SoftwareGlimpse

Cloudways vs cPanel

Compare Cloudways and cPanel on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.

Independently recommendedLast updated Aug 18, 20266 evidence sources4 screenshotsHow we compare
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Cloudways logo

Cloudways

7.6/10

Managed cloud hosting — Flexible from $11/mo DigitalOcean Standard; Autonomous WordPress autoscaling separate line.

Best for

  • • Teams that want managed hosting on a chosen cloud VM without buying a panel licence
  • • Agencies running WordPress plus other apps on one Cloudways account
  • • Buyers who will actually use hourly Flexible billing and the $11 DigitalOcean Standard floor

Starting from $11.00/user/mo

No free plan

Visit Cloudways
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VS

Our verdict

Our verdict

No universal winner

No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.

Cloudways is better for

  • ✓ Starting pricing
  • ✓ Integrations

Tie

  • • Security & admin

Choose Cloudways if: Teams that want managed hosting on a chosen cloud VM without buying a panel licence

Choose cPanel if: Web hosts and agencies administering many accounts on a VPS

See detailed comparison ↓
cPanel logo

cPanel

7.3/10

Hosting control panel — Solo $29.99/mo (1 account); Admin $35.99 (≤5); Pro $53.99 (≤30); Premier $69.99 (100 accounts + $0.49 extra).

Best for

  • • Web hosts and agencies administering many accounts on a VPS
  • • Operators who need the cPanel ecosystem (installers, WHM)
  • • Premier buyers on dedicated/metal

Starting from $29.99/user/mo

No free plan

Visit cPanel
Read review

Comparison scorecard

Criterion-by-criterion results for Cloudways and cPanel. Numeric bars appear only when both products have approved scores.

  • Starting pricing

    Published floor price and what that floor actually includes.

    Cloudways

    Cloudways publishes a lower researched starting floor ($11/mo vs $29.99/mo for cPanel). Confirm currency, renewals, and add-ons — not a total TCO winner.

    CloudwaysStronger
    cPanelWeaker

  • Free plan

    Whether a usable free plan is published, and what it gates.

    Depends

    Cloudways does not research a free plan; cPanel does not research a free plan.

    CloudwaysDepends
    cPanelDepends

  • User / licence minimum

    Seat floors, per-employee minimums, and small-team pricing traps.

    Depends

    Check seat, agent, or licence minimums for Cloudways and cPanel on current vendor packaging.

    CloudwaysDepends
    cPanelDepends

  • Integrations

    Important third-party integrations.

    Cloudways

    Cloudways leads on integrations (8/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

    Cloudways8/10
    cPanel7/10

  • Security & admin

    Admin controls, access, compliance posture, and security packaging.

    Tie

    Cloudways and cPanel are close on security admin (7/10 vs 7/10) from approved SoftwareGlimpse editorial assessments — not hands-on lab testing.

    CloudwaysTie
    cPanelTie

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Affiliate disclosure: some links may be affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Rankings and scores are never based on commission. Full disclosure

Methodology disclosure: scores and recommendations follow SoftwareGlimpse evaluation criteria (version 1.0.0). Affiliate relationships do not determine rankings.

How we recommend: product claims are tied to recorded research where available.

AI-assisted disclosure: drafts may be AI-assisted from approved facts and assessments. Humans approve publishable editorial judgments. AI does not invent live prices or claim hands-on testing.