WordPress Site

Functionally identical from WordPress's side: wpdb behaves the same against either. MySQL is the more common default; MariaDB is worth picking specifically if your host defaults to it (several managed WordPress hosts do) or you prefer its open licensing. Neither requires any WordPress configuration change beyond the connection string.

This stack is content only: pages, posts, and a blog. WooCommerce Store starts from the same WordPress + MySQL base and adds the WooCommerce plugin, product catalog, cart, and checkout on top. You don't have to choose upfront: install WooCommerce on an existing WordPress site later and it becomes the other stack without migrating anything.

Hetzner is the cheapest if you're comfortable setting up the server yourself. Hostinger is the easiest: managed WordPress hosting with one-click install and auto-updates, built for non-technical site owners. DigitalOcean's 1-Click Droplet splits the difference: pre-configured but still a VPS you manage. Render and Railway work but run WordPress via Docker rather than a native PHP host, so they're only worth it if the rest of your infrastructure is already there.

Most WordPress break-ins come through outdated plugins and weak admin logins, so the defenses are routine rather than technical. Turn on automatic updates for WordPress core and for each plugin you trust, and delete plugins and themes you don't use, since deactivated ones can still be exploited. Choose plugins that were updated recently and have many active installs. Give each person their own account with the lowest role they need, add two-factor authentication for administrators, and keep backups that are stored off the server, so a compromised site can be restored rather than cleaned by hand.

Start with the block editor and a block theme. Since full site editing arrived, the built-in editor handles layouts, headers, footers, and templates without extra plugins, keeps pages fast, and stores content in a format any future theme can read. Page builders such as Elementor or Divi offer more design controls and templates, but they add weight to every page and store layouts in their own format, so switching away later usually means rebuilding those pages. They make sense when a designer needs layouts the block editor can't produce yet, and when the site is expected to stay on that builder long term.