SiteGround Is NOT the Fastest Web Hosting for WordPress, Here’s Why.
Flash news: SiteGround is not the fastest web hosting provider for WordPress.
Did that frustrate you? For many, that statement hurts. And while we have no intention of hurting anyone, our goal is to give you straight facts.
If you're new to web hosting, you may have frequently encountered (or read about ) SiteGround. Many webmasters recommend SiteGround to host WordPress, and that's probably because this hosting provider offers affordable hosting plans and comes with outstanding features and impressive performance.
Yes, SiteGround is good. Actually, it's better than most companies that host WordPress. Speed-wise, however, there are other hosting providers and WordPress hosts that perform better and faster.
So, we're sorry to break it to you, but when it comes to the fastest WordPress hosting, SiteGround is not first on the list.
Here’s Why SiteGround Is NOT the Fastest
We have robust and convincing facts that prove SiteGround is not the fastest when it comes to WordPress hosting. But worry not, SiteGround may not be the fastest, but it has a stockpile of unique features that are way better than its competitors.
Enough with the talking, here are our foolproof reasons why SiteGround is NOT the Usain Bolt you thought it was.
SiteGround Is a Turtle
We can't emphasize enough how critical speed is when it comes to your website. While your website speed depends on various factors (i.e., internet speed, user's device, website optimization, etc.), your web host provider plays a bigger role.
WordPress is fast enough on its own (yes, you can use WordPress without the need to sign up for hosting). However, WordPress hosting guarantees faster and better performance. And as a business person with money at stake, you sure don't want to compromise your site's speed and lose money and customers.
Kinsta's average page load time speed is at blazing 679ms or 0.67 seconds. This hosting provider offers fully-managed WordPress plans at reasonable prices (starts at $30 per month). It offers free site migrations, (powered by its 24 data centers), high-security network, WordPress installs, free SSL certificate, and more!
SiteGround, like most hosting companies, offers WordPress hosting plans. All of their plans, from StartUp ($6.99 per month) to GoGeek ($14.99 per month), offers automated WordPress installation, transfer, reliable security, regular updates, free SSL certificate, daily backups, and so much more.
But what about performance? SiteGround has a dazzling 100% uptime rate, which, in the simplest form, tells you that your site will be up and running 100% of the time. In a survey, the average page load time of SiteGround is 0.74 seconds. Sounds impressive, don't you think? But wait until you learn about Kinsta speed.
Between SiteGround and Kinsta, SiteGround is the turtle, and Kinsta is the rabbit. But note here, SiteGround may be the turtle, but everyone knows who won the race. SiteGround has loads of impressive features that outrun the rabbit.
In a word, is Kinsta the fastest WordPress hosting company? No. Kinsta may be faster than SiteGround, but it's definitely not the fastest.
SiteGround Cannot Fly as High as Flywheel
Flywheel is one of the popular WordPress hosts today, and for several reasons. First, as shown in a page speed test with Pingdom, Flywheel had a lightning-speed of 0.59 seconds in the New York server, whereas SiteGround had a speed of 0.64 seconds.
In a basic load testing with Load Impact, Flywheel has shown an impressive speed of 0.15 seconds (minimum response time).
Flywheel offers managed WordPress hosting for as low as $13 per month (and goes up to $242 per month), with several features that you can't easily resist.
For example, Flywheel guarantees a security-focused hosting, making sure your website is always safe, secure, and malware-free. Their sterling performance can load your WordPress site at a fast speed, and the nightly backups help ease your workload.
It also offers free site migration and SSL certificate, which are usually the base standard in most WordPress hosting providers.
SiteGround may not be able to fly as high as Flywheel, but it excels in many areas. Many still choose SiteGround over Flywheel because it's more budget-friendly, with a speed that still guarantees quick page load and high-performing site. SiteGround managed WordPress hosting starts at $6.99 per month and can go up to $14.99 per month.
And take note, SiteGround does not fall short of outstanding features. Like Flywheel, SiteGround offers free SSL and daily backup. Besides that, you'll get free professional email addresses, smooth site transfer, free site builder, and so much more even when you choose the cheapest hosting plan.
If you're looking for an affordable hosting plan with uncompromising speed, SiteGround is the way to go. However, if you want faster WordPress hosting regardless of the cost, then Flywheel is an excellent choice.
InMotion Is Stronger (And Quicker)
Do you want your WordPress site to load at blazing speed? We bet you do. And if you're looking for a host for WordPress that can do just that, then InMotion is an option to consider. Is it the fastest WordPress host? Not really, but it is faster when compared to SiteGround.
How fast can InMotion load your site? InMotion had a record of loading a site within 170ms (0.17 seconds). Imagine your WordPress site loading as fast as the blink of an eye? Meanwhile, SiteGround's recorded speed was 673ms (0.67 seconds). Should we still say which one's quicker between the two?
