In the ever-evolving landscape of website hosting, finding a service that truly stands out can be a game-changer for your online presence.
WP Engine is a leading managed WordPress hosting provider that’s been making waves with its robust features and stellar performance.
But the question remains: Is WP Engine worth the hype and investment?
In this comprehensive review, we’ll dive deep into WP Engine’s offerings, from its blazing-fast speed and rock-solid security to its exceptional customer support.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer or a WordPress newbie, our detailed analysis will help you decide if WP Engine is the right choice for your website.
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WP Engine Review 2024
WP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting and eCommerce hosting for small businesses, freelancers, developers, enterprises, and agencies. There are 1.5M+ active websites hosted on WP Engine. They have served 185K+ customers from 150 countries.
WP Engine partners with Google Cloud, New Relic, Azure, Stripe, Cloudflare, and AWS to give you a high-performance and secure WordPress hosting solution.
Now let’s see what are the WP Engine features, plans, performance, support, and many more one by one.
WP Engine WordPress Hosting
WordPress Hosting Features
WP Engine offers a wide range of features that are designed to make managing your WordPress websites easier.
- 10 Premium Themes
- 1-Click Staging and Dev. Environments
- Free Automated Migration Plugin
- Transferable Sites for Client Handoff
- 24/7 WordPress Customer Support through Chat & Phone
- Auto-renewing SSL and SSH Access
- Security Patching & Plugin Risk Scans
- Automated WordPress & PHP Updates
- Automatic and On-demand Backups
- EverCache® for Better Performance
- Global CDN
WordPress Hosting Plans
| Lite | Startup | Professional | Growth | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $13 /mo | $20 /mo | $40 /mo | $77 /mo | $194 /mo |
| 1 Site 5000 Visits 5 GB Storage 20 GB Bandwidth | 1 Site 25,000 Visits 10 GB Storage 50 GB Bandwidth | 3 Sites 75,000 Visits 15 GB Storage 125 GB Bandwidth | 10 Sites 100,000 Visits 20 GB Storage 200 GB Bandwidth | 30 Sites 400,000 Visits 50 GB Storage 500 GB Bandwidth |
- If you want to get the “Lite” plan then click here and sign up for it.
WP Engine WooCommerce Hosting
WooCommerce Hosting Features
- One-Click Store Creation
- Instant Store Search (except Startup plan)
- Unlimited Products
- Unlimited Staff Accounts
- Evercache® for Woo – Proprietary Smart Cache for Woocommerce
- Live Cart
- Ecommerce Blocks, Layouts & Themes
- GIT & SFTP Connections
- Stripe Connect Integration
- 24/7 WordPress Customer Support (Chat and Phone)
- Security Patching & Plugin Risk Scans
- Automatic and On-Demand Daily Backups
- Evercache® for Better Performance
- Global CDN
- 1-Click Staging and Dev. Environments
- Transferable Sites for Client Handoff
WooCommerce Hosting Plans
| Startup | Professional | Growth | Scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| $24 /mo | $50 /mo | $94 /mo | $234 /mo |
| 1 Site 25,000 Visits 10 GB Storage 50 GB Bandwidth | 3 Sites 75,000 Visits 15 GB Storage 125 GB Bandwidth | 10 Sites 100,000 Visits 20 GB Storage 200 GB Bandwidth | 30 Sites 400,000 Visits 50 GB Storage 500 GB Bandwidth |
Read also: 7 Best Managed WooCommerce Hosting Providers in 2024
WP Engine Performance
When it comes to speed and performance, WP Engine has several features and technologies in place to ensure fast page load times and optimal website performance.
Firstly, WP Engine uses a proprietary caching system called EverCache that is designed to improve website speed and reduce server load.
EverCache stores frequently accessed content in memory, making it quickly accessible without the need to access the database or execute any PHP code. This reduces the server load and results in faster page load times.
WP Engine uses the latest technology and hardware to deliver optimal performance. All WP Engine hosting plans come with the latest PHP version, and the servers use solid-state drives (SSDs) for faster data retrieval.
WP Engine also has a proprietary system called “PHP workers” that dynamically assigns resources to different processes based on demand, ensuring the website can handle large traffic spikes.
Another feature that improves performance is the WP Engine page speed tool, which helps identify factors that can impact page load times and provides suggestions for improvement.
This tool analyzes the website’s code and suggests ways to optimize images, minimize JavaScript and CSS files, and reduce server requests.
Overall, WP Engine’s speed and performance are top-notch, thanks to its caching system, CDN, use of the latest technology, and the WP Engine page speed tool. These features make WP Engine a popular choice among businesses and individuals who prioritize website speed and performance.
WP Engine Data Centers
There are three choices for you to choose a data center location for your WordPress site.
- Google Cloud Servers
- Amazon Web Servers
- Microsoft Azure
Google Cloud Servers:
If you are on a shared hosting plan then you can choose any of the following data centers. A few of the data centers which are denoted with an asterisk (*) are available with upgraded pricing or for Premium packages.
