Quick Verdict: Cloudways wins
Cloudways wins overall for managed cloud hosting with superior uptime (99.99% vs 99.95%), more data centers (60+ vs 21), and consistently higher ratings (4.8 vs 4.6). Kamatera wins on price ($4/mo vs $11/mo) and flexibility, making it better for budget-conscious users who can manage their own servers.
At a Glance
Below is a detailed specification and feature comparison across pricing, performance, support, and infrastructure.
Provider Profiles
Cloudways, founded in 2011 and based in Malta, offers managed cloud hosting across DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud with a focus on simplicity and performance. It suits developers and agencies who want enterprise cloud power without server administration.
- 3-Day Free Trial — No Credit Card Required
- 3 Cloud Providers: DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud
- Lightning Stack (Nginx + Varnish + Redis + PHP-FPM)
- Object Cache Pro Included Free (4GB+ servers, $95/mo value)
- Cloudways Autonomous (auto-scaling)
Kamatera, founded in 1995 and based in Israel, provides flexible cloud, VPS, dedicated, and shared hosting with 21 global data centers and per-minute billing. It suits cost-conscious users and power users who need raw customization and control.
- Full Server Customization (1–104 vCPU, 256MB–512GB RAM)
- Intel Xeon Platinum (Cascade Lake / Ice Lake)
- All-NVMe SSD on SAN Network
- 10Gbit/sec Network per Server
- 21 Global Data Centers (incl. Middle East)
1 Features
Both providers offer cloud hosting with NVMe storage, but differ significantly in management model and included services.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways includes free SSL, free first migration, free CDN, Object Cache Pro ($95 value), and Varnish caching. It provides a managed platform with auto-scaling via Cloudways Autonomous, supporting PHP 7.4–8.3, but lacks email hosting and charges $0.033/GB for backups.
Kamatera
Kamatera offers highly customizable servers (up to 104 vCPU, 512 GB RAM) with per-minute billing, 30-day free trial ($100 credit), and optional managed services. It includes 10 Gbit/sec networking, cloud firewall add-on, and phone support, but SSL, CDN, and backups are paid add-ons.
2 Pricing & Plans
Kamatera's entry price is significantly lower, but Cloudways' managed model affects total cost of ownership.
Cloudways
Cloudways starts at $11/mo with 12 plans. It uses per-hour billing with no contracts and a 3-day free trial (no credit card required). Backups cost $0.033/GB extra, but free SSL, CDN, and migration offset costs for most users.
Kamatera
Round winner
Kamatera starts at $4/mo with 21 plans across shared, cloud, VPS, and dedicated hosting. Per-minute billing, 30-day free trial with $100 credit, and 30-day money-back guarantee lower effective entry cost, though managed services and add-ons increase expenses.
3 Performance
Both use NVMe storage and modern hardware, but Cloudways guarantees higher uptime and benefits from multiple cloud providers.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways guarantees 99.99% uptime with Lightning Stack (Nginx + Varnish + Redis + PHP-FPM), free object caching, and one-click vertical scaling across AWS, DigitalOcean, or Google Cloud.
Kamatera
Kamatera guarantees 99.95% uptime with Intel Xeon Platinum, all-NVMe SAN-backed storage, and 10 Gbit/sec network. Raw performance is excellent, but depends on user configuration without managed optimization.
4 Customer Support
Cloudways offers 24/7 chat; Kamatera uniquely includes 24/7 phone support.
Cloudways
Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat support with no phone option. Premium support tier available for paid escalation. Support rating is 4.8/5.
Kamatera
Round winner
Kamatera offers 24/7 phone and live chat support, a rarity at this price point. Support rating is 4.6/5. Helps bridge the management learning curve.
5 Ease of Use
Cloudways emphasizes managed simplicity; Kamatera requires technical knowledge for non-managed plans.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways dashboard is purpose-built for non-developers, with one-click deployments, auto-scaling, and automatic updates. No server administration needed. User-friendly rating 4.8/5.
Kamatera
Kamatera's custom console and per-minute customization suit power users but require Linux/Windows admin knowledge. Managed service add-on required to reduce complexity. User-friendly rating 4.6/5.
6 Privacy & Security
Both offer SSL and security features, but implementation differs.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways includes free SSL certificates, Cloudflare CDN (free), and is managed/patched automatically. Object Cache Pro and Varnish add caching-layer security.
Kamatera
Kamatera offers optional cloud firewall add-on with DDoS and WAF, plus NVMe SAN-backed storage with redundancy. SSL is a paid add-on; backups and managed patches require paid options.
7 Server Locations
Cloudways offers more data centers globally; Kamatera covers fewer locations but includes Middle East presence.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways operates 60+ data centers across DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud, spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and other regions. Provides widest global redundancy.
Kamatera
Kamatera operates 21 data centers including unique Middle East coverage (Israel, UAE). Offers good regional diversity but fewer total locations than Cloudways.
