At Stellaractive, we’ve always prioritized delivering top-quality hosting solutions for our clients, and for the past seven years, WP Engine has been a reliable partner. But after a thorough evaluation, we’ve decided to move to Rocket.net for hosting. This decision was grounded in extensive research and consideration of how best to serve our clients.
Read on to learn why we’re moving on from WP Engine, what we love about Rocket.net, and what Stellaractive clients can expect from the migration process.
Ready to send us your domain login credentials for migration?
Why our agency is moving away from WP Engine
While WP Engine has served us well, recent challenges have pushed us to seek alternatives. Here are a few reasons why we’ve chosen to switch:
- Performance Decline: Over recent months, WP Engine’s server performance has lagged, causing slower page load times and inconsistent reliability. This is not the experience we want to offer our clients.
- Slow Support Response: Where we once saw fast, helpful support from WP Engine, response times have grown longer, and solutions have been delayed. This leaves issues unresolved longer than is acceptable, especially for businesses that rely on their websites to function smoothly.
- Communication Gaps: WP Engine’s transparency and follow-through have also created additional hurdles for us in providing timely solutions. It seems the company’s communication standards don’t align with our values or the level of service we want to deliver.
The WP Engine and WordPress Fallout
We also want to clarify that our decision to transition to Rocket.net was made prior to the recent fallout between WP Engine and WordPress. This dispute, while significant within the developer community, did not influence our decision. We’ve been assessing WP Engine’s declining performance for months and exploring better options.
However, the fallout between WP Engine and WordPress only reinforces our decision. It highlights the importance of working with a hosting provider that is in sync with the WordPress ecosystem and remains transparent and proactive in addressing customer concerns. Rocket.net is committed to those values, and we feel confident in their ability to meet our high standards moving forward.
Why we chose Rocket.net as our new WordPress hosting partner
After meeting with several hosting providers, Rocket.net stood out as the best choice to address the performance and support gaps we’ve been experiencing. Here’s why Rocket.net is the right fit:
- Faster Load Times: Rocket.net’s advanced infrastructure, using an Enterprise Edge Content Delivery Network (CDN), delivers a significantly faster Time to First Byte (TTFB)—around 83ms, compared to WP Engine’s 625ms. That translates into faster load times for your website visitors, enhancing user experience.
- Robust Security Features: Rocket.net comes with real-time malware scanning and a Web Application Firewall (WAF), integrated as standard features at no extra cost. This level of protection will keep your site safer from threats.
- Unlimited PHP Workers: Unlike WP Engine, which limits PHP workers based on your hosting plan, Rocket.net provides unlimited PHP workers. This results in better performance during high-traffic periods and more efficient handling of simultaneous requests.
- Responsive Customer Support: One of Rocket.net’s most attractive features is their support team, known for quick and reliable assistance. Live chat response times are under a minute on average, meaning you’ll get help exactly when you need it.
What to expect during the migration of your WordPress website
We’ll be working closely with you in the coming weeks to coordinate your migration to Rocket.net. Whether your website is e-commerce-based or a simple brochure site, the process will be similar to previous website launches or migrations.
Commerce Sites
A brief maintenance period will be needed during the transition to prevent any orders, forms, or notifications from being lost.
Brochure Sites
While a maintenance message isn’t required, we recommend using one to avoid any potential confusion for visitors during the migration.
It’s time to locate your domain login credentials
If we don’t currently host your domain or have access to your domain hosting account, please start gathering your credentials now. We’ll reach out soon to assist with any necessary domain changes for the migration, and having this information ready will help us streamline the process. If you’re ready to share your credentials with us, we have a form for that.
What this change means for you
Our transition to Rocket.net is all about providing a faster, more secure, and more reliable hosting environment. We expect improved load times, better security, and quicker responses from support. While no hosting service is perfect, we believe this switch will significantly benefit your website’s performance.
My domain or DNS credentials
If you have any questions or concerns about the migration, please contact us at domains@stellaractive.com or call 503-384-2413. We look forward to making this transition as smooth as possible and continuing to support your business with improved hosting services. To get the process started, complete the form below and a Stellaractive team member will reach out to you.