Managed vs. Unmanaged WordPress Hosting: Which Is Right for You?

Managing a website involves making critical decisions, and one of the most important aspects is how you handle your hosting.

With managed hosting, you can offload the technical details—like updates and security—to experts, freeing you from maintenance stress. On the other hand, unmanaged hosting gives you full control over your server, though it comes with the added responsibility of managing it yourself.

In this guide, we’ll break down both options to help you determine which is best for your needs. Whether you want to ease your workload or take charge of every detail, we’ll make it simple and clear!

What Is Managed WordPress Hosting?

Managed WordPress hosting is where your hosting provider handles server setup, updates, security, backups, and even technical support. Some plans go the extra mile by updating your plugins and optimizing your site’s performance.

This type of hosting is perfect for anyone who doesn’t have the time or technical know-how to manage a server. Your provider ensures your website runs smoothly, stays secure, and loads fast. They might even offer extra services such as load balancing and scalability to keep up with growing traffic. This way, you can focus on what matters most—growing your business—while they manage the tech side.

What Is Unmanaged WordPress Hosting?

Unmanaged hosting puts the control in your hands. With this type of hosting, you're responsible for managing your server.

You’ll also need to:

• Install and configure the operating system
• Set up security
• Manage software updates
• Troubleshoot issues
• Optimize your website’s performance

Unmanaged hosting gives you full flexibility and control over your server environment. That being said, you need a solid understanding of server management. This makes it ideal for those with the technical expertise as well as resources to handle all the server-side tasks.

WordPress Managed Hosting vs Unmanaged: A Definitive Comparison

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Criteria 1 - Types: Managed Hosting

Shared Hosting

In shared hosting, multiple websites share one server. Resources such as bandwidth and processing power are split between these sites. This limits the amount of traffic and data each site can handle. It’s a budget-friendly option, with monthly plans starting at just $2-5.

Most shared hosting plans are managed to some extent. The hosting company typically installs and maintains the operating system, cPanel, and security software.

Pro tip: Some features such as CDN, automatic updates, and backups might not be included in all plans, so enquire with the vendor accordingly.

Managed WordPress Hosting

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WordPress is the most popular CMS, powering 43.7% of all websites. Managed WordPress hosting goes beyond typical server management. Your hosting provider handles all aspects, from pre-installing WordPress to automatically updating the software, themes, and plugins. It also includes caching solutions and extra security features tailored for WordPress.

Pro tip: Managed WordPress hosting often uses shared hosting infrastructure, so it's affordable. However, some providers also offer VPS or dedicated hosting options for a higher price.

Website Builder Hosting

This type of hosting comes with a website builder—a drag-and-drop tool that helps you build your site without coding knowledge. The hosting company handles both the server and the website builder, so everything is managed for you. This is a great option for building a site quickly without going neck-deep into server technicalities.

Managed VPS Hosting

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Did you know that the virtual private server market is estimated to reach $8.3 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 16.2% from 2019 to 2026?

VPS hosting splits a physical server into multiple virtual private servers. This gives you dedicated resources such as processing power and bandwidth. Plus, managed VPS hosting also means your provider handles server configuration, security, and performance optimization for you.

VPS hosting typically costs $30 or more per month, but it offers more control and can handle more traffic than shared hosting.

Managed Dedicated Hosting

Dedicated hosting gives you an entire server with plenty of resources to support large websites. Managed dedicated hosting means your host manages all the server management, including software configuration and updates.

While you may have the option to customize your server, you don’t have to. Managed dedicated hosting plans usually start at $100 monthly and are ideal for high-traffic sites.

Criteria 1 - Types: Unmanaged Hosting

Unmanaged Shared Hosting

With unmanaged shared hosting, the hosting company installs and maintains the basic operating system, but that's about it. You’ll need to take care of everything else — like setting up your CMS, handling backups, and making changes to your website. While you don't get to customize the server’s OS, you'll have control over technical features.

