WP Engine vs WPX
We give WP Engine a 1.6 GPA and WPX a 1.8, out of 4.0. WP Engine grades higher on platforms. WPX grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
WP Engine
Managed WordPress hosting sized by sites and monthly visits
How we grade them
| 1.6GPAWP EngineWeak | 1.8GPAWPXWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | DGraded against the other managed WordPress hosts. Essential's first year is $336 billed yearly and the renewal isn't stated. At the $35 monthly rate the second year is $420, so about $756 over two years, $31.50 a month, the dearest of that group. | BGraded against the other managed WordPress hosts. Starter's 2-year term is $341.81 upfront, so two years cost about $14.24 a month, the cheapest of that group, though not by enough for an A. Monthly is $17.99. |
| Free plan and trial | FNo free plan and no trial on record. The yearly price is a first-year promotion for new customers, not a way to try it. | FNo free plan and no trial on record. Prepaying earns free months, but that's a discount, not a way to try it. |
| Features | CManaged WordPress and PHP updates, backups kept at least 30 days, staging, EverCache, a Cloudflare CDN and SSH. The gaps the listing names: on Essential the managed firewall and AI plugin updates are paid add-ons, and sites share servers. | CIts own XDN CDN, daily malware scans with free cleanup, a firewall, daily backups, and migrations and speed work done by staff. The gaps: Starter has no email and runs on half a CPU core and 3 GB of RAM, and staging isn't on record. |
| Ease of use | CNo app store rating to go on. Updates and backups are handled for you, but plans sized by visits and a list of add-ons take some working out. | CNo app store rating to go on. Staff handle migrations and speed work, which takes a lot off your plate, but you still run a WordPress site. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web portal with no app on record, plus a hosting API with per-user credentials, and Cloudflare, NitroPack, Advanced Custom Fields and Amazon SES on the integration list. | CA web dashboard only, with WordPress and WooCommerce as the named integrations. No API is on record. |
| Best for | agencies building and handing over WordPress sites | managed WordPress with fixes done for you |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: WP Engine and WPX. How we grade
Price against what you get
WP Engine starts at $35 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. WPX starts at $11.99 a month and scores 2.0.
WP Engine scores higher, and starts $23.01 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other web hosts on the chart, 5 score higher than WP Engine for less, and 6 score higher than WPX for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- WP Engine starts at $35 per month for 1 site, billed monthly; $336 for a first year billed yearly. WPX starts at $11.99 per month for 1 site, prepaid for 5 years ($17.99 billed monthly).
- WPX also covers malware protection.
At a glance
| WP Engine | WPX | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid |
| Starts at | $35 per month for 1 site, billed monthly; $336 for a first year billed yearly | $11.99 per month for 1 site, prepaid for 5 years ($17.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | WPEngine, Inc. | K Media Tech, LLC |
| Price read from | wpengine.com | wpx.net |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
WP Engine
- Businesses that want WordPress kept updated and backed up for them
- Agencies building client sites and transferring them on launch
- Developers who want staging, SSH and an API on managed hosting
WPX
- WordPress site owners who want migrations and fixes done for them
- Small businesses that want email and hosting from one provider
- Buyers willing to prepay several years for a lower monthly rate
Worth knowing
WP Engine
- Yearly billing is a first-year promotion for new Essential customers ($336 for one site); the page says renewal pricing is subject to change and does not state it.
- Essential runs on shared servers; isolated resources and the 99.99% uptime SLA start with Business at $400 a month, sold through sales.
- AI plugin updates, uptime monitoring, NitroPack page-speed tuning and the managed firewall are paid add-ons on Essential.
- Plans are sized by estimated monthly visits, storage and bandwidth, and overage charges may apply.
WPX
- Email at your domain needs the Business plan or higher; Starter has none.
- The lowest rates need years paid upfront: Starter is $11.99 a month only on a 5-year prepayment of $719.60.
- It hosts WordPress and WooCommerce only; agency and WooCommerce plans are sold on separate price lists.
- Starter runs on half a CPU core and 3 GB of RAM; more sites or resources need Business or Professional.
