One of the reasons we used Local WP in the last step is how easy it makes this one. Local WP connects to two web hosts using a feature called – get this – Connect. Both of them, Flywheel and WP Engine, specialize in hosting WordPress websites and have similar pricing models. Either would make a great host, but here are a few key differences:

1. Flywheel offers what they call the Tiny plan for $15/month, and it’s enough for some small businesses. That’s half as much as WP Engine’s least-expensive or Flywheel’s next-least-expensive plan.
2. WP Engine has more robust e-commerce tools. If you’re business has a future in online retail, then you should take advantage of them.
3. Both have live support, but the WP Engine support site has more self-help resources.

You’re able to use other web hosts – that was the whole point of portability – but the Connect feature of Local WP makes these two particularly convenient for uploading your website. They also have WordPress-specific maintenance and security features to make your life easier.

You can use Local WP’s export feature or a dedicated WordPress plugin to obtain files you can use with any web host. Flywheel and WP Engine aren’t the only ones specializing in WordPress. I’ve heard good things about Kinsta, and they even have their own Local WP replacement, DevKinsta. Using it with Kinsta replicates the Connect experience.

There are good web hosts that don’t focus on WordPress but can still host WordPress websites. However, if not using Flywheel or WP Engine is taking a step into the technology deep end, then using a host with fewer or no built-in WordPress features is cannonballing into the ocean. I believe in paying for quality web hosting that saves you time.

Of course, if you don’t want to deal with hosting at all, drop us a line.