Update: StudioPress Sites is live.
StudioPress is aiming to launch a new WordPress + Genesis specific hosting on January 31, 2017 called StudioPress Sites.
Below is the summary of this hosting service from what I gathered in the various social media channels:
- We can install our own themes and plugins and customize the themes with FTP access, unlike the manual submission/approval process involved in Rainmaker.
- Includes 20 of their top selling Genesis child themes. It should be safe to assume that the parent Genesis theme will come standard. The child themes are going to be updated to make them play nicely with WooCommerce. These updates will also be available to all themes’ customers.
- One-click install of these plugins:Â WooCommerce, Design Palette Pro, AMP, Beaver Builder Lite, OptinMonster, AffiliateWP, Soliloquy Lite, Easy Digital Downloads, Restrict Content Pro, Ninja Forms, WPForms Lite. All the included plugins need separate purchases from the plugin authors if you want updates and support.
- Automatic plugin and theme maintenance. It is not clear for now as to whether this applies just to the officially supported/included plugins or others as well. As to theme maintenance, am guessing that the parent Genesis theme will be kept updated automatically.
- Additional SEO features: Advanced schema control, XML sitemap generation, robots.txt generation, asynchronous JavaScript loading, enhanced Open Graph output, breadcrumb title control, AMP support.
- Performance should be better than cheaper shared hosting.
- Built-in security features like intrusion prevention, continuous scanning and monitoring for malware, distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection.
- No charges for short-term traffic spikes.
- Free SSL via Let’s Encrypt.
- Two pricing tiers: $27/month and $37/month (less when paid annually). The lower plan is meant for content sites whereas the higher plan is for e-commerce sites. The price is per site.
- Login is via your My StudioPress account.
- Affiliate amount is $150 during the launch period.
- Staging <-> Live feature is on their roadmap
- As of today, automatic/manual backups is not planned to be included.
This is a great move by StudioPress to put together the best of their Genesis themes, lessons from Synthesis and experience with Rainmaker service into one budget-friendly GenesisWP hosting offering competing with the likes of WP Engine and Pagely.
The features which I find missing are backups (scheduled automatic and on-demand manual ones) and the ability to quickly clone sites to staging environment.
I’ll keep this post updated during the launch.
Thanks for the heads up! I agree that cloning is sort of a necessity. I’ll be curious to see how the back-end admin plays out.
Forgot to add backups to the missing features list. Just updated the post.
Thanks Sridhar for giving this info. I’ve been hearing about it. Another must-have these days seems to be HTTP/2(?). Flywheel doesn’t have it yet but WP Engine does. The list of needed hosting features definitely keeps growing.
Hmm, so it basically sounds like a regular host but with themes and plugins pre-populated, with the StudioPress theme’s being the value-add. The plugins will all have to be paid for on their own so no savings there. I’d rather stay with WP Engine đ
Not all.
These are the premium ones (as far as I know) included in StudioPress Sites:
Design Palette Pro
OptinMonster
AffiliateWP
Ninja Forms
As to sticking with WP Engine, likewise. Hosting without backups and staging is incomplete in my opinion.
Well, if we let them know we value that so much perhaps they’ll listen?
I just did.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/genesiswp/permalink/1386970964687430/?comment_id=1388801414504385
Backups are not planned but staging is apparently on their roadmap. I’ve updated the post.
I stand corrected.
None of the included plugins are perpetual. Separate purchases needed for updates and support.
2 queries if anyone knows…
Pricing… Is the pricing per website/install, or for many sites (within reason).
And design pallette pro, comes included without having to buy a licence? That would make sense for SP… Otherwise your average squarespace punter will feel they don’t have much control.
I reached out to Brian Gardner and he replied that price is per site/install.
Also, DPP does not include a license. That’s a separate purchase from the plugin author if you need updates and support.
Is this an immediate or eventual replacement to the legacy pro plus model?
No.
Pro Plus or their themes business will not be impacted and is not going to be replaced. If anything, StudioPress will update the child themes with WooCommerce compatibility and styling as they need that for their new StudioPress Sites offering.