Choose Flywheel if…
- you want the lowest upfront price: $25.00/mo vs $28.00/mo for WP Engine.
- you plan to stay for years: the entry plan costs $1,500.00 over 5 years vs $2,016.00.
Flywheel vs WP Engine: WordPress Hosting Prices Compared
Flywheel is the cheaper of the two over 5 years: its entry plan (Starter) costs $1,500.00 including renewals, $516.00 less than WP Engine Essential 1 Site at $2,016.00.
Across the 6 measurable points below, Flywheel comes out ahead on 4 and WP Engine on 0. Prices are the intro and renewal rates from our plan data; the 5-year cost assumes you buy the intro term, then renew at the regular rate.
At a Glance
| Flywheel | WP Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter | Essential 1 Site |
| Starting intro price | $25.00/mo | $28.00/mo |
| Entry plan renewal price | $25.00/mo | $35.00/mo |
| Renewal increase | None | +25% |
| 5-year cost (entry plan) | $1,500.00 | $2,016.00 |
| Websites (entry plan) | 1 | 1 |
| Storage (entry plan) | 10 GB | 10 GB |
| Plans listed | 3 | 4 |
| Control panel | Custom panel | Custom panel |
Highlighted cells mark the better value on that row.
Choose WP Engine if…
WP Engine does not come out ahead on any number above. What it offers instead: Managed WordPress Hosting.
Check WP Engine pricesPlan-by-Plan Pricing
Flywheel plans
| Plan | Intro | Renewal | Intro term | 5-year cost | Websites | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $25.00/mo | $25.00/mo | 1 year | $1,500.00 | 1 | 10 GB |
| Freelance | $95.83/mo | $95.83/mo | 1 year | $5,749.80 | 10 | 20 GB |
| Agency | $241.67/mo | $241.67/mo | 1 year | $14,500.20 | 30 | 50 GB |
WP Engine plans
| Plan | Intro | Renewal | Intro term | 5-year cost | Websites | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential 1 Site | $28.00/mo | $35.00/mo | 1 year | $2,016.00 | 1 | 10 GB |
| Essential 3 Sites | $52.00/mo | $65.00/mo | 1 year | $3,744.00 | 3 | 15 GB |
| Essential 10 Sites | $104.00/mo | $130.00/mo | 1 year | $7,488.00 | 10 | 20 GB |
| Essential 30 Sites | $264.00/mo | $330.00/mo | 1 year | $19,008.00 | 30 | 50 GB |
Pros and Cons
Flywheel
- Agency workflow tools: Blueprints, billing transfer, site cloning
- Free migrations and nightly backups on every plan
- Annual price does not jump at renewal
- Expensive entry plan for a single site
- No email accounts
- Visit caps with paid upgrades if you outgrow them
WP Engine
- Optimized specifically for WordPress performance
- Excellent security & daily backups
- Developer-friendly tools (staging, Git)
- Expensive compared to shared hosting
- No email hosting included
- List of disallowed plugins
Recent Pricing and Plan Changes
Flywheel
No tracked changes yet.
WP Engine
- Aug 26, 2026WP Engine Moves to Essential Plan Tiers, From $28/mo Billed Annually
- Mar 11, 2026WP Engine Raises Renewal Prices by Up to 20% From March 11, 2026
Flywheel vs WP Engine FAQ
Is Flywheel cheaper than WP Engine?
On the intro term, Flywheel is cheaper: Starter starts at $25.00/mo, compared with $28.00/mo for WP Engine Essential 1 Site.
Which renews cheaper, Flywheel or WP Engine?
Flywheel renews cheaper: $25.00/mo for Starter, versus $35.00/mo for WP Engine Essential 1 Site.
How much do Flywheel and WP Engine cost over 5 years?
Buying the intro term and then renewing, the entry plans cost $1,500.00 at Flywheel (Starter) and $2,016.00 at WP Engine (Essential 1 Site) over 5 years.
Which gives more storage, Flywheel or WP Engine?
On the entry plans, Flywheel Starter includes 10 GB of storage and WP Engine Essential 1 Site includes 10 GB.