AWS (Amazon Web Services) is one of the world’s leading cloud infrastructure platforms. It provides powerful compute resources and the flexibility to configure a hosting environment exactly as you need it. That power and flexibility can make AWS a compelling option for WordPress agencies and businesses looking for a hosting infrastructure change.
However, running WordPress on AWS is challenging, and you’ll need specialized DevOps expertise, ongoing cloud infrastructure management, and deep knowledge of WordPress optimization.
Managed WordPress hosting platforms like Pressable offer a different solution. Rather than providing raw infrastructure for you to configure and maintain, Pressable delivers WordPress-optimized hosting built by Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, and Jetpack. You get enterprise-grade performance and reliability without managing the underlying infrastructure yourself.
This comparison explores AWS vs. Pressable for WordPress hosting. You’ll learn about each platform’s technical requirements, the true cost considerations beyond monthly infrastructure bills, and the work required to deploy fast and always available WordPress sites.
What is AWS?
AWS is a general-purpose infrastructure as a service (IaaS) platform that gives you the building blocks to host any type of application. AWS offers services like EC2 (virtual servers), RDS (managed databases), CloudFront (CDN), Elastic Load Balancing, and Auto Scaling Groups.
When you choose AWS WordPress hosting, you decide how to architect the hosting environment, which tools to use, and how to optimize performance. That puts you in control, but it also means you’re responsible for WordPress-specific optimization, security hardening, and ongoing maintenance.
What is Pressable?
Pressable is a managed hosting platform built for WordPress by Automattic. The infrastructure is pre-configured and optimized for WordPress performance, with WordPress-aware caching, security, and scaling built in.
Pressable handles server optimization, security updates, automatic backups, and infrastructure performance tuning. Hosting plans include a built-in CDN, automatic scaling and high availability, and 24/7 support from WordPress specialists who understand the platform at a deep level.
Pressable vs. AWS WordPress Comparison Table
| Pressable Managed WordPress Hosting | AWS WordPress Hosting | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Type | Managed WordPress hosting | Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) |
| WordPress Optimization | Pre-configured and optimized | Manual configuration |
| Technical Expertise | Basic WordPress knowledge | DevOps, database admin, WordPress optimization |
| Infrastructure Management | Pressable manages the infrastructure | You manage servers, databases, and scaling |
| Automatic Scaling | Automatic up to 110 CPU cores | Auto-scaling groups are manually configured |
| CDN | Built-in WordPress-aware Edge Cache with 28 global locations | CloudFront, a general-purpose content delivery network |
| Uptime Guarantee | 100% uptime guarantee | No WordPress uptime guarantee |
| Support | 24/7 WordPress expert support | Cloud infrastructure support with a contract |
| Developer Tools | SSH, WP CLI, Git, staging sites, and the Pressable REST API | An extensive range of developer and DevOps tools |
| Best For | WordPress agencies, WooCommerce sellers, and growing businesses | Enterprises with DevOps teams |
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Technical Expertise
To run a busy WordPress site or WooCommerce store on AWS, you will need:
- DevOps knowledge to configure EC2 instances, load balancers, and auto-scaling groups
- Database administration for RDS setup and MySQL optimization
- WordPress-specific expertise for object caching with Redis or Memcached, configuring web servers, and tuning PHP-FPM
- Security management, including security groups, WAF rules, DDoS protection, and WordPress security best practices
- Monitoring and troubleshooting for performance issues and outage response, plus ongoing system patches and updates
Amazon Lightsail is a more straightforward way to host a WordPress site on a single cloud server, but it is only suitable for smaller sites. It does not provide the optimization, scalability, and reliability that high-traffic sites depend on.
Pressable eliminates this infrastructure management burden. The platform handles WordPress optimization, security monitoring, automatic updates, and performance tuning. You retain developer flexibility with SSH access, WP-CLI, Git integration, and staging environments, but you’re not managing servers, databases, or caching infrastructure.
