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Keeping your WordPress website secure and up to date is essential for performance and protection against vulnerabilities. Two leading solutions for automating plugin and theme updates are WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager and Pressable’s Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates. This article compares these tools, highlighting their features, benefits, and limitations, and ultimately recommends the best choice for your WordPress site.
Overview of WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager
WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager is an automated update tool designed to manage WordPress plugins and themes on WP Engine-hosted sites. It features Visual Regression Testing (VRT) to detect visual changes after updates, automatically rolling back to the previous version if issues arise. The tool supports multisite environments, Git integration, customizable update schedules, and detailed reporting to keep website owners informed.
Key Features of WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager
- Automated plugin and theme updates to reduce manual maintenance.
- Visual Regression Testing to identify visual discrepancies post-update.
- Auto rollback to restore the site to a stable state if updates cause problems.
- Customizable update schedules and notifications.
- Support for multisite networks and Git-hosted plugins/themes.
Benefits and Limitations
WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager offers strong site security by ensuring plugins and themes are kept current with minimal manual effort. Its visual testing and rollback features help prevent site breakage after updates. However, it requires configuration of security settings such as firewall rules and two-factor authentication whitelisting. Additionally, it can only be activated on one environment per site (production or staging), which may limit flexibility for complex workflows.
Overview of Pressable Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates
Pressable’s Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates service provides comprehensive automation for WordPress core, plugins, and theme updates. It emphasizes reliability by combining automated updates with expert monitoring and support to minimize downtime and resolve issues proactively. Pressable handles update testing, rollback, and ensures your site remains secure and functional with minimal intervention.
Key Features of Pressable Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates
- Automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes.
- Expert monitoring with proactive issue detection and resolution.
- Automatic rollback if updates cause site errors or downtime.
- Minimal configuration required, designed for ease of use.
- Seamless integration with Pressable hosting platform.
Benefits and Limitations
Pressable’s solution is ideal for users seeking a hands-off approach to WordPress updates with professional support. Its automated rollback and monitoring reduce risks associated with updates. Unlike WP Engine’s Smart Plugin Manager, which manages only plugin and theme updates, Pressable’s Advanced Automatic Updates also handles WordPress core updates, offering a broader automated update solution.
However, it is limited to Pressable-hosted sites and may not offer the same level of customization as WP Engine’s tool. Pressable does support WordPress multisite setups, including subdirectory, subdomain, and custom domain mappings, but the Advanced Automatic Updates feature is not available for multisite networks. This feature applies only to individual sites on the Signature plan or higher, so multisite updates must be handled manually or through other tools.
Feature Comparison Table
Feature | WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager | Pressable Advanced Automatic Updates |
|---|---|---|
Automatic Plugin & Theme Updates | Yes | Yes |
WordPress Core Updates | Yes (Managed separetly by WP Engine hosting) | Yes |
Visual Regression Testing (VRT) | Yes | Not specifically mentioned |
Auto Rollback on Failure | Yes | Yes |
Update Scheduling | User-configurable | Managed by Pressable |
Expert Monitoring & Support | Limited to notifications | Included |
Yes | Limited | |
Git Integration | Yes | Not available |
Ease of Use | Requires configuration and setup | Plug-and-play with minimal setup |
Which Should You Choose?
When to Choose WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager
- You host your site on WP Engine and want granular control over plugin and theme updates.
- You require Visual Regression Testing to detect visual issues post-update.
- You manage multisite networks or use Git-hosted plugins/themes.
- You prefer to customize update schedules and notifications.
When to Choose Pressable Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates
- You want a comprehensive automatic update solution including WordPress core.
- You prefer minimal setup with expert monitoring and proactive support.
- Your site is hosted on Pressable’s platform.
- You desire a hands-off update experience with automatic error detection and rollback.
Conclusion
Both WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager and Pressable Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates offer valuable automation to keep your WordPress site secure and current. WP Engine’s tool provides advanced features like Visual Regression Testing and Git integration, making it suitable for users who want detailed control and customization within the WP Engine ecosystem.
Pressable’s service, on the other hand, offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach with automatic core updates and expert monitoring, ideal for users seeking a fully managed update experience.
Pressable is our go to hosting solution here at Progressus, for simplicity, we naturally therefore recommend Pressable Advanced Automatic WordPress Updates. It simplifies update management while ensuring your site remains secure and functional with minimal effort. Check it out today or don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’ve any questions for our expert team for all things Woo!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager and Pressable updates together?
No, these tools are designed to work within their respective hosting environments and should not be used simultaneously on the same site.
How does Visual Regression Testing benefit my site?
It helps detect visual changes or errors after updates, allowing automatic rollback to prevent site breakage.
Does Pressable update WordPress core automatically?
Yes, Pressable includes automatic updates for WordPress core, plugins, and themes.
What happens if an update fails?
Both tools offer automatic rollback features to restore your site to its previous stable state.
Can I customize which plugins are updated automatically?
WP Engine Smart Plugin Manager allows plugin-level customization, while Pressable manages updates comprehensively with less user configuration.
For more information about managing WordPress updates automatically, visit Pressable’s guide.