Unmanaged VPS Hosting

Unmanaged VPS hosting gives you your own slice of a server with dedicated resources (think bandwidth and storage) that aren’t shared with others. You’ll get more power and flexibility than shared hosting, but you’ll be on your own when managing the server. That means you’ll handle everything from configuration to updates. With plans starting around $3/month, you can save some money but expect to spend more time managing things yourself.

Unmanaged Dedicated Hosting

With unmanaged dedicated hosting, you get an entire server to yourself. You can access all its resources, like plenty of storage (usually 1TB or more) and enough bandwidth for high-traffic sites.

You’ll also have total control over how the server is set up and maintained. But you’re in charge of everything from security to software updates. It’s a great option if you’re tech-savvy and want full control, and it can start as low as $50/month for the self-managed plans.

Criteria 2 - Usage: Who Is Managed Hosting Ideal For?

Managed hosting is perfect for business owners who don't have the time, energy, or bandwidth to handle the site. Managing hosting lets you focus on your business if you’re running a small business, blog, e-commerce site, or even a growing medium-sized business.

With managed hosting, the provider handles everything technical, like server setup, security, backups, and updates, so you don’t have to worry about anything. You get reliable performance without the stress of maintaining the server yourself.

Before going with managed hosting, ask yourself:

• Will I be able to manage the site without an in-house team?
• Would I rather have a hosting company handle all the tech stuff for me?
• What kind of security and support does my site need in the long run?

Criteria 2 - Usage: Who Is Unmanaged Hosting Ideal For?

Unmanaged hosting is for site owners who are comfortable with technology or at least have a team who can handle it.

Unmanaged hosting is a solid choice if you’re running a larger site, have a tech-savvy team, or need complete control over how your server runs. You’ll be in charge of everything from software updates to security, and you can customize everything to fit your needs. But keep in mind, it’s a bigger commitment because you’re responsible for making sure everything runs smoothly.

Before choosing unmanaged hosting, ask yourself:

• Do I have the time or a team to manage a server?
• Do I need total control over how my server is set up and maintained?
• Am I okay handling all the updates, security patches, and troubleshooting independently?

The verdict: It all comes down to how much control you want and how much you’re willing to manage yourself. If you prefer to let someone else handle the tech stuff, go with managed hosting. If you want full control and can handle the tech, unmanaged hosting could be the better choice.

Criteria 3 - Pros and Cons of Managed Hosting

Pro tip: If you’re a small business owner who wants to focus on growing your site rather than managing the backend, managed hosting might be the right choice.

Criteria 3 - Pros and Cons of Unmanaged Hosting

Key Considerations When Choosing Between Managed vs Unmanaged WordPress Hosting

The choice between managed vs unmanaged WordPress hosting requires you to think about how much time, technical know-how, and budget you have.

Here are a few questions you can ask to arrive at the right option:

1. What Type of Hosting Fits Your Needs?

If you're starting with shared hosting, opting for managed hosting is usually a no-brainer. Managed plans are often priced similarly to unmanaged ones, and they come with extra perks, such as automatic updates and security features that save you time and stress.

Pro tip: This is especially useful if you’re running a blog or small business website and don’t want to get bogged down with technical details.

If you're using WordPress (or another CMS), managed WordPress hosting can take things further. Your host will handle everything from updates to security. This way, you'll be able to focus on your content.

The cost is often just a bit more than standard hosting, but it’s a small price for the convenience of having your site’s technical side managed for you.

You’ll usually find it’s managed by default for website builder hosting. Hosts that provide these platforms (like Wix or Squarespace) maintain the server and the builder software. However, using an open-source builder (like WordPress or Joomla), you can still use a third-party host with a shared VPS or a dedicated plan.

2. How Much Control Do You Need over Your Server?

Control becomes a big factor when you move to VPS or dedicated hosting. A managed plan is often the way to go if you’re primarily looking for storage space or bandwidth to handle lots of visitors or data. With a managed VPS or dedicated server, you don’t have to worry about server configuration or maintenance; your host handles it.

