As part of our mission to create the best experience for WordPress professionals, we took a significant first step with the launch of InstaWP v3 Dashboard in March 2025. This update brings a redesigned dashboard that improves navigation, boosts user experience, and offers faster access to key features.
And our users loved it.
Table of Contents
This is what shipped with InstaWP v3: pay-as-you-go pricing, per-site plans, and native InstaWP hosting. The pricing page always carries the live specs, and the stack breakdown explains what actually runs your site, layer by layer.
TL;DR
- Good bye fixed subscriptions. Each site is billed only for the days it is live.
- Site plans. Choose the exact resources you need, upgrade or downgrade any time.
- Plan upgrade and downgrade in 1-click. No migration, no downtime, no lock-in.
- Streamlined dashboard. Faster navigation, live usage meter, and power‑user tools built in.
- New data center in Sydney. Better reach and lower latency for Australian visitors.
- Free tier stays. Three 48‑hour sandboxes plus a one‑time credit to explore paid features.
#1 – Pay As You Go Pricing
After offering our subscription-based, fixed pricing for over three years, we’re now switching to a Pay As You Go system.
Thinking, why? Well, here it is:
Traditional bundles make you pay the same amount every month, even when traffic dips or a project pauses. With Pay as you Go pricing, you load credits into your account, and we charge only for the resources each site actually consumes. No idle fees, no annual lock‑in.
| Before (Fixed Plans) | v3 (Pay as you Go) |
|---|---|
| $9/mo for a 9-site sandbox pack | Pay per site, per day (from $0.07) |
| Sandboxes on InstaWP infra, Live hosting on a third-party platform | Both sandboxes and live sites run on InstaWP infra |
| One dashboard, two bills | One dashboard, one bill |
This new model gives you complete control over your spending, whether you’re running one project or managing hundreds. You can spin up demos for free, keep production sites online for as long as you like, then pause billing whenever a project sleeps.
In summary, no more overpaying for features you rarely use. Just pay for what you need, when you need it.
Already on a fixed plan?
Nothing breaks. Your current subscription will run until its normal renewal date. At that point, you can either renew the legacy plan or switch to Pay‑Per‑Use. If you switch early, we convert the unused portion of your subscription into account credits.
#2 – New Site Plans
InstaWP v3 introduces site-level pricing plans, allowing you to pick the right plan for each site based on its specific requirements. Whether you’re testing, developing, or managing a live site, there’s a plan that fits.
Here’s a breakdown of the new pricing:
| Plan | Use Case | CPU | Disk | CDN bandwidth | Backups | Shield | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandbox | Dev and client builds | 1 | 5 GB | – | Monthly | – | $2/mo |
| Starter | Tiny sites | 2 | 10 GB | 10 GB | Weekly | Basic | $5/mo |
| Plus | Small dynamic sites | 3 | 20 GB | 30 GB | Daily | Advanced | $9/mo |
| Pro | Medium sites | 4 | 35 GB | 75 GB | Daily | Advanced | $15/mo |
| Turbo | eCommerce sites | 6 | 50 GB | 125 GB | Daily | Advanced | $25/mo |
| Elite | Sites with good traffic | 10 | 75 GB | 200 GB | Daily | Advanced | $45/mo |
*Shield bundles SSL and a managed Web Application Firewall. Basic covers the core OWASP rules; Advanced (Plus and above) adds bot protection, DDoS mitigation and vulnerability scanning. Object cache is included from Plus, image optimization from Pro. The pricing page always carries the live matrix.
Remember that all plans are billed daily at midnight UTC. Change plans at any time, and the next cycle will adjust automatically.
Here’s How It Works:
- Free Sites: Get up to 3 free sandbox sites with limited validity (48 hours each). You can experiment, test plugins, or try out themes, all for free.
- No Subscription Needed: Unlike the fixed plans, there’s no need for an ongoing subscription. Upgrade individual sites only when you need more resources.
- Full Control: You control when and what you pay for, depending on your project’s needs. Have a tiny site with low traffic potential? Get the Starter Plan with 10GB disk space, 10GB CDN, 2 workers, and weekly backups, perfect for small, low-traffic sites. Building a large eCommerce site? Choose the Turbo Plan with 6 workers, 125GB CDN, 50GB disk space, daily backups, and security shields, including built-in features like SSL, 24*7 DDoS protection, WAF, and Bot Guard to keep your site running smoothly and securely
- Unlimited Basic Site Management: You can connect unlimited WordPress sites using the InstaWP Connect plugin and manage them manually, all from one place.
- Advanced Site Management (From Plus Plan Upward): You can monitor your sites with multi-region uptime checks and performance scans. You can also automate security with vulnerability scanning, activity logs, and scheduled updates. It’s also possible to send beautifully formatted PDF site maintenance client reports with just a click.
Learn more about Site Management.
No Surprise Charges. Ever.
Worried about unpredictable bills based on traffic spikes, CPU usage, or hidden metrics? Don’t be.
With InstaWP v3, your billing is based solely on the number of active sites and their selected plan. That’s it.
