Starting your blog? Or launching a new business website? You will likely lean towards using a web content management system to start. Why? It’s easier, and simpler to manage, and the costs are lower. But there are quite a few choices out there that might probably confuse you.
Some web content management systems are built for e-commerce sites, while others are more general purpose, in the latter category lie two unique but ultimately competing choices. WordPress vs SiteGround has become a significant rivalry.
While it is undeniable that WordPress dominates the majority, empowering millions of versatile websites, SiteGround has also gained some ground, so to speak. SiteGround is mainly known for its robust hosting services. But what you pick depends on your exact needs.
WordPress vs SiteGround – A Complicated Comparison
WordPress vs SiteGround has some core differences that should be highlighted to make an educated decision. The fundamental difference between the two is that while WordPress’s primary offering is a web content management system, SiteGround’s main offering is versatile web hosting services.
But WordPress also offers hosting, while SiteGround also offers a great web content management system. So, both offer the whole package. But SiteGround prioritizes features such as uptime, server speed, security, and more, offering a stable and reliable hosting platform for your website to make itself at home.
Whereas, for WordPress focuses on offering a sleek and optimized web content management system. WordPress’s capabilities for building and maintaining a website are also great, offering thousands of plugins and tools, as well as complex functionality. WordPress also offers the ability to be installed on third-party hosting, including SiteGround, so both can work harmoniously as well.
Key Differences
| Comparison | SiteGround | WordPress |
| Price | From $3.99 USD/mo | From $19.99 USD/mo |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.95% |
| Storage Space | 10GB SSD | 10GB HDD |
| Free Domain (1st Year) | Yes | No |
| Free SSL Certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Site Migration | Free automated WordPress migration and transfer | Free automated migration with a Plugin |
| Automated Backups | Yes (daily) | Yes (daily) |
| Email Accounts | Free (unlimited) | No |
| 24/7 Live Support | Yes | Yes |
| Money-back Guarantee | 30-day | 60-day |
Functionality Comparison
- Themes & Plugins
Themes and Plugins are incredibly important elements of any web content management system.
But the key difference between WordPress and SiteGround is that SiteGround lets you install them on any SiteGround plan, whereas with WordPress, you can only do this on the Business & E-Commerce Plans, both costing $25 and USD 45 per month, respectively.
Themes and plugins are key to transforming a website into a tailored experience for both, the business and the consumer. But WordPress doesn’t offer this functionality without paying, which is disappointing. But there are some free themes available that you can use to build a base.
SiteGround has the edge in this regard, as it offers thousands of free themes at any subscription level. And if you are hosting your WordPress website on SiteGround, you don’t have to worry about compatibility either, as you can upload any WordPress theme on SiteGround hosting and it will work just fine.
If you do intend to pay for the Business or e-commerce plans for WordPress, keep in mind that it still doesn’t let you access every theme or plugin available, whereas SiteGround offers just that for a much lower price.
- Control Panel Comparison
The control panel, or c-panel as it is also known, is an essential component of every web content management system. In this case, both SiteGrond and WordPress perform stellarly, offering customizable and intuitive management areas.
SiteGround’s Control Panel is known as Site Tools and allows you to pin and unpin go-to features so that you can customize it exactly to your needs.
Other settings are grouped in multiple categories and you will find the usual features, such as file manager, database manager, email and domain section, as well as a Speed optimization section, which offers additional insight into loading times and more. There is also a separate area for WordPress management within the Site Tools interface.
WordPress’s control panel is just as detailed. The menu offers around the items and you can even stage an environment, which is a feature WordPress does very well. WordPress also offers the ability to customize the control panel. WordPress also simplifies backups, as all you need to do is click a button and it does all the work for you.
But ultimately, your choice depends upon which suits you better. Neither environment has any particular edge over the other, it’s just a matter of preference.
- Hosting Comparison
WordPress offers hosting as well, although its main offering remains its content management system. However, the cost of hosting plans can be a bit unreasonable for some, especially when SiteGround is offering a much cheaper alternative. The good thing is when you buy WordPress hosting, the web content management system comes pre-configured, so you don’t have to do that bit of handiwork yourself.
WordPress hosting also offers automated updates and great customer service. However, their main focus is on offering versatility and improvements in their content management system features. But that’s not to say their hosting is lacking, offering great scalability and speed to WordPress users.
On the other hand, SiteGround hosting has some key benefits as well. Although, mainly they offer hosting, their content management system is top-notch. SiteGround also offers to host with WordPress pre-installed, for those wanting the hybrid configuration.
But if you go for SiteGround’s CMS system as well, you can be sure of cloud hosting, dedicated services, and optimized traffic levels. You get free daily backups, advanced security features, and free SSL certificates, as well as SSD storage and an email account. Their hosting is scalable and speed-testing showed that they are on par with WordPress server speeds.
Conclusion
Ultimately, both are great options for hosting and building a native website. But some features give SiteGround the edge, while others offer WordPress more leeway. SiteGround’s advantages are clear, with its lower prices and more intuitive design.
If you are looking to host or build a website, SiteGround is a great choice, and it comes with WordPress already installed into its web content management system interface. And to get you started, you can get a huge discount on current SiteGround prices as well. Just click this link and collect your discount. Get started with SiteGround today!
