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Cloudways alternatives: 11 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rankAll web hosting providers

Top picks

  • Kinsta logo

    Best overall

    Kinsta

    Starting price: $35 a month, or $30 a month billed annually

  • WordPress.com logo

    Best free option

    WordPress.com

    Starting price: US$4/month billed yearly, or US$9 monthly (Personal)

Common reasons people leave Cloudways: server-based setup is more technical than shared hosting, and mailboxes are not part of the server plans. We ranked 11 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Cloudways, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Kinsta currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingVerified priceOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Kinsta logoKinstaPaid$35 a month, or $30 a month billed annuallyNoWeb6 of 668.8
2WP Engine logoWP EnginePaidFrom $400/month, billed annuallyNoWeb4 of 464.8
3SiteGround logoSiteGroundPaid$17.99/month (StartUp)NoWeb4 of 461.8
4Hostinger Web Hosting logoHostinger Web HostingPaid$2.49 a month on a 48-month term (Premium, promo)NoWeb7 of 759.4
5IONOS logoIONOSPaid$1 a month for 1 year (Plus), then $14 a monthNoWeb9 of 955.9
6WordPress.com logoWordPress.comFree plan + paidUS$4/month billed yearly, or US$9 monthly (Personal)NoWeb, iOS, Android8 of 852.6
7Laravel Forge logoLaravel ForgePaid$12 a month (Hobby)NoWeb6 of 651.2
8DigitalOcean Droplets logoDigitalOcean DropletsPaid$4 a month (512 MiB, 1 vCPU)NoWeb, Linux6 of 650.0
9Hetzner logoHetznerPaidFrom €5.99/month excl. VATNoWeb8 of 850.0
10Amazon Lightsail logoAmazon LightsailPaid$5 USD/monthNoWeb, Linux, Windows8 of 849.0
11Vultr logoVultrPaid—NoWeb5 of 548.9
  1. Kinsta logo

    1. KinstaTop pick

    Best for: Businesses and agencies running important WordPress sites who want fully managed hosting

    PaidWeb

    68.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud with staging, a CDN and expert support included.

    Pros

    • Free one-click staging and unlimited free migrations
    • Cloudflare integration and edge caching built in
    • 24/7 human support in several languages

    Cons

    • Far more expensive than shared hosting
    • Plans cap monthly visits and storage, with paid add-ons for more
    • WordPress-focused; no email hosting included
    Visit Kinsta Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Kinsta a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Starting price
    $35 a month, or $30 a month billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Money-back guarantee
    30 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Migrations
    Unlimited, free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data centers
    30, plus 300+ CDN edge locations
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Agency plan
    From $340 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise plan
    From $500 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026kinsta.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. WP Engine logo

    2. WP Engine

    Best for: Companies and agencies running business-critical WordPress sites at scale

    PaidWeb

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Managed WordPress hosting with dev, staging and production environments and built-in security tools.

    Pros

    • One-click staging and dev environments on every plan
    • Automated WordPress and PHP updates with daily backups
    • Headless and ecommerce platforms beyond standard hosting

    Cons

    • Expensive compared with shared and cloud hosts
    • Entry plan covers one site and 25,000 visits a month
    • Several performance tools are paid add-ons
    Visit WP Engine Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is WP Engine a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Entry plan capacity
    1 site, 25,000 visits/month, 10 GB
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wpengine.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    From $400/month, billed annually
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wpengine.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Staging
    1-click staging and dev environments
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wpengine.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Genesis Blocks
    Included
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wpengine.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. SiteGround logo

    3. SiteGround

    Best for: Small businesses and agencies wanting faster managed WordPress hosting than budget hosts

    PaidWeb

    61.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Managed shared and cloud hosting with caching, daily backups and staging, often cheaper for small sites.

    Pros

    • Runs on Google Cloud with multi-level caching
    • Free CDN, SSL and daily backups on every plan
    • Staging and collaborator access for agencies on higher plans

    Cons

    • Renewal prices are high compared with budget hosts
    • Storage per plan is modest
    • No cPanel; uses its own Site Tools panel
    Visit SiteGround Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is SiteGround a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Starting renewal price
    $17.99/month (StartUp)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026siteground.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Infrastructure
    Google Cloud
    Checked Nov 8, 2026siteground.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CDN
    Free, 170+ locations
    Checked Nov 8, 2026siteground.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Money-back guarantee
    30 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026siteground.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Hostinger Web Hosting logo

    4. Hostinger Web Hosting

    Best for: Budget-minded beginners and freelancers hosting one or several WordPress sites

    PaidWeb

    59.4

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Cheaper all-in-one hosting with email for small sites that don't need cloud servers.

