7 Best WPMU DEV Hosting Alternatives & Competitors in 2025

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the seven best alternatives to WPMU DEV hosting. We’ll break down what makes each option stand out, their pricing structures, and which type of users they serve best. Whether you’re running a small blog or managing enterprise-level websites, you’ll find an option that fits your needs.

The Best WPMU DEV Hosting Alternatives & Competitors in 2025

1. Elementor Hosting: The Ultimate WordPress Hosting Solution

Elementor Hosting has rapidly become a highly regarded WordPress hosting solution. Purpose-built for WordPress websites, this hosting service delivers exceptional performance specifically optimized for sites created with the Elementor website builder.

Key Features

Elementor Hosting provides a fully integrated platform for WordPress users, seamlessly combining powerful hosting with the popular Elementor website builder for a streamlined workflow. Key features include:

• Lightning-Fast Speed: Built on a swift and powerful cloud infrastructure, leveraging Google Cloud’s C2 infrastructure, advanced customizable caching mechanisms, and Zero Handshake TLS for faster data transfer.
• Built-In CDN: This package includes an Enterprise-level Cloudflare CDN with over 200 global edge locations, ensuring rapid content delivery to visitors worldwide.
• NVMe Storage: All plans utilize cutting-edge NVMe storage, resulting in significantly faster read/write speeds and enhanced website performance.
• Automatic Daily Backups: This service offers automatic daily backups of your website data with varying retention periods depending on the chosen plan.
• Enterprise-Grade Security: This product features multiple layers of robust security measures, including a complimentary Premium SSL certificate, enterprise-grade WAF protection, DDoS mitigation, bot protection, multi-factor authentication, and 24/7 monitoring.
• Staging Environment & Site Cloning: This service provides a secure staging environment to test changes and updates before deploying them to your live site. Higher-tier plans also include convenient site cloning functionality.
• Free Domain: This includes free domain registration for the first year with any Elementor Hosting plan.
• Automatic Scaling: Built-in auto-scale technology ensures your website can seamlessly handle unexpected surges in traffic, maintaining optimal performance.
• Optimized for Elementor: Specifically engineered to deliver peak performance when used with the Elementor website builder, guaranteeing seamless integration and exceptional speed.
• Elementor Website Builder Included: Each plan includes Elementor Core, the foundational website builder. Elementor Pro, offering more advanced design tools and features, is available as a separate purchase.
• Free Migration: Offers free website migration to Elementor Hosting.
• 24/7 Expert Support: This company provides round-the-clock support from its expert team for any hosting, WordPress, or website builder-related queries.

Pricing

Elementor Hosting offers several tiered plans to accommodate different needs:

• Lite: $2.99/month (billed annually at $36, renews at $144/year) for one site, 10K monthly visits, 5 GB storage, 10 GB/mo bandwidth, 1-day backup, includes Elementor Core (free version), and 24/7 support for hosting (1 member).
• Basic: $9.99/month (billed annually at $120, renews at $180/year) for one site, 25K monthly visits, 10 GB storage, 30 GB/mo bandwidth, 14-day backup, includes Elementor Core, and 24/7 premium support for all services (1 member).
• Business: $19.99/month (billed annually at $240, renews at $300/year) for one site, 50K monthly visits, 20 GB storage, 50 GB/mo bandwidth, 30-day backup, includes Elementor Core, staging environment, and 24/7 premium support for all services (2 members).
• Grow: $22.99/month (billed annually at $276, renews at $396/year) for three sites, 75K monthly visits, 25 GB storage, 75 GB/mo bandwidth, 30-day backup, includes Elementor Core, staging environment, site cloning, and 24/7 priority support for all services (4 members).

Best For

Elementor Hosting is an excellent choice for web designers, developers, and agencies that build websites with Elementor. The infrastructure is meticulously optimized for Elementor-built sites, making it ideal if you are already utilizing or planning to use this popular page builder. 

