Care plans still require manual work every month.
WP Engine manages the infrastructure — but producing a care plan report, documenting what was updated, and sending it to the client? That's still manual. An hour per client, every month, at scale.
Stack2 vs WP Engine
WP Engine alternative for Australian agencies.
WP Engine alternative for Australian agencies.
Australian-owned. No plugin bans. AutoCare available.
WP Engine has a Sydney data center and an Australian support team — but it's a US-owned company with US-dollar pricing and a banned plugin list that includes tools many agencies depend on. Stack2 is Australian-owned and built specifically for agencies, with AutoCare, no plugin bans, and AUD pricing.
Australian-owned
·
No banned plugins
·
AutoCare available
Side by side
Stack2 vs WP Engine at a glance.
| Feature | Stack2 | WP Engine |
|---|---|---|
| Australian-Owned Company | ||
| AU Data Residency | ✓ Sydney option | |
| AutoCare — Automated Care Plans | ||
| WordPress Management Dashboard | ||
| White-label Client Reports | ||
| No Banned Plugins | ||
| Local AU Support | ✓ Brisbane office | |
| Agency Operations — Tasks, Docs & Passwords | ||
| Starting Price | Free to start | ~$35 USD/mo |
The difference
Why agencies are moving from WP Engine to Stack2.
AutoCare does the care plan work for you.
Updates applied on schedule, white-label report generated and emailed to the client automatically. You keep charging $50+/month per care plan without spending hours delivering it.
Expensive, and the costs compound as you grow.
WP Engine is a premium-priced US product. Add-ons, overages, and plan requirements for features agencies actually need push costs well above what Australian agencies typically budget for hosting.
Australian-owned, AUD pricing, no hidden add-ons.
Stack2 is priced in AUD, owned and operated in Australia, with AutoCare for care plan delivery and no add-on fatigue from a US dollar subscription.
Not available on WP Engine
AutoCare — white-label care plan delivery WP Engine can't match.
AutoCare automates the delivery of WordPress care plans. Updates are applied on your schedule, a white-label report is generated with what was done, and it's emailed directly to your client — automatically. No manual screenshots. No copying update logs. No monthly admin grind.
Agencies using AutoCare deliver better care plans to more clients, without adding hours. Bill $50/month per site, pay Stack2's hosting cost, keep the rest — with zero manual effort on delivery.
Learn about AutoCare Questions
Switching from WP Engine — answered.
The main reasons are WP Engine's plugin restrictions (UpdraftPlus and W3 Total Cache are banned), the absorption of Flywheel into WP Engine, high costs relative to Australian alternatives, and US-only data residency. Stack2 is Australian-owned, has no plugin bans, and includes AutoCare — automated care plan delivery with white-label reports sent directly to clients, which WP Engine doesn't offer.
No. Stack2 does not maintain a banned plugin list. You can install and run UpdraftPlus, W3 Total Cache, or any other plugin your workflow depends on. We only recommend against plugins with known security vulnerabilities, and we'll alert you if one is detected.
Yes. Stack2 offers free migration assistance. Contact us and we'll help you move your WordPress sites from WP Engine — including DNS cutover planning and testing in staging before you go live. Most migrations are completed within a few business days.
Generally faster for Australian visitors. WP Engine's infrastructure is US-based, meaning every request crosses the Pacific. Stack2 hosts on Australian infrastructure — lower latency for local visitors, and no geographic round-trip adding to your page load times.
Ready to move off WP Engine?
Start free and monitor your existing sites on Stack2. Free migration assistance included when you're ready to switch.