Security is a critical part of every website. It’s not just about SSL but also how users and data are handled, how systems are updated, and what happens if something goes wrong.
Both WordPress and SiteAdmin can be used to build secure websites. The difference lies in how the platforms are structured and how much of the technical security is managed centrally.
WordPress – Open Source and a Large Ecosystem
WordPress is open-source, meaning its source code is publicly available. This offers many benefits and is a key reason why WordPress has a vast ecosystem of developers, themes, and plugins.
However, WordPress is also highly popular and widely used, making it an attractive target for attacks. Security issues in WordPress core, themes, or plugins must be addressed quickly.
This is why keeping the entire WordPress installation updated is essential—not just WordPress itself but also themes and plugins.
If a website has many plugins, the technical environment becomes more complex. Each plugin requires proper maintenance and updates. It’s also important to ensure that different plugins work together after updates, as changes in one part of the system can sometimes affect another.
This doesn’t mean WordPress is inherently unsafe. With good hosting, well-maintained components, and regular updates, highly secure WordPress websites can be built. However, a larger ecosystem also means more parts to keep track of.
SiteAdmin is Not Open Source
SiteAdmin is not an open-source platform. Its source code is not publicly accessible, and development is managed centrally.
This provides a different level of control over the technical environment. SiteAdmin can determine which components are included, how functions interact, and when security and feature updates are rolled out.
For customers, this means fewer separate components to monitor yourself. You don’t need to install a plugin for every basic function and then manually check that all add-ons continue to work together after updates.
A Unified Platform
SiteAdmin is built as a controlled and consolidated platform where many functions—normally requiring separate add-ons—are integrated from the start.
This reduces the number of external components that need to be installed and maintained on the website. At the same time, the platform can be developed and updated as a whole.
SiteAdmin Cloud is also a SaaS solution where the technical environment is managed centrally. Updates to the platform and underlying infrastructure can be implemented without each customer needing to perform the same work themselves.
Customer and Data Separation
When multiple websites use the same platform, it’s important to keep customers’ data separate.
SiteAdmin ensures a hard separation between customer profiles and their data within the platform. No customer can access another customer’s files, database, or CMS data.
This is a fundamental part of how SiteAdmin is built and happens automatically behind the scenes without requiring customer configuration.
Authentication and User Permissions
Security also involves who has access to the administration.
SiteAdmin supports multiple users and different permission levels. A customer profile can have multiple websites, and you can control which users have access to each website.
For users needing advanced features, there’s also a dedicated power user role that can be activated via support.
Logins can be protected using modern methods like two-factor authentication and passkeys. SiteAdmin also protects against brute force attacks and logs login activities and administration actions.
SSL as Standard
A secure connection is a basic requirement for a modern website.
In SiteAdmin Cloud, SSL is managed automatically. The customer doesn’t need to install or renew certificates for the website themselves.
With SiteAdmin Local, this is different. Since the website runs on the customer’s own hosting, the customer or hosting provider is responsible for SSL in this case.
Backup and Restoration
SiteAdmin Cloud includes daily backups as part of the technical operations.
If something goes wrong, there’s an option to restore the website. SiteAdmin also offers simpler version management for pages, headers, and footers, where the customer can revert to a previous version.
This provides two levels of restoration: the ongoing backup during operation and the ability to manually back up content changes.
Updates Without Manual Effort
A secure platform must be kept up to date. This applies to both the CMS and the technical environment around it.
In SiteAdmin, updates are managed centrally. This means the customer doesn’t need to install updates for individual functions or keep track of a long list of plugins.
SiteAdmin Cloud also handles updates to the underlying infrastructure as part of the managed service.
You don’t need to manually monitor or update the platform’s technical aspects yourself.
EU-Based Infrastructure
SiteAdmin is built with a clear focus on European and local infrastructure.
SiteAdmin Cloud runs on Swedish server infrastructure, and the platform is designed to minimize the need for external services and CDN solutions outside Europe.
When external integrations are needed, European alternatives are chosen where possible. Features that fetch content from external services can also be managed via the server and cached locally, instead of each visitor needing to make the same external requests directly from the website.
SiteAdmin also includes support for cookie consent and ready-made examples and guidance for GDPR-related content.
CDN and DDoS Protection
SiteAdmin’s platform uses Bunny for CDN and security features. EU CDN and Bunny Shield are available for the platform and contribute to protection and traffic distribution.
For SiteAdmin Cloud, this applies to the central SiteAdmin platform. SiteAdmin Local runs the website itself on the customer’s own hosting, while media can still be delivered via SiteAdmin Cloud’s CDN.
WordPress or SiteAdmin?
WordPress offers you a lot of freedom and a vast ecosystem. It’s one of the platform’s biggest strengths. With the right hosting, updates, and maintenance, a WordPress website can be highly secure.
However, flexibility also means more parts that need to be managed and secured. The more plugins, themes, and external integrations you use, the more important it is to keep the entire solution updated and ensure that the components work together.
SiteAdmin takes a different approach. By integrating more functions into the platform, controlling the technical environment, and managing updates centrally, a larger part of the security work can happen behind the scenes.
| WordPress | SiteAdmin Cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Source Code | Open Source | Not Open Source |
| SSL | Depends on Hosting | Automatic |
| Updates | WordPress, Plugins, Themes | Centrally Managed |
| Backup | Depends on Hosting/Solution | Daily Backup |
| Plugins for Functions | Commonly Available | Fewer External Components Needed |
| User Permissions | Depends on Configuration and Add-ons | 2FA, Passkeys, Roles, Logging |
| Customer Separation | Depends on Hosting and Architecture | Separate Customer Profiles and Data |
| CDN and Protection | Depends on Hosting/Services | Bunny CDN and Shield for the Platform |
| Server Operations | Depends on Hosting | Managed Centrally |
Security Is More Than an SSL Certificate
You can’t make a website secure with just one feature. Security is the sum of many parts: updates, user permissions, backups, data separation, server environment, and how the technical platform is built.
WordPress gives you a lot of freedom to choose how these parts are addressed. It’s a strength, but it also means more responsibility when many components are used.
SiteAdmin, on the other hand, has built in many aspects directly into the platform and the managed service offered with SiteAdmin Cloud.
The goal is for security to be part of the platform—not something you need to think about every time you work on the website.