Remember that while each plan includes the robust features of Elementor Core, Elementor Pro, with its advanced capabilities, can be purchased separately to enhance your website creation process further.

2. WP Engine: Premium Managed WordPress Hosting

WP Engine has firmly established itself as a leading and highly respected provider of managed WordPress hosting, renowned for its robust platform, a comprehensive suite of advanced features, and a strong commitment to both security and performance. They offer a wide array of tools and services meticulously designed to cater to WordPress websites of all sizes and complexities.

Key Features

WP Engine is dedicated to providing a secure, exceptionally fast, and highly scalable hosting environment specifically tailored for WordPress websites. Their notable features include:

• Global CDN: Seamlessly integrated with Cloudflare, a leading Content Delivery Network, to ensure faster delivery of your website’s content to visitors worldwide.
• Proprietary Caching: Their custom-built caching solution, known as EverCache, is specifically engineered to optimize the performance of WordPress websites, resulting in lightning-fast loading speeds.
• Automatic Daily Backups: Reliable automatic daily backups of your entire website with straightforward options for restoration.
• Free SSL: Included at no additional cost to enhance the security of your website.
• Staging Environment: A convenient one-click staging environment that simplifies the process of testing changes and updates before they go live.
• Threat Detection and Security: Implementing proactive security measures to safeguard your website from various online threats and vulnerabilities.
• 24/7 Expert WordPress Support: A highly knowledgeable and responsive support team specializing in WordPress is available 24/7 to assist you.

Pricing

WP Engine’s pricing structure reflects its premium positioning:

• Startup Plan: $30/month – 1 site, 25,000 monthly visits, 10GB storage
• Professional Plan: $59/month – 3 sites, 75,000 monthly visits, 15GB storage
• Growth Plan: $115/month – 10 sites, 100,000 monthly visits, 20GB storage
• Scale Plan: $290/month – 30 sites, 400,000 monthly visits, 50GB storage
• Custom Enterprise Solutions: Available for larger organizations

All plans include free SSL certificates, CDN, and staging environments.

Best For

WP Engine is perfect for businesses and organizations that prioritize performance and security. Their higher-tier plans are particularly well-suited for agencies managing multiple client sites and enterprises needing robust WordPress infrastructure.

3. SiteGround: Balanced Performance and Value

SiteGround has rightfully earned a strong and positive reputation within the WordPress community for its unwavering commitment to delivering excellent performance, robust security measures, and exceptional customer support. They offer a diverse range of hosting solutions that are specifically optimized to meet the various needs of WordPress users, from individual bloggers to large e-commerce store owners.

Key Features

SiteGround consistently invests in cutting-edge technology and infrastructure to provide fast and reliable hosting experiences for its users. Notable features include:

• Ultrafast PHP: Implementing optimized and the latest versions of PHP for enhanced WordPress performance.
• Custom Caching Solution: Their in-house developed SuperCacher system provides multiple layers of intelligent caching for faster loading times.
• SG Optimizer Plugin: A dedicated and free WordPress plugin to further optimize your site’s performance.
• Automatic WordPress Updates: Handling automatic updates for your WordPress core and plugins (optional).
• Free SSL and CDN: These are included at no extra cost to enhance both security and website speed.
• Staging Environment: Available on higher-tier plans for safely testing website changes.
• 24/7 Expert Support: Widely praised for their responsive and knowledgeable support team.

Pricing

SiteGround offers three main WordPress hosting plans:

• StartUp Plan: $3.99/month intro ($14.99 regular) – 1 website, 10GB storage, ~10,000 monthly visits
• GrowBig Plan: $6.69/month intro ($24.99 regular) – Unlimited websites, 20GB storage, ~25,000 monthly visits
• GoGeek Plan: $10.69/month intro ($39.99 regular) – Unlimited websites, 40GB storage, ~100,000 monthly visits

All plans include free SSL, CDN, daily backups, and email hosting.

Best For

SiteGround is ideal for bloggers, small business owners, and WordPress beginners who want reliable hosting with excellent support. The GrowBig plan offers particularly good value for those managing multiple websites. 

