Cloudways vs DirectAdmin
Compare Cloudways and DirectAdmin on features, pricing, and buyer fit using the same researched criteria.
Cloudways
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
VS
Our verdict
No universal winner. Choose based on which criteria matter most for your team.
Cloudways is better for
- ✓ Integrations
DirectAdmin is better for
- ✓ Starting pricing
Tie
- • Security & admin
Choose Cloudways if: Teams that want managed hosting on a chosen cloud VM without buying a panel licence
Choose DirectAdmin if: Admins who want a cheap panel licence on VPS/dedicated they already run
DirectAdmin
Hosting control panel — Personal Plus $5/mo; Lite $15; Standard $29 unlimited accounts/domains. Does not outrank Plesk 7.4.
Best for
- • Admins who want a cheap panel licence on VPS/dedicated they already run
- • Buyers comparing Personal Plus $5 to Plesk Web Admin or cPanel Solo
- • Hosts that need Standard unlimited accounts/domains at $29
Starting from $5.00/user/mo
No free plan
Cloudways vs DirectAdmin pricing
Cloudways researched starting price from $11/mo. DirectAdmin researched starting price from $5/mo. Affiliate economics excluded.
Cloudways
From $11.00/user/mo
DirectAdmin
From $5.00/user/mo
Cloudways
Starting from $11.00/user/mo
Free trial available
- Flexible (DigitalOcean Standard)Popular$11.00/mo
- $11/mo published Flexible floor on DigitalOcean Standard — billed hourly. Free trial without a card per first-party page.
- Autonomous WordPressCustom
- Separate WordPress autoscaling line — not the Flexible $11 DigitalOcean Standard floor. Confirm live packaging on cloudways.com/pricing.php.
DirectAdmin
Starting from $5.00/user/mo
No free trial evidenced
- Personal PlusPopular$5.00/mo
- $5/mo Personal Plus — entry DirectAdmin panel licence.
- Lite$15.00/mo
- $15/mo Lite — higher account/domain allowances than Personal Plus.
- Standard$29.00/mo
- $29/mo Standard — unlimited accounts/domains on published packaging.
Estimate your team cost
Monthly estimate from verified per-seat list pricing. Confirm on the vendor site before purchasing.
Cloudways
$165.00/mo
DirectAdmin
$75.00/mo
+$90.00/mo — Cloudways costs more
Verified monthly unit prices · Aug 18, 2026
Prices in USD
Shown per user / month from verified list pricing.
Plans can change
Confirm live vendor rates before purchasing.
Add-ons may apply
Calling, SMS, or usage fees can add cost.
Independence
Affiliate status never changes pricing outcomes.
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