WP Engine Banned: Time for a Change? ProCoders Explains

The WordPress community is in shock over the recent news – and honestly, so are we at ProCoders. WP Engine has been a trusted hosting provider for years, with 80% of our clients relying on its services. 

But now, with its sudden ban, it’s time to face reality: WP Engine is no longer an option.

If you’re one of the thousands of WP Engine users feeling stuck, don’t worry. We’re here to help you make a smooth transition to a new hosting provider without any data loss. 

Our Head of Web Development, Alex, has already researched the best alternatives, and we’ll have your back throughout the entire process.

So, What Happened, and How Does It Endanger Your Site?

So, what went wrong? 

WordPress.org has officially blocked WP Engine’s servers from accessing crucial resources like themes and plugin updates. This decision comes after a series of legal disputes between WP Engine and WordPress. 

And here’s the kicker: without access to updates, your site’s security and functionality are at risk.

Imagine not being able to update your plugins or themes – vulnerabilities can sneak in, and site performance could plummet. WordPress has essentially cut WP Engine off from its ecosystem, leaving many users scrambling for alternatives.

It’s tough because I’ve always been a fan of WP Engine. It’s frustrating to see business disputes affect their clients. However, it’s life, and our job is to look for alternatives to secure ProCoders partners’ projects.

Alex Khryplyvyi

ProCoders

But one of our strengths at ProCoders is adjusting to sudden changes. You can’t stay afloat in the software development world if you can’t adapt. So, here is a selection of WP Engine alternatives curated by our Head of Web Development, Alex.

TOP-7 Alternatives to Switch to from WP Engine

Cloudways 

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that offers high-performance, scalable solutions for WordPress and other CMS platforms. It supports various cloud providers, such as DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode, providing flexibility in choosing the best server for your needs.

Pros

• Scalability: Easily scale your server resources to handle traffic spikes without downtime.
• Performance: Built-in caching and CDN ensure faster load times and overall better performance.
• Pay-as-you-go pricing: Flexible, hourly billing model allows you to only pay for what you use.
• 24/7 Support: Dedicated expert support with a high customer satisfaction score (96% CSAT).
• Easy migration: Cloudways offers free website migration and automated backups, making it easy to switch.
• Autoscaling: For users with fluctuating traffic, Cloudways’ autoscaling feature can dynamically adjust resources.

Cons

• No domain registration: Unlike some competitors, Cloudways does not offer domain registration services.
• Learning curve for beginners: While the platform is user-friendly for developers, beginners may find the interface slightly overwhelming.
• Email hosting: Email hosting is not included by default, requiring an additional service.

Pricing (2024)

Cloudways offers a variety of plans based on the cloud provider you select:

• DigitalOcean Plans: Starting at $14/month for 1GB RAM, 25GB storage, and 1TB bandwidth.
• AWS Plans: Starting at $38.56/month for 2GB RAM, 20GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth.
• Google Cloud Plans: Starting at $37.45/month for 1.75GB RAM, 20GB storage, and 2TB bandwidth​.

Hostinger

Hostinger is a web hosting provider known for its affordability and feature-rich plans, making it a great choice for beginners and small businesses looking for high performance without breaking the bank. It offers managed WordPress hosting, shared hosting, VPS hosting, and cloud hosting.

Pros

• Affordability: Hostinger offers some of the lowest prices in the market, with plans starting as low as $2.99/month.
• Performance: High-speed NVMe SSD storage, LiteSpeed web servers, and built-in CDN ensure fast website loading times.
• Free domain & SSL: All plans (except for the basic one) come with a free domain and unlimited SSL certificates.
• Ease of use: The custom hPanel is user-friendly, making website management straightforward even for beginners.
• AI-powered tools: Hostinger offers AI tools for website building, SEO optimization, and content generation, which can save time for those with minimal technical knowledge.

Cons

• Limited support options on basic plans: Premium support features like priority response are available only on higher-tier plans.
• No dedicated hosting: Unlike some competitors, Hostinger does not offer dedicated hosting options for users needing complete server control.
• Renewal costs: After the initial term, the renewal prices are significantly higher.

Pricing (2024)

Hostinger’s pricing is highly competitive:

• Single Shared Hosting: $2.99/month for 1 website, 50GB SSD storage, and weekly backups.
• Business Web Hosting: $3.99/month for 100 websites, 200GB NVMe storage, and daily backups.
• Cloud Hosting: Starting at $7.99/month with 300 websites, 200GB storage, and advanced features like free CDN and automatic backups.

Kinsta

Kinsta offers premium managed WordPress hosting, built on Google Cloud’s fast servers with advanced features for agencies, enterprises, and small businesses. It’s known for high performance, excellent security, and top-notch support.

Pros

• Google Cloud integration: Leverages Google Cloud’s C2 and C3 virtual machines for lightning-fast load times.
• Enterprise-level security: SOC 2 Type II compliance, DDoS protection, and daily backups.
• Expert support: 24/7 support from experienced engineers with proactive monitoring.
• Free migrations: Unlimited site migrations handled by their team.

