Top 5 best Cheaper WP-Engine Alternatives

WP Engine is an excellent option for WordPress hosting, but it is expensive. Their cheapest monthly plan costs $20, which is double (or more) the cost of comparable plans from competing WordPress providers.

However, some individuals can afford to spend that much on a hosting provider, therefore they are forced to hunt for more affordable WP Engine alternatives, such as WP Engine.

The good news is that because WordPress hosting is so competitive, low prices are not always indicative of poor quality. WP Engine’s competitors are abundant, and they offer comparable features and customer service at a lower price.

In this article, we’ll evaluate affordable alternatives to WP Engine and see how they fare against one another. Check out this handy table if you only care about the outcomes:

What we like (and don’t like) about WP Engine

First things first: we don’t wish to give the impression that we think WP Engine isn’t a good WordPress host.

However, many people still can’t afford them. WP Engine has the highest monthly average cost for WordPress hosting, at $184 per month, according to a previous survey we conducted.

The mere mention of that much makes our bank accounts wince. It’s also important to note that 30 percent of respondents to the study said they would love to switch to WP Engine if they could afford to do so.

Additionally, WP Engine is known for limiting the use of certain plugins, which could be an issue if your preferred options are excluded.

However, there are numerous positives to be found in WP Engine, so let’s quickly examine them.

• Expert WordPress support available 24/7.
• Robust safety procedures to ensure the privacy of your site.
• Reduced wait times thanks to server optimizations
• Customers have access to in-depth reports on site performance.
• Regular site backups

WP Engine is a good option for managed WordPress hosting; many WordPress users will be satisfied with their service despite the increased price.

WP Engine: When to Use It?

If you are concerned about the safety of your WordPress installation and are searching for a powerful platform to host your company or professional website, WP Engine is the way to go. WP Engine’s service is great for large sites, but it may be overkill for a tiny one, so you may want to look elsewhere if you’re on a tighter budget.

Best cheaper WP Engine alternatives

WP Engine isn’t the only host out there; there are many others that offer similar functionality at lower prices. Let’s examine the possible candidates.

• Cloudways
• GoDaddy
• SiteGround
• DreamHost
• HostGator

Cloudways

The WordPress hosting service Cloudways prioritizes both speed and safety. Businesses, government entities, and programmers are the target audience. Their plans are reasonably priced for personal use in addition to serving as a host for medium and large corporations.

This host is fantastic because even the most basic plan has no restrictions on the number of websites or the number of monthly visitors. Each of Cloudways‘ five pricing tiers is dependent on the number of dedicated cloud servers you need.

Pricing 

• $14
• $28
• $54
• $99
• up to $170

Cloudways offers a flexible pricing structure to accommodate businesses of all sizes. Prices range from $14.00 for the most basic plan to $170.00 for the most comprehensive. However, if you need a cloud server with varying levels of performance, you can choose from more than 5 different plans.

Features

• Free website migration and free SSL
• Enterprise CDN with Cloudflare
• Support assistance available at all times
• Superior caching system
• Install Unlimited application
• Integral WordPress backups and automatic updates
• Superior safety measures

When to use Cloudways

If you deal with large amounts of sensitive data, Cloudways is the way to go because of how well it handles performance and security. Consider Cloudways if you run a sizable enterprise or agency. However, the host’s pricing options are reasonable enough that even an individual site owner like yourself can give them a try.

GoDaddy

Although GoDaddy‘s primary business is registering domain names, the company also provides hosting for websites. They offer the most affordable managed WordPress hosting options without sacrificing quality.

Free daily backups, a clickable restoration feature, a migration tool, automatic WordPress upgrades, and round-the-clock support are all standard features across all of their plans.

It’s all very enticing, but at what price? While GoDaddy‘s basic managed WordPress hosting plan typically costs $9.99 per month, the company frequently runs discounts where you can acquire your hosting plan for as little as $5 or even $1.

Keep in mind that the discounted rate will no longer be in effect when your current term expires.

However, our poll results showed that GoDaddy fell short of expectations.

Pricing 

• $8.99
• $11.99
• $18.99
• $19.99

If you pay for a full year at once, the monthly pricing is included in the total cost. The annual plan is a better deal than the monthly plan.

Features

• Free, automated daily backups with one-click restore
• We guarantee 99.9% uptime
• Free website migration
• Free domain name with annual plans
• Constant assistance for WordPress users

When to use GoDaddy

GoDaddy is, quite simply, one of the most affordable alternatives to WP Engine. Our study found that they only got a 6.7 average out of 10, but their rates are nearly unbeatable and their customer service is adequate.

