Is SiteGround the Perfect Hosting for WordPress Websites?

SiteGround was one of the most popular WordPress hosting companies for a good reason! They offered a variety of hosting plans to suit all your website needs, from basic blogs to e-commerce empires. In this review, I’ll give you the lowdown on their performance, pricing, and customer support. However I am a strong believer in ethics and transparency! I still recommend Cloudways Hosting. My decision to migrate to Cloudways is rooted in their stellar performance, security provisions, and outstanding customer support.

SiteGround Review

In 2004, a few university friends decided to start a company. The goal: to hit it big in the IT industry. So they worked hard, slept too little, drank so many cups of coffee (and maybe wine) and eventually got a break – a snack break.

Fast forward 16 years and this group of amigos, now more than 500 strong, still very passionate about delivering high quality innovations, and support expertise while using in-house handcrafted technologies have exceeded expectations in the industry.

Shared hosting plans:

StartUp: This is the entry-level shared hosting plan offered by SiteGround. It is suitable for beginners and can host one website. The StartUp plan includes 10 GB of web space, suitable for approximately 10,000 monthly visits. It also includes essential features such as free SSL certificates, email accounts, native CDN, automatic daily backups, unlimited bandwidth, and built-in caching.

GrowBig: The GrowBig plan is designed for growing websites and businesses. It can host multiple websites and offers more resources compared to the StartUp plan. The GrowBig plan includes 20 GB of web space, suitable for approximately 25,000 monthly visits. In addition to the features included in the StartUp plan, it also offers advanced features such as on-demand backups, staging, and the SuperCacher for improved website performance.

GoGeek: The GoGeek plan is the most advanced shared hosting plan offered by SiteGround. It is suitable for larger websites and businesses that require more resources and advanced features. The GoGeek plan includes 40 GB of web space, suitable for approximately 100,000 monthly visits. In addition to the features included in the GrowBig plan, it offers even more advanced features such as priority support, white-label hosting, and advanced on-demand backups.

It’s important to note that the prices mentioned above are for the first year and may increase upon renewal. Additionally, SiteGround’s shared hosting plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try their services risk-free.

Which Hosting Plan should I choose?

SiteGround offer 3 plans: Start Up, GrowBig and GoGeek. We’re hosting around 5 sites on the Growbig plan which suited our needs perfectly. If you only have one website the StartUp plan should be more than enough. The GrowBig and GoGeek plans are for an unlimited number of websites which would be dependent on the GB space and number of monthly visits. Advanced Priority Support is only available on the Gogeek plan but again, we’ve never had issues in receiving prompt support no matter which plan you choose.

Shared hosting plans:

1. Free SSL certificates: All shared hosting plans come with free SSL certificates, ensuring secure communication between the website and its visitors.
2. Email accounts: SiteGround offers unlimited email accounts with its shared hosting plans, allowing you to create professional email addresses using your domain name.
3. Native CDN: SiteGround includes a native content delivery network (CDN) with its shared hosting plans. This helps to improve website performance and load times by caching content and delivering it from servers located closer to the website visitors.
4. Automatic daily backups: SiteGround automatically backs up your website every day and keeps each backup for 30 days. This ensures that you can easily restore your website in case of any issues or data loss.
5. Unlimited bandwidth: SiteGround’s shared hosting plans come with unlimited bandwidth, allowing for high traffic volumes and data transfer without additional charges.
6. Built-in caching: SiteGround enables both static and dynamic caching on its servers, resulting in faster website loading times. This caching technology helps to optimize website performance and improve user experience.

It’s important to note that while SiteGround’s shared hosting plans offer these features, the specific resources and additional features may vary depending on the plan you choose, such as StartUp, GrowBig, or GoGeek.

