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Do You Really Need a VPS? Best WordPress VPS Hosting Compared – 2024

Are you looking to compare the best VPS hosting services for WordPress?

Finding the best VPS hosting for WordPress can be overwhelming with so many different options in the market. Sometimes VPS isn’t even the best option for your needs. Just because your website has outgrown shared hosting doesn’t mean that you need a VPS.

Maybe you need managed WordPress hosting or even a dedicated server.

It’s extremely important to understand the pros and cons of VPS hosting, so you can make the right decision for your needs.

WPBeginner is the largest independent WordPress resource site that receives millions of pageviews per month. Having helped 2 million+ users and years of experience with WordPress hosting companies, we have created the most comprehensive guide that will help you understand everything you need to know about VPS hosting as well as compare the top VPS hosting companies, so you can choose the best VPS hosting service for WordPress.

VPS hosting stands for "Virtual Private Server Hosting."

VPS is basically an independent partition of a physical server. Hosting companies often create multiple virtual partitions of one physical server, so each site and files can be kept completely separate.

VPS hosting combines the best of both shared and dedicated hosting: it gives you more control and independence at a lower cost than a real dedicated server.

When your WordPress website outgrows shared hosting, the best upgrade options are either VPS hosting or managed WordPress hosting.

VPS hosting gives you greater control and flexibility over your server. With that control also comes responsibility for setup and maintenance.

Managed WordPress hosting is like a concierge service where technical aspects like security, speed, WordPress updates, daily backups, website uptime, and scalability are all taken care of by your web hosting company.

VPS hosting is a step up from shared hosting. It offers a lot of the flexibility and features of a dedicated server, without the high cost.

But is it right for your website? Consider these benefits and drawbacks before shopping for a plan.

Advantages of VPS Hosting

  • Flexibility and Control - Having your own virtual server gives you administrative access. This allows you to install and configure any software you want, customize your server configuration settings, and more.
  • Create Multiple cPanel Accounts - You'll be able to manage your VPS hosting account using both cPanel and WHM. WHM gives you the ability to create multiple cPanel accounts for different websites. This can be useful for security. It also makes it easy to manage large amount of files and sites. You could even create cPanel accounts for clients, friends, and family.
  • Better Stability and Performance - Instead of sharing resources with other sites, all of your server resources are completely dedicated to your business. This helps to reduce downtime as well as improve page load speed on your website.
  • More Scalable - As your business grows, you'll need more resources for your website. With VPS hosting, you'll be able to scale your business quickly and easily so that your website will be able to handle larger spikes in traffic.

Disadvantages of VPS Hosting

  • Cost - VPS hosting are more expensive than shared hosting. Many plans start at about $29 per month, while you can find shared hosting for as low as $3.95 per month.
  • Technical Skill - Managing your own server, even a virtual one, will require more technical expertise than shared hosting. With all that control over your server comes complete responsibility for maintenance, software updates, security, and more.

If you're interested in the flexibility of VPS hosting, but don't want to manage all the technical and maintenance aspects, then you need to select what's called managed VPS hosting.

All the hosting providers that we recommend offer managed VPS hosting. That means they'll take care of all the technical details for you, such as software installation and updates.

If you're a beginner just starting a WordPress blog, then there's no need to get VPS hosting. A shared hosting plan will provide all the resources you need to get started. Shared hosting plans are budget-friendly and don't require a lot of technical skill to get started with.

But once your website starts growing, then you may need to upgrade your hosting.

Signs You've Outgrown Shared Hosting

  1. Slow website - If you've done all you can to speed up WordPress, and it's still slow, then it may be time to upgrade your hosting. This is especially true if you notice your site is slower during peak traffic times.
  2. Errors - Does your site keep going down, or do you keep getting 500 internal server errors? If troubleshooting doesn't solve the common WordPress errors, then it may be your web hosting.
  3. Security issues - As your website grows in popularity, it becomes a more popular target for hackers as well. If your website keeps coming under attack or getting hacked, upgrading your hosting can help to keep it more secure.

VPS Hosting vs Managed WordPress Hosting

VPS and managed WordPress hosting are comparable in cost, and both offer an upgrade from shared hosting.

VPS hosting may be the right choice for you if:

  • You're a more technically-inclined user and don't mind managing your own server
  • You want more freedom and flexibility to install your own software and configure your own settings

Managed WordPress hosting may be better for you if:

  • You don't have the time or inclination to bother with technical details - you just want to blog or manage your website.
  • You don't need to set up any special software or configure your server in a nonstandard way.

Once you've decided that VPS hosting is right option for you, there are some factors that you need to consider when choosing a VPS hosting provider.

VPS Hosting Features to Look For

  • Root Access - Your VPS hosting provider should give you complete control and access to do anything you want on your server.
  • Control Panel Options - Look for VPS hosting that supports your preferred operating system (OS) and control panel, such as cPanel or Plesk.
  • Advanced Security - The VPS hosting provider you choose should offer robust security features to keep your website and its data protected. Look for features like built-in firewalls, SSL certificates, malware scanners, and DDoS protection.
  • Speed Optimization - A slow website can negatively impact your search engine rankings and the user experience. So, be sure to pick a high-performance VPS hosting solution that doesn't compromise on speed.
  • Uptime Rates - The longer your website is down, the more traffic and sales you're losing. That's why your VPS hosting provider should have an uptime guarantee of at least 99.9%, anything less than that is considered unreliable.
  • Website Migration - To make the process of moving to VPS hosting easier, choose a hosting provider that will migrate your existing site to your new virtual server. Many hosting providers, such as Hostinger, offer this service for free.
  • Dedicated Customer Support - Select a VPS hosting provider that provides 24/7 technical support via live chat, phone, and email. That way, if you ever have a problem with your website, you'll be able to get help relatively quickly.

