Introduction
Are you searching for reliable and efficient WordPress hosting? Look no further than Flywheel! With their managed WordPress hosting services, Flywheel offers a powerful platform that caters to the needs of designers, agencies, and freelancers. In this article, we will explore the key features of Flywheel’s hosting, dive into their pricing plans, discuss the benefits of managed WordPress hosting, and analyse the performance of Flywheel’s hosting infrastructure.
About Flywheel WordPress Hosting
Flywheel stands out from other managed WordPress hosting providers by offering a range of features that specifically cater to web designers and developers. With a stylish and user-friendly interface, Flywheel makes it easy to create and manage WordPress websites. They also provide unique features such as password-protected demo sites for clients, a local development tool, website staging, and the ability to save website configurations for future use. Additionally, Flywheel offers automated backups and updates, along with a white-label option for rebranding the hosting experience.
Key Flywheel WordPress Hosting Features
Flywheel Cloud Platform
Flywheel recently upgraded their hosting infrastructure by partnering with the renowned Google Cloud Platform. This move to a cloud hosting environment brings several benefits for Flywheel customers. By utilising the Google Cloud Platform, Flywheel can provide almost limitless resources for websites, resulting in faster loading times and a more stable hosting environment. The cloud platform allows for scalable resources, ensuring that websites can handle increased traffic without compromising performance.
More Resources for Your Website
Unlike traditional hosting, where a website is stored on a physical server with fixed resources, cloud hosting utilises multiple computers connected together to create a single cloud environment. This cloud is then divided into virtual servers, and each website is hosted on one of these virtual servers. With Flywheel’s use of the Google Cloud Platform, websites hosted on their platform have access to a vast pool of resources, ensuring optimal performance and scalability.
Faster Loading Times
With traditional hosting, websites can experience performance issues as they outgrow the resources of their physical server. These issues often manifest as slow loading times or periods of unavailability. However, with Flywheel’s cloud hosting, websites benefit from the combined resources of multiple computers in the cloud network, resulting in faster loading times and improved overall website performance.
Create Free Demo WordPress Websites for Clients
One of Flywheel’s standout features is the ability to create password-protected demo sites for clients. This feature allows web designers and developers to showcase their work to clients before going live. By providing a private demo site, clients can preview the design and functionality of their website and provide feedback without compromising the live site. This feature streamlines the design process and ensures that clients are satisfied with the final product.
Flywheel Local WordPress Installation Tool
Flywheel offers a local development tool that simplifies the process of creating WordPress websites locally. With the Flywheel Local WordPress Installation Tool, designers and developers can set up a local environment to build and test websites without the need for an internet connection. This tool provides a seamless workflow, allowing for efficient development and debugging before deploying the website to a live server.
WordPress Website Staging
Website staging is a crucial feature for web designers and developers. It allows them to create a replica of their website in a testing environment where they can experiment with changes, updates, and plugins without affecting the live site. Flywheel offers a user-friendly staging feature that simplifies the process of testing and deploying changes to ensure a seamless transition to the live site.
WordPress Website Blueprints
Flywheel’s WordPress Website Blueprints feature allows users to save and reuse website configurations. This is particularly beneficial for web designers and developers who often work on similar projects with consistent setups. With Blueprints, users can save time by quickly applying preconfigured templates, themes, and plugins to new projects. This feature streamlines the development process and ensures consistency across multiple websites.
Flywheel Account Collaborators
Collaboration is a key aspect of web design and development. Flywheel understands this and offers a feature that allows users to add collaborators to their hosting account. Collaborators can be granted secure access to specific websites, enabling seamless collaboration between designers, developers, and clients. This feature promotes efficient teamwork and facilitates smooth project management.
Free WordPress Website Migrations
Migrating a WordPress website from one hosting provider to another can be a complex and time-consuming process. However, Flywheel simplifies this task by offering free website migrations. Their migration team is experienced in handling site transfers and ensures a smooth transition with minimal downtime. Whether you’re moving one site or multiple sites, Flywheel’s migration service takes the hassle out of the process.
Flywheel Dashboard and User Experience
Managing your WordPress websites on Flywheel is a breeze thanks to their intuitive and user-friendly dashboard. The Flywheel dashboard provides a centralised hub where users can manage all aspects of their websites, collaborate with team members, and access essential tools and features. Let’s explore some key functionalities of the Flywheel dashboard.
Managing Your WordPress Websites
The Flywheel dashboard allows users to easily manage their WordPress websites. From the dashboard, users can access essential functions such as creating new websites, launching staging environments, and managing backups. The dashboard provides a clear overview of all hosted sites, allowing for efficient navigation and organisation.
Managing Website Backups
Website backups are crucial for ensuring the safety and integrity of your WordPress site. Flywheel understands this and provides automated daily backups for all websites hosted on their platform. Users can easily manage and restore backups directly from the dashboard, ensuring peace of mind and the ability to quickly recover from any unforeseen issues.
Accessing the WordPress Database
The Flywheel dashboard provides seamless access to the WordPress database. Users can access and manage their site’s database using the built-in database management tool. This feature is particularly useful for developers who need to make direct changes to the database or perform advanced troubleshooting. With Flywheel’s intuitive database management tool, users have full control over their site’s data.
Technical Details of Flywheel Managed WordPress Hosting
Flywheel’s managed WordPress hosting boasts a range of technical features that set it apart from traditional hosting providers. Let’s explore some of the technical details that contribute to Flywheel’s exceptional hosting experience.
Server Architecture
Flywheel utilises a robust server architecture designed specifically for WordPress hosting. Their servers are optimised to handle the unique demands of WordPress websites, resulting in improved performance and reliability. By focusing exclusively on WordPress hosting, Flywheel ensures that their servers are fine-tuned for optimal WordPress performance.
