ManageWP vs WP Umbrella: A Comparison

When managing multiple WordPress sites, choosing the right management tool can make or break your workflow. In this article, we’ll compare ManageWP and WP Umbrella, two popular options for WordPress management, to help you decide which is best suited for your needs.

What is WordPress Management Software?

WordPress management software allows users to manage multiple WordPress sites from a single dashboard. Key features include:

• Backups: Regular, automated backups to safeguard data.
• Updates: Automatic updates for plugins, themes, and core WordPress software.
• Performance Monitoring: Tracking site speed and server load times.
• Uptime Monitoring: Alerts for when your site goes down and when it’s back online.
• Security Checks: Monitoring for malware, vulnerabilities, and ensuring SSL certification.
• Client Reports: Comprehensive reports sent to clients about site performance, updates, and overall health.

TL;DR

ManageWP remains a reliable tool in the market, but users have expressed frustration over its lack of development, subpar support, and GoDaddy ownership. On the other hand, WP Umbrella offers excellent technical maintenance features but lacks client support functionality, which is essential for agencies.

Let’s dig in.

Comparing ManageWP and WP Umbrella

In this section, we’ll compare ManageWP and WP Umbrella based on key features, user interface, security, pricing, and support.

Key Features

Feature	ManageWP	WP Umbrella
Backups	Automated, with manual options	Automated, daily or hourly backups
Updates	One-click updates for themes, plugins, and WordPress	One-click updates for themes, plugins, and WordPress
Uptime Monitoring	Yes, with email alerts	Yes, with instant notifications
Performance Monitoring	Yes, included	Yes, included
Security Checks	Regular malware scanning, two-factor authentication	PHP error monitoring, security audits
Client Reports	Customisable, automated reports	Customisable, automated reports
Client Support	No ability to handle client support requests	No ability to handle client support requests

User Interface

• ManageWP: The interface is easy to navigate and simple enough for new users, but some find it outdated. It’s well-organised for basic tasks, though lacking in advanced customisation options.
  
• WP Umbrella: Known for a more modern interface, WP Umbrella’s dashboard is user-friendly and designed for efficiency in site maintenance. However, users have noted that it could benefit from more tools for client management and collaboration.

Security

• ManageWP: Offers solid security with malware scanning, two-factor authentication, and regular updates to protect your WordPress sites. However, security alerts and details are less extensive than some competitors.
  
• WP Umbrella: Strong focus on technical maintenance and security. WP Umbrella includes comprehensive malware detection and security audits, making it a good choice for agencies focusing on the technical side of site management.

Pricing

• ManageWP: The core platform is free but most advanced features require purchasing “add-ons,” which means it can get pricey for users needing a full set of features.
  
• WP Umbrella: Affordable pricing at $1.99/site/month.

Support

• ManageWP: Users have expressed dissatisfaction with ManageWP’s customer support, especially since its acquisition by GoDaddy. The company is often criticised for its slow response times.
  
• WP Umbrella: WP Umbrella offers responsive support and technical guidance, though the platform lacks client-facing support tools, which could be a drawback for some agencies.

Our Opinion

ManageWP

There’s no doubt ManageWP still outperforms many alternatives in the market in terms of reliability. However, its customer base has become disgruntled at its lack of development in recent years, as well as a below-par support service and the fact that it’s now owned by GoDaddy.
- Phil Storey, Founder of Glow

WP Umbrella

WP Umbrella has a really solid set of technical maintenance features; however, it lacks the ability to perform any kind of client support, which is, of course, a hugely important part of an agency’s support & maintenance service.
- Phil Storey, Founder of Glow

Introducing Glow

Almost all agencies need the same core set of tools to efficiently manage multiple WordPress sites: a support system, a maintenance system, client reporting, team collaboration, and time tracking. Traditional WordPress management software, such as ManageWP and WP Umbrella, offers some of these tools, but not all.

"We used to have time tracking, tickets & reporting across different tools. Glow centralises all this into one easy-to-use dashboard."
- Rick Makin, Head of Web Design, 21 Degrees Digital

When you manage your clients’ WordPress sites with Glow, everything is in one place. Your team stays aligned, it’s super easy to carry out support and maintenance tasks, and you can consistently prove the value of your service to your clients.

Click here to download our free website report template and see what Glow can do for you.