WordPress Hosting Requirements

Category: WordPress Hosting · Updated 2026-10-31

WordPress currently requires PHP 7.4 or higher (PHP 8.1 or newer is recommended), MySQL 5.7 or higher or MariaDB 10.4 or higher, HTTPS support, and the mod_rewrite module for clean URLs. A memory limit of at least 64 MB will run WordPress, but 256 MB or more is recommended once plugins and a theme builder are added.

Minimum software requirements

Component	Minimum	Recommended
PHP	7.4 or higher	8.1 or newer
Database	MySQL 5.7 or MariaDB 10.4	MySQL 8.0 or MariaDB 10.6+
Web server	Apache or Nginx	Apache, Nginx or LiteSpeed with caching
HTTPS	Recommended	Required, with a valid SSL certificate
mod_rewrite	Needed for pretty permalinks	Enabled by default on most hosts

These are the figures published for the current WordPress release; a host running an older PHP or MySQL version than these minimums cannot run WordPress safely or at all.

Memory (RAM) and the PHP memory limit

There are two different "memory" numbers to watch. The server's physical RAM affects how many visitors it can serve at once; 1 GB can run a small WordPress site, but 2 GB or more makes caching and admin tasks noticeably smoother. Separately, PHP enforces a memory_limit per request, set in php.ini or wp-config.php. WordPress core needs only about 40 MB, but a typical theme with several plugins commonly needs 128 MB to 256 MB, and page builders or WooCommerce can need more.

// Raise the PHP memory limit from wp-config.php
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );

Database and file storage

A dedicated MySQL or MariaDB database and a database user with full privileges on it.
At least 1 GB of disk space for WordPress core, a theme and a handful of plugins; media-heavy sites need far more.
The ability to create a database through a control panel or command line during setup.
Regular automated backups of both files and the database, since WordPress stores content in both places.

Required and recommended PHP extensions

WordPress needs a small set of PHP extensions that almost every host enables by default: mysqli to talk to the database, curl for outgoing requests, gd or imagick for image resizing, mbstring for text handling, xml, and zip for plugin and theme uploads. Shared and managed WordPress hosts typically ship all of these already; a bare VPS or custom server build needs them installed and enabled manually.

How to check what your current host provides

Install the Site Health tool built into WordPress (Tools, then Site Health, then the Info tab) to see the live PHP version, memory limit, database version and active extensions on your current server. Comparing that report against the table above shows exactly what, if anything, needs to be upgraded before installing WordPress or moving to a new host.

Frequently asked questions

What PHP version does WordPress need in 2026?

WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher, but the WordPress project recommends PHP 8.1 or newer for better performance and ongoing security support. Running an unsupported PHP version is a common cause of slow or insecure WordPress sites.

How much RAM does a WordPress site need?

A small WordPress site can run on a server with 1 GB of RAM, but 2 GB or more is recommended once you add caching, several plugins or higher traffic. This is separate from the PHP memory_limit setting, which controls memory per request rather than total server RAM.

Does WordPress need MySQL specifically?

WordPress needs MySQL 5.7 or higher, or the compatible alternative MariaDB 10.4 or higher. Most hosting control panels default to MariaDB today, and WordPress works the same way with either.

Can WordPress run without HTTPS?

Technically WordPress will install and run without HTTPS, but it is not recommended. Modern browsers flag non-HTTPS sites as not secure, some WordPress features and plugins expect HTTPS, and login forms sent over plain HTTP expose passwords on the network.

What happens if the PHP memory limit is too low?

A memory limit that is too low typically produces a white screen or a "allowed memory size exhausted" error when a plugin, theme or import process needs more memory than is available. Raising WP_MEMORY_LIMIT in wp-config.php or asking the host to raise the server-wide limit resolves it.

Is shared hosting enough to meet WordPress requirements?

Yes, most current shared hosting plans meet or exceed WordPress's minimum PHP, database and memory requirements. The bigger differences between shared and managed WordPress hosting are caching, automatic updates and support, not whether the base requirements are met.