WP Engine vs Flywheel: Which is The Best Hosting Solution for Your Site

On this WPEngine vs Flywheel comparability, I’m going to check the 2 suppliers and learn the way they fare in opposition to one another. I’ll completely analyze each suppliers’ pricing, ease of use, efficiency, further options, safety, and buyer help.

WP Engine and Flywheel are two well-known suppliers in terms of managed WordPress internet hosting. So it’s no shock you is perhaps caught between the 2.

Merely put, WP Engine is fairly darn good at what it does. It is among the hottest managed WordPress internet hosting suppliers. It’s fairly business-oriented with its internet hosting method and the extra instruments it gives.

Alternatively, Flywheel appears to deal with the identical actual issues. So I used to be intrigued. In any case, a comparatively reasonably priced managed WordPress cloud hosting supplier will not be precisely simple to search out.

So let’s check out the whole comparability of WPEngine vs Flywheel and learn the way the 2 suppliers stack up in opposition to one another.

WP Engine vs Flywheel: basic information

WP Engine and Flywheel are each WordPress-exclusive website hosting suppliers catered to non-public and enterprise customers. Each hosts come from the identical firm however are two impartial merchandise with barely completely different gives. Regardless, the 2 have glorious efficiency and a few nice superior options. However the place WP Engine pricing begins sky-high, Flywheel additionally has a extra reasonably priced plan.

This text is fairly detailed, so you’ll be able to both seize a cup of espresso and settle in, or for those who’re in a rush, be at liberty to seize a one-way ticket to the final verdict.

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Pricing comparability

WP Engine and Flywheel even have fairly related pricing. The one notable distinction right here is that Flywheel has a less expensive entry plan at $13.00/month. Its priciest plan, nevertheless, goes all the way in which as much as $242.00/mo. In the meantime, WP Engine’s value vary is from $20.00/month to $194.00/mo.

Now that we all know the most important pricing distinction lies with the entry plans, let’s see if there are any similarities.

Each WP Engine and Flywheel mean you can host 1 web site and embody a free SSL certificates and CDN of their entry plans. Regardless of the few similarities, the variations are very noticeable too.

• WP Engine’s Startup ($20.00/month) – 10GB storage, 50GB bandwidth, and might help as much as 25,000 month-to-month visits.
• Flywheel’s Tiny ($13.00/month) – 5GB storage, 20GB bandwidth, and might help as much as 5,000 month-to-month visits.

If the value level distinction didn’t give it away, now it’s very clear that WP Engine gives extra when it comes to, nicely, each useful resource.

It’s virtually unfair to check the 2 when, after additional inspection, it seems that the second Flywheel’s plan (Starter ($25.00/mo)) gives virtually the identical as Startup. Nonetheless, it’s good to know that Flywheel provides you a less expensive possibility for those who’re a first-time person seeking to get a really feel of managed internet hosting specifics.

So that you get to decide on what suits your wants greatest. If a small private web site like a weblog or portfolio is what you’re after, then Flywheel’s Tiny is for you. However for those who’re after greater storage and bandwidth, WP Engine’s Startup appears to be like higher.

Regardless, like most good issues in life, promotional costs are additionally momentary. The renewal charges apply to each cost that follows the preliminary. Nonetheless, Flywheel is among the only a few that retains the identical charges with no extra renewal enhance. And that isn’t one thing I see too typically.

Now that we all know some, it’s time to know extra. The place does one of the best value-to-money ratio conceal with every supplier? Is it the entry plans, or is there extra to it?

WP Engine has 4 managed plans priced from $20.00/month to $194.00/month with an annual billing interval.

And relying in your wants, some plans can be higher than others. For instance:

• If one web site is all you want, the Startup ($20.00/month) plan provides you with greater than sufficient assets to run a strong small enterprise web site.
• In case you are a web site builder or a designer promoting the ready web sites to your purchasers, Scale ($194.00/mo) is the only option. By internet hosting all 30 web sites, the value per web site would drop to $7.25/mo.

The selection totally relies on your wants and plans for the positioning. the saying – “One man’s trash is one other man’s treasure.”

Flywheel, equally to WP Engine, additionally has 4 managed plans to choose from. Their costs vary from $13.00/month to $242.00/month with an annual cost.

In contrast to WP Engine, Flywheel right here takes an opportunity to recommend to you which ones plan is one of the best. And whereas that’s true, to some extent, I’m nonetheless a agency believer in private preferences.

