WP Engine vs Cloudways: which should you choose?
Quick answer: WP Engine is built for agencies, while Cloudways suits developers. For most users Cloudways is the stronger default, but WP Engine can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case. Cloudways has the lower entry price.
Both WP Engine and Cloudways get recommended a lot, but they solve the job differently. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| WP Engine | Cloudways | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Managed WordPress hosting | Managed cloud hosting |
| What it's known for | Enterprise-grade managed WordPress platform with StudioPress themes and strong agency tooling. | Managed cloud hosting layer over DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud and Vultr; pay-as-you-go without server admin. |
| Pricing | Managed WP from ~$20/mo (Startup) to custom enterprise. | From ~$11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB) scaling by server size. |
| Best audience | Agencies, enterprise WordPress teams and high-traffic sites needing managed reliability and tooling. | Developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly. |
| Best for | Agencies, Enterprise WordPress, High-traffic sites | Developers, Agencies, Scalable cloud apps |
| Entry price | from ~$25-35/mo | from ~$14/mo |
| Biggest strength | Enterprise-grade managed WordPress with strong agency tooling. | Flexible choice of underlying cloud provider with pay-as-you-go billing. |
| Main caveat | Bans certain plugins, including popular caching plugins that conflict with EverCache. | No domain registration or email hosting (extra cost). |
Features compared
The feature sets only partly overlap. Here is what each one actually gives you:
WP Engine key features
- EverCache server-side caching plus managed CDN for up to ~40% faster speeds
- Free access to 30+ premium StudioPress themes on the Genesis Framework
- Bundled ecosystem: StudioPress, Flywheel hosting, and Local dev tool
- Managed updates, daily backups, proactive security and hardened platform
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
WP Engine plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Startup | from ~$25-35/mo | 1 site, 25k visits/mo |
| Professional | higher | 3 sites, 75k visits |
| Growth | higher | 10 sites, 100k visits; phone support |
| Scale | higher | 30 sites, 400k visits |
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 WP Engine wins
An enterprise-focused managed WordPress platform whose Genesis/StudioPress and Local tooling target agencies specifically.
- Enterprise-grade managed WordPress with strong agency tooling.
- Bundled Genesis/StudioPress themes and Local dev environment add value.
That makes it the stronger pick for agencies, enterprise WordPress teams and high-traffic sites needing managed reliability and tooling.
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 WP Engine if you fit its core audience — agencies, enterprise WordPress teams and high-traffic sites needing managed reliability and tooling.
- Choose Cloudways if you fit its core audience — developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly.
FAQ
Is WP Engine better than Cloudways?
Cloudways is the stronger default for most users, but WP Engine can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between WP Engine and Cloudways?
WP Engine is an enterprise-focused managed WordPress platform whose Genesis/StudioPress and Local tooling target agencies specifically. 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, WP Engine or Cloudways?
Entry pricing differs: WP Engine starts at from ~$25-35/mo, 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 WP Engine and Cloudways: