Cloudways vs Hosting.com — Detailed Comparison
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How does Cloudways compare to Hosting.com? We break down pricing, performance, support, and features so you can pick the right host.
By Mohamed Abdelaal, Founder & Lead Hosting Analyst
Our pick: Cloudways
100% independent
Updated July 2026
Quick Verdict: Cloudways wins
Cloudways wins overall for developers and growing businesses willing to pay more upfront for managed performance and scale; Hosting.com wins on entry price and traditional shared-hosting simplicity for small sites. Cloudways' 99.99% uptime, 60+ data centers, and managed cloud infrastructure justify its $11/mo minimum, while Hosting.com's $2.99/mo entry appeals to budget-first users accepting shared hosting trade-offs.
At a Glance
Cloudways is a managed cloud platform (Malta, 2011); Hosting.com is a traditional shared/VPS host (Michigan, 2001) rebuilding from an A2 Hosting rebrand.
Provider Profiles
Cloudways, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Malta, is a managed cloud hosting platform offering VPS, dedicated servers, and cloud hosting across 60+ data centers (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud). It targets developers, agencies, and performance-focused businesses avoiding 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)
Hosting.com, founded in 2001 in Michigan, is a traditional shared, WordPress, VPS, and dedicated hosting provider recently rebranded from A2 Hosting. It caters to small businesses and beginners seeking affordable entry-level hosting with 24/7 phone support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Turbo Servers — LiteSpeed + NVMe SSD (up to 20x faster)
- Formerly A2 Hosting — 20+ Years of Performance
- Free SSL, Free Migration & cPanel Included
- 24/7 Live Chat, Phone & Ticket Support
- Choose Your Data Center at Signup
1 Features
Cloudways delivers managed cloud with vertical scaling and enterprise tools; Hosting.com provides traditional cPanel/Turbo servers with basic shared hosting.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways includes Object Cache Pro free ($95/mo value on 4GB+ plans), free first migration by engineers, Varnish caching, Redis, one-click vertical scaling, free SSL and CDN, and support across 3 cloud providers. No domain registration, email hosting, or built-in backups—backups cost $0.033/GB.
Hosting.com
Hosting.com offers free SSL, free migration, and cPanel on all plans; Turbo servers add LiteSpeed + NVMe + EPYC CPUs for speed. Managed WordPress includes Cloudflare Enterprise CDN. No domain registration free without 2-year commitment; free domain renewal is not included.
2 Pricing & Plans
Hosting.com starts at $2.99/mo—significantly cheaper than Cloudways' $11/mo entry—but renewal pricing and feature tiers differ sharply.
Cloudways
Cloudways' base plan is $11/mo with 12 tier options and pay-as-you-go flexibility. No money-back guarantee, but includes a 3-day free trial (no credit card required). Scaling costs are transparent per resource (CPU, RAM, storage).
Hosting.com
Round winner
Hosting.com entry is $2.99/mo—three times cheaper than Cloudways—and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee with prorated refunds. Renewal prices rise steeply (roughly triple introductory rates); free domain requires a 2-year commitment and costs ~$21.99/yr to renew.
3 Performance
Cloudways guarantees 99.99% uptime across 60+ global data centers; Hosting.com guarantees 99.9% with measured 99.98% uptime but regional data-center choice.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways provides 99.99% SLA across 60+ data centers spanning DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud regions, Lightning Stack (Nginx + Varnish + Redis), and free CDN. Vertical scaling handles traffic spikes without downtime.
Hosting.com
Hosting.com guarantees 99.9% uptime with independent Q4 2025 testing showing 99.98% (exceeding SLA). Turbo servers use LiteSpeed + NVMe + AMD EPYC/Ryzen CPUs; users report near-zero error rates under concurrent load. Global data-center choice (US, UK, Germany, Singapore) reduces latency but no CDN on entry shared plans.
4 Customer Support
Cloudways offers 24/7 live chat only; Hosting.com provides 24/7 live chat, phone, and tickets—rare at sub-$3/mo price points.
Cloudways
Cloudways delivers 24/7 live chat support (no phone) with consistent 4.8 rating across support and user-friendly metrics. Premium support tier available at extra cost; first migration handled by Cloudways engineers.
Hosting.com
Round winner
Hosting.com provides 24/7 live chat, phone, and ticket support—a significant advantage at entry price. Support sub-rating is 3.9/5, indicating inconsistency post-rebrand; some users report slower ticket response and UI glitches in the transition from A2 Hosting.
5 Ease of Use
Cloudways abstracts server admin via its managed platform; Hosting.com offers familiar cPanel but still rebuilding its UI post-rebrand.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways' bespoke platform eliminates cPanel complexity—no SSH, no server files to manage. One-click scaling, auto-backups (paid), and managed updates appeal to non-sysadmins. 4.8 user-friendly rating reflects this simplicity.
Hosting.com
Hosting.com uses cPanel (familiar to shared-hosting veterans) but rebrand inconsistencies and lingering A2 branding create confusion. 4.0 user-friendly rating and post-rebrand UI glitches suggest the transition is incomplete for beginners.
6 Privacy & Security
Both offer free SSL; Cloudways backs its infrastructure with enterprise cloud providers, while Hosting.com's security depth is not detailed in available data.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways includes free SSL, DDoS protection via Cloudflare Enterprise CDN add-on, and leverages AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean's native security frameworks. No compromises on data isolation across cloud providers.
