In short
Cheap WordPress hosting is good value when the plan includes what you would otherwise pay for in money or time: SSL, backups, staging, migration help, security and support. Compare what each plan includes, how it bills and what happens over its limits, then check current prices on the host's own site.
See Cloudways' managed hosting plans
Cloudways lists its cloud providers, server sizes and locations, including London, on its own site.
Price versus value in WordPress hosting
Hosting is one of the smaller costs of running a website, and one of the easiest to compare on price alone. An inexpensive, low cost plan can be exactly right, but the monthly figure is only part of the picture. What you are paying for is a site that loads quickly, stays online, is backed up and can be put right quickly when something goes wrong.
Two ways to think about it:
- Price is what appears on the hosting bill each month, year or hour
- Value is what you get for it: what is included, what you would otherwise pay extra for, and how much of your own time it saves
For a hobby blog, the lowest price may well be the right answer. For a business site that brings in enquiries or sales, the cost of a slow site, a hack or a lost weekend restoring a backup usually matters more than the difference between hosting plans. That is why we look at affordable WordPress hosting in terms of value. We do not list prices on this site, because they change often and every host shows its current prices, renewal terms and taxes on its own website. Our WordPress hosting cost guide breaks down where the money goes.
What to check a lower-priced plan includes
Hosts keep their entry prices down in different ways, and the same feature can be included on one plan and an add-on on another. None of these is wrong in itself, but each is worth checking before you buy:
| What to check | What can differ between plans | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| SSL certificates | Included and renewing automatically, or set up by you | Browsers flag sites without HTTPS, and forms need it |
| Backups and restores | Daily or less often; on-demand backups on some plans only | Decides how much you can recover, and how quickly |
| Malware help | Included, an add-on or left to you | A hacked site can lose visitors, search visibility and data |
| Migrations | Done for you, a plugin, or a paid service | Moving a site takes time and can break things |
| Staging | On every plan, or from a higher plan | Lets you test updates without risking the live site |
| Server resources | Shared, isolated or a server of your own | Shared resources can slow down when neighbours are busy |
| Support | Channels and hours vary by plan | Decides how quickly a problem gets fixed |
| Price after the first term | An introductory price, then a renewal price | The renewal price is what you pay in the long run |
Note each answer for the plan you are actually considering, not the host's largest plan. Our guide to shared vs VPS WordPress hosting explains how resources are shared on different types of hosting.
See Krystal's WordPress hosting plans
Krystal lists its UK hosting plans on its own site.
Entry-level plans: what the lower tiers include at each host
Each host's lowest tier is built for a smaller site. Here is what each says its entry level includes, from its own plans pages. Plans change, so check the current detail before you buy:
- Cloudways: you choose the server size, so the entry point is a small server, which Cloudways describes as "suitable for growing businesses and moderate traffic". Staging, backups and its Breeze cache plugin come with every server, and Object Cache Pro starts on 4GB servers
- Krystal: the Personal plan covers one site, upgradeable to five, with daily backups, two staging sites per live site and Patchstack-powered protection. Its CDN starts on the Business plan, and Redis is on premium plans
- WP Engine: the Essential plan runs in a shared environment with 24/7 chat support, daily backups and staging. Its uptime SLA, phone support and managed site migrations are listed on Business and above, and AI-powered plugin and theme updates are an add-on on Essential
Our WordPress hosting plans guide explains how each host structures its larger plans.
What each host includes as standard
This table shows what each of our picks says is part of its WordPress hosting, from its own pages. Where something is only on some plans, or is an add-on, we say so.
| Host | SSL | Backups | Staging | Migration help | Malware help |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloudways | Let's Encrypt SSL | Automated and on-demand; off-site storage charged by use | Staging and cloning on all plans | First website moved by its engineers at no charge | Firewall and vulnerability scanner included; malware removal is an add-on |
| Krystal | Included, renewing automatically | Daily; restore points cover the last 30 days | Two staging sites per live site | Up to three sites moved by its team at no extra cost | Malware scanning; its team can step in to remove |
| WP Engine | Auto-renewing SSL | Daily and on-demand, kept 30 to 60 days | One-click staging and dev environments | Automated migration plugin; managed migrations on Business | Security patching and plugin risk scans; deep malware scans and cleaning by its support team |
Plans and features change, so check the current details on each host's site: Cloudways (opens in a new tab), Krystal (opens in a new tab) and WP Engine (opens in a new tab).
Not sure which host to choose?
See the three hosts side by side on the features each one lists.
