WP Engine vs Web Hosting Pad: guide for 2024

WP Engine vs Web Hosting Pad: Final verdict

Looking over WP Engine vs. WebHostingPad, 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.

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  WP Engine (Overall grade: 8.6)
  
  is a strong choice for users who prioritize performance, high availability, and enterprise-level security. Its powerful WordPress-specific features, including EverCache® technology, global CDN, and advanced security measures, ensure fast load times and enhanced scalability. WP Engine also excels in customer support with 24/7 availability, advanced development tools, and a robust managed hosting environment. However, its higher price point may be a deterrent for smaller projects or individuals with limited budgets.
• 
  WebHostingPad (Overall grade: 6.1)
  
  provides an affordable and user-friendly hosting option, particularly for those who are just starting out or require a basic hosting solution. It offers attractive starting prices, unlimited domains, free SSL certificates, and a range of email hosting capabilities. While it guarantees 99.9% uptime, its overall performance and security measures fall short compared to WP Engine. The occasional downtime, inconsistent billing practices, and a limited feature set for advanced users highlight areas for improvement. Nonetheless, it remains a reliable option for cost-conscious users seeking straightforward hosting services.

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: WP Engine provides exceptional uptime and availability, making it the top choice for hosting.

WP Engine stands out with its excellent uptime performance, consistently showing 100% uptime over two months. With 24/7 monitoring and a 99.99% SLA, it offers reliability for high-traffic sites. Proactive maintenance, including automated updates and real-time threat detection, contributes to its high availability. Global data centers further enhance performance for visitors worldwide.

WebHostingPad guarantees a 99.9% uptime, but it has several exclusions and does not honor third-party monitoring. While it compensates for downtime exceeding its guarantee, the restrictions may impact users. Overall, WP Engine provides a more reliable and comprehensive service backed by stronger monitoring and support systems, making it the clear winner in uptime and availability.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: Superior managed WordPress hosting with fast load times and excellent scalability.

When comparing general performance, WP Engine stands out due to its fast page load times and advanced EverCache® technology, making it highly optimized for WordPress websites. It offers a global CDN with over 200 points of presence, ensuring global reach. WP Engine runs on the latest PHP version and supports Core Web Vitals solutions for better SEO performance. It boasts a 99.99% uptime SLA and has data centers located across multiple regions including the US, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. WebHostingPad, on the other hand, offers attractive starting prices with features like free SSL, unlimited domains, and a 99.9% uptime guarantee. The CDN is included, but specific details on its points of presence are lacking compared to WP Engine.

Website Speed

WP Engine delivers superior website speed due to its EverCache® technology, robust CDN, and optimization for the latest PHP versions. This facilitates fast page load times and appeals to users and search engines alike. WebHostingPad, though affordable, provides standard high-power servers only for higher-tier plans, which may not match WP Engine’s specifically optimized architecture for speed, particularly for WordPress sites.

Scalability

WP Engine offers elastic scaling with an isolated resource architecture, making it adept at handling traffic spikes without performance drops. Automatic upgrades ensure that the infrastructure scales with your needs. The cost of scaling is absorbed within the managed service as opposed to requiring manual plan upgrades. WebHostingPad’s scalable plan structure supports growth, but specifics about elastic scaling and dedicated servers are not provided. Costs for scaling also typically involve upgrading to higher-tier plans as necessary.

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: WP Engine provides extensive security measures and proactive monitoring to ensure a highly secure hosting environment for WordPress websites.

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

Technical security measures:

WP Engine offers enterprise-grade technology that automates threat detection, blocking 72 million attacks daily, and continuously monitors to maintain website vulnerabilities. It includes global edge security features such as a managed Web Application Firewall (WAF), advanced DDoS Mitigation, and SSL certificates. WebHostingPad provides free SSL certificates and commercial SSL options, along with free malware scans and server security, but lacks the comprehensive protective layers seen in WP Engine. WP Engine also offers real-time security management, proactive security alerts, and WooCommerce-specific protections, whereas WebHostingPad includes SiteLock Lite for additional security.