4. Kinsta: Premium Cloud-Based WordPress Hosting

Kinsta is a highly regarded premium managed WordPress hosting provider, distinguished by its exceptional performance and unwavering reliability. The robust Google Cloud Platform powers it and caters to businesses and individual website owners who demand top-tier speed, rock-solid stability, and effortless scalability for their WordPress websites.

Key Features

Kinsta focuses on delivering a high-performance and secure hosting environment specifically optimized for WordPress. Key features include:

• Google Cloud Platform Infrastructure: Leveraging the extensive and high-performance global network of the Google Cloud Platform for superior speed and stability.
• PHP 8.x Support: Ensuring optimal performance and security by supporting the latest PHP versions.
• Automatic Daily Backups: Regular and reliable automatic daily backups with straightforward restoration options.
• Free SSL and CDN: These are included at no extra cost to enhance both security and website loading speed.
• Staging Environment: A convenient one-click staging environment for safely testing website changes and updates.
• Developer-Friendly Features: We offer features such as SSH access, WP-CLI, and Git integration to streamline developers’ workflows.
• Expert WordPress Support: A highly knowledgeable and responsive support team comprised of WordPress specialists.

Pricing

Kinsta’s premium service comes with corresponding pricing:

• Starting Price: Approximately $35/month for one WordPress install.
• Visit-Based Plans: Pricing is largely determined by the number of monthly visits.
• Key Features: Includes free migrations, SSL, staging, daily backups, and CDN.
• Scalable: Built on Google Cloud, offering various plans for different traffic levels.

Additional plans are available for larger operations.

Best For

Kinsta is best suited for professional websites, online stores, and businesses that can’t afford downtime. Their infrastructure is particularly well-suited for handling traffic spikes and providing consistent performance.

5. Cloudways: Flexible Cloud Hosting Platform

Cloudways offers a unique and highly flexible approach to WordPress hosting by allowing users to choose from a selection of leading cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud. They then manage the server for you, providing an optimized environment for WordPress and a user-friendly interface.

Key Features

Cloudways provides flexibility and control over your hosting infrastructure. Key features include:

• Choice of Cloud Providers: Select your preferred cloud infrastructure provider.
• Managed Servers: Cloudways handles server management tasks, including security and updates.
• Optimized Stack: Servers are configured for optimal WordPress performance with advanced caching.
• Free SSL and CDN: These are included at no extra cost to enhance security and website speed.
• Staging Environment: Easily create staging sites for testing purposes.
• Scalability: Effortlessly scale your server resources as your website grows.
• 24/7 Expert Support: Support is available via live chat and a ticketing system.

Pricing

Pricing varies based on the cloud provider you choose, starting at:

• DigitalOcean: Starting at $14/month for 1GB RAM, 1 Core, 25 GB Storage, and 1 TB Bandwidth.
• Key Features Included: Free SSL, Built-in Firewall, Free Object Cache Pro (on 4GB+ servers), Unlimited Application Installs, Staging Environment, Automated Backups.
• Optional Add-ons: Enterprise Cloudflare CDN, SafeUpdates, Malware Protection, Rackspace Email, Advanced Support, DNS Made Easy.

All plans scale up based on resource needs.

Best For

Cloudways is perfect for developers and tech-savvy website owners who want more control over their hosting environment without managing servers directly. It’s also excellent for those who need to scale resources quickly as traffic grows.

6. Flywheel: Designer-Friendly WordPress Hosting

Flywheel, now a part of the WP Engine family, offers managed WordPress hosting with a significant focus on simplifying the workflow for individuals, freelancers, and agencies. Their platform is well-regarded for its user-friendly interface and helpful collaboration tools, making WordPress management more efficient.

Key Features

Flywheel provides a range of features designed to make WordPress management easier. Notable features include:

• Intuitive Dashboard: A clean, modern, and easy-to-navigate user interface.
• Free SSL and CDN: These are included at no extra cost to enhance both security and website speed.
• Automatic Nightly Backups: Regular backups to protect your valuable website data.
• Staging Environment: Easily create staging sites for safe testing of changes.
• Collaboration Tools: Features designed for agencies and freelancers, such as client billing transfer and team access.
• Local Development Tool (Local): A free tool for setting up local WordPress development environments.
• 24/7 Expert Support: Responsive and helpful support team dedicated to assisting users.

Pricing

Flywheel’s pricing structure is straightforward:

• Tiny: $13/month (billed $150/year) for one site, 5,000 monthly visits, 5GB storage, and 20GB bandwidth. Ideal for small, simple WordPress sites.
• Starter: $25/month (billed $300/year) for one site, 25,000 monthly visits, 10GB storage, and 50GB bandwidth. Their most popular single-site option.
• Freelance: $96/month (billed $1150/year) for up to 10 sites, 100,000 monthly visits, 20GB storage, and 200GB bandwidth. Suitable for growing client lists.
• Agency: $242/month (billed $2900/year) for up to 30 sites, 400,000 monthly visits, 50GB storage, and 500GB bandwidth. A powerful option for larger businesses.
• Custom Plans: Available for those with more than 30 sites or mission-critical projects.

Bulk plans are available for agencies managing many sites.

Best For

Flywheel is the perfect hosting solution for web designers, freelancers, and agencies who want tools specifically designed for their workflow. The collaboration and client management features make it particularly attractive for those who build and maintain sites for clients.

7. Bluehost: Budget-Friendly WordPress Hosting

Bluehost is one of the oldest and most recognized names in WordPress hosting, known for affordability and WordPress.org’s official recommendation.

Key Features

Bluehost provides a comprehensive set of features designed to make WordPress hosting accessible and easy to manage, especially for those new to website creation. Key features include:

• Automatic WordPress Installation: Bluehost streamlines the process of setting up a WordPress website with an automatic installation feature directly from their control panel.
• User-Friendly Control Panel: They typically utilize a customized version of cPanel, a widely recognized and intuitive control panel that makes managing your hosting account and website straightforward.
• Free SSL Certificate: Most plans include a free SSL certificate, which ensures your website benefits from HTTPS security, which is essential for user trust and SEO.
• Automatic WordPress Updates: Bluehost often offers the convenience of automatic updates for your WordPress core installation, helping to keep your site secure and functioning smoothly without manual intervention.
• Built-in Caching: Bluehost usually includes some built-in caching mechanisms to help improve your WordPress website’s loading speed.
• CDN Integration: While not always built-in, Bluehost often facilitates easy integration with popular Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) like Cloudflare, which can significantly enhance your website’s global performance.
• 24/7 Support: Bluehost provides round-the-clock technical support through various channels, including live chat, phone, and email, ensuring help is available whenever you need it.

Pricing

Bluehost offers some of the most affordable WordPress hosting options:

• Basic: $2.95/month for one website, 50GB storage
• Plus: $5.45/month for unlimited websites, unlimited storage
• Choice Plus: $5.45/month for unlimited websites, unlimited storage, plus extras
• Pro: $13.95/month with high performance and dedicated IP

Note that these are promotional rates that increase upon renewal.

Best For

Bluehost is ideal for beginners, bloggers, and small businesses that need affordable hosting without sacrificing essential features. Their user-friendly approach and WordPress focus make it easy for newcomers to get sites up and running quickly.

Selecting the ideal hosting alternative for your WordPress website management requires a careful and thoughtful evaluation of your specific needs and priorities. Let’s delve deeper into the crucial factors you should consider to make the best decision for your projects.

Choosing the Right Hosting Alternative for Your Needs: A Comprehensive Guide

Selecting the ideal hosting alternative for your WordPress website management requires a careful and thoughtful evaluation of your specific needs and priorities. Let’s delve deeper into the crucial factors you should consider to make the best decision for your projects.

