Cloudways made managed cloud hosting popular by sitting on top of providers like DigitalOcean and Vultr. Since its acquisition by DigitalOcean, some users report changing support and pricing, and they want alternatives that offer similar flexibility, better support, or fully managed convenience.
We compared the strongest Cloudways alternatives for 2026 across price, performance, support, and control. Whether you want a fully managed host, a self-managed control panel, or raw cloud speed, there is a better-fitting option below.
Best Cloudways Alternatives: Quick Comparison
| Host | Starting Price | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsta | $35/mo | Fully managed | Hands-off premium hosting |
| Rocket.net | ~$30/mo | Fully managed | Speed and WooCommerce |
| WP Engine | $30/mo | Fully managed | Agencies, phone support |
| RunCloud | ~$8/mo | Control panel | Self-managed cloud servers |
| GridPane | ~$30/mo | Control panel | Agency-grade server management |
| Hostinger VPS | ~$5/mo | Managed VPS | Cheap scalable cloud |
| Nexcess | $21/mo | Managed WordPress | Email plus hosting |
Why Look for a Cloudways Alternative?
Cloudways remains a strong value pick for technical owners. But if you want premium hands-off management, agency tooling, or to own your server stack directly, the options below fit better. See where they land in our best cloud hosting guide.
The 7 Best Cloudways Alternatives
1. Kinsta: Best Fully Managed Alternative
Kinsta handles everything for you on premium Google Cloud infrastructure.
What it does well. Every site runs on compute-optimized C2 servers with unlimited bandwidth and an included enterprise CDN. The MyKinsta dashboard is the best in the category, and support is engineer-staffed chat.
Pricing. From $35/mo ($29.17 annual) for 35,000 visits.
Best for: Owners who want zero server management and top performance.
Limitations. No phone support, and usage-based billing.
2. Rocket.net: Best for Speed
Rocket.net pairs Cloudflare Enterprise with unlimited PHP workers for top-tier speed.
What it does well. It bundles WP Rocket and Object Cache Pro free, and unlimited PHP workers keep WooCommerce checkouts fast under load. A premium performance stack at a flat price.
Pricing. From around $30/mo for one site.
Best for: Stores and speed-focused sites.
Limitations. Fewer self-management options than Cloudways.
3. WP Engine: Best for Agencies
WP Engine offers deep agency tooling and phone support that Cloudways lacks.
What it does well. Transferable installs, account roles, client billing, phone support, and 60-day backups make it a strong agency platform with predictable tiered pricing.
Pricing. From $30/mo ($25 annual) for 25,000 visits.
Best for: Agencies and teams that want support breadth.
Limitations. Metered bandwidth and higher overage fees.
4. RunCloud: Best Self-Managed Control Panel
RunCloud is a modern server control panel that connects to any cloud provider you choose.
What it does well. You keep full ownership of your DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, or Linode servers while RunCloud handles deployments, security, and stacks. Lower cost than managed hosting since you pay the cloud bill directly.
Pricing. From around $8/mo for the panel, plus your server cost.
Best for: Technical owners who want control without server admin headaches.
Limitations. You handle more yourself than on a fully managed host.
5. GridPane: Best Agency Server Management
GridPane is a control panel built specifically for agencies running many WordPress sites.
What it does well. Advanced security, staging, backups, and high-performance stacks across your own cloud servers, with agency-focused workflows and bulk management.
Pricing. From around $30/mo for the panel, plus server cost.
Best for: Agencies that want full control and scale.
Limitations. Steeper learning curve than Cloudways.
6. Hostinger VPS: Best Cheap Scalable Cloud
Hostinger’s managed VPS plans offer scalable cloud resources at a very low price.
What it does well. Fast NVMe storage, a clean panel, and AI assistant tools make it an affordable way to run scalable workloads with more control than shared hosting.
Pricing. From around $5/mo on long terms.
Best for: Budget-conscious owners who want cloud scalability.
Limitations. Requires more technical comfort than managed WordPress.
7. Nexcess: Best for Email Plus Hosting
Nexcess offers managed WordPress with email hosting included, which Cloudways does not provide.
What it does well. Managed hosting, built-in caching, automatic updates, and email under one roof simplify operations for small businesses.
Pricing. From around $21/mo for one site.
Best for: Small businesses that want hosting and email together.
Limitations. Less cloud flexibility than Cloudways.
How Should You Choose a Cloudways Alternative?
If you valued Cloudways for low cost and flexibility, RunCloud and GridPane preserve that model with more control. If you want to stop managing servers entirely, Kinsta or Rocket.net are the upgrades. Compare them in our cloud hosting roundup and Kinsta alternatives guide.
How We Evaluated These Hosts
We compared each alternative on published pricing, infrastructure, management model, included features, and support quality from independent reviews. We weighted flexibility, value, and fit for both managed and self-managed users. Pricing reflects rates published as of June 2026 and may change.
The Bottom Line
Cloudways remains solid, but better fits exist depending on what you want. Kinsta and Rocket.net deliver fully managed convenience, RunCloud and GridPane give you control of your own cloud, and Hostinger VPS offers cheap scale. Pick based on how much management you want to own.
Next, read our best cloud hosting guide or compare WP Engine alternatives for more managed options.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Cloudways alternative?
Kinsta is the best Cloudways alternative for hands-off owners, offering premium Google Cloud hosting and the best dashboard in the category from $35 per month. For self-managed control at lower cost, RunCloud is the top pick, and Rocket.net wins on speed.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Cloudways?
Yes. RunCloud starts around $8 per month for the control panel plus your server cost, and Hostinger VPS starts around $5 per month. Both can cost less than Cloudways because you pay the cloud provider directly rather than a managed markup.
What is the difference between Cloudways and a control panel like RunCloud?
Cloudways manages servers for you on its own platform, while RunCloud lets you connect and manage your own cloud servers. Control panels give you full ownership and lower cost but require more hands-on administration than Cloudways provides.
Which Cloudways alternative is fully managed?
Kinsta, Rocket.net, and WP Engine are fully managed alternatives. They handle updates, security, caching, and backups for you, unlike Cloudways which leaves some tasks, such as core updates, in your hands by default.
Can I migrate from Cloudways for free?
Yes. Kinsta, WP Engine, and Rocket.net offer free guided migrations, and control panels like RunCloud provide migration tools. They move your WordPress files and database so you can leave Cloudways without downtime.