Modern WordPress hosting services offer CDN as a standard feature. If you still use a traditional web hosting service and plan to move to a managed WordPress hosting service, I have compiled the list of best ones that come with built-in CDN.
CDN itself is an expensive technology. It takes a huge amount of capital to build a CDN service as you need to own physical servers in different locations around the globe.
The fact is that the majority of WordPress hosting service don’t use their own CDN. Instead, they use a third-party CDN provider such as Cloudflare, StackPath, and Fastly.
Shortcuts ⤵️
- Why choosing hosting with CDN?
- Tips to choose a CDN hosting?
- List of WordPress hosting with CDN
- Conclusion
Why Using CDN? 5 Key Benefits
CDN is a must-have hosting feature in order to have a blazing fast WordPress website. The distributed content delivery concept allows the content of your website to be served from the nearest location from your readers’ location. This can significantly reduce network latency and the round-trip times.
Using a CDN can also ease the burden of server since it doesn’t need to always make a new query to process user request. Instead, users can be served with the static files that have been saved to the CDN services which spread in different locations. In this context, static files can CSS, HTML, and JavaScript.
Here 4 key benefits of using a CDN:
- Faster page load: CDNs can reduce network latency and well as the round-trip times.
- Better user experience (UX): Users will love it if your site is fast to load
- Save bandwidth: Using CDN can help to reduce your WordPress hosting’s bandwidth usage
- Better up uptime: CDNs use load balancing to backup other servers
- Save expense: Using a hosting CDN that has built-in CDN can save your business expense as you don’t need to pay more on a paid CDN plugin.
Tips to Choose a WordPress Hosting with Built-in CDN
A CDN works by storing the copies of your site content to different server locations. Commonly, the servers are located in different continents since a part of the grand purpose of CDN is to reduce round-trip times.
The nearer the location of the server from your site readers/users, the shorter the round-trip times will be.
With the above reason, I strongly you choose a CDN platform that has servers in the region where your main user/reader base are in.
Also, read the hosting plan specs carefully and notice the CDN bandwidth before you subscribe. Some hosting services on the list below offer the CDN feature as an add-on instead of part of the core features.
WordPress Hosting Services with Built-in CDN in a Nutshell
| Start from | Key Highlights | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsta | $35/month | Controllable CDN and caching, super clean interface, pay as you go pricing approach. | Learn more ↗️ |
| Rocket.net | $30/month | A great hosting for high traffic sites. More affordable. Excellent support by humans. | Learn more ↗️ |
| Cloudways | $14/month | A great solution for those looking for hosting services with isolated resources. | Learn more ↗️ |
| Pressable | $25/month | A great hosting to run WooCommerce-powered e-commerce sites. | Learn more ↗️ |
| Pressidium | $25/month | Clean, simple interface. | Learn more ↗️ |
| DreamPress | $20/month | Designed specifically tun a single website. A perfect solution for a website with high traffic. | Learn more ↗️ |
| WP Engine | $30/month | Arguably the most popular cloud hosting service. | Learn more ↗️ |
| 20i | $11/month | A hosting service with isolated resources | Learn more ↗️ |
| HostPapa | $20/month | A great solution for those looking for an affordable hosting service. | Learn more ↗️ |
| Nexcess | $21/month | Simple interface. | Learn more ↗️ |
List of WordPress Hosting Services with Built-in CDN
Here is the list of WordPress hosting services that come with a built-in CDN. I only include hosting services I have tested.
On the list:
1. Kinsta
If you have a WordPress agency, Kinsta is one of the options when you look for a hosting service that has a built-in CDN. Kinsta is a top-rated agency hosting service. Many notable agencies — including 10 Up, use the Kinsta service.
You can use Kinsta no matter the page builder or theme you use. Kinsta has a great PHP configuration to make sure every theme and plugin you use run smoothly without any issue. The hosting service of Kinsta is powered by Google Cloud.
