For developers
A real git workflow for WordPress.
Push a branch and get a fully isolated environment with a live preview URL. Full SSH + WP-CLI access on every plan, and OpenTelemetry insights to find what is actually slow. No support ticket to get a shell.
~/acme-store ➜ git checkout -b feature/checkout-redesign
~/acme-store ➜ git push managed feature/checkout-redesign
managed.dev ▸ provisioning environment for feature/checkout-redesign
managed.dev ▸ cloning database + files from production
managed.dev ✓ environment live
https://acme-store-feature-checkout-redesign-a1b2c3.preview.managed.dev
Branch environments
Every branch is a real, isolated environment.
When you push a branch, managed.dev provisions a fully isolated copy of your site. It gets its own database and files, seeded from production, plus a live preview URL. Review it, run QA, or share it with a client. Promote the branch to production when it passes, or roll back from a snapshot if it does not.
- A fully isolated environment per branch, with its own database and files, never sharing with production.
- Seeded from production on creation, with a shareable live preview URL for review and client sign-off.
- Promote a branch to production when QA passes, or roll back instantly from a snapshot.
Most managed hosts give you a single one-click staging site. The one platform that does real per-branch environments (Pantheon’s Multidev) gates it behind a ~$500/mo Gold tier. We include branch environments on every plan, from $30/mo.
acme-store
SSH & WP-CLI
A shell on every plan — no support ticket required.
Connect through the SSH gateway and run WP-CLI directly against any environment. Script deploys, run migrations, and debug in place.
feature/checkout ➜ ssh acme-store@ssh.managed.dev
managed.dev ✓ connected to feature/checkout-redesign
feature/checkout ➜ wp plugin list --status=active --format=table
woocommerce active 8.9.1 ✓ up to date
wordpress-seo active 23.4 ↑ 23.6 available
feature/checkout ➜ wp search-replace acme-store.com acme-store-feature-checkout-redesign-a1b2c3.preview.managed.dev --dry-run
12 tables · 1,948 replacements (dry run — nothing written)
feature/checkout ➜ wp db export backup-before-import.sql
Success: Exported to backup-before-import.sql (84.2 MB)
- Full shell access through the
ssh.managed.devgateway, scoped to your team and environment. - Run
wp plugin list,wp search-replace,wp db export, and every other WP-CLI command you already know. - Target a branch environment exactly like production: same runtime, same WP-CLI, real data seeded from prod.
- Script your own deploy and migration steps; no proprietary tooling to learn first.
Other hosts ration SSH by tier or hide it behind a request queue. Here it is included on the Starter plan and every plan above it.
Safety net
Roll back, and know what you’re running.
You can snapshot any environment and see everything installed in it, so a bad deploy is a one-click restore instead of an incident.
Snapshots & rollback
Take a point-in-time snapshot of any environment before a risky change. Restore the database and files in a click, before you ship or after something slips through.
Plugin & theme inventory
See exactly what is installed across every site and branch, with versions and update state. Spot the outdated plugin that is dragging an environment before it bites you.
Insights
Find what’s slow with real telemetry.
Every environment is wired with OpenTelemetry. A slowlog, request timings, and p95 metrics tell you what to fix, instead of guessing.
- A slowlog that surfaces the requests and queries dragging your site down.
- Per-request timings across the FrankenPHP runtime, cache, and database.
- p95 latency metrics so a few slow tails don’t hide behind a healthy average.
- Measured on the same telemetry in branch environments, so you catch regressions before they ship.
How it works
Branch to production in three steps.
01
Migrate or create
Import an existing WordPress site for free, or start fresh. Everything lands in version-aware environments.
02
Push a branch
Create a branch and managed.dev provisions an isolated environment (its own DB and files) with a live preview URL.
03
Review & promote
Share the preview, run QA against production-like infra, then promote the branch to production when it’s ready.
How we compare
The honest comparison.
Branch environments, a modern runtime, SSH + WP-CLI, and telemetry — included on every plan, without the enterprise gate.
| Capability | managed.dev | Mainstream managed WP | Pantheon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Git-style branch environments | Every plan, from $30/mo | Single staging site only | Multidev — Gold tier, ~$500/mo |
| PHP runtime | FrankenPHP / Caddy | php-fpm (varies) | Nginx + php-fpm |
| Page + object cache | Included & tuned | Varies | Included |
| WAF + Patchstack + malware scan | Included | Add-ons / partial | Higher tiers |
| SSH gateway + WP-CLI | Every plan | Varies by tier | Yes |
| Performance insights (OTel) | Included | Add-on | Higher tiers |
| Transparent self-serve pricing | Yes | Mostly | Two-axis, complex |
| Focus | WordPress-native | WordPress | WordPress + Drupal |
Comparison reflects publicly documented offerings as of 2026 and is a general guide. Competitor features and pricing vary by tier and change over time. “Mainstream managed WP” refers to hosts such as WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel, Pressable, Rocket.net and Cloudways.
Push a branch. Get an environment.
Start a 14-day free trial. Branch environments, SSH + WP-CLI, and OpenTelemetry insights on every plan. Sign up at app.managed.dev.