Connect sites to The Hub
Install the Hub connector and link client sites — membership tier determines how many site licenses you can activate.
WPMU DEV flow
SiteSkite vs WPMU DEV
WPMU DEV bundles the galaxy.
SiteSkite runs the operation.
WPMU DEV's Hub covers updates, backups, monitoring, and reports — but membership tiers cap site counts, backup storage sits on vendor buckets, and staging, hosting, and pro plugins push you deeper into their ecosystem. SiteSkite bundles sandbox staging, BYO cloud backups, blueprints, and portfolio WebOps from $2.99/site without upselling hosting or plugin bundles.
Try SiteSkite free7-day trial · No credit card · Run alongside WPMU DEV while you evaluate
Why Agencies Switch
Stop Bundling. Start Operating.
Move from a membership-and-hosting platform to a WebOps layer with staging, recovery, and team workflows built in.
One Platform. Everything Connected.
Updates, backups, staging, monitoring, reporting, and AI — without plugin suites, hosting credits, or reseller upsells in the same dashboard.
Built for WebOps. Not Ecosystem Lock-In.
WPMU DEV tiers site licenses and pushes hosting — SiteSkite Advanced bundles the full stack at $2.99/site on sites you already host.
The operational gap
All-in-one platform vs operational layer
WPMU DEV
Membership + Hub platformPlus from $200/yr (10 sites) or Premium at $1,000/yr (unlimited) — Hub, pro plugins, and backups bundled, but storage and staging lean on WPMU infrastructure.
- Site licenses capped by tier — Plus maxes at 10 sites
- 50 GB backup pool on Premium — vendor storage, not BYO cloud
- Hosting, reseller, and pro plugin ecosystem woven into The Hub
SiteSkite
Managed WebOps platformBuilt for agencies managing external client sites — environments, automation, recovery, and team workflows without hosting or plugin upsells.
- Sandbox staging before production on connected sites
- BYO cloud backups on every plan
- Blueprints, clone, and migrate from one workspace
WPMU DEV's Hub is one of the most feature-rich WordPress dashboards — automated updates, Snapshot backups with up to 720 restore points, uptime alerts, white-label reports, team roles, and client billing on Premium. That works until you want sandbox staging on external client hosting without buying WPMU hosting, BYO backup storage in your client's cloud, or WebOps tooling without navigating membership tiers, plugin bundles, and reseller upsells.
Same Tuesday. Two different workflows.
What it actually feels like when you push plugin updates across 25 client sites on external hosting.
WPMU DEV workflow
SiteSkite workflow
Check BirdEye first
Open one dashboard — uptime, SSL, and incidents are visible before you touch anything.
SiteSkite flowBulk update from dashboard
Push plugin, theme, and core updates with safe-update workflows, activity logs, and performance scans from The Hub.
Hub site managementTest in sandbox
Spin a sandbox or staging link to validate the update batch without touching production.
Built-in stagingStaging needs the stack
Staging and clone workflows are strongest on WPMU DEV hosting — external sites rely on Snapshot backups rather than native sandbox links.
Hosting-adjacent stagingBulk update safely
Push updates with rollback ready; WP Essentials reapplies your standard plugin stack.
Included rollbackBackups in vendor storage
Snapshot Pro handles offsite backups with up to 720 restore points — Premium includes 50 GB for external sites, not BYO S3 or Drive.
Platform backup poolBackups to your cloud
Backups run on schedule — optionally in the client's own S3, Drive, or Dropbox.
BYO storageNavigate the ecosystem
Need SEO, security hardening, or client billing? More pro plugins, hosting credits, and Premium upsells sit one click away in the same interface.
Galaxy of add-onsReport from one workspace
Push a white-label report from the same workspace your team and clients already use.
Included reportsThings SiteSkite does that WPMU DEV was not built for
Not checkmarks on a spec sheet — capabilities that change how agencies deliver work.
Sandbox Site
Launch isolated WordPress environments in seconds. Test plugin batches and theme changes before they hit a client domain — with production and staging links built in.
Learn More
Bring Your Own Cloud Storage
Backup and restore to your client's S3, Google Drive, or Dropbox. Keep data where your clients expect it — not locked in vendor buckets.