Amazon Web Servers (AWS):
AWS data centers are available with a premium or dedicated WordPress hosting plan. The dedicated WordPress hosting plan is a custom plan that can be accessed by contacting the WP Engine support team.
Microsoft Azure:
Microsoft Azure data centers are available with a premium or a custom dedicated WordPress hosting plan.
WP Engine Global Edge Security
WP Engine’s Global Edge Security is a comprehensive security solution designed to protect WordPress websites from a wide range of threats while also enhancing performance.
This advanced offering leverages a global Content Delivery Network (CDN) and robust security measures to ensure that websites remain secure and fast, regardless of where visitors are located.
Here are the key features of WP Engine’s Global Edge Security:
Key Features:
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Mitigation: Protects your website from DDoS attacks that aim to overwhelm your server with traffic, ensuring your site remains accessible even during an attack.
- Advanced Threat Detection: Filters and monitors HTTP traffic to block malicious requests and prevent common attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other web exploits.
- Automatic Updates: Regularly updated to protect against new vulnerabilities and threats.
- Improved Performance: Distributes your content across a network of global servers, reducing latency and speeding up load times for users around the world.
- Content Caching: Efficiently caches static and dynamic content to enhance site speed and performance.
- Automatic SSL Certificates: Provides free SSL certificates to ensure secure, encrypted connections between your website and its visitors.
- TLS 1.3 Support: Utilizes the latest version of the Transport Layer Security protocol for enhanced security and performance.
- Bot Filtering: Identifies and blocks malicious bots while allowing legitimate traffic, reducing unwanted load on your server and improving site performance.
- Real-Time Threat Analysis: Uses global threat intelligence to detect and respond to emerging threats quickly.
- Proactive Protection: Continuously monitors for suspicious activity and takes preventive measures to safeguard your site.
WP Engine’s CDN
WP Engine’s Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a powerful feature designed to enhance the performance and speed of WordPress websites.
By distributing your website’s content across a global network of servers, the CDN ensures that visitors from all over the world experience fast load times and reliable performance.
Here’s a detailed look at what WP Engine’s CDN offers:
Key Features:
- Wide Coverage: The CDN leverages a vast network of strategically located servers around the world, ensuring that content is delivered from the server closest to the user’s location.
- Reduced Latency: By minimizing the distance data has to travel, the CDN significantly reduces latency, resulting in faster load times for users.
- Static and Dynamic Content: The CDN caches both static assets (such as images, CSS, and JavaScript files) and dynamic content, ensuring that frequently accessed data is quickly served to users.
- Intelligent Caching: Uses advanced algorithms to determine the optimal caching strategy, ensuring that your site’s content is always up-to-date and delivered efficiently.
- Traffic Distribution: The CDN helps distribute incoming traffic across multiple servers, preventing any single server from becoming overwhelmed and ensuring a smooth, consistent user experience even during traffic spikes.
- DDoS Mitigation: By distributing traffic across a global network, the CDN provides an additional layer of protection against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
- SSL/TLS Support: The CDN supports secure connections via SSL/TLS, ensuring that data transmitted between your site and its visitors is encrypted and secure.
- Easy Setup: WP Engine’s CDN is integrated directly into their hosting platform, making it easy to enable and configure without the need for additional plugins or complex setups.
- Automatic Updates: The CDN automatically updates its content and configurations, ensuring that your site always benefits from the latest optimizations and security enhancements.
WP Engine Dashboard
From the WP Engine dashboard, you can manage your all sites, access your databases, create new sites and environments, check account usage and billing, and many more.
This is how the WP Engine dashboard looks,
WP Engine Technical Support
Technical support is an important aspect of any hosting service, and WP Engine offers a range of support options. WP Engine provides 24/7 Live Chat, Phone, and ticket-based Email support.
In addition, WP Engine has a large knowledge base with articles and tutorials to help you troubleshoot common issues.
Note: Phone support is not available for the Startup plan.
WP Engine Money Back Guarantee
WP Engine offers 60 days money-back guarantee. If you do not like the WP Engine hosting service then you can request for refund within 60 days of the hosting purchase. WP Engine will refund the plan fees that you have paid.
Note: WP Engine does not offer any money-back guarantee on a custom plan.
WP Engine Trustpilot Reviews
WP Engine has got 4.8 stars ratings out of 5.0 stars from a total of 1308 reviews on Trustpilot.
You can check and read all WP Engine reviews on Trustpilot from here.
WP Engine Pros and Cons
Like other WordPress hosting providers, WP Engine also has some pros and cons.
Let’s check out them,
Pros of WP Engine Hosting:
- Top-notch security: WP Engine offers advanced security features such as malware scanning, automatic updates, and SSL certificates to ensure that your website is protected against cyber threats.
- Exceptional performance: WP Engine is optimized for WordPress and provides caching technology, a content delivery network, and other features that improve website speed and performance.