Cons

• Higher price point: More expensive than some competitors, targeting premium customers.
• Limited non-WordPress options: Focuses primarily on WordPress hosting, less flexible for other CMS or app hosting.

Pricing (2024)

• Starter Plan: $35/month for 1 WordPress site, 10GB storage, and 25,000 monthly visits.
• Pro Plan: $70/month for 2 WordPress sites, 20GB storage, and 50,000 monthly visits.
• Business Plans: Starting at $115/month for more sites, storage, and higher traffic limits.

DigitalOcean 

DigitalOcean is a developer-friendly cloud hosting provider known for offering simple, scalable, and affordable cloud solutions. It’s particularly popular for its Droplets (virtual private servers) and is a great option for developers and businesses needing robust infrastructure.

Pros

• Affordable pricing: Plans start at just $5/month, making it one of the cheapest options for cloud hosting.
• High performance: 99.99% uptime and fast load times thanks to SSD-based servers.
• Pay-as-you-go billing: Offers hourly billing with a monthly cap, giving users flexibility.
• Global data centers: 11 data centers across key regions ensure minimal latency.

Cons

• Self-managed: DigitalOcean is primarily for developers and requires more technical knowledge, as it doesn’t provide extensive managed services like other hosts.
• Limited support: No live chat or phone support; only email ticketing is available unless you opt for premium support plans starting at $24/month.
• Basic features: Add-ons like load balancers, backups, and monitoring cost extra.

Pricing (2024)

• Basic Droplet: Starts at $5/month for 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD storage, and 1TB transfer.
• Premium Droplet: Starts at $7/month for upgraded CPU and NVMe SSD storage.
• App Platform (Managed): Starts at $12/month for deploying container-based applications​.

Bluehost

Bluehost is a popular web hosting provider endorsed by WordPress, offering a wide range of hosting options including shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting. It is user-friendly and ideal for beginners, particularly those looking to build WordPress websites.

Pros

• Affordable pricing: Starting at $2.95/month, making it ideal for small businesses and personal sites.
• Endorsed by WordPress: Seamless WordPress integration with 1-click installations.
• Free domain and SSL: All plans include a free domain for the first year and SSL certificates.
• 24/7 support: Access to customer support via chat or phone.

Cons

• High renewal rates: Prices significantly increase after the first term.
• Limited performance on basic plans: Lower-tier plans might struggle with high traffic websites.

Pricing (2024)

• Basic Plan: $2.95/month for 1 website, 10GB SSD storage, and free CDN/SSL.
• Choice Plus: $5.45/month for multiple sites, 50GB storage, and added security features.
• Pro Plan: $13.95/month for advanced storage, security, and performance.

Amazon Lightsail Overview

Amazon Lightsail is a simple, cost-effective virtual private server (VPS) solution within AWS, tailored for small-scale applications and websites. It’s perfect for users who want to deploy WordPress websites on AWS’s robust infrastructure without needing to manage the complexity of EC2 or other AWS services.

Pros

• Predictable pricing: Lightsail offers fixed monthly rates, making it easier to budget for hosting.
• AWS infrastructure: Benefit from the reliability and performance of AWS, including global availability.
• Scalability: Easily upgrade your instance as your website grows, with options to integrate with other AWS services if needed.
• Free CDN for the first year: Helps optimize content delivery at no extra cost for the first 50GB.

Cons

• Limited features on lower plans: The cheapest plans may not handle high-traffic sites well.
• Support: Standard AWS support is ticket-based unless you opt for a premium support plan.
• Technical expertise required: Lightsail is more suited for developers or users with technical know-how.

Pricing (2024)

• Basic Plan: $5/month for 1 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 40GB SSD, and 2TB data transfer.
• Higher-tier Plans: Range from $10/month for 2GB RAM and 60GB storage to $240/month for 32GB RAM and 640GB SSD storage​.

GoDaddy Overview

GoDaddy is one of the largest hosting providers, offering services such as shared, VPS, and managed WordPress hosting. Known for its user-friendly tools, GoDaddy is ideal for beginners and small businesses looking for a one-stop shop for domain registration, hosting, and website building.

Pros

• Ease of use: Beginner-friendly with 1-click WordPress installs and a simple website builder.
• Affordable: Entry-level plans start at $5.99/month.
• 24/7 support: Accessible customer service via phone or chat.

Cons

• Higher renewal rates: Initial discounts jump significantly after the first term.
• Performance limitations: Basic plans may underperform with high traffic.

Pricing (2024)

• Basic Plan: $5.99/month for 1 website, 25GB storage, and free domain for the first year.
• WordPress Hosting: Starts at $8.99/month with additional features for site optimization and backups​.

Summing Up

At ProCoders, we’ve been working with WordPress for over 10 years, helping our clients’ websites thrive through every challenge. Whether it’s platform changes or sudden disruptions like this, we’ve seen it all—and come out stronger. 

ProCoders will continue to closely monitor the WP Engine situation to make absolutely sure our clients aren’t caught in any kind of danger. This is just another bump in the road, and we’re here to ensure your site keeps runni