WP Engine is undoubtedly a top-tier WordPress hosting service provider.
Unfortunately, people have started migrating away from WP Engine due to the ongoing legal issues with WordPress.
As part of this dispute, WordPress has banned WP Engine, affecting 1.5 million websites.
This means WP Engine’s plugins, themes, and features on WordPress.org can no longer be updated, leading to increased security and hacking risks.
In this situation, moving to another hosting provider seems to be the only solution.
That’s why today I’m bringing you the Top 7 WPEngine Alternatives, offering similar performance and managed WordPress features.
These recommendations are based on key factors like performance, budget, traffic capacity, and features, and come from my personal experience after purchasing and using these services myself.
Ready to dive in? Let’s go.
Table of Contents
- Top 7 WP Engine Alternatives in 2024 [Reviewed & Compared]
- 1. Hostinger Cloud – Cheapest WP Engine Alternative
- 2. WordPress.com – 100% Compatible to WP
- 3. WPX Hosting – Highly Performance Oriented
- 4. Cloudways – Real Time Billing Based Hosting
- 5. Liquid Web – Best VPS Cloud Based WPEngine Alternative
- 6. Pressable – A Slightly Low Priced WP Engine Alternative
- 7. Kinsta – Highly Secure Web Hosting Alternative
- FAQs:
- Final Words:
Top 7 WP Engine Alternatives in 2024 [Reviewed & Compared]
WP Engine Alternatives | Best For | Pricing Starts At | Free Migration | Link |
1. Hostinger Cloud | Money Value | $7.19/month | ✓ | Visit Hostinger (90% OFF) |
2. WordPress.com | Maximum Compatibility with WP | $2.25/month | ✓ | Visit WordPress.com [BLPA30] – 30% OFF |
3. WPX Hosting | High End Performance | $20/month | ✓ | Visit WPX (65% OFF) |
4. Cloudways | Scalability | $14/month | ✓ | Visit Cloudways (3 Days Trial) |
5. Liquid Web | VPS Cloud Infrastructure | $5/month | ✓ | Visit Liquid Web (74% OFF) |
6. Pressable | Mid Range Managed WordPress Hosting | $25/month | ✓ | Visit Pressable (BPPRESS15) |
7. Kinsta | Big Traffic Sites | $30/month | ✓ | Visit Kinsta (2 Months Free) |
1. Hostinger Cloud – Cheapest WP Engine Alternative
Rating: 4.7/5
Uptime | 99.998% (Last 12 Months) |
Average Speed | 2.014 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | ✓ |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Hostinger is a Good Alternative to WPEngine?
Hostinger Cloud hosting can be considered if you’re on a slightly tight budget but still looking for a cloud hosting service that offers close to WP Engine performance.
What I like about Hostinger is that even at half the cost of WP Engine, it provides a lot of features that no other hosting company is offering at the moment. I’m talking about installing up to 300 websites, a free domain, dedicated IP, robust security, advanced WooCommerce features, and more.
There’s a myth about Hostinger’s performance that their servers aren’t reliable. I agree that their shared hosting plans don’t deliver top-notch performance—they’re better suited for new or small websites.
However, I’m recommending their Cloud Plans. Based on my testing, the performance turned out to be impressive. I got an average speed loading time of 2.014 seconds and 99.998% uptime. These results are very close to WP Engine benchmarks.
The reason behind Hostinger’s good performance is their CPU hardware. You can allocate up to 12 GB of RAM here, and you also get 100-300 PHP workers, which are primarily responsible for fast request processing.
Just like WP Engine, Hostinger also offers basic to advanced WooCommerce features, allowing you to run both small and high-traffic WooCommerce-based stores.
Overall, Hostinger is a great alternative to WP Engine, giving you the best value for your money.
Their performance, security features, and resources are close to what WP Engine offers. The only downside is that Hostinger provides a 30-day money-back guarantee, which is shorter than WP Engine’s 45-day period.
Key Features:
- Daily & On-Demand automated Backups
- Free email
- Unlimited free SSL
- WAF, DDoS protection, 2FA, Malware Scanner are there
- Free CDN & Dedicated IP can be given
- Standard to Expert WooCommerce features can be granted
- AI website builder for quick website setup
- Domain privacy for further protection
- Data centers across the globe
- Modern ease to use hPanel
- Unlimited FTP accounts
Pricing:
Hostinger Cloud plans offer similar features across all tiers. However, your decision should be based on the amount of RAM you need. Their Cloud Plans start at $7.19/month and go up to $29.99/month.
