Cloudways is a good managed cloud host. But it is not the only way to get fast WordPress hosting on a cloud server. Some people want a lower bill, some want less to think about, and some want full control of their own server.
We checked the official pricing pages of 7 Cloudways alternatives on November 13, 2026. Below you will find real first-term prices, renewal prices and refund windows for each one.
Quick answer
The best Cloudways alternative for most WordPress site owners is Rocket.net if you want a fully managed host, starting at $1 for the first month and then $30 per month with no renewal price hikes. If you want the lowest bill, xCloud gives you a free control panel for 1 server and 10 sites on a server you bring yourself. For raw power at a low price, Hostinger VPS starts at $6.49 per month for 4 GB of RAM on a 24 month term. For developers, SpinupWP ($12 per month) and Ploi (free plan, or $10 per month) let you run sites on your own server from DigitalOcean or another cloud.
Cloudways alternatives compared
| Host | Best for | First-term price | Renewal price | Refund window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket.net | Fast managed WordPress | $1 first month, then $30/mo | $30/mo (no renewal hikes) | 30 days |
| Kinsta | Premium managed WordPress | 1st month free, then $17.50/mo for 3 months (Black Friday) | $35/mo | 30 days |
| ScalaHosting | Managed cloud VPS with a panel | $22.46/mo (Black Friday) | $54.95/mo | Anytime money-back guarantee |
| Hostinger VPS | Cheapest VPS power | $6.49/mo (24 months, $155.76 upfront) | $11.99/mo | 30 days |
| xCloud | Free Cloudways-style panel | Free (1 server, 10 sites) or $5/server/mo | Same price | 14 days (own server plans) |
| SpinupWP | WordPress on your own server | $12/mo plus server cost | $12/mo | Not refundable after 30 days |
| Ploi | PHP and Laravel developers | Free, or $10/mo plus server cost | $10/mo | 14 days |
All prices are in US dollars and were checked on November 13, 2026. Black Friday prices can end soon, so check the host’s page before you buy.
First, what Cloudways costs today
To compare fairly, here is the Cloudways starting point. On its official pricing page, the Flexible plan on DigitalOcean starts at $14 per month for 1 GB of RAM, 1 vCPU and 25 GB of NVMe storage. The 2 GB plan costs $28 per month, and the 4 GB plan costs $54 per month.
Cloudways offers a 5 day free trial on Flexible with no credit card. Right now it also runs a Black Friday offer of 80% off for 2 months (up to $200 off per month). We did not find a refund policy on its pricing page. If you still like Cloudways, see our Cloudways Black Friday guide.
Most people leave Cloudways for one of three reasons. The bill grows as you add RAM. They want a host that handles everything, including the CDN and security. Or they want to pay less by managing their own server with a simpler panel.
1. Rocket.net: best fully managed alternative
Rocket.net is a managed WordPress host built on Cloudflare’s network. You do not pick a server or a cloud provider. You just add your site, and Rocket.net handles caching, the CDN and the firewall.
Price: The Starter plan costs $30 per month, or $25 per month when billed yearly (two months free). New customers can get the first month for $1. Starter includes 1 WordPress site, 10 GB of storage and 50 GB of bandwidth. Rocket.net says it will never raise prices on renewal. It has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pros: No renewal price hikes, full CDN and firewall included, nothing to set up on a server.
- Cons: Starter covers only 1 site and 50 GB of bandwidth, so it costs more per site than Cloudways if you host many small sites.
Pick this if you want Cloudways speed without ever thinking about servers.
2. Kinsta: best premium managed WordPress host
Kinsta runs on Google Cloud and has a clean dashboard, staging sites and strong support. It is one of the most polished managed WordPress hosts. If you want to compare it with others, read our Kinsta alternatives guide.
Price: The Single 20GB plan normally costs $35 per month, or $315 a year on annual billing right now (normally $420). Its Black Friday deal gives new customers the first month free, then $17.50 per month for 3 months, and then it renews at $35 per month. The offer ends December 1, 2026. Kinsta has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pros: Very easy to use, great support, free staging, strong Google Cloud network.
- Cons: The regular price of $35 per month for 1 site is much higher than a 1 GB Cloudways server at $14 per month.
Pick this if your site makes money and you want a premium host with top support.
3. ScalaHosting: best managed cloud VPS with a control panel
ScalaHosting sells managed cloud VPS plans with its own SPanel control panel. It feels closer to classic hosting than Cloudways, with email hosting and a familiar panel built in.
Price: The Build #1 plan (2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe, unmetered bandwidth) shows a Black Friday price of $22.46 per month. It renews at $54.95 per month. The page promises an “Anytime Money-Back Guarantee”. The page did not show which billing term the $22.46 price needs, so check the term at checkout.
- Pros: 4 GB of RAM on the entry plan, email included, managed by the host.
- Cons: The renewal price of $54.95 per month is more than double the first-term price.
Pick this if you want a managed VPS with email and a cPanel-style panel, and you are fine with a big renewal jump.
4. Hostinger VPS: best for cheap raw power
Hostinger VPS gives you a lot of server for the money. It is a self-managed VPS, so you install your own stack or use a panel. You can also pair it with xCloud, SpinupWP or Ploi below.
