Best WordPress hosting for beginners

When I’m asked about the best WordPress hosting for beginners I always recommend Lyrical Host.

I work with small business owners who are often overwhelmed or even scared of tech – that’s why they have me build their websites, so I need a company who makes hosting easy, transparent and beginner friendly, without cutting corners on performance or support.

If you’ve read my guide on how to make a WordPress website load faster, you’ll know that hosting is one of the most important factors affecting speed.

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Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

What is WordPress web hosting and why do you need it?

Before we start looking at the best WordPress hosting for beginners, let’s look at what hosting actually is and what to look for.

Web hosting is when the files for your website are saved on a computer (server) that makes them available when someone types your website address into their browser.

A hosting company does this while also making sure that your files are kept safe so your website isn’t vulnerable to hackers and make sure that there is minimal downtime so your site is available 24-7 to anyone who wants it.

It’s also a big part of improving your site’s loading speed — see my website speed test guide to learn how to check your site’s performance.

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Your hosting options

There are different kinds of WordPress hosting options, these are the main two.

Managed web hosting

Managed web hosting is where the hosting company manages certain parts of your website and the computer (server) it lives on.

This includes tasks like updates, regular backups, scanning for security issues, optimising for fast loading speeds and a great support team to help you when you need it.

This is great if you’re looking for easy WordPress hosting. All the fiddly, techy (boring) parts of your website tech will be taken care of while you focus on your zone of genius.

Pros of managed web hosting

Fast and security is taken care of. They make sure that their equipment and infrastructure is as efficient as possible and uses the latest technology.
Security is taken care of – they also take every precaution to make sure your site is and safe from hackers.
Updates – they take care of WordPress core updates automatically.
Support – managed WordPress hosts often have developers on their support teams ready to help you with all their juicy tech know-how.
Regular backups – backups are really important to make sure your files are safe if the worst did happen. They also give you easy access to them in case you need to restore your site to an older version.
Personalised email addresses- so you’ll be able to set up email addresses using your domain name e.g. kim@kimscotland.com

Cons of managed web hosting

Cost tends to be higher than shared hosting. However in my view, you get better value for money, despite the higher cost.
Some plugins my be restricted to keep sites secure

Managed hosting is the best WordPress hosting for beginners if you have the budget for it. But if not, don’t worry because there are other options.

Shared hosting

This is where the files for your website share the resources of another server with other websites. This tends to be the more popular option because it’s cheap. Companies that offer shared hosting need less equipment and infrastructure because they can host multiple clients on the same server.

If budget is an issue for you then shared hosting is definitely a great place to start. You can get yourself up and running really cheaply, with some shared hosting plans starting at around £3 a month. And once you have more money to invest you can then upgrade to dedicated or managed hosting.

Pros of shared hosting

Affordable – shared hosting is the cheapest WordPress hosting around with some companies plans starting at £3 per month.
Usually includes personalised email addresses – so you’ll be able to set up email addresses using your domain name e.g. kim@kimscotland.com, info@kimscotland.com etc.

Cons of shared hosting

Manual updates – you’ll likely need to install core WordPress updates yourself.
Slower loading times compared to managed hosting – no optimisation of equipment and infrastructure to make sure your website loads quickly.
Support – support teams can be hit and miss. Some are really helpful and some pretty much leave you on your own.

Shared hosting is a good place to start if you’re on a tight budget, but I recommend that you upgrade when you can.

What makes a good web host?

When I’m looking for a WordPress host, these are the things I look for.

Great support – friendly responsive and available when you need them
Minimal downtime – reliable servers and team who look after them so your site stays online
Modern hardware and systems – SSD rives, strong security and worldwide datacentres for speed
Transparent pricing – no sneaky upsells or renewal prices

These are all factors that contribute to a faster, smoother website — and you can combine them with image optimisation and caching for even better results.

Why I recommend Lyrical Host

Lyrical Host is a UK based hosting company based in Nottingham that ticks all the boxes for beginners who want simples, stress-free hosting. I host both my own and my husband’s websites here and recommend that my clients do too.

Here’s why:

Fully independent

“We’re a small company with a big heart”, Lyrical Host isn’t part of a bigger chain only interested in their bottom line. Each customer is just as valuable as every other and it really shows with the customer experience.

Mockup image of the Lyrical Host Control Panel on a laptop [Best Place To Host A WordPress Site] — Mockup of the Lyrical Host Control Panel.

Everything is included

One of the biggest reasons I recommend Lyrical Host and use them myself is that there are no upsells. This puts them right up there as the best place to host a WordPress site for anyone. The price plan you signed up to is the price you’ll pay every month and that price includes everything you need for your website including:

Security certificates – for that padlock in the browser bar
Email addresses – on the basic plan you get up to 6 email addresses
Daily backups – an extra copy for your site in case the worst happens, stored for 30 days
Automatic WordPress updates – to make sure your site has the latest speed and security updates
One to one developer-grade support

Developer-led support team

When something goes wrong with your site, the last thing you want to be told is to ‘find a developer’. Lyrical’s support team IS made up of developers, so they have the skills to help you fix the problem rather than passing the buck. This is the biggest reason why I recommend Lyrical Host as the best WordPress hosting for beginners.

If something happens to your site and you’re not very technical, this will save you a lot of stress and worry. Great support is very hard to come by and not all WordPress hosts have actual developers on their teams to help you.

Mockup of a laptop on a white wooden desk next to a white mug. The Lyrical Host pricing table is displayed on screen. The Tiny package costs £13.99 per month, Mighty costs £21.99 per month and Boss costs £29.99 per month. — Current Lyrical Host package pricing.

Beginner friendly dashboard

Their custom control panel is clean, modern, and easy to navigate. You can manage plugins, themes, and users without even logging into your WordPress dashboard.

Setting up an SSL certificate? It’s one of the simplest processes I’ve ever seen.

Staging environment

Test big changes, theme updates, or a complete redesign on a private copy of your site before making them live with no risk of breaking your main site.

Daily backups

Automatic backups every single day, with the option to roll back to any version from the past 30 days.

Values-driven

They even plant 5 trees on the anniversary of your hosting subscription. A nice touch that helps offset your carbon footprint.

Lyrical Host Discount Code

Use the code KIMSCOTLAND10 to get 10% off your first payment with Lyrical Host. This can be used if you want to pay monthly, 6 monthly, annually or bi-annually.

The best WordPress hosting for beginners: Summary

If you want hosting that’s:
Transparent with its pricing
Packed with useful features
Beginner-friendly without compromising on performance
Backed by responsive, developer-grade support

…then Lyrical Host is my top recommendation.

It’s the hosting company I use for my own websites and the one I recommend to all my clients who want a smooth, stress-free hosting experience from day one.

Pair it with the tips in my how to make a WordPress website load faster guide and you’ll be well on your way to a site that’s not only easy to manage, but also lightning fast.