For a web-based retailer, you want a quick web site, one which’s safe, high-performance, and with the power to help various levels of visitors. You may optimize your web site all you need, however the important thing to a dependable, speedy, and safe web site is high-quality internet hosting. Often, which means signing up with a managed internet hosting firm, but it surely’s additionally vital to discover a host with top-tier {hardware}, content material supply networks, and an total strong infrastructure. Shared internet hosting not often cuts it for rising on-line shops. That is why we need to full a WP Engine assessment, as a result of it is one of many main managed WordPress hosts, and all customers achieve entry to a platform with best-in-class know-how companions (like Google Cloud and AWS), together with options to make sure your web site runs effectively always.
On this WP Engine internet hosting assessment, we’ll cowl the weather that make WP Engine stand out, together with its options, pricing, and customer support. Together with all of that, we’ll discover features of WP Engine’s platform like its uptime/downtime, safety measures, and whether or not you possibly can select the placement of your knowledge middle. Hold studying our WP Engine assessment to study extra.
WP Engine Evaluation: The Merchandise and Options
WP Engine primarily offers WordPress internet hosting providers, however they’re damaged up into a number of merchandise. As an example, it’s possible you’ll need to go for an ecommerce internet hosting product the place WP Engine installs and manages updates for the WooCommerce plugin. Alternatively, it’s possible you’ll merely need common WordPress internet hosting with managed components like PHP updates, caching, and web site backups. No matter your wants, it seems WP Engine provides one thing for everybody.
Listed below are the merchandise you possibly can select from:
- WordPress Internet hosting for Companies
- Enterprise WordPress Platform
- WooCommerce Internet hosting
- Company and Freelancer Instruments
- Headless WordPress Platform
The overwhelming majority of consumers require fundamental WordPress internet hosting for his or her enterprise. Nonetheless, it isn’t unusual to want WooCommerce internet hosting, and even one thing like Enterprise internet hosting for those who’re scaling quick. We additionally just like the Company and Freelancer instruments for builders who must move alongside WordPress web site builds to shoppers.
In our WP Engine assessment, we’ll primarily look into the options for the WordPress and WooCommerce internet hosting. Check out our favourite options beneath:
Automated Updates for PHP, WordPress, and Plugins
WordPress requires many updates for those who self host. From the precise WordPress replace that comes round each from time to time to PHP updates, and do not forget updates for put in WordPress plugins and themes. The issue with all of those updates is that you just usually need to make the upgrades manually–and for those who do not, it opens up your web site to safety vulnerabilities and bugs.
That is one motive managed WordPress internet hosting is so useful. You usually pay just a little further for managed internet hosting, but it surely saves you time and secures your web site (which may prevent hundreds of tons of, hundreds, or thousands and thousands of {dollars} sooner or later).
WP Engine internet hosting provides automated PHP and WordPress updates in all of its plans. You are left to what you are promoting without having to maintain checking again in with the WordPress dashboard for updates. It is all dealt with for you, so safety and bug fixes occur routinely. WP Engine additionally sells automated plugin updates, but it surely prices further. We’re not keen on this upcharge, however a minimum of WP Engine offers the choice. Simply anticipate to pay wherever from $3-$17 per 30 days relying in your plan (the Skilled plans have already got plugin updates included).
Regardless, our WP Engine assessment confirmed that the host helps you out tremendously by ensuring WordPress, PHP, and plugins are all up-to-date.
Customizable Themes and Workflow Choices for Constructing a Website
Developing a web site on WordPress normally requires a theme and a few plugins, perhaps a drag-and-drop builder, and a employed dev if you wish to go the extremely custom-made route. You sometimes should mix these components collectively if you make a self-hosted WordPress web site. Due to this fact, you’d pay for a web site builder, your net host, a WordPress theme, and no matter plugins it’s worthwhile to set up the specified performance.
WP Engine cuts out many of those bills and transferring items by offering free WordPress themes, workflow instruments, and even integrations with the most well-liked web site builders. The web retailer pricing plans even have ecommerce-ready WordPress themes to make sure you can assemble a web-based store inside a matter of minutes.
