Frequently Asked Questions

Stelae is a static WordPress hosting service. You get a private WordPress editor in an isolated Docker container, use it to build your site, then export the site as static HTML/CSS/JS files. You host the static files wherever you like — free EU hosting, Cloudflare, or any git host. The WordPress container sleeps when you’re not editing.

Regular WordPress hosting runs PHP and a database on every page visit. Stelae only runs WordPress while you’re editing. Visitors see static HTML files — no PHP, no database, no login page, no attack surface. This means better security, better performance, and lower hosting costs.

Simply Static and WP2Static are WordPress plugins that generate static exports from an existing WordPress installation. To use them, you need WordPress running somewhere — either locally (which means a database, PHP, and something like MAMP on your machine) or on a hosted server (which already costs more than Stelae per year). Stelae handles all of that: you get a managed WordPress container in the cloud that exists only for editing, accessible from any device, with the export pipeline built into the platform. Nothing to install locally, nothing to maintain, and you don’t need to expose WordPress to the internet.

HardyPress is the closest comparison. Both provide managed WordPress with static export. The main differences: Stelae is significantly cheaper (€19.90/year vs. HardyPress’s monthly plans), Stelae has no lock-in (you download your files and host them anywhere, while HardyPress deploys to their CDN), and Stelae offers scoped platform support rather than full support. If you want a fully managed experience with hands-on support, HardyPress may be a better fit. If you’re technically comfortable and want to save money and own your files, Stelae is for you.

€19.90 per year per site. One plan. No tiers, no upsells, no usage-based pricing. The same deal for everyone.

No. The €19.90 covers your WordPress container, the export pipeline, and auto-deploy to statichost.eu (recommended), via git push, or to Cloudflare Workers. Your static hosting costs depend on where you deploy — statichost.eu, GitHub Pages, Cloudflare Workers, and Netlify all have generous free tiers that cover most personal and small-business sites.

Yes. When you cancel, your site stays active until the end of the paid period. After that, the WordPress container is suspended. Your static site continues to run wherever you deployed it — it doesn’t depend on Stelae. You can download both the static export and a full WordPress backup before your subscription ends.

Your WordPress container is suspended (editor becomes inaccessible). Your WordPress files and database are kept for 365 days in case you want to resubscribe. After 365 days of inactivity, they’re deleted. Your static site continues to work on whatever host you deployed it to.

Your dashboard has an Invoices tab that lists all your invoices with dates and amounts. Each invoice can be downloaded as a PDF. Invoices are generated automatically after each payment is confirmed.

Yes. Your WordPress container is a full WordPress installation. You can install any theme from the WordPress repository or upload premium themes, and install any plugin. However, only features that produce HTML/CSS/JS output will be visible on your static site. See the compatibility guide for details.

WordPress form plugins (Contact Form 7, WPForms, etc.) won’t work because there’s no PHP to process submissions on the static site. Instead, use a third-party form service like Formspree, Basin, or Netlify Forms. These work by adding a simple HTML attribute or JavaScript snippet to your form — no server required.

Yes, using a client-side search library. We recommend Pagefind — it runs entirely in the browser, indexes your static HTML after export, and requires no server. Run npx pagefind --site ./your-exported-site after exporting and before deploying. The search index is included with your static files.

You can use WooCommerce to build product catalog pages — they export perfectly as static HTML. But the cart, checkout, payment processing, and account features require server-side logic and won’t work on a static site. For simple e-commerce on static sites, consider Snipcart or Ecwid, which overlay e-commerce via JavaScript.

Your WordPress container has a disk quota for files and uploads. Within that quota, there’s no hard limit on the number of pages. Sites with hundreds of pages and normal media libraries export without issues. Very large sites (thousands of pages, large image galleries) will work but take longer to export.

Yes, but custom domains are configured at your hosting target (Cloudflare, Netlify, etc.), not in Stelae. Stelae produces the static files; your host serves them. All major static hosts support custom domains with free automatic HTTPS.

Your WordPress runs in an isolated Docker container on its own network. It’s not directly accessible from the internet — all access goes through Stelae’s reverse proxy with authenticated editor links and session cookies. Containers can’t communicate with each other. And the static site itself has zero attack surface: no PHP, no database, no login page.

Download your static site archive (your published site) and your WordPress backup (database + uploads + themes + plugins) from the dashboard. Cancel your subscription. Your static site keeps running on your hosting provider — it has no dependency on Stelae. To continue editing in WordPress, import the backup into any standard WordPress installation (local, shared hosting, or managed hosting).

Your published static site is unaffected — it runs on your hosting provider, not on our servers. If we discontinue the service, we’ll provide at least 90 days’ notice (per our Terms of Service). During that period, all your data — static exports, WordPress content, database, and uploaded files — will remain available for download so you can migrate away. We will not shut down without notice.

Yes. Your dashboard offers two downloads: the static site archive (the HTML/CSS/JS files deployed to your host) and a full WordPress backup (database dump, themes, plugins, uploads). To get a backup, click the Backup button on your site card, wait for it to generate, then download. Backups are always generated fresh so you get the current state of your site. Available while your subscription is active or within the retention period after cancellation.

Yes. Stelae is available to anyone, regardless of location. Here’s what non-EU users should know:

• Payments: Mollie supports all major international credit and debit cards. Pricing is in euros.
• Editor latency: The WordPress editor runs on EU infrastructure. If you’re editing from North America or Asia, you’ll notice slightly higher latency compared to a local install. It’s perfectly usable — just not instant. This only affects the editor, not your published site.
• Your static site: The exported files deploy wherever you choose. Use Cloudflare Workers, a CDN near your audience, or any host. No EU constraint on the output.
• Data location: Your WordPress content and database are stored on EU infrastructure. This is a feature for privacy-conscious users, not a limitation. Your data is subject to EU data protection laws (GDPR) regardless of where you’re located.

The EU positioning is about where our infrastructure runs, not about who can use the service.

We support everything that’s part of the Stelae platform: the export pipeline, container lifecycle (starting, stopping, waking up), auto-deploy, billing, and any bugs in our infrastructure. If Stelae breaks something, we fix it. We don’t provide WordPress consulting — choosing themes, configuring plugins, learning WordPress, or building your site is your responsibility. That’s how we keep the price at €19.90/year.

Not sure if it’s us or your plugin? If your site looks right in the WordPress editor but something is broken or missing after export, please contact us anyway. It could be a bug in our export pipeline, and we’d rather investigate than have you stuck. We’ll tell you honestly whether it’s something we can fix or a limitation of static export.

Email support@stelae.eu with what you were doing, what happened, and your site name. Platform issues (export failures, container won’t start, deploy errors, billing problems) are always in scope.

The WordPress documentation, WordPress support forums, and communities like r/wordpress are excellent resources. Most WordPress knowledge applies directly to Stelae — it’s a standard WordPress installation.