Quick Verdict: Cloudways wins
Cloudways wins overall for developers and high-traffic sites needing managed cloud infrastructure with enterprise-grade performance, while GreenGeeks wins for budget-conscious users and eco-conscious businesses seeking affordable shared hosting with inclusive features. Choose Cloudways for control, scalability, and performance; choose GreenGeeks for price and environmental values.
At a Glance
Cloudways and GreenGeeks serve different hosting tiers: Cloudways offers managed cloud and VPS solutions starting at $11/mo, while GreenGeeks provides shared hosting, VPS, and dedicated servers starting at $2.95/mo with an eco-friendly focus.
Provider Profiles
Cloudways, founded in 2011 and based in Malta, is a managed cloud hosting platform built on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud. It targets developers and businesses that want cloud infrastructure without server administration, offering vertical scaling and performance-optimized stacks out of the box.
- 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)
GreenGeeks, founded in 2008 in the USA, is a full-spectrum web hosting provider emphasizing sustainability through 300% renewable energy matching and tree planting. It serves budget-conscious startups and small businesses across shared hosting, WordPress, VPS, reseller, and dedicated server tiers.
- 30-Day Money Back Guarantee
- 300% Renewable Energy Match
- Free SSL, CDN & Nightly Backups
- Free Domain for Year One
- 5 Data Centers Worldwide
1 Features
Both providers include free SSL, CDN, and migration, but differ significantly in infrastructure design and included tools.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways includes Object Cache Pro ($95/mo value) free on 4GB+ servers, Lightning Stack optimization (Nginx + Varnish + Redis), Cloudways Autonomous auto-scaling, and choice of three enterprise cloud providers. Email hosting requires a Rackspace add-on at $1/mailbox/month.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks includes nightly backups, PowerCacher optimization, LiteSpeed web server, and generous email send limits (100–500 messages/hour by plan). Shared plans offer 200K–600K inodes and mailbox limits of 250 MB with 30-day retention.
2 Pricing & Plans
GreenGeeks undercuts Cloudways significantly at entry level, but pricing structure and renewal costs differ sharply between shared hosting and managed cloud.
Cloudways
Cloudways starts at $11/mo with 12 plan tiers, no money-back guarantee (3-day free trial instead), and pay-as-you-go billing. Backup storage costs $0.033/GB extra; additional migrations cost $5 each.
GreenGeeks
Round winner
GreenGeeks starts at $2.95/mo with 15 plans across multiple hosting types, includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, and features a free domain for year one. Renewal pricing is notably higher than introductory rates.
3 Performance
Cloudways emphasizes managed cloud performance; GreenGeeks relies on traditional shared/VPS infrastructure with hardware constraints.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways delivers 99.99% uptime, NVMe storage on DigitalOcean Premium, Lightning Stack (Nginx + Varnish + Redis + PHP-FPM), and vertical one-click scaling across 60+ global data centers. Performance is optimized for high-traffic and dynamic workloads.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks guarantees 99.9% uptime, uses SSD (not NVMe), LiteSpeed web server, and PowerCacher optimization. Shared plans are limited to 10–20 MB/s I/O and 2–4 CPU cores; cron jobs require 15-minute minimum intervals.
4 Customer Support
Both offer 24/7 support, but delivery methods and scope differ.
Cloudways
Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat support with no phone option. Free migration is handled by Cloudways engineers; premium support tiers are available for escalation.
GreenGeeks
Round winner
GreenGeeks offers 24/7/365 expert support via multiple channels, with phone support available on Pro+ plans. Support covers all hosting types and includes free migrations on every plan.
5 Ease of Use
Cloudways abstracts server complexity; GreenGeeks uses industry-standard cPanel for direct access.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways' proprietary platform eliminates server administration—no SSH or command-line needed. One-click scaling, automated updates, and managed backups make it ideal for non-DevOps teams. Learning curve is minimal for app deployment.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks uses cPanel, the industry standard for shared and VPS hosting, making it familiar to most users. Website builders are available on lower tiers, but traditional hosting requires basic cPanel knowledge.
