What is managed vs unmanaged hosting?โพ
Managed hosting (Kinsta, DreamPress, SiteGround) means the provider handles OS patching, PHP/MySQL upgrades, automated backups, malware scans, and runs WordPress-aware support. You only manage themes/plugins/content. Unmanaged VPS (Hetzner Cloud) gives you a raw Linux box with root SSH; you install nginx/PHP-FPM, configure firewalls, and run backups yourself. The price gap reflects the ops labor included.
Why is renewal pricing so much higher than intro?โพ
Shared hosts (Bluehost, SiteGround, DreamHost shared tiers) commonly use a 12 or 36-month introductory rate that renews at 2-6ร the headline price. The 5-year math is what matters: a $2.95/mo intro that renews at $11.99/mo costs $35.40 + $479.04 = $514.44 over 5 years, or $8.57/mo amortised. Read the pricing page footnote and set a calendar reminder before the renewal date.
Which hosts does WordPress.org officially recommend?โพ
As of 2026-04-30, the WordPress.org Hosting page (wordpress.org/hosting) lists four officially recommended hosts: Bluehost, DreamHost, Pressable, and SiteGround. The list is maintained by the WordPress Foundation and is updated periodically. Recommendation is not the same as endorsement โ it means the host meets the Foundation's requirements for documented WordPress support.
What does 99.9% uptime actually allow?โพ
99.9% uptime allows up to 43 minutes of downtime per month (โ8.7 hours per year). 99.95% allows 22 minutes/month. 99.99% allows 4.3 minutes/month. DreamHost's 100% uptime guarantee comes with a documented credit policy if the metric is breached, per dreamhost.com/legal/100-uptime-guarantee/.
Is Kinsta worth $35/mo over a $2.95/mo shared plan?โพ
Depends on your time. Managed WordPress on Google Cloud Premium Tier saves the operator several hours a month of routine maintenance (OS patching, PHP upgrades, backup runs, occasional incidents). If your billable rate is above ~$30/hr, the math favours managed. If you enjoy the ops work or are running a side project where downtime does not cost revenue, the cheaper shared plan is fine.
How do I move from one host to another without downtime?โพ
On WordPress: install the All-in-One WP Migration or Duplicator plugin on the source site, export the full archive, set up a fresh install on the destination host with the same domain reserved, import the archive, then flip DNS. The DNS flip propagates over 1-24 hours. Keep both hosts active during that window. Most managed WordPress hosts (Kinsta, SiteGround, DreamPress) offer free migration assistance for new accounts.