However, unmanaged hosting may be the better choice if custom server setup is a priority for you—say you need specific security software or you want to fine-tune performance. With unmanaged hosting, you’re responsible for the server configuration and software, which gives you more freedom but also more responsibility.

Use-Case: Unmanaged hosting lets you tweak everything to your needs if you run a highly specialized website where security and performance need to be tightly controlled (like an eCommerce store or custom-built application).

3. Do You Have the Time, Talent, and Team to Manage the Server?

Server management isn’t just about making sure your site stays online. It involves configuring software, ensuring security patches are up to date, monitoring server health, and handling backups.

If you don’t have the technical expertise or don’t want to waste hours managing your server, managed hosting is a clear winner. It might cost more, but in the long run, it’s much cheaper than hiring full-time IT staff or spending your own time learning complex server management.

Let’s face it: most small business owners or website creators simply don’t have the time or energy to become server experts. With managed hosting, you get peace of mind knowing that the technical side is handled while you double down on getting clients through the door.

Use Case: Say you're a busy online retailer with no in-house IT staff. You would benefit from managed hosting. When the site crashes or needs updates, the host will handle it. This ensures that your store stays open 24/7 without hiring a system administrator.

4. Can You Afford Ongoing Server Management Costs?

Managed hosting is an investment but often cheaper than hiring a full-time IT professional or system administrator.

If you don’t have the budget to pay for staff, managed hosting might be the smarter choice. It can be more affordable than you think when considering how much time you’ll save by not needing to maintain the server yourself.

Unmanaged hosting might make sense if you’re working with a tight budget and have some technical know-how. You’ll save money but be prepared to invest time into managing the server.

WordPress Managed Hosting vs Unmanaged: The Bottom Line

Choosing between managed and unmanaged hosting depends on how involved you want to be in your website's technical management.

Managed hosting is ideal for most users, as the provider handles server setup, updates, security, and monitoring, allowing you to focus on content and customer experience. Unmanaged hosting offers more control but requires technical expertise or the resources to hire an IT team, which can increase costs.

If you’re still not sure which option is right for you, consider these key questions:

• Do you have the technical expertise to manage a server? If not, managed hosting will save you a lot of headaches.
• Do you have time to handle server maintenance? Managed hosting eliminates the need to spend hours managing updates and troubleshooting issues.
• What’s your budget? While unmanaged hosting is often cheaper upfront, it could cost you more in the long run if you need to hire experts to manage your server.

If you’re looking for reliable managed hosting that balances cost, convenience, and performance, Vodien is a top choice.

Vodien’s managed hosting services provide robust features like 24/7 monitoring, automated backups, advanced security, and expert support whenever needed. Whether running a personal blog or a high-traffic business site, Vodien ensures your hosting experience is seamless, secure, and optimized for success.

Take the guesswork out of hosting—explore Vodien’s managed hosting plans today and give your website the support it deserves!

FAQs

What is an unmanaged host?

An unmanaged host means you’re responsible for configuring your server, handling software installation, security patches, and more. You get access to the server but need to manage it yourself or hire someone.

What are the disadvantages of managed hosting?

The key downside of managed hosting is the reduced control over the server’s configuration. While this is beneficial for ease of use and peace of mind, it can be limiting if you want to make custom tweaks to your server setup. For instance, advanced users or businesses needing specific security measures might prefer unmanaged hosting.

What is the difference between managed hosting and hosting?

Hosting is a broad umbrella encompassing both managed and unmanaged hosting. Managed hosting refers specifically to a service where the hosting provider handles server maintenance, software updates, and technical management for you.

What is the difference between managed and dedicated hosting?

Dedicated hosting is a type of hosting where you get an entire physical server for your website. This can be managed (where the provider handles the server maintenance for you) or unmanaged (where you manage it yourself).