Introduction

Are you torn between choosing Kinsta and Flywheel for your WordPress hosting needs? Let’s break down the key differences to help you make an informed decision.

Comparison Table

Here’s a quick glance at how Kinsta and Flywheel stack up against each other:

Feature	Kinsta	Flywheel
Price (Entry-Level)	$30/month	$15/month
Sites (Entry-Level)	1	1
Monthly Visits (Entry-Level)	25,000	5,000
Disk Space (Entry-Level)	10GB	5GB
Bandwidth (Entry-Level)	Unlimited	250GB
Free Site Migration	Yes	Yes
SSL	Yes	Yes
CDN	50GB included	$10/month extra
Support	24/7 live chat	24/7 live chat (limited phone support)
Data Center Options	28 locations	5 locations
Infrastructure	Google Cloud Platform (Premium Tier)	Google Cloud Platform

Detailed Comparison

Ease of Use

Both Kinsta and Flywheel offer user-friendly dashboards designed to make managing your WordPress site easy.

• Kinsta: Known for its MyKinsta dashboard, which provides a comprehensive set of tools and makes it easy to access and manage your site’s resources. It also includes DevKinsta for local development.

  

• Flywheel: Offers a custom hosting dashboard that is also highly praised for its ease of use. However, it lacks some of the advanced tools available on Kinsta’s dashboard.

  

Stability

Stability is crucial for any website, and both hosts deliver well in this area.

• Kinsta: Uses a fully containerized infrastructure powered by Google Cloud Platform’s Premium Tier network, ensuring dedicated resources and minimal resource sharing. This setup enhances stability and performance.

• Flywheel: Also uses Google Cloud Platform but with fewer data center options and less detailed information about their infrastructure. However, Flywheel is known for its robust performance and uptime.

Speed

Speed is a key factor in choosing a hosting provider.

• Kinsta: Generally offers fast load times, with an average speed of around 881 ms. Kinsta performs particularly well with heavyweight themes.

• Flywheel: While Flywheel is also fast, it excels in load handling tests and can handle surges in traffic better than Kinsta. However, its average load time is slightly slower than Kinsta’s in some tests.

Security

Security features are essential for protecting your website.

• Kinsta: Offers robust security features including automatic daily backups, off-site backups to Amazon S3 or Google Cloud Storage, proactive firewalls, malware scanning, and free malware removal. Kinsta also includes a premium Cloudflare integration.

• Flywheel: Provides automatic daily backups, on-demand backups, proactive firewalls, malware scanning, and free malware removal. However, it lacks some of the advanced security features like off-site backups and detailed APM tools available on Kinsta.

Pricing and Cost

Pricing can be a deciding factor for many users.

• Kinsta: The entry-level plan starts at $30/month, with more expensive plans offering additional features and resources. Kinsta offers transparent resource usage and pricing.

• Flywheel: The entry-level plan is significantly cheaper at $15/month, making it an attractive option for those on a budget. However, the CDN is an extra $10/month per site.

Customer Support Service

Good support can make a big difference in your hosting experience.

• Kinsta: Offers 24/7 live chat support with an average response time of under 2 minutes. No phone support is available.

• Flywheel: Also provides 24/7 live chat support, but phone support is limited to plans over $250/month.

Client Reviews

Client reviews can give you a real-world perspective on the services.

• Kinsta: Highly rated on G2 and other review platforms for its performance, support, and ease of use. Clients praise the MyKinsta dashboard and the expert support team.

• Flywheel: Generally well-reviewed for its ease of use and load handling capabilities. However, some users find the support not as comprehensive as Kinsta’s, especially outside the US.

Pros and Cons

Kinsta

Pros:

• Advanced Security Features: Includes premium Cloudflare integration, off-site backups, and detailed APM tools.
• Better Dashboard: MyKinsta dashboard offers more tools and easier access to resources.
• 24/7 Support: Fast and knowledgeable support team available via live chat.
• Containerized Infrastructure: Ensures dedicated resources and minimal resource sharing.

Cons:

• Higher Pricing: Entry-level plan is more expensive compared to Flywheel.
• No Phone Support: Only live chat support is available.
• Limited CDN Traffic: Free CDN traffic is limited, with overage charges applying.

Flywheel

Pros:

• Affordable Pricing: Entry-level plan is significantly cheaper.
• Load Handling: Excels in handling surges in traffic.
• Ease of Use: Custom hosting dashboard is user-friendly.
• Agency Features: Built-in features for designers and web design-focused agencies.

Cons:

• Limited Support Hours: Phone support is limited to higher-priced plans.
• Fewer Data Center Options: Only 5 data center locations available.
• No Built-in Git Integration: Unlike Kinsta, Flywheel lacks built-in Git integration.

FAQs

1. Which host offers better performance?

WP Engine generally offers the best performance in speed tests, but Kinsta and Flywheel are close seconds depending on the theme used. Kinsta performs better with heavyweight themes, while Flywheel excels in load handling tests.

2. Do both hosts offer free site migrations?

Yes, both Kinsta and Flywheel offer free site migrations. Kinsta’s migrations are handled by expert engineers, while Flywheel’s migrations are also free but may not be as hands-on.

3. What security features do Kinsta and Flywheel offer?

Both hosts offer automatic daily backups, proactive firewalls, malware scanning, and free malware removal. Kinsta also includes premium Cloudflare integration, off-site backups, and detailed APM tools.

4. How does the pricing compare between Kinsta and Flywheel?

Flywheel’s entry-level plan is significantly cheaper at $15/month compared to Kinsta’s $30/month. However, Kinsta offers more resources and features in its plans.

5. Which host has better customer support?

Kinsta is known for its 24/7 live chat support with fast response times. Flywheel also offers 24/7 live chat support but with limited phone support available only on higher-priced plans.