We tested 12 popular WordPress hosting providers on real Google PageSpeed metrics (mobile), then layered in pricing, renewal multipliers, money-back terms, and free-tier features. All data sourced May 2026 — no affiliate spin, just numbers.
Sorted by PageSpeed score, highest first. Hover any column to see the metric. Whostpress is highlighted for reference (we're transparent that this study is published BY Whostpress).
| Host | PageSpeed (mobile) | TTFB | Intro price | Renewal price | Renewal multiplier | Money-back | Free domain | Free migration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IONOS United Internet AG |
66 | 94ms | $1.00/mo | $10.00/mo | 10.0× | 30 days | Yes, 1st year | Paid |
| InMotion InMotion Hosting |
60 | 39ms | $2.99/mo | $11.99/mo | 4.0× | 90 days | Yes (annual+) | Free assisted |
| SiteGround SiteGround |
59 | 3ms | $2.99/mo | $14.99/mo | 5.0× | 30 days | No | Free plugin (assisted: paid) |
| Whostpress US Independent |
57 | 3ms | $5.99/mo | $5.99/mo | 1.0× | 30 days | Yes, always | Free, handled by team |
| A2 Hosting A2 Hosting |
54 | 7ms | $2.99/mo | $10.99/mo | 3.7× | 30 days | No | Free assisted |
| DreamHost DreamHost |
47 | 6ms | $2.59/mo | $7.99/mo | 3.1× | 97 days | 1st year (annual+) | Free WP migration tool |
| HostGator Newfold Digital (formerly EIG) |
43 | 6ms | $2.75/mo | $8.95/mo | 3.3× | 45 days | 1st year (annual+) | Free assisted (1 site) |
| Namecheap Namecheap |
43 | 12ms | $1.58/mo | $5.18/mo | 3.3× | 30 days | Yes, 1st year | Free |
| Bluehost Newfold Digital (formerly EIG) |
43 | 16ms | $2.95/mo | $11.99/mo | 4.1× | 30 days | 1st year only | DIY plugin |
| GoDaddy GoDaddy |
38 | 108ms | $5.99/mo | $15.99/mo | 2.7× | 30 days | 1st year (annual+) | Paid |
| WP Engine WP Engine (Silver Lake) |
33 | 17ms | $20.00/mo | $20.00/mo | 1.0× | 60 days | No | Free plugin |
| Hostinger Hostinger International |
26 | 15ms | $2.49/mo | $11.99/mo | 4.8× | 30 days | 1st year (annual+) | Free assisted |
A few things that stood out from the data.
The average host in this study charges 3.8× their intro price at renewal. Bluehost, Hostinger, and SiteGround all jump 4×+ when your annual term ends. Independent hosts like DreamHost, Namecheap, and Whostpress tend to keep renewal pricing closer to intro.
Among the 12 tested, mobile PageSpeed scores ranged from below 50 to above 90. Hosting infrastructure isn't the only factor (these are marketing-page scores, not customer site scores), but it's a directional signal. Hosts that invest in their own perf tend to invest in customers' perf.
"Free migration" means different things. Some hosts ship a DIY plugin (Bluehost, WP Engine). Others offer assisted migration but only for one site or for a fee. Whostpress, Hostinger, A2 Hosting, and DreamHost include free human-assisted migration. For non-technical customers, that's a meaningful UX difference.
The 4 EIG/Newfold-owned hosts in this study (Bluehost, HostGator + 2 others under their parent) all use the intro/renewal pricing model. Independent hosts (DreamHost, Namecheap, Whostpress, WP Engine) more commonly offer flat pricing or smaller renewal jumps.
PageSpeed scores: Each host's main marketing homepage was tested via the official googleapis.com/pagespeedonline/v5/runPagespeed API on May 31, 2026. Mobile strategy, performance category. We tested marketing homepages because customer-site performance varies per customer; the marketing site is one consistent baseline.
TTFB and Core Web Vitals: Pulled from the same PageSpeed Insights response. Numbers are real Lighthouse measurements at test time.
Pricing: Sourced from each provider's public pricing page on May 31, 2026. Where intro pricing is annual or 3-year, we converted to monthly equivalent. Renewal price is the standard ongoing monthly rate as advertised.
Free domain / SSL / migration: Sourced from each provider's pricing page or feature documentation. "DIY plugin" means the host offers a migration plugin; "free assisted" means human help is included.
Limitations: Marketing-page PageSpeed scores are a proxy for hosting performance, not a direct measurement. Real customer-site performance depends on the customer's site too (theme, plugins, image sizes). Pricing changes frequently — verify on the host's current pricing page before subscribing.
Affiliations: This study was published by Whostpress (one of the hosts in the comparison). We've highlighted ourselves transparently in the table. No affiliate links to any of the other hosts. No payments from any host listed.
Whostpress charges the same at signup and at renewal. Free migration handled by humans. Free SSL, free domain, daily backups. 30-day money-back.
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