To me, personally, two plans stand out essentially the most:

• Starter ($25.00/mo) – you get double the storage and 30GB extra bandwidth than with Tiny, for lower than double the value. The variety of month-to-month visits will increase 5 occasions too. Nonetheless, for those who plan to have a small web site with little visitors (portfolio/private weblog), Tiny might be enough sufficient, as each plans solely host one web site.
• Company ($242.00/mo) – is nice for promoting constructed and designed web sites to purchasers. By internet hosting 30, every web site’s value would drop to $8.00/mo for every.

Up to now, it appears that evidently WP Engine and Flywheel are priced very equally. With an exception of Flywheel’s least expensive plan, making the supplier considerably extra reasonably priced. Additionally, Flywheel doesn’t enhance its renewal charges, which is a little bit of an easter egg within the internet hosting world.

Now, when it comes to a money-back assure, each suppliers supply 60 days to make up your thoughts. Moreover, Flywheel additionally helps you to cancel month-to-month subscriptions inside 72 hours of buying them. WP Engine, in the meantime, seems to utterly omit this data.

Fast Value Comparability WP Engine vs flywheel

Pricing is an space the place you’ll see lots of similarities between Flywheel and WP Engine. The truth is, for the reason that acquisition, the costs are nearly equivalent, with just some variations (these variations could also be significant for you, although, so don’t overlook this part).

Let’s begin with a comparability desk of the preset plans from every host with month-to-month billing. You’ll get two months free at each hosts for those who go for annual billing.

General, whereas WP Engine and Flywheel share many similarities, Flywheel comes out barely forward on this spherical of Flywheel vs WPEngine. Not solely does Flywheel have a less expensive entry-plan, but it surely gives higher worth for cash, too.

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Internet hosting administration: ease of use

In relation to ease of use, WPEngine vs Flywheel appears to proceed their head-to-head race. Each suppliers have their very own customized dashboards that allow you to simply handle all elements of your web site. Plus, in addition they present some nifty instruments to make web site improvement simpler and extra handy.

It’s additionally value noting right here that each platforms are primarily aimed toward companies and professionals. And their instruments and functionalities replicate that. However, the 2 suppliers are nonetheless simple to make use of, even for newcomers.

Dashboard and management panel comparability

WP Engine and Flywheel are totally distinctive of their customized dashboards. Nonetheless, there’s one similarity – each suppliers use their dashboards as internet hosting administration and a web site management panel concurrently.

WP Engine’s management panel is complete and intuitive sufficient which you can shortly grasp it. In the meantime, Flywheel’s management panel is cleaner however requires a good bit of navigating to get to what you need.

With WP Engine, the dashboard has fairly a number of objects, however they’re all neatly organized and slightly instinctive. You’ll discover all of the options essential to handle your internet hosting account on the left aspect menu. This consists of instruments, person administration, and billing. On the appropriate, you will see that numerous analytics – such because the variety of websites you personal, the storage you’ve used, and the variety of visits to your web site.

When you select a web site to handle, barely to the appropriate of the account administration menu, you’ll see 3 environments (Manufacturing, Staging, and Growth) with their separate menus. That is the place you handle your web site’s settings.

Every surroundings has an equivalent menu with choices like SSL, Domains, CDN, and lots of extra. But all environments are managed independently from one another.

Flywheel additionally merges its dashboard and the management panel into one interface. Nonetheless, every web site may be managed individually with the assigned instruments.

In contrast to WP Engine’s management panel, the place all the things seen on one web page, Flywheel requires you to navigate via the menu on the highest proper. There you’ll be able to handle your internet hosting choices and select a particular web site to handle.

When you select the positioning, the management space may be very nicely organized. From right here you’ll be able to attain all of the requirements like:

1. Plugins – listed below are all of your put in plugins. You get notifications if a few of them should be up to date.
2. Efficiency – is a paid characteristic ($2.00/mo). It analyzes your web site and gives insights for enchantment.
3. Stats – reveals the variety of visits to your web site.
4. Backups – right here, you’ll be able to obtain or restore one of many 30 most up-to-date auto backups. Can manually handle backups too.
5. Superior – can discover CDN, caching, and staging settings. Additionally, you will get SSH and database entry.

Each dashboards are fashionable, intuitive, and simple. Nonetheless, I’m giving WP Engine a small benefit since it’s ever so barely simpler to make use of.

Web site improvement and workflow

Each WP Engine and Flywheel are very agency-oriented and supply superior instruments to boost the web site improvement expertise. These instruments/functionalities are supposed to make it simpler so that you can construct, develop, and enhance your web site.

