Cloud hosting is an accessible service that offers top-of-the-line performance. Most companies have very different prices and features when it comes to cloud plans. This makes choosing the best cloud hosting provider all the more difficult.
Fortunately, we’ve done the research for you. By taking a close look at some of the top cloud hosting providers on the market, you should be able to make an informed decision and choose the right service for your needs.
👉 In this post, we’ll compare the five best cloud hosting providers by analyzing their features and pricing. We’ll also look at 🔎 how to use them for WordPress. Let’s get to it!
Best cloud hosting providers for WordPress sites in 2022
1. Amazon EC2
Amazon’s Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) is one of the many types of cloud computing services that Amazon Web Services (AWS) offers. With EC2, you get to launch highly configurable computing instances. You’ll also have control of the cloud computer’s resources and the operating system (OS) that it comes with.
EC2 enables you to choose from hundreds of instance types. This means you’ll be able to choose the number of virtual processors and how much memory you need. All of these options work using a pay-by-the-hour model.
Some of the most popular web applications in the world use Amazon EC2 (including Airbnb and Netflix), mainly because it’s highly configurable and scalable. However, it’s important to understand that to use EC2, you’ll need to be comfortable managing your website via Secure Shell (SSH) and using the command line (at least to set up WordPress).
If you don’t need the power of EC2, you can also consider another Amazon’s Lightsail cloud VPS offerings.
Setting up WordPress with Amazon EC2 ⚙️
Managing your Amazon EC2 server involves connecting to it via SSH and using the command line. When you deploy an EC2 instance, it’ll be ready to use with your OS of choice.
However, EC2 instances do not include pre-installed software such as WordPress. Therefore, you’ll need to install WordPress using the command line. This can be daunting if you’ve only interacted with web hosts that offer a visual interface, but it’s not all that difficult.
Once you install WordPress, you’ll be able to access the dashboard as with any other site. However, any changes that you want to make to the server configuration will still require you to use the command line.
If you’d like a simpler setup process, Amazon Lightsail does offer pre-configured WordPress installs.
Amazon EC2 prices 💰
The concept of hosting “by the hour” may seem confusing at first, but you’ll probably get used to it quickly. Instead of paying for hosting up front, some cloud hosting providers, such as AWS, charge you by the hour. Prices depend on the kind of instance you launch, and the bill is due at the end of the month.
The upside of this kind of pricing strategy is that you’re free to spin up or power down instances at any time. Prices for EC2 instances can be as low as $0.01 by the hour for servers with minimal resources (think 1vCPU and 1 GB of memory).
Depending on what type of instance you launch, Amazon EC2 prices can be as cheap as any shared hosting option. However, you’ll want to use an instance with decent computing power for your WordPress website.
It’s also worth noting that AWS offers a generous number of free credits for most new accounts. In most cases, these can be enough to power a modest WordPress website for long periods of time.
2. Cloudways
Cloudways is one of the most unique cloud hosting providers on the market. It’s not a hosting provider per se, but a service that enables you to use platforms such as DigitalOcean, AWS, Vultr, Linode, and Google Cloud with managed hosting options.
Take AWS, for example. In the previous section, we talked about how AWS EC2 requires you to connect to your server via SSH and to use the command line. If you use AWS through Cloudways, you’ll get access to a panel designed for WordPress websites and managed WordPress functionality. This includes Cloudflare integration, support, free SSL certificates, automated backups, and more.
The point of Cloudways is to offer managed WordPress functionality while allowing you to use your favorite cloud hosting provider. However, as you might imagine, this service comes at a premium.
💡 To learn more, you can read our full Cloudways review.
Setting up WordPress with Cloudways ⚙️
Cloudways is very WordPress-focused, but the company also offers support for other applications. When you launch a new instance, you can choose which application you want to set up on it. Besides WordPress, Cloudways also supports Magento, OpenCart, Drupal, Joomla, and more.
The installation process is fairly hands-off. Cloudways takes care of the setup process for you in the background. You’ll just need to enter your WordPress website details and you’re off to the races.
Cloudways prices 💰
Cloudways prices vary a lot, depending on which cloud hosting provider you use. Starting options for DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode plans will cost you around $10.00-$12 per month:
Options such as AWS and Google Cloud are a bit pricier, with plans starting at over $30 per month.
All of these prices include everything, even the underlying cloud hosting charges.
Overall, using Cloudways is more expensive than signing up for a cloud plan directly through the providers that it works with. However, that premium gives you access to the managed hosting features that Cloudways offers.
3. Google Cloud
Just like AWS, Google Cloud offers a staggering number of services. You can use the platform for everything, from hosting databases to powering AI solutions, setting up search for web applications, and more. On top of all that, you also get access to cloud hosting solutions.