Key features
WP Engine
- Managed WordPress updates
- WordPress and PHP are updated for you, with security patching and plugin risk scans by WP Engine's security team.
- Backups and one-click staging
- Automatic and on-demand backups are kept for at least 30 days, and staging and development copies of a site can be pushed live in one click.
- EverCache and Cloudflare CDN
- WordPress-tuned server caching and a global CDN run by Cloudflare are included on every plan, with SSL that renews by itself and SSH access.
- WP Engine API
- A hosting API, switched on from the user portal with per-user credentials, scripts account tasks such as listing accounts, adding users and creating backups.
- Transferable sites and themes
- Agencies can build a site and hand it to a client's account, and every plan includes 10 premium themes and Genesis Blocks.
- AI plugin updates
- An add-on on Essential and included on Business, it updates plugins and themes, checks the result with visual regression tests and rolls back if anything breaks.
WPX
- WPX XDN
- WPX runs its own content delivery network, the XDN, included free on every plan, with hybrid DDoS protection in front of its servers.
- Malware scans and cleanups
- Sites are scanned for malware every day and cleaned free, with a web application firewall, brute-force protection and two-factor login.
- Manual migrations
- Unlimited site migrations are done by WPX staff rather than a tool, usually within 24 hours, including debugging and malware cleanup.
- Speed optimization by staff
- An optimization team works on customer sites to make them load faster, at no extra charge.
- Business email
- Business and higher plans include email with webmail, unlimited mailboxes, email migration and AI-powered spam protection.
- Fixed For You guarantee
- Every plan carries WPX's Fixed For You guarantee, with live chat support around the clock and daily backups.
Plans
WP Engine
Essential, 1 site$35
per month for 1 site and 25,000 visits, billed monthly
10 GB storage and 75 GB bandwidth. Billed yearly, the first year is $336 ($28 a month), a promotional price for new customers.
Essential, 3 sites$65
per month for 3 sites and 75,000 visits, billed monthly
15 GB storage and 150 GB bandwidth. Billed yearly, the first year is $624.
Essential, 10 sites$130
per month for 10 sites and 100,000 visits, billed monthly
20 GB storage and 240 GB bandwidth. Billed yearly, the first year is $1,248.
Essential, 30 sites$330
per month for 30 sites and 400,000 visits, billed monthly
50 GB storage and 550 GB bandwidth. Billed yearly, the first year is $3,168.
Business$400
per month and up, billed annually
Isolated resources for 400,000 to 800,000 visits, phone support, managed migrations and a 99.99% uptime SLA. Sold through sales.
WPX
Starter, monthly$17.99
per month for 1 site, billed monthly
1 website, 10 GB storage, 100 GB bandwidth, unlimited visitors and 9 PHP workers.
Starter, 1 year$14.99
per month for 1 site, prepaid yearly ($179.90)
The same Starter plan with 2 months free for paying a year ahead.
Starter, 3 years$12.49
per month for 1 site, prepaid for 3 years ($449.75)
The same Starter plan with 11 months free. A 2-year term is $14.24 a month ($341.81).
Starter, 5 years$11.99
per month for 1 site, prepaid for 5 years ($719.60)
The same Starter plan with 20 months free, the lowest rate. A 4-year term is $12.37 a month ($593.67).
Business, 5 years$19.99
per month for up to 5 sites, prepaid for 5 years ($1,199.60)
20 GB, 200 GB bandwidth, business email with unlimited mailboxes and AI-based spam protection. $29.99 billed monthly.
Professional, 5 years$39.99
per month for up to 15 sites, prepaid for 5 years ($2,399.60)
40 GB, 400 GB bandwidth and 15 GB RAM for freelancers and small agencies. $59.99 billed monthly.
Ways to pay less
WP Engine
- Other savings
First year of Essential billed yearly at 20% off
New customers paying yearly for Essential get the first year for $336 with one site, against $35 a month billed monthly. The offer does not apply to renewals.
WPX
- Annual discount
Free months for prepaying 1 to 5 years
Prepaying adds free months: 2 for 1 year, 5 for 2 years, 11 for 3 years, 15 for 4 years and 20 for 5 years.
