Hosting
Choosing WordPress hosting: what to look for in 2026
25 September 2024 · 5 min read
Hosting is the foundation of your WordPress website. A bad hosting choice leads to slow loading times, downtime and security risks. But with hundreds of providers it is difficult to choose. In this article we give 10 criteria to select the right hosting.
At WP Maintainer we offer optimised hosting on LiteSpeed servers. In this article we share our expertise.
Criterion 1: Server technology
The technology behind the hosting determines the performance: **LiteSpeed:** Up to 40% faster than Apache, built-in caching **Nginx:** Fast, lightweight, good for static content **Apache:** Versatile, but slower than LiteSpeed and Nginx Our recommendation: Choose LiteSpeed for the best WordPress performance.
Criterion 2: PHP support
Make sure the hosting supports PHP 8.2+. Newer PHP versions are 30-40% faster. Older versions (7.4 and lower) are end-of-life and a security risk.
Criterion 3: Database performance
MySQL/MariaDB version and configuration influence the speed. Choose hosting with: - MariaDB 10.6+ or MySQL 8.0+ - Redis or Memcached for object caching - Optimised database configuration
Criterion 4: Backups
A good backup strategy is essential: - Daily automatic backups - Minimum 14 days retention - Off-site storage - One-click restore
Criterion 5: Support
When something goes wrong, every minute counts: - 24/7 availability - Short response times (within 1 hour for critical issues) - WordPress specialism - Phone, email and chat support
Criterion 6: Security
Hosting is the first line of defence: - DDoS protection - Web Application Firewall (WAF) - Malware scans - Isolated environments (containerisation)
Criterion 7: Scalability
Can the hosting grow with your website? - Easy upgrading to more resources - Auto-scaling during peak traffic - Load balancing for high availability
Criterion 8: Server location
For a Dutch target audience choose a server in the Netherlands or Western Europe. This minimises latency.
Criterion 9: Email
Some hosting packages offer email, others do not. Consider whether you need this or whether a separate email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365) is better.
Criterion 10: Price-quality ratio
The cheapest option is rarely the best. Compare what you get for the price. Watch out for hidden costs such as: - Setup costs - Backup costs - SSL costs - Support costs - Upgrade costs
WP Maintainer hosting
Our hosting is optimised for WordPress: LiteSpeed servers, PHP 8.3, Redis caching, daily backups and 24/7 monitoring. We offer scalable packages that grow with your website. All hosting customers receive free maintenance advice.