As far as hosting goes, Google Cloud offers computer engines similar to EC2, in that you get full control over your server’s configuration. The platform also offers WordPress-specific hosting solutions. This means you don’t need to spend as much time deploying and configuring the WordPress software.
Setting up WordPress with Google Cloud ⚙️
The easiest way to set up WordPress with Google Cloud is to use the pre-configured WordPress on Compute Engine option. You can find this on Google Cloud’s web hosting solutions:
When you launch a WordPress Google Cloud instance, the hosting provider will enable you to choose your system configuration. This means deciding on the OS, number of virtual CPUs, and the amount of RAM the cloud server will be able to use. Google Cloud will then take care of the WordPress setup process for you.
Google Cloud prices 💰
Google Cloud prices vary depending on what products you use, the type of cloud server you deploy, and how long you use it for. Just as with AWS, you pay by the hour. The starter instance Google Cloud recommends for WordPress websites costs around $12 per month. However, you’re free to choose more advanced instances.
One upside of using Google Cloud for the first time is that they offer up to $300 in credits to new users. Depending on the type of instance you choose to launch, this can be more than enough to power a small WordPress website for years.
4. Kinsta
Kinsta is a managed WordPress hosting solution powered by Google Cloud. With Kinsta, you get a variety of hosting plans geared towards small businesses all the way up to enterprises. As you’d expect from a managed hosting option, Kinsta offers features such as free SSL setup, CDN integration, a staging environment, and automatic backups.
In terms of price, Kinsta is not a cheap hosting option. However, it’s a fantastic alternative if you’re looking for a cloud hosting provider with managed features. Additionally, you don’t have to choose which hosting provider to use or deploy WordPress manually. Kinsta takes care of all that for you and it only works with WordPress.
Setting up WordPress with Kinsta ⚙️
Since Kinsta is a managed WordPress host, you don’t need to install the WordPress software. When you sign up for a plan, Kinsta automatically sets up WordPress for you so you can get to work right away.
Unlike the other cloud hosting providers we’ve talked about so far, Kinsta doesn’t support other applications. It’s a WordPress-only hosting service, which means it’s tailored to the CMS and to your needs.
Kinsta prices 💰
Right off the bat, Kinsta is not a cheap cloud hosting provider. Plans start at $29.17 per month for a single website:
Standard Kinsta plans go all the way up to $16,500 for enterprise websites with large amounts of traffic. You can also request a custom plan if your needs go beyond the company’s standard offerings.
It’s worth noting that Kinsta offers some of the best WordPress performance on the market. With that in mind, it can be a bit overkill for personal websites, but the expense can be well worth it for business sites.
5. SiteGround
SiteGround is known for being one of the most affordable managed WordPress hosting providers. However, its cloud hosting plans are not as budget-friendly.
SiteGround’s cloud hosting plans come with high-performance servers. Moreover, all of the plans are fully managed, which makes SiteGround more similar to Kinsta than to providers such as AWS and Google Cloud.
It’s worth noting that SiteGround’s cloud hosting plans are not WordPress-specific. However, you can choose to deploy WordPress as an application when launching a new cloud instance. You’ll also get access to features such as WP-CLI support and staging websites.
Setting up WordPress with SiteGround ⚙️
SiteGround’s cloud hosting plans offer easy setup options for WordPress. This means you don’t need to interact with your server via the command line to download and install the CMS. Moreover, the web host offers a selection of curated plugins and themes for WordPress users.
SiteGround prices 💰
If you’re familiar with SiteGround’s cheap WordPress hosting, then the company’s prices for the cloud plan can come as a shock. Plans start at $100 per month, but for that money, you get to use a cloud server with 4 virtual CPUs, 8 GBs of RAM, as well as plenty of storage and bandwidth:
SiteGround also enables you to configure a server according to your specifications. However, you’re unable to choose options that use fewer resources than the base Jump Start plan. This means custom servers are only a good option if you need more resources but your projects don’t fit into any of the existing plans that SiteGround offers.
Get started with the best cloud hosting today 🏁
Choosing the best cloud hosting provider comes down to your level of familiarity with cloud servers, your budget, and the type of features you’re looking for. Some web hosts, such as AWS and Google Cloud, offer unparalleled flexibility and performance, but you’ll need to know your way around basic server management tasks.
👉 For the best possible cloud hosting experience, we recommend using Cloudways. With this company, you get to choose which provider to use. You’ll also get access to managed WordPress functionality.
Kinsta is another fantastic 🤩 option if you’re willing to pay a bit more, and the company’s hosting plans are powered by Google Cloud infrastructure.
Do you have any questions about the cloud hosting providers featured in the post? Let us know in the comments section below!