WordPress Hosting Compared, Part 3: Cloud & Shared

Welcome to part 3 in our WordPress hosting series. In part 1 I explained the various options, and in part 2 I showed you how to install WordPress on a VPS (Virtual Private Server) and on WordPress.com.

In this part I will take you through the steps needed to install WordPress in the cloud, and how to set it up in a shared hosting environment.

Cloud

For installing WordPress in the cloud I will use Rackspace.com as an example. The reason for doing this is that they have a pre-configured optimized cloud setup that you can deploy on the Rackspace cloud. This saves you a lot of time in setting up all the different components (web, database, permissions etc.) and you have the benefit of using an optimized WordPress install. See the provider overview below to find out more about this Rackspace combo (which doesn’t cost you more than a normal cloud server). By using the deployment image they offer, setting up is also done in a few minutes.

In the screencast in part 2, I used a site that I have in development, HIPAA HQ. For the Rackspace tutorial I made a DNS switch to show you the site running in the WordPress cloud. If you visit it now you’ll see the live version, which is hosted at WPEngine.

Shared hosting

WordPress on shared hosting is the easiest to setup and maintain. I will be using WPEngine as a provider for this tutorial. I chose them since I already am a customer, and they are a perfect example of the current wave of specialized WordPress hosting providers. Like most of these type of providers, they use a self-built setup combined with a highly optimized WordPress installation. The end result is fast and stable, but this is by far the most expensive solution out of the four featured options when it comes to cost per install.

Screencast

The screencast will start with installing WordPress in the cloud, followed by an installation on shared hosting. Enjoy!

Direct link to the video on YouTube: http://youtu.be/ikcG5eMk9k8

Provider overview