Run your own WordPress on a Pulsar67 VPS. NVMe-backed MySQL, the PHP version of your choice, Nginx tuned the way you like, and full root for caching, CLI, and cron. No plugin blocklists, no inbox spam.
Big managed-WordPress hosts charge $25-50/mo for what's underneath a $5 VPS. You pay for a dashboard, plugin blocklists, and "expert support" that reboots PHP when you have an issue.
If you can apt install nginx, you can self-host. You get faster TTFB, no plugin restrictions, and the freedom to run anything else (Postgres, Redis, a side project) on the same box.
WordPress is database-bound. NVMe drops your query latency by 5-10x vs SATA SSDs.
No "we banned WooCommerce on starter plans" surprises. Your site, your stack.
Redis object cache, Nginx FastCGI cache, OPcache, anything. Tune it as far as you want.
Bulk plugin updates, scripted migrations, deploy via SSH. The full developer toolbox.
certbot handles renewal)Not overprovisioned. Your TTFB doesn't dip when neighbors run their plugins.
Daily backups on Pro and Enterprise; manual snapshots on any plan.
Your blog stays online when a Hacker News post brings unwanted attention.
No "starter is 10k visits, growth is 50k visits" treadmill. Same price all year.
Migrate from managed in an afternoon. Faster site, lower bill, no surprise renewal hike.