Now, themes do not out of the blue make you a web site designer, however they undoubtedly assist. You not have to go searching for a premium theme to purchase, and there are numerous instruments for designing your web site, launching a WordPress web site with one click on, and integrating with different well-liked instruments like buyer relationship administration methods and cost processors.
The nice half concerning the premium themes is that they are StudioPress themes, probably the most respected WordPress theme and framework manufacturers for setting up highly effective blogs, on-line shops, and enterprise web sites. You get to make use of these without spending a dime and launch your web site with the Genesis framework, and it would not value you something further, since each WP Engine buyer will get to make use of them. And for those who do not just like the themes, you possibly can merely flip to a different theme developer and nonetheless set up one thing from elsewhere on-line.
1-click Staging Websites and Backups
Growing a web site usually includes working in a staging atmosphere, the place the modifications you make do not seem on the reside, frontend model of the positioning. Staging is important for all WordPress improvement actions, like if you wish to take a look at a plugin or theme, or for those who’re planning on including one thing like a brand new promotional banner to your retailer’s homepage. All of those modifications ought to undergo a staging course of to see what they appear to be, how the component impacts the performance of your web site, and probably to ship these modifications to stakeholders previous to publication.
We’re happy to see that each one WP Engine customers obtain entry to a staging atmosphere. This implies you possibly can see your web site in its present type, permitting you to run last exams previous to publication and perceive its performance proper now. This helps you produce stronger web sites, keep away from breaking your web site, and offers you a second to catch bugs or content material errors. After the staging course of, WP Engine provides a one-click answer for pushing these modifications to the reside atmosphere. You do not even want any improvement expertise, because it’s all dealt with within the user-friendly dashboard.
Fixed Safety Measures and Risk Blocking
Together with pace and pricing, safety ought to all the time stay one of many prime priorities when on the lookout for an internet host. Premium hosts, like people who supply VPS, cloud internet hosting, and managed internet hosting, are inclined to focus extra on safety since they do not merely throw all shopper web sites on a shared server. WP Engine is not any completely different in that respect because it offers constant safety protocols to scan your web site, determine threats, and block them once they seem.
As well as, WP Engine has options like disk write safety, disk write limitations, and consumer enumeration to dam actions that will trigger bother along with your web site. We additionally like how WP Engine has an inventory of disallowed plugins, chopping out the possibilities that some poorly coded plugin crashes your web site or causes a battle between one other plugin or theme.
Doubtlessly a very powerful half is that WP Engine customers get their web sites positioned on devoted internet hosting environments. You are not sharing with tons of of different web sites on one server, so your sources are remoted and never affected by different recordsdata. WP Engine companions with a number of the most recognizable names within the sport, together with AWS (Amazon Internet Providers) and Google Cloud Platform to make sure that the precise servers are in safe areas, they’ve bodily safety, and there are the correct cooling methods put in.
Total, our WP Engine assessment reveals that the host boasts an enterprise-grade safety system obtainable for all customers. This contains backups, firewalls, DDoS safety, malware monitoring, and the free SSL certificates you put in in your ecommerce retailer. Pair that with devoted servers and WordPress updates and we really feel WP Engine is nearly probably the most safe internet hosting answer potential.
Automated Backups
File backups additionally fall into the safety class, however we really feel they’re price a point out on their very own. Basically, you possibly can by no means utterly defend out of your web site getting hacked or broken not directly. That is the place web site backups come into play. You may backup the whole lot from the database to your content material, and the WordPress recordsdata to the property saved inside these recordsdata. Sadly, WordPress would not autocomplete these backups for you. You are left to put in a backup plugin (which normally requires a daily cost), hyperlink the backups to a cloud storage service, and probably full the backups on a handbook foundation. Even these automated plugins are inclined to make us nervous generally, since it is easy to neglect concerning the location of the backups and even know in the event that they’re working correctly.
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We might quite see automated backups from a managed WordPress host, and that is precisely what WP Engine provides. Basically, these backups occur within the background of your consumer portal with out having to click on any buttons. However that is the profit: the entire backups are accessible out of your WP Engine dashboard, so it is virtually unimaginable to neglect the place to search out them. WP Engine additionally offers a one-click restore answer simply in case you must deliver again a model of your web site from the latest previous.
Choices for SSLs and CDNs
Though not obtainable without spending a dime in a number of the fundamental webhosting plans, WP Engine contains internet hosting choices to activate an SSL (safe sockets layer) certificates and a CDN (content material supply community) for a price (or if you improve to a sure pricing plan).
An SSL certificates helps you safe transactions when launching a web-based retailer. It is normally solely needed when you’ve an ecommerce store (legally required, truly) so that each one transactional and bank card info typed into your retailer will get encrypted. This manner, your clients are protected against potential hackers, and your web site abides by the regulation. You may all the time set up an SSL certificates without spending a dime, however we get pleasure from seeing this feature included from net hosts. The essential WP Engine webhosting plans do not have SSLs, however a very powerful factor is which you could set up an SSL certificates with any of the WP Engine ecommerce plans.
A CDN, alternatively, features as a option to pace up loading occasions to your web site. It connects your server to a community of computer systems all over the world in order that these recordsdata get served up from the machines which are closest to the tip consumer. Total, it takes benefit of locational proximity, seeing as how web sites load sooner once they’re shared by a server that is nearer to the individual making an attempt to see the positioning. It seems that WP Engine would not offer you a free CDN with its fundamental webhosting, but it surely’s potential to get a CDN by paying further or just upgrading to one of many ecommerce plans.
WP Engine Evaluation: The Pricing
WP Engine pricing is categorized into the next packages:
- Managed WordPress
- Ecommerce Options
- Superior Options
The Superior Options are for enterprise-grade internet hosting, companies, and freelancers. You need to contact WP Engine for these options with a purpose to obtain a customized plan.
Nonetheless, WP Engine lists pricing for its WP managed and ecommerce internet hosting:
Managed WordPress Pricing
- Startup Plan: Beginning at $25 per 30 days for max pace, efficiency and website positioning capabilities. You obtain proactive risk blocking, automated updates for PHP and WordPress, customizable themes, staging, and backups. This plan helps one web site, 25k month-to-month guests, 10 GB storage, and 50 GB bandwidth.
- Skilled: Beginning at $49 per 30 days for the whole lot within the earlier plan, 3 websites, 75k visits, 15 GB storage, and 125 GB bandwidth.
- Progress: Beginning at $96 per 30 days for the whole lot within the earlier plans, 10 websites, 100k visits, 20 GB storage, and 200 GB bandwidth.
- Scale: Beginning at $242 per 30 days for the whole lot within the earlier plans, 30+ websites, 400k visits, 50 GB storage, and 500 GB bandwidth.
- Devoted customized: Customized pricing for internet hosting wants which are considerably greater than the earlier plan.
For each plan, it’s also possible to add-on further websites for as much as $17 per 30 days, automated plugin updates for as much as $17 per 30 days, and an added layer of safety (DDoS safety, firewall, and SSL) for as much as $50 per 30 days relying on the plan.
Ecommerce Internet hosting Pricing
- Startup: Beginning at $30 per 30 days for a internet hosting platform constructed on WooCommerce, automated updates to your web site, premium WooCommerce themes, and the Gutenberg builder. You additionally get help for 1 web site, 25k visits, 10 GB of storage, and 50 GB of bandwidth per 30 days.
- Skilled: Beginning at $63 per 30 days for 3 websites, 75k visits per 30 days, 15 GB of storage, and 125 GB of bandwidth.
- Progress: Beginning at $117 per 30 days for 10 websites, 100k visits per 30 days, 20 GB of storage, and 200 GB of bandwidth.
- Scale: Beginning at $292 per 30 days for 30+ websites, 400k visits per 30 days, 50 GB of storage, and 500 GB of bandwidth.
- Devoted customized: A customized ecommerce internet hosting plan for something you want over the earlier plan.
Within the ecommerce pricing part, you possibly can add further websites for $17 per 30 days, or an additional layer of safety for as much as $83 per 30 days. Automated plugin updates are included for all ecommerce plans.
It is also price mentioning that each one WP Engine plans include a 60-day money-back assure. That approach, you possibly can take a look at out the platform to see if it is best for you. Sadly, there is no free trial, however the money-back assure a minimum of offers you a way out if it isn’t for you.
