Unmanaged WordPress Hosting refers to a hosting environment where the responsibility for managing and maintaining the server infrastructure falls entirely on the website owner. This includes tasks like server setup, security configurations, software updates, and troubleshooting. In contrast to managed hosting, unmanaged hosting gives users more control but requires a higher level of technical expertise to handle server-related tasks.
If you are a WordPress user, chances are you have come across an offer for a managed hosting plan at some point or another. The issue is that in some cases, you may not know what the benefits of a managed hosting plan are compared to a regular hosting plan. We want to provide you with the right information so that you can make the right service choice for your site.
The main difference between a managed and an unmanaged hosting plan is that a managed plan offers more features than an unmanaged plan, and most of the features are designed to make your life easier.
In other words, while a managed hosting plan is not a ‘must have’, it offers a solid option. In fact, it may be the perfect hosting service for your site!
In this post, we will go into more detail about what are the pros and cons of a managed vs. unmanaged WordPress hosting plan. After that, we will help you make the right choice for your website!
Let’s begin!
Specifications of Unmanaged WordPress Hosting
The term “unmanaged hosting” may sound harsh, but it’s actually quite the opposite. Most hosting plans that you’ll encounter are unmanaged, meaning you have complete control over your hosting. This means you’ll be responsible for keeping your WordPress website up-to-date, making sure it’s secure, and even optimizing it if you need to.
These are all tasks that you’d normally have to do to run any type of website, but with unmanaged hosting, you’ll get a few extra perks in return for the heavy lifting.
✅ It's almost always cheaper : This is the biggest advantage and the reason most plans aren’t managed. If you’re not concerned with site maintenance, you’ll save a ton of money by using a standard hosting plan.
✅ You have more control: Managed hosting often limits how you can interact with your server in order to keep things running efficiently. If you have a lot of experience running websites, this can be a pain because you won’t have as much flexibility to adjust everything according to your requirements.
✅ You get a full control panel: Most unmanaged hosting plans provide you with a fully-functioning hosting control panel, like cPanel (which is the one we use!) Managed hosting often comes with custom panels with less options.
The trade-off for unmanaged hosting is pretty easy. You’ll have to spend more time managing your website and doing things like backups, loading times, and so on. But you’ll also pay less than you would with a managed service, and you’ll have more control because there won’t be as much hand-holding.
Now, not everyone loves doing this kind of work or has the time to do it. If you’ve never managed a website before, learning how to run a website efficiently and effectively might be a bit of a challenge. But don’t worry, there is another option.
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Managed WordPress Hosting
Managed WordPress plans, as mentioned above, are often thought of as a luxury service. While the exact structure of a managed WordPress plan varies, in most cases, your hosting provider will do all the extra work mentioned above in exchange for a premium rate. Managed plans come in a variety of flavors, such as shared tiers, VPSs, and dedicated servers. But the common denominator is that your hosting provider takes the burden of hosting your site off your shoulders and keeps everything running like clockwork.
With that in mind, let’s look at the primary benefits of managed hosting plans:
✅ With managed hosting, you’ll have less maintenance to deal with. You’ll often get benefits like automated backups, WordPress updates, 24/7 security scanning, and more.
✅ You’ll have more time for content creation Managed hosting frees up your time so you can focus on building more and better content.
✅ Access to WordPress professionals
Managed WordPress hosting will give you access to WordPress support staff who are experts in the WordPress platform.
✅ Wordpress-specific features
Depending on your hosting provider, you may get WordPress-specific bonuses. These can include special security features, or free access to premium plugins and themes.
The main downside of managed hosting is that it’s more expensive than a non-managed plan. It won’t cost you a lot of money, but it could be a problem for small sites with tight budgets. Another downside is that you don’t usually get full root on your site. This allows your provider to make sure your server is always up and running, but it stops you from customizing your site if you are more tech-savvy.
Now that we’ve covered the pros and cons of managed plans, the big question is whether you’re willing to pay for the added time they save you.
E-commerce websites are prime examples of projects that can benefit greatly from managed services.
You’ll have more time to focus on product development, A/B tests, and other critical work that can increase your bottom line in the long term.
Under the right conditions, managed hosting is a good investment.
How to Choose Between Managed and Unmanaged WordPress Hosting
In the last two sections, we’ve learned a lot. So, let’s break it down into a few key points to help you decide which plan is right for you:
1️⃣ UnManaged WordPress Hosting :
If you know how to run a WordPress website, then you’re probably not in need of unmanaged WordPress hosting. But even if you’ve never used WordPress before, you can easily learn everything you need to know to manage your site with a few clicks. These plans are great for people who don’t have a lot of money or time to spend on managing their own sites.
2️⃣ Managed WordPress Hosting :
Managed WordPress hosting is all about convenience and maximizing the performance of your site by putting your site in the hands of professionals. If you have enough money to spend on a managed plan and take advantage of the services offered, it can be an excellent investment that saves you time and effort.
Finally, we don't recommend that new WordPress users jump into managed hosting right away. Try a basic shared hosting plan first. That way, you'll have a better understanding of the platform before you decide if managed hosting is right for you.
Conclusion
There are many hosting options available to WordPress users. In fact, the platform has become so popular that some web hosts even specialize in building their services around WordPress websites.
Whether you choose to use managed WordPress hosting or unmanaged hosting is entirely up to you. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind before making your choice.
Managed WordPress hosting tends to be more expensive than unmanaged hosting. If you’re looking to save money, then you’ll want to consider a managed hosting plan. However, if you don’t want to spend a lot of money on maintenance, then a managed hosting plan may be the best option for you.
If you’re someone who values your time and wants to spend more time on content creation, then a managed WordPress hosting plan is the way to go.
