Cloudways is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) supplier (our evaluate). It acts as a conduit between customers and numerous Cloud suppliers like Digital Ocean, Linode, and Vultr. Providing absolutely managed accounts, it’s a respectable choice for customers who search comfort.
Nevertheless, the PaaS mannequin isn’t appropriate for everybody. For one factor, it normally comes at premium pricing, even by Cloud requirements. Although you may get a starter plan on Cloudways for as little as $10 a month – there are robust alternate options accessible.
Cloudways Options
Should you signup (with a bank card) to Cloudways utilizing our unique coupon “WHSR10”, you may get $10 credited into your account immediately. The bottom Cloudways plan prices $12 monthly – so principally you possibly can strive them at (nearly) zero threat for 30 days.
Signup and check Cloudways now
1. ScalaHosting

Of extra curiosity at ScalaHosting is their Managed VPS Internet hosting plans. Whereas most internet hosts at present will depend on Plesk or cPanel, ScalaHosting has developed their very own model – SPanel. This management panel is extremely cPanel appropriate, making it appropriate for these migrating to the platform.
Why ScalaHosting VPS Over Cloudways?
ScalaHosting additionally has different benefits for his or her prospects together with SShield and SWordpress Supervisor. The previous supplies real-time AI-driven cybersecurity for VPS accounts. The latter helps WordPress customers handle their accounts extra simply.
Now in new partnership with Digital Ocean and Amazon AWS, ScalaHosting has turned its enterprise mannequin into PaaS play – identical to Cloudways. The identical Digital Ocean plans value cheaper at Scala – making them a robust contender to Cloudways.
Study extra about ScalaHosting in our evaluate.
ScalaHosting VPS Pricing
ScalaHosting’s pricing construction is simple to observe – there are 4 plans accessible for each their managed and unmanaged VPS choices. Superior plans embody higher useful resource provisioning however include the identical options total. ScalaHosting managed VPS begins from $9.95/mo.
2. InterServer

InterServer has numerous expertise within the website hosting enterprise. It affords every part from shared internet hosting to reseller plans, Cloud VPS, and devoted servers. All 4 of its knowledge centres are positioned within the US.
InterServer VPS – The Cheaper Various
Their VPS plans are cost-effective to run by, utilizing a mixture of CentOS together with the Webuzo management panel (it’s free). VPS accounts are bought in ‘slices’ with rising quantities of assets. Should you take greater than 4 slices, they may handle the account for you.
Discover out extra in our Interserver evaluate
InterServer VPS Pricing
Fundamental VPS plans can be found for not rather more than shared internet hosting, beginning at $6/mo. Normally although, costs for extra complete plans are extra in step with what different firms within the business provide.
3. TMDHosting

TMDHosting has a moderately spectacular vary of merchandise on provide, protecting each want from running a blog to eCommerce. Safety features are fairly spectacular as nicely – You aren’t going to discover a complete lot of internet hosts which have a devoted workforce actively monitoring the techniques.
What Makes TMDHosting VPS Ticks?
TMDHosting VPS packages are Cloud-based as nicely. There are 5 to select from, the bottom of which already affords a big quantity of assets. They begin at a formidable 40 GB of SSD house, 3 TB of site visitors, twin CPU cores, and a pair of GB of reminiscence.
Study extra in our in-depth TMDHosting evaluate.
TMDHosting VPS Pricing
TMDHosting VPS begins from 19.97/mo. With nearly all accounts right here, you possibly can get pleasure from a variety of freebies. A few of them embody options which may come as a rechargeable further on different hosts – for instance backups and restoration, spam safety, and a site identify.
4. A2 Internet hosting

