WordPress Doesn’t Need Much to Run

Self-hosted WordPress itself doesn’t have a lot of requirements to run. In fact, WordPress.org mentions only these:

  • PHP 5.2.4 or greater
  • MySQL 5.0 or greater
  • The mod_rewrite Apache module

In theory, that means the majority of Unix-based hosts should be able to successfully house any WordPress-powered site – but alas that isn’t always the case.

You Know Your Host Isn’t WordPress-Friendly When …

We have had the fortune of helping many clients with overcoming host obstacles. Here are our 5 top problems:

  1. Overly locked-down Unix is running “safe mode,” the inability to increase memory limits, and tweak other performance parameters
  2. Stingy and oversold shared hosting plans often must be moved to higher-paying plans  (sometimes with minimal impact)
  3. Fantatico installers that cause “file ownership problems” and issues with auto-upgrading
  4. Broken databases that must be repaired by the clients themselves
  5. They will not or cannot support WordPress because “they only provide the hardware and the pipes”

Let’s Get Real

Remember if you have (or want to have) a popular site, you need to realize that:

  • Shared hosting plans mean that the server’s performance is impacted by the weakest link on that server
  • You can’t realistically expect everything to run perfectly on a $36/year plan
  • You should expect to pay more for hosting as your traffic increases and as your site gets more complex

Hosts We Recommend

We have experience with many hosts and here are our current top two:

  1. Pagely – a great managed WordPress host who will take care of you every step of the way
  2. HostGator – even on the shared baby plan, lots of WordPress websites run  pretty well