Flywheel built a following among designers and agencies with its clean interface and agency-friendly tools. That's changing as Flywheel consolidates into WP Engine — bringing along the plugin bans, US-only data residency, and higher costs. Stack2 is the Australian-owned alternative that still puts agencies first.
| Feature | Flywheel | Stack2 |
|---|---|---|
| Server Location | United States | Sydney, Australia — AU data residency |
| Support Hours | Not Australia-based | AU engineers, median 18-min reply (business hours AEST) |
| Starting Price | ~US$15/mo per site | AU$15/mo (Spark plan) |
| Staging Environments | 1–3, by plan | |
| PHP Versions | Not published | PHP 5.6–8.5, selectable per site |
| Backups | Not published | Nightly, off-site (Melbourne), one-click restore |
| Uptime | Not published | Monitored 24/7 |
| AutoCare — Automated Care Plans | ||
| White-label Client Reports (Automatic) | ||
| No Banned Plugins | WP Engine restrictions | |
| Independent (not absorbed into another brand) | Moving to WP Engine | |
| Agency Operations — Tasks, Docs & Passwords |
You chose Flywheel for its simplicity and agency focus. The platform consolidation means a new interface, WP Engine's higher price point, and plugin restrictions — including permanent bans on UpdraftPlus and W3 Total Cache that many agencies depend on.
Stack2 is independently owned and operated. No parent company merging brands, no plugin restrictions. The product you start with today is the product it's growing into — built for agencies in Australia.
Flywheel managed the hosting. The care plan — documenting updates, producing a report, sending it to clients — was always your job. Moving to WP Engine doesn't change that.
Stack2's AutoCare applies updates on schedule and automatically sends a branded report to each client. It's the care plan workflow Flywheel always lacked — and it's included in the Stack2 Agency plan.
Flywheel never had AU data residency. With the move to WP Engine, that's not changing. Client site data, backups, and emails are stored in US data centres by default.
Stack2 is based in Melbourne. All client data stays on Australian infrastructure — a clean, simple answer when clients in legal, finance, health, or government ask where their data is.
Flywheel managed hosting well, but the care plan side was always manual. AutoCare closes that gap — updates applied on your schedule, white-label reports sent to clients automatically. No monthly grind, no screenshots, no copying logs into a PDF.
See how AutoCare worksFlywheel is being consolidated into WP Engine (its parent company since 2019). Flywheel customers are being migrated to the WP Engine platform, meaning a different interface, WP Engine's pricing structure, and plugin restrictions — including permanent bans on popular plugins like UpdraftPlus and W3 Total Cache.
Stack2 is built specifically for Australian agencies managing WordPress client sites. It offers a clean agency dashboard (similar in spirit to what Flywheel aimed for), managed WordPress hosting, white-label reports, and AutoCare — automated care plan delivery that Flywheel never offered. AU data residency is included by default.
Flywheel is owned by WP Engine and is being folded into the WP Engine platform, which bans plugins like UpdraftPlus and W3 Total Cache and hosts data in the US. Stack2 has no banned plugin list, keeps all data on Australian infrastructure, and includes AutoCare — automated care plan delivery with white-label client reports — plus agency operations tools like task management, documentation and password storage that neither WP Engine nor Flywheel offer.
Yes. Stack2 provides free migration assistance. We help with moving WordPress site files and databases, staging environments, and DNS cutover so you can test before switching. Contact us and we'll walk you through the process — most migrations complete within a few business days.
A few of the people who trust us with their IT and hosting.
Stack2 are not just a web host, for our Marketing Agency they are a dedicated partner. Working together for close to 10 years now, Stack2 not only manage your agency’s IT infrastructure and cyber security, they also power hundreds of websites we have built for clients. The team are responsive, proactive and extremely knowledgeable. I cant imagine our agency without them.
Mary-Anne Amies, Founder & CEO at Wise Up Marketing
We've been working with Leigh and the team at Stack2 for several years, and they've become our go-to provider for all things web and email hosting. Having a local Australian team has been a real advantage, and their service has been consistently exceptional. Knowing our hosting is in safe hands gives our team complete peace of mind!
Christian Andrée, Managing Partner at Made Somewhere
I’ve worked with Leigh at Stack2 since 2020 across 4 different businesses, and I honestly wouldn’t recommend anyone else. Leigh has a way of making even the most overwhelming tech issues feel manageable, always explains things in plain English, responds incredibly quickly, and never makes me feel silly for asking questions. I trust him completely with my IT and web hosting, and he is the first person I recommend whenever a client needs reliable IT support.
Cheryl East, Founder at Complete Bookkeeping & Admin Support
I’ve worked with Leigh and the Stack2 team for close to eight years now, and I’ve never viewed their work as an expense, they’re genuinely an asset to my digital marketing agency. They’ve supported me at every stage, and whenever I’ve scaled up, they’ve scaled with me. Their customer service is exceptional; no question is ever too big or too small and nothing is ignored. Leigh takes the time to understand your needs and will work with you to find the right IT solution for your business. Before moving across to Stack2 in 2018, I had tried several other business technology providers. I’ve never once considered leaving Stack2. The consistency, reliability, and local support make all the difference.
Julia Makin, Founder & Executive Director at Sink or Swim Marketing
We've trusted Stack2 to host not only our own website but also many of our clients' websites for years, and they've consistently delivered exceptional service. They are always quick to respond, and they resolve any questions or technical issues promptly and efficiently. A special mention goes to Leigh, who we work with most often. His technical knowledge is outstanding, and he's always friendly, approachable, and easy to communicate with. His attention to detail and ability to quickly troubleshoot even complex issues gives us confidence that our websites, and those of our clients, are in good hands. While Stack2 may not be the cheapest hosting provider on the market, we've found the level of expertise, reliability and efficiency they provide more than justifies the investment. Their service has been a big reason we've remained a loyal customer over the long term. We also really value that they're Australian-based. Having local support available during our business hours means we can get help when we need it most, without worrying about time zone delays. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Stack2 to anyone looking for dependable hosting backed by knowledgeable, responsive support.
Nadia Kerr, Founder at Hatchling Web
Choose a plan on Stack2 and bring your Flywheel sites across on your schedule. Free migration assistance included.