Optimization for WordPress and WooCommerce: Ensuring Peak Performance

If your website relies heavily on WordPress, especially if you’re operating an e-commerce store using the popular WooCommerce plugin, then prioritizing a hosting provider that offers specific optimizations for these platforms is absolutely essential. 

Hosting environments that are fine-tuned for WordPress and WooCommerce can lead to significant improvements in website speed, overall performance, and security. When evaluating hosting options, look for features such as:

• WordPress-specific caching mechanisms: These are caching solutions specifically designed to enhance the performance of WordPress websites, often including object caching or other specialized techniques.
• Optimized server configurations: Hosting providers may configure their servers to meet the specific resource and software requirements of WordPress and WooCommerce for optimal operation.
• Compatibility with popular plugins: Ensure the hosting environment is known to be compatible with the essential WordPress plugins you intend to use, particularly those related to performance, security, and e-commerce.
• WooCommerce-ready infrastructure: For e-commerce sites, look for hosting features that support the demands of online stores, such as robust security for handling sensitive customer data and sufficient server resources to manage product catalogs and order processing efficiently.

Assessing Your Website Needs: Defining Your Requirements

Before you begin comparing different hosting providers and their various plans, it’s crucial to take a step back and thoroughly analyze your current and anticipated website needs. Understanding your specific requirements will help you narrow down your options and choose a hosting solution that truly aligns with your goals. Consider the following key aspects:

• Expected traffic volume: Estimate the number of visitors you anticipate on your website on a monthly basis. This will significantly influence the amount of bandwidth and server resources you will need.
• Number of websites: Determine how many WordPress websites you need to host. Some providers offer plans that support multiple sites, which can be more cost-effective for managing several projects.
• Storage requirements: Assess the amount of disk space your website files, including your WordPress installation, themes, plugins, images, and any other media, will require.
• Technical expertise: Honestly evaluate your own level of technical comfort and expertise in managing a web server and WordPress websites. Do you prefer a fully managed solution, or are you comfortable with more hands-on server management?
• Specific features: Identify any specific features that are essential for your workflow or website functionality, such as staging environments, developer tools (like SSH access), or specific security features.

Considering Future Growth: Planning for Scalability

Your website’s needs and traffic are likely to evolve over time. Whether you anticipate gradual growth or have plans for significant expansion, it’s a wise strategy to select a hosting provider that can readily accommodate your future needs. Consider the following aspects related to scalability:

• Scalability options: Does the hosting provider offer clear and easy ways to upgrade your hosting plan or increase your server resources as your website grows? Understand the process and potential costs involved in scaling up.
• Cloud-based infrastructure: Hosting on a cloud platform often provides better inherent scalability compared to traditional shared hosting environments, allowing for more flexible resource allocation.

Budget Constraints: Finding the Right Balance

The costs associated with web hosting can vary considerably. Determine your budget and then explore hosting providers that offer the best value within your price range. Keep in mind that while cheaper options might seem appealing, they may come with limitations in terms of performance, features, or support.

Importance of Reliability and Uptime: Maintaining Accessibility

Website downtime can negatively impact your business and reputation. Choose a hosting provider with a strong track record of reliability and high uptime. Look for Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that guarantee a certain percentage of uptime (ideally 99.9% or higher).

Servers with NVMe Storage: Enhancing Speed and Responsiveness

NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) storage offers significantly faster data access speeds compared to traditional SATA SSDs, which can lead to noticeable improvements in your website’s loading times and overall responsiveness.

Importance of 24/7 Expert Support: Getting Timely Assistance

Technical issues can arise at any time. Having access to responsive and knowledgeable 24/7 customer support is crucial. Consider the support channels offered (e.g., live chat, phone, email) and read reviews to gauge the quality of their support.

User-Friendly Interface: Simplifying Management

An intuitive control panel or dashboard can make managing your hosting account and WordPress websites much easier, especially for those who are less technically experienced.

Migration Considerations: A Smooth Transition

If you’re currently hosting your WordPress websites with WPMU DEV or another provider and are considering switching to one of these alternatives, the website migration process is an important factor to consider.