Hosting.com
Hosting.com includes free SSL and cPanel-standard security; Turbo servers use modern AMD EPYC/Ryzen CPUs. Data-center choice (US, UK, Germany, Singapore) supports compliance but specific DDoS, WAF, or incident response details are not documented.
7 Server Locations
Cloudways offers 60+ global data centers across three cloud providers; Hosting.com allows choice of data center but location count is not specified.
Cloudways
Round winner
Cloudways delivers 60+ data centers across DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud, spanning North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and more. Users select region and provider at signup with one-click migration between them.
Hosting.com
Hosting.com offers selectable data centers at signup (US, UK, Germany, Singapore confirmed; full list not provided). This geographic choice is valuable for latency reduction but fewer options than Cloudways' 60+.
Final Verdict: Cloudways vs Hosting.com
Why choose Cloudways
- Enterprise cloud at scale: 60+ data centers, vertical scaling, and Object Cache Pro free make it ideal for agencies and growing SaaS.
- No server admin: Managed platform, free migrations, and one-click updates remove DevOps overhead.
- Performance: 99.99% uptime, Varnish caching, Redis, and free CDN deliver sub-second load times.
- Flexibility: Choose DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud; migrate between them with one click.
When to consider Hosting.com
- Budget is the primary constraint: $2.99/mo entry and 30-day refund make it lowest-risk first hosting.
- You prefer cPanel and traditional hosting: Familiar interface and standard shared/VPS/dedicated progression.
- You want phone support immediately: 24/7 phone at $2.99/mo is unavailable elsewhere at scale.
- Your site expects static or moderate traffic: Turbo servers handle spikes, but scaling via higher plans is manual.
Alternatives to Consider
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a money-back guarantee, and how long is it?
Cloudways offers a 3-day free trial (no credit card required) but no money-back guarantee; you commit to pay-as-you-go billing immediately after. Hosting.com provides a 30-day money-back guarantee with prorated refunds after that, making it lower-risk for trial users.
Which is faster: Cloudways or Hosting.com?
Cloudways is typically faster for dynamic sites: its Lightning Stack (Varnish, Redis, Nginx) and 60+ data centers deliver sub-second load times and 99.99% uptime. Hosting.com's Turbo servers are fast (LiteSpeed + NVMe) for shared hosting and measured 99.98% uptime, but lack built-in CDN on entry plans and are limited to traditional shared/VPS scaling.
Do either include email hosting?
Neither includes native email. Cloudways requires Rackspace integration at $1/mailbox/month; Hosting.com data does not specify email hosting but as a traditional host likely offers it—check at signup. For dedicated email, consider external providers like Google Workspace or Zoho.
Which costs less over 2 years, accounting for renewal?
Hosting.com costs less in Year 1 ($2.99/mo × 12 = ~$36) but renewal prices roughly triple to ~$11.99+/mo (total ~$180/year). Cloudways costs $11/mo consistently ($132/year, $264 over 2 years). For a 2-year commitment, Cloudways' predictable pricing is cheaper if you stay; Hosting.com is cheaper Year 1 but renewal shock may prompt migration.
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 |
Hosting.com Plans
27 plans available across all hosting types.
Shared Hosting 4
WordPress Hosting 4
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small plan for WordPress | $5.83/mo | 20 GB NVMe | — | — | 100 GB | Get Plan |
| Medium plan for WordPress Best | $9.96/mo | 50 GB NVMe | — | — | 300 GB | Get Plan |
| Advanced plan for WordPress | $16.63/mo | 100 GB NVMe | — | — | 600 GB | Get Plan |
| Turbo plan for WordPress | $24.99/mo | 200 GB NVMe | — | — | 1.2 TB | Get Plan |
VPS Hosting 4
Reseller Hosting 4
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reseller 30 | $20.42/mo | 100 GB NVMe | 1 vCore per account | 2 GB per account | Unlimited | Get Plan |
| Reseller 60 Best | $32.92/mo | 180 GB NVMe | 2 vCores per account | 2 GB per account | Unlimited | Get Plan |
| Reseller 120 | $53.75/mo | 360 GB NVMe | 2 vCores per account | 2 GB per account | Unlimited | Get Plan |
| Reseller 150 | $66.25/mo | 500 GB NVMe | 2 vCores per account | 4 GB per account | Unlimited | Get Plan |
Managed VPS 8
| Plan | Price | Storage | CPU | RAM | Bandwidth | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managed cPanel 4GB | $28.75/mo | 100 GB NVMe SSD | 2 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 4 GB dedicated | 1 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 8GB | $45.42/mo | 150 GB NVMe SSD | 4 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 8 GB dedicated | 2 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 16GB Best | $70.42/mo | 300 GB NVMe SSD | 8 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 16 GB dedicated | 3 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 32GB | $116.25/mo | 400 GB NVMe SSD | 16 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 32 GB dedicated | 4 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 64GB | $207.92/mo | 800 GB NVMe SSD | 24 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 64 GB dedicated | 5 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 128GB | $457.92/mo | 1.2 TB NVMe SSD | 32 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 128 GB dedicated | 6 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 160GB | $582.92/mo | 1.4 TB NVMe SSD | 48 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 160 GB dedicated | 7 TB | Get Plan |
| Managed cPanel 256GB | $916.25/mo | 2 TB NVMe SSD | 64 CPU cores (AMD EPYC) | 256 GB dedicated | 8 TB | Get Plan |