Learn More
WP Essentials
Deploy your agency's standard plugin stack to one site or fifty with a single action. Standardize client projects without repetitive manual installs.
Learn More
Blueprints
Save fully configured site setups and launch repeatable environments from templates — for new builds, demos, QA, and rapid project delivery.
Learn More
WP Canvas & MCP
Operate sites without SSH — debug settings, maintenance mode, error logs, and more from one dashboard. Connect AI agents via SiteSkite MCP when you are ready.
Learn More
Teams & Users
Invite admins, team members, and customers with scoped permissions. Everyone gets the access they need — without sharing dashboard credentials.
Learn MoreEverything You Need to Run WordPress at Scale
Updates
Smart, safe, and automated
Backups
Reliable backups you can trust
Staging
Test changes without risk
Monitor
Uptime, performance, and real-time alerts
AI Operations
AI that actually runs your operations
Reports
White-label reports that impress
Feature snapshot
What WPMU DEV's Hub includes on connected sites — versus the WebOps capabilities SiteSkite adds on every paid tier.
| Capability | WPMU DEV | SiteSkite |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk plugin & theme updates | Included — bulk management, safe updates, auto-update controls | Included — bulk updates with rollback |
| One-click admin login (SSO) | Included — one-click SSO from The Hub | Included — secure admin access |
| Scheduled backups & restore | Included — Snapshot Pro with up to 720 restore points; 50 GB pool on Premium for external sites | Included — daily, weekly, or on-demand with restore |
| Uptime monitoring | Included — downtime alerts and uptime monitor in The Hub | Included — 2-min intervals on Advanced |
| Performance monitoring | Included — performance optimization and web vitals in The Hub | Included — PageInsights & BirdEye |
| White-label client reports | Included — automated white-label maintenance reports | Included — maintenance & performance reports |
| Team collaboration & roles | Included — custom roles for teams and clients on Hub | Included — workspaces & invites |
| Safe updates with rollback | Included — safe automated updates with rollback support | Included — safe updates with rollback |
| Activity logs | Included — detailed site activity logs in The Hub | Included — activity and incident tracking |
| Vulnerability scanning | Included — vulnerability checker via Hub security tools | Included — malware scanning (no virtual patching) |
| Virtual patching | Limited — security hardening via Defender Pro, not Patchstack-style virtual patching | Not available — malware scanning only, no virtual patching |
| Malware scanning | Included — Defender Pro malware scans (membership includes pro plugins) | Included — malware scanning (no virtual patching) |
| SEO & broken link tools | Included — SEO audits and broken link checker via pro plugins | Limited — performance and monitoring focus, not SEO suite |
| Client billing & CRM | Premium — white-label reseller, 0% billing fees on Premium | Not available — WebOps focus, no native client billing |
| PHP error monitoring | Not available — no dedicated PHP error tracking in The Hub | Included — advanced PHP error tracking & alerts |
| Domain expiry monitoring | Not available — no native domain expiry alerts in The Hub | Included — domain expiry alerts in BirdEye |
| Staging / sandbox on connected sites | Limited — staging strongest on WPMU DEV hosting; external sites rely on backup-based workflows | Included — sandbox & staging links on connected sites |
| Production & staging links | Limited — not native sandbox links for externally hosted client sites | Included — production & staging on every Advanced plan |
| Site blueprints & templates | Not available — no blueprint or template launch product in The Hub | Included — Blueprints & marketplace |
| Site migration between hosts | Limited — backup restore workflows; hosting migration support for WPMU plans | Included — migrate or clone between servers from backup |
| Bring-your-own backup storage | Not available — Snapshot vendor storage (50 GB pool on Premium) | Included — S3, Drive, Dropbox |
| Plugin preset bundles | Not available — install pro plugins individually from WPMU library | Included — WP Essentials |
| Public API | Limited — Hub integrations; no full public REST API for all operations | Not available — MCP only, no public REST API |
| AI / MCP operational layer | Not available — no native AI or MCP WebOps layer in The Hub | Included — MCP & BYO LLM |
What full coverage costs at scale
WPMU DEV membership tiers cap how many sites you can connect — Plus covers 10 sites, Premium unlocks unlimited at $1,000/yr. SiteSkite Advanced bundles sandbox staging, BYO cloud backups, and WebOps at $2.99/site without plugin bundles or hosting upsells.