WP Engine gives 3 environments for this very objective: improvement, staging, and manufacturing.

• With improvement, you’ll be able to create a replica of your web site and use it for improvement or constructing.
• Beneath the staging, you create a clone of your stay web site. That is to mean you can take a look at numerous adjustments and new options on the clone in order that your stay web site will not be affected.
• When you’re happy with the adjustments, you’ll be able to push them to manufacturing – the stay model of your web site.

These environments provide the good alternative to play together with your web site as you’d like with out worrying about it breaking.

Flywheel, too, has a staging surroundings. It serves the aim nicely – one click on, and you’ve got a working copy of your web site to attempt all of the tweaks and adjustments. One other click on, and you’ll push these adjustments to stay. It’s actually as simple because it sounds.

Other than that, it additionally gives blueprints and cloning. With blueprints, it can save you themes and plugins as a customized configuration for a later date. Cloning, then again, helps you to create a replica of your complete web site. You’ll be able to then switch the clone’s possession to a shopper.

General, each WP Engine and Flywheel have glorious instruments/functionalities on this regard. Particularly contemplating the truth that most suppliers don’t enable staging.

All issues thought-about, WP Engine and Flywheel include some glorious functionalities in terms of ease of use. Each have very organized and intuitive native panels which can be simple to make use of. The actual fact is, there’s no clear winner right here, because the dashboards are easy-to-use and extra instruments are very related.

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WPEngine vs Flywheel efficiency

Efficiency vise WPEngine vs Flywheel had a match right down to the final second. Each suppliers had been impressively quick, with an unmatchable uptime of 100%. Even the visitors they’ve dealt with was the identical. Though, Flywheel did load barely sooner with a greater common response time.

Uptime and response time

For this WPEngine vs Flywheel uptime and response time comparability, I’ve monitored contenders over a distinct interval. WP Engine was examined over 2 months, and Flywheel – 2 weeks.

In these 2 months, WP Engine skilled no outages leading to a good 100% uptime.

I have to say that I’m very impressed with WP Engine’s efficiency. The supplier has a 99.95% uptime assure – which is greater than the business normal of 99.9%. Nevertheless it surpassed even that.

The common response time, nevertheless, might be barely higher. An common response time of 489ms is in no way unhealthy. However it’s scraping the market’s common of 600ms barely too shut for my liking. Particularly when it appears to be like just like the curve is generally circling round 0.5s response time.

Now, taking a look at Flywheel, the outcomes are very related, if not barely higher. Identical to WP Engine, Flywheel has a 99.9% uptime backed by the SLA settlement. And identically to WP Engine, Flywheel surpassed it with a completely spherical 100% uptime. Not even one outage all through the examination interval.

Flywheel’s common response time was at a really spectacular 371ms. If it wasn’t for one important leap at the start of the examination, this outcome can be even higher. The road is generally between 300ms and 400ms.

So it appears, whereas each suppliers had an equivalent uptime of 100%, Flywheel had only a little bit of an higher hand with its decrease common response time. It is a little shocking, as each WP Engine and Flywheel use the identical server suppliers.

Web site velocity

To check each WP Engine’s and Flywheel’s efficiency in a real-life setting, I examined their absolutely constructed web site’s loading time.

And earlier than I’m going any additional, I have to notice that:

• Each have the identical themes put in (Astra theme with a Startup template);
• Each suppliers are hosted and examined from the US.

Now to objectively consider the outcomes I particularly focus on these measures:

• Time to First Byte (TTFB) – the time it takes for the server to react to the request. The perfect time is beneath 200ms.
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – the time during which the most important (heaviest) file (picture, video, and so forth.) hundreds. The perfect time is beneath 2.5s.
• Absolutely Loaded Time – when the web site is absolutely loaded. Something longer than 3 seconds is poor efficiency.

WP Engine had excellent outcomes, with its LCP being 938ms, which is even lower than half the really helpful time. Excellent thus far.

And the excellent news stored on coming. The Absolutely Loaded Time stands at 1.1s, so that you don’t have to fret about these terrible 3 seconds looming over your head.

As for the TTFB, it stands at a really speedy 140ms. Because of this the server may be very highly effective and fast to acknowledge the given requests.

If we take a look at Flywheel now, the outcomes are even higher. Its LCP and Absolutely Loaded Time are the identical at solely 881ms. Merely mentioned – spectacular.

However what’s much more spectacular is the TTFB – barely 68ms. Not even half the time of WP Engine’s TTFB. Nice reflexes certainly.