Operational security measures:

WP Engine’s always-on monitoring blocks over 26 billion attacks annually, with continuous threat detection and edge protection. It features managed core updates, two-factor authentication, and automated backups. Customer support is available 24/7 with a satisfaction rate of 97%, and premium support is accessible via live chat, phone, and tickets. WebHostingPad, on the other hand, provides daily backups, spam filtering, and basic support for email and FTP client configurations. WebHostingPad’s approach to server security includes maintenance and securing all server software.

Compliance and certifications:

WP Engine meets compliance standards with SOC-2 and ISO 27001-2013 certifications, ensuring robust information security management systems. WP Engine sites can also be part of PCI vulnerability scanning. WebHostingPad is GDPR compliant, offering mechanisms to exercise data rights under GDPR. However, specific PCI compliance details for WebHostingPad were not provided.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: A comprehensive solution for WordPress websites with superior security and performance features.

When it comes to user-friendliness, both WP Engine and WebHostingPad bring unique offerings to the table. WP Engine stands out with its fully managed WordPress hosting plans, designed to simplify site management while offering high performance and security. For users who require an intuitive website builder, WebHostingPad provides an easy-to-use Weebly Site Builder and a 1-Click WordPress installer. WP Engine, on the other hand, does not offer a dedicated website builder, but its sophisticated development tools, including local WordPress development and Node.js frontend for headless WordPress solutions, cater to users seeking deeper customization and high-end development capabilities.

The domain registration policies and additional fees can significantly impact user decisions. WebHostingPad includes free domain registration for the first year, which is beneficial for users starting new projects or on a tight budget. It also offers unlimited domains, a significant advantage for users managing multiple websites. WP Engine’s focus is more on performance, security, and developer tools rather than offering unlimited resources. Both providers include free SSL certificates, but WP Engine enhances security further with managed WAF, DDoS mitigation, and proactive security measures.

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 WebHostingPad 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:

WebHostingPad offers unlimited email accounts, email forwarders, and webmail, making it suitable for users who need extensive email hosting capabilities. It supports POP3, IMAP, mailing lists, and auto-responders, providing comprehensive email management tools. WP Engine does not provide native email hosting, as it focuses more on advanced WordPress hosting features and high performance. For email services, WP Engine users would need to consider third-party providers such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Outlook.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: WP Engine offers comprehensive managed WordPress hosting plans with a variety of high-end features.

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 of WP Engine and WebHostingPad reveals a stark contrast in both range and feature set. WP Engine offers specialized managed WordPress hosting plans starting at $20/month for a single site with extensive security and support features, while WebHostingPad’s shared and WordPress plans start as low as $1.99/month with unlimited sites but fewer advanced features. WP Engine’s plans scale up significantly in price, offering more storage, bandwidth, and premium customer support. In contrast, WebHostingPad focuses on affordability and basic features, making it an economical choice for entry-level hosting needs.

Enterprise plans

For enterprises, WP Engine’s “Scale Plan” and “Custom Plan” are strong options, with extensive storage, bandwidth, and support, along with exclusive features and dedicated technical account management. WebHostingPad’s VPS Hosting plan offers dedicated resources and full root access at a significantly lower price, but lacks the specialized tools and premium support of WP Engine’s enterprise solutions.

🏆 Winner WP Engine: WP Engine offers a seamless website setup with advanced tools and extensive support, designed to optimize WordPress performance.

WP Engine provides a custom admin panel that is highly tailored for WordPress users. The interface is intuitive and streamlined, making it accessible for both technical and non-technical users. It allows users to manage their settings, staging environments, and performance configurations with ease. Moreover, developers can take advantage of advanced tools like Git Push and SSH Gateway, contributing to an efficient workflow. For less technically inclined users, the interface simplifies many common tasks, enabling effective site management without deep technical knowledge.

WebHostingPad, in contrast, uses the standard cPanel, which is widely recognized and familiar to many users. cPanel is known for its user-friendly interface, making it straightforward to manage domains, email, and databases. The inclusion of easily recognizable icons and a logical layout makes it accessible for beginners while offering extensive controls for experienced users. The availability of multiple website builders like Weebly and RVSiteBuilder adds further convenience, catering to varying levels of technical expertise.