Kinsta adopts container technology on its platform. Every account has a dedicated container consisting of required apps such as web server, database server, and so on.
The CDN feature of Kinsta is powered by Cloudflare. You have a full control over the CDN. While the feature is enabled by default, you can manually disable it in case you need to. You are also provided with useful analytics feature to monitor the CDN usage. Kinsta itself is well-known for its great documentation and intuitive control panel.
The best part about Kinsta is that it doesn’t apply fixed contract term. Instead, it applies the pay-as-you-go payment approach.
CDN platform used by Kinsta: Cloudflare.
Key Features of Kinsta:
- Controllable caching
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- Super clean and intuitive control panel
- Servel-level firewall
- Team collaboration
- Image optimizer
- Free migration
- Comprehensive analytics
- PHP manager
Kinsta Pros
- Excellent performance
- Second to none documentation
- Intuituive control panel
- No fixed term contracts
Kinsta Cons:
- A bit pricier
- No file manager feature
2. Rocket.net
Rocket.net is another WordPress hosting service that uses Cloudflare to power its CDN feature. On Rocket.net, CDN is a required feature and cannot be disabled. Same as Kinsta, Rocket.net also offers built-in analytics feature to allow you to monitor the CDN usage on your website.
In addition to CDN, Rocket.net also offers extra security feature in the form of WAF. Rocket.net offers WAF on both the server where your website is hosted and the CDN servers. WAF on CDN is powered by Imunify360. You can also monitor the use of WAF via the built-in analytics, just like the CDN.
If you are looking for a web hosting to handle high traffic at a lower price, Rocket.net is worth considering. The lowest plan offered by Rocket.net is capable of serving 250,000 visitors per month, with the bandwidth capacity of 50GB. Rocket.net offers unlimited PHP workers on all plans.
CDN platform used by Rocket.net: Cloudflare.
Key Features of Rocket.net:
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- WAF
- Free migration
- Built-in file manager
- Team collaboration
- PHP manager
Rocket.net Pros:
- Excellent performance
- Excellent technical support
- $1 price for the first month
- Built-in file manager
Rocket.net Cons:
- No email hosting
- Lack of documentation
3. Cloudways
Cloudways doesn’t offer CDN as a built-in feature. Instead, the feature is available as an add-on. I include Cloudways on the list since it has an excellent performance. Cloudways itself is a great hosting service if you are a Divi user, for one main reason.
It is one of the Elegant Themes partners in the Divi Hosting program. Divi Hosting itself is a program that bundles Divi with a hosting plan. You can create a Divi-powered WordPress website without manually installing Divi yourself. Your hosting plan is already pre-installed with Divi.
Of course, you can also use Cloudways to run other page builder plugins as well, including Elementor and Beaver Builder. The specifications and PHP configuration of Cloudways are more than enough to run most page builder plugins — as well as other plugin types. Cloudways comes with a default PHP memory limit of 256 MB and maximum file upload of 100 MB.
Cloudways itself offers dedicated cloud hosting server, much like VPS whereby you can control server apps like web server, database server, and so on. You can monitor resources like RAM, storage, CPU, and so on.
In Cloudways, you can select a cloud service to power your hosting. Whether DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, or AWS. Cloudways itself is owned by DigitalOcean (acquired in 2022). The CDN feature of Cloudways is powered by Cloudflare.
CDN platform used by Cloudways: Cloudflare.
Key Features of Cloudways:
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- Server-level firewall
- Isolated resources
- Team collaboration
- PHP manager
Cloudways Pros:
- Unlimited websites
- No plugin restrictions
- Dedicated cloud servers
- Offers trial without credit card
Cloudways Cons:
- No file manager feature
- No email hosting
- Registration process is a bit complex
FYI. You can use the following promotion code to get 10% discount for three months on Cloudways (first three invoices). Code: WPBDEAL
4. Pressable
Pressable is an Automattic product. Automattic, as you know, is the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack. While the hosting service of Pressable is powered by the same technology as WordPress.com, the CDN feature is not powered by Jetpack.