Each suppliers had been extraordinarily quick, with Flywheel ending up only a smidge sooner. The largest distinction may be seen within the TTFB – WP Engine’s being at 140ms, and Flywheel’s at 68ms. Figuring out that each suppliers use the identical sort of servers, I’m curious to know what they’re feeding Flywheel ones.

Stress testing outcomes

As a final try to discover a important distinction between the 2, I examined the quantity of visitors every supplier can deal with.

I began the take a look at by sending 50 digital customers to every web site. And for clarification, 50VUs is an enormous quantity. That many guests in your web site every minute for a month might spherical as much as 50 000 month-to-month visits.

So if the supplier couldn’t cross the take a look at with that many customers, I decrease the quantity by 5 till I get a cross. Earlier than the take a look at, let’s do not forget that each suppliers specify the instructed variety of month-to-month visits of their plans. And that’s a reasonably stable guideline on what to anticipate.

WP Engine’s first cross was with 30VUs. This could roughly sum as much as 30 000 month-to-month visits.

What’s very nice to know is that even with such visitors, the server’s response time (blue line) remained very steady. Surprisingly sufficient, the time even appeared to quicken the extra guests (gray line) joined in. I can confidently state that the server may be very responsive, quick, and able to dealing with the visitors.

Flywheel, identically, dealt with 30VUs on the positioning.

Though the response time (blue line) wasn’t flat as a water floor, it nonetheless remained very steady whatever the rising variety of guests (gray line.) The common response time could also be barely greater than WP Engine’s, however Flywheel has simply as highly effective servers as WP Engine.

In sum, each Flywheel vs WP Engine have dealt with the identical degree of visitors. Neither has slowed down or skilled any failures.

General, each suppliers supply rock-solid efficiency: extraordinarily dependable and quick. However, I have to go along with Flywheel right here because it has a greater response time and is barely sooner.

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Web site safety

In relation to safety, each WP Engine and Flywheel take it critically. Each suppliers embody all of the requirements – free Let’s Encrypt certificates, CDN integration, malicious visitors monitoring, multi-factor password authentication, and day by day backups.

These are fairly well-rounded safety measures that every supplier takes. Not a lot else is required, actually. However listed below are some extra options that WP Engine supply for an additional price:

• Whereas WP Engine has a propriety firewall freed from cost, it additionally gives some extra companies for a reasonably penny. World Edge Safety is a paid add-on that provides DDoS mitigation, managed Net Utility Firewall, safety from OWASP top-10 vulnerabilities, and lots of extra. All of that comes for a formidable $300.00/12 months value level.
• WP Engine additionally has a free SSL certificates in all its plans. But, for those who want a sophisticated possibility, RapidSSL wildcard certificates that cowl each domains and all subdomains can be found for $199.00.

Moreover, each suppliers are very critical about third-party plugins and what they’ll do to compromise their safety measures. WP Engine and Flywheel each actually have a checklist of plugins they don’t suggest you employ. And in all honesty, that’s nice. Why would you willingly compromise your web site’s safety?

General, each events have some nice safety choices. However, it’s a disgrace that fairly a number of of WP Engine’s safety choices are priced so steeply. Nonetheless, extra than simply fundamental options may be present in each suppliers’ plans.

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Buyer help

24/7 buyer help is a should within the internet hosting business, and each WP Engine and Flywheel supply this selection by way of stay chat. Moreover, you’ll be able to contact the help by way of cellphone with the dearer plans.

I normally take a look at the stay chat possibility at any time when I study the supplier. In order that’s precisely what I did for this WPEngine vs Flywheel comparability.

First, I contacted WP Engine’s help and requested them about their 60-day risk-free trial. WP Engine’s help crew was educated and professional… perhaps slightly too skilled.

Nonetheless, to be honest, the agent answered my query shortly. The reply was easy and informative, and the wait occasions for connection and responses had been mainly non-existent. I’ve virtually all the time obtained instantaneous replies at any time when I contact the help crew. That’s all I might ask for, actually.

Equally, Flywheel’s help crew replied virtually instantly, too. Its agent proved to be simply as educated, useful, and skilled as WP Engine’s agent. Nonetheless, right here the agent appeared friendlier and was more than pleased to assist.

I requested about caching, and PHP8 and each solutions had been precisely what I used to be searching for. The wait time between the replies was very minimal, too. So nothing to complain about in any respect.

Moreover, each suppliers even have a wealth of articles that will help you with all elements of constructing and managing a WordPress web site.