A2 Internet hosting is an business veteran and whereas not the very best of the very best, affords customers a dependable answer. Their VPS are available nice selection – significantly the excellence between managed and unmanaged plans.
Why A2 Internet hosting VPS a Higher Various to Cloudways?
A2 Internet hosting unmanaged VPS plans affords single CPU core together with 20 GB SSD storage, 2 TB of site visitors and 512 MB of reminiscence. In fact, which means that the duty of every part is on you, from server setup to deployment and upkeep.
What you possibly can look ahead to right here is regular service at a worth that received’t break the financial institution. Should you don’t really feel comfy dealing with every part your self, you possibly can all the time hop on to a managed plan at any time.
Study extra about A2 Internet hosting in our in-depth evaluate.
A2 Internet hosting VPS Pricing
A2 Internet hosting unmanaged VPS plans begin off at a mouth-dropping $5/mo which is cheaper than what some shared internet hosting plans go for.
5. SiteGround

The place SiteGround is worried, customers are usually assured of top-notch efficiency backed with strong customer support. They don’t idiot round with any of their plans and provide solely the very best – with the accompanying price ticket.
Why SiteGround VPS?
For VPS they’ve solely Managed Cloud options and begin these off at a whopping $80/mo. For that you simply get 3 CPU cores together with 6GB of reminiscence and 40GB of SSD house. If pre-packaged isn’t what you want, there may be the choice to construct your individual package deal.
Study extra in our SiteGround evaluate.
SiteGround VPS Pricing
SiteGround VPS begins from $80/mo. With SiteGround Cloud internet hosting, prospects can add extra energy with both just some clicks of the mouse or mechanically scale bandwidth or reminiscence to satisfy demand. It’s the essence of agility that Cloud is famed for.
6. Bluehost

Bluehost has a reasonably restricted choice of VPS plans and these are neither on the ultra-low or ultra-high finish of the vary. The truth is, they’re slap bang in the midst of what most customers would take into account the VPS scene.
Why BlueHost VPS?
Taken in context with their shared internet hosting plan although, their VPS does provide a transparent leg up. Because of this for customers who’re Bluehost followers, there’s a fairly clear upwards development path that’s not as complicated as at many different locations.
Discover out extra in our BlueHost evaluate.
BlueHost VPS Pricing
BlueHost VPS begins from $18.99/mo.
7. Vultr

Why Vultr?
Vultr is without doubt one of the Cloud platforms that’s accessible by way of Cloudways. This is a wonderful instance of why you would possibly need to purchase direct from them as a substitute of Cloudways – the worth. Evaluating comparable plans at each ends, you’ll discover shopping for direct from Vultr will actually halve your value.
In fact, you don’t get the middleman administration platform that makes Cloudways so engaging for Cloud. Nevertheless, it does imply that for the extra technically competent, you possibly can probably save heaps of cash.
Vultr Pricing
Vultr begins from $2.50/mo with 10 GB SSD storage, single CPU core, 512 MB of reminiscence and 500 GB of site visitors.
8. DreamHost

The place Cloud is worried, DreamHost has a little bit of a novel tackle the state of affairs. As a substitute of getting plans set in concrete it affords customers numerous situations that include a most price ticket monthly. This implies you possibly can probably save extra.
Why DreamHost Over Cloudways?
You possibly can run their Cloud situations as laborious as you need, however they’ll solely invoice you for a most of 600 hours. This makes DreamHost Cloud a really robust worth proposition for those who want internet hosting that’s actually intensive.
One other profit is their inclusion of free bandwidth with all Cloud situations. That is usually restricted on just about all Cloud plans.
Learn extra in our DreamHost evaluate.
DreamHost Cloud Pricing
DreamHost begins from $4.50/mo. You get single CPU core, 80 GB SSD house, and free bandwidth.
9. WP Engine

