CentriWebShared hosting gives your website space on a server shared with many other sites, and leaves WordPress updates, plugin updates, backups and security mostly to you or your web person. Managed WordPress hosting in Australia typically takes those jobs on: the host handles updates, daily backups, staging, security monitoring, caching and WordPress-specific support. If your website brings in enquiries or bookings and nobody is clearly looking after it, managed hosting usually suits better. A simple site with someone already maintaining it can run fine on shared hosting.
The right choice depends less on the server and more on who does the maintenance. This guide sets out what each option typically includes, who is responsible for what, and the questions to ask before you sign. It doesn’t compare prices, which change often and vary by plan.
What’s the difference between shared and managed hosting?
Every host packages things differently, so treat this as a general guide and read the plan details for any host you’re considering.
| Area | Shared hosting (typical) | Managed WordPress hosting (typical) |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Shared with many other websites | Set up and tuned for WordPress, often with more resources per site |
| WordPress updates | You or your developer | Usually applied by the host, sometimes with checks |
| Plugin and theme updates | You or your developer | Varies. Some hosts do them, some leave them to you |
| Backups | Sometimes included, often limited or extra | Usually daily, with one-click restore |
| Staging site | Rarely included | Usually included, so changes can be tested first |
| Security | Basic server protection | Firewall, malware scanning and monitoring are common |
| Speed | Depends on the neighbours | Caching and often a CDN built in |
| Support | General hosting support | Support staff who know WordPress |
| Often included | Often not included, so you need a separate email service |
The last row catches people out. If you move to a managed host that doesn’t do email, plan where your mailboxes will live before you switch. Our guide to moving hosts covers that step.
What does managed WordPress hosting in Australia include?
A good managed plan should cover the basics below. If a plan leaves one out, ask who does it instead.
- Current server software. WordPress.org’s hosting requirements recommend PHP version 8.3 or greater, MariaDB 10.11 or greater or MySQL 8.4 or greater, and HTTPS support. A managed host should keep the server current without you asking.
- Backups you can restore. The WordPress documentation on backups says a full restore needs both the database and the files, and recommends keeping at least three to five recent backups in different locations. Ask whether the host’s backups are stored somewhere other than the same server.
- Staging. A copy of your site where updates and changes are tested before they go live.
- Security. Firewall rules, malware scanning and a clear process if your site is compromised.
- Performance. Caching and a content delivery network (CDN) so pages load quickly.
- Support. People who can help with a broken plugin, not just a server reboot.
How do updates work on each type of hosting?
Updates are where the two options differ most in day-to-day life. WordPress’s own hardening guide notes that older versions of WordPress are not maintained with security updates, and recommends keeping WordPress, plugins and themes current. ASD’s small business guidance also lists installing security updates as one of its three starting measures.
On shared hosting, someone has to log in, run the updates and check the site still works. That’s easy to put off, especially when an update once broke something. On managed hosting, the host usually applies WordPress updates for you, and many will update plugins too, sometimes testing on a staging copy first or rolling back if something breaks. If you are weighing a bigger step up, our guide to VPS vs shared hosting explains the difference.
Either way, ask how a broken update gets noticed. An automated update that quietly stops your contact form is worse than one that fails loudly. Someone should check the key pages and forms after each round of updates, or the host should do it for you.
Who is responsible for what?
Managed hosting moves a lot of work to the host, but not all of it. The Australian Signals Directorate’s guidance on the cloud shared responsibility model makes the point well: the provider is responsible for securing its infrastructure, but you keep responsibility for things like your data, who has access to your accounts and how you respond to an incident. The risk of losing your data stays with you.
In practice, even on a managed plan, you still own:
- Your logins, including turning on multi-factor authentication for the hosting account and WordPress.
- Who has admin access, and removing people who leave.
- Your domain name and DNS, which are often with a different company.
- Plugins you add, and whether they are still needed.
- Your content, forms and the customer information they collect.
ASD’s small business cyber security guidance covers these basics. Our website security checklist turns them into a list with how often to check each one.
Does it matter if your website is hosted in Australia?
For most small businesses, it matters for two reasons.
- Speed for local visitors. A server in Australia is closer to Australian visitors. A CDN narrows the gap for images and pages, but the server location still affects things like forms and logged-in pages.
- Where your data sits. If your forms collect personal or health information, know where the server and the backups are stored. Some clients, particularly in health and professional services, will ask.
Ask the host directly where your site and its backups are stored. “Australian company” doesn’t always mean “Australian servers”.
Signs you’ve outgrown shared hosting
- The site slows down at busy times, or the host warns you about resource limits.
- Nobody is quite sure who updates WordPress and plugins, or when it last happened.
- You’ve never tested restoring a backup.
- An update has broken the site and there was no staging copy to test it on first.
- The site has been hacked or flagged for malware.
- Your website takes bookings, payments or enquiries that the business relies on.
Questions to ask a host before you sign
- Who applies WordPress, plugin and theme updates, and how are they tested?
- How often are backups taken, how long are they kept, where are they stored, and how do I restore one?
- Is a staging site included?
- Where are the servers and backups located?
- What happens if my site is hacked? Is clean-up included?
- Is email included? If not, what do you recommend?
- What support is available, how do I reach it, and do the staff know WordPress?
- Can I export my site and leave easily if I need to?
If email stays with your old host or moves to a separate provider, check your sending setup at the same time. Our guide to email deliverability explains SPF, DKIM and DMARC.
Where to start
- Write down who currently updates your site, plugins and backups. If the answer is “not sure”, that’s your answer.
- Log in to your hosting account and check what backups exist and when the last one ran.
- Check the PHP version your site runs against WordPress.org’s recommendation.
- List what your website does for the business: enquiries, bookings, payments.
- Ask your current host, or a managed host, the questions above.
- If you move, plan email and DNS first, then migrate.
For firms where the website carries the brand and the enquiries, such as accountants, lawyers and consultants, reliable hosting is part of looking professional. Our managed hosting covers updates, backups, security and support for WordPress sites, and our professional services page shows how it fits with the rest of a firm’s systems.