What an agency actually needs from a host
Running course sites for clients adds requirements a single owner does not have: a predictable cost per site so you can price your retainer, access for clients without handing over your whole account, a way to transfer a site and its billing to a client who leaves, and staging so LMS and payment updates can be tested per site. This guide compares what each host publishes on those points as of 30 October 2026.
Prices are list prices from official pages. They are not a statement about how many busy course sites a plan can carry; that depends on concurrent logged-in students on each site.
Agency features from the official pages
| Host | Multi-site plan published | Client access | Transfer to client | Staging |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround | GrowBig and GoGeek: unlimited sites; Cloud from $100/mo | Pre-configured client roles on GoGeek, custom roles on Cloud; white-label Site Tools | Agencies page: migrate sites between clients and transfer billing in one step | GrowBig (Staging) and GoGeek (Staging + Git) per plan cards |
| Kinsta | WP 2 to WP 40; Agency 20, 40 and 60 installs | Unlimited users with role-based access, SSO and 2FA | Agency page says you control client billing; no handoff process described | One-click staging |
| WP Engine | Capacity tiers of 1, up to 3, 10 and 30 sites | Not detailed on plans page | Self-serve site transfer; transferable sites do not count toward the site limit but will be deprecated | 1-click staging and dev environments |
| KnownHost | Managed VPS; no site limit stated | cPanel, DirectAdmin or Plesk accounts | Via control panel accounts | Not listed on VPS page |
| DigitalOcean | Droplets priced by size; no site concept | Your own server setup | You move the server or files | You build it |
Worked example: 5 and 15 client LearnDash sites
Monthly list cost on 30 October 2026, before tax, using the smallest published plan that holds the site count. Managed VPS and Droplet prices include backups because they are add-ons there: KnownHost JetBackup at $8.95 a month and DigitalOcean daily backups at 30% of the Droplet price.
| Host and plan | 5 sites: monthly | 5 sites: per site | 15 sites: monthly | 15 sites: per site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SiteGround GoGeek (regular rate after 12-month intro) | $44.99 | $9.00 | $44.99 | $3.00 |
| SiteGround Cloud (from) | $100.00 | $20.00 | $100.00 | $6.67 |
| Kinsta WP 5 / WP 20, monthly billing | $115.00 | $23.00 | $340.00 | $22.67 |
| Kinsta WP 5 / WP 20, annual billing | $95.83 ($1,150/yr) | $19.17 | $283.33 ($3,400/yr) | $18.89 |
| WP Engine up to 10 / up to 30 sites | Price not shown on check date | n/a | Price not shown on check date | n/a |
| KnownHost Basic / Standard VPS + JetBackup | $52.20 | $10.44 | $72.20 | $4.81 |
| DigitalOcean 4 GB / 8 GB Droplet + daily backups | $31.20 | $6.24 | $62.40 | $4.16 |
Reading the numbers
SiteGround is cheapest per site, but GoGeek is one shared plan: its plan card says unlimited websites and unlimited traffic and publishes no PHP worker or CPU figure for the sites it holds. Fifteen client course sites with live cohorts will contend for the same resources. SiteGround's agencies page also lists Cloud, starting at $100 a month, plus a 3-month free trial and a free account for your own site for qualifying partners; its FAQ says agencies that white-label, resell or include hosting in maintenance services qualify.
Kinsta costs more per site but publishes capacity: its PHP documentation lists 4 threads and a 1 GB pool for WP 5 and 6 threads and 1.5 GB for WP 20, and explains that requests queue when all threads are busy. Its Agency 20 plan is the same price as WP 20 and includes 30-day backup retention and a white-labeled cache plugin. WP Engine's plans page showed site-count tiers but no prices for them when we checked, so request a quote.
KnownHost and DigitalOcean give the most CPU and RAM per dollar, but WordPress administration shifts toward you. KnownHost sells these as managed VPS plans with cPanel, DirectAdmin or Plesk preinstalled and licensed. DigitalOcean's pricing page sells Droplets by CPU, RAM and storage, with backups as a paid add-on and no WordPress management listed.
Who should use a VPS instead
- Agencies with someone who already maintains Linux servers, PHP and backups, and who bill clients for that care.
- Portfolios where a few heavy course sites need guaranteed CPU and RAM rather than fair-use shared limits.
- Agencies that need root access, custom PHP extensions or their own caching stack.
- Skip a VPS if nobody on the team will patch the operating system, monitor disk space and test restores; managed hosting costs more because it does that work.
Checklist before moving client sites
- List each client site's peak concurrent logged-in students, not just monthly visits.
- Decide who owns billing: you resell hosting, or the client pays the host directly and grants you access.
- Confirm how a site and its billing transfer out when a client leaves, using the host's documented process.
- Check staging is available per site, and that backups are included or priced in.
- Price the regular rate, not the intro rate, into your retainer from month one.
Questions before you decide
What is the cheapest host for an agency with many course sites?
On list price SiteGround GoGeek: unlimited sites for $44.99 a month after the 12-month intro, with white-label client access. All sites share one plan's resources.
Can I give clients their own login without my account?
Yes on several hosts. SiteGround offers client roles on GoGeek and Cloud, and Kinsta lists unlimited users with role-based access.
How do I hand a WP Engine site to a client?
WP Engine supports self-serve site transfer; starting a transfer needs Owner or Full with billing permissions, and the recipient accepts with a transfer code in the User Portal.
Is a VPS cheaper for 15 sites?
On list price yes: a KnownHost Standard VPS with JetBackup was $72.20 a month and a DigitalOcean 8 GB Droplet with daily backups $62.40, but you or your team handle more administration.
Sources & verification
Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.
- SiteGround web hosting for agencies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround WordPress hosting plans and prices Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- SiteGround KB: How can I add a client to my website? Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta for agencies Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- Kinsta docs: PHP threads and memory Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine plans Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- WP Engine support: Manage transferable sites and environments Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- KnownHost managed VPS Accessed 30 Oct 2026
- DigitalOcean Droplet pricing Accessed 30 Oct 2026
Sources link directly to providers. Product buttons may use separately labeled affiliate links. Read our disclosure.