Choosing between shared hosting and managed WordPress hosting can be confusing, especially if you’re setting up your first website.
Both options can host a WordPress website. Both can keep your website online. And both can be suitable for Australian businesses.
The major difference is how much responsibility you want to take for managing your website and hosting environment.
With traditional shared hosting, you generally manage more of the website yourself.
With managed WordPress hosting, the hosting provider takes care of more of the technical work and provides additional support.
For a small business owner, the difference can be more important than the monthly price.
In this guide, we’ll explain exactly how shared hosting vs managed WordPress hosting compares, who each option is best for, what you should consider before choosing one and where HBHosting’s $10, $25 and $50 plans fit.
What is shared hosting?
Shared hosting is a type of web hosting where multiple websites use resources within the same hosting environment.
Instead of paying for an entire server yourself, you share the underlying infrastructure with other websites.
This makes shared hosting one of the most affordable ways to host a website.
Shared hosting can be suitable for:
- Personal websites
- Blogs
- Startups
- Small business websites
- Portfolio websites
- Lower-traffic WordPress websites
The word “shared” doesn’t automatically mean slow or unreliable.
A properly configured shared hosting environment can provide plenty of performance for a typical small website.
The main advantage is affordability.
The trade-off is that you are generally responsible for more of the day-to-day management of your website.
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is designed to provide additional assistance with the technical side of running WordPress.
The exact meaning of “managed” varies between hosting providers, so you should always check what is actually included in the plan you’re purchasing.
Managed WordPress hosting may include things such as:
- WordPress updates
- Plugin and theme updates
- Security monitoring
- Backups
- Performance optimisation
- Technical support
- Resource monitoring
- Website maintenance
- Website edits
The goal is simple:
You spend less time managing the technical side of your website.
This can be particularly useful for businesses that want to focus on their customers rather than troubleshooting WordPress.
Shared hosting vs managed WordPress hosting at a glance
| Feature | Shared Hosting | Managed WordPress Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Lower cost | Usually | Usually higher |
| WordPress support | Basic to good | Usually more specialised |
| WordPress updates | Often your responsibility | May be included |
| Plugin/theme updates | Often your responsibility | May be included |
| Backups | Depends on provider | Usually included |
| Security | Usually included at server level | Often additional management |
| Technical support | Available | Usually more extensive |
| Website management | Mostly you | More provider assistance |
| Website edits | Usually not included | May be included |
| Best for | Self-managed websites | Businesses wanting hands-on support |
The exact features depend on the provider.
This is why comparing hosting packages based solely on the labels “shared” and “managed” isn’t enough.
Look at what you are actually receiving.
The biggest difference: who manages your website?
The simplest way to understand the difference is to ask:
Who is responsible for maintaining the website?
With basic shared hosting, you generally have more responsibility.
You might need to:
- Log into WordPress
- Update WordPress
- Update plugins
- Update themes
- Make content changes
- Troubleshoot problems
- Manage website settings
That’s completely fine for someone comfortable with WordPress.
But imagine you’re a business owner who doesn’t have much technical experience.
You need to change something on your website.
You might spend 30 minutes trying to work out how to do it.
Or you might have to find a web developer and pay them for a small change.
Managed hosting can reduce this burden.
Is shared hosting good enough for WordPress?
For many websites, absolutely.
If you’re running a relatively simple website and you’re comfortable managing WordPress, shared hosting can be an excellent option.
For example, a small business website might have:
- A homepage
- About page
- Services
- Contact page
- Blog
There may be no reason to pay for a highly managed hosting package.
A reliable shared hosting plan with appropriate resources, backups, security and support can be perfectly adequate.
This is why HBHosting offers Essential Hosting at $10/month for website owners who primarily want reliable hosting without the additional management provided by its higher plans.
View HBHosting’s Australian Web Hosting Plans →
When should you choose managed WordPress hosting?
Managed hosting becomes more attractive when your time is more valuable than the additional hosting cost.
For example, imagine you own a business.
You could spend your evening figuring out how to update WordPress.
Or you could pay for a hosting plan that handles more of the technical work for you.
You might prefer managed hosting if:
- You aren’t confident using WordPress
- You don’t have an IT team
- You don’t have a website developer
- You don’t have time to manage your website
- Your website is important to your business
- You want more hands-on support
- You regularly need website changes
The biggest benefit isn’t necessarily “more server space.”
It’s less work for you.
What is included with shared hosting?
This varies significantly between providers.
