Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested)

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Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested)

Are you looking for the best WordPress hosting with free SSL certificates?

Well, good thing you landed here and not somewhere else then. Consider yourself lucky! I'm sort of addicted to finding the right host for the right person. Just think of me as your hosting matchmaker.

Seriously though, you'll save yourself a lot of pain and torment by reading this article. Below are my top picks for all of the best WordPress hosting with free SSL certificates. And yes, before you start wondering, the SSL certificates are FREE.

Best WordPress hosting with free SSL certificates award goes to Cloudways managed WordPress hosting.
Best WordPress Hosting With SSL Award

What is SSL

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is the technology that facilitates the establishment of encrypted connections between a web server (host) and a web browser (client). Due to this arrangement, all data passed between the two remains private and confidential.

To protect online transactions with customers, millions of websites use SSL technology. An SSL certificate assists you in establishing trust with your customers if you operate an online store or sell items via your website.  

Are SSLs Only For Online Stores?

While setting up a Secure Sockets Layer is especially important for eCommerce websites, it is equally as crucial for any blog. Google actually requires ALL websites to use SSL technology, or visitors will be shown a warning if you don't configure your website correctly, which can be extremely bad for business and traffic!

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | not secure website warning
Google SSL warning

So, no, it isn't only for eCommerce stores. Setting up your SSL before launching your website is in your best interest.

How to Tell if a Site Is Using SSL

SSL protocol details are not visible to the visitor; however, most browsers will display a lock or other identification type in the address bar. When using SSL encryption, the address bar will indicate that you are protected. Click on the lock to obtain the details of the SSL certificate.

What Does the SSL Mean to Visitors?

Typically, SSL certificates contain information regarding the domain name, company name, address, city, state, and country. Additionally, it includes the certificate's expiration date and the name and address of the Certificate Authority (the organization that issued the SSL).

A web browser checks to see that any SSL certificate used by a website is valid, trusted by proper SSL authorities, and used for the correct website when attempting to establish an SSL connection. If any of these checks are not successful, your web browser will provide a warning notifying the user that SSL does not secure the site.

Top Web Hosting Candidates

Alright, you're probably wondering then, which is the best WordPress hosting with SSL technology? Well, the good news is that almost every web host offers some form of SSL. From my experience, some of them are easier to set up than others. And some have premium SSL options as well.

To find the best WordPress hosting with SSL, we'll begin with a look at these WordPress hosting benchmarks and pick out the top 10. The following hosting benchmarks are based on overall user sentiment and thousands of performance checks.

The higher the score, the better.

From the above chart, we can see the top 10 fastest hosts in order are:

  1. Cloudways
  2. Pressable
  3. ScalaHosting VPS
  4. WPMUDEV
  5. HostArmada
  6. Templ
  7. WPEngine
  8. A2Hosting
  9. FastComet
  10. MDDHosting

I've painstakingly identified the hosting providers above as top-tier hosting solutions with FREE SSL certificates. They are all incredibly fast and have been awarded the highest user ratings, according to my extensive hosting research.

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL

Cloudways!

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | cloudways comparison winner
Cloudways pricing & features

Technically speaking, Cloudways is a managed VPS, but their hosting solution is packaged in a way that newbies would never know, and this is actually a good thing. They are at the top of the charts AND offer free SSL certificates.

Since migrating from SiteGround to Cloudways, I've chopped my bills in half and quadrupled my speed. I really couldn't be any happier with them.

How to Set up SSL With Cloudways

After setting up your WordPress blog on Cloudways the right way, follow these steps to activate your free SSL certificate on Cloudways:

1. Select your Application

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | cloudways select application
Selecting an application on the Cloudways platform

2. Navigate to SSL Certificate, select Let's Encrypt, enter your Domain Name, and click Save Changes.

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | cloudways ssl setup
Activating SSL on Cloudways

And that's it. I guess I forgot to mention that setting up an SSL certificate on Cloudways is also extremely easy! And fortunately for you, Let's Encrypt is completely free.

Runner-up Hosts With SSL

Cloudways Not for You?

Hey, I get it. Not every host is suitable for everyone. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to dispel misinformation and how pushy the WordPress market is. If Cloudways isn't right for you, let me suggest another couple of my favorite hosts with free SSL certificates.

HostArmada

If you're looking for value and traditional cPanel hosting with free SSL, I highly recommend HostArmada. They offer managed WordPress hosting on the cloud with top-notch support and performance.

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | hostarmada wordpress pricing
HostArmada pricing

Their plans start at 2.99/month for their 36-month Start Dock package, which is an incredible deal for soon-to-be new blog owners.

Templ

Another great solution is Templ. They offer a more custom yet highly streamlined WordPress experience that starts at $15/month, Google's Cloud CDN included. Just ask them to kick it on for you, and they will!

What I really like about Templ is their super beginner-friendly control panel. While testing them, I was amazed at how intuitive, and easy everything was to do. It was like they were just reading my mind.

Best WordPress Hosting With Free SSL (Speed Tested) | templ hosting pricing
Templ pricing

There was almost no propagation period as well. Before I knew it, my test website was up and running with its associated domain. It was like a quick breeze in the wind.

Why Not SiteGround?

I had SiteGround for a couple of years and was quite satisfied. The customer support was good, and they provided a free SSL as well, but that was about it. These days, SiteGround has an incredibly slow TTFB and performed awfully poorly in my WordPress hosting benchmark tests.

SiteGround just isn't the cream of the crop like it used to be, especially considering their ever-growing price hikes; they're almost a downright scam if you ask me. Many WordPress blogs still promote them simply because it's easy, but I refuse, and I'm much happier since making the switch to Cloudways. You will be, too, trust me.

Don't even get me started on Bluehost! I also used them many years ago before SiteGround, and they've only worsened since being acquired by Newfold Digital. The above hosting solutions will provide a much better bang for your buck.

Conclusion

Well, what do you think? Hopefully, I can accurately connect you with the best WordPress hosting with free SSL certificates. For more help on choosing a web host, check out these 17 tips for choosing the best web hosting service.

What do you think about my top picks? Do you agree? Let me know in the comments below.

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About the Author

Forced out of Colorado because of the housing market, Kyle now writes WordPress guides out of his Florida apartment, hoping one day to return to the mountains from which he came.
Why I Left SiteGround and How I Found My Next Hosting Provider

After many years with SiteGround, I finally made the switch, and I'm glad I did. Read the full story here.

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