Web hosting · Comparison
Kinsta vs WP Engine: pricing and features compared (2026)
Kinsta and WP Engine are two of the best-known managed WordPress hosts, and both start at $35 a month for one site billed monthly. The differences are in yearly pricing, overages, migrations and refund terms.
Pricing & features guide. Researched from each vendor’s own pricing pages and help docs, last verified 27 October 2026. This is not a hands-on review. Prices are as shown in US dollars; you may see different prices or currency in your country.
| Feature |  Kinsta |  WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Businesses that want fast, fully managed WordPress hosting with no renewal price jump | Businesses and agencies that want managed WordPress hosting with built-in staging and backups |
| Starting price | $35/mo (1 site, billed monthly; $350 a year billed yearly) | $28/mo (Essential 1 site, first year billed yearly; $35/mo after) |
| Free option | Free trial: first month free on entry plans (card needed), plus a 30-day money-back guarantee | No |
| Key features |
|
|
| Link | See Kinsta plans | See WP Engine plans |
Price at a glance (1 site)
| Kinsta | WP Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Billed monthly | $35 / month | $35 / month |
| Billed yearly | $350 a year, every year | $336 first year, then $420 a year |
| Visits included | 35,000 a month | 25,000 a month |
| Visit overage | $0.50 per 1,000 | $2 per 1,000 |
| Extra site | $30 / month | $20 / month |
Trials, refunds and cancelling
| Kinsta | WP Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Free period | First month free on entry plans (card needed) | None advertised |
| Money-back guarantee | 30 days (starts after the free month on free-month plans) | None found on current pages |
| Cancelling terms | Not stated on its pricing pages | 30 days’ notice by form, owner only; remaining fees due if you end a term early |
What’s included
| Kinsta | WP Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Backups | Daily, kept 14 days on entry plans | Daily, kept 30 to 60 days |
| Migrations | Unlimited, done by Kinsta’s team | Free plugin (self-serve); managed migrations from Business |
| Staging | One-click | One-click |
| Email hosting | No | No |
| Support on entry plan | 24/7 human support in 8 languages | 24/7 chat; phone from Business |
Where each one differs
- Long-term cost: Kinsta’s yearly price doesn’t change at renewal; WP Engine’s yearly discount is for the first year only.
- Traffic: Kinsta’s entry plan includes more visits and charges a quarter of WP Engine’s overage rate.
- Getting started: Kinsta moves your site for you on every plan and gives a free first month; WP Engine’s entry plan uses a self-serve migration plugin.
- More sites: WP Engine’s extra sites are cheaper ($20 vs $30 a month) and its multi-site Essential plans are good value for agencies.
Read the full guides
Kinsta pricing and features explained · WP Engine pricing and features explained · Bluehost pricing explained
Sources
- Kinsta pricing
- Kinsta docs: overages
- Kinsta first month free
- WP Engine plans
- WP Engine overage pricing
- WP Engine support: change or cancel your plan
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