A good shared hosting plan may include:
- Website storage
- Bandwidth
- SSL
- Databases
- cPanel
- Backups
- Security
- WordPress installation
- Technical support
However, many providers expect customers to manage the actual WordPress website themselves.
For example, you might receive hosting and support for server-related problems but still be responsible for updating your WordPress plugins and changing your website content.
That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It keeps the price lower.
If you know how to manage WordPress, you may prefer this approach.
What is included with managed WordPress hosting?
Managed hosting should provide more assistance, but don’t assume everything is included simply because a plan says “managed.”
Look at the actual features.
A managed plan may include:
WordPress updates
Your provider can keep WordPress itself up to date.
Plugin and theme updates
Some providers will also manage compatible plugin and theme updates.
Backups
Regular backups provide a recovery option if something goes wrong.
Security
Additional security monitoring and protection may be included.
Performance optimisation
The hosting environment may be specifically configured for WordPress.
Technical support
You may receive more specialised assistance when something goes wrong.
Website management
Some managed plans go beyond technical hosting and help with actual website changes.
That last point is where HBHosting’s managed approach can be particularly useful for small businesses.
What does HBHosting include?
HBHosting provides three primary Australian hosting plans:
Essential Hosting — $10/month
Business Hosting — $25/month
Managed Hosting — $50/month
The plans are structured so that customers can choose how much hosting and website support they need.
Essential Hosting — $10/month
Essential is designed for customers who are comfortable managing more of their website themselves.
The plan currently includes:
- 5GB SSD storage
- 200GB bandwidth
- 1GB RAM
- WordPress optimisation
- Proactive security
- Daily backups
- Free SSL
- Free migration
- cPanel
- Australian support
(HBHosting Australian Web Hosting)
This can be a good option for:
- Bloggers
- Personal websites
- New startups
- Small websites
- DIY WordPress users
Business Hosting — $25/month
Business Hosting is designed for small businesses that want more resources and assistance.
It includes the features available with Essential plus:
- 15GB SSD storage
- 300GB bandwidth
- 2GB RAM
- Automated updates
- Priority support
- 3 minor website edits per month
- Free domain for the first year on eligible annual plans
(HBHosting Australian Web Hosting)
The three minor website edits per month are particularly important.
For example, you could request eligible changes such as:
- Updating website text
- Replacing an image
- Changing a button
- Updating a link
- Uploading a blog post
- Updating a menu
- Adding a product
That means you can spend less time inside WordPress.
Managed Hosting — $50/month
Managed Hosting provides the highest level of support of HBHosting’s three main plans.
It currently includes:
- 30GB SSD storage
- 400GB bandwidth
- 3GB RAM
- Full WordPress optimisation
- Automated updates
- Premium security
- Resource monitoring
- VIP support
- 6 minor website edits per month
- Free SSL
- Daily backups
- Free migration
- cPanel
(HBHosting Australian Web Hosting)
This is designed for businesses that want a more hands-off website experience.
Shared hosting vs managed hosting: Is managed hosting faster?
Not necessarily.
This is an important distinction.
Managed hosting does not automatically mean your website will be faster.
Performance depends on:
- Server infrastructure
- CPU resources
- RAM
- Storage
- Website optimisation
- WordPress theme
- Plugins
- Images
- Caching
- Database performance
- Traffic
Managed hosting may provide a more optimised environment, but the word “managed” itself isn’t a guarantee of higher performance.
A well-built WordPress website on good shared hosting can outperform a poorly optimised website on an expensive managed plan.
The hosting environment and the website both matter.
Shared hosting vs managed hosting: Which is more secure?
Both can be secure.
The difference is how much security management and support is included.
A reputable hosting provider should provide server-level security regardless of whether you’re on a basic or managed plan.
However, managed plans may include additional security monitoring, automatic updates, resource monitoring and other features.
HBHosting provides security features across its hosting plans, with additional security capabilities on the higher plans.
For example, Managed Hosting includes premium security and resource monitoring.
The website owner still has responsibilities, though.
You should always:
- Use strong passwords
- Keep software updated
- Remove unused plugins
- Limit administrator access
- Use HTTPS
- Maintain backups
Shared hosting vs managed hosting: Which is better for a small business?
For many small businesses, managed hosting can be worthwhile.
But that doesn’t mean every business needs the $50/month plan.
Think about how much website management you want to do yourself.
Choose a more self-managed plan if:
You are comfortable with WordPress.
You can update plugins yourself.
You can make your own website changes.