WPMU DEV (annual list pricing): Basic $60/yr (1 site), Standard $100/yr (3 sites), Plus $200/yr (10 sites), Premium $1,000/yr (unlimited sites, 50 GB backup pool for external sites, hosting credits). Each plan includes the full pro plugin suite. Promotional discounts may apply. SiteSkite: Free ($0, 1 basic site), Advanced ($2.99/mo or $29.99/yr per Pro site), Professional ($75/mo or $750/yr, 30 sites), Agency ($175/mo or $1,750/yr, 70 sites). Totals below use list pricing; WPMU totals assume Plus for ≤10 sites and Premium for larger portfolios.
5client sites
WPMU DEV
$16.67/mo — Plus at $200/yr (10-site cap); pro plugins included
SiteSkite
$14.95/mo — Advanced at $2.99/mo per Pro site (5 × $2.99), sandbox included
Your Agency Is Infrastructure. Your Tools Should Be Too.
Evaluate without burning the bridge
Connect a pilot batch
Link 3–5 representative client sites. Keep WPMU DEV running on the rest — SiteSkite's plugin does not conflict.
Run your real workflow
Use the 7-day trial to test sandbox updates, backups, monitoring, and a client report on actual sites.
Migrate on your timeline
Move sites in batches when you are confident. Reach out via contact if you want help planning the transition.
The interface gap
Platform dashboards age. Command centers don't.
WPMU DEV built The Hub to sell memberships, hosting, and pro plugins from one interface. SiteSkite was designed so operators see the whole portfolio with staging, backups, and recovery in one WebOps workspace.
This is not a prettier skin on the same workflow. It is a different way to run WordPress at scale: fewer clicks to confidence, fewer surprises after deploy.
Open the dashboard on your sites
7-day trial · Connect a pilot batch in minutes
Questions agencies ask before switching
WPMU DEV's Hub is a capable all-in-one platform — especially if you want pro plugins, Snapshot backups, team roles, client billing on Premium, and hosting credits in one membership. SiteSkite is the better fit when your client sites stay on external hosting and you need native sandbox staging, BYO cloud backup storage, blueprints, and portfolio WebOps without navigating membership tiers, plugin bundles, and hosting upsells.
Yes. Install SiteSkite alongside WPMU DEV on the same WordPress sites while you compare workflows. Deactivate WPMU DEV site by site when you are ready — there is no all-or-nothing migration day required.
Yes. Our team can help agencies move from WPMU DEV without the usual lift — connecting sites in batches, aligning backups and monitoring, and mapping your workflow to SiteSkite's WebOps layer. White-glove migration is free for qualifying agency accounts; reach out via our contact page or support@siteskite.com and we'll plan the switch around your portfolio size and timeline.
WPMU DEV tiers by site license count: Basic ($60/yr, 1 site), Standard ($100/yr, 3 sites), Plus ($200/yr, 10 sites), and Premium ($1,000/yr, unlimited sites with 50 GB backup storage for external sites, hosting credits, and reseller tools). That works out to roughly $3/site/month on Plus for up to 10 sites, or ~$83/month flat on Premium for larger portfolios — plus the value of bundled pro plugins. On SiteSkite, Advanced is $2.99/mo ($29.99/yr) per Pro linked site with sandbox staging, backups, monitoring, and reports included. Professional is $75/mo ($750/yr) for up to 30 sites, and Agency is $175/mo ($1,750/yr) for up to 70 sites.
WPMU DEV offers staging and clone workflows, but they are strongest when sites run on WPMU DEV hosting. For externally hosted client sites, The Hub relies on Snapshot backup and restore rather than native sandbox links you can test against before production. SiteSkite includes sandbox and staging environments on connected external sites from the Advanced plan.
WPMU DEV is strong if you want an all-in-one membership — unlimited pro plugins (Defender, Snapshot, Smush, Hummingbird, and more), hosting discounts, white-label reseller and client billing on Premium, and a mature Hub with SEO and security tooling bundled. Premium at $1,000/yr can be economical for 25+ sites if you use the full plugin suite. SiteSkite makes more sense when you manage client sites on external hosting and want sandbox staging, BYO cloud backups, blueprints, and focused WebOps at $2.99/site without buying into hosting or plugin galaxy upsells.