- Scalability: WP Engine offers a range of plans that can accommodate websites of different sizes, from small blogs to large e-commerce sites.
- Excellent customer support: WP Engine provides 24/7 support through live chat, email, and phone and has a comprehensive knowledge base with helpful resources.
- Hassle-free site management: WP Engine takes care of the technical aspects of hosting, such as backups, updates, and site migrations (with its automated plugin), so you can focus on creating content and growing your website.
Cons of WP Engine Hosting:
- High cost: WP Engine is a premium hosting service and can be more expensive than other hosting options, especially for smaller websites.
- Limited storage: WP Engine places limits on storage and bandwidth usage, which may be a problem for websites with large media files or heavy traffic.
- Lack of flexibility: WP Engine is a managed hosting service, which means that users have limited control over server configurations and customizations.
- Limited plugin options: WP Engine restricts the use of certain plugins to maintain optimal performance, which may limit functionality for some users.
- No email hosting: WP Engine does not offer email hosting, which means that users need to use a separate email service provider.
Overall, WP Engine is an excellent hosting service for those who value security, performance, and support. However, the high cost and limited flexibility may not be suitable for all users, especially those with smaller websites or specific technical requirements.
WP Engine Discount Offers
Currently, WP Engine offers 4 months of free hosting on an annual subscription. Click here to get this benefit before it expires. The company also offers huge discount offers during the black friday sale.
What are the best WP Engine alternatives?
The following are the best alternatives for WP Engine hosting,
- WPX (best affordable alternative)
- Kinsta (users recommended alternative)
- Dreamhost (WordPress recommended alternative)
Check out a detailed comparison of WP Engine with its alternatives: 7 Best WP Engine Alternatives
FAQs on WP Engine Review
Is WP Engine a good company?
Yes, WP Engine is well-regarded for its reliable and high-performance managed WordPress hosting services.
Should I use WP Engine?
If you need robust, secure, and scalable hosting for your WordPress site, WP Engine is an excellent choice.
What is WP Engine best for?
WP Engine is best for high-traffic WordPress sites, e-commerce stores, and businesses requiring strong security and performance.
Is WP Engine fast?
Yes, WP Engine is known for its speed, enhanced by its integrated CDN and performance optimization features.
Is WP Engine shared hosting?
If you are choosing any of the given plans (except the custom plan) from the WP Engine website then it will be a shared hosting plan. If you get a custom plan by contacting the WP Engine team then it will be a dedicated hosting plan.
What is the WP Engine refund policy?
WP Engine offers a 60-day money-back guarantee for its hosting plans.
What are the WP Engine server locations?
WP Engine has data centers in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions to ensure global coverage and fast load times.
Is there any WP Engine free trial?
WP Engine does not typically offer a free trial, but it does have a 60-day money-back guarantee.
What makes WP Engine hosting different?
WP Engine stands out with its managed hosting features, strong security, performance optimizations, and excellent customer support.
What is WP Engine?
WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting provider offering high-performance, secure, and scalable hosting solutions.
Is WP Engine worth it?
Yes, for those who prioritize performance, security, and support for their WordPress sites, WP Engine is worth the investment.
Why is WP Engine so expensive?
WP Engine’s higher cost is due to its premium features, including managed hosting, advanced security, performance optimizations, and dedicated support.
What kind of hosting services does WP Engine offer?
WP Engine offers managed WordPress hosting and eCommerce hosting services.
How much does WP Engine cost?
WP Engine pricing starts from $20/mo for a yearly subscription.
Is WP Engine owned by WordPress?
No, WP Engine is not owned by WordPress. WP Engine is a private company that provides managed WordPress hosting services.
Who owns WP Engine?
WP Engine is a privately held company, and its ownership comprises a mix of private equity firms, venture capitalists, and its founders. As of now, the primary investor in WP Engine is Silver Lake Partners, a prominent private equity firm specializing in technology investments. Additionally, the company’s founders and executive team hold ownership stakes.
Conclusion on WP Engine Review
WP Engine is a premium managed WordPress hosting service that offers a wide range of features and top-notch performance. If you are looking for a hosting service that prioritizes security, speed, and reliability, WP Engine is an excellent choice.
However, the pricing may be a bit steep for some users, so it is important to weigh the cost against the benefits before making a decision.
Overall, WP Engine is a top choice for anyone looking for a premium managed WordPress hosting service in 2024.
What do you think about WP Engine hosting? Do you recommend it? Let us know your thoughts on WP Engine services by commenting in below comment section below.
Check out other recommended WordPress hosting reviews and WP Engine comparison with other hosting providers,
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WP Engine Review 2024 $20/mo
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Summary
WP Engine is a premium managed WordPress hosting service that offers a wide range of features and top-notch performance. If you are looking for a hosting service that prioritizes security, speed, and reliability, WP Engine is an excellent choice.