Wpengine alternatives: WP Engine, a well-known WordPress-only hosting provider, faced a lot of backlash recently from none other than Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress. He accused WP Engine of trademark infringement and demanded millions in compensation. When WP Engine didn’t comply, Mullenweg banned WP Engine from WordPress starting September 25th, 2024. This means customers will need alternatives to update or install plugins and themes through the WordPress dashboard.
To help you find the best hosting options amid this WP Engine vs. WordPress drama, I teamed up with the Cybernews research crew to find the top 5 WP Engine alternatives. We looked into WordPress support, usability, performance, and stability to give you the best choices. Let’s dive in.
Best WP Engine Alternatives: Ranked
- Bluehost – overall best Wpengine alternatives in 2025
- Hostinger – great performance and budget-friendly other best Wpengine alternatives in 2025
- SiteGround – premium yet accessible hosting
- DreamHost – feature-rich hosting provider
- Cloudways – best managed VPS for advanced flexibility
What’s Going on Between WP Engine and WordPress?
The dispute boils down to how WP Engine uses the WordPress (WP) name and its contributions to the open-source community. Matt Mullenweg claimed WP Engine was using WordPress trademarks unfairly without adequately contributing, and when WP Engine didn’t pay up, Mullenweg banned them, affecting thousands of users.
With WP Engine disconnected from WordPress, users face several issues:
- Plugin installation troubles
- Difficulty updating themes
- Problems with WordPress core updates
- Maintenance headaches
- Unstable performance
- Reduced security
- Limited WordPress features
- Troubleshooting support issues
While WP Engine’s support team can help with some challenges, it’s best to explore other hosting options with better reliability and performance.
The Best 5 Wpengine alternatives
After reviewing 55 hosting providers, here’s a rundown of the best alternatives.
1. Bluehost – Best WP Engine Alternative Overall
- Features: Free SSL, domain, website builder, CDN, cPanel
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Speed: 335ms
- Best For: Beginner-friendly WordPress hosting
Bluehost is my personal favorite and one of the best hosting choices for WordPress users. It’s versatile, beginner-friendly, and offers resource-rich plans for businesses of all sizes. Here’s what makes Bluehost stand out:
- Although you can host any CMS, Bluehost primarily targets WordPress and is one of the few providers recommended by WordPress itself. All plans come with WonderSuite, a free website builder integrated with WordPress, featuring AI design and SEO tools.
- Ease of Use: Bluehost values simplicity. With a pre-installed WordPress setup and user-friendly dashboard checklists, creating a site takes under 5 minutes.
- Generous Resources: More disk space (50GB vs. WP Engine’s 10GB), unmetered bandwidth, and a free domain name.
- Performance: Bluehost is reliable with a nearly perfect 99.63% uptime and a fast 335ms response time. However, data centers are US-only, so US-based audiences will see better performance.
Bluehost Pricing: Starting from $1.99/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- User-friendly cPanel
- Free domain and SSL
- Reliable uptime
- Website staging area
Cons:
- US-only servers
Check out our full Bluehost review for more details.
2. Hostinger – Budget-Friendly WP Engine Alternative
- Features: Free SSL, CDN, LiteSpeed Web Server, hPanel
- Uptime: 99.9%
- Speed: 175ms
- Best For: Fast websites on a budget
Hostinger is one of the cheapest WP Engine alternatives, with plans starting at just $2.54/month. Despite the low price, it packs impressive performance, resources, and support. Here’s what makes Hostinger shine:
- Affordable Plans: WordPress plans start at just $1.66/month.
- Custom Control Panel: hPanel is intuitive and easy to use, much like cPanel.
- Impressive Value: Double the storage and bandwidth of WP Engine’s entry plan.
- Performance: Hostinger uses LiteSpeed Web Server, pre-configured caching, and the latest PHP versions.
Hostinger Pricing: Starting from $1.66/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Affordable hosting
- Perfect 100% uptime during tests
- Speed-focused tools
- Latest PHP version
Cons:
- No domain with the entry-level plan
Check out our full Hostinger review for more details.
3. SiteGround – Premium Yet Accessible Hosting
- Features: Free SSL, CDN, daily backups, WordPress optimization tools
- Uptime: 99.99%
- Speed: 280ms
- Best For: Premium features with beginner-friendly support
SiteGround is known for its premium hosting features and exceptional customer support. Though pricier than some alternatives, its high-quality service is worth it for many.
- Premium Features: Daily backups, free SSL, and staging environments.
- Performance: Near-perfect 99.99% uptime and 280ms response time.
- WordPress Tools: Optimized for WordPress with managed updates, speed tools, and caching.
- Support: 24/7 support via chat and phone.
SiteGround Pricing: Starting from $2.99/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- High-quality customer support
- Excellent performance
- Daily backups and staging tools
Cons:
- Pricier than other options
Check out our full SiteGround review for more details.
4. DreamHost – Feature-Rich Hosting Provider
- Features: Free SSL, domain, daily backups, WordPress optimization tools
- Uptime: 99.98%
- Speed: 231ms
- Best For: WordPress enthusiasts seeking a feature-rich host
This service is another top WordPress host, offering resource-rich plans backed by its comprehensive customer support.
- Custom Panel: DreamHost uses its control panel, which is intuitive and straightforward.
- Generous Resources: Unlimited bandwidth and SSD storage.
- Performance: 99.98% uptime and 231ms response time.
- WordPress Features: One-click installers, managed updates, and caching.
DreamHost Pricing: Starting from $2.59/month with a 97-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Unlimited bandwidth and SSD storage
- Free SSL and domain name
- 97-day money-back guarantee
Cons:
- Custom panel may have a learning curve
Check out our full DreamHost review for more details.
5. Cloudways – Best Managed VPS WP Engine Alternative (Cont.)
- Features: Free SSL, CDN, staging environment, managed server
- Uptime: 100%
- Speed: 300ms
- Best For: Managed VPS hosting for advanced scalability and performance
Cloudways provides more control and flexibility than traditional shared hosting while keeping things manageable. Here’s why it stands out:
- Managed VPS: Offers scalable VPS hosting with the simplicity of a managed environment.
- Performance: 100% uptime and fast 300ms response time thanks to its cloud infrastructure with providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean.
- Developer-Friendly: SSH access, Git integration, and staging environments.
- Managed Support: Offers 24/7 support and automatic backups.
Cloudways Pricing: Starts at $12.00/month, with a 3-day free trial.
Pros:
- Flexible and scalable hosting
- Pay-as-you-go pricing structure
- Managed support with advanced features
Cons:
- Requires some technical knowledge
Check out our full Cloudways review for more details.
You may be interested in: KnowledgeHut Reviews
Conclusion
Choosing a reliable WP Engine alternative doesn’t have to be tricky. If you’re looking for the best overall hosting provider, Bluehost and Hostinger are great for beginners and budget seekers. SiteGround and DreamHost excel in performance and features, while Cloudways is your go-to for flexible managed VPS hosting.
FAQs About Wpengine alternatives
Bluehost, Hostinger, SiteGround, DreamHost, and Cloudways are the best WP Engine alternatives.
WP Engine was banned due to trademark infringement concerns and insufficient contributions to the WordPress open-source community.
Bluehost stands out as the best WP Engine alternative for beginners due to its user-friendly interface.
Cloudways offers more flexibility and scalability with managed VPS hosting, perfect for growing businesses.
Yes, Hostinger provides significantly cheaper hosting plans with similar performance to WP Engine.
Bluehost, Hostinger, and the other alternatives offer reliable uptime and fast response times, often outperforming WP Engine.
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