Compare Web Hosting vs WordPress Hosting

Building a new website can be a daunting task, especially if it's your first time doing it. However, WordPress hosting can make this much easier.

In this article, we’ll look at why there are so many different web hosting services, what WordPress hosting is, how it differs from traditional web hosting, and which one you should choose.

Before we begin, please note that WordPress hosting can mean many different things. The web hosting industry has grown so much in recent years that every hosting company has developed its own version of WordPress hosting, involving different services and architectures. Since it’s easy to get lost in this environment, first we’ll discuss some general concepts so you can get a better idea of ​​what WordPress hosting can actually offer.

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What is Web Hosting?

If you want to publish a website on the Internet, you need a server space where you can store all the files, content, images, scripts, libraries and other elements that make up your website. Your server space is provided by one or more server computers that are always up and running, serving your web pages to Internet users.

Web hosting is a professional service where you rent server space for your website. Your web server not only stores folders and files related to your website, but it also displays your website on the internet.

How does the web server display your website?

Suppose your domain name is www.example.com. Your visitors will either know the URL and manually enter it into their web browser's address bar, or they will click on a link to your website on the internet.

After clicking a link or entering a URL, the visitor's browser sends a request to your web server to display the page that belongs to that exact URL.

This page is not necessarily your homepage. For example, if a visitor finds one of your blog posts in Google and clicks on the link, their browser will request all the resources that make up the blog post, such as images, content, fonts, and icons, from your server. In the response, your server will send back all of these files so that the user's browser can load them and display the page on the screen.

Actually, this process is more complex and involves a series of servers depending on the type of website you have, for example:

• DNS (Domain Name Server), converts your domain name (e.g. www.example.com) into a numeric IP address

• Web server, responsible for the request-response cycle with the user's browser and providing static pages
• Application server that handles backend code, serves dynamic content, and communicates with the web server
• Database server that hosts the database and communicates with the application server

Additionally, you can have multiple servers of each type. For example, your web host may use multiple name servers to speed up domain name translation. It may also happen that you don't need an application or database server, for example if you have a static website.

Although the process may seem a bit complicated, you actually don’t need to know much about web hosting technology. You just need to know what kind of website you want and your web host will handle everything else for you.

Why are there so many different web hosting services?

Most hosting providers offer different services based on server architecture, supported software and programming languages, and other features. You need to choose a hosting plan that is suitable for the type of website you want to run.

The most important differences between web hosting services are:

Server Architecture
Supported software
Pricing Plans and Models

Server Architecture

When we talk about "web hosting", it usually means

shared hosting, which means multiple clients share the same server. This setup is ideal for most small websites as it is easy to maintain (the web host manages the server configuration) and is less expensive.

If your website grows and gets more traffic, you can expand to a server architecture more suitable for high-traffic websites, such as

Cloud hosting or VPS (Virtual Private Server) Hosting.

Supported software

In addition to choosing a server architecture, you also need to check whether your web host supports the software you need. You may want to use a

Linux or Windows server, a specific programming language (such as PHP or Java), and possibly a specific application Programs such as WordPress or Drupal. You need a web host that provides all the software and tools needed to run your website.

Pricing Plans and Models

Most web hosting services (web hosting, WordPress hosting, and cloud hosting) have different pricing plans. Essentially, if you need less server space, you pay less, and if you need more space, you pay more. In some cases, more expensive plans also offer additional services, such as priority support or more frequent backups.

Different server architectures also have different price levels and may use different pricing structures. For example, shared hosting plans are typically cheaper and charge a monthly fee (usually paid annually or every two years), while cloud hosting plans have a pay-as-you-go model.

What is WordPress hosting?

Where does WordPress hosting fit in this space?

WordPress hosting is a specific type of web hosting that is optimized for the WordPress content management system (CMS). If you want to run a WordPress website and sign up for a WordPress hosting plan, you’ll be equipped with everything you need.

