How I compared them: speed numbers are from my own benchmark rounds (origin response time and 100 concurrent clients, no CDN). Prices are from ThatMy's price records. The Cloudways facts come from a real Cloudways server I ran and its console.
Cloudways is fast and flexible, and I still host on it. But it isn't right for everyone, and "alternative" means different things: a cheaper server you manage yourself, a panel on top of your own server, or a different fully managed host. The best pick depends on why you want to leave.
Why People Leave Cloudways
No email
Mailboxes aren't included on any plan; you add Google Workspace, Zoho or the Rackspace add-on.
Support won't touch your site
Plugins, themes and custom code are out of scope on every support plan, even the $500-a-month one.
Prices you see after signup
Malware Protection, Site Manager Pro and others show their price only inside a running server.
Getting to the right agent
Trustpilot's low reviews (the score is 4.6 overall) centre on long chats and bandwidth charges that are hard to trace.
What people rarely leave for is speed. On Vultr High Frequency, Cloudways answered in 48ms idle and 74ms at 100 concurrent clients in my tests.
Cloudways vs the Alternatives: Price and Measured Speed
Pick by Your Reason for Leaving
The Six, Ranked by Entry Price
#1. DigitalOcean: Cheapest, If You Manage It Yourself
Strengths
- Roughly a third of Cloudways' entry price for comparable raw specs
- Full root access, no restrictions
- Huge library of community tutorials for self-managing WordPress
Weaknesses
- No managed caching stack, staging, or backups included
- You handle security patches and server configuration yourself
Real Benchmark Data
- Origin TTFB (3 plans, no CDN): 51ms to 61ms
- Uptime (54-day window): 99.95% to 99.97%
- PageSpeed Score (Mobile): 83/100
$4.00/mo
Cheapest option if you're comfortable managing your own server
Methodology: The benchmark boxes on this page cover 8 plans. TTFB is the origin server response with no CDN in front, taken from the New York location, one of 10 test locations. Uptime counts real incident minutes over a 54-day window.
A 1GB droplet is $6.00/mo against $11.00/mo for the same size on Cloudways, per DigitalOcean's own pricing page, with full root access and no managed layer at all, the right pick if you're comfortable administering a server yourself.
#2. RunCloud: Control Panel for Your Own Servers
Strengths
- Manage unlimited applications across multiple cloud providers from one panel
- You pay retail infrastructure prices, not a hosting markup
- Broad PHP application support, not just WordPress
Weaknesses
- You still need to provision and pay for the underlying server separately
- Two separate bills instead of one (RunCloud panel plus your server provider)
$9.00/mo panel fee (Essentials), you bring your own unmanaged server from any provider
Manage multiple applications across multiple cloud providers from one panel, while paying retail infrastructure prices for the server itself rather than a hosting markup.
#3. SpinupWP: WordPress-Specific Server Panel
Strengths
- Purpose-built for WordPress specifically, not general PHP hosting
- Server stack pre-optimized for WordPress performance and security
- You pay retail infrastructure prices for the underlying server
Weaknesses
- Higher panel fee than RunCloud for a narrower application focus
- Still requires provisioning and paying for a separate underlying server
$19.00/mo on the Advanced plan, built specifically for WordPress performance and security
The same bring-your-own-server model as RunCloud, purpose-built specifically for WordPress performance and security rather than general PHP application support.
#4. ScalaHosting: Fully Managed, Own Control Panel
Strengths
- Fully managed, comparable service model to Cloudways
- SPanel included free, no separate control panel licensing cost
- Real support included, not just infrastructure
Weaknesses
- Higher entry price than Cloudways' cheapest tier
- SPanel has a smaller ecosystem than cPanel
Real Benchmark Data
- Origin TTFB (2 plans, no CDN): 59ms to 64ms
- Uptime (54-day window): 99.99%
- PageSpeed Score (Mobile): 83/100
$29.95/mo
Closest like-for-like fully-managed alternative to Cloudways
The closest like-for-like managed replacement, and the fastest option here in my tests: 38ms idle and 58ms at 100 concurrent clients. SPanel is included instead of a paid cPanel license, and so is email, the thing Cloudways leaves out. Watch the renewal: Entry Cloud starts at $29.95/mo and renews at $54.95/mo, while Cloudways has no renewal jump. The full comparison is in Cloudways vs ScalaHosting.