If your site gets traffic between 30k-50k visitors, their Professional plan is the best fit for you.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
Hostinger server performance is comparable to WP Engine in terms of speed. | Phone support is not available |
You also get a free domain for one year with all their plans. | |
They offer up to 300 GB of storage, providing plenty of scalability. | |
With their plans, you can easily set up both small and large WordPress or WooCommerce sites. | |
They also provide an AI website builder for users who find web designing challenging. |
Explore More:
2. WordPress.com – 100% Compatible to WP
Rating: 4.6/5
Uptime | 100% |
Average Speed | 2.5 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | 1 Year |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose WordPress.com Hosting?
WordPress.com is a top-tier premium hosting service provided by the company that owns WordPress itself.
WordPress.org is an open-source CMS, but here we are talking about hosting, which you can purchase directly from WordPress.com.
As you might know, WP Engine itself was created by the WordPress team, and it’s possible that if any hosting company has conflicts with them, it might also get banned in the future.
That’s why, by getting hosting from WordPress.com, you can be 100% secure for life because your CMS and hosting will both be under the same roof, managed by the same company.
Here, you get unlimited bandwidth along with extra storage, and you can easily migrate from WP Engine to WordPress.com with the help of WordPress agents, free of cost and without any data loss.
In our test, WordPress.com servers showed an average response time of 372 ms, and the uptime was 100%, which proves that their servers are reliable.
As you know, WP Engine used to offer themes with hosting, and you will get this benefit with WordPress.com hosting too. You can save around $150-$200 on extra theme costs.
Overall, WordPress hosting can be a good option for users who want to install their CMS and hosting under one service and avoid lifetime banning issues.
Just remember that their data centers are only available in the USA, so you may need to turn on a CDN to expand your reach, which could slightly increase your expenses.
Key Features:
- Full access to WordPress CMS
- Free In-Built CDN is there
- User Friendly custom hosting dashboard
- Main data centers in USA
- Premium Themes are inbuilt
- Comes with Plenty of Built-in Plugins
- DDoS Protection
- Proactive Plugins Monitoring
- Automated Backups
- Plugin Auto Updates
- Real Time Security Scans
- Staging Site
Pricing:
WordPress plans are really cheap; you can get your site live for just $2.25/month. But keep in mind, their starting plans, called Personal and Premium, aren’t worth it as they don’t allow you to install custom themes and plugins.
If this is a concern for you, you’ll need to invest in the Business plan ($17.50/month) or higher.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
The load handling capacity of WordPress.com hosting servers has been proven to be good. | Data centers are limited. |
Free domain is there. | Custom plugins cannot be installed in all the plans |
Many premium themes and built-in plugins come at no additional cost with the hosting. | Phone Support is not there. |
Explore More:
- WordPress.com Review: Pros, Cons, & More
- WordPress Coupon Code: A Big Saving Offer is Waiting for You!
3. WPX Hosting – Highly Performance Oriented
Rating: 4.8/5
Uptime | 100% (Last 12 Months) |
Average Speed | 0.6 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | X |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose WPX?
WPX is a fully managed WordPress hosting service that you can consider without hesitation if performance and reliability are your top priorities.
Its pricing is similar to WP Engine, but you get additional perks like free site fixes and performance boosts.
Speaking of performance, my site BloggersPassion is hosted on WPX, and it receives over 60k visitors monthly.
After switching to WPX servers, my site’s average loading time dropped from 2.94 seconds to just 0.6 seconds, which is a significant improvement.
Here is the proof:
WPX also includes a built-in CDN with 37 XDN points, unlike WP Engine. This means you can save money by not needing an additional CDN like Cloudflare.
If your budget is similar to WP Engine’s, but you’re looking for even better performance, you can migrate to WPX today.
Key Features:
- They offer “free site fixes” if the site gets crashed.
- 1 Click WP Install.
- Compatible with WooCommerce hosting.
- On-Demand backups are there.
- Inbuilt CDN
- Daily Malware Scanning
- WHOIS privacy is also attached
- Server & Object caching is inbuilt
- WAF
- Automated WordPress updates
- Full Managed WordPress maintenance provided by WPX team
Pricing:
WPX Hosting offers WordPress plans starting at $20.83/month and WooCommerce plans at $29.17/month.
With these plans, you can install 5 to 35 sites and get 15 GB to 60 GB of SSD storage along with unmetered bandwidth.
If your site receives 30-60k monthly visitors, the entry-level plan of WPX will be sufficient for you. Otherwise, you can explore their higher-end plans for more resources.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
WPX servers are proven to produce reliable uptime and performance even in traffic load situations. | Free domain is not there. |
Free unlimited site migrations handled by the WPX team. | |
The pricing point is similar to WP Engine. |
Explore More:
4. Cloudways – Real Time Billing Based Hosting
Rating: 4.4/5
Uptime | 100% (Last 30 Days) |
Average Speed | 0.5 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | X |
Free Domain | X |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose Cloudways?
Cloudways is a cloud hosting service that believes in complete transparency, which is why many WordPress site owners are migrating to it.
On Cloudways, you only pay for the resources you use.
The biggest reason to choose Cloudways is their servers, you get to select from reliable options like Google Cloud and AWS. With Google’s infrastructure, you can expect excellent service and 100% uptime from their servers.
One of my websites is hosted on Cloudways, and it has an average loading time of just 255 ms, which is less than half a second.
The excellent performance is due to both their cloud servers and data centers. Cloudways offers 65 CDN points, which is more than what WPEngine offers.
In terms of scalability, you can scale up to 32 GB of RAM and 640 GB of storage on Cloudways, this level of scaling is rare, even among hosts like WP Engine.
While Cloudways offers free site migration, it’s limited to just one free migration. Also, you may need to pay $1.00 per mailbox per month for email hosting, which can be seen as a downside.
Cloudways includes many features found on WP Engine, such as Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, staging areas, automated backups, and more. If you’re looking for a hosting provider that closely matches WP Engine in terms of features, Cloudways is a strong option.
Key Features:
- Backup & Restore in 1 click
- Auto scaling & server cloning is supported
- Offsite Backups facility is also there
- 24*7*365 support
- 24*7 Real time monitoring
- Optimization with advanced caching
- Supported WordPress Multisite hosting
- 65+ data centers
- Integration with Cloudflare enterprise version
- Dedicated Staging area
- Auto healing servers
Pricing:
Cloudways hosting pricing depends on the cloud servers you choose. For example, their DigitalOcean plans start at $14/month and go up to $487/month.
You can install unlimited sites on any plan, but you’ll need to decide based on your RAM and storage requirements.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
The scalability on resources is tremendous | You need to pay extra for stuff like Backups, Email accounts, etc. |
A back guarantee is not available. | Money back guarantee is not available. |
Performance & security levels are high |
Explore More:
5. Liquid Web – Best VPS Cloud Based WPEngine Alternative
Rating: 4.6/5
Uptime | 100% (Last 30 Days) |
Average Speed | 0.6 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | X |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose Liquid Web?
Liquid Web is a well-reputed name in the VPS hosting segment.
It is the only WP Engine alternative where the plans are not shared-based, meaning all resources (CPU power, bandwidth, etc.) are fully allocated just for you.
Unlike shared plans, VPS hosting offers higher security because your server is dedicated to you, and no one else can interfere with it.
They support “Auto Scaling,” which means that in situations of sudden traffic spikes, their servers automatically adjust resources based on your needs. The best part is that they don’t charge extra for this service.
If your site is news-based or eCommerce, where sudden traffic surges are common, Liquid Web’s VPS plans can provide strong support.
When it comes to customer support, Liquid Web has always topped our list. Their engineers and technical team don’t just give suggestions, they directly implement solutions for your issues.
For migration, you just need to contact them; they’ll take care of the rest.
Talking about performance benchmarks, this is how Liquid Web performs during our tests: Uptime – 100%, Load time: 670 ms.
The downside of Liquid Web is its user interface, which isn’t very beginner-friendly, so there’s a learning curve.
Overall, Liquid Web is a solid alternative to WP Engine for any site that requires a cloud based virtual private server hosting.
Key Features:
- Auto Scaling
- Free Daily Backups (Onsite & Offsite)
- Root Access
- DDoS Protection
- Dedicated IP
- Serversecure advance security
- cPanel support
- Integrated WAF
- Image compression and object caching is built
- Proactive monitoring
- Automated Plugin Updates
Pricing:
In Liquid Web, you can start your website for just $5/month. They give you 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD, and 1 TB bandwidth. These plans can go up to $37/mo where you get 8 GB RAM, 150 GB SSD, and 10 TB bandwidth.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
Security advantage is here as Liquid Web servers are not shared based | Hosting panel UI is not beginner friendly |
Security advantage is here as Liquid Web servers are not shared-based | |
A 100% uptime guarantee is given. Refunds are applicable. |
Explore More:
6. Pressable – A Slightly Low Priced WP Engine Alternative
Rating: 4.5/5
Uptime | 100% |
Average Speed | 0.5 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | X |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose Pressable?
Pressable Hosting is a hidden gem in the managed WordPress hosting space, and it’s a product of Automattic.
They don’t market themselves as much, so many people may not have heard of them, but they offer great service at slightly lower prices than WP Engine.
Since Automattic (the company behind WordPress) owns Pressable, their servers are built by the same team and come with a 100% uptime guarantee.
Pressable offers built-in auto-scaling, which adjusts resources as needed. So if you’re a current WP Engine user, you won’t have to worry about this feature.
