Thread

Hey guys!

I have been contracted for a project, and am thinking of using ExpressionEngine, however, I have one question. I will be creating a main website and several hundred other websites that connect. I was debating between Wordpress Multisite and EE MS because with Wordpress Multisite I can create a new blog and make it a sub-domain from within the administrator panel. Is this possible with EE Multisite? If I need to clarify more, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Thanks!

Hi, DevanB - Welcome to our community!

Can you share with us a bit more about how your project will work? Are you hoping to give blogs to third-parties, for instance, as mini-sites?

Knowing more will help us to guide you both for the license and for the technical side.

Thank you!

Of course. I am building a main website for a diocese of the catholic church. Within this diocese is about 413 parishes (catholic churches). My boss wants every parish to have a website, like a mini-site. I will be in charge of managing and creating the main diocese website and all “mini-sites” within. I will give each priest and relevant parish administration login information to their website, where they can blog, add calendar events, posts, etc.

Thanks again!

Hi, DevanB -

EE + MSM is intended for related internet properties; sites can’t be split out of or merged into a single EE, and membership is installation wide.  Given the description you’ve given, you’d need to use separate EE licenses and installations for each parish.

EE essentially doesn’t have a management tool for creating and automatically set up sites the way you want.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!

Thats okay! Better to know now then later. I know we are still going to purchase a non-commercial license of ExpressionEngine for the main site. If we do end up, for other reasons, purchasing a multisite addition, we still need to buy a license per extra website running ExpressionEngine? Is there a discount to these extra licenses and is there a non-commercial version of these multisite licenses?

Thanks!

There are some restrictions with the MSM - including those I mentioned. But also, all sites under one installation must share the same owner. 

We also generally recommend no more than 60-75 sites per installation.

So it would again depend on what niche you want the MSM to fill on a particular project. 

Does that make sense?

Yes, of course. On down the road in the project I will have to build a site for the diocese television station, and was just trying to figure out if I could buy a multisite addition and license for this website. I would be the owner and manager of the television station website.

If you’re building a site for a client - that site is still for the client, even if you administrate it.

By that I mean that even if you host, create, maintain a 5 sites; if those 5 sites are for different people/organizations, you’ll need 5 different licenses and installations.

For the diocese - if they have their main site and their own television station for the diocese, then those are related internet properties and can be run under EE + MSM.

Does that help?

Gotcha! A license is only good for that person/organization that purchased the license.

So if the diocese bought a license of EE and a MSM addition, will they need to buy a “multisite license” for the television station website, or does their original EE license cover any additional websites that the diocese owns?

Well not quote; an EE license is good for one installation.  An MSM license adds sites to that installation but all sites under one install must be for the same owner/organization. 

ExpressionEngine itself is one site.

The MSM adds 2 Sites; and then additional sites can also be purchased.

So diocese:

EE non-commercial: $149.95

In 6 months they decide they want a site for the television station and purchase MSM:

MSM non-commercial - adds 2 sites: $79.95

Make sense?

Perfectly! This is what I needed to know! Thanks so much for your help Lisa!

My pleasure, Devan!  If anything else comes up, please start a new thread so we can help out. =)