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Comparison

RetainerProof vs ManageWP

RetainerProof is the page a client opens to see a care retainer. ManageWP is a WordPress dashboard that updates sites, runs backups, and can also send a report. They overlap on that report. They do not overlap on the work.

If you need one login over many WordPress sites, keep ManageWP. If the client should see the month without a wp-admin login, send the RetainerProof link and leave the dashboard where it is. The longer version of that split is ManageWP client reports. The 2026 list of the other dashboards is ManageWP alternatives for agencies.

The comparison

On 20 October 2026 the ManageWP client-report page listed a free report at $0 a month and a premium report at $1 a month, or $25 a month for up to 100 sites. The pricing page listed Advanced Client Reports at the same $1 and $25, and said bundles cover up to 100 websites. I am quoting both pages, not averaging them.

RetainerProofManageWP
JobClient care report, plus an optional public status pageWordPress operations dashboard that also sends a report
Installed on the siteNothingYes. It manages the WordPress site from its dashboard
Updates and backupsNoYes. The pricing page lists them, with premium add-ons for some of the work
Client reportSecret link. Work you write. Checks from outside the site. No client loginFree report includes a logo, a custom work section, and a PDF. It keeps a ManageWP watermark and sends from a ManageWP address
White-label reportStudio and Agency remove the product link. Starter keeps itPremium removes the watermark, sends from your email, and can schedule weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly
Price I could read$9, $29, or $79 a month, by site count, not per reportReport add-on $0, or $1 per site a month, or $25 a month for up to 100 sites
Sites that are not WordPressAny public URLThe report is fed by ManageWP add-ons on the WordPress site

When to keep ManageWP

Keep it when the retainer is updates, backups, and one dashboard. The free report is a real report. It has a custom work section, which is the only part a client remembers. Premium is the one that takes their watermark off and sends on a schedule. At $1 a site, or $25 for up to 100, that add-on is cheap if you already live in the dashboard.

I would not rip ManageWP out to paste the same plugin rows somewhere else. That is extra work, and the rows are still plugin rows.

When to use RetainerProof

Use it when the next site is not WordPress, or when the client should not have a login. The work line is one you write, or a script posts it to the API. Homepage checks run every 15 minutes by default, down to 30 seconds per site, from one place. A dedicated monitor will beat that. I am not asking you to cancel one.

The public status page is separate from the secret report. It shows current uptime and incidents from the last 90 days. It does not include the work. A hostname such as status.client.com can sit on an active subscription. Studio and Agency are what remove the product credit, and they are what include custom CSS and a sending domain.

Plans are Starter at $9/month for up to 5 sites, Studio at $29/month for up to 25 sites, and Agency at $79/month for up to 100 sites. Studio is the plan marked recommended when it is for sale. Starter, including a trial, keeps a small Powered by RetainerProof link on the client digest and the public status page. Studio and Agency remove that link. Prices are on the pricing page.

FAQ

Is RetainerProof a ManageWP alternative for updates?

No. ManageWP updates plugins and runs backups. RetainerProof does neither. The alternative is only the client page.

Does the free ManageWP report include scheduling?

The feature page put scheduling, bulk send, your own email, and watermark removal on the premium report. The free report included a PDF, a logo, and a custom work section, and it kept the watermark.

Can I use both?

Yes. That is the split I would actually run. ManageWP does the WordPress chores. The client opens the RetainerProof link.

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