Cloudways Review
IT & DEVELOPMENT SOFTWAREChoose Cloudways when managed multi-cloud hosting is the job — not a Plesk/cPanel panel licence, and not WP Engine’s WordPress-only specialist path by default.
Starting price
$11.00/user/month
Free plan
No
Free trial
Yes
Best for
Teams that want managed hosting on a chosen cloud VM without buying a panel licence
SoftwareGlimpse review
7.6/10
Good
- ease of use7
- it job fit9
- workflow depth8
- integrations8
- admin security7
- scalability8
Cloudways vs top IT & Development
Detailed head-to-head comparisons to help you choose the right option.
vs
Cloudways vs WP Engine
Choose WP Engine when managed WordPress-specialist hosting is the job — not Cloudways multi-cloud/multi-app by default, and not a Plesk/cPanel panel licence. Choose Cloudways when managed multi-cloud hosting is the job — not a Plesk/cPanel panel licence, and not WP Engine’s WordPress-only specialist path by default. Overall: WP Engine 7.7 vs Cloudways 7.6. Not hands-on lab tested; confirm live pricing and packaging. Compare published pricing, ITSM, observability, source control, hosting, web data, security, and integrations.
- 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
vs
Cloudways vs Plesk
Researched side-by-side comparison of Cloudways and Plesk using it development comparison criteria. No universal winner — choose by job-cluster fit.
- 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
vs
Cloudways vs cPanel
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).
- Features comparison
- Pricing & plans
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Cloudways vs Kinsta
Managed WordPress hosting — Single 20GB from $35/mo ongoing floor (ignore promotional first-month teasers). Does not outrank WP Engine 7.7.
- Features comparison
- Pricing & plans
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Cloudways vs SiteGround
Managed WordPress hosting with shared-plan packaging — StartUp promo $2.99 then renews $17.99/mo; GrowBig $29.99; GoGeek $44.99. Use $17.99 ongoing floor. Does not outrank WP Engine 7.7.
- Features comparison
- Pricing & plans
Compare key capabilities side-by-side
Verified pricing and capability signals only — no invented third-party ratings.
| Feature | Cloudways | WP Engine | Plesk | cPanel | Kinsta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $11.00/user/month | $30.00/user/month | $16.99/user/month | $29.99/user/month | $35.00/user/month |
| Free plan | No | No | No | No | No |
| Free trial | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
Key takeaways
Teams that want managed hosting on a chosen cloud VM without buying a panel licence
Teams whose only hosting job is managed WordPress
Web agencies and hosts administering sites on VPS/dedicated servers
Teams that want PAYG microVM/app hosting close to users