Both WP Engine and WebHostingPad offer tools for site migration. WP Engine provides a free Automated Migration plugin that simplifies the process and includes a Manual Migration Checklist if required. Additionally, WP Engine offers 24/7 support via chat to assist during migrations. On the other hand, WebHostingPad doesn’t specify a dedicated migration tool but offers 24/7 support and guidance through their knowledgebase. The ease of use of WP Engine’s Automated Migration plugin positions it as a more efficient choice for seamless migrations.

WP Engine’s help center is comprehensive and covers an extensive range of topics, including videos and step-by-step guides for setup and migration, ensuring users have quality resources at their fingertips. The availability of 24/7 expert support further enhances user confidence. WebHostingPad also offers a solid knowledge base with categorized articles and answers to common questions. Their help center includes email, domain, and technical help, supplemented by support ticket submission and phone support. However, the depth of WP Engine’s resources and expert support makes it a stronger contender in this aspect.

🏆 Winner: WP Engine: A detailed and comprehensive solution for managing user roles and permissions effectively.

When comparing WP Engine and WebHostingPad, WP Engine stands out as the more capable platform for managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. WP Engine offers a detailed breakdown of roles with varying levels of access, including Owner, Full users (with and without billing), and Partial users (with and without billing). This flexibility allows administrators to tailor user permissions precisely to their needs. In contrast, WebHostingPad does not provide specific information about its user management capabilities, making it less clear how well it handles user roles and permissions.

WP Engine provides a user-friendly interface through its User Portal, allowing easy navigation through tasks such as adding, editing, and removing users. The ability to invite users with specific roles and access through checkboxes streamlines the process of assigning permissions. While no information is available for WebHostingPad’s user interface, it is challenging to assess its efficacy in this area compared to WP Engine’s clear and structured approach.

Effective access control measures are crucial for managing a growing number of users efficiently. WP Engine offers detailed logging and filtering of account activities, ensuring administrators can track user actions and maintain security. The role-based access system enables precise control over who can perform specific tasks, such as adding or removing users, managing billing, and modifying environments. Without any comparable data from WebHostingPad, WP Engine clearly provides a more evident and transparent framework for user management.

WP Engine user roles table:

🏆 Winner
WP Engine: Superior 24/7 customer support and high technical expertise elevate WP Engine.

WP Engine provides comprehensive 24/7 customer support through phone and live chat, allowing immediate assistance at any time. Their user portal adds another layer of convenience for billing and plan modifications, and they have a prominent knowledge base for self-help. For those needing advanced help, premium support options are available, which makes WP Engine particularly strong in customer service.

WebHostingPad offers 24/7 tech support through phone, ticket submission, and live chat. However, phone support is limited to working hours on weekdays. They also provide useful resources such as a knowledge base and a regular newsletter. Despite these features, WP Engine stands out with its round-the-clock availability and premium support options, which cater to a more diverse range of client needs.

WP Engine vs Web Hosting Pad: User feedback

WP Engine receives high praise for its exceptional customer support, user-friendly dashboards, and seamless integration with WordPress. Users consistently highlight the platform’s robust security features, automatic backups, and fast website performance. However, many reviews also point out that the service is costly compared to other hosting options, which might not suit smaller budgets or individual projects. Some issues with shared server performance and the costly nature of add-ons were also mentioned, but overall, WP Engine is considered a premium service worth its price for those who can afford it.

WebHostingPad receives high praise for its affordability, user-friendly interface, and comprehensive customer support. Users particularly appreciate the low costs, free domain, and SSL certificate offerings, making it a budget-friendly option with reliable uptime. However, some areas for improvement include occasional downtime, inconsistent billing practices, and a somewhat limited feature set for larger businesses. Overall, it is highly recommended for those starting out or looking for a cost-effective hosting solution with responsive support.

WP Engine vs Web Hosting Pad: FAQ