    Pros

    • Low introductory prices on multi-year terms
    • Custom hPanel is simpler than cPanel for beginners
    • Free website migration and free domain on most plans

    Cons

    • Renewal prices are several times the promotional rate
    • Cheapest Single plan has no free domain
    • No cPanel, which matters if you rely on cPanel tools
    Visit Hostinger Web Hosting Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Hostinger Web Hosting a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    7 of 7 verified
    Money-back guarantee
    30 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free domain
    All plans except Single, 1 year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Control panel
    hPanel (custom)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Migration
    Free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $2.49 a month on a 48-month term (Premium, promo)
    Checked Nov 2, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    Renews at $10.99 a month
    Checked Nov 2, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud Startup plan
    $7.99 a month on a 48-month term, renews at $25.99
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hostinger.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. IONOS logo

    5. IONOS

    Best for: Small businesses wanting domain, hosting, email and support from one large provider

    PaidWeb

    55.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Hosting plus domains and email in one account, with a personal consultant.

    Pros

    • Domain, SSL and email included with hosting plans
    • Personal consultant alongside 24/7 support
    • Range runs from shared hosting up to VPS, dedicated servers and cloud

    Cons

    • Renewal prices are well above the introductory rate
    • Lowest prices need a one-year term
    • Control panel is custom, not cPanel
    Visit IONOS Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.357
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is IONOS a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    9 of 9 verified
    Money-back guarantee
    30 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Included with hosting
    SSL certificate, domain and email
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Uptime guarantee
    99.99%
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Traffic
    Unlimited
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Support
    Personal consultant
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $1 a month for 1 year (Plus), then $14 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Essential plan
    $4 a month for 1 year, then $8 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starter plan
    $6 a month for 1 year, then $10 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Ultimate plan
    $10 a month for 1 year, then $18 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026ionos.com(opens source in a new tab)
  6. WordPress.com logo

    6. WordPress.com

    Best for: Bloggers and businesses who want managed WordPress without running their own server

    Free plan + paidWeb, iOS, Android

    52.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Fully managed WordPress where you never think about servers at all.

    Pros

    • Plugins and themes from the WordPress ecosystem on higher plans
    • Sites can be exported to any WordPress host
    • Free plan for simple blogs

    Cons

    • Plugin access requires a higher-tier plan
    • Block editor takes longer to learn than drag-and-drop builders
    • Free plan shows ads and a WordPress.com address
    Visit WordPress.com Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.346
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is WordPress.com a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Personal plan
    US$9 monthly or US$4/month billed yearly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Plugins
    60,000+ available
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Money-back guarantee
    14 days
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise
    From $25,000/year
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    US$4/month billed yearly, or US$9 monthly (Personal)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Premium plan
    US$8/month billed yearly, or US$18 monthly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    US$25/month billed yearly, or US$40 monthly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026wordpress.com(opens source in a new tab)
  7. Laravel Forge logo

    7. Laravel Forge

    Best for: PHP and Laravel developers who want managed deploys on servers they own

    PaidWeb

    51.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Provisions and manages servers on your own cloud account, so you pay the provider directly with no hosting markup.

    Pros

    • Flat monthly price with unlimited sites and deployments
    • Works with major cloud providers or its own Laravel VPS
    • Zero-downtime deploys and SSL handled for you
    • Supports WordPress and Node.js as well as Laravel

    Cons

    • No free plan
    • Cloud server costs are billed separately
    • You still own server security and uptime
    Visit Laravel Forge Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Laravel Forge a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Starting price
    $12 a month (Hobby)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Pricing model
    Flat-rate monthly
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud providers
    DigitalOcean, AWS, Hetzner and others
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Non-Laravel stacks
    PHP, WordPress, Statamic, Node.js
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Growth plan
    $19 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Business plan
    $39 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026forge.laravel.com(opens source in a new tab)
  8. DigitalOcean Droplets logo

    8. DigitalOcean Droplets

    Best for: Developers who want a simple, well-documented VPS with predictable monthly pricing.

    PaidWeb, Linux

    50.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Run a VPS yourself on the same infrastructure Cloudways often uses, if you can manage the server.

    Pros

    • Clear flat pricing with included transfer
    • Easy control panel and API
    • Managed databases, Kubernetes and storage alongside
    • Excellent tutorials and docs

    Cons

    • Pricier per core and RAM than budget European hosts
    • Fewer regions than the large clouds
    • Backups cost extra as a percentage of the Droplet price
    Visit DigitalOcean Droplets Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is DigitalOcean Droplets a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    6 of 6 verified
    Starting price
    $4 a month (512 MiB, 1 vCPU)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Included transfer
    From 500 GiB/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Backups
    20% (weekly) or 30% (daily) of Droplet cost
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Inbound bandwidth
    Free
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Snapshots
    $0.06 per GB/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Billing
    Per second, 60-second or $0.01 minimum
    Checked Nov 8, 2026digitalocean.com(opens source in a new tab)
  9. Hetzner logo

    9. Hetzner

    Best for: Developers and self-hosters who want cheap, fast servers in Europe and can manage Linux

    PaidWeb

    50.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Very low-cost European cloud servers for teams happy to manage their own stack.

