Managed vs Unmanaged WordPress Hosting: What’s The Difference?
Are you trying to decide managed vs unmanaged WordPress Hosting? We explore the pros and cons of each hosting option so you can make an informed decision that is right for you.
An Introduction to Unmanaged WordPress Hosting
Unmanaged hosting sounds like a negative term, but it really isn’t. In fact, most hosting plans you’ll run across are unmanaged, which simply means that you have control over your own hosting. But this also means you’re responsible for maintaining your WordPress website, ensuring its security, and optimizing it if necessary.
Key Benefits
- More Control: Customize your server environment, install plugins, or adjust performance settings.
- Cost-Effective: Typically cheaper than managed hosting.
- Scalability: Greater freedom to configure the server to handle custom workloads.
The trade-off unmanaged hosting offers you is very straightforward. You need to put more effort into managing your website and performing tasks such as running backups, optimizing your loading times, and more. In exchange, you’ll pay less than with a managed service and get more control, since there’s less hand-holding involved.
Potential Drawbacks
- Time-Consuming: You’ll need to handle updates, backups, security, and performance tuning yourself.
- Steeper Learning Curve: Requires technical knowledge and experience with server management.
- Risk of Downtime: Without proactive monitoring or updates, the risk of performance or security issues increases.
Of course, not everyone enjoys doing that type of work, or has the time required. If you don’t have experience running a website, learning how to do so efficiently and effectively can be an involved process. Fortunately, there’s another option.
Who Should Choose Unmanaged WordPress Hosting?
Although it’s a more flexible hosting option where you have more control over the server and WordPress setup, you’re responsible for more of the technical aspects of hosting your website. As such, it’s best for:
- Experienced Developers: Those comfortable managing servers, performing updates, and troubleshooting issues.
- Budget-Conscious Users: Individuals or businesses looking for a low-cost option and are okay with the DIY approach.
- Custom Projects: Websites with specific requirements or those running non-WordPress applications alongside WordPress.
An Introduction to Managed WordPress Hosting
As we mentioned earlier, managed WordPress plans are often considered a luxury service. Their exact makeup varies, but in most cases your hosting provider will take care of all the extra work we discussed earlier in exchange for a higher price. Managed plans can come in any flavor, including shared tiers, Virtual Private Servers (VPSs), and dedicated servers. The common factor is that your provider takes responsibility for your site’s hosting off your hands, and keeps everything running smoothly.
Key Benefits
- Hassle-Free Management: Automatic updates, daily backups, and built-in security.
- Speed Optimization: Servers are optimized specifically for WordPress, offering faster load times.
- Enhanced Security: Includes tools like malware scanning, DDoS protection, and proactive updates to patch vulnerabilities.
- Technical Support: WordPress-specific experts to help troubleshoot issues.
As for downsides, the main potential issue is that managed hosting is more expensive than non-managed plans. They won’t necessarily break the bank, but could be a challenge for small sites with limited budgets. Another drawback is that you often don’t get full root access to your site. This enables your provider to ensure that your server is always running in top shape, but prevents you from making your own customizations if you’re more technically savvy.
Potential Drawbacks
- Higher Cost: Managed hosting is typically more expensive than unmanaged plans.
- Limited Flexibility: Advanced users may find restrictions in customizing server settings or adding non-WordPress applications.
With the above pros and cons in mind, the central question when it comes to managed plans is whether you value the time they save you enough to pay the extra cost. E-commerce websites are an excellent example of projects that can significantly benefit from managed services. You’ll be freed up to focus on product optimization, A/B testing, and other critical tasks that can make you more money in the long run. Under the right circumstances, managed hosting can be a smart investment.
Who Should Choose Managed WordPress Hosting?
While anyone can choose Managed WordPress Hosting, it is often best suited to the following groups:
- Non-Technical Users: If you don’t have the skills or time to handle server management or WordPress optimization.
- Businesses & Agencies: Those focused on growing their business or managing multiple client sites and prefer outsourcing server management tasks.
- E-Commerce Websites: Stores running on WooCommerce or similar plugins, where uptime and speed are critical.
- Content Creators: Bloggers and media-heavy websites that require fast loading times and automated tools for optimal performance.
Managed vs Unmanaged WordPress Hosting: How To Choose
When it comes to choosing managed vs unmanaged WordPress hosting, you need to look at several key factors to ensure the hosting option aligns with your website’s needs, budget, and technical capabilities. Here’s what to consider:
1. Your Technical Expertise
- Managed Hosting: Ideal for beginners or non-technical users who want hosting providers to handle technical tasks like updates, backups, and server maintenance.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Suitable for experienced developers or technical teams who can configure, maintain, and troubleshoot servers independently.
2. Budget
- Managed Hosting: Typically more expensive due to added services like automatic updates, security features, and performance optimization.
- Unmanaged Hosting: More affordable upfront, but you may need to invest in tools or hire expertise to handle maintenance and security.
3. Time Commitment
- Managed Hosting: Saves time by automating tasks such as updates, backups, and security monitoring. Great if you want to focus on your website or business instead of server management.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Requires a significant time investment for setting up, maintaining, and troubleshooting the hosting environment.
4. Performance Needs
- Managed Hosting: Offers server environments optimized for WordPress, often with built-in caching, CDN integration, and performance tools for faster loading times.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Performance depends on your ability to configure the server correctly. This option works well if you’re experienced in optimizing server resources.
5. Security
- Managed Hosting: Includes enhanced security features such as malware scanning, DDoS protection, firewalls, and proactive patching.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Security is your responsibility. You’ll need to install and manage security tools, updates, and monitoring.
6. Website Type and Traffic
- Managed Hosting: Best for high-traffic websites, eCommerce stores, or business-critical sites that require guaranteed uptime, fast load speeds, and a seamless user experience.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Works for smaller websites, personal projects, or sites with low traffic where performance and uptime aren’t as critical.
7. Customization Requirements
- Managed Hosting: Some restrictions may apply, as the hosting environment is pre-configured for WordPress. This may limit advanced customizations.
- Unmanaged Hosting: Provides more control over server settings, making it ideal for custom applications, plugins, or configurations beyond standard WordPress setups.
Managed vs Unmanaged WordPress Hosting: 5 Questions To Help You Decide
Ask yourself the following questions before deciding:
- Do I have the technical skills to manage a server? If no, opt for Managed Hosting.
- How much time can I dedicate to server management? If you only have a limited amount of time, choose Managed Hosting.
- What’s my budget? If your budget is tight, Unmanaged Hosting may be more cost-effective.
- How critical is website performance and security? If they are a priority, Managed Hosting is the better choice.
- Am I running a business or eCommerce site? Managed Hosting offers the reliability and performance these types of sites need.
No matter what you decided in the managed vs unmanaged WordPress hosting conversation, A2 Hosting has reliable, high-performance hosting options to meet your needs, time, and budget. Our Managed WordPress Hosting is optimized for the best performance and page load speeds, while our Unmanaged WordPress Hosting offers flexibility and control at a competitive price. Plus, installing WordPress on our Web Hosting is fast, easy, and free. But you do still need to manage the software on your own. Whichever hosting solution you choose, you always get our no-risk money back guarantee, 99.9% uptime reliability, and 24/7/365 in-house customer support.