So you don’t have to worry about not having access to essential tools, features, and software because your web host will take care of everything regarding architecture and security, including:

• Server Architecture: WordPress hosting plans use Shared hosting or Cloud hosting
• Underlying operating system: Pre-configured and optimized Linux operating system
• Web server software: Apache or Nginx (pronounced "engine-x")
• PHPApplication Server
• Database server: MySQL or MariaDB
• WordPress Software
• Pre-configured and optimized plug-ins and tools for basic functions such as SEO, security, caching and more

WordPress hosting means not just installing and configuring hardware and software, but also constant maintenance, updates, monitoring, and troubleshooting.

Additionally, WordPress hosting plans can come with additional features such as:

• 24/7 Customer Support
• Automatic (and sometimes manual) backup
• Free SSL Certificate (so that your website will use the secure HTTPS protocol instead of HTTP)
• Free email address and mail server (so you can use a professional email address for your own domain, such as hi@example.com)
• One-click installation of WordPress
• Premium WordPress Theme
• Developer features, such as a staging area, which you can use to safely test new plugins, themes, or features before adding them to your live website

But be aware that there are significant differences between WordPress hosting services offered by different hosting companies – not just in features, but also in the scope of support and site management. So be sure to double-check exactly what they offer and what they charge you for.

Web Hosting vs. WordPress Hosting: Which One to Choose?

If you compare web hosting vs WordPress hosting plans for the same web host, you will find that there is a lot of overlap between the two. They often offer similar features like automatic backups, free SSL, and unlimited databases, and even the prices tend to be the same.

The main difference is that WordPress hosting plans come with WordPress-specific features, extra tools (such as a one-click staging area for WordPress or basic plugins pre-installed on the site), and a support team with advanced knowledge of WordPress.

Now, let’s look at some scenarios where web hosting vs WordPress hosting issues may arise.

1. You only have WordPress website(s)

If you only want to host a WordPress website, then signing up for a WordPress hosting plan is a better option as it comes with many WordPress-specific features.

That being said, you can also host your WordPress website with a regular web hosting plan, which allows you to run PHP applications.

These plans also allow you to run a WordPress website, but you may not have access to certain preconfigured features (staging area, extra plugins, automatic updates), and your web server and operating system will not be optimized specifically for WordPress .

2. You have both WordPress and non-WordPress sites

If you want to host both WordPress and non-WordPress websites on the same plan, it’s still a good idea to choose a WordPress plan, however, this depends on a lot of factors.

PHP-MySQL website can be hosted on WordPress plan as it uses the same application and database structure. Static HTML sites can also be hosted there as it only requires a storage location but not an application and database server.

However, if your non-WordPress website is written in a different backend language, you may need to find another hosting solution for it. For example, Java applications require different types of server setup. You may also find that your web host does not support all the programming languages ​​and technologies you need, in which case you will have to sign up with two different hosting providers (for example, one for PHP/WordPress and one for Java) .

Also note that some managed WordPress hosting companies only allow you to host WordPress websites, only WordPress websites.

3. You have only non-WordPress website(s)

If you don’t want to host any WordPress website, then a universal web hosting plan is better for you. However, web hosts are very flexible these days, so if you want to switch to WordPress hosting in the future, they will manage the change for you.

Summarize

Since WordPress is the most popular content management system in the world, many web hosting companies offer specific WordPress hosting services that are ideal for website owners with one or more WordPress websites.

WordPress hosting is a type of web hosting that is optimized for the WordPress platform in terms of server configuration, features, software, and support.

In addition to the differences between web hosting and WordPress hosting, the WordPress hosting services provided by different hosting companies also vary in terms of software architecture (Apache and Nginx servers, different Linux operating systems) and hardware architecture (shared and cloud hosting). May vary, support coverage (full vs partial site management), pricing models and other features.

WordPress Hosting Discount

If you’re looking for a reliable and easy-to-use WordPress hosting provider, check out SiteGround. It comes with an easy installer, free support, and automatic updates. WordPress.org recommends using it. Thanks to our partnership with SiteGround, we're excited to offer huge discounts of up to 60% on self-managed WordPress hosting.

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