Cloudways vs Kinsta: which should you choose?
Quick answer: Cloudways is built for developers, while Kinsta suits agencies. For most users Kinsta is the stronger default, but Cloudways can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case. Cloudways has the lower entry price.
If you're weighing Cloudways against Kinsta, the right answer depends on your priorities. Below we compare them on pricing, strengths and the use cases each one fits, then give a clear verdict.
Side-by-side
| Cloudways | Kinsta | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Managed cloud hosting | Managed WordPress hosting |
| What it's known for | Managed cloud hosting layer over DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud and Vultr; pay-as-you-go without server admin. | Premium managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud Platform with developer tooling and high performance. |
| Pricing | From ~$11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB) scaling by server size. | Managed WP from ~$35/mo (Starter) up to enterprise tiers. |
| Best audience | Developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly. | Agencies, developers and high-traffic WordPress sites where performance and uptime justify the premium. |
| Best for | Developers, Agencies, Scalable cloud apps | Agencies, High-traffic WordPress, Developers |
| Entry price | from ~$14/mo | from ~$35/mo |
| Biggest strength | Flexible choice of underlying cloud provider with pay-as-you-go billing. | Top-tier performance; benchmark loads typically 200-400ms. |
| Main caveat | No domain registration or email hosting (extra cost). | Expensive relative to shared/cloud hosts. |
Features compared
Beyond the spec sheet, these are the capabilities that define each tool:
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
Kinsta key features
- Built on Google Cloud Platform premium-tier network (low-latency routing)
- Modern hardware: AMD EPYC Genoa CPUs, DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0 NVMe (C3D machines)
- Edge caching at Cloudflare locations, cutting TTFB by ~50% for distant visitors
- Free Cloudflare Enterprise integration on every plan
Pricing tiers side by side
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 |
Kinsta plans
| Plan | Price | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Single (Starter) | from ~$35/mo | single site, ~20-35GB |
| Multi-site / Business | $70-$675/mo | scales by sites, visits, storage |
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 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.
Where Kinsta wins
Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud's premium tier with free Cloudflare Enterprise and edge caching baked in.
- Top-tier performance; benchmark loads typically 200-400ms.
- 99.99% SLA confirmed in spot-checks, plus 24/7 expert support.
That makes it the stronger pick for agencies, developers and high-traffic WordPress sites where performance and uptime justify the premium.
Verdict: choose by fit
Pick by fit rather than by an overall score.
- Choose Cloudways if you fit its core audience — developers and agencies that want scalable cloud performance without managing servers directly.
- Choose Kinsta if you fit its core audience — agencies, developers and high-traffic WordPress sites where performance and uptime justify the premium.
FAQ
Is Cloudways better than Kinsta?
Kinsta is the stronger default for most users, but Cloudways can be the better fit depending on your budget and use case.
What is the main difference between Cloudways and Kinsta?
Cloudways is lets you run a managed stack on top of raw cloud providers (DO/AWS/GCP/Vultr) without doing sysadmin work yourself. Kinsta is premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud's premium tier with free Cloudflare Enterprise and edge caching baked in.
Which is cheaper, Cloudways or Kinsta?
Entry pricing differs: Cloudways starts at from ~$14/mo, while Kinsta starts at from ~$35/mo. Compare the tiers above against your usage.
Sources
Facts above are drawn from these independent reviews and the vendors' own pages for Cloudways and Kinsta: