SSH, WP-CLI, Git deploys, staging, PHP version control and log access — the features that decide whether a host is workable, and who has them.
Marketing pages compare storage and bandwidth, which are almost never the constraint. The things that determine whether you can actually work on a site are further down the specification sheet, or absent from it.
The checklist
1. SSH access. The single biggest divider. With it you get WP-CLI, Composer, Git, rsync, and the ability to diagnose things without clicking through a file manager. Without it, every operation is a browser upload. Many budget shared plans restrict SSH to higher tiers — check before, not after.
2. WP-CLI. Bulk plugin updates, database search-replace that handles serialised data correctly, user creation, cache flushing, and safe migrations. If a host offers SSH but no WP-CLI, you can usually install it into your home directory; if they block that, the plan is not for you.
3. Git-based deployment. WP Engine and Kinsta both support pushing to a remote that deploys. Cloudways and several cPanel hosts offer Git integration of varying quality. Everyone else means rsync or SFTP in a deploy script, which is fine but you should know in advance.
4. Staging that is one click and disposable. Not "a subdomain you set up yourself" — a real clone, with a push-to-live path and a database sync. This is the feature that most changes day-to-day quality of life, and it is where managed hosts genuinely earn their premium.
5. PHP version control, per site. You should be able to switch a single site between PHP 8.2 and 8.3 yourself, from the panel, and switch back within a minute when something breaks. A host that requires a ticket to change PHP version will require a ticket for everything.
6. Error and access logs you can read. Live tail if possible. Debugging without logs is guessing, and a surprising number of budget hosts do not expose them at all.
7. Object caching. Redis or Memcached available and easy to enable. Irrelevant for a brochure site; decisive for WooCommerce or anything with logged-in users.
8. A real database tool. phpMyAdmin at minimum, remote MySQL access ideally. And check the export limits — a host that times out on a 500 MB database export has just made migration your problem.
9. Cron. System cron, not just WordPress's pseudo-cron which only fires when someone visits. Anything scheduled and important needs the real thing.
10. An API. For agencies especially: can you create sites, users and backups programmatically? 20i and Cloudways both have usable APIs; most shared hosts have none.
Who has what
| SSH | WP-CLI | Git deploy | 1-click staging | Redis | API | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsta | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Add-on | Yes |
| WP Engine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Higher tiers | Yes |
| Cloudways | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Krystal | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Varies | Limited |
| 20i | Yes | Yes | Partial | Yes | Varies | Yes |
| SiteGround | Yes | Yes | Higher tiers | Higher tiers | Higher tiers | No |
| A2 Hosting | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Varies | No |
| Hetzner (VPS) | Root | You install it | You build it | You build it | You install it | Yes |
Managed hosts change tier boundaries frequently — treat this as a starting point and confirm on the plan you are actually buying.
The two questions that reveal the most
Ask pre-sales: "Can I change PHP version myself from the panel, and can I take a full backup — files and database — without opening a ticket?"
A host that answers yes to both respects that you know what you are doing and will not stand between you and your own site. A host that answers no to either will be an obstacle every week, whatever the specification sheet claims.
One more, for agencies: check the plugin blocklist before migrating anything. WP Engine bans a list of caching, backup and search plugins for defensible technical reasons, and discovering a client site depends on one of them after the move is a bad afternoon.
Published 10 September 2026. Prices and ownership change — check the comparison table for current figures, and the provider's own site before buying. No affiliate links anywhere on this site.