d like to read more about Kinsta, dive deep into our Kinsta’s dedicated article.
Kinsta’s current Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion offers a 50% discount on all plans for new customers.
This offer runs until December 3, 2024, making it an ideal time to experience Kinsta’s premium hosting services at a reduced price.
Conclusion on WordPress Hosting Services
For this article and a series of comprehensive performance tests, I’ve chosen entry-level e-commerce hosting plans. Each hosting service above also provides costlier plans for more demanding websites.
All hosting plans include CDN, free migration service, and more—everything you’ll need for your WooCommerce or Blog website. I suggest you check their respective websites for more details about the plans.
Except Indystack, I’ve used them for years and find them reliable and worth recommending.
The test results weren’t a total surprise, as they all handled my testing website with ease. I suspect we’d see more difference on a heavier website with a larger database.
Key Takeaways
In conclusion, choosing the right WordPress hosting service depends on your specific needs and budget.
- Hostinger: The best cheap WordPress hosting option for stable performance without breaking the bank. A true low-budget king.
- Cloudways: On our tests it showed as the fastest WordPress hosting with the most green scores, ideal for those seeking speed and scalability. A top performance champion.
You can find free persistent object cache on their 4 GB plans or above. - Indystack: Offers reliable performance from an innovative team with Cloudways experience, making it a strong mid-tier option. It showed the most consistent results across the tests. A new player who is yet to prove its worth, and I suspect they will work the hardest to achieve success.
- Kinsta: Premium service with outstanding customer support, tailored for businesses that need white-glove WordPress hosting services.
Their persistent object cache (Redis) is paid extra.
Can you justify their higher price for the experience they offer? Only you can tell how much your website is important.
If you liked this article, maybe you’d like to know which is the best caching plugin for your WordPress website?
Feel free to reach out to us if you get stuck or if you’d like a professional to optimize your website speed. WordPress speed optimization service is our forte. Find out why we are top-ranked worldwide for it and why top WordPress plugin companies write about our speed optimization service.
Check out our speed optimization packages, improve your website performance, and join our satisfied clients list.
FAQ
If we look only at the speed at current tests WPservice.pro conducted — Cloudways won a tiny margin in front of Kinsta as the fastest WordPress hosting service in our tests, with the most green scores in key performance areas.
Yes, Hostinger offers reliable and affordable WordPress hosting, making it an excellent option for budget-conscious site owners.
Kinsta provides white-glove service, with a perfect support score, ideal for high-stakes business websites that need dependable customer assistance coupled with top performance.
There is no straightforward answer that can answer that question. If the budget is the issue — I’d recommend Hostinger and its Litespeed servers, if budget is not an issue — go with Kinsta, and Indystack/Cloudways for anything in between.
Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid article; none of the providers paid me. However, this article contains affiliate links that help WPservice.pro, and you may get a discount.
Founder of WPservice.pro
Dalibor is a master of web excellence. With a Bachelor of Science (BS) in civil engineering, Dalibor had an unusual road to end up in IT. Cultivating deep expertise in WordPress website speed optimization, meticulous maintenance, development, and search engine optimization (SEO) while preserving his engineering approach to problem-solving.
Having completed over 90 projects and achieved a top-rated status (on Upwork) in the highly competitive digital niche, Dalibor is a proper authority on enhancing performance and ensuring websites look exceptional and perform flawlessly.
Dalibor is a published writer and an avid learner who continually explores and embraces the latest digital trends. With a commitment to quality and a keen eye for detail, Dalibor is your trusted guide to achieving web success.
