Last verified 34 days ago·35 sources·Updated automatically
Cloudways and SiteGround 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.
30 days30-day money-back guarantee on shared/WordPress hosting
Performance & infrastructure
Underlying Cloud
DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, VultrCustomer chooses the cloud provider per server; DigitalOcean is the cheapest entry option
Google CloudRuns on Google Cloud
Datacenter Locations
150150+ data centers in 50+ countries across all five cloud providers
1111 hosting datacenter regions across 4 continents (CDN edge network is separate and larger)
Free CDN
No
Built-in CDN included free on all plans
Web Server
NGINX
NGINXNGINX front-ends Apache (NGINX Direct Delivery enabled by default)
Built-in Object Cache
Redis persistent object cache available at no extra cost
Persistent object cache (Memcached) available on all plans incl. entry, via Site Tools / Speed Optimizer
Latest PHP Version
8.4Up to PHP 8.4 (Debian 11/12 servers); 8.2 default
8.4PHP 8.4 generally available
Free SSL Certificate
Free 1-click Let's Encrypt SSL
Free SSL included on all plans, auto-renewed
WordPress management
Automatic WordPress Updates
No
Managed automatic WordPress core/plugin updates
Staging Environments
Free 1-click staging and cloning
Staging not on entry StartUp plan; unlocks on GrowBig and above (GoGeek adds Git)
Automatic Daily Backups
Automated daily by default (adjustable to hourly); off-site storage metered
Free automatic daily backups on all plans, one-click restore
Backup Retention (Days)
7 daysDefault 7-day retention; configurable from 1 to 4 weeks
30 days30 days of backup history retained
Free Site Migration
Free WordPress Migrator plugin (unlimited) plus one free expert-handled migration per account
Free site migrations (Migrator plugin self-serve; free expert migrations on higher tiers)
SSH & WP-CLI Access
SSH + pre-installed WP-CLI on all servers; SFTP and Git too
SSH and WP-CLI on all plans including entry StartUp
WordPress Multisite Support
Cloudways Flexible only (not Autonomous)
WordPress Multisite officially supported (subdomain and subdirectory), documented setup
Support & security
Uptime SLA (%)
99.99%99.99% uptime SLA (covers the Cloudways platform/console, not partner cloud providers)
99.9%Marketed 99.9% (no contractual SLA)
24/7 Support
24/7/365 live chat and ticket support on all plans
24/7 expert support on all plans (live chat, tickets, phone); GoGeek adds priority support
Malware Removal / Hack Fix
No
Malware cleanup is a paid service, not a free hack-fix guarantee
WAF / DDoS Protection
Built-in WAF included free on all Flexible servers (OWASP rules, IP/country blocking, bot + DoS protection)
Custom in-house WAF + DDoS protection on every server, included free on all plans
Platform & integrations
Control Panel
customCloudways Platform (custom dashboard; no cPanel)
customCustom Site Tools control panel (SiteGround's own, not cPanel)
White-Label / Agency Features
Team roles, project organization, client access control, and automated white-label invoices
White-label access (GoGeek), collaborator/client roles, custom client packages, reseller program
Email Hosting Included
No bundled email; optional Rackspace email add-on at $1/mailbox/mo
Free unlimited email accounts at your domain on all plans
The verdict
Cloudways
Best for scaling agencies and multi-site developers
Starts at $11/mo with 50 GB storage versus SiteGround's $17.99 and 10 GB, and the entry plan hosts unlimited sites where SiteGround's caps at one. You pick from five clouds across 150+ datacenters (vs Google Cloud, 11), get free staging on every plan, a 99.99% contractual SLA, and white-label invoicing. A 3-day trial lets you test before paying.
Best for hands-off single-site owners wanting email included
Bundles a free CDN, managed automatic WordPress updates, and unlimited email at your domain, none of which Cloudways includes. Backups retain 30 days versus Cloudways' 7, and a 30-day money-back guarantee covers you where Cloudways offers none. Best when you run one site and want maintenance handled, not a server console to manage.
Affiliate disclosure. DecisionWire may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page. Commissions never influence our data, scores, or rankings.