Remember the fact that WP Engine additionally has extra particular plans in case one of many packages listed above would not give you the results you want. As an example, you might attempt one of many Managed Internet hosting Plus plans, which begin at round $28 per 30 days and embody automated plugin updates, auto-rollbacks for if you detect issues, and the choice to auto replace plugins that you just select. Or you might go for a Safe Internet hosting plan, which begins at $44 per 30 days and throws in options like DDoS safety, computerized plugin updates, and a safety firewall.
WP Engine Evaluation: The Buyer Assist Group and On-line Assets
WP Engine offers buyer help in two kinds: on-line sources and direct human help. We’ll begin by speaking concerning the direct help since that is usually how somebody with an actual web site downside would tackle their points: by calling, emailing, or utilizing chat help.
To start, we are able to see that WP Engine provides a telephone quantity on its web site to talk with a gross sales consultant. That is undoubtedly a type of help, but it surely appears there is not a telephone quantity so that you can name if you wish to converse to somebody about technical help. Nonetheless, you possibly can log into your distinctive WP Engine help console to obtain 1-on-1 chat or e-mail help from an actual WordPress knowledgeable. We have additionally discovered throughout our testing that the shopper reps are educated and pleasant. Oh yeah, they usually’re obtainable 24/7/365, that means you by no means have to attend till after a vacation or the weekend to get the solutions you want. So, you get a chatbox and e-mail help, however no telephone for tech help. That is not unhealthy, however we might prefer to see a extra direct telephone help line sooner or later. They do get some factors for having a telephone quantity listed, though it is only for gross sales.
As for the web sources, WP Engine packs a big quantity of knowledge on its web site. Their help middle contains an space to seek for tutorials, movies, and different knowledgebase info. They’ve articles for subjects like creating new subsites, understanding server caching, and sending emails on WP Engine.
It’s also possible to discover a useful resource middle, weblog, and buyer help web page, all of which come collectively to supply an unimaginable quantity of data, inspiration, and particulars about learn how to perceive the WP Engine interface, use its instruments to their most effectiveness, and study from different WordPress customers who’ve expertise with WP Engine (particularly for those who’re a newbie).
Total, WP Engine continues to impress us with its deal with serving to clients. You may all the time get in contact with a buyer help rep, the sources on-line are greater than what you want, and a few plans even get you a devoted help rep which you could get in contact with everytime you need.
Is WP Engine Proper for You?
Is the pricing proper? Does WP Engine have all the very best options for internet hosting your web site? Does the customer support provide the confidence to run your web site effectively into the long run?
From our WP Engine assessment, we have found that WP Engine just isn’t the most cost effective webhosting available on the market (it is nearer to the likes of Kinsta and Flywheel). Nonetheless, there’s an unimaginable quantity of worth packed into its pricing plans. You get way over you’d with a finances, shared internet hosting plan (like Siteground, Dreamhost, Bluehost, InMotion, or Hostgator), and a few of these options are important for those who plan on scaling up a small enterprise or working a web-based retailer. Take a number of the safety features, as an illustration.
You may’t run a precious web site if you do not have automated each day backups, caching, an SSL certificates, and safety monitoring. Options like staging and the premium themes could seem to be extras, however these different ones are important to make sure that your web site is working effectively, you have no issues with safety, and there are no conditions with outdated plugins or WordPress components. We additionally consider WP Engine is without doubt one of the finest hosts as a result of your complete WordPress content material administration system will get managed from begin to end.
Lastly, it is good to see that WP Engine companions with a number of of the highest internet hosting suppliers (like Google Cloud and AWS), which suggests you are placing your web site recordsdata on devoted servers that provide the very best {hardware}, quickest web page load speeds, and areas everywhere in the world.
So, will we suggest WP Engine? Completely! It makes probably the most sense for critical on-line shops that plan to scale quick, in addition to for these shops that anticipate seasonal visitors to extend sporadically. WP Engine has the surge help, customer support, and affordable pricing to assist all of those companies. Tell us within the feedback when you’ve got any questions on our WP Engine assessment, or for those who’ve used WP Engine to your internet hosting previously.
