WP Engine is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a reliable and robust WordPress hosting platform.
However, the company’s pricing plans can seem confusing, especially its free trial.
This article will explain everything you need to know about WP Engine’s free trial, including how long it lasts and what’s included.
We’ll also give you tips on whether WP Engine is worth your money.
- Is WP Engine Free or Paid?
- Does WP Engine Have a Free Trial?
- What Comes With the WP Engine Free Trial?
- How To Claim a WP Engine Free Trial
- Does WP Engine Automatically Charge Users After the Free Trial Ends?
- Can You Cancel WP Engine After the Free Trial?
- Is WP Engine Worth Paying For?
- What Is a Free Alternative to WP Engine?
- Other Free Trials To Check Out
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Wrapping Up
Is WP Engine Free or Paid?
WP Engine is a paid hosting platform.
However, the company offers various discounts to help you save on your hosting purchase.
The cost of WordPress hosting varies by need.
You typically pay approximately $250 to $3,000 per year for managed WP hosting.
Enterprise WordPress hosting will cost more while offering dedicated hosting on the WP Engine servers.
Does WP Engine Have a Free Trial?
WP Engine doesn’t offer a free trial to its customers.
It does offer a money-back guarantee to protect you in case you aren’t happy with its hosting services.
Additionally, options are available to help you get two to free months of WP Engine hosting.
How Long Is the WP Engine Free Trial?
While you can’t try WP Engine under a free trial system, you get 60 days to ensure you’re enjoying your selected hosting package.
WP Engine will refund your money if you aren’t happy after the first two months.
Since WP Engine is one of the best managed WordPress hosting providers on the market, it’s more likely that you’ll love the service.
The guarantee does make it easier to commit to a plan, however.
Does WP Engine Require a Credit Card To Activate a Free Trial?
You must enter your credit card when activating your 60-day trial period under the WP Engine money-back guarantee.
Some companies let you try their products without entering credit card information.
WP Engine is not one of these options.
How Much Is WP Engine After the Free Trial?
If you use a coupon code to get four months of free hosting inside an annual plan, you will pay the regular price the following year.
For instance, $360 is the normal price of the annual Startup plan.
You will only pay $240 for the first year.
Once that first year ends, WP Engine will bill you $360 for each subsequent year.
What Comes With the WP Engine Free Trial?
Using the 60 days offered by WP Engine’s money-back guarantee, you can test the features of any hosting package.
Choose between the four managed WordPress hosting packages offered by WP Engine.
The following prices reflect using the “freedomtocreate” 20% discount code that gives you four free months.
- Startup: $240 per year
- Professional: 472 per year
- Growth: $920 per year
- Scale: $2,320 per year
Features You Can Test With a Free Trial
Let’s review the top five features you can test with your 60-day guarantee.
1. Premium Themes
One of the best features of a WP Engine hosting package is access to 10 premium WordPress themes.
These themes will save you time and money if you’re looking for a professional and high-quality website design.
You can also test out any other theme during your 60-day trial period.
2. Daily Backups
You can back up your WordPress site daily with WP Engine.
It is a critical feature because it helps you recover your website if something goes wrong.
You can restore your website to a previous date with just a few clicks.
3. One-click Staging
With WP Engine, you can create a staging environment for your WordPress site with just one click.
It can test out new plugins or themes without affecting your live website.
4. Website Caching
WP Engine uses server-side caching to speed up your WordPress website.
The feature comes with all plans. You can turn it on with just a few clicks.
5. Page Performance Monitoring
The WP Engine platform includes built-in performance monitoring.
The feature helps identify issues that slow down your website.
You can fix the problems and improve website speed.
WP Engine Free Trial Limitations
The only plans included in the WP Engine money-back guarantee trial period are the Startup, Professional, Growth, and Scale managed WP hosting plans.
The eCommerce plan is also included.
If you purchase an Atlas, Agency, or Enterprise plan, it will not come with a guarantee.
Is WP Engine Customer Support Included With Free Trials?
You can enjoy WP Engine customer support from the moment you make your purchase.
The Startup plan comes with chat support.
The Professional, Growth, and Scale options come with chat and phone support.
WP Engine offers 24/7 support.
Use it at all hours to get the help you need.
How To Claim a WP Engine Free Trial
It is a simple process to pick up a WP Engine plan that includes four months for free.
- Step 1: Visit the WP Engine website and click the “Plans and Pricing” button.
- Step 2: Scroll down to the managed WordPress plan options
- Step 3: Select your hosting plan by clicking on the “Buy Now” button
- Step 4: Tick off the annual subscription on the order page
- Step 5: If the “freedomtocreate” coupon code didn’t populate automatically, enter it in the coupon field to get four free months of hosting
- Step 6: Enter your name, phone number, email address, and country information
- Step 7: Click the “Continue to Payment” button to enter your credit card information and finish setting up your account
How Do I Get the Most From My WP Engine Free Trial?
Make the best use of your 60-day WP Engine guarantee period by using your hosting account daily.
