WordPress hosting vs Linux hosting: which do you need?

In short: if every site you run is WordPress, choose WordPress hosting (WindBoost). If you need any other PHP application — Laravel, Joomla!, Drupal, Magento or your own code — choose Linux hosting (SolarPro), which also runs WordPress.

Hosting companies often sell “WordPress hosting” and “Linux hosting” side by side, and it isn’t obvious why. After all, WordPress itself runs on Linux. The difference isn’t the operating system — it’s how the platform is tuned and what it lets you run.

What WordPress hosting means

Proper WordPress hosting is a platform configured only for WordPress. Because the host knows exactly what software is running, it can optimise and protect it in ways a general server can’t. On Hostwoody’s WordPress platform, used by the WindBoost plan, that includes:

• StackCache, a server-level page cache that keeps WordPress pages fast without a caching plugin.
• Automatic WordPress core updates, so security fixes are applied as soon as they’re released.
• Plugin monitoring that blocks plugins known to be abusive or to harm performance.
• One-click staging sites to test changes before they go live.
• WordPress tools in the control panel for managing themes, plugins and users.

The trade-off is focus. A WordPress-only platform isn’t designed for other applications.

What Linux hosting means

Linux hosting is a flexible, general-purpose environment for websites written in PHP and other common web languages. On Hostwoody’s Linux platform, used by SolarPro, you get a tuned Apache web server behind an NGINX edge cache, a choice of PHP versions, and more than 80 one-click installs.

That flexibility means you can run almost any standard website software:

• Content management systems such as Joomla! and Drupal
• Ecommerce platforms such as Magento and OpenCart
• PHP frameworks such as Laravel, or your own custom code
• WordPress, installed alongside other apps
• Sites built with the website builder

Side-by-side comparison

• Best for — WordPress hosting: WordPress and WooCommerce only. Linux hosting: any PHP app or CMS, including WordPress.
• Performance tuning — WordPress hosting: tuned specifically for WordPress with StackCache. Linux hosting: general tuning with NGINX edge caching.
• Maintenance — WordPress hosting: automatic core updates and plugin monitoring. Linux hosting: you keep applications up to date.
• Flexibility — WordPress hosting: WordPress only. Linux hosting: 80+ apps, custom code and PHP version choice.
• Website builder — WordPress hosting: not included. Linux hosting: included on SolarPro.

How to decide

Choose WindBoost (WordPress hosting) if…

• every website you manage is built with WordPress or WooCommerce
• you’d like WordPress updates and caching handled for you
• you want the best value for WordPress-only sites

Choose SolarPro (Linux hosting) if…

• you run, or might run, anything other than WordPress
• you’re a developer building with Laravel or custom PHP
• you want to mix WordPress, other CMSs and the website builder on one plan

Still unsure? Think about the next year rather than just today. If there’s a realistic chance you’ll need a non-WordPress application, SolarPro saves you moving later. And if you choose the wrong plan, you can switch from your control panel.

What both plans include

Whichever platform you choose, the essentials are the same: unlimited websites and domains, free SSL, the global CDN and optimisation suite, unlimited 10 GB mailboxes, malware scanning, a web application firewall, daily backups and free automated migration — all powered by renewable energy.