- We don’t track traffic, CPU, RAM, or bandwidth for billing.
- You choose the plan. You control the spend.
- All pricing is visible upfront.
#3 – Plan Upgrade and Downgrade
With InstaWP v3, switching plans is instant and effortless.
Each site runs independently. So, you can tailor the resources for one without affecting others.
Need more PHP workers or disk space? Just pick a higher plan.
Running a demo or paused project? Drop down to a smaller tier with compatible/similar features.
- Upgrade or downgrade at any time from the site dashboard.
- Changes take effect immediately, and billing adjusts automatically.
- No migration, no downtime, no lock-in.
#4 – A Fully Revamped Dashboard
When we first made major changes to our dashboard in March 2025, our users loved it as the navigation was much easier. But it was just the beginning.
We went the extra mile to make it extra sorted so that you manage your sites, track your usage, and control your resources more efficiently.
You’ll now see:
- Intuitive Layout: Clear separation of sandbox sites, connected sites, and permanent sites for better organization.
- Easier Site Management: Quickly manage site configurations, templates, and migrations from one central dashboard.
- Advanced Tools: Now, you can run WP-CLI commands, manage PHP configurations, and integrate Git directly from the dashboard.
- The usage meter highlights spikes so you can react before costs rise.
Whether you’re managing 3 sites or 300, the revamped dashboard makes managing multiple WordPress projects faster and easier.
#5 – New Sydney Data Center
InstaWP v3 adds a brand-new data center in Sydney, ensuring faster performance for users across Australia and nearby regions.
- Lower latency for Oceania-based visitors
- Better TTFB (Time to First Byte) for client demos
- Ideal for agencies serving APAC customers
What Happens to Your Free Tier?
InstaWP is still completely free to test and experiment, like before. However, we ask for a credit card on file to prevent abuse. A temporary $1 authorization transaction may take place as you add your card. Don’t panic, as it gets automatically reversed once your card is added successfully.
If it doesn’t, drop us a line at support@instawp.com and we’ll sort it out right away.
Here’s what you get with the Free Tier:
- Three sandboxes that live for 48 hours each (ideal for quick testing).
- Unlimited connected‑site management via the Connect plugin.
- Unlimited basic site management for any live site.
- A one‑time $25 credit valid for sixty days. The credit is applied before real charges begin.
- Access to basic configuration and workflows. You can still manage PHP, add site labels & description, and install plugins/themes using a slug or .zip file.
What Will Happen to InstaWP Live?
InstaWP Live was our old managed-hosting service, which ran on a third-party platform rather than our own infrastructure. It is legacy.
Important to note:
Existing InstaWP Live sites keep running exactly as they are. There is no impact on their performance or availability, and nothing is being handed off to anyone.
Every new site runs on InstaWP’s own infrastructure, the stack behind the site plans above, which we build, tune and operate end to end. One dashboard, one bill, one stack. If you want the layer-by-layer detail, read the full stack breakdown.
Let us know if you have questions, we’re here to help you make the most of it!
Difference Between Our Old Pricing (Fixed Plans) and the New Site Plans
Let’s break it down simply:
| Characteristic | Old Pricing Plans | New Site Plans |
|---|---|---|
| Billing Model | Subscription | Pay as you Go |
| Access | Global account limits | Per-site limits |
| Feature Set | Fixed per plan | Flexible |
| Upgrades | Upgrade the entire account | Upgrade individual site(s) |
| Free Tier | Limited trial | 3 Free Sites at a time |
The new model is more modular, flexible, and cost-efficient, especially for teams and freelancers who want to scale without fixed commitments.
What’s the Bottom Line?
InstaWP v3 is a major leap forward in how WordPress users manage, develop, and scale their projects. With the Pay as you Go model, you only pay for the resources you use, and the introduction of site-level plans gives you flexibility and control like never before.
The new dashboard makes site management faster and easier, and the Free Tier is still available for those who need to test without commitment.
You don’t need to upgrade everything. You just need to upgrade what matters, and we think that’s a better way to build with WordPress.
FAQs
What happens to my annual/monthly/AppSumo plan?
Your fixed‑price plan renews exactly as before. When it reaches renewal, you can keep it or switch to Pay‑Per‑Use; any unused time converts to account credits.
What happened to InstaWP Live / WP Cloud?
It is legacy. Existing sites on it keep running, but every new site is hosted on InstaWP’s own infrastructure. Nothing is being handed off.
Why do I need a credit card for the free tier?
To prevent abuse. We place a $1 authorization (which disappears) and give you $25 in credits as a thank‑you. Charges apply only if you convert a sandbox to a paid plan.
Will I get charged if I don’t use a site?
No. Billing only applies to sites that are live and active. If a site is paused or stopped, charges stop automatically. You’re never charged for idle or sleeping sites.
Is pricing affected by traffic, bandwidth, or CPU usage?
Absolutely not. Your cost is based only on the number of live sites and the plan selected. We never charge extra based on traffic surges, CPU usage, or bandwidth. No surprises, guaranteed.
Have more questions? Drop them in our support chat or tweet us @insta_wp. We’re listening.