Final Verdict: Cloudways vs Kamatera
Why choose Cloudways
- Managed cloud hosting — deploy and scale without server admin knowledge
- 99.99% uptime guarantee and 60+ data centers for global reach
- Free SSL, CDN, first migration, and Object Cache Pro ($95 value)
- One-click vertical scaling and automatic WordPress/Laravel optimization
When to consider Kamatera
- You have Linux/Windows admin skills or need extreme server customization
- You prioritize lowest possible entry cost and need a 30-day trial period
- You require phone support or a data center in Middle East/specific region
Alternatives to Consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Kamatera's $4/mo price include managed services?
No. Kamatera's $4/mo shared/cloud plans are unmanaged by default. Managed services (backup, firewall, OS patching) are optional paid add-ons. Cloudways' $11/mo plans are fully managed.
Can I move from Kamatera to Cloudways without downtime?
Yes. Cloudways offers free first migration by its engineers. Kamatera provides free migration only on Managed plans. Both support domain transfers and DNS cutover planning.
Which provider is better for WordPress performance?
Cloudways is optimized for WordPress with Lightning Stack caching, free Object Cache Pro, and one-click staging—no configuration needed. Kamatera offers raw performance but requires manual optimization unless you purchase managed services.
What's the difference between Cloudways' 3-day free trial and Kamatera's 30-day trial?
Cloudways requires no credit card for 3 days. Kamatera requires a credit card but provides $100 credit and 30 days with a full money-back guarantee, giving more time to test before commitment.

Cloudways Plans
12 plans available across all hosting types.
Cloud Hosting 12
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DO Standard 1GB — DigitalOcean | $11.00/mo | 25 GB SSD | 1 Core | 1 GB | 1 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO Premium 1GB — DigitalOcean | $14.00/mo | 25 GB NVMe | 1 Core | 1 GB | 1 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO Premium 2GB — DigitalOcean | $28.00/mo | 50 GB NVMe | 1 Core | 2 GB | 2 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| GCP Standard Small — Google Cloud | $37.33/mo | 20 GB SSD | Shared | 1.7 GB | 1 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| AWS Standard Micro — Amazon Web Services | $38.56/mo | 20 GB EBS | 2 Cores | 1.75 GB | 2 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO Premium 4GB — DigitalOcean Best | $54.00/mo | 80 GB NVMe | 2 Cores | 4 GB | 4 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO Premium 8GB — DigitalOcean | $99.00/mo | 160 GB NVMe | 4 Cores | 8 GB | 5 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO General Purpose 8GB — DigitalOcean | $106.00/mo | 30 GB NVMe | 2 Cores | 8 GB | 4 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| GCP Standard Large — Google Cloud | $152.02/mo | 20 GB SSD | 2 Cores | 7.5 GB | 1 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| DO CPU Optimized 8GB — DigitalOcean | $164.00/mo | 50 GB NVMe | 4 Cores | 8 GB | 5 TB Transfer | Get Plan |
| AWS Standard Medium — Amazon Web Services | $183.22/mo | 20 GB EBS | 2 Cores | 8 GB | 2 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| GCP Compute Optimized XL — Google Cloud | $255.37/mo | 20 GB SSD | 4 Cores | 16 GB | 1 GB Transfer | Get Plan |

Kamatera Plans
21 plans available across all hosting types.
Shared Hosting 3
Cloud Hosting 2
VPS Hosting 14
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 vCPU (Type A, 2667MHz, 1024MB) Win2019 | $23.00/mo | 30GB | 1 x 2.6GHz | 1GB | — | Get Plan |
| 1 vCPU (Type A, 2667MHz, 2048MB) Win2019 | $25.00/mo | 30GB | 1 x 2.6GHz | 2GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 4096MB) | $28.00/mo | 50GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 4GB | — | Get Plan |
| 2 vCPU (Type A, 5333MHz, 2048MB) Win2019 | $29.00/mo | 30GB | 2 x 2.65GHz | 2GB | — | Get Plan |
| 2 vCPU (Type A, 5333MHz, 4096MB) Win2019 | $36.00/mo | 40GB | 2 x 2.65GHz | 4GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 8192MB) | $40.00/mo | 50GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 8GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 4096MB) Win2019 | $45.00/mo | 50GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 4GB | — | Get Plan |
| 2 vCPU (Type A, 5333MHz, 8192MB) Win2019 | $49.00/mo | 50GB | 2 x 2.65GHz | 8GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 12288MB) | $56.00/mo | 100GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 12GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 8192MB) Win2019 | $57.00/mo | 50GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 8GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 12288MB) Win2019 | $73.00/mo | 100GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 12GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 16384MB) | $80.00/mo | 100GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 16GB | — | Get Plan |
| 4 vCPU (Type A, 10667MHz, 16384MB) Win2019 | $97.00/mo | 100GB | 4 x 2.65GHz | 16GB | — | Get Plan |
| 8 vCPU (Type A, 21333MHz, 393216MB) Customized | $2,397.00/mo | 4 TB | 8 x 2.66GHz | 384GB | — | Get Plan |