For WP Engine, you could find these articles beneath the “Want Assist?”. Right here, you’ll discover articles on setup, troubleshooting, billing, and extra.

As for Flywheel, it has two separate sections devoted to serving to you navigate the world of internet sites. The primary one is “Assist,” the place you’ll discover numerous articles masking matters resembling billing, plugins, safety, and extra.

The opposite part is “Useful resource,” and there you will see that assets on WordPress and, typically, the world of internet sites. Right here, you’ll discover numerous varieties of content material like e-books, movies, and free e mail programs.

As an entire, I’m impressed by WP Engine’s and Flywheel’s glorious buyer help. The brokers answered promptly and proved to be educated about WordPress and website hosting. Plus, each suppliers are additionally chock-full of assorted assets to information you alongside.

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WPEngine vs Flywheel: ultimate suggestion

Actually, this WPEngine vs Flywheel comparability is among the closest ones I’ve ever seen. WP Engine and Flywheel had been very shut when it comes to efficiency. However, Flywheel gives higher worth for cash and has a less expensive entry plan.

Taking value and efficiency in thoughts, it appears that evidently Flywheel is only a tad bit higher. So for those who’re searching for a speedy and highly effective supplier on your WordPress web site, Flywheel has you coated.

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On the similar time, WP Engine is simply as nice of a selection. Its efficiency is unquestionably spectacular, and it gives a number of extra choices in terms of safety. In the event you’re planning on working a enterprise that wants that further little bit of safety, WP Engine is perhaps proper up your alley.

Issues That Are the Identical Between WP Engine and Flywheel

Efficiency/Expertise

• Each loaded our take a look at web site in beneath one second (on common), which is great.
• Each implement server-level caching.
• Each have a built-in CDN (although with a distinct supplier).
• Each have elective paid add-ons for efficiency insights.
• Each supply PHP 7.4+.

Options:

• Each routinely again up your web site.
• Each routinely replace WordPress.
• Each supply staging websites.
• Each offer you entry to the Genesis Framework and all StudioPress youngster themes without cost.
• Each combine with the Native software for native improvement.
• Each supply shopper billing switch.

Pricing:

• Excluding Flywheel’s Tiny plan, the pricing between hosts is equivalent.
• Each allow you to ‘add on’ a web site to your plan (for an additional $20 a month).

Assist:

• Each have 24/7 help obtainable by way of stay chat on all plans.
• Each supply cellphone help on higher-tier plans.

Issues That Are Completely different Between WP Engine vs Flywheel

Efficiency/Expertise

• Flywheel use Google Cloud infrastructure whereas WP Engine use AWS.
• Flywheel use Fastly for the built-in CDN whereas WP Engine use MaxCDN/Stackpath.

Options:

• Flywheel have extra options for designers/companies, resembling web site tagging and filtering.
• Flywheel allow you to white-label the internet hosting dashboard to resell internet hosting to purchasers.
• WP Engine offer you three environments (Manufacturing, Staging, Growth) whereas Flywheel solely offer you two (Manufacturing, Staging).
• WP Engine offer you phpMyAdmin for database administration, whereas Flywheel use their very own customized database administration interface.
• WP Engine retailer the 40 most up-to-date backups, whereas Flywheel solely retailer the 30 most up-to-date backups.
• WP Engine have the elective geotargeting add-on, whereas Flywheel don’t.

Pricing:

• Flywheel allow you to register and create a demo web site without cost, which helps you to take a look at out the dashboard for gratis. With WP Engine, it’s worthwhile to pay straight away.
• Flywheel have the $15-a-month Tiny plan, whereas WP Engine’s least expensive plan is $30-a-month.
• Flywheel’s overage price for guests is $1 for very thousand guests whereas WP Engine’s is $2 for very thousand guests.
• Flywheel supply limitless free handbook migrations (or computerized by way of plugin), whereas WP Engine solely supply free migrations by way of their computerized plugin (no white-glove migration service).

Assist:

• WP Engine offer you cellphone help on the $115 Development plan and above, whereas Flywheel solely supply cellphone help on the $290 Company plan and above.
• Flywheel use Intercom for stay chat help, whereas WP Engine don’t. Personally, I feel the Intercom chat widget gives a significantly better person expertise.

Options to WP Engine vs Flywheel

WP Engine and Flywheel are nice selections, however there are many viable alternatives on the planet of website hosting. For instance, if you’re nonetheless searching for highly effective managed WordPress internet hosting, SiteGround is a stable selection. In the event you don’t want managed internet hosting or for those who’re on a good price range, Hostinger is a good choose for you.

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