Last verified 35 days ago·30 sources·Updated automatically
Cloudways and Rocket.net compared across Company facts, Pricing, Performance & infrastructure, WordPress management, Support & security and Platform & integrations — every fact sourced and re-verified from each vendor's public material.
Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting that runs WordPress on your choice of DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud. Owned by DigitalOcean.
DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, VultrCustomer chooses the cloud provider per server; DigitalOcean is the cheapest entry option
own datacentersBare-metal private cloud behind Cloudflare Enterprise (no public hyperscaler)
Datacenter Locations
150150+ data centers in 50+ countries across all five cloud providers
4Site placement across North America, Europe, Australia, Asia
Free CDN
No
Cloudflare Enterprise CDN included on every plan
Web Server
NGINX
—
Built-in Object Cache
Redis persistent object cache available at no extra cost
Object Cache Pro / Relay are Enterprise-tier only; not default on the Starter plan
Latest PHP Version
8.4Up to PHP 8.4 (Debian 11/12 servers); 8.2 default
8.4PHP up to 8.4 selectable (also 5.6, 7.4, 8.0-8.3)
Free SSL Certificate
Free 1-click Let's Encrypt SSL
Free SSL included and auto-renewed on all plans
WordPress management
Automatic WordPress Updates
No
Automated core, plugin, and theme updates
Staging Environments
Free 1-click staging and cloning
One-click staging clone built into the control panel
Automatic Daily Backups
Automated daily by default (adjustable to hourly); off-site storage metered
Automated daily backups on every plan
Backup Retention (Days)
7 daysDefault 7-day retention; configurable from 1 to 4 weeks
30 days30 days of backup retention on the Starter plan
Free Site Migration
Free WordPress Migrator plugin (unlimited) plus one free expert-handled migration per account
Unlimited free WordPress migrations
SSH & WP-CLI Access
SSH + pre-installed WP-CLI on all servers; SFTP and Git too
SSH access plus a web-based WP-CLI terminal for all customers
WordPress Multisite Support
Cloudways Flexible only (not Autonomous)
WordPress Multisite officially supported at no extra cost
Support & security
Uptime SLA (%)
99.99%99.99% uptime SLA (covers the Cloudways platform/console, not partner cloud providers)
99.99%99.99% uptime guarantee (plus a marketed 100% uptime claim during traffic spikes)
24/7 Support
24/7/365 live chat and ticket support on all plans
24/7/365 expert WordPress support on all plans
Malware Removal / Hack Fix
No
Real-time malware scanning and removal/patching (Imunify360)
WAF / DDoS Protection
Built-in WAF included free on all Flexible servers (OWASP rules, IP/country blocking, bot + DoS protection)
Cloudflare Enterprise WAF + DDoS protection included on every plan
Platform & integrations
Control Panel
customCloudways Platform (custom dashboard; no cPanel)
customCustom-built Rocket.net WordPress Control Panel (Mission Control)
White-Label / Agency Features
Team roles, project organization, client access control, and automated white-label invoices
White-label control panel, reseller tiers, WooCommerce client provisioning/billing
Email Hosting Included
No bundled email; optional Rackspace email add-on at $1/mailbox/mo
No email hosting; use a dedicated email provider
The verdict
Cloudways
Best for hosting many sites cheaply with full control
Starts at $11/mo with unlimited websites and 50 GB storage, versus Rocket.net's $30 for one site and 10 GB. You choose the cloud (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP, Linode, Vultr) across 150+ datacenters, get Redis object cache by default, and a 3-day free trial. Rocket.net offers neither cloud choice nor a built-in object cache on its Starter plan.
Best for a hands-off, secured single WordPress site
Every plan bundles Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, automatic core/plugin/theme updates, and real-time malware scanning and removal (Imunify360) — all of which Cloudways lacks. Backups are kept 30 days versus 7, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee instead of Cloudways' none. The trade-off: $30/mo for one site and 10 GB storage.
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