Deciding between Cloudways vs Kinsta for your managed hosting needs? You're in the right place. Both providers are highly regarded in the industry, offering robust managed hosting solutions designed to cater to businesses, developers, and high-traffic websites. This comparison will help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of each, ensuring you make an informed decision.
Many users face challenges in selecting a hosting provider that balances performance, reliability, customer support, and cost. Cloudways and Kinsta aim to alleviate these pain points by offering high-performance features, excellent uptime guarantees, and exceptional support tailored specifically for different hosting needs.
Drawing from my 20 years of experience in digital marketing and web development, I've worked with numerous hosting providers. This review leverages my expertise to provide a thorough, unbiased evaluation of Cloudways and Kinsta, helping you determine which platform best suits your needs.
โณ Do you want to skip the read and get right to my pick in this Cloudways vs Kinsta comparison? The better web hosting provider for most people is Kinsta.
Quick Comparison Table
| Criteria | Cloudways | ๐ฅ Kinsta (My Pick!) |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Hosting | Managed Cloud Hosting | Managed WordPress Hosting |
| Features |
|
|