Log in and build your site for at least one hour daily.
Try out the customer service option to see how long it takes to get questions answered.
Make sure to fully understand your dashboard to determine whether you will continue after the first two months.
How Can I Make My WP Engine Free Trial Longer?
There is no way to extend the 60-day guarantee.
That is why you should use the account frequently during this period.
Does WP Engine Automatically Charge Users After the Free Trial Ends?
Remember, you are not getting a free trial with WP Engine.
The company gives you a 60-day money guarantee to try the hosting services.
WP Engine will charge your credit card on day one of your services.
You will pre-pay for the entire year when setting up an annual plan.
If you decide to cancel within those 60 days, WP Engine will refund that money back to your credit card.
Can You Cancel WP Engine After the Free Trial?
You can cancel your WP Engine hosting plan within the 60-day money-back guarantee period.
How To Cancel a WP Engine Free Trial
WP Engine makes it easy to cancel your account during the trial offered through the money-back guarantee.
- Contact the customer service team.
- Let them know that you want to cancel.
- You must specifically request a refund when providing the customer support staff with a cancellation notice.
- Once the company receives your refund request, you will see the refund appear on your credit card within a few days.
How To Remove Card Details From WP Engine
To remove your credit card details from your WP Engine, follow these simple steps.
- Log into your WP Engine dashboard.
- Click through to the “Account” details.
- Locate the credit card area and click to remove your credit card details
If you run into any trouble getting the credit card information cleared out from the account, you need to contact a customer service representative.
Tell them you want your credit card details permanently removed.
Your support staff person can then remove it manually on their end.
Is WP Engine Worth Paying For?
The answer to this question is unique to your needs.
WP Engine is an excellent option if you are looking for an affordable managed WordPress hosting platform.
The company offers a wide range of features that will help any type of business.
Read our full details at our WP Engine Review.
What To Expect From a WP Engine Subscription
You should seriously consider WP Engine if you want a long-term WordPress hosting solution.
The hosting company will provide you with the security, reliability, and quality you need.
WP Engine is a company built specifically for WordPress owners.
It offers top-notch uptime.
The customer service department knows its “stuff” and responds promptly.
Other Ways To Save On WP Engine Pricing
Let’s review a few different ways you can save money when buying a WP Engine hosting plan.
- WP Engine Promo Codes: We mentioned the “freedomtocreate” promo code above.
The company offers other promo codes to try when placing an order.
For example, try using “get3free” to get three free months on an annual hosting plan.
Or you might try “ecommwpe10” to save money on one of WP Engine’s eCommerce plans. - WP Engine Discounts: You can get a discount on WP Engine when paying upfront for an annual plan. You will typically get two months free even if you don’t use a promo code.
- WP Engine Black Friday & Cyber Monday Specials: The company offers some of the industry’s best Black Friday and Cyber Monday hosting deals.
You can sometimes save up to 50% off your first invoice when using one of these specials.
Or, you can see offers that include five free months of hosting.
Is There a WP Engine Student Plan?
While the company doesn’t offer specific deals for students, it does provide WordPress hosting for education via its managed plans.
In its resource center, WP Engine discusses the advantages of WordPress for universities and schools.
What Is a Free Alternative to WP Engine?
Wix offers a nice alternative to WP Engine.
With Wix, you can create a free website.
You will not have to enter any credit card information to get started.
Wix does have paid plans that offer more features and storage.
The main features offered by Wix include the following.
- A free website builder
- Hundreds of templates to choose from
- No need to download or install anything
- Easy drag and drop editor
- Free web hosting
- Domain names (with a paid plan)
- eCommerce (with a paid plan)
Other Free Trials To Check Out
As you work on your online business, you may find the following trials interesting to try.
- Cloudways Free Trial: Cloudways is another managed hosting service.
It offers fast hosting, superior security, and an easy-to-use dashboard.
You can try the Cloudways free trial without providing credit card details.
The trial runs for three days. - Kinsta Free Trial: Kinsta sells high-performance WordPress hosting.
The platform does not offer a free trial.
However, it does give you a risk-free trial through its 30-day money-back guarantee. - Flywheel Free Trial: With Flywheel, you can buy managed WordPress hosting packages.
You will need to provide a credit card.
You don’t get a free trial.
However, you can save money by purchasing an annual plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the answers to two commonly-asked questions in case you still have questions about WP Engine.
Is WordPress the same as WP Engine?
No, WordPress is not the same as WP Engine.
WordPress is a content management system (CMS).
WP Engine is a web hosting service that specializes in managed WordPress hosting.
Is WP Engine fast?
Yes, WP Engine is a fast hosting service.
The company’s plans come with several features that help improve performance, such as content delivery network (CDN), caching, and SSL certificates.
Wrapping Up
Finding an affordable option for your WordPress hosting needs isn’t always easy.
With a WP Engine free trial, however, you can use one of the best hosting options available.
WP Engine is a solid option because it ensures a fast website with reliable uptime.
Are you ready to get started with WP Engine?