You don’t mind troubleshooting occasional problems.
You mainly need reliable hosting.
In that situation, HBHosting Essential at $10/month may be sufficient.
Choose Business Hosting if:
You want some additional assistance.
You regularly need small website changes.
You want automated updates.
You want priority support.
In that situation, HBHosting Business at $25/month can be a useful middle ground.
Choose Managed Hosting if:
Your website is important to your business.
You don’t want to spend time maintaining WordPress.
You want more hands-on support.
You want resource monitoring and premium security.
You regularly need website changes.
In that situation, HBHosting Managed at $50/month may make more sense.
Is managed WordPress hosting worth the extra money?
This depends on how you value your time.
Consider the difference between HBHosting’s plans.
Essential:
$10/month
Business:
$25/month
Managed:
$50/month
The difference between Essential and Managed is $40 per month, or $480 per year.
That might sound like a lot compared with basic hosting.
But imagine you spend just two hours every month dealing with WordPress updates, troubleshooting and website changes.
Over a year, that’s 24 hours.
For a business owner, those hours may be worth significantly more than $480.
This is why managed hosting should be evaluated based on total value, rather than simply the monthly price.
Does managed hosting include website edits?
Not every managed hosting provider includes this.
In many cases, managed WordPress hosting focuses on technical management rather than content changes.
This is an important distinction to check before purchasing.
HBHosting’s Business and Managed plans specifically include monthly minor website edits.
Business Hosting includes:
3 minor edits per month
Managed Hosting includes:
6 minor edits per month
These can cover eligible everyday website changes, meaning you can request assistance rather than having to make every change yourself.
For a small business, that can be one of the most useful differences between ordinary hosting and a more managed service.
What if I already have a WordPress website?
You don’t need to build a new website to use managed hosting.
You can migrate an existing WordPress website.
HBHosting offers free website migration, allowing existing websites to be moved onto its hosting.
That can be useful if:
- Your current hosting is slow
- Your hosting costs too much
- Your current provider offers poor support
- You want Australian hosting
- You want more website assistance
- You want managed WordPress hosting
Move Your Website to HBHosting →
Shared hosting vs managed hosting: What about backups?
Backups are important regardless of hosting type.
A hosting provider should clearly explain:
- How often backups happen
- How long backups are retained
- Where backups are stored
- How restoration works
HBHosting includes daily backups across its current hosting plans.
Managed Hosting adds additional features around security and resource monitoring, but backups remain an important foundation at every level.
Shared hosting vs managed hosting: What about cPanel?
cPanel is commonly associated with traditional web hosting and gives website owners more control over their hosting environment.
HBHosting includes cPanel access across its hosting plans, including its managed offering.
This gives you access to things such as:
- Files
- Databases
- Email accounts
- Domains
- DNS
- SSL
- Backup tools
- Hosting settings
Managed hosting doesn’t have to mean giving up all control.
You can still have access to your hosting environment while receiving additional assistance.
Can I start with shared hosting and upgrade later?
Absolutely.
In fact, this is often a sensible approach.
You don’t need to purchase the most expensive hosting package when you launch a five-page website.
Start with what you need.
Then upgrade when your website grows.
For example:
Start: Essential at $10/month
Growing business: Business at $25/month
More hands-off management: Managed at $50/month
This gives you room to grow without spending money on resources you don’t currently need.
Do bloggers need managed WordPress hosting?
Usually not necessarily.
A blogger who is comfortable managing WordPress can often use a basic hosting plan.
You may want managed hosting if your blog is becoming a significant business, receives substantial traffic or you simply don’t want to manage the technical side anymore.
For a new blogger, HBHosting Essential at $10/month may be a sensible place to start.
Do startups need managed hosting?
Startups need to consider their expected growth.
You may begin with a simple website, but your website could eventually become a much more important part of your business.
You may add:
- Landing pages
- Blog content
- Online booking
- Ecommerce
- Customer accounts
- Marketing integrations
- More traffic
A hosting provider that makes upgrading easy can therefore be valuable.
HBHosting’s three-tier hosting structure lets startups begin at an appropriate level and move upwards as their requirements change.
Which is better for ecommerce: shared or managed hosting?
For a small ecommerce website, either option can work depending on the hosting resources and website complexity.
However, ecommerce websites generally benefit more from:
- Better resources
- Regular backups
- Strong security
- Reliable support
- Performance monitoring
- Easy scaling
A poorly optimised ecommerce website can become problematic as the number of products and customers grows.