    Pros

    • Some of the lowest cloud and dedicated server prices around
    • Owns its European data centre parks
    • Server Auction for refurbished dedicated machines
    • Hourly-billed cloud with API, CLI and Terraform support

    Cons

    • Few managed services such as databases or Kubernetes
    • US and Singapore locations cost more and only offer cloud products
    • Unmanaged by default, so security and updates are your job
    Visit Hetzner Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Hetzner a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Founded
    1997, Germany
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud starting price
    From €5.99/month excl. VAT
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Dedicated server starting price
    From €59.00/month excl. VAT
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Cloud locations
    Germany, Finland, US (2), Singapore
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Data centres
    Owns parks in Nuremberg, Falkenstein and Helsinki
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    From €5.99/month excl. VAT (Cost-Optimized cloud)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Regular Performance plan
    From €6.49/month excl. VAT
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
    General Purpose plan
    From €43.49/month excl. VAT (dedicated vCPUs)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026hetzner.com(opens source in a new tab)
  10. Amazon Lightsail logo

    10. Amazon Lightsail

    Best for: People who want a predictable-price VPS that can grow into the wider AWS ecosystem.

    PaidWeb, Linux, Windows

    49.0

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Low fixed-price AWS virtual servers with one-click WordPress images, cutting out the middle layer.

    Pros

    • Fixed monthly bundles including transfer
    • Static IP and DNS management included
    • Windows server plans available
    • Easy path to other AWS services

    Cons

    • Lower specs for the price than budget VPS hosts
    • Smaller transfer allowances in some Asian regions
    • AWS account and billing can be complex
    Visit Amazon Lightsail Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.334
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Amazon Lightsail a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    8 of 8 verified
    Starting price (with IPv4)
    $5 USD/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows plans
    From $9.50 USD/month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Static IP
    Included in all plans
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier
    Yes, under AWS Free Tier
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Starting price
    $3.50 a month (IPv6-only Linux bundle)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Linux plan with IPv4
    From $5 a month
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows plan
    From $9.50 a month (with IPv4)
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free plan
    Yes, under the AWS Free Tier
    Checked Nov 8, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
  11. Vultr logo

    11. Vultr

    Best for: Developers wanting hourly cloud servers or GPUs close to users in many regions

    PaidWeb

    48.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Cloudways

    Rent the same cloud servers directly and skip the management fee if you can run Linux.

    Pros

    • Wide choice of regions worldwide
    • Bare metal and cloud GPUs alongside regular VMs
    • Custom ISO uploads and one-click marketplace apps
    • API, open-source CLI and Terraform provider

    Cons

    • Servers are unmanaged; you handle updates and security
    • Pricier than budget hosts like Contabo for the same RAM
    Visit Vultr Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.341
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Vultr a good Cloudways alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Servers launched
    Over 80 million
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.vultr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Developer tools
    API, CLI, Terraform provider and SDKs
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.vultr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    CLI licence
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Custom ISO
    Yes
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.vultr.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Owner
    The Constant Company, LLC
    Checked Nov 8, 2026docs.vultr.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Cloudways alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Kinsta logo

Best Cloudways alternative for most people

Kinsta

Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud with staging, a CDN and expert support included.

WordPress.com logo

Best Cloudways alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

WordPress.com

Fully managed WordPress where you never think about servers at all.

Amazon Lightsail logo

Best Cloudways alternative for Windows

Amazon Lightsail

Low fixed-price AWS virtual servers with one-click WordPress images, cutting out the middle layer.

DigitalOcean Droplets logo

Best Cloudways alternative for Linux

DigitalOcean Droplets

Run a VPS yourself on the same infrastructure Cloudways often uses, if you can manage the server.

WordPress.com logo

Best Cloudways alternative for iPhone and Android

WordPress.com

Fully managed WordPress where you never think about servers at all.

WP Engine logo

Best Cloudways alternative for working in the browser

WP Engine

Managed WordPress hosting with dev, staging and production environments and built-in security tools.

Cloudways alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Cloudways?

Kinsta ranks first right now. Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud with staging, a CDN and expert support included. WP Engine and SiteGround follow it in our ranking.

Cloudways vs Kinsta: what's the difference?

Both Cloudways and Kinsta are paid products. Both run on Web.

Is Cloudways free?

Cloudways is a paid product. Free trial: Yes. Checked on Cloudways's own site, November 2026.

How much do Cloudways alternatives cost?

Verified prices for the top-ranked Cloudways alternatives: Kinsta, $35 a month, or $30 a month billed annually; WP Engine, From $400/month, billed annually; SiteGround, $17.99/month (StartUp); Hostinger Web Hosting, $2.49 a month on a 48-month term (Premium, promo); IONOS, $1 a month for 1 year (Plus), then $14 a month. Each price was checked on the app's own site; see each card below for the date and source.

Is there a free alternative to Cloudways?

Yes. WordPress.com (free plan + paid) has a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Cloudways?

None of the 11 alternatives in this list is open source.

Which Cloudways alternatives work on Linux?

DigitalOcean Droplets and Amazon Lightsail run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Cloudways?

The complaints we hear most: server-based setup is more technical than shared hosting; mailboxes are not part of the server plans; larger cloud providers like AWS cost noticeably more.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Cloudways, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.