BoldGrid – Cloud WordPress Goes Awry

In 2018 MasterWP.guru wrote an optimistic review of  BoldGrid Cloud WordPress. The report examined the Pros and Cons for BoldGrid Cloud WordPress and found many positive features
Pros:
+ fast and easy full WordPress install, easier than most manual installs
+ reasonable performance for editing and runtime operations
+ SSL support right out of the box
+ Cloud provides some security and speed features
+ Backup and Migration with freemium BoldGrid UpKeep plugin
+ Performance improvements with freemiumW3Total Cache Plugin and advisory services
+ 5 more Cloud sites for $20US/year, 10 for $35US/year, 20 for $60US/year
Cons:
 –  no domain or subdomain naming privileges – no YourCloudsite.com allowed
–  difficult email and notifications setup and operation
–  depends on WordPress plugins to shore up SEO, Security, and Migration features

Subsequent to its launch, BoldGrid added Snaps as a container housing a list of themes and plugins to be used at install simplifying Cloud Press startup, refined it PageBuilder and Crio Theme plus enhanced BoldGrid Central as a dashboard for managing  all  BoldGrid services.

However, in the last two years, this user has experienced a clear decline in  uptime and runtime speed for Cloud WordPress sites.  In addition Premium support times deteriorated as well. But BoldGrid went seriously off the rails during a Zoom session where an attempt to show off BoldGrid backfired badly.

How Boldgrid Backfired Badly

I was doing a Zoom presentation pitching BoldGrid Cloud Source to some clients. One of the key points in the presentation is the ease in creating a WordPress website for testing some new plugins/themes. The build looked good until I tried to view it and got this message:

All attempts to login or even just view the site resulted in SERVICE UNAVAILABLE. This was the first rejection of a newly create Cloud WordPress site. So figuring that somehow the setup had gone awry. I decided to do a second Cloud WordPress install. And again I was was able to show to the clients a quick custom install, But again, to my embarrassment BoldGrid produced SERVICE UNAVAILABLE.
This was a very disappointing result  just as I was trying to make a BOLDGRID sale to users looking for a convenient Cloud WordPress service. Now I had seen slower response times and service lapses over the past half year on Cloud WordPress  But NEVER a failure on
creating a new Cloud WordPress install. “Curses, Foiled Again…” by BoldGrid.

So I had to tell the clients to avoid BoldGrid . But just as bad the alternatives  to Boldgrid like  SpinUp and Flywheel are markedly more expensive [think $400-600/year] and more complex to setup and operate.

Does all BoldGrid need is Usage Controls and..

Some argue that BoldGrid is being exploited by crypto-currency miners firing up dozens of CPU-hog instances or game driving backends. Just add clear runtime usage restrictions to their Terms of Service. And do what investors always do when they have a runaway popular  service – raise prices.

Even at $60/year  for 5 Open WordPress sites and $90/year for 10, BoldGrid  will be a bargain versus SpinUp, Flywheel and most Managed Cloud Hosting services.