AWS WordPress Hosting – Costs, How to Install (2024)

AWS wordpress hosting

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is one of the most powerful and flexible cloud hosting platforms available today. If you’re considering hosting a WordPress site on AWS, you’re likely drawn by its scalability, reliability, and global reach. However, AWS can be complex to set up compared to traditional WordPress hosting providers, so understanding the process, costs, and benefits is essential.

Can You Host WordPress on AWS?

Yes, you can absolutely host WordPress on AWS. AWS offers several services and tools that can power a WordPress site, allowing for highly scalable and customizable infrastructure. Hosting WordPress on AWS can accommodate small blogs to large-scale websites with millions of visitors.

The key AWS services used to host WordPress include:

  • EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud): Provides scalable virtual servers where you can install WordPress.
  • RDS (Relational Database Service): Manages databases like MySQL, which WordPress relies on for storing site data.
  • S3 (Simple Storage Service): Used for media storage and backups.
  • CloudFront: AWS’s content delivery network (CDN), which speeds up the delivery of content by caching it closer to users.
  • Elastic Load Balancer: Helps distribute incoming traffic to multiple EC2 instances if you are running a high-traffic WordPress site.

While AWS can host WordPress, it’s not as simple as traditional WordPress hosting platforms like Bluehost, SiteGround, or GoDaddy, which offer one-click installations and managed services. With AWS, you’ll have to set up and manage your infrastructure manually, which offers more control but requires more technical expertise.

How to Host WordPress on AWS

Setting up WordPress on AWS involves several steps, but once complete, AWS provides a powerful hosting environment for your website. Here’s an overview of how to get started:

Launch an EC2 Instance
  1. Sign up for AWS: If you don’t already have an AWS account, sign up at aws.amazon.com.
  2. Access EC2: Go to the EC2 dashboard in the AWS Management Console.
  3. Launch an Instance: Choose the Amazon Machine Image (AMI), such as an Ubuntu or Amazon Linux server, to run WordPress. You can also use a pre-configured AMI like Bitnami WordPress, which simplifies the setup.
  4. Instance Type: Choose a suitable instance type based on your traffic expectations. For small websites, a t3.micro instance may be enough, but for larger sites, consider a more powerful option.
Install LAMP Stack

To run WordPress, you’ll need the LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP):

  1. Install Apache: The web server that will host your WordPress site.
  2. Install MySQL: The database WordPress uses to store data.
  3. Install PHP: The scripting language WordPress is built on.
Set Up the Database
  • Create a MySQL database that WordPress will use to store its content and configurations.
Install WordPress
  1. Download the latest version of WordPress from wordpress.org.
  2. Upload the WordPress files to your server.
  3. Connect WordPress to your MySQL database by editing the wp-config.php file.
Configure Security and Domain
  • Set up an Elastic IP so your WordPress site has a static IP address.
  • Configure SSL certificates using AWS’s Certificate Manager to secure your site.
  • Use Route 53, AWS’s DNS management service, to configure your domain name.
Optimize Performance
  • Use CloudFront to cache and deliver your site’s content more quickly.
  • Implement Elastic Load Balancing for traffic distribution if your site experiences high traffic.

AWS WordPress Hosting Cost

The cost of hosting WordPress on AWS can vary significantly depending on your site’s traffic, storage needs, and performance requirements. AWS operates on a pay-as-you-go model, meaning you only pay for the resources you use.

Here’s a breakdown of potential costs for hosting WordPress on AWS:

EC2 Instance Costs
  • t3.micro (Free Tier): AWS offers a free tier for EC2 usage, which includes 750 hours of t3.micro instance usage per month for the first 12 months. This is suitable for low-traffic websites.
  • t3.medium: After the free tier or for more resource-intensive sites, costs start around $0.0416 per hour (~$30/month).
  • Larger Instances: Prices increase with more powerful instances, with options like t3.large costing around $0.0832 per hour (~$60/month).
Storage (EBS)
  • AWS charges for Elastic Block Store (EBS) volumes for storage. General-purpose SSD storage (gp2) costs around $0.10 per GB per month.
  • If your WordPress site requires 30 GB of storage, for instance, you would pay around $3/month for storage.
RDS Database Costs
  • If you use Amazon RDS for your MySQL database, expect costs to start around $0.017/hour for the db.t3.micro instance (~$12/month).
  • You’ll also need to factor in storage costs for the database (similar to EBS), which can vary based on the size of your data.
Content Delivery with CloudFront
  • CloudFront pricing starts at $0.085 per GB for the first 10 TB of data transfer each month.
  • For a low to moderate traffic WordPress site, this might cost $5–$10/month.
Data Transfer Costs
  • AWS charges for outbound data transfer beyond certain limits (1 GB is free). Prices start at $0.09 per GB for data transferred out of the AWS region.
SSL Certificate
  • AWS provides SSL certificates for free via its AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) service.

Is AWS Hosting Right for Your WordPress Site?

AWS WordPress hosting is ideal for those who need scalability, high performance, and global reach. However, it’s not as user-friendly as traditional hosting platforms and may require more technical knowledge to set up and maintain.

Pros of AWS WordPress Hosting:

  • Scalability: Easily increase your resources as your site grows, without downtime.
  • Customization: You can fine-tune every aspect of your hosting environment.
  • Global Reach: AWS has data centers around the world, enabling you to host your site closer to your audience.
  • Security: AWS offers robust security tools and compliance certifications.

Cons of AWS WordPress Hosting:

  • Complex Setup: Setting up WordPress on AWS requires more technical skills compared to traditional hosting.
  • Ongoing Management: Unlike managed WordPress hosting providers, AWS does not automatically handle backups, updates, or security patches.
  • Unpredictable Costs: The pay-as-you-go model can lead to fluctuating bills, especially if your traffic spikes.
Conclusion

Hosting WordPress on AWS provides unmatched flexibility and scalability, but it’s best suited for developers or businesses with technical resources. For beginners or those looking for a more straightforward hosting experience, traditional managed WordPress hosts may be a better option.

If you’re looking for enterprise-level reliability and control over every aspect of your hosting environment, AWS can be a powerful solution. Just keep in mind that there’s a learning curve and costs can vary depending on how much traffic your site receives and the resources you use.