If your online store is an important source of revenue, managed hosting can provide additional peace of mind.
Shared hosting vs managed WordPress hosting: Pros and cons
Shared hosting advantages
Lower cost
Shared hosting is generally more affordable.
More control
You’re often responsible for more of the website management.
Good for smaller websites
Most basic websites don’t need expensive infrastructure.
Simple to understand
You pay for hosting and manage your website.
Shared hosting disadvantages
More responsibility
You may need to handle updates and website maintenance yourself.
Less hands-on assistance
The provider may focus primarily on the hosting environment.
Can require more technical knowledge
You’ll need to troubleshoot more issues yourself.
Managed WordPress hosting advantages
Less technical work
More of the maintenance can be handled for you.
More support
You may have access to specialised WordPress assistance.
Additional management
Updates, backups, security and monitoring may be included.
Better for busy business owners
You spend less time managing the website.
Managed WordPress hosting disadvantages
Higher cost
You pay more for the additional service.
Not every feature is necessarily included
“Managed” means different things between providers.
May be unnecessary for simple websites
A small blog may not need extensive management.
So, which should you choose?
There is no universal answer.
The choice depends on how much control and responsibility you want.
Shared hosting is probably right for you if:
You’re comfortable managing WordPress.
You want to keep costs low.
You have a relatively simple website.
You don’t mind making your own updates.
Managed WordPress hosting is probably right for you if:
You’re running a business.
Your time is valuable.
You don’t want to manage WordPress.
You want additional support.
You regularly need website changes.
You want more hands-on assistance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between shared hosting and managed WordPress hosting?
Shared hosting generally provides the hosting infrastructure while you manage more of your website yourself. Managed WordPress hosting provides additional technical management and support, although exactly what is included varies by provider.
Is managed WordPress hosting faster than shared hosting?
Not automatically. Website speed depends on server resources, infrastructure and website optimisation. Managed hosting may provide a more optimised environment, but “managed” itself doesn’t guarantee a faster website.
Is managed WordPress hosting worth it?
It can be, particularly for businesses that don’t want to manage WordPress themselves. The value comes from the time, support and management included in the plan.
Is shared hosting good for WordPress?
Yes. Shared hosting can be an excellent option for blogs, small businesses, startups and other websites with modest hosting requirements.
Is shared hosting cheaper than managed WordPress hosting?
Usually, yes. Managed hosting includes additional services and support, so it generally costs more.
Do I need managed WordPress hosting for a small business?
Not necessarily. If you’re comfortable managing your website, basic hosting may be sufficient. Managed hosting becomes more attractive when you want additional support or don’t have time to manage the website yourself.
Can I upgrade from shared hosting to managed hosting?
Yes. A good hosting provider should make it possible to move to a higher plan as your website grows or your support requirements change.
Does HBHosting offer shared and managed hosting?
HBHosting offers three tiers designed around different levels of hosting and support: Essential Hosting at $10/month, Business Hosting at $25/month and Managed Hosting at $50/month.
Does HBHosting include website edits?
Business Hosting includes three minor website edits per month, while Managed Hosting includes six minor website edits per month.
Does HBHosting provide WordPress updates?
Business and Managed Hosting include automated WordPress, theme and plugin updates.
Does HBHosting provide backups?
Yes. Daily backups are included with HBHosting’s current hosting plans.
Where are HBHosting’s servers located?
HBHosting’s hosting infrastructure is located in Sydney, Australia.
Final Verdict: Shared Hosting or Managed WordPress Hosting?
The right choice comes down to how much responsibility you want to take for your website.
If you’re confident with WordPress and want to keep your hosting costs low, shared hosting can be an excellent choice.
If you’re a business owner who would rather focus on running the business than managing WordPress, managed hosting can provide considerably more value.
For some people, the difference between $10 and $50 per month is simply the difference between doing everything themselves and having someone else help manage the website.
HBHosting gives Australian website owners several options rather than forcing everyone into the same plan.
Essential Hosting — $10/month
For customers who primarily want reliable hosting and are comfortable managing their own website.
Business Hosting — $25/month
For businesses wanting additional resources, automated updates, priority support and three minor website edits per month.
Managed Hosting — $50/month
For businesses wanting more hands-on support, resource monitoring, premium security, VIP support and six minor website edits per month.
Compare HBHosting’s Australian Web Hosting Plans →
You can also learn more about HBHosting:
The best hosting isn’t the hosting with the biggest plan. It’s the hosting that gives you exactly the level of support and control your website needs.
