A Comprehensive Guide to Installing WordPress on Shared Hosting and VPS

WordPress is the world’s most popular Content Management System (CMS), but how you install it depends entirely on your choice of "digital engine." Whether you are looking for the simplicity of Shared Hosting or the raw power of a VPS (Virtual Private Server), this guide walks you through both paths.

Path 1: Installing on Shared Hosting (The Beginner-Friendly Way)

Shared hosting is the most common choice for new blogs and small business sites. Most modern hosts provide tools that make installation a matter of a few clicks.

Option A: The "One-Click" Auto-Installer

Most providers (like SiteGround, Bluehost, or HostGator) use control panels like cPanel or DirectAdmin which include an app installer called Softaculous.

1. Log in to your hosting control panel.

2. Locate the "Softaculous Apps Installer" or the "WordPress" icon under the "Auto Installers" section.

3. Click "Install Now."

4. Fill in the details:

   • Protocol: Choose https://.

   • Domain: Select your domain name.

   • Site Settings: Enter your Site Name and Description.

   • Admin Account: Create a strong username and password (avoid using "admin").

5. Click "Install" at the bottom of the page.

6. Done! Your login URL will typically be yourdomain.com/wp-admin.

Option B: The Manual FTP Method

If your host doesn't have an auto-installer, you can do it manually:

1. Download the latest WordPress .zip from WordPress.org.

2. Upload the files to your server via an FTP Client (like FileZilla) into the public_html folder.

3. Create a Database in your cPanel under "MySQL Databases."

4. Run the Script: Visit your domain in a browser and follow the on-screen instructions to link your database.

Path 2: Installing on a VPS (The Professional Way)

A VPS gives you a dedicated slice of server resources. There are two main ways to handle a VPS: using a Control Panel or via the Command Line (CLI).

Option A: Using a Free Control Panel (Recommended)

If you aren't a Linux expert, install a free panel like HestiaCP, CyberPanel, or FastPanel on your clean VPS (Ubuntu/Debian).

1. Connect to your VPS via SSH (using Terminal or PuTTY).

2. Install the Panel: Usually a single command provided by the panel’s website.

3. Add Domain: Inside the panel's web interface, add your domain.

4. One-Click Install: Most of these panels have a "WordPress" button that handles the database and files automatically.

Option B: Manual Installation (The LEMP/LAMP Stack)

For those who want total control, you will install the LEMP Stack (Linux, Nginx, MySQL, PHP) manually.

1. Update your server: sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

2. Install Nginx & MySQL:

   Bash

   sudo apt install nginx mariadb-server php-fpm php-mysql
   

3. Create a Database: Log into MariaDB and create a database and user for WordPress.

4. Configure Nginx: Create a "server block" configuration file pointing to your website directory.

5. Download WordPress:

   Bash

   wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
   tar -xzvf latest.tar.gz
   

6. Set Permissions: Ensure the webserver (www-data) owns the files so you can upload images.

📊 Shared Hosting vs. VPS: Which should you choose?

Feature	Shared Hosting	VPS Hosting
Setup Time	5 Minutes	20–60 Minutes
Technical Skill	Zero to Low	Moderate to High
Performance	Shared with others	Dedicated resources
Security	Managed by the host	You are responsible
Best For	New bloggers, Portfolios	High-traffic sites, E-commerce

✅ Post-Installation Checklist

Regardless of how you installed WordPress, do these three things immediately:

• Install an SSL Certificate: Most hosts provide free Let's Encrypt SSL. Make sure your site runs on https.

• Set Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and choose "Post Name" for better SEO.

• Update Everything: Ensure the WordPress core, themes, and plugins are at their latest versions.