WP Engine vs Domain.com: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over WP Engine vs. Domain.com, both offer distinct hosting benefits tailored to different needs.

• 
  WP Engine (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  
  specializes in WordPress hosting, providing optimized performance, advanced security features, and exceptional multi-site management capabilities. It stands out with its superior speed, scalability, and global data center infrastructure, catering particularly well to high-traffic websites, agencies, and eCommerce platforms. The extensive support services, including 24/7 assistance and expert WordPress knowledge, ensure a smooth user experience. While its pricing is on the higher end, the range of advanced tools, automated backups, and enhanced security protocols justify the cost for those needing a high-performance hosting solution.
  
• 
  Domain.com (Overall grade: 6.5)
  
  
  offers versatility with its array of shared hosting and dedicated hosting options, making it a good entry-level choice for smaller websites and users with basic requirements. Its user-friendly website builder and free domain for the first year simplify the setup process for beginners. However, it falls short in performance, with inconsistent uptime and slower site speeds. Security measures and support options are more basic compared to WP Engine, and while its price points are attractive, the lack of advanced features and performance may not meet the needs of more demanding users.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner WP Engine: Superior uptime and availability for managed WordPress hosting.

WP Engine excels in uptime and availability, ensuring your website remains online with 24/7 monitoring and a 99.99% SLA. The platform showcases excellent performance with 100% uptime over two months, a server response time of 489ms, and minimal response time fluctuations. Global data centers and proactive security measures further enhance site performance and security.

WP Engine excels in uptime and availability, ensuring your website remains online with 24/7 monitoring and a 99.99% SLA. The platform showcases excellent performance with 100% uptime over two months, a server response time of 489ms, and minimal response time fluctuations. Global data centers and proactive security measures further enhance site performance and security.

Domain.com, despite claiming a 99.99% uptime guarantee, falls short in actual performance with recorded uptimes of 99.11% and response times averaging 2.97 seconds. The lack of a clear downtime policy and inconsistent uptime undermine its reliability. These factors, alongside slower response times, make Domain.com less appealing for hosting needs.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: Superior speed, scalability, and security for WordPress sites.

When it comes to general performance, WP Engine delivers significantly faster page load times. Utilizing proprietary EverCache® technology, WP Engine optimizes speed through a global CDN network with over 200 points of presence, ensuring quick content delivery across the globe. It supports the latest PHP versions for enhanced processing power. In contrast, Domain.com offers solid, yet basic hosting plans with decent speeds but lacks the advanced caching techniques and worldwide CDN that WP Engine provides. WP Engine’s multiple data centers in various continents offer a robust global reach, while Domain.com’s details on data centers are less specified.

Website Speed

WP Engine’s speed enhancement is evident with its EverCache® technology and its Core Web Vitals optimization, making it ideal for high-traffic sites. The built-in Application Performance Monitoring identifies performance bottlenecks in real-time. Domain.com, although offering unmetered bandwidth, doesn’t quite match this level of technical sophistication. WP Engine’s global CDN further boosts site speed, whereas Domain.com provides the basic necessary tools for moderate performance.

Scalability

WP Engine offers scalable architecture tailored to handle significant traffic spikes effortlessly, thanks to its isolated resources. The scaling process is automatic and seamless without the need for plan upgrades, which is crucial for expanding businesses. Domain.com, on the other hand, provides a more straightforward approach with its hosting plans. Details on automatic scaling or the existence of dedicated servers are not specified. For businesses expecting rapid growth, WP Engine presents a more transparent and advanced scalable solution.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: WP Engine provides an advanced security ecosystem with enterprise-grade protection features and multi-layered defense.

Both WP Engine and Domain.com, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational
security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

WP Engine excels with enterprise-grade technology, automating threat detection to block 72 million attacks daily, whereas Domain.com’s security measures are largely centered around SSL certificates and SiteLock security. WP Engine offers extensive layers of protection, including Cloudflare CDN, DDoS mitigation, and proactive threat detection. Domain.com, in comparison, boasts SSL certificates with various warranties but lacks the advanced automated threat detection. WP Engine’s Global Edge Security further enhances site defenses in real-time, offering proactive measures against OWASP vulnerabilities. Domain.com’s protection includes encrypted traffic and SSL-based authentication which is essential for securing transactional data.