WP Engine is the primary extra distinctive cloud internet hosting supplier on this listing. This stems from the truth that it solely focuses on the WordPress market. That’s proper, until you run WordPress, WP Engine isn’t the correct selection for you.
Why WP Engine?
Nevertheless, for the many people that do need to use this platform, WP Engine is without doubt one of the greatest at what it does. In trade, they cost prime greenback and plans begin at $25/mo. For that, you continue to get fairly restricted assets which might be appropriate for smaller websites of as much as roughly 25,000 visits monthly.
WP Engine key’s energy lies in efficiency and help. Since they give attention to WordPress customers, they can keep a workforce that’s devoted to this platform alone – that means you get the very best of what’s available on the market.
Learn our WP Engine to seek out out extra.
WP Engine Pricing
WP Engine’s Startup plan begins from $25/mo (discounted worth).
10. Kinsta

Kinsta is a prime competitor to WP Engine and appears in direction of the identical, specialised WordPress market. Driving their plans on the Google Cloud Platform, Kinsta is each extremely efficient and scalable as nicely.
What Makes Kinsta the Higher Possibility?
Common run-of-the mill customers ought to keep away since Kinsta plans don’t come low-cost. An entry worth of $30/mo will get you 10GB of house, some primary assets, and the permission to run a single WordPress web site.
In fact, they package deal in free SSL and CDN which is nice for WordPress-based websites. Plus you get the identical type of knowledgeable WordPress help that’s accessible on WP Engine.
Study extra from our Kinsta evaluate.
Kinsta Pricing
Kinsta’s Starter plan begins from $30/mo. The plans right here stretch up fairly a bit with pre-built packages topping off at $1,500/mo.
Important Component: Cloudways Pricing
The largest motive why you would possibly need to select an alternative choice to Cloudways is solely because of value. Cloudways is a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) platform and this inherently brings some notable disadvantages in larger charges.
Whereas the administration interface can vastly simplify Cloud command and management – how a lot precisely is that price to you? It might make sense in some situations, however that’s positively not all the time the case.
Let’s check out one instance that may show this clearly.
Plan configuration:
- 1 CPU
- 1GB Reminiscence
- 25GB Storage
- 1TB bandwidth
Price:
- Cloudways worth (for Digital Ocean): $10 monthly. Click on right here.
- Shopping for Direct from Digital Ocean: $5 monthly. Click on right here.
That’s double the price for a similar quantity of assets. As well as, the additional value is solely for the administration interface and instruments supplied on Cloudways – not precise server administration.
Except you completely need to use Cloudways for some motive, there are lots of different viable choices that will not double your value.
Different Causes to Take into account Cloudways Options
As you possibly can see from the choices I’ve proven above, there are lots of alternate options to Cloudways out there. Apart from the evident issue of Cloudways pricing, there are different vital causes to go along with another choice as a substitute.
Restricted Alternative
These looking for PaaS options like Cloudways will inevitably discover that purchasing direct will open up a wider discipline of selection. By selecting Cloudways, you’re primarily excluding the potential to pick from tons of of alternate options – at nearly any worth level conceivable.
Ecosystem Lock-in
Regardless of having an honest product, Cloudways is a kind of firms that attempt to lock you into their product. To grasp the idea, consider the Sony reminiscence stick and the way Sony customers have been initially pressured to make use of that.
Proprietary Instruments
Cloudways eschews widespread instruments like cPanel and Plesk, getting customers to make use of their very own Click on & Go Cloud console. With out going into element concerning the capabilities of this, you might be nonetheless caught with that after you get in.
Higher Specialised Choices Accessible
Though Cloudways affords higher manageability, it’s nonetheless a moderately generic answer. If you already know your wants it’s doable that you will discover a lot better choices focusing on sure options. WP Engine and Kinsta are glorious examples of suppliers in area of interest areas.
Conclusion
The largest motive to go for another lies in Cloduways pricing. It’s comprehensible that experience, analysis and growth, and even {hardware} prices cash. Nevertheless, this further value doesn’t all the time carry probably the most profit for customers.
Should you want a strong website hosting answer, PaaS just isn’t 100% all the time the best match. Take into account your wants fastidiously and see what alternate options exist out there earlier than leaping into one thing you would possibly battle to get out from.
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