SiteGround vs Cloudways: which should you choose?
Quick answer: SiteGround is built for wordpress sites, while Cloudways suits developers. For most users Cloudways is the stronger default, but SiteGround can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case. SiteGround has the lower entry price.
SiteGround versus Cloudways comes down to which trade-offs you can live with. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| SiteGround | Cloudways | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Web hosting | Managed cloud hosting |
| What it's known for | Performance-focused managed shared/cloud hosting with strong support and Google Cloud infrastructure. | Managed cloud hosting layer over DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud and Vultr; pay-as-you-go without server admin. |
| Pricing | Shared from ~$2.99/mo intro (renews higher); cloud tiers from ~$100/mo. | From ~$11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB) scaling by server size. |
| Best audience | WordPress sites and small businesses that prioritize support quality and performance over rock-bottom price. | Developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly. |
| Best for | WordPress sites, Small business, Support-focused users | Developers, Agencies, Scalable cloud apps |
| Entry price | from ~$2.99/mo intro | from ~$14/mo |
| Biggest strength | Performance-focused stack (Google Cloud + Ultrafast PHP) with 1-2s load times. | Flexible choice of underlying cloud provider with pay-as-you-go billing. |
| Main caveat | Renewals are significantly higher than the low intro pricing. | No domain registration or email hosting (extra cost). |
Features compared
The feature sets only partly overlap. Here is what each one actually gives you:
SiteGround key features
- Runs on Google Cloud infrastructure across USA, Europe, Asia and Australia
- Custom Ultrafast PHP and tuned MySQL to cut TTFB and speed page loads
- Proprietary SiteGround CDN 2.0 routing visitors to the nearest edge location
- SuperCacher caching layer and automated daily backups on every plan
Cloudways key features
- Managed layer over DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr and Linode (you pick the provider)
- Built-in performance stack: Varnish, Redis, Memcached and PHP-FPM standard
- One-click installs, automated backups, staging, server cloning and managed security
- Breeze caching plugin auto-detecting Cloudways server-level Varnish
Pricing tiers side by side
SiteGround plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Shared (StartUp/GrowBig/GoGeek) | from ~$2.99/mo intro | renews notably higher |
| Cloud | from ~$100/mo | managed cloud, scalable resources |
Cloudways plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean 1GB | from ~$14/mo | pay-as-you-go |
| Vultr High Frequency | from ~$16/mo | CPU-intensive workloads |
| AWS / Google Cloud | from ~$37-38/mo | enterprise use cases |
Tiers compiled from the vendors' published plans and independent reviews; prices are approximate and change often, so confirm current figures (and your region's taxes) on each vendor's site.
Strengths compared
Where SiteGround wins
Managed shared/cloud hosting on Google Cloud with a custom performance stack and consistently praised support.
- Performance-focused stack (Google Cloud + Ultrafast PHP) with 1-2s load times.
- Highly rated 24/7 in-house support (live chat, phone, tickets).
That makes it the stronger pick for wordPress sites and small businesses that prioritize support quality and performance over rock-bottom price.
Where Cloudways wins
Lets you run a managed stack on top of raw cloud providers (DO/AWS/GCP/Vultr) without doing sysadmin work yourself.
- Flexible choice of underlying cloud provider with pay-as-you-go billing.
- Genuine managed services that undercut Kinsta/WP Engine on price.
That makes it the stronger pick for developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly.
Verdict: choose by fit
There is no single winner; it depends on where you sit.
- Choose SiteGround if you fit its core audience — wordPress sites and small businesses that prioritize support quality and performance over rock-bottom price.
- Choose Cloudways if you fit its core audience — developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly.
FAQ
Is SiteGround better than Cloudways?
Cloudways is the stronger default for most users, but SiteGround can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between SiteGround and Cloudways?
SiteGround is managed shared/cloud hosting on Google Cloud with a custom performance stack and consistently praised support. Cloudways is lets you run a managed stack on top of raw cloud providers (DO/AWS/GCP/Vultr) without doing sysadmin work yourself.
Which is cheaper, SiteGround or Cloudways?
Entry pricing differs: SiteGround starts at from ~$2.99/mo intro, while Cloudways starts at from ~$14/mo. Compare the tiers above against your usage.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for SiteGround and Cloudways: