If you are curious about how WordPress multisites work, you may find this brief article helpful.

WordPress has a feature that allows users to set up multiple websites from within a single WordPress dashboard. This feature, originally called WordPress Multi-User (WPMU), was first introduced back in 2010 with the release of WordPress 3.0.

With WordPress’s multisite configuration, you can install several websites onto a single WordPress instance, all managed under a single dashboard. This can be an effective way to manage a group of websites, all sharing the same core files and database from a single WordPress admin user.

Multisites can also save significant resources, as they do not require separate installations, each with its own resource requirements. With multisite, you are sharing all your resources, which include themes, plugins, and code, essentially reducing your network footprint.

However, there are some downsides to using multisite. One of the largest ones is that all sites share the same database, which can lead to complications, as you are not able to back up a singular site. Another drawback is that if a web developer is managing multiple clients while using a multisite setup, and one client decides that they would like to migrate their site away, it becomes exceptionally difficult to isolate a singular site running on a multisite.

We have specifically opted not to support multisite functionality on our Mshini infrastructure. This decision is due to WordPress multisite configurations sharing a single database, which, from a security perspective, is not ideal.

In the event of one of the sites in the multisite configuration being compromised, all sites in said configuration are exposed and vulnerable. Supporting a multisite configuration would also significantly complicate how site management tools function both from the customer’s perspective and also in the back end.

As for customers who are simply seeking to reduce costs through the use of a multisite setup, Mshini hosting encourages them to opt for one of its bulk site hosting plans instead.