GoDaddy could be the perfect hosting service if cost is your key consideration.

SiteGround

SiteGround‘s WordPress hosting is excellent in all respects, and the introductory plan costs just $2.99 per month. In other words, for about a sixth of what WP Engine would cost, you may obtain one of the best affordable options. Further, our testing shows that their site loading times are among the best we’ve seen, and their customer service is second to none (in the words of SiteGround‘s customers, “unmatched”). However, the best value is only available if you pay for your hosting plan annually, and the costs rise to be higher than with its competitors if you pay monthly.

SiteGround excels in providing WordPress-centric functionality. Some of the greatest are described here; they provide a useful set of features that will appeal to both WordPress novices and seasoned users.

In our latest hosting comparison, SiteGround came in second to WP Engine despite its much lower costs.

• SiteGround was rated third overall, gaining an 8.2 out of 10 (WP Engine was rated highest, at 9.34).
• SiteGround still ranks third in reliability, so you’re not losing too much.
• You’re not giving up any help, either. SiteGround came out on top in this category thanks to their excellent customer care.

Pricing 

• $3.99
• $6.69
• $10.69

If you pay for an entire year in advance, the monthly rates listed above apply. Payments made on a monthly basis incur a premium.

Features

• Free website migrations
• Create WordPress staging sites with one click.
• Free SuperCacher in-house caching
• Git for WordPress installation is made possible, which is a huge win for programmers.

When to use SiteGround

SiteGround is, in our opinion, the best inexpensive option to WP Engine for users that place equal importance on reliable performance, helpful customer service, and cutting-edge WordPress-specific tools.

There are no better deals than this one if you’re willing to pay for your hosting on an annual basis. However, if you’d rather have a monthly bill, you may want to keep looking.

HostGator

HostGator has served millions of domains and millions of users. To say they are well-known in the hosting industry would be an understatement. Their low prices are a big part of their success; their cheapest WordPress hosting plan, the WordPress Cloud Hosting Starter plan, starts at just $5.95 per month.

While HostGator’s performance in our polls has been quite middling in the past, they showed substantial improvement in 2023 to finish in fourth place (8.28 out of 10). Because of this, you may rest assured that the low prices of their packages do not reflect a compromise in quality.

Pricing

• $5.95
• $7.95
• $9.95

If you pay for three years of hosting up front, the monthly fee is the same regardless of when you sign up. The bigger the initial investment and the shorter the contract term, the higher the monthly rate will be. The $5.95 plan, for instance, can be structured as follows, depending on the length of your subscription:

Features

• They say that even their most basic plan can manage up to 100,000 unique visits each and every month.
• Always-available email, chat, and phone support
• Free website migration
• Beginner WordPress training is included in both the Standard and Business plans
• Free SSL
• Free CDN

When to use HostGator

If you’re just starting out with WordPress and want a simple interface, reasonable prices, and personalized instruction, HostGator is a great choice.

DreamHost

Finally, DreamHost is another well-known brand that provides WordPress-specific hosting. They’ve been operating since 1996, and claim a high rate of satisfied clients; our poll gave them an overall score of 7.9 out of 10.

DreamHost is one of the most competitive providers because of its reliability and fast page loads, as well as its competent customer care. DreamPress is their managed WordPress plan, and it has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a managed hosting provider, such automated updates and solid security features.

Pricing

• $16.95
• $24.95
• $71.95

Monthly rates are based on a 12-month commitment. Monthly subscriptions have their own pricing structure. Rates for the first two tiers are discounted for the first three months, but increase dramatically after that.

If you commit to using their service for a whole year, you will pay more each month than if you paid for the entire year at once.

Features

• Built-in resilience to traffic surges and lightning-fast speeds thanks to a multi-tiered caching architecture
• WP-CLI is already installed, so you can update plugins and set up multisite installations without access to the internet.
• Free SSL
• Unlimited bandwidth
• 24/7 support from knowledgeable staff

When to use DreamHost

DreamHost is a great option if you want a no-frills WordPress host that doesn’t skimp on security or performance.

Conclusion

Although WP Engine is one of the industry leaders in WordPress hosting, their premium service doesn’t come cheap.

WordPress customers can still discover lots of cheaper options to WP Engine that provide comparable service. You just need to do some research into the alternatives to choose which host best suits your needs.

Who is the best host for your needs? Let’s review:

Here is our comparison table once more, in case you missed it: