WP Engine is a frontrunner in the realm of VIP managed WordPress hosting. With a track record of pioneering the managed WordPress hosting industry, their prestigious client roster includes Yelp, Asana, National Geographic, PBS, and MyFitnessPal. If you're seeking premium WordPress hosting without the hassle, WP Engine stands as an optimal choice. To determine if it aligns with your needs, delve into our comprehensive WP Engine review penned by our experts.
Within this review, we'll meticulously dissect their services, providing you with an in-depth understanding. If you're looking for a condensed version, here's a quick overview of our WP Engine review score.
Within this review, we'll meticulously dissect their services, providing you with an in-depth understanding. If you're looking for a condensed version, here's a quick overview of our WP Engine review score.
Bottom Line
In our review of WP Engine hosting, it's crystal clear: they emerge as the ultimate choice for top-tier managed WordPress hosting. With an unparalleled platform that encompasses speedier servers, comprehensive security, and the sought-after peace of mind that users demand from a managed WordPress host, WP Engine sets the standard.
Now, let's delve into the intricacies and embark on a profound exploration of how we arrived at this resounding conclusion.
About WP Engine
WP Engine has now ascended to the echelons of premier managed WordPress hosting providers in the industry. Jason Cohen, a serial entrepreneur, propelled WP Engine into existence, recognizing the need for specialized WordPress hosting as the popularity of WordPress surged.
Situated in Austin, Texas, WP Engine's influence stretches across various global locations, including San Antonio (Texas), London (England), Limerick (Ireland), Brisbane (Australia), and Kraków (Poland).
The company's accolades encompass multiple awards for being the Best Place to Work in Austin, coupled with consistent contributions to the WordPress core and community.
In our review of WP Engine hosting, it's crystal clear: they emerge as the ultimate choice for top-tier managed WordPress hosting. With an unparalleled platform that encompasses speedier servers, comprehensive security, and the sought-after peace of mind that users demand from a managed WordPress host, WP Engine sets the standard.
Now, let's delve into the intricacies and embark on a profound exploration of how we arrived at this resounding conclusion.
About WP Engine
WP Engine has now ascended to the echelons of premier managed WordPress hosting providers in the industry. Jason Cohen, a serial entrepreneur, propelled WP Engine into existence, recognizing the need for specialized WordPress hosting as the popularity of WordPress surged.
Situated in Austin, Texas, WP Engine's influence stretches across various global locations, including San Antonio (Texas), London (England), Limerick (Ireland), Brisbane (Australia), and Kraków (Poland).
The company's accolades encompass multiple awards for being the Best Place to Work in Austin, coupled with consistent contributions to the WordPress core and community.
WP Engine Hosting Plans
WP Engine Hosting Plans Unveiled When it comes to WP Engine, their hosting offerings are exclusively centered around managed WordPress solutions. These managed WordPress plans encompass a range of hosting options, tailored to diverse needs:
Within each of these hosting options, you'll encounter five distinct levels: Startup, Professional, Growth plan, Scale, and Custom. The Custom plan extends its offerings to dedicated servers for development environments, customer success services, and priority support.
Across all plans, you're granted unlimited data transfer. Differentiating factors among plans include:
WP Engine extends a range of distinctive features to WordPress users, many of which are often either absent from the offerings of other hosts or come at an additional cost. These unique features encompass:
Our WP Engine review underscores that WP Engine presents the most advanced and comprehensive array of managed WordPress hosting features.
Elevated Security Measures At WP Engine, a plethora of premium security features is at your disposal. The WordPress core undergoes automatic updates to the latest version, expertly managed on your behalf.
- Managed Hosting – A managed hosting environment designed for small businesses and blogs.
- Managed Hosting Plus – This option includes automated plugin updates that undergo AI testing, encompassing third-party plugins.
- Secure Hosting – Offering added security layers with a website firewall and DDoS protection.
- Ecommerce Hosting – Tailored WooCommerce hosting, enriched with potent store search capabilities, eCommerce templates, and more.
Within each of these hosting options, you'll encounter five distinct levels: Startup, Professional, Growth plan, Scale, and Custom. The Custom plan extends its offerings to dedicated servers for development environments, customer success services, and priority support.
Across all plans, you're granted unlimited data transfer. Differentiating factors among plans include:
- The number of WordPress installs
- Traffic volume (measured in monthly visitors or visits per month)
- Disk storage capacity
- Bandwidth requirements
WP Engine extends a range of distinctive features to WordPress users, many of which are often either absent from the offerings of other hosts or come at an additional cost. These unique features encompass:
- Git version control
- Instant staging environment for swift site testing
- Seamless transfer of WordPress installations from free to paid accounts
- Inclusion of free SSL certificates and SSH access
- Integration of cutting-edge technologies, including the latest PHP version
Our WP Engine review underscores that WP Engine presents the most advanced and comprehensive array of managed WordPress hosting features.
Elevated Security Measures At WP Engine, a plethora of premium security features is at your disposal. The WordPress core undergoes automatic updates to the latest version, expertly managed on your behalf.
Advanced Security Features
WP Engine also offers a number of premium security features. The WordPress core is automatically updated to the latest version for you.
WP Engine thoroughly tests any major core updates before upgrading their customers. They have a proprietary intrusion detection and prevention system to block any DDoS attacks, brute force attacks, malware, JavaScript/SQL-injection attacks, and more.
They also partner with third-party security firms to conduct regular code reviews and security audits.
Your security is guaranteed, so if you get hacked WP Engine will fix it for free.
WP Engine thoroughly tests any major core updates before upgrading their customers. They have a proprietary intrusion detection and prevention system to block any DDoS attacks, brute force attacks, malware, JavaScript/SQL-injection attacks, and more.
They also partner with third-party security firms to conduct regular code reviews and security audits.
Your security is guaranteed, so if you get hacked WP Engine will fix it for free.
Customer Support and Service
WP Engine boasts a dedicated support team comprising WordPress experts. With over 97% customer satisfaction and a robust influx of daily customer interactions, they've crafted a commendable reputation.
Support is accessible round the clock via live chat for all customers. Phone support is extended 24/7 for all plans, except the Startup plan. In cases where an immediate resolution isn't possible via chat or phone, the support team generates an internal support ticket on your behalf.
Enterprise customers gain access to 24/7 ticket support via email. Premium and Enterprise customers also experience a personalized one-on-one onboarding process.
WP Engine houses a dedicated Customer Experience Operations team, relentlessly working to elevate the WP Engine customer experience.
Apart from personalized support, they offer a comprehensive library of knowledge base articles, how-to guides, and tutorials for users keen on resolving issues independently.
Enhanced Loading through CDN
WP Engine couples its hosting with a content delivery network (CDN) in partnership with MaxCDN, heightening the speed of their hosting.
This CDN inclusion is complimentary across all WP Engine hosting plans, translating into a substantial benefit and cost savings.
36+ Premium WordPress Themes Recent times have seen WP Engine acquire the acclaimed premium WordPress theme company StudioPress.
As a result, all WP Engine customers gain complimentary access to over 36 premium StudioPress themes, along with the renowned Genesis framework.
36+ Premium WordPress Themes
WP Engine recently acquired the popular premium WordPress theme company StudioPress.
Now all 36+ premium StudioPress themes and the famous Genesis framework is available to all WP Engine customers for free.
Genesis Framework is known for high-performance and SEO friendly themes. Their code base is optimized for faster page load times without compromising functionality.
Yes, you get all these great looking and well-coded themes at no additional costs – this is over $2000 in additional value for free!
Money Back Guarantee
WP Engine offers a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. If you’re not happy with their service, you can cancel your account within the first 60 days and receive a full refund.
The guarantee only applies to annual billing plans.
Pros and Cons of WP EngineWP Engine is a popular web hosting company, but it may not be right for everyone. Consider these pros and cons before choosing a plan.
Pros of choosing WP Engine
- Security – WP Engine keeps your site protected with many advanced security features that other hosts don’t offer.
- Fast Loading Times – Servers are optimized for WordPress with WPEngine’s own Evercache technology your website loads fast. Plus, you get access to CDN which further boosts performance.
- Reliability – WP Engine’s proprietary front-end layer system can handle traffic spikes easily without slowing down your site.
- WordPress Expert Support – WP Engine’s entire support staff is comprised of trained WordPress experts.
- Rave Reviews – WP Engine is an incredibly popular host that gets great reviews from many customers for their reliability and excellent customer service.
Cons of choosing WP Engine
- Disallowed Plugins – WP Engine does not allow you to install certain WordPress plugins on your site, either because they conflict with or duplicate WP Engine’s features, or cause a high server load. This includes many caching, backup, related post plugins, and others. You can see the full list of disallowed plugins here.
- No Domain Registrations – WP Engine offers only hosting services, not domain name registrations. This means you’ll have to register your domains with another company, which some users may find inconvenient.
- Higher Costs – When comparing to shared hosting, WP Engine is more expensive, but the services they offer are well-worth the investment.
Is WP Engine the Right Choice for You?
Having gone through our comprehensive WP Engine review and considered the performance evaluations, you might be wondering if WP Engine aligns with your hosting needs.
After thoroughly examining WP Engine's offerings, we proudly bestow upon them the title of "Best Managed WordPress Hosting."
WP Engine proves to be an ideal selection if you seek a hosting experience devoid of complications for your WordPress site. Whether you're a beginner, a blogger, or a business aiming to escape the complexities of technical intricacies, WP Engine offers a seamless solution that simply works. Developers and freelancers will appreciate WP Engine's advanced features, saving them valuable time in WordPress development for their clients. Likewise, growing businesses will find ample scalability to accommodate their hosting needs as their website traffic expands.
Frequently Asked Questions About WP Engine
Over time, we've been addressing reader queries about WordPress hosting services. Here are some of the frequently asked questions regarding WP Engine that we frequently encounter from our users.
- Is WP Engine a shared hosting provider?
No, WP Engine does not offer shared hosting services or plans similar to them. Instead, WP Engine specializes in managed WordPress hosting, providing tailor-made solutions for WordPress websites. - What exactly is managed WordPress hosting?
Think of managed WordPress hosting as a concierge service for your WordPress website. WordPress is a potent content management system and website builder. Managed hosting providers offer a streamlined solution where they handle updates, security, backups, caching, and more, allowing you to focus your time and energy on growing your business. Managed WordPress hosting typically comes at a slightly higher cost than shared hosting plans. - Is WP Engine worth the investment?
Absolutely, WP Engine provides substantial value for your investment. Particularly if your business has outgrown the limitations of shared hosting or shared VPS plans, WP Engine offers an excellent scalable upgrade solution. It empowers you to efficiently manage updates, security, and seamlessly scale your website as your business expands. - Where are WP Engine's servers located?
WP Engine utilizes Google Cloud servers and Amazon Web Servers as their data centers. This flexibility enables you to choose data centers across North America, Europe, and Asia/Pacific regions. - How does WP Engine compare to other hosting providers?
Comparing WP Engine to other top WordPress hosting companies, it holds a slight edge in managed WordPress hosting. This advantage stems from its superior technology, user experience, and customer support. While WP Engine's pricing is higher than that of shared hosting providers like Bluehost, HostGator, GoDaddy, InMotion Hosting, DreamHost, and even SiteGround, its services are well worth the investment.