Best Cloudways alternatives
Updated 2026-07-12
Why people look beyond Cloudways
Cloudways is a credible tool; our guides recommend it for the right person. The trade-offs users mention most often:
- No email hosting included
- Costs more than shared hosting
The alternatives, compared
| Alternative | Free plan | Pricing from* |
|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | No | promo from ~US$3/mo |
*Typical entry price at last review. Confirm on the vendor's pricing page.
Hostinger
Budget shared hosting with surprisingly good performance and an easy panel. The default answer for a first business site on a tight budget.
Strengths
- Very low entry price
- Good speed for the money
- Simple onboarding, AI site builder included
Trade-offs
- Renewal prices are much higher than promo
- Support is chat-first
Or stick with Cloudways
Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting (DigitalOcean/AWS/GCP underneath) with server management handled for you. The step up when shared hosting starts choking.
Switching tools has a real cost in time and setup. If none of the trade-offs above are actually hurting you, staying put is a legitimate answer.
Strengths
- Real cloud performance without sysadmin work
- Pay-as-you-go, no lock-in
- Staging environments
Trade-offs
- No email hosting included
- Costs more than shared hosting
What is the best Cloudways alternative?
For most people it's Hostinger: Budget shared hosting with surprisingly good performance and an easy panel. The default answer for a first business site on a tight budget. The full comparison above covers where each alternative wins.
Is there a free alternative to Cloudways?
Not among the tools we track in this category; all start on paid plans, though most offer trials.
Should I switch away from Cloudways?
Only if a specific limitation is costing you money or hours right now. Switching for features you might use later usually just buys you a migration weekend.