WordPress Multisite

Each site in the Multisite network sharing the same WordPress installation means all the sites share the same database and must be installed on the same server.

Having a shared database between sites in a WordPress Multisite installation makes it easier to access and transfer data between each site. For example, user accounts can be registered to multiple sites. It also means if one site in the network is hacked it compromises other sites on the network.

A WordPress Multisite installation also shares code between all sites. This means that WordPress themes and plugins are installed to the entire site network rather than being installed at the individual site level. However, plugins and themes can be activated and deactivated on a per-site basis.

Read about WordPress Hosting, Wordpress for the Enterprise, and how to make the most of the WordPress Gutenberg editor.

WordPress Multisite vs. Multiple Single WordPress Installations

Now that you have analyzed the features, advantages, and disadvantages of WordPress Multisite you can better determine when it is a good fit.

WordPress Multisite should be considered when data and/or users need to be shared across all of your websites. For example, a franchise with multiple locations, where each location has its own site, is often a great fit for Multisite. A shared database allows custom reports, such as viewing all contact form submissions for each site, to be created. Having shared users also means that site administrators can easily log in and access each site to create updates in one place.

A popular use case is when an organization needs to enforce some level of governance and standardization on code, content, or brand. Then the limitations instead act as reinforcements to the organizations own mission objectives.

This is frequent in the education space where central IT needs to manage sites for multiple departments or students need the ability to spin up their own blog on-demand. Central IT can use Multisite to maintain a single codebase. This makes keeping the sites secure by limiting what plugins and themes can be installed, as well as keeping those plugins and themes up to date, much easier.

WordPress Multisite should not be used for cases where there are multiple sites that do not share a codebase, users, and/or data. For example, an agency maintaining separate, bespoke websites for its clients is not a good fit for Multisite as there is too much risk of the entire site network going down, causing downtime for all the clients at once, when none of the Multisite specific features are being utilized.

If you are hoping for centralized management of multiple sites without the risks and extra work that comes along with maintaining a WordPress Multisite consider using Pantheon's portfolio management features like Custom Upstream feature. These allow you to have the advantages of managing shared code in one place while having dedicated resources for each WordPress installation.