Operational security measures:

WP Engine provides always-on monitoring, blocking 26 billion attacks a year, and maintains real-time security management with a dedicated live team. Domain.com offers 24/7 support but focuses more on providing immediate assistance rather than constant monitoring. WP Engine also benefits from additional features such as two-factor authentication and automated updates, ensuring ongoing protection, while Domain.com emphasizes malware scanning, automatic removal, and blacklist monitoring through SiteLock. WP Engine also sustains regular core and plugin updates, whereas Domain.com doesn’t explicitly highlight these automated processes in its feature set.

Compliance and certifications:

WP Engine stands out with its SOC-2 compliance and ISO 27001 certification, upholding stringent standards for security and availability. It also provides PCI vulnerability scanning for eCommerce security. Domain.com complies with GDPR, ensuring data protection for EU residents, and provides PCI compliance scanning necessary for processing credit card information. While both hostings offer SSL certificates to aid in PCI compliance, WP Engine’s multi-certification approach demonstrates broader adherence to industry standards.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: Superior performance and comprehensive feature set for WordPress hosting.

WP Engine and Domain.com offer varied hosting solutions tailored for different customer needs. WP Engine excels with managed WordPress services featuring advanced tools such as EverCache® technology for faster site speed and Global Edge Security for unparalleled website protection. This makes it ideal for businesses needing optimized, secure, and high-performing websites. Domain.com is a versatile contender with unlimited storage and bandwidth, an easy-to-use drag-and-drop website builder, and a free domain for the first year, appealing to users looking for cost-effective, straightforward solutions. While Domain.com provides good value, WP Engine offers more advanced features, including daily backups, multi-environment setups (development, staging, and production), and comprehensive security measures.

Both providers offer essential features but differ in complexity and target audience. WP Engine’s services cater primarily to businesses seeking high performance, security, and reliability, backed by 24/7 WordPress-specific support. Their plans range from essential to enterprise levels, giving a broad range of options. Domain.com focuses on simplicity and ease of setup, perfect for beginners or small businesses that require less technical management. Its free first-year domain registration and scalable bandwidth make it an attractive choice for budget-conscious users. Still, it lacks some advanced security features and developer-friendly tools like SSH access that WP Engine provides.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both WP Engine and Domain.com offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

WP Engine does not provide email hosting services, focusing instead on offering a robust, performance-oriented hosting environment for WordPress sites. Domain.com similarly lacks built-in email hosting but provides a more user-friendly setup with a drag-and-drop builder ideal for quick website development. Users needing comprehensive email solutions would need to look at third-party services like Google Workspace or Microsoft Outlook, as neither hosting provider offers these features natively.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: Provides a wide range of advanced features targeting various business needs starting at a higher price point.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Between WP Engine and Domain.com, the plans exhibit unique pricing tiers and features. WP Engine’s offerings start from $20/month with an emphasis on managed WordPress hosting, providing extensive premium features, including security patching and global CDN. In contrast, Domain.com delivers both shared and WordPress hosting at much lower introductory rates of $3.75/month, featuring essential tools such as drag-and-drop site builders and free SSL for the first year. For high-traffic websites, WP Engine’s premium plans cater up to 30 sites and 400,000 visits, while Domain.com’s top-tier offers more basic solutions.

### WordPress hosting plans

### Shared hosting plans

### Cloud hosting plans

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a location.

Enterprise plans

WP Engine’s Custom Plan starts at $600/month, offering tailored solutions with contact-based specifications only. It includes priority support, advanced security features, and dedicated account management suited for large enterprises needing high traffic management and specialized support. Domain.com does not explicitly list an equivalent enterprise-focused plan, indicating WP Engine is more adaptable for enterprise-level requirements.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: In terms of ease of use, WP Engine stands out due to its flexible and affordable site migration options, intuitive custom admin panel, advanced setup features, and a highly praised help center.

WP Engine employs a custom panel specifically designed for WordPress sites, emphasizing ease of use for both technical and non-technical users. This interface is designed to be more intuitive and streamlined, enhancing user experience with advanced tools like SG Optimizer and integration of Cloudflare’s CDN to improve website performance and speed. WP Engine’s help center is known for its clear and detailed content, which is highly valued by its users.

Domain.com, on the other hand, utilizes a more traditional control panel experience complemented by its own custom tools. The platform includes both a standard website builder and an AI-powered website builder, catering to users who prefer either a manual or more automated setup process. The panel is designed to be accessible, offering step-by-step guidance in creating and managing your site. This makes Domain.com user-friendly for those who are new to website creation and management. However, its general approach lacks some of the specialized focus that WP Engine offers for WordPress users.