When should you step up from an entry plan?
An entry plan stops being good value when you keep running into its limits. Signs it is time to look at the next plan up:
- Visits or storage near the plan limit, month after month
- A second site or an online shop, which may need more sites, more resources or features from a higher tier
- Features you keep wishing for, such as on-demand backups, longer backup retention, a CDN, object caching or phone support
- More people working on the site, who need staging, user roles or developer access
How each host handles a site that goes over its limits, how prices are shown and taxed, and the costs that sit outside the hosting bill are covered in our WordPress hosting cost guide.
Cheap WordPress blog hosting: what a small blog needs
A small blog or brochure site usually needs one WordPress install, modest storage and a few thousand visits a month. Most hosts have an entry plan for exactly this, and cheap blog hosting for WordPress can work well if the plan covers the basics.
A few things to think about for a small site:
- Where your visitors are: for a UK audience, choose a London or UK data centre
- Who updates WordPress: if nobody is responsible, automatic updates, staging and daily backups give you a safety net
- Whether staging is on the entry plan: Cloudways, Krystal and WP Engine list staging on all their managed plans, but check the plan you choose
- Whether it will grow: if you plan to add a shop, more sites or Multisite later, check the host's larger plans and how easily you can move up
- Trying it first: check each host's trial or money-back terms on its own site before you sign up
Our guide to WordPress hosting for small business covers this in more depth. If you only need somewhere to test WordPress, our guide to free WordPress hosting explains the options, including local tools that run on your own computer.
Questions to ask before you choose the lowest-priced option
Before you choose any plan on price, check the same questions against each host's own website:
- What is the price after the first term, and how does the plan renew?
- Is the price shown with or without VAT, and in which currency?
- Is SSL included, and does it renew automatically?
- How often are backups taken, how long are they kept, and where are they stored?
- If the site is hacked, who cleans it up, and is that included?
- Will the host migrate my site, or do I use a plugin, and how many sites are covered?
- Is there a staging environment on this plan?
- Is my site isolated from other customers' sites?
- Which support channels come with this plan, and at what times?
- What happens if my site goes over the plan's limits?
For a full comparison checklist, see our picks for UK WordPress hosting.
Next step: right-size your plan on the host's own site
Once you know what you need, choosing the right plan size keeps the cost right:
- Estimate visits, storage and the number of sites before you choose, using our WordPress hosting plans guide
- Compare what is included on the plan you are considering, using the table above and our WordPress hosting comparison
- Use the host's migration help, so moving in does not cost you a day of your own time
- Check prices, renewal terms and VAT on the host's own site: Cloudways, Krystal and WP Engine each have a guide on this site with a link to their plans
Every host on this site sells its plans directly, on its own terms.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest way to host a WordPress site?
For a test or learning site, a local install on your own computer costs nothing; WP Engine's Local is one example. For a public business site, the lowest-cost option over time is usually a plan that already includes SSL, backups, staging, migration help, security and support, so you are not paying for them separately or with your own time.
Is affordable WordPress hosting good enough for a business website?
It can be, if the plan includes what a business site needs. Check SSL, backups and restores, malware help, staging, migration help, server isolation, support channels and the renewal price. If several of those are extras, compare the total cost rather than the headline price.
What do managed hosts include in the plan price?
It varies by host and plan. Our three picks each list SSL, backups and staging on some or all plans, plus caching and security features. Malware removal, extra backups, object caching and edge caching are included by some hosts and sold as add-ons by others, so check the plan you are considering on the host's own site.
Do hosts charge for migrations or SSL?
All three of our picks include SSL. Migration help differs: Cloudways moves your first website, Krystal moves up to three sites, and WP Engine offers an automated migration plugin, with managed migrations on its Business plan.
Are there extra costs beyond the hosting plan?
There can be. Common extras are add-ons such as Redis object caching, extra or off-site backups, malware removal, a premium CDN, extra storage, and overage if a site goes over its plan limits. VAT may also be added. Each host lists its add-ons, overage terms and tax treatment on its own site.
How can I keep WordPress hosting costs down?
Choose the plan that matches your real visits and storage, compress images to reduce bandwidth and storage, remove sites you no longer need, and use the host's own caching rather than paid plugins. Check how each host bills and how easily you can change plan: Cloudways, for example, bills by the hour for the server you run, with no contract, and Krystal offers monthly, annual or biennial billing.
See WP Engine's managed WordPress plans
WP Engine lists its plans and data centre options on its own UK site.