WP Engine vs Hostpapa: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over WP Engine vs. HostPapa, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

• 
  WP Engine (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  
  is a premier choice for high-performance WordPress hosting, offering advanced features like EverCache® technology, automatic updates, comprehensive security measures, and a fully managed CDN presence across 200 locations. It excels in providing a robust, scalable platform for high-traffic and enterprise-level WordPress sites. WP Engine’s dedicated focus on WordPress-specific optimizations, including superior speed, uptime, and comprehensive user roles and permissions management, makes it a preferred choice for WordPress-centric projects. However, the higher pricing and lack of shared or VPS hosting options may limit its appeal to larger businesses with significant budgets.
  
• 
  HostPapa (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  
  delivers a broad spectrum of hosting services, including shared, VPS, and cloud hosting, appealing to a wide range of users, particularly small to mid-sized businesses. Known for its versatility and user-friendly features, HostPapa offers essential tools like free domain registration, unlimited email hosting, and a straightforward website builder, all within an affordable range. Their edge in multimedia website support and the use of NVMe storage for enhanced speed showcases their capability for various website needs. Despite these strengths, some users report occasional support and performance issues, particularly during peak traffic times. Its inclusive approach and friendly price points make HostPapa an excellent option for those seeking a comprehensive yet cost-effective hosting solution.
  

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

Section 1: Winner WP Engine: Leader in uptime and availability.

Section 2:
WP Engine stands out with comprehensive uptime monitoring and a stellar track record. Over a two-month period, it achieved 100% uptime and maintained stable server response times. The offered 99.99% SLA ensures reliability for high-traffic sites, bolstered by a vast network of global data centers.

Section 3:
HostPapa offers commendable uptime performance with a 99.93% uptime and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. Performance metrics from various Canadian locations showed slightly slower response times than WP Engine. While HostPapa communicated maintenance and incidents transparently, its average response time was higher than WP Engine.

🏆 Winner: WP Engine WP Engine offers superior managed WordPress hosting with industry-leading speed, security, and support.

Both WP Engine and HostPapa showcase impressive hosting performance, but WP Engine edges out due to its refined optimization for WordPress. WP Engine’s EverCache® technology and latest PHP versions accelerate page load times significantly, while HostPapa leverages NVMe storage for its speed advantages. Both providers utilize global CDNs for quick content delivery, yet WP Engine’s fully-managed CDN presence spans over 200 locations, slightly fewer than HostPapa’s 250 locations. With highly available data centers distributed across many regions, including the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, WP Engine promises robust uptime. HostPapa also excels globally with its edge hosting locations ensuring quick data delivery.

Website Speed

WP Engine leads with ultra-fast page load times, critical for both SEO and user experience. Their unique EverCache® technology efficiently manages high traffic volumes, ensuring speed consistency. The integration of the latest PHP version further amplifies request handling by up to 3 times. Conversely, HostPapa benefits from using NVMe storage, considerably faster than traditional HDDs, enhancing site responsiveness. Both hosts provide state-of-the-art CDNs; however, WP Engine’s CDN is fully managed and integrated seamlessly with its other optimization tools, which might give it a slight edge in overall performance.

Scalability

WP Engine supports scalable architecture designed to handle traffic surges without compromising performance. It ensures isolated resources for optimal site reliability and requires plan upgrades for larger demands. On the contrary, HostPapa offers elastic scaling features, but specific details about automatic or manual upgrades are not provided. Both hosts cater to expanding businesses, but WP Engine’s designed approach to manage a highly dynamic and growing website landscape sets it apart. For dedicated server offerings and scaling costs, information on both is limited.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: WP Engine provides enterprise-grade technology and always-on monitoring for optimal security.

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

Technical security measures:

WP Engine employs a multi-layered approach with global edge security, managed WAF, advanced DDoS mitigation, SSL, and daily site backups. On the other hand, HostPapa offers GlobalSign SSL certificates, a robust suite of security solutions called Protection Power, and automated daily backups. WP Engine stands out with features like Argo Smart Routing and proactive plugin updates which enhance its defense.

