Kinsta vs WP Engine

by Gralio Mar 10, 2025

Kinsta and WP Engine are both strong WordPress hosting options but cater to slightly different needs. Kinsta prioritizes performance and ease of use, while WP Engine offers a deeper WordPress-centric ecosystem. Kinsta is better for users prioritizing speed and simplicity. WP Engine is a better fit for users needing a comprehensive WordPress solution with advanced features.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1010 reviews and 60 websites, saving 6 hours, 6 minutes of reading.

Kinsta

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WP Engine

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About

Kinsta is a premium hosting service specifically designed for WordPress websites. It offers fast loading times, high security, and a user-friendly dashboard for managing your websites. Key features include automatic backups, security monitoring, and 24/7 customer support. Kinsta is a good option for businesses that value performance, security, and need a hosting service that simplifies website management.

WP Engine is a leading provider of managed hosting specifically designed for WordPress websites. They offer a range of plans suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises. WP Engine is known for its high-performance infrastructure, robust security features, and expert WordPress support. Their focus is on delivering a fast, secure, and reliable platform for businesses to build and manage their WordPress websites with ease.

Summary

Main difference

Kinsta offers superior performance and a more user-friendly interface, especially for those less tech-savvy. WP Engine provides a more robust ecosystem specifically designed for WordPress, with features like StudioPress themes and a staging environment more closely mirroring the live site.

Relative strengths of Kinsta (compared to WP Engine)

Faster loading times and better performance.
More user-friendly dashboard and easier to use interface.
Stronger security features, including malware scanning and removal.

Relative weaknesses of Kinsta (compared to WP Engine)

More expensive, especially for smaller businesses or those with limited traffic.
Lacks some features offered by WP Engine, such as website templates and a WYSIWYG editor.
Limited PHP workers on lower plans, potentially impacting performance for complex sites.

What companies are using Kinsta and WP Engine?

No data

NIC Utah in partnership with Utah.Gov

10up

Ticketmaster

Petco

Who should use Kinsta VS. WP Engine

Kinsta is a premium WordPress hosting known for its speed, security, and ease of use. Users praise its exceptional customer support and intuitive dashboard. However, some find it expensive. It's ideal for businesses prioritizing performance and seeking a simplified hosting experience.

WP Engine is a top-tier managed WordPress hosting provider praised for its exceptional customer support and easy setup. Users appreciate the robust security and reliable performance, though some find the pricing high and site traffic limitations problematic. Ideal for businesses of all sizes seeking a hassle-free, high-performance WordPress experience.

Ideal for small to large businesses, agencies, and e-commerce companies.
Best fit for industries like Healthcare, Finance, E-commerce, Retail, and more.

Best for small to large businesses (1-1000+ employees).
Excellent fit for Ecommerce, Software/IT, Marketing/Advertising.

Kinsta and WP Engine features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Managed WordPress Hosting

Supported

Kinsta is a managed WordPress hosting platform handling technical complexities, enabling focus on content.

Supported

WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting platform handling technical complexities so businesses can focus on content.
Performance Optimization

Supported

Kinsta optimizes WordPress sites for speed with caching, CDN, and Google Cloud infrastructure.

Supported

WP Engine optimizes WordPress sites for speed and user experience with features like caching and a CDN.
Website Security

Supported

Kinsta offers malware scanning, DDoS mitigation, and other security measures.

Supported

WP Engine offers advanced security measures, including malware scanning, intrusion detection, and DDoS mitigation.
Redis support

Supported

Kinsta offers Redis as a paid add-on for improved WordPress performance.

Not supported

Redis is not directly supported, but WP Engine offers its own caching solution.
Drag and drop editor

Partially supported

Kinsta supports drag and drop website building via third-party integrations like Elementor.

Partially supported

WP Engine supports drag and drop website building via third-party WordPress page builders.
Website analytics

Supported

Kinsta offers analytics dashboards in MyKinsta to track website performance.

Supported

WP Engine offers analytics dashboards, including a Content Performance tool and Google Analytics integration.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-0.14

Neutral sentiment

No data
Customer Service

+0.98

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Ease of Use

+0.91

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Reliability and Performance

+0.89

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Ease of Implementation

+0.92

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Scalability

+0.6

Rather positive sentiment

No data

Kinsta and WP Engine Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

-0.14

See full Pricing page

WP Engine offers tiered subscription plans for WordPress hosting, with prices varying based on the plan's features and capacity. They offer a 60-day money-back guarantee for new Startup, Professional, Growth, and Scale plans. The pricing model is based on monthly payments on an annual contract.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

See full Pricing page

Kinsta and WP Engine review insights

1010 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Exceptional customer support, highly responsive and knowledgeable.
Blazing fast website speeds and improved performance.
User-friendly dashboard and intuitive interface.
Robust security features, including daily backups and malware protection.
Seamless site migration and staging environment for easy development.

Exceptional customer support, highly praised for responsiveness and expertise
Easy setup and management of WordPress sites, even for non-technical users
Reliable uptime and performance, ensuring site availability and speed
Robust security features, including automatic updates and daily backups
Seamless staging environment for testing changes before deployment

Users dislike

High cost, especially for smaller businesses and limited traffic plans.
Lack of email hosting and domain registration.
Limited PHP workers on lower plans.
Staging environment performance can be slower than live.
Occasional slow support responses, especially for complex issues.

High cost compared to other hosting options, but often cited as "worth it"
Limitations on site traffic and storage can be problematic
Lack of direct file access (e.g., no Cpanel or equivalent) requires FTP
Occasional caching issues require manual purging or support intervention
Aggressive upselling and sales calls can be bothersome

Kinsta and WP Engine Ratings

G2

4.8/5

(698)
Capterra

4.8/5

(27)
Glassdoor

4.1/5

(73)

G2

4.6/5

(285)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(449)

Company health

Employee growth

2% decrease in the last year

No change in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

21% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

February 2022 - $0

September 2017 - $291M

How do Kinsta and WP Engine's staging environments compare for development workflows?

Both Kinsta and WP Engine offer staging environments for development workflows. While both are praised for facilitating easy testing and deployment, Kinsta users occasionally report slower performance in their staging environments compared to live sites. WP Engine's staging environment is generally praised for seamless functionality, though no specific performance comparisons are available in the provided data. Therefore, while both offer staging, WP Engine's reputation suggests a potentially smoother experience, while Kinsta users should be aware of potential staging performance issues.

Which product offers more granular control over server-side caching and performance?

Kinsta offers more granular control over server-side caching. While both platforms offer caching, Kinsta provides more options for customization, including Redis integration as a paid add-on, allowing for finer control over caching behavior and potentially better performance optimization. WP Engine, while offering excellent caching, focuses on a more automated and managed approach, which may be less granular for users seeking highly specific caching configurations.

What are the advantages of Kinsta?

Kinsta offers superior customer service as evidenced by user reviews. It also provides a more user-friendly dashboard and interface, simplifying website management. Furthermore, Kinsta includes malware scanning in all its plans, a feature not standard with WP Engine.

What are the disadvantages of Kinsta?

Kinsta's disadvantages include higher costs compared to some competitors, especially for smaller businesses or those with limited traffic needs. They also lack integrated email hosting and domain registration, requiring users to seek these services elsewhere. Some users have reported occasional slowdowns in support response times, particularly for complex issues, and the staging environment performance can be slower than the live site. Finally, lower-tier plans have limited PHP workers, which could impact performance for resource-intensive sites.

Alternatives to Kinsta and WP Engine

WPOven

WPOven is a managed WordPress hosting provider catering to businesses and agencies of all sizes. They offer unlimited site hosting on all plans, making it easy to manage multiple websites from one dashboard. WPOven boasts fast loading speeds, robust security features, and 24/7 customer support. With a focus on performance and ease of use, WPOven aims to handle the technical aspects of hosting so users can concentrate on their business goals.

GridPane

GridPane is a platform designed for web agencies and developers who manage a large number of WordPress websites. It allows you to create your own hosting service by connecting your own servers, potentially saving money compared to using traditional managed hosting providers. GridPane provides tools to manage these websites efficiently, including security enhancements, staging environments, and backups. It's worth noting that GridPane requires technical expertise to set up and manage.

SiteGround

SiteGround is a website hosting platform used by businesses of all sizes. They offer various hosting services, including reseller hosting, managed WordPress hosting, cloud hosting, and more. SiteGround focuses on providing fast and secure hosting solutions with easy-to-use management tools. They are known for their strong customer support and specialized tools for WordPress users.

Kloudbean

Kloudbean offers managed cloud hosting that simplifies website setup and maintenance for growing businesses. Choose your preferred cloud provider (like AWS or Google) and easily deploy popular frameworks like WordPress and Node.js. Kloudbean provides security features, 24/7 support, and easy scalability to accommodate your needs as your business grows.

Pantheon

Pantheon is a website operations platform designed for building, launching, and running professional websites. It offers tools and services including website hosting, development workflows, security features, and performance optimization. Pantheon primarily caters to organizations with Drupal and WordPress sites, enabling teams to collaborate on website development, streamline workflows, and maintain website stability and security.

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is a cloud computing platform designed to be user-friendly for businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of services including virtual servers, managed databases, and tools for building and deploying applications. DigitalOcean focuses on providing simple, cost-effective solutions for businesses to build and grow their online presence, making it particularly popular with startups and smaller companies. Its straightforward approach and helpful support resources are designed to make cloud computing accessible to those without deep technical expertise.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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