cPanel vs managed hosting: what most NZ SMEs actually need
Short answer: cPanel-style hosting is fine for many brochure sites; managed hosting earns its price when you need proactive patching, staging, and support SLAs.
Compare apples to apples: backups, PHP flexibility, support hours, and whether “managed” includes application-level help or only server patches.
When shared cPanel hosting is enough
- Low traffic brochure sites with a maintained CMS.
- You have someone who can update plugins and monitor uptime.
When to lean managed
WooCommerce with revenue, frequent campaigns, or teams without in-house technical cover.
Questions that reveal marketing fluff
Ask for concrete backup retention, whether SSH is available, and how escalations work on public holidays in NZ time zones.
Frequently asked questions
Is “cloud” always better?
Not automatically—understand architecture, overage pricing, and who owns support for the app layer.
Can we start cheap and move later?
Yes—plan migrations during quiet periods and keep DNS under your control.