Depending on the specific needs of your business, there may be other factors you need to consider. For example, a popular eCommerce store would need a host with plenty of bandwidth, so that they can handle large spikes in traffic during big sales and holiday promotions.

If you have a photography website with a lot of high-resolution images or self-hosted videos, plenty of storage would be important when choosing the right VPS hosting provider.

Now that you've read all about VPS hosting and you know what to look for, it's time for you to make a decision.

We run several sites that get millions of pageviews per month. We have tested and worked with all the top web hosting companies in the industry. After having helped 2 million+ users and years of experience, our founder Syed Balkhi has personally hand-picked some of the most well-reputed VPS hosting providers for you.

Each of these VPS hosting companies provide excellent service and support. We give each of them a perfect 5 out of 5 star rating. Check out the list of best VPS hosting providers.

Best VPS Hosting Providers for WordPress


Hostinger is becoming a well-known name in the WordPress hosting industry. They offer affordable hosting, 24/7 live chat support, and a robust platform to host your website. Hostinger comes with automatic 1-click WordPress install, managed automatic updates, enhanced security, free CDN, WordPress speed acceleration, and free site migration. They also offer geolocation specific hosting with a choice of 7 data centers in USA, Europe, Asia, and South America. Hostinger serves over 29 million users in 178 countries. On top of all this, they have a special 77% discount for WPBeginner readers combined with free SSL and a free domain name. Read full review of Hostinger»

SiteGround is one of the most popular and highest rated hosting provider in the WordPress community. They provide unique in-house WordPress speed and security solutions to make your site as fast and secure as possible. They are known for the best 24/7 support in the industry. SiteGround features include automatic upgrades, daily backups built-in WP caching, free CDN, free SSL, one-click staging and GIT version control. They are also one of the few companies offering location specific hosting with 6 data centers in USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. WPBeginner site is also hosted on SiteGround servers.

Read full review of SiteGround»

Started in 1997, Liquid Web has become the leader in managed VPS hosting, managed cloud hosting, and dedicated server hosting. They are famous for their fast and high quality support, known as 'Heroic Support'. All Liquid Web hosting servers are highly tuned for speed, performance, and security making it a completely hassle-free hosting solution. Their WordPress hosting option includes staging sites, automatic updates, and an intuitive dashboard to manage all your sites in one place. There's a reason why top companies like Motorola, Red Bull, ESPN, Audi, and FedEx use Liquid Web. Read full review of Liquid Web»

HostGator hosts over 8 million domains and is one of the most popular web hosts in the industry. With 1-click WordPress installation, 99.9% up time guarantee, and 24/7 support, it’s a smart choice for every website owner. We consider them the best web hosting for businesses. With HostGator VPS, you get the maximum features at the best price. WPBeginner users get 75% off all VPS plans.

Read full review of HostGator»

One of the oldest web hosts started in 1996, Bluehost has become the largest brand name when it comes to WordPress hosting. They are an official ‘WordPress’ recommended hosting provider. With Bluehost, you never have to worry about your website being slow even when there is a lot of traffic. Their 24/7 expert support is always there to help when you need it by phone or live chat. They are rated #1 in web hosting for small businesses. On top of that, they are offering WPBeginner users an exclusive 65% off discount.

Read full review of Bluehost»

Scala Hosting is the best cloud-based VPS hosting provider on the market. It offers managed cloud VPS, WordPress hosting, and reseller hosting at affordable prices. Moreover, you get a free domain name, free SSL certificate, and free website migration with every managed VPS hosting plan. And, WPBeginner users will get an exclusive 63% off on the Scala VPS Hosting. Read full review of Scala Hosting»

We hope that this guide helped you choose the best VPS hosting service for your website. If you have a VPS hosting question that we didn’t cover in our tutorial, then please send us a message using our contact form. One of our team members will respond back within 24 hours.

Disclosure: Our content is reader-supported. This means if you click on some of our links, then we may earn a commission. See how WPBeginner is funded, why it matters, and how you can support us. Here's our editorial process.

Editorial Staff

Editorial Staff at WPBeginner is a team of WordPress experts led by Syed Balkhi with over 16 years of experience in WordPress, Web Hosting, eCommerce, SEO, and Marketing. Started in 2009, WPBeginner is now the largest free WordPress resource site in the industry and is often referred to as the Wikipedia for WordPress.

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Reader Interactions

5 CommentsLeave a Reply

  1. Syed Balkhi

    Hey WPBeginner readers,
    Did you know you can win exciting prizes by commenting on WPBeginner?
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  2. Mrteesurez

    Thanks.
    Does ability to create multiple cPanel accounts for different websites gives me access to sell hosting on a VPS hosting ?
    Also, which one is more powerful, VPS or Dedicated ?

    • WPBeginner Comments

      The best option for reselling hosting will likely be to choose a host that has a reseller plan: https://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/best-reseller-web-hosting/

      Whether you can or can’t resell may depend on the plan and hosting agreement, so a reseller plan is a good option. In any case, we recommend contacting support and asking if reselling is an option for the plan that you choose.

      Dedicated hosting is generally going to be the most powerful because it dedicates a server to the hosting plan. That said, this can depend on the plan and the server itself.

  3. Ed Bernd Jr.

    You list SiteGround as a VPS host, but I don’t find that option on their website.

    • WPBeginner Support

      You would use the link on this page for their VPS :)

      Admin

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