WP Engine provides a free Automated Migration plugin that simplifies migrating WordPress sites. This tool can be easily installed and quickly configured, with an option for manual migration if needed. WP Engine supports both migration methods without additional cost, ensuring a smooth transition. In contrast, Domain.com focuses on a seamless setup with its pre-installed WordPress plugins but lacks a dedicated migration tool. Users need to rely on third-party solutions or manual migration, which might not be as straightforward and could require additional effort and resources.

The platforms provide extensive knowledge bases filled with guides, how-to articles, and instructional content. WP Engine offers a wide range of resources alongside 24/7 chat and phone support. Domain.com also boasts a detailed help center with an intuitive search function and around-the-clock support via live chat, phone, and ticketing, ensuring comprehensive user support.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: Provides advanced user management and detailed role-based access for seamless operational control.

WP Engine and Domain.com approach user management with distinct methods suited to different user needs. WP Engine offers a comprehensive suite of user roles and permissions, allowing for detailed customization and access control across varying levels. This includes roles such as Owner, Full Users with and without billing, and Partial Users with and without billing options. In contrast, Domain.com focuses on the standard WordPress roles like Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. While WP Engine emphasizes granular control, facilitating advanced operational needs, Domain.com is more suited for content-centric operations with its simpler, built-in WordPress user roles.

When it comes to user interfaces and tools for managing users, WP Engine provides a detailed User Portal with clear navigational paths for adding, editing, and removing users. This platform’s interface supports intricate access allocations via checklists and comprehensive user management functions. Domain.com, through the WordPress dashboard, offers a more minimalistic approach, where users can be added and roles assigned in a few straightforward steps. WP Engine’s portal is designed for efficiency and administrative clarity, whereas Domain.com’s simplicity caters to users seeking a more straightforward user experience.

Assessing the access control measures and efficiency in managing a growing number of users, WP Engine stands out with its extensive account activity logs, allowing filtering by various parameters like user, environment, domain name, and specific actions. This is particularly useful for organizations aiming to maintain a high level of security and accountability. Conversely, Domain.com’s approach, though sufficient for smaller-scale operations or content-heavy websites, lacks the depth in filtering and detailed access control offered by WP Engine. Consequently, WP Engine is better equipped for larger teams and complex projects, providing the necessary tools to manage user access effectively.

WP Engine user roles table:

🏆 Winner WP Engine: WP Engine delivers round-the-clock customer support and enterprise-grade security features, making it a reliable choice for WordPress enthusiasts.

WP Engine offers 24/7 support via phone and live chat, ensuring immediate assistance for its customers. Their user portal adds convenience by allowing users to manage billing, view invoices, and make changes to their plans. The availability of WordPress experts for technical support further enhances the customer experience, making WP Engine an excellent choice. With its extensive knowledge base and premium support options, users can access varied levels of support to suit their needs. The 60-day money-back guarantee makes it a risk-free option for newcomers.

On the other hand, Domain.com also provides 24/7 customer support via phone and live chat, with a commitment to connect with representatives swiftly. The feedback on their support has been mixed, though they do offer an extensive knowledge base with articles and tutorials. Domain.com’s refund policy is flexible, offering a full refund if canceled within the first 30 days, and a pro-rata refund thereafter. However, the reported inconsistencies in support responsiveness and problem resolution may be a concern for some users.

User feedback

WP Engine exudes excellence in managed WordPress hosting, boasting top-notch technical support that’s often highlighted as a standout feature. Users appreciate the user-friendly dashboard, seamless migration tools, daily backups, and solid security measures, all of which contribute to high performance and reliability. However, the service does come at a higher price point, which some users find steep, especially for entry-level plans or smaller projects. Despite occasional concerns about costs and some technical nuances, WP Engine’s premium service quality justifies the expense for many, making it a highly recommended solution for businesses and developers alike.

User feedback for this hosting provider reveals a mixed experience. Many users appreciate its user-friendly platform, straightforward domain registration process, and reliable customer support. However, significant criticisms include poor customer service practices, confusing pricing and add-ons, and outdated or slow web interfaces. While some users praise the affordability and efficiency of domain management, others warn of hidden costs and problematic service.

FAQ