Pressable also integrates Jetpack security, allowing you to enable CDN for free.
Unlike many other hosts, Pressable offers phone support, which is an added benefit.
Overall, Pressable can be a good alternative to WP Engine if you want to save a bit of money. The features are quite similar, but you may have to compromise on performance since their data centers are only located in the USA and Europe.
Key Features:
- Daily Automated Backups
- Self Designed easy to use control panel
- Free CDN
- WordPress Hack Recovery
- Staging Environment
- Inbuilt Firewall
- Jetpack Security
- Malware Cleanup
- 24*7 Live chat support
Pricing:
Pressable WordPress hosting plans start at $20/month, and they are more resource-rich compared to WP Engine’s plans. Their basic plan offers up to 20 GB of storage.
They support real scalability, allowing you to explore plans for up to 100 websites, with storage scaling up to 325 GB.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
Free migration is handled by the Pressable tech team | Premium themes are not included in the hosting plans |
100% uptime guarantee is a real bonus | Data centers are lesser |
24*7 Live chat and Phone support is available in business hours | |
The option to extend storage up to 325 GB is available, which is rare among most web hosting providers. |
7. Kinsta – Highly Secure Web Hosting Alternative
Rating: 4.9/5
Uptime | 100% (Last 30 Days) |
Average Speed | 0.3 Seconds |
Money Back Guarantee | 30 Days |
Free Domain | X |
Free Migration from WP Engine | ✓ |
Why Choose Kinsta?
Kinsta is the only cloud web hosting service we consistently recommend for large players and enterprises.
If your priority is both performance and highly secure servers, Kinsta is worth trying. Their servers can handle over 100k visitors per month.
However, their plans are quite expensive. For 10 GB of storage and a license for 1 website, you’ll need to pay at least $30.
We moved one of our sites to Kinsta specifically to take our reach to the next level. Unlike WP Engine and others, Kinsta offers 260+ data centers worldwide, which is a goldmine for websites with audiences spread across different regions.
Overall, Kinsta should be your top choice if security and high performance are key concerns. I’ve been getting a response time of 280-290 ms, which showcases Kinsta’s reliable technology.
There’s no free domain included here, so it’s best suited for growing websites, as the pricing might not be ideal for beginners. Fortunately, they offer free migrations, and the Kinsta team will safely migrate your website.
Key Features:
- Daily Automated Backups
- Free Hack Fix
- DDoS Protection
- Simple to use UI
- Performance Analytics
- 1-Click Staging environment
- Built-in Edge Caching
- Uptime Monitoring
- Free Cloudflare firewall
- Free Application Monitoring Tool
- Multisite Support
- IP Geolocation
- Reverse Proxy Support
Pricing:
Kinsta single-site plans start at $30/month and go up to $563/month.
They have clearly mentioned the suitable number of visitors for each plan. It’s best to choose a plan based on your expected visitor count, as the features across all Kinsta plans are similar.
Pros And Cons:
Pros | Cons |
Only reliable web host to handle millions of traffic per month | Storage plans main thoda kam lagra hain. |
Security is real tight | Phone support is not offered |
Security is really tight | |
They use Google based cloud servers for ultimate reliability | |
Unlimited migrations for free | |
260 Data centers are there for a wider reach |
Explore More:
FAQs:
Is WP Engine shutting down?
No, WP Engine is not shutting down. However, WordPress has banned WP Engine, which means WordPress will no longer function on its servers. WP Engine plugins and themes will also no longer receive updates.
Can I migrate my website from WP Engine to an alternative easily?
Yes, most hosting companies offer free migration services. You might have options for manual or automated migration. The companies mentioned in today’s list provide free automated migration services, so there’s no need to worry.
Which WP Engine alternative offers the best performance?
Based on my testing, I would recommend WPX and Kinsta for the best performance.
Explore More:
- List of Best Web Hosting Services [For Every Website Type]
- WPX vs WP Engine [Side By Side Comparison]
- Kinsta vs WP Engine [Side By Side Comparison]
- DreamHost Alternatives [For All Kind of Traffic]
Final Words:
So, that wraps up the list of WP Engine competitors.
No one wants to migrate from a good web host, and I understand that this is a tough time for WP Engine users. However, legal battles can drag on, and continuing with plugins, hosting, and themes that won’t receive updates or support is risky.
From the alternatives mentioned above, if you’re on a tight budget, consider Hostinger Cloud. For top-notch performance, WPX and Kinsta are the best choices. Cloudways is ideal for scalability, and if you’re looking to upgrade to a VPS cloud system, Liquid Web should be on your radar.
Thanks for this informative article on the best host options for WP. I have used Pressable before and they were satisfactory. I am always keeping my eye out for the high performance at a reasonable price so WPX piqued my interest.