In this comparison, we take a look at how the new managed WordPress hosting plans from A2 Hosting compare with WP Engine. WP Engine has long been the industry standard when it comes to managed WordPress hosting. Meanwhile, A2 Hosting has been one of our top rated web hosting companies for a variety of web hosting plans (Shared, VPS, etc.). So when it comes to managed WordPress hosting, how does A2 Hosting match up with WP Engine? Let’s take a closer detailed look to find out.
While both WP Engine and A2 Hosting offer excellent website speed and performance, in our testing A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress does post faster speed and performance times. A2 Hosting’s turbo servers and optimized WordPress environment really made a difference. And, we found A2 Hosting provided more consistently impressive website speed results.
In my personal experience using both WP Engine and A2 Hosting, I also have to report that I’m more than satisfied with the speed offered by both of these web hosts. However, if you’re looking for the more consistent faster website provider, A2 Hosting is the winner.
Below are some of our sample speed test results:
While WP Engine has long provided one of the best staging environments, we were very surprised that A2 Hosting’s managed WordPress hosting includes equally impressive website staging features. The staging from both of these web hosts worked out perfectly for us, and therefore we have to call it a tie in this category.
Here is another category where WP Engine would have dominated in the past. WP Engine not only provides automatic daily backups, but you also get their Snapshot Backup capability—meaning you can choose to create a backup copy whenever you wish. The process comes in very handy when you need to upgrade a theme or plugin. You can quickly and easily create a backup copy just in case something goes wrong.
However, as with their website staging, A2 Hosting more than holds their own here. With A2 Hosting’s Managed WordPress hosting, you get automated daily backups and on-demand backup capability. Also, you get the ability to configure automated off-site backups.
So, in this category, A2 Hosting is the surprise winner.
A2 Hosting and WP Engine have two of the best customer support teams in the industry. I’ve always been impressed with the quick response times and helpful assistance they have provided over the years. However, when it comes to managed WordPress hosting, keep in mind that WP Engine focuses exclusively on WordPress. While A2 Hosting’s Guru Crew support team is well-versed in many areas of web hosting, their managed hosting is relatively new and the staff is sometimes not as familiar with the product as they could be. So here, WP Engine gets the advantage.
Data Center: Michigan, USA
Free Domain?: No
Money Back Guarantee: 30 Days
Advantages of A2 Hosting
Data Centers: U.S., Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia
Free Domain?: No
Money Back Guarantee: 60 Days
Advantages of WP Engine
When it comes to managed WordPress hosting, WP Engine remains the standard by which others are compared to. However, with their recent improvements to their Managed WordPress Hosting lineup, A2 Hosting not only matches up well, but they actually surpass WP Engine in our head to head comparison. Overall, A2 Hosting Managed WordPress is the winner here. See our A2 Hosting Review Ratings below.
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