Instead, Pressable offers its own in-house CDN. You have an option whether you want to enable or disable CDN on Pressable. Unfortunately, there is no option to monitor the usage.
Pressable itself is a hosting service that has a great PHP configuration. It has the default PHP memory limit of 512 MB and maximum file upload of 2 GB.
With the above specs, you can use it to run any WordPress plugin and theme. Pressable allows you to try its control panel for free in case you want to try the experience of managing WordPress websites on it.
CDN platform used by Pressable: Custom-built.
Key Features of Pressable:
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- Team collaboration
- Free migration
- WAF
- Hack recovery assistance
- PHP manager
Pressable Pros:
- Excellent performance
- Built exclusively for WordPress
- Great PHP configuration
Pressable Cons:
- No native email hosting (requires external service)
- No file manager
5. Pressidium
Pressidium is a managed WordPress hosting service that specifically targets agencies, online business owners, and high educations. The hosting service also offers CDN as part of its core feature. No need to pay for extra an extra add-on.
Same as Kinsta, Pressidium also comes with a super intuitive control panel to make the process of site management be more joyful.
Before you become a paid subscriber of Pressidium, you can try the experience of managing your WordPress website for free for 14 days by making use the trial version it offers.
On the Pressidium hosting trial, you can install two WordPress websites. You can access all features available on the hosting panel.
CDN platform used by Pressidium: StackPath.
Key Features of Pressidium:
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- Team collaboration
- Free migration
- Firewall
- PHP manager
Pressidium Pros:
- Designed exclusively for WordPress
- Offers free trial
Pressidium Cons:
- No file manager feature
- No email hosting
6. DreamPress
DreamPress is the name of hosting service from DreamHost that is designed specifically for WordPress. The service is a great solution if you have a WordPress website with high traffic. DreamPress is designed specifically for this type of website.
There are three plans available on DreamPress. All of them only allow one WordPress installation. The lowest plan, which costs you $19.99 per month, is capable of handling 100,000 montly visits.
The best part of being a DreamPress user is that you can have email addresses on your own domain without paying more on another service. DreamPress also offers free domain for one yar. Not bad.
Other hosting features included on DreamPress are automated updates for WordPress core, on-demand backup, daily backups, and file access via SFTP.
CDN platform used by Pressidium: Jetpack.
Key Features of DreamPress:
- Free migration
- Auto updates for WordPress core
- Scheduled backups
- On-demand backups
- Caching
- SFTP
- Email hosting
- Staging environment
- PHP manager
DreamPress Pros:
- A great solution for high-traffic WordPress site
- Useful email hosting
DreamPress Cons:
- Limited to one WordPress website
- No file manager
7. WP Engine
WP Engine is one the most popular managed WordPress hosting services. So, it would be a little bit unfair to not mention it. As a popular web hosting service — with a great reputation — WP Engine also comes with necessary features to run modern websites. Including CDN which is required in terms of performance.
As mentioned above, the CDN feature of WP Engine is powered by Cloudflare. WP Engine itself doesn’t explicitly mention the CDN feature as “CDN”. Instead, it uses the term “network caching” which technically refers to the same thing.
On WP Engine, CDN is always enabled and you have no option to disable it. Also, there is no built-in tool to monitor the CDN usage.
WP Engine itself uses Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and AWS to power its hosting service. Standard features like scheduled backups, SSL, and FTP are available.
CDN platform used by WP Engine: Cloudflare.
Key Features of WP Engine:
- Staging environment
- Scheduled backups
- Team collaboration
- WAF
- Free migration via plugin
- PHP manager
WP Engine Pros:
- Excellent performance
- Built exclusively for WordPress
- Lower plan is available to get started
WP Engine Cons:
- No file manager feature
- No email hosting
8. 20i
20i is a cloud hosting service. When you want to subscribe to a hosting plan it offers, you will be asked to select a cloud platform for your hosting. There are three options you can choose from: 20iCloud, AWS, and Google Cloud.
Same as Cloudways, 20i also offers fully isolated resources. Your hosting environment will have its own virtual RAM and processor. You can install as many WordPress websites as you want, as long as you still have the storage capacity.
The storage capacity if you use the lowest hosting plan is 25GB with the bandwidth of 1TB.
20i is a great hosting service for agencies. You can manage all of your clients’ sites via a single dashboard. From the 20i hosting panel, you can manage site themes and plugings.
No need to manually update the WordPress core when the a version is available. Automated WordPress core updates is part of the 20i features.
CDN platform used by 20i: 20iCDN.
Key Features of 20i:
- Free migration
- Staging environment
- Automated updates for WordPress core
- Anti-bot protection
- Automated backups
- CDN
- SFTP
- File manager
- Email hosting
- PHP manager
20i Pros:
- Unlimited WordPress installs
- Built-in file manager for easier file access
20i Cons:
- Not a WordPress-only platform
9. HostPapa
HostPapa is a great hosting service if you are just getting started with your WordPress journey. That’s because the service offers everything you need to build a professional website with WordPress.
Apart from hosting, HostPapa also offers domain registration to eliminate the need of DNS configuration.
HostPapa offers a fully managed WordPress hosting service. Apart from automated update for WordPress core, you will also be able to enjoy automated updates for plugins and themes — as long as they are available on WordPress.org.
CDN platform used by HostPapa: Cloudflare.
Key Features of HostPapa:
- Automated updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes
- Automated off-site backups
- Malware scanner
- Firewall
- Image optimization
- Database optimization
- File manager
HostPapa Pros:
- Great for beginners
- Affordable enough for high-traffic site
HostPapa Cons:
- No email hosting
10. Nexcess
Nexcess is another WordPress hosting service that comes with a built-in CDN, which is powered by Cloudflare. The CDN feature of Nexcess is available on all plans. Including the lowest plan. No extra configuration required to use the CDN feature.
In addition to CDN, Nexcess also offers other features aimed at improving the performance of your website. Including TinyPNG, a feature to optimize images on your website.
Nexcess offers automated updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes. Security features are also available, but a plugin is required to use them.
CDN platform used by Nexcess: Cloudflare.
Key Features of Nexcess:
- Staging environment
- Free migration
- Automated updates
- CDN and caching
- Image optimization
- PHP manager
Nexcess Pros:
- All basic features are available on all plans
- Offers 30-day money-back guarantee
Nexcess Cons:
- Some features require extra plugins
- No domain registration
Conclusion — Which WordPress Hosting Service You Should Use?
CDN is required feature if you want to have a website that is faster to load. Not only does CDN help reduce network latency and round-trip times, but it can also ease the server burden as the static content is delivered from various locations.
Your server doesn’t need to run new query to serve the request to pages on your site to deliver the content.
Most modern WordPress hosting services already offer CDN as one of their built-in features — other than cache and SSL. If you are on the hunt for a WordPress hosting service with a built-in CDN, you can try one of my recommendations on the above list.
But, Which One You Should Use?
As I explained on this section, there are at least three things you need to look when picking a WordPress hosting with a built-in CDN:
- Server locations that the CDN platfor has
- CDN bandwith
- Is the CDN available as an add-on or in the core?
In addition, you should also consider the overal features offered by a hosting. These include security, backups, and automated updates.
And don’t forget about your budget too.
Kinsta is the perfect option if CDN is your big concern. Mainly because it offers spacious CDN bandwith. Even for its cheapest plan.
But everyone knows that Kinsta is a pricey hosting service. Rocket.net is the more affordable option you can go to if you have budget-related issue. Cloudways and 20i, meanwhile, are two great options to go to if you need a hosting service that offers fully isolated resources.