Operational security measures:

Both hosting providers offer continuous monitoring. WP Engine blocks over 26 billion attacks annually and uses live security management with proactive alerts. HostPapa ensures protection with daily malware scanning through SiteLock and offers 24/7 customer support for security-related issues. WP Engine’s always-on monitoring and live team support confer an edge.

Compliance and certifications:

WP Engine has SOC-2 compliance and ISO 27001-2013 certification. HostPapa abides by the GDPR, PIPEDA, and ensures PCI compliance support. While both maintain significant compliance measures, WP Engine’s adherence to SOC-2 and ISO standards showcases a broader compliance spectrum.

🏆 Winner: HostPapa HostPapa stands out with its compelling range of features tailored for various user needs, including free SSL, unlimited email addresses, and a straightforward domain registration process.

Both WP Engine and HostPapa offer robust services, but they cater to different user preferences. WP Engine is heavily geared toward high-performance and enterprise-level sites with its managed services, performance insights, and advanced security measures. HostPapa, meanwhile, appeals to a broader audience, especially those just starting out, by including unlimited SSD storage, free domain registration for a year, and a versatile website builder compatible with Cloudflare.

A key difference between the two is WP Engine’s focus on WordPress-specific features, such as their premium themes, end-to-end management, and premium support. HostPapa, though not as specialized, provides essential features like automated backups, domain privacy for the first year, and an extensive list of pre-installed apps, including Jetpack and 400+ other applications. WP Engine offers tailored solutions based on the scale of operations—from startups to enterprise-level, with higher starting prices. HostPapa presents a more budget-friendly approach with necessary security features like DDoS protection and brute force attack mitigation, making it an appealing choice for users who seek comprehensive, yet straightforward, hosting solutions.

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 HostPapa 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:

HostPapa includes unlimited email hosting with every plan, offering users the ability to manage their own email campaigns and create unlimited email addresses. They also support integration with tools like Jetpack for added functionalities. WP Engine does not offer email hosting, focusing purely on performant and secure web hosting. For transactional emails and email campaigns, users would need to consider third-party services. HostPapa’s comprehensive email services, including unlimited email addresses and built-in integration tools, make it a practical choice for businesses looking to handle everything under one service.

🏆 Winner
HostPapa: HostPapa provides a versatile range of hosting plans that cater to varied user needs.

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.

Comparing the pricing plans, WP Engine offers Managed WordPress Hosting with a focus on premium features and high reliability. The WP Engine plans start at $20/month for the Startup plan and go up to $600/month for Custom plans. HostPapa offers feature-rich plans at more economical prices, with options starting at $2.95/month. HostPapa’s range includes web hosting, WordPress hosting, and VPS hosting, each providing varying levels of resources and support. Unique offerings such as free domain registration, SSL certificates, and website staging help differentiate HostPapa’s plans, making them appealing for cost-conscious users seeking comprehensive features.

Enterprise plans

WP Engine’s top-tier offerings like the Scale and Custom plans provide comprehensive features geared towards enterprises needing extensive resources and high security. HostPapa also includes competitive plans such as VPS hosting, which offers root-level access, enhanced support, and significant storage, starting at more budget-friendly entry points. Advanced security features and higher resource availability make WP Engine an excellent choice for larger enterprises, whereas HostPapa provides a cost-effective, feature-rich alternative suitable for diverse business sizes.

🏆 Winner HostPapa: Offers user-friendly features with excellent customer support.

WP Engine uses a custom admin panel optimized for WordPress, providing a streamlined interface tailored for WordPress users. The platform is intuitive and well-organized, allowing even non-technical users to manage their sites with ease. It includes comprehensive options for site management, security settings, and performance optimizations, ensuring that technical and non-technical users alike Find it manageable.