Price: KVM 1 (1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe, 4 TB bandwidth) costs $6.49 per month on a 24 month term. You pay $155.76 upfront, and it renews at $11.99 per month. KVM 2 (2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe) costs $8.79 per month for 24 months and renews at $14.99 per month. Hostinger has a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Pros: 4 GB of RAM for less than half the price of a 1 GB Cloudways server.
- Cons: You manage the server yourself, and the best price needs 24 months paid upfront.
Pick this if you are comfortable with a server (or a panel) and want the most RAM for your money. For more VPS deals this month, see our Black Friday VPS deals list.
5. xCloud: best free Cloudways-style panel
xCloud feels a lot like Cloudways. You connect a server from a cloud provider such as DigitalOcean, and xCloud gives you a simple dashboard to launch and manage WordPress sites. It also sells managed servers if you do not want your own.
Price: Bring your own server, and xCloud is free for 1 server with up to 10 sites. For 2 to 5 servers it costs $5 per server per month, and it drops to $3 per server for 11 or more. Managed hosting starts from $5 per month, and a managed 4 GB server costs $30 per month. Own-server plans get a full refund within 14 days, and managed servers are refunded pro-rated on any day.
- Pros: Free tier is real and generous, and the dashboard is easy for Cloudways users.
- Cons: On the free plan you still pay your cloud provider, and you handle more yourself than on Cloudways.
Pick this if you like the Cloudways dashboard but want to stop paying a markup on the server.
6. SpinupWP: best for WordPress developers
SpinupWP is a server control panel made only for WordPress. It sets up a fast, secure server on your own cloud account and gives you a clean place to add sites, backups and staging.
Price: Essentials costs $12 per month and Advanced costs $19 per month. Each plan includes 1 server with unlimited sites. Extra servers cost $8 to $10 per month each at first, and get cheaper as you add more. There is a 7-day free trial with no credit card. Its terms say fees are not refundable after 30 days. You also pay for the server, for example a DigitalOcean Droplet, which starts at $4 per month for a tiny 512 MiB machine.
- Pros: Built only for WordPress, unlimited sites, clear prices.
- Cons: Two bills (SpinupWP plus your cloud), and you should know some server basics.
Pick this if you build WordPress sites and want a lean, fast server you control.
7. Ploi: best for PHP and Laravel developers with many servers
Ploi is a server panel for PHP apps, including WordPress and Laravel. It is popular with developers and agencies who run many servers. For more agency picks, see our hosting for agencies guide.
Price: There is a free plan for 1 server and 1 site. Basic costs $10 per month ($108 a year) for up to 5 servers. Pro costs $16 per month for up to 10 servers, and Unlimited costs $36 per month. You can try Pro free for 5 days with no card. Ploi offers a refund if you ask within 14 days. Server fees are not included.
- Pros: Cheap for many servers, unlimited sites on paid plans, great for developers.
- Cons: Not made only for WordPress, so beginners may find it less friendly than xCloud.
Pick this if you deploy PHP or Laravel apps and WordPress sites across several servers.
How we picked
We looked for hosts that solve the same problem as Cloudways: fast hosting on a cloud server without the old shared hosting limits. We checked each official pricing page on November 13, 2026, and wrote down the first-term price, the renewal price and the refund window. We left out hosts whose pricing pages did not show real prices when we checked. The order is based on fit for most readers, not on affiliate links.
Who should choose what
- You want zero server work: Rocket.net, or Kinsta if budget is not a worry.
- You want a managed VPS with email and a panel: ScalaHosting.
- You want the lowest bill: xCloud free plan on a cheap server, or Hostinger VPS.
- You are a WordPress developer: SpinupWP.
- You run PHP or Laravel apps on many servers: Ploi.
- You are happy with Cloudways: stay, and use its Black Friday deal of 80% off for 2 months.
New to all this? Our simple guide to choosing web hosting explains the basics in 5 steps. And if your site is struggling on cheap hosting, read the signs you have outgrown shared hosting.
FAQ
What is the best Cloudways alternative?
For most WordPress sites, Rocket.net is the best Cloudways alternative because it is fully managed and costs $30 per month with no renewal hikes. For the lowest cost, xCloud is free for 1 server and 10 sites if you bring your own server.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Cloudways?
Yes. Hostinger KVM 1 gives you 4 GB of RAM for $6.49 per month on a 24 month term, while Cloudways charges $14 per month for 1 GB. You can also use a free panel like xCloud or Ploi on a DigitalOcean Droplet that starts at $4 per month.
Does Cloudways have a free trial?
Yes. Cloudways offers a 5 day free trial on its Flexible plan with no credit card needed, as shown on its pricing page in November 2026.
Is Kinsta better than Cloudways?
Kinsta is easier and fully managed, but it costs more. Kinsta starts at $35 per month for 1 site, while Cloudways starts at $14 per month for a 1 GB server that can hold many sites.
Can I move my sites from Cloudways to another host?
Yes. You can move WordPress sites with a migration plugin or ask your new host for help. Our list of hosts with free migration shows which hosts move sites for free.
What is the difference between Cloudways and SpinupWP?
Cloudways sells you the server and the panel in one bill. SpinupWP is only the panel ($12 per month), and you rent the server yourself from a cloud provider like DigitalOcean.
Disclosure: this post may contain affiliate links, and we may earn a commission if you buy through them. It costs you nothing extra.
Update log
- November 2026: Published, using pricing checked on November 13, 2026.
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