When you’re managing, multiple client websites you have to update themes, and plugins regularly, and look out for backups, security threats, and what not! So 

“Do you manage this manually or use any tool for that?” 

When I asked the same question to one of our developers. He said MANUALLY. I was like 😦!!!

His reply motivated me to write a blog to guide all the freelancers and developers who are part of web development agencies and work on multiple clients’ websites. We are going to see how website maintenance has become so easy after using the following tools as well as I will identify the areas where these tools can’t help out. 

What Are the Best Multisite Management Tools in 2024?

There are a number of multi-site management tools available, each with its own strengths. Some of the top contenders include:

• ManageWP
• InfiniteWP
• MainWP
• WP Remote

But today, we’re focusing on WP Umbrella, which is packed with features designed to simplify site management without too many technicalities. It’s a solution that’s gaining popularity among agencies and freelancers who manage multiple client sites.

WP Umbrella

WP Umbrella is designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, making it a popular choice for developers, agencies, and freelancers. The tool helps centralize the management of multiple WordPress sites, allowing you to control updates, backups, and more from one dashboard.

WP Umbrella offers an impressive array of features that will make you rethink how you approach site management.

Key Features of WP Umbrella

1. Centralized Dashboard

With WP Umbrella, you can manage all your client sites from one dashboard. Whether you’re handling three sites or thirty, this feature lets you monitor, update, and manage each site with ease. It’s a time-saver and provides an instant snapshot of each site’s status.

2. Automatic Backups & Updates

WP Umbrella allows you to automate backups and updates, a crucial feature for any website manager. You can set up daily, weekly, or monthly schedules for backups and let WP Umbrella handle them in the background.

3. Real-Time Security Notifications

Security is paramount, and WP Umbrella provides instant alerts if it detects any security threats. From malware to plugin vulnerabilities, you’ll be notified right away, allowing you to take quick action and protect your clients’ data.

4. Performance Monitoring

WP Umbrella monitors each site’s performance, alerting you to slow load times or unexpected downtime. This feature ensures you’re aware of issues before they impact visitors, allowing you to resolve problems proactively.

5. Health-check Reports

WP Umbrella can give you a detailed health check-up of your WordPress websites. It’ll tell you about things like how fast your site loads, if there are any security threats lurking, and if your backups are up-to-date. These reports can help you identify potential problems and keep your sites running smoothly.

But you know what? Tools can be the helping hands they can’t replace the expertise. Whether you are using WP Umbrella, WP Remote or ManageWP; all tools have certain limitations and drawbacks of their own. Let me show you

Pullbacks of WP Umbrella

1. Coding Standard

No tools can identify issues based on predefined standards and may not fully understand complex custom code. Because when a developer inserts a code it is fully tested that in future any update or plugin is added to the site; the site won’t get affected. Hence while handling such enterprise projects, coding standards are the most important feature the clients expect from us which is fully manual and expertise-based. 

2. Plugin Update Failures

One common pain point for WP Umbrella users is occasional issues with backups and updates of Plugins. When I sat with Piyush – our senior backend developer and asked why don’t you guys use such tools to maintain our client’s sites. Here’s what he says,

“Updates are a thing that has to be executed with care. A single mistake and your site gets crashed/broken. So, we first have to back up our site on a development server. And we try out the update there first. If a site gets updated without any problem only then we make updates to the live site. When sites are set on auto-update for plugins: whenever any major update comes; the site gets updated itself. So if the code is not compatible with the new version of the plugin; the site will crash; who will look out for that? That’s why we always keep auto-update off on our clients’ sites. Just like when you try a new recipe you’ll taste yourself first before serving out the whole family; we do the same with websites before going live.”

3. User Friendly Site

Every site needs to be user-friendly and all device friendly. WP Umbrella is not programmed to test out the look and feel of the site according to users’ tastes. User experience comes with design and positioning. Keeping that in mind our designers redevelop various sections. This impacts of SEO eventually. These factors are missed by these tools while optimizing the sites. 

4. Lacks In-Depth Security Features

WP Umbrella’s security notifications are helpful but don’t replace robust security measures. Without a malware scanner, firewall, bot protection, or login limitation features, WP Umbrella falls short of providing complete security coverage. If security is a top priority, you’ll need to supplement WP Umbrella with a more comprehensive security tool.

Now you must be thinking about what should you look out for while choosing web management tools. Here are some key points that you need to consider. 

5. Post-Report Resilience

UP Umbrella can generate reports that highlight issues based on a website’s condition. They can’t fix those issues automatically. The process of identifying the root causes, locating the specific issues on the site, and implementing the fixes still requires manual intervention from a developer.

Expert’s Voice: Making the Right Choice

I reached out to our Senior Backend Developer, Piyush Patel, for his insights on choosing the right WordPress management tools. Here’s what he shared:

“As someone who’s been in the WordPress development trenches for years, I always tell clients that tools like WP Umbrella are fantastic assistants, but they’re not complete solutions. Think of them as sophisticated smoke detectors – they’re great at alerting you to problems, but you still need firefighters (skilled developers) to handle the situation.