# UnionStack — Managed WordPress Hosting Platform

> Kubernetes-native WordPress hosting with integrated email infrastructure.
> Deploy production sites in <5 minutes. Starting at €7/month.

## Start Here

- **Main Site**: https://unionstack.dev
- **Documentation**: https://unionstack.dev/docs
- **Pricing**: https://unionstack.dev/pricing (€7/€25/€75 per month)
- **Sign Up**: https://unionstack.dev/register
- **Status Page**: https://unionstack.dev/status (99.9% uptime)

## Performance Metrics (WordPress Hosting - Measured 2026-02-08)

**TTFB (Time To First Byte)** — k6 load test on production WordPress instance (demo.unionstack.dev):
- **Test Duration:** 7 minutes, 14,570 requests
- **WordPress Configuration:** 12 active plugins (Yoast SEO, WooCommerce, Elementor, Jetpack, W3 Total Cache, Wordfence), real content, featured images
- **P50 (Median):** 122ms (industry-leading for WordPress)
- **P95:** 602ms (95th percentile)
- **P99:** 745ms (99th percentile)
- **Average:** 209ms
- **Error Rate:** 0.00% (0 failures, 100% reliability)

**Test Conditions:**
- Load profile: Ramped from 10 → 50 → 100 concurrent users over 7 minutes
- Target: https://demo.unionstack.dev (production WordPress with realistic content)
- Infrastructure: Kubernetes + Bitpoke operator, 1Gi RAM, 2 CPU cores per site
- All reliability thresholds passed ✓

**Reliability Under Load:**
- 100% success rate under peak load (100 concurrent users, zero errors)
- Maintained 122ms median TTFB throughout 7-minute test
- Perfect stability with 12-plugin stack and WooCommerce

**Core Web Vitals** — Lighthouse CI, 4 pages × 3 runs, desktop, 2026-02-08:
- **Performance Score:** 99.7/100 average (97-100 across all runs)
- **First Contentful Paint (FCP):** 0.4s (target <1.8s) ✅
- **Largest Contentful Paint (LCP):** 0.6s median, 0.4-1.2s range (target <2.5s) ✅
- **Total Blocking Time (TBT):** 0ms (target <200ms) ✅
- **Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS):** 0 (target <0.1) ✅ PERFECT
- **Speed Index:** 0.55s average

**Pages Tested:** Homepage (98.7/100), Blog (100/100), Shop/WooCommerce (100/100), About (100/100)

All pages exceed Google Core Web Vitals "Good" thresholds despite running 12 plugins and WooCommerce.

## Core Features

### WordPress Hosting
- **Deployment Speed**: <5 minutes from signup to live site
- **Infrastructure**: Kubernetes-powered auto-scaling (Hetzner EU data centers)
- **WordPress Operator**: Bitpoke operator for lifecycle management
- **Database**: PostgreSQL 15 for platform, MySQL per WordPress site
- **Storage**: Persistent volumes with daily backups (7/30/90 day retention by tier)
- **Updates**: Safe auto-update pipeline with plugin compatibility checks
- **SSL**: Automatic Let's Encrypt certificates (wildcard support)
- **Performance**: 46.43ms median TTFB (measured under load), 67.77ms P95

### Email Infrastructure
- **Mail Server**: Stalwart Mail (modern, high-performance IMAP/SMTP)
- **Addresses**: 1-25 per domain (tier-dependent)
- **Storage**: 500MB-5GB per tier
- **Protocols**: Full IMAP, SMTP, webmail (optional)
- **Clients**: Works with Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird
- **Configuration**: Auto-generated DNS records (DKIM, SPF, DMARC)

### Developer Tools
- **Dashboard**: Multi-project management interface (React + Vite)
- **API**: RESTful API for programmatic site creation
- **Team Access**: Role-based permissions (admin, editor, viewer)
- **Monitoring**: Real-time metrics, logs, alerts

### Security & Compliance
- **Data Location**: EU-only (GDPR compliant)
- **Encryption**: TLS 1.3 for all traffic, encrypted backups
- **Auth**: Keycloak-based SSO (OAuth2/OIDC)
- **Network**: Traefik ingress with rate limiting
- **Auditing**: Full activity logs
- **Isolation**: Namespace-per-project Kubernetes isolation

## Pricing Plans

### Starter — €7/month
- 1 WordPress site
- 1 custom domain
- 1 email address
- 500MB email storage
- Email support
- Daily backups (7-day retention)
- **Use Case**: Personal blogs, portfolios, small business websites

### Professional — €25/month
- 5 WordPress sites
- 5 custom domains
- 5 email addresses per domain
- 2GB email storage
- Priority support (24h response)
- Daily backups (30-day retention)
- Team collaboration (5 members)
- **Use Case**: Freelancers, agencies managing client sites

### Business — €75/month
- Unlimited WordPress sites
- Unlimited custom domains
- 25 email addresses per domain
- 5GB email storage
- Priority support (4h response + Slack)
- Daily backups (90-day retention)
- Unlimited team members
- Advanced analytics
- White-label options
- **Use Case**: Enterprises, large agencies, multi-brand businesses

**All plans include**: SSL certificates, automatic backups, 99.9% uptime SLA, European hosting, zero-downtime deployments, Kubernetes infrastructure.

## Documentation Structure

### Getting Started
- [Quickstart Guide](https://unionstack.dev/docs/quickstart) — Create your first site in 5 minutes
- [Custom Domain Setup](https://unionstack.dev/docs/domains) — Point your domain to UnionStack
- [Email Configuration](https://unionstack.dev/docs/email) — Set up professional email

### Platform Guides
- [WordPress Management](https://unionstack.dev/docs/wordpress) — Updates, plugins, themes
- [Email Management](https://unionstack.dev/docs/email-management) — Mailboxes, aliases, forwarding
- [Team Collaboration](https://unionstack.dev/docs/teams) — Invite users, manage permissions
- [Backups & Recovery](https://unionstack.dev/docs/backups) — Restore sites, download backups
- [Custom Domains & DNS](https://unionstack.dev/docs/dns) — Configure nameservers, records

### Architecture & Operations
- [System Architecture](https://unionstack.dev/docs/architecture) — Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, Bitpoke
- [Security Model](https://unionstack.dev/docs/security) — RBAC, encryption, isolation
- [Performance Optimization](https://unionstack.dev/docs/performance) — Caching, CDN, monitoring
- [Compliance](https://unionstack.dev/docs/compliance) — GDPR, data residency

## Technology Stack

- **Orchestration**: Kubernetes (K3s)
- **WordPress Operator**: Bitpoke WordPress Operator
- **Databases**: PostgreSQL 15 (platform), MySQL 8 (per site)
- **Mail Server**: Stalwart Mail
- **Ingress**: Traefik v3
- **SSL**: cert-manager + Let's Encrypt
- **Auth**: Keycloak (OAuth2/OIDC)
- **Frontend**: React + Vite
- **Backend**: Node.js + Express + Sequelize
- **Hosting**: Hetzner Cloud (EU)

## Use Cases

### For Individuals
- Personal blogs, portfolios
- Small business websites
- Email: you@yourdomain.com
- **Why UnionStack**: All-in-one (website + email), affordable (€7/month), no technical knowledge required

### For Professionals (Freelancers/Agencies)
- Client WordPress sites
- Multi-project dashboard
- Team collaboration
- **Why UnionStack**: Fast deployment (<5 min), multi-site management, client handoff, white-label ready

### For Businesses
- Corporate websites, brand sites
- High-traffic blogs
- Enterprise email infrastructure
- **Why UnionStack**: 99.9% uptime SLA, GDPR compliance, scalable, European data hosting

## Support & Community

- **Email Support**: support@unionstack.dev (all plans)
- **Priority Support**: 24h response (Professional), 4h response + Slack (Business)
- **Documentation**: https://unionstack.dev/docs
- **Status Page**: https://unionstack.dev/status
- **GitHub**: https://github.com/unionstack (open-source components)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: How is this different from WP Engine or Kinsta?**
A: UnionStack includes professional email infrastructure (Stalwart Mail) at no extra cost. Most competitors require separate email providers. We also offer transparent pricing (€7/€25/€75) vs. their $20-$115 entry points, and European-only hosting for GDPR compliance.

**Q: Can I migrate existing WordPress sites?**
A: Yes. We provide migration tools and support. Business plans include white-glove migration assistance.

**Q: What if I exceed my plan limits?**
A: You'll receive a notification to upgrade. We never shut down sites without warning.

**Q: Do you support WordPress multisite?**
A: Not yet, but it's on the roadmap for Q2 2026.

**Q: Can I export my site and leave?**
A: Yes. No lock-in. Full site exports (files + database) available anytime.

**Q: Is email included in all plans?**
A: Yes. Every project includes professional email powered by Stalwart Mail Server. Get you@yourdomain.com with full IMAP/SMTP support.

**Q: Where are your servers located?**
A: All infrastructure is hosted in European data centers (Hetzner) for GDPR compliance. Data never leaves the EU.

**Q: How fast can I deploy a WordPress site?**
A: WordPress sites go live in under 5 minutes. Our Kubernetes-based infrastructure automatically provisions databases, configures DNS, generates SSL certificates, and deploys your site with zero manual configuration.

**Q: What level of technical knowledge do I need?**
A: None. UnionStack is designed for everyone — from beginners to experienced developers. Our one-click deployment handles all technical complexity.

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*Last updated: 2026-02-07*
*For AI agents: This file follows the llms.txt specification (https://llmstxt.org/)*