Managed Caching and Performance
Caching plays a crucial role in website performance. Flywheel takes care of caching for users at the server level, eliminating the need for additional caching plugins. Their servers are optimized for speed, delivering fast response times and efficient page loading. With Flywheel’s managed caching and performance optimisation, users can enjoy a seamless browsing experience for their visitors.
Managed Security
Website security is a top priority for Flywheel. They proactively scan and block malware and hacking attempts at the server level, minimising the risk of security breaches. In the unlikely event that a site is compromised, Flywheel’s team of experts is readily available to fix the issue free of charge. With Flywheel’s managed security, users can rest assured that their websites are protected from potential threats.
Managed Software Updates
Keeping WordPress and its associated plugins up to date is essential for maintaining a secure and optimised website. Flywheel takes care of software updates, ensuring that users’ sites are always running the latest and most secure versions. By managing software updates, Flywheel reduces the burden on users, allowing them to focus on creating and managing their websites without worrying about software maintenance.
Expert WordPress Support
Flywheel provides exceptional WordPress support that goes beyond typical hosting company assistance. Their team of WordPress experts is available 24/7 to assist users with any issues or questions they may have. From troubleshooting technical problems to recommending plugins and best practices, Flywheel’s support team is dedicated to ensuring a smooth hosting experience for their customers.
Flywheel Web Hosting Performance
Website performance is a critical factor in providing a positive user experience. Flywheel’s hosting infrastructure is designed to deliver exceptional performance, ensuring that websites load quickly and respond promptly to user interactions. Let’s dive into the performance aspects of Flywheel’s hosting.
Flywheel Loading Time Test Results
To evaluate the loading times of websites hosted on Flywheel, we conducted a series of tests using two different WordPress themes: a lightweight theme and a multipurpose theme. These tests spanned over seven days, and the results were measured using various performance metrics.
Flywheel Seven-Day Speed Test Results with a Lightweight Theme
During the seven-day speed test with a lightweight theme, Flywheel consistently delivered impressive loading times. The average page load time for the tested websites remained below two seconds, ensuring a snappy browsing experience for visitors. Flywheel’s optimised server infrastructure and managed caching contributed to these exceptional loading times.
Flywheel Seven-Day Speed Test Results with a Multipurpose Theme
The seven-day speed test with a multipurpose theme showcased Flywheel’s ability to handle more resource-intensive websites. Despite the additional complexity of the theme, Flywheel maintained fast loading times, with the average page load time remaining below three seconds. This demonstrates the scalability and performance of Flywheel’s hosting platform.
Flywheel Review Site Speed Tests Summary
Overall, Flywheel’s hosting consistently delivered excellent loading times across both lightweight and multipurpose themes. Their optimised infrastructure, managed caching, and commitment to performance ensure that websites hosted on Flywheel load quickly, providing a seamless and enjoyable user experience.
Flywheel Load Impact Performance Testing
Besides evaluating loading times, we also conducted load impact performance testing to assess how Flywheel’s hosting infrastructure handles multiple visitors accessing hosted sites simultaneously. The results of these tests demonstrated Flywheel’s ability to handle high traffic volumes without sacrificing performance. Even under heavy load, Flywheel maintained stable response times, ensuring that websites remained accessible and responsive to visitors.
Flywheel Uptime Test Results
Website uptime is crucial for maintaining a reliable online presence. Flywheel’s commitment to uptime is evident in their impressive results. Throughout our testing period, Flywheel consistently achieved near-perfect uptime, with websites experiencing minimal downtime. This reliability ensures that visitors can access websites hosted on Flywheel without interruption, fostering trust and credibility.
Flywheel WordPress Managed Hosting Pricing Details
Flywheel offers a range of pricing plans to accommodate the needs of different users, whether they are freelancers, agencies, or larger businesses. Let’s explore Flywheel’s pricing options and the features included in each plan.
Tiny Plan
The Tiny plan is ideal for small and simple installations. Priced at just $13 per month, this plan includes hosting for one WordPress site, 5,000 monthly visits, 5GB of storage, and 20GB of bandwidth. The Tiny plan provides a cost-effective solution for individuals and small businesses looking for reliable WordPress hosting.
Starter Plan
The Starter plan is Flywheel’s most popular single site plan. Priced at $20 per month, this plan includes hosting for one WordPress site, 25,000 monthly visits, 10GB of storage, and 50GB of bandwidth. The Starter plan offers increased resources and is suitable for growing websites with moderate traffic.
Freelance Plan
Designed for freelancers with a growing client list, the Freelance plan is priced at $77 per month. This plan allows users to host up to 10 WordPress sites, with 100,000 monthly visits, 20GB of storage, and 200GB of bandwidth. The Freelance plan provides the scalability needed to accommodate multiple client websites without compromising performance.
Agency Plan
The Agency plan is tailored to meet the needs of agencies and larger businesses. Priced at $194 per month, this plan allows users to host up to 30 WordPress sites, with 400,000 monthly visits, 50GB of storage, and 500GB of bandwidth. The Agency plan offers the resources and scalability required to manage multiple websites and accommodate high traffic volumes.
Final Thoughts
Flywheel’s managed WordPress hosting offers a comprehensive solution for designers, agencies, and freelancers. With their robust infrastructure, user-friendly dashboard, and powerful features, Flywheel empowers users to create, manage, and grow their WordPress websites with ease. From their seamless website staging and demo site creation to their exceptional performance and reliable uptime, Flywheel sets the standard for managed WordPress hosting. Whether you’re a freelancer looking to streamline your workflow or an agency in need of scalable hosting, Flywheel has the solution for you. Experience the power of managed WordPress hosting with Flywheel and elevate your website to new heights.