Data Transfer Process: Moving Your Website Files

Understand how the potential new hosting provider handles the process of transferring your website’s files and databases from your current host to their servers. Do they offer free migration services, and if so, for how many sites?

Domain Name Management: Ensuring Proper Configuration

Determine whether you will need to transfer your domain name registration to the new hosting provider or if you can simply update the DNS records to point to your new hosting account.

Email Hosting Options: Maintaining Email Functionality

If you rely on email addresses associated with your domain, find out if the new hosting provider includes email hosting or if you’ll need to use a separate email hosting service.

Avoiding Downtime During Migration: Minimizing Interruption

Ideally, your website should experience minimal to no downtime during the migration process. Inquire about the hosting provider’s migration procedures and if they offer any strategies to ensure a seamless transition.

One-Click Migration: Simplifying the Move

Some hosting providers offer convenient one-click migration tools or plugins that can significantly simplify the process of moving your WordPress websites.

Optimizing Your Website on New Hosting: Fine-Tuning Performance

Once your website has successfully migrated to a new hosting environment, you can take several steps to optimize its performance further.

Performance Tuning Tips: Enhancing Speed and Efficiency

• Optimize images to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality.
• Minify CSS and JavaScript files to improve loading times.
• Leverage browser caching to store static assets locally.
• Choose lightweight and well-coded WordPress themes.
• Keep WordPress, themes, and plugins regularly updated.

Leveraging Caching and CDN: Delivering Content Faster

• Implement WordPress caching plugins to create static versions of your pages.
• Utilize a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute your website’s content globally.

Cloud-Based Infrastructure Benefits: Advantages of the Cloud

• Scalability to easily handle traffic fluctuations.
• Reliability due to distributed infrastructure and redundancy.
• Improved performance for global audiences through geographically diverse servers.

Regular Maintenance Best Practices: Keeping Your Site Healthy

• Regularly back up your website data.
• Monitor your website’s performance and identify any potential issues.
• Keep your WordPress installation and all plugins and themes updated.
• Check for and fix any broken links on your website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does switching hosts affect my SEO rankings?

When done correctly, switching hosts should have minimal impact on SEO. Ensure your new host offers comparable or better performance, maintains the same URL structure, and implements proper 301 redirects if needed. A temporary drop in rankings might occur, but they typically recover quickly if site speed improves.

Can I keep my domain name when changing hosts?

Yes, you keep your domain name when changing hosts. Domain registration and hosting are separate services. You’ll simply update your domain’s nameservers or DNS records to point to your new host. Most hosts provide detailed instructions for this process.

How long does migration to a new host typically take?

Migration time varies based on site size and complexity, typically ranging from a few hours to a day for standard WordPress sites. Large e-commerce stores or sites with extensive databases may take longer. Many hosts listed here offer expedited migration services.

Will my email services be affected when changing hosts?

Email services can be affected if your current host manages your email. Before migrating, document your email settings and determine whether to transfer email services to your new host or use a dedicated email provider like Google Workspace or Microsoft 365.

Can I test a new host before fully committing to the switch?

Yes, many hosts offer money-back guarantee periods (typically 30 days), allowing you to test their services. Additionally, you can set up your site on the new host without changing your domain’s DNS, allowing for thorough testing before completing the switch.

Conclusion: Making Your Hosting Decision

While WPMU DEV hosting has served many WordPress users well, the alternatives presented here offer compelling features, performance improvements, and value propositions that make them worth considering in 2025.

Elementor Hosting stands out as the premier choice for WordPress sites built with Elementor, offering specialized optimization and seamless integration. 

Before making your decision, take time to evaluate your specific needs, test support responsiveness, and consider future growth requirements. The right hosting partner will provide not just server space but a foundation for your website’s success.

Remember that the best hosting choice aligns with your specific requirements—there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. By focusing on the factors most important to your website’s success, you’ll find the perfect WPMU DEV alternative for your needs.