Start with what Paid Memberships Pro asks for
PMPro's hosting compatibility page (updated 1 April 2026) lists its minimums: a Linux-based server at the equivalent of a virtual dedicated server or higher, any host that supports WordPress 6.0 or higher, PHP 7.4 or greater, MySQL 8.0 or greater, an SSL certificate, and cURL, which several gateway integrations need. It says Windows hosting should work but gets limited testing.
PMPro's recommendations article (modified 24 September 2026) is blunter: it says shared hosting collapses under pressure, to start with at least a VPS or a managed host with dedicated resources, and to expect at least $30 a month. That article also promotes PMPro's own hosting and discloses affiliate commissions, so weigh it accordingly. Its own SiteGround compatibility page, by contrast, recommends GoGeek for most sites under 400,000 visits a month. Both are PMPro statements; the honest reading is that small sites can start on well-configured shared hosting and growing sites should not stay there.
Why logged-in members change the hosting math
PMPro's caching guide says to exclude all PMPro-generated pages plus your login and password reset pages from cache, especially checkout and confirmation, and recommends not caching pages for logged-in users, so non-members see a cached page and members get a fresh one. It also says to keep the gateway webhook or IPN URL out of the cache, since caching it can break order tracking.
PMPro's performance article adds that member dashboards, account pages and gated content all have to be served fresh, and that Stripe webhooks, PayPal IPN, email syncs and automations hit your server independently of human visitors. The consequence: capacity for a membership site is set by how many uncached requests the server can process at once, not by total monthly visits.
Capacity factors each host publishes
There is no single published number that compares hosts fairly. The table shows what each vendor documents about the resources that handle uncached member requests, as of 30 October 2026.
| Host and plan | Uncached request capacity (published) | Object cache | Entry price on check date | PMPro-specific setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround GoGeek (shared) | No PHP worker count published; plan card says unlimited traffic. PMPro suggests GoGeek for under 400,000 visits a month | Memcached via SuperCacher; PMPro says toggle it on | $7.99/mo first year, then $44.99 | Exclude PMPro pages in Speed Optimizer; turn off Minify JavaScript |
| Kinsta Single 35k | 2 PHP threads, 512 MB pool; requests queue when all threads are busy | PMPro says object caching costs an extra $100/mo | $35/mo or $350/yr | No self-service exclusion; ask support to exclude account, checkout, levels and login URLs |
| Kinsta Single 65k | 4 PHP threads, 1 GB pool | Same add-on | $50/mo or $500/yr | Same |
| WP Engine Essential | Shared environment; 25,000 to 400,000 visits | Not stated on plans page | From $28/mo billed annually | Logged-in members not served cached pages by default; ask support to add PMPro and webhook URLs to exceptions |
| WP Engine Business | Isolated environment; 400,000 to 800,000 visits | Not stated on plans page | From $400/mo billed annually | Same |
| Liquid Web managed WordPress | PHP workers not stated | Object Cache Pro included in every plan | Price not displayed on check date | Not covered by the PMPro pages cited here; apply the PMPro caching guide exclusions |
| Liquid Web VPS | Smallest table plan 1 vCPU and 2 GB RAM; featured plans start at 4 GB RAM | You configure it | $11/mo smallest table plan; $17/mo smallest featured plan, offered as self or fully managed | Configure cache exclusions yourself |
Mapping hosts to the size of your membership
Small and starting out: a few hundred members who rarely log in at the same moment. PMPro's own SiteGround page recommends GoGeek for most sites under 400,000 monthly visits. Follow its setup: exclude PMPro pages under Speed Optimizer > Caching, keep Memcached and NGINX Direct Delivery on, and turn off JavaScript minification, which PMPro says can break checkout.
Growing: hundreds of members active daily, drip content, renewals processing. Managed WordPress makes capacity visible. Kinsta publishes threads per plan, and PMPro's Kinsta page says its tested base plan suits sites up to about 500 members and warns of checkout slowdowns under load without a higher tier. WP Engine does not serve cached pages to logged-in members by default; PMPro notes WP Engine enabled Edge Full Page Cache by default from 28 April 2026, so put exclusions in place.
Large or custom: thousands of members, heavy reporting, custom integrations. A managed VPS such as Liquid Web gives dedicated CPU and RAM and root access. PMPro's performance article says that for sites approaching tens of thousands of active members, the work shifts to architectural scaling.
Who should skip managed hosting
- Sites with a small member base where most traffic is public sales pages: PMPro's own SiteGround guidance points to GoGeek, at a fraction of managed pricing.
- Owners who need root access or custom server software: managed WordPress hosts do not offer it; a VPS does.
- Sites whose slowness comes from an unoptimized plugin or missing cache exclusion: fix that first, since more PHP threads only queue the same slow requests.
- Anyone who cannot afford the object cache add-on on Kinsta and whose pages are heavily personalized: compare Liquid Web, which lists Object Cache Pro on every managed WordPress plan.
Setup checklist whichever host you choose
- Confirm PHP 7.4 or newer, MySQL 8.0 or newer, WordPress 6.0 or newer, SSL and cURL.
- Exclude membership account, checkout, confirmation, levels, login and password reset pages from page cache.
- Exclude the gateway webhook or IPN URL shown at the bottom of PMPro Payment Settings.
- Turn off page caching for logged-in users if your host allows it.
- Enable object caching where the plan provides it, and clear it after changing restriction settings, as PMPro advises.
- Run a test checkout and renewal on staging after every cache or plugin change.
Questions before you decide
What are Paid Memberships Pro's hosting requirements?
PMPro recommends a Linux server equivalent to a virtual dedicated server or higher, WordPress 6.0+, PHP 7.4+, MySQL 8.0+, an SSL certificate and cURL for gateway integrations.
Can Paid Memberships Pro run on SiteGround shared hosting?
PMPro's SiteGround page recommends GoGeek for most sites under 400,000 monthly visits, with PMPro pages excluded from Speed Optimizer caching and JavaScript minification turned off.
Which pages must be excluded from cache for PMPro?
All PMPro-generated pages, including checkout, confirmation and account pages, plus login and password reset pages and the gateway webhook or IPN URL.
Does Kinsta work with Paid Memberships Pro?
Yes, but PMPro says Kinsta has no self-service cache exclusion, so you ask support to exclude account, checkout, levels and login URLs. PMPro says its base plan suits about 500 members.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- Paid Memberships Pro: Select a compatible host (minimum requirements) Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: How to properly set up caching Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: Best web hosting for membership sites Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: WordPress site performance for membership sites Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: SiteGround compatibility Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: Kinsta compatibility settings Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Paid Memberships Pro: WP Engine for Paid Memberships Pro Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround WordPress hosting plans and prices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround tutorial: Memcached in SuperCacher Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta docs: PHP threads and memory Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web managed WordPress hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Liquid Web VPS hosting Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.