Agencies building Website as a Service (WaaS) businesses need reliable, scalable platforms. AreaWP stands out as the modern choice with self-hosted and hosted GDPR-compliant options, while competitors face limitations: Dollie locks you into cloud credits, WP Ultimo is abandoned and discontinued, and InstaWP charges expensive per-site fees.
Platform Status & Deployment Models
| Platform | Status | Deployment |
|---|---|---|
| AreaWP | ✔️ Actively developed, regular updates, full support | Self-hosted OR Hosted (France, Germany, Poland, Italy, Canada) |
| Dollie | ✔️ Active, commercial platform | Hosted only (Dollie Cloud) |
| WP Ultimo | ❌ ABANDONED – website offline, no support, discontinued since 2023 | Self-hosted (Multisite plugin – deprecated) |
| InstaWP | ✔️ Active, cloud staging platform | Hosted only (InstaWP Cloud) |
Pricing Models Compared
| Platform | Base Cost | Scaling Cost | Margin Profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| AreaWP | Pro: 50$ Business: 100$ Enterprise: 250$ DirectAdmin License: 15$ or 30$ (based on sites needs) Hosted version: Different VM Tiers to choose from | Pro: 10 sites (5$ /site) Business: 50 sites (2$ /site) Enterprise: 300 sites (0.80$ /site) | High margins – fixed costs, you control pricing |
| Dollie | Pro: $150/yr Business: $750/yr | Pro: 2 sites only Business: 12 sites only Extra sites via Pods (expensive) | Medium – credits limit margins |
| WP Ultimo | N/A – Platform abandoned, site offline | N/A – No support or updates | Risky – no future |
| InstaWP | Pro: $19/mo Pro Whitelabel Addon: $20/mo | Pro: 5 sites ($5-9 /site) Agency: Unlimited sites ($5-9 /site) | Low margins – per-site costs eat profits |
Cost Example: For 50 WaaS sites, AreaWP costs $130 (fixed, DirectAdmin Included) plus server cost, while InstaWP charges $250/month just for site fees ($5 × 50), plus $49 base = $299/month minimum.
Essential Features Comparison
| Feature | AreaWP | Dollie | WP Ultimo | InstaWP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted option | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️* | ❌ |
| Hosted (GDPR) option | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Domain reselling | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Template Sync (preserve customer content) | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| WaaS builder | ✔️ All plans | ⚠️ Business only | ✔️* | ✔️ |
| Client portals | ✔️ | ⚠️ Soon | ✔️* | ❌ |
| Isolated sites (not Multisite) | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ Multisite | ✔️ |
| Automated backups | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️* | ✔️ |
| AI features | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Active development | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ DEAD | ✔️ |
* WP Ultimo features unavailable – platform abandoned, website offline, no support since 2023
Why AreaWP Is the Smart Choice
Maximum Flexibility: Self-Hosted OR Hosted
AreaWP is the only platform offering both self-hosted (your own VPS/server) and managed hosted options with GDPR-compliant servers in France, Germany, Poland, Italy, or Canada. Choose what fits your agency best.
Predictable Costs, Not Per-Site Fees
Unlike InstaWP’s expensive $1/site pricing or Dollie’s 2/12 site limits with Pod costs, AreaWP charges no per-site fees. Host 10, 100, or 1000 sites on the same infrastructure with predictable, fixed costs and higher profit margins.
Unique Template Sync Feature
AreaWP offers exclusive Template Sync technology that keeps all customer sites updated (WordPress core, themes, plugins, page structure, settings) while intelligently preserving their unique content (posts, comments, users, media). Enable/disable per template. No competitor offers this.
Domain Reselling Built-In
Sell domains + templates + hosting together from one platform. AreaWP integrates domain registrars, letting you offer complete WaaS packages. Dollie, InstaWP, and WP Ultimo don’t support domain reselling.
⚠️ Avoid Abandoned Platforms
WP Ultimo is completely dead – website offline since early 2025, no updates since December 2023, no support available. Building on abandoned technology puts your entire agency at risk. Choose actively developed, supported platforms like AreaWP.
Best For Each Platform
| AreaWP | Best for serious WaaS agencies wanting flexibility (self-hosted OR hosted), no per-site fees, GDPR compliance, domain reselling, unique Template Sync, and maximum profit margins at scale. |
| Dollie | Small agencies wanting hosted convenience with AI features, willing to accept site limits (2/12) and Pod-based scaling costs. |
| WP Ultimo | ❌ DO NOT USE – Platform abandoned, website offline, no support, no updates. Migrate away immediately. |
| InstaWP | Staging/development focus or agencies managing under 20 sites (after that, per-site fees become prohibitive). |
Ready to build your WaaS empire?
Start with AreaWP today – self-hosted or hosted, GDPR-compliant, unlimited sites, zero per-site fees.
View pricing plans →