6 Privacy & Security
Both include free SSL certificates and basic security; Cloudways emphasizes enterprise-grade infrastructure.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways provides free SSL, managed firewalls on enterprise cloud providers (AWS, GCP, DO), daily automated backups (charged separately after free tier), and infrastructure isolation on multi-tenant cloud platforms.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks includes free SSL, nightly backups (included on Pro+, on-demand available), and standard shared/VPS security. No advanced DDoS or WAF features mentioned in core offerings.
7 Server Locations
Cloudways offers far more global reach; GreenGeeks provides fewer, USA-centric options.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways leverages 60+ data centers across DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud globally, enabling users to select regions closest to their audience for latency optimization.
GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks operates 3 data centers (implied USA focus based on headquarters, though cons mention 5 global locations including Canada and Netherlands—documentation conflicts). Geographic choice is limited compared to competitors.
Final Verdict: Cloudways vs GreenGeeks
Why choose Cloudways
- Choose Cloudways for managed cloud hosting that eliminates server administration and scaling complexity.
- Object Cache Pro ($95/mo value) free on 4GB+ servers accelerates WordPress and PHP apps.
- 60+ global data centers with one-click failover across AWS, GCP, and DigitalOcean.
- 99.99% uptime and NVMe storage suit high-traffic and mission-critical sites.
- Vertical scaling (CPU/RAM upgrades) with zero downtime.
When to consider GreenGeeks
- When your budget is under $5/mo and shared hosting suffices (blogs, small business sites).
- When you value environmental impact and carbon-neutral hosting.
- When you need a 30-day trial before committing, or want a traditional cPanel experience.
- When phone support and basic shared/VPS hosting are adequate for your needs.
Alternatives to Consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Cloudways or GreenGeeks include email hosting?
GreenGeeks includes email with all plans (50–unlimited mailboxes depending on tier, 250 MB default size, 100–500 send limit/hour). Cloudways does not include email; you must add Rackspace at $1/mailbox/month, making it a significant ongoing cost.
Which is better for WordPress performance?
Cloudways wins for performance: it includes Object Cache Pro ($95/mo value), Lightning Stack (Nginx + Varnish + Redis), and 99.99% uptime. GreenGeeks offers LiteSpeed and PowerCacher at lower cost ($2.95/mo) but with 99.9% uptime and I/O limits (10–20 MB/s) that constrain high-traffic sites.
Can I scale a site on GreenGeeks the way I can on Cloudways?
No. Cloudways enables one-click vertical scaling (RAM/CPU upgrades) without downtime on its managed cloud. GreenGeeks shared hosting is fixed-resource; VPS scaling exists but requires manual plan changes and is less seamless than Cloudways' automation.
What's the real cost difference after year one?
GreenGeeks' renewal pricing is significantly higher than its introductory rates; Cloudways has consistent pay-as-you-go billing with no surprise renewals. GreenGeeks' $2.95/mo intro may jump to $8–10/mo at renewal, while Cloudways scales cost with resource use, making long-term budgeting clearer.

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 |

GreenGeeks Plans
15 plans available across all hosting types.
Shared Hosting 3
WordPress Hosting 3
VPS Hosting 3
Reseller Hosting 3
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RH-25 | $19.95/mo | 60 GB SSD | 2 CPU cores per cPanel | 1 GB RAM per cPanel | 600 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| RH-50 | $24.95/mo | 80 GB SSD | 2 CPU cores per cPanel | 1 GB RAM per cPanel | 800 GB Transfer | Get Plan |
| RH-80 Best | $34.95/mo | 160 GB SSD | 2 CPU cores per cPanel | 1 GB RAM per cPanel | 1600 GB Transfer | Get Plan |


