We run chrooted PHP-FPM instances to execute the PHP code that runs the WordPress code. This PHP is optimized with things like APC.

We currently supports the following PHP versions, which are fully compatible with WordPress and receive periodic updates from the PHP group:

PHP 8.1

PHP 7.4

If you’d like your site’s PHP version updated, simply let your account manager know and we’ll process the request.

We do not offer access to cPanel. Many shared and generic hosting companies offer the ability to manage all aspects of your hosting account via “cPanel,” giving you an array of icons and screens to manage nearly every aspect of your hosting.

Because our hosting is specialized only in WordPress, and because our service is “managed,” 90% of the functionality exposed by cPanel is unnecessary.

We believe at our core that our clients should focus on what they do best – their business. They shouldn’t have to spend time figuring out what icons to click in order to do basic website maintenance stuff or have to resort to editing WordPress core files to unlock everyday functionality.

No we do not support .htaccess files.

Sulfur runs the Nginx web server, which does not utilize .htaccess files (which is one of the things that makes it so fast).

All of the things typically associated with .htaccess files, Sulfur either handles for you automatically, you can configure yourself through the app, or we can handle via support.

If you find yourself needing to modify or create a .htaccess file, contact Sulfur support and we can help you figure out how to implement the same thing with our hosting providers.

Caching is handled by our FlyCache setup. This consists of a blend of CDN + Whole Page caching powered by Fastly. This allows us to cache globally thanks to their multiple Points of Presence across the world.

MySQL powers the database and is configured for performance and stability within our managed hosting environment.

In certain cases, limited SSH access may be considered for specific database related tasks. Any approved access is restricted and does not provide full server level or file system control.

If you need database access through an external tool, contact our support team with details on what you’re trying to accomplish. We’ll review and advise on the appropriate method.

If you have the StartUp package or higher and have requested developer access, Sulfur provides database access via the Database Manager, located on the Advanced tab for a site.

Otherwise, you can simply let our support team know if you’d like to: run ad-hoc queries, or import entire files, reload a database, or export data directly from your database to sync up your local environment.

Sulfur provides managed WordPress hosting. We do not provide FTP, SFTP, or direct server level access. All server configuration and file system management is handled internally to maintain performance, security, and stability.