SiteGround Rave Reviews:

SiteGround is generally well-regarded by customers and experts for its hosting services. Here are some key points from various reviews:

1. Stable and reliable: SiteGround is praised for its stability and reliability, making it a great choice for both new and established websites
2. User-friendly: SiteGround prioritizes user-friendliness and offers an easy-to-use interface, clean cPanel, and simple one-click installs
3. Fast performance: SiteGround utilizes premium servers, Google Cloud infrastructure, and LiteSpeed web servers to deliver outstanding performance and fast loading times
4. High uptime guarantee: SiteGround offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee, and its actual uptime performance is even better, averaging 99.997% over three months
5. Excellent customer support: SiteGround is known for its top-notch customer support, with professional and friendly staff available through phone, live chat, and a knowledge base
6. Additional features: SiteGround includes free SSL certificates, email accounts, native CDN, automatic backups, and built-in caching with its shared hosting plans
7. Positive customer reviews: SiteGround has received hundreds of five-star ratings and positive reviews from real customers
8. Pricing: While SiteGround’s pricing may be slightly higher compared to some other hosting providers, it offers premium quality services and the latest tech solutions

It’s important to note that there are some negative reviews and criticisms of SiteGround as well, particularly regarding its CPU limits and certain features. However, the overall consensus is that SiteGround is a reliable and high-quality hosting provider.

SiteGround SSD Servers

These guys surpass competition in terms of speed, providing smooth-as-silk content delivery through the highest number of connections to internet exchange points worldwide. They optimised their caching systems with their very own SuperCacher – simply put; this can improve your speed by about 40%. Their software is consistently updated because outdated software can result in unnecessary slowdowns.

WordPress Optimiser Plugin

Did we forget to mention their platform comes with their own plugin to optimise your website. This means you don’t need to add any cache plugins and it’s very easy to set up! It handles caching, and all the necessary configurations for a remarkably fast website.

Optimiser Frontend Settings

User-Friendly Admin Panel

SiteGround offers a user-friendly admin panel called Site Tools, which is designed to make website management easier for users. Here are some key features of SiteGround’s admin panel:

1. WordPress dashboard: SiteGround’s admin panel includes a custom WordPress dashboard called SiteGround Central, which replaces the default WordPress dashboard. It allows users to quickly navigate to the most common content editing pages or to the settings of any installed plugin.
2. Quick links: The top section of the SiteGround Central dashboard contains quick links to the most common places you will visit during the development of your website. These include View Site, Manage Pages, and Change Theme.
3. WordPress admin login URL: SiteGround provides various ways to access the WordPress admin page, including logging in from the SiteGround Client Area or using a login shortcut created by SiteGround.
4. Admin tools for WordPress: SiteGround offers a special tool that automates the most common admin tasks for WordPress, such as changing your admin password, moving or deleting your site, and fixing permissions. This tool can be accessed from the Site Tools > WordPress > Install & Manage section.
5. Security features: SiteGround’s admin panel includes various security features, such as password protection for the admin panel and the ability to enable two-factor authentication.

Overall, SiteGround’s admin panel is designed to be user-friendly and efficient, with features that make website management easier for users.

CloudFlare CDN

They also offer you a FREE account for CloudFlare and although slightly limited could still improve your loading speed. You have an option to host your website at data centre locations including:

What is their uptime guarantee?

They offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee under its Service Level Agreement. If the host ever goes below that, it’ll compensate you with a free month of hosting. However, their actual uptime performance is much better than the guaranteed uptime, with an average uptime of 99.997% measured over three months.

SiteGround FAQ’s

What are the advantages of using their hosting?

They offer reliable performance, excellent customer support, free daily backups, advanced security features, and a user-friendly interface.

Which hosting plan should I choose?

They offer different hosting plans based on your needs. If you’re just starting, the shared hosting plan is a good option. For higher traffic or resource-intensive websites, consider cloud or dedicated hosting.

How do I migrate my website to SiteGround?

They provides a free website migration service for most plans. You can request the migration through the support center or use their WordPress migration plugin for WordPress sites.

Can I host multiple websites on one account?

Yes, depending on the hosting plan you choose, you can host multiple websites on a single account.

Do they offer a money-back guarantee

Yes, they provide a 30-day money-back guarantee for shared hosting plans, allowing you to try their services risk-free.

Review: My Personal Experience

As an avid website developer, I’d like to share my personal experience with SiteGround hosting. Opting for their GrowBig plan was been a game-changer for my websites. The level of service and support I’ve received has been exceptional since day one. From the smooth and straightforward setup process to the impressive loading speeds and uptime, I have never been disappointed. Additionally, their customer support team has been extremely helpful and responsive, promptly addressing any concerns or technical issues I’ve encountered.