AreaWP
A Docker-based control panel that turns a VPS into a white-label WordPress hosting business, with client billing, backups, and bulk updates built in.
🔗 Visit AreaWP
Description
If you're a freelancer or small agency hosting WordPress sites for clients, you've probably ended up juggling a server, a spreadsheet for who owes what, and a folder of manual update reminders. AreaWP packages all of that into one branded control panel: your clients sign up through a portal with your own logo, pick a plan, pay, and get a working WordPress site automatically — no more copy-pasting install steps or chasing invoices by hand.
Under the hood, AreaWP runs on your own VPS or dedicated server and isolates every client site in its own Docker container, so one site's traffic spike or bad plugin doesn't take down the others. It handles recurring billing through Stripe, PayPal, Tap or bank transfer, bulk WordPress core/theme/plugin updates across all sites at once, automated backups with one-click rollback, and a built-in support ticketing system — the same pieces you'd otherwise stitch together from cPanel, WHMCS, and a separate backup plugin.
💬 Our review
The short version: if you're already hosting more than a handful of client WordPress sites off a single server with manual invoicing, AreaWP replaces that ad hoc setup with an actual white-label hosting business — automated billing, isolated containers, and bulk maintenance in one panel.
Compared to a classic cPanel/WHM setup, AreaWP is opinionated toward one thing — WordPress-as-a-service for agencies — rather than general-purpose hosting, so you get billing and client onboarding built in instead of bolted on with WHMCS. Compared to management-only tools like ManageWP or InstaWP, AreaWP goes further by also handling hosting and payments, not just updates. The tradeoff is price and commitment: plans start at €50/month self-hosted (5 sites) and there's no free trial, only a 15-day refund window, and billing is euro-only. For a solo freelancer with two client sites, that's not worth it yet; for an agency with five or more paying clients, the automated billing alone likely pays for the subscription.
💰 Pricing
📊 Global score
🤖 AI-enriched data
Auto-hébergé (sur votre VPS) : Pro 50€/mois (5 sites), Business 150€/mois (20 sites), Enterprise 250€/mois (50 sites). Hébergé par AreaWP : à partir de 80€/mois. Pas d'essai gratuit ; remboursement possible sous 15 jours.
Pros
Portail client en marque blanche avec facturation automatisée (Stripe, PayPal, Tap, virement)
Isolation Docker par site (un site en panne n'affecte pas les autres)
Mises à jour groupées WordPress (core, thèmes, plugins)
Sauvegardes automatiques avec restauration en un clic
Ticketing support intégré
Cons
Aucun essai gratuit, seulement 15 jours de remboursement
Tarification uniquement en euros, à partir de 50€/mois
Logiciel propriétaire, pas open source
Hébergement email non inclus