Is it worth it to switch to a Google Cloud WordPress host, or will it simply cost you more money in the long run? Many WordPress sites have found shared hosting to be a reliable platform, so you might be wondering what advantages you’ll get if you switch – and whether the effort is worth it.
Many hosts encourage organizations to migrate to cloud hosting, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) provides numerous data center locations, improved uptime, and scalability. However, there will be a price rise, and not all Google Cloud hosting capabilities will be relevant or valuable to your company.
What Makes the Best Google Cloud WordPress Hosts?
These hosts were compared based on three primary criteria:
Features: I looked into which hosts have good performance, scalability, and extra tools to help you get the most out of your hosting.
Capacity: I double-checked that these hosts provide greater resources than a basic shared hosting plan.
Help: I looked into which hosting offers free website migration and how dependable their support systems are.
Value: I looked over the features that each host has to determine where you can get the most bang for your buck.
4 Google Cloud Hosting WordPress
1. Kinsta – A Simple Business Website Upgrade
Moving from shared hosting to Google Cloud WordPress hosting is simple with Kinsta.
One WordPress installation with 20,000 monthly visits is included in the Starter package. The Pro plan includes two installations and 40,000 visitors. These two plans are ideal for any small business with one or two websites that are approaching the limits of a traditional shared hosting plan.
The Business 1 plan is the third tier, with five sites; it is the most affordable package recommended by Kinsta for e-commerce or membership sites.
You can pay minimal overage fees rather than being forced to upgrade if your site exceeds certain plan limits.
Features
Kinsta guarantees that your site will be cleaned after a hack and that any dangerous code will be removed.
Staging servers – You can clone your site and make changes without affecting the live site, then roll them out rapidly once they’re finished.
Self-healing PHP – Every few minutes, Kinsta checks your server and restarts PHP if it detects a problem.
Backups, both automatic and manual — Restore a daily backup from the dashboard or take a snapshot whenever you want.
Free SSL – Make sure your site loads with HTTPS to protect your clients’ data and activity.
WP-CLI is a command-line interface for developers who want to utilize WordPress.
2. WP Engine — Best for Multimedia Websites and Developers
WP Engine hosting is ideal for immersive projects that push the WordPress platform to its limits. It claims to be the only host currently supplying Google Cloud “next generation” virtual machines (VMs), which can provide up to a 40% performance gain over ordinary Google Cloud VMs. Developer tools, analytical tools, disaster recovery, and the Genesis Framework are all included.
WP Engine’s Startup plan includes 25,000 monthly visits, 10 GB of storage, 50 GB of bandwidth, and one site, all of which are geared toward entrepreneurs and bloggers. The Growth plan, which is intended for organizations, increases this to 100,000 visits, 20 GB storage, 200 GB bandwidth, and 10 sites, while the Scale plan allows you to host 30 sites with 400,000 visitors, 50 GB storage, and 500 GB bandwidth limits.
WP Engine also prioritizes speed and performance, including a WordPress-optimized cache, a CDN, self-healing, and auto-recovery.
WP Engine caters to a specific audience: media-heavy, design-driven, and immersive WordPress sites. If you don’t require Google’s enormous network of servers behind your site, WP Engine might be overkill for you.
Features
WP Engine’s high-performance servers are up to 40% more powerful than Google Cloud’s ordinary servers.
Add-ons for additional features — Create your own bundle with premium analysis and performance tools.
Self-healing and auto-recovery — Automated checks will keep your site up.
EverCache and CDN — By caching files and distributing them across a network of computers, EverCache and CDN can reduce loading times.
Free SSL – Ensure that your activity and transactions are secure and confidential by using HTTPS.
3. Cloudways – Excellent for E-commerce Website Growth
With the extra benefit of pay-as-you-go billing, Cloudways has optimized Google Cloud, WordPress, and WooCommerce to work together. As a result, Cloudways offers a cost-effective platform for expanding e-commerce businesses. You can also try things out for free for three days.
The most affordable package includes 1.7 GB RAM, 20 GB storage, and 2 GB bandwidth available to your site. (Bandwidth is pay-as-you-go above this.) As seen in the screenshot below, you can scale up resources when you deploy your app.
The Cloudways platform’s team collaboration features will appeal to digital agencies; you can use them to jointly construct or administer websites and online apps. All options include staging, a free SSL certificate, and 24/7 support. You can upgrade your support to a premium package for an additional charge.
If your agency needs consistent availability during periods of heavy demand, resource-based billing and scalability will be beneficial. You’ll be able to roll out multiple platforms for different projects if you can deploy as many applications as you require.
Features
Cloudways’ technology has been fine-tuned for optimal store performance.
Scripts and programs indefinitely — Install as many scripts and applications as you need.
Self-healing and intelligent resource optimization — Automated checks ensure that your site is constantly online and that the appropriate resources are provided to it.
Resource-based billing — Rather than paying a monthly fee, you pay for the resources you use.
Free SSL – Ensures transactions are always private.
4. Themecloud.io – No Contract and Low-Cost Plans
Themecloud.io has the cheapest Google Cloud managed WordPress subscription I found while researching this article. There is one uncommon drawback: the cheapest plan comes with no uptime guarantee. Customers should expect 99.9% uptime on average, according to support.
The Perso plan’s inexpensive pricing appeals to me. It comes with a single WordPress installation, 25 GB of bandwidth, and 10 GB of storage. For more than double the price, the next plan includes the same 10 GB storage with 100 GB bandwidth (and an uptime guarantee).
All of Themecloud.io’s hosting plans include daily backups, as well as Astra Pro, a security service that includes free mending of any hacking attempts on your website — a feature I always appreciate. Additionally, agencies can customize dashboards and staging sites with their own branding and unique domains. Customers on reseller hosting packages can consider switching to a bundle like this.
Themecloud.io’s website can be difficult to browse; for example, when English is selected, some options are provided in French, making it difficult to determine what further capabilities are accessible. The response time from support was a little longer than expected, with a 40-minute wait for a chat response.
Features
Features for staging – Clone your website with a single click and make changes without affecting the live version.
There is no minimum contract – if you are not ready to commit to a full year of hosting, you can pay monthly.
Free SSL – Encrypt your entire site so that customers can browse and pay in complete privacy.
Demo site – Get started with a WordPress template site that you can put up with a single click.
CONCLUSION
FAQ
1. Can I use Google Cloud Platform to host a WordPress site?
Yes. You can install WordPress on Google Cloud directly or through a host like Kinsta or Cloudways that uses Google Cloud as its infrastructure provider. Unless you’re already familiar with Google Cloud, you’ll probably find that using a hosting provider makes it easier to maintain your site. Your site will be entirely managed by the host, who will also give essential services and tools.
2. What is the best WordPress hosting?
On a low-cost shared hosting account, you can run a simple WordPress website or blog. Consider upgrading to managed WordPress hosting or cloud hosting as your website grows, so you can take advantage of scalable resources, customized management tools, and the uptime assurance of a provider like Google Cloud.