#5. WP Engine: Premium Fully-Managed WordPress
Strengths
- EverCache, a proprietary enterprise-grade caching system
- Deep WordPress-specific tooling and integrations
- Established reputation for premium support
Weaknesses
- WordPress-only, no flexibility for other application types
- Premium pricing reflects the premium positioning
Real Benchmark Data
- Origin TTFB (3 plans, no CDN): 215ms to 242ms
- Uptime (54-day window): 99.97% to 99.979%
- PageSpeed Score (Mobile): 59/100
WordPress-only with EverCache, their proprietary caching system, and deep WordPress-specific tooling aimed at businesses wanting a premium, hands-off experience.
#6. Kinsta: Built Exclusively on Google Cloud
Strengths
- Runs exclusively on Google Cloud's premium network tier
- Isolated container technology for each individual site
- Expert-level WordPress-specific support
Weaknesses
- Highest entry price of any option here
- WordPress-only, like WP Engine
Real Benchmark Data
- Origin TTFB (4 plans, no CDN): 61ms to 64ms
- Uptime (54-day window): 99.99%
- PageSpeed Score (Mobile): 88/100
$29.17/mo
Best pick for high-traffic sites where top-tier performance justifies the premium
The highest-priced option here, running exclusively on Google Cloud's premium network tier with isolated containers per site, for high-traffic sites where top-tier performance justifies the premium.
Before You Leave: Cloudways Autonomous
If what wears you down is choosing and resizing servers, Cloudways has its own answer. Autonomous is managed WordPress that adds servers on its own when traffic climbs, from $99.00/mo for one website. It runs in two regions (Frankfurt and Iowa) and hosts one website per plan, so it suits one busy site, not an agency. Code THATMYCLOUD takes 30% off it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best alternative to Cloudways?
For a like-for-like managed replacement, ScalaHosting: fully managed, email included, and in my tests its Entry Cloud VPS answered in 58ms at 100 concurrent clients against 74ms on Cloudways' fastest cloud. If you want to pay less and manage the server yourself, DigitalOcean directly, or DigitalOcean plus a panel like RunCloud.
Why do people leave Cloudways?
The common reasons, and the ones I hit testing it in September 2026: email is not included, support treats plugins and themes as out of scope on every plan, most add-on prices only appear after you sign up, and Trustpilot reviewers complain about reaching a capable agent and about bandwidth charges. Speed is rarely the reason; Cloudways was fast in my tests.
Are RunCloud and SpinupWP real alternatives to Cloudways?
Yes, with a different model. Cloudways includes the server in one bill. RunCloud and SpinupWP are panels you connect to a server you rent yourself (for example DigitalOcean), so you pay the server's own price plus a panel fee. That is usually cheaper at scale, but you deal with two companies and nobody manages the server for you.
Is DigitalOcean cheaper than Cloudways?
Yes. A 1GB DigitalOcean droplet costs $6.00/mo against $11.00/mo for the same size on Cloudways. The difference buys Cloudways' management: stack, backups, staging, security and support. Without it, you do that work.
Is Kinsta or WP Engine better than Cloudways?
They are more hands-off and WordPress-only, and they charge per site with visit limits. Cloudways charges per server with no visit limits, so it gets cheaper as you add sites. For one important site with a budget, Kinsta or WP Engine; for many sites, Cloudways usually costs less.
Should I switch to Cloudways Autonomous instead of leaving?
If your reason for leaving is managing server sizes, maybe. Autonomous is Cloudways' managed WordPress that adds servers on its own, from $99.00/mo for one website, with two regions (Frankfurt and Iowa). If your reason is email, support scope or price, it won't help.
What I Would Do If This Were My Site
If you want the cheapest real alternative and don't mind managing a server yourself, DigitalOcean directly is hard to beat on price. If you want managed-style tooling without the full markup, RunCloud or SpinupWP split the difference. For a true like-for-like managed replacement, ScalaHosting is the closest match; WP Engine and Kinsta are the premium, WordPress-only tier above that. And if speed is your only complaint, check your server size and settings first: in my tests Cloudways was among the fastest options on this page.