HostPapa, in contrast, uses the standard cPanel, a widely recognized and accessible control panel. cPanel’s straightforward and familiar interface makes it easy for users of all skill levels to navigate. Its layout is visually intuitive and packed with robust features that facilitate simple management of domains, emails, and databases. Both panels offer user-friendly experiences but cater differently to their audiences, with WP Engine focusing more on specialized WordPress capabilities and HostPapa leveraging the familiarity and versatility of cPanel.

WP Engine provides a free Automated Migration plugin that makes transferring a site straightforward and quick. This tool is tailored for WordPress and can be configured within minutes. HostPapa, meanwhile, offers free and easy website migration services from any provider, with no downtime during the transfer. Both providers excel in offering simple and free migration solutions, making the transition to their platforms seamless.

WP Engine’s help center is comprehensive, offering detailed guides, video tutorials, and 24/7 support via phone and chat. Their resources are well-organized and provide extensive coverage of all aspects of site management, including security and performance. HostPapa’s support center is equally robust, providing a vast library of searchable articles, video tutorials, and award-winning 24/7 customer support in multiple languages. Both providers ensure their users have access to high-quality help resources, but HostPapa stands out with its broader language support and extensive article database.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: WP Engine exhibits superior user management capabilities, offering extensive options for user roles and permissions.

WP Engine and HostPapa both offer user management functionalities tailored for ease and versatility, but WP Engine stands out due to its extensive options and granularity in user roles and permissions. WP Engine provides a well-defined hierarchy of user roles such as Owner, Full Users (with and without billing), and Partial Users (with and without billing), catering to various levels of access and operational control. HostPapa, on the other hand, offers a streamlined approach via Plesk, allowing the creation of user roles with specific permissions like managing users, domains, DNS settings, and email accounts. While both platforms allow flexibility in user role creation and configuration, WP Engine’s clearly delineated roles and specific environment access options offer a more advanced and granular approach.

WP Engine’s user interface focuses on clarity, guiding users through the User Portal with straightforward navigation, including features such as Account Users, Environment Users, and Technical Contacts. The process to add, edit, and remove users is highly intuitive, featuring explicit options and prompts. HostPapa utilizes the Plesk panel, which is user-friendly and integrates well with HostPapa’s suite of hosting services. Through Plesk, administrators can easily activate, deactivate, and manage user roles with simple, yet effective steps.

Access control measures are critically important for both providers. WP Engine offers extensive logging and filtering options, enabling detailed tracking of account activity and user actions. Its system ensures that permissions are meticulously adhered to, allowing for tight security and efficient management as user numbers grow. HostPapa, via Plesk, provides efficient user account management with the ability to assign and manage roles seamlessly. It handles access control effectively, but does not offer the same level of logging and filtering options as WP Engine, making WP Engine slightly more effective for environments requiring stringent access control and detailed oversight.

WP Engine user roles table:

HostPapa user roles table:

🏆 Winner WP Engine: WP Engine’s superior round-the-clock support and WordPress expertise make it a standout choice for hosting needs.

WP Engine offers 24/7 customer support through phone and live chat. Users also have access to a comprehensive user portal and high-level WordPress expertise. Although email support is not explicitly listed, users can manage inquiries through the user portal. Premium plans provide access to experienced support staff. An extensive knowledge base and various self-help articles further enhance the support experience.

HostPapa also provides 24/7 customer support via email, phone, live chat, and support tickets. Moreover, it offers physical addresses for contacting their offices globally. HostPapa’s additional support includes an expansive knowledge base, video tutorials, and free one-on-one training sessions. The network status feature is helpful for monitoring service interruptions. Customer reviews attest to the high quality of their support, especially the fast response times and helpful staff.

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.

Overall, customers generally appreciate the ease of use, responsive customer support, and affordability of the hosting provider. Many users specifically highlight the excellent technical support and straightforward interface as significant advantages. However, some reviews mention downsides such as occasional transparency issues with billing, aggressive upselling tactics, and sporadic performance concerns like downtime or slow website speeds due to outdated technology. There are also mixed experiences regarding customer service efficiency, with some users facing frustrating delays while others commend the quick and knowledgeable support team.

FAQ