InMotion is not as popular as SiteGround, but it's a gem for webmasters. It guarantees a 99.9% uptime rate, which is not bad compared to other managed WordPress hosting companies. InMotion is also budget-friendly, with a shared web hosting plan costing as low as $4.99 per month.
The cheapest InMotion WordPress host plan includes a free domain, unlimited email accounts, staging tools, and can accommodate up to 20,000 users per month. All of their hosting plans include high-security protection, automatic security patches, optional automatic updates, free SSD storage, and so much more.
InMotion is reliable and quick; that has been made clear. But SiteGround is still an excellent choice for hosting your WordPress site. Yes, it's not the fastest WordPress hosting company, but it has features that are perfect for newbie and veterans.
SiteGround Is Still An Excellent Choice, Though.
Just because SiteGround is not the fastest WordPress hosting service, doesn't mean it cannot deliver speedy performance. It still is an excellent choice, considering its outstanding features. And remember, the speed of your site depends on your optimization techniques, too. That means you can still have the fastest WordPress site using SiteGround as your host.
Now, let's talk more about SiteGround and how it can boost your site and load speed despite being not the fastest WordPress hosting company.
WordPress Hosting
SiteGround saves you the trouble of downloading, installing, and configuring WordPress manually by providing a one-click installation option. What does this mean for you? SiteGround will do the hard work from the beginning, so you focus on customizing your site.
Yes, it may not be the fastest WordPress hosting service in the market, but it sure is an excellent host provider for providing quality WordPress services.
We might just add that once you install WordPress and access the admin's panel, you will be able to use the WordPress starter. It will enable you to create a real, functional, and powerful website within minutes! You won't find this unique feature in other hosting providers.
Speed
SiteGround is not the fastest WordPress hosting service, but it can make your WordPress site perform outstandingly the best way it knows how. It has placed data centers in four continents ( North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia) to ensure fast connectivity and low latency with CDN network spanning 90 countries and 194 cities worldwide. What this means is better load speed and improved site security and reliability.
When it comes to speed, SiteGround is the forerunner against other popular WordPress hosting providers.
Performance
A good host must guarantee superb and superior performance. When it comes to performance, SiteGround does not disappoint.
SiteGround offers highly customized hosting infrastructure using Google Cloud and its lightning-fast network, SSD storage, and renewable energy to ensure your website will perform without any flaws.
It also uses Linux Containers with Apache as a web server and Nginx as a reverse proxy. The SuperCacher is a powerful caching-solution based on Nginx reverse proxy and Memcached. Plus, you can take advantage of their free Cloudflare CDN with Railgun to boost your site's speed.
Veteran webmasters would understand these. For the newbies, all these technicalities and jargon, in a nutshell, mean your website will perform extremely better than most host services (including those who claim to be the fastest WordPress hosting company)!
Related: Best Cheap Dedicated Hosting Providers
Pricing
You can use SiteGround as your main WordPress host for as low as $6.99 per month. Their official website states that the original price was $14.99 a month, and if that's legitimately true, then consider $6.99 as a bargain!
The StartUp plan is best for websites with up to 10,000 monthly visits. It can serve 1 website and provide 10 GB of web space.
If you want better features, go with the GrowBig plan, which gives you 20 GB of web space. It is perfect for websites that expect up to 25,000 monthly visits. Besides that, the GrowBig plan can accommodate unlimited number of websites. It costs $9.99 a month.
The GoGeek plan, on the other hand, is perfect for larger businesses. Enjoy creating unlimited number of websites, a spacious 40 GB web space, and welcome up to 100,000 monthly visits!
All SiteGround plans include free WordPress installation, free migrator, free SSL, free CDN, and free email accounts.
Also, take a look at best web hosting deals we’ve already covered.
Reputation
Even though SiteGround is not, time and again, the fastest WordPress hosting company today, it has gained an impressive reputation among satisfied users. It received positive reviews from web experts and clients for their excellent service. For example, Syed Balkhi of wpbeginner.com said that SiteGround is stable, secure, and fast as a host service.
Is GoDaddy Good for WordPress Hosting?
GoDaddy is an excellent host, that's for sure. Like SiteGround, GoDaddy has earned good impression and positive feedback from satisfied clients and veteran webmasters. The price is pretty much the same with SiteGround's. Their WP hosting starts at $6.99, but that does not include free SSL, which is *definitely* a bummer, considering most companies offer SSL certificates for free at much more affordable rates.
How about GoDaddy's performance? Can it load your website fast enough? Yes. With a page load speed of 554ms (0.54 seconds), GoDaddy can load your website at blazing speed. It also promises a stable 99.97% uptime rate.
Is it a great host, though? Well, that's for you to find out. Speed? Yes, it is quick (even quicker than SiteGround!), but considering the price, you might want to consider other providers. We know we would.
Closing
There you have it. Sorry to break it to you, but SiteGround is not the quickest WP provider. But that doesn't necessarily mean it is bad. SiteGround uses high-speed and cutting-edge technology to boost your website and improve load speed.
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