“Web hosting” is the general term for any service that stores your website and serves it to visitors, while “WordPress hosting” is web hosting tuned specifically to run WordPress. So WordPress hosting is not a rival to web hosting — it is a specialised type of it. The real question is whether you need the WordPress-specific tuning or a general plan will do.
This guide clears up the difference, explains what WordPress hosting adds on top of ordinary web hosting, and helps you decide which to choose based on whether you are building on WordPress.
Did you know?
WordPress hosting is a subset of web hosting, not a separate thing. Every WordPress hosting plan is web hosting — it just comes pre-tuned for one specific platform.
What ‘web hosting’ means
Web hosting is the broad term for any service that stores your website’s files on a server and makes them available to visitors. It comes in many types — shared, VPS, cloud, dedicated — and can run any kind of website built with any platform or code.
General web hosting is flexible: it does not assume what you will build. You can install WordPress, another content system, or a hand-coded site. That flexibility is its defining feature.
What ‘WordPress hosting’ means
WordPress hosting is web hosting that has been configured and optimised specifically for WordPress. The server settings, caching, and often security and automatic updates are all tuned for the WordPress platform, and it usually includes one-click WordPress setup.
In other words, it is a specialised flavour of web hosting aimed at one platform. It trades some general flexibility for a faster, more hands-off WordPress experience.
WordPress hosting vs general web hosting
Here is how the specialised and general options compare.
What WordPress hosting adds
On top of standard web hosting, WordPress hosting typically adds WordPress-tuned caching for speed, automatic core and plugin updates, WordPress-focused security, one-click installation, staging sites, and support from people who know WordPress.
None of these are things you could not eventually set up yourself on general hosting — they are about convenience and optimisation. WordPress hosting bundles them so your WordPress site runs faster and needs less maintenance from the start.
Do you need WordPress hosting?
If you are building on WordPress and want the smoothest, fastest experience with the least maintenance, WordPress hosting is worth it. If you are on a tight budget or comfortable managing WordPress yourself, general web hosting with a one-click WordPress install runs the same site for less.
And if you are not using WordPress at all — or are unsure what platform you will use — general web hosting is the flexible choice. You are never locked out of WordPress on general hosting; WordPress hosting simply does more of the WordPress-specific work for you.
Pro Tip
Not sure yet whether you will stick with WordPress? Start on flexible general (shared) hosting with a one-click WordPress install. You get WordPress now and the freedom to run anything else later, and can move to WordPress-specific hosting if you commit to the platform.
Which should you choose?
Choose WordPress hosting if you know your site will run on WordPress and you value speed and a hands-off, maintained experience. It is purpose-built for exactly that.
Choose general web hosting if you want maximum flexibility, are on a tight budget, or are not committed to WordPress. Since WordPress hosting is just a specialised type of web hosting, either way you are choosing web hosting — the only question is whether you want it pre-tuned for WordPress.
Ready to pick the right plan?
Hostinger offers shared, managed WordPress, cloud, and VPS plans from a few dollars a month, so you can start where you need and scale up in a click. Use code PROTIPS for the reader discount.
A quick way to decide
If the terminology still feels blurry, a couple of plain questions settle it. First: are you definitely building on WordPress? If not, general web hosting is the flexible choice. If yes, ask the second question: do you want the host to keep WordPress fast, updated, and secure for you, or are you happy to handle that yourself?
Want it handled and do not mind a small premium — choose WordPress hosting. Prefer the lowest price and are comfortable managing WordPress yourself — choose general (shared) web hosting with a one-click install. Either way you get a working WordPress site; the answer just decides how much of the WordPress-specific work the host does for you.
FAQs
What is the difference between WordPress hosting and web hosting?
Web hosting is the general term for any service that stores and serves a website, while WordPress hosting is web hosting tuned specifically for WordPress. WordPress hosting is a specialised type of web hosting, not a separate thing, adding WordPress optimisation, automatic updates, and one-click setup.
Is WordPress hosting just web hosting?
Essentially yes. WordPress hosting is web hosting that has been configured and optimised for WordPress. Every WordPress hosting plan is web hosting; it simply comes pre-tuned for one platform, with WordPress-specific caching, security, updates, and support added on top.
Do I need WordPress hosting to run WordPress?
No. General web hosting runs WordPress fine via a one-click installer. WordPress hosting adds speed optimisation and automatic maintenance for a smoother experience, but it is a convenience upgrade, not a requirement for running WordPress.
What does WordPress hosting add over regular web hosting?
It adds WordPress-tuned caching for speed, automatic core and plugin updates, WordPress-focused security, one-click installation, staging sites, and WordPress-savvy support. These are about convenience and optimisation rather than unlocking anything you could not eventually configure yourself.
Should I choose WordPress hosting or general web hosting?
Choose WordPress hosting if you know you will use WordPress and want speed and hands-off maintenance. Choose general web hosting if you want flexibility, are on a tight budget, or are not committed to WordPress. Either way you are choosing web hosting.
Can general web hosting run WordPress well?
Yes. General shared or cloud hosting runs WordPress well through a one-click install, and many WordPress sites live on it happily. WordPress hosting simply optimises the environment and handles maintenance for you, which is a convenience rather than a necessity.
The bottom line
WordPress hosting is not the opposite of web hosting — it is a specialised type of it, tuned specifically for WordPress. General web hosting runs any site with maximum flexibility; WordPress hosting trades some of that flexibility for a faster, more hands-off WordPress experience.
If you are committed to WordPress and want speed with minimal maintenance, WordPress hosting is worth it. If you want flexibility or are watching your budget, general web hosting runs WordPress too. The choice is simply whether you want your web hosting pre-tuned for one platform.
When you are ready, you can start with Hostinger and use code PROTIPS for the reader discount. Choose WordPress hosting for a tuned, hands-off WordPress site, or general web hosting for maximum flexibility.