Cost
AWS infrastructure costs include EC2 instances, RDS databases, data transfer fees, and CloudFront distribution. However, the main costs are often not for the infrastructure, but the time your team spends configuring and troubleshooting it. You will probably need to hire DevOps specialists or contract cloud expertise. There’s also the opportunity cost of developer hours spent managing infrastructure instead of building features or serving clients.
Pressable pricing is transparent and predictable. A single WordPress hosting fee includes everything you need. No hidden charges for essential features and no need to hire infrastructure specialists.
Performance and Reliability
AWS delivers excellent performance when it’s properly configured. But AWS configuration requires considerable expertise; it is a complex platform intended to be used by professional cloud architects. AWS doesn’t provide uptime guarantees without significant redundancy investment.
With Pressable, you get consistently fast load times and high-availability infrastructure without ongoing optimization work. Plans include a built-in CDN with edge caching at 28 global locations and automatic scaling up to 110 CPU cores without manual intervention. Multi-layer caching is pre-configured and optimized for WordPress. All of this is handled behind the scenes by WordPress engineers.
Technical Support
AWS is a self-service, zero-support platform unless you spend significant sums on support contracts. Even if you do, AWS support focuses on cloud infrastructure, and not on WordPress issues and optimization. You’ll likely have to contract for support from a WordPress agency in addition to an AWS support contract.
Pressable includes 24/7 WordPress expert support with all plans. The average first response time is under four minutes. Pressable’s engineers understand WordPress architecture, common plugin issues, performance optimization, and WooCommerce configurations. They’re part of Automattic, giving you access to deep platform knowledge that general cloud support can’t match.
Flexibility and Developer Control
A common concern about managed WordPress hosting is that it can’t provide AWS’s flexibility and control. Pressable addresses this directly. You get SSH and WP-CLI access for command-line management, Git integration for version control workflows, and staging environments for testing. The platform supports custom WordPress configurations, headless WordPress architectures, and specialized setups.
The key difference: you retain control over WordPress configurations without managing underlying infrastructure.
Why Choose Pressable as Your AWS Alternative
Easy-to-Use Managed WordPress Hosting
Pressable takes care of your site so you don’t have to. From setup to day-to-day management, Pressable is simple, streamlined, and stress-free.
- Automatic WordPress core and plugin updates
- One-click staging sites, backups, and restores
- Intuitive dashboard with usage and performance data
Keep Your Sites Safe With Built-In WordPress Security
All of our WordPress managed hosting accounts include powerful, always-on security features to safeguard your site against vulnerabilities and threats.
- Real-time malware scanning and threat monitoring
- A fully managed web application firewall (WAF) blocks malicious traffic
- Free Jetpack Security provides real-time backups with one-click restores, brute force prevention, and spam protection
Stay Online With High-Availability WordPress Hosting
Downtime isn’t an option. Pressable’s infrastructure is built for resilience, with automatic failover and global redundancy to keep your site available around the clock.
- 100% network uptime guarantee
- Geo-redundant data centers with live replication
- Automatic failover across server nodes and regions
Get Help From WordPress Experts, Anytime
Connect with a support team that knows WordPress inside and out. There are no support tiers, no scripted responses, and no long wait times. Just answers from people who understand WordPress and our hosting platform.
- 24/7 access to WordPress-certified support
- Every technician is a WordPress expert
- Average first response time is fewer than four minutes
Scale Without Limits or Penalties
As your traffic grows, Pressable grows with you. The platform scales automatically to handle traffic spikes and growing audiences.
- Auto-scaling CPU and PHP workers up to 110 cores
- Generous visitor allowances and unlimited bandwidth on every plan
- No overage fees or resource throttling
- I love the speed that my website comes up.
- Sites haven’t gone down since moving to Pressable.
- Best hosting support, bar none.
- Above and beyond any other host.
- Worth every penny.
- Easy way to switch hosting.
- Great value for the quality we get.
- Much faster speeds than other big box hosting.
- AMAZING support.
- Sites run smoother, faster and the difference is amazing.
- Press ABLE, that’s the name.
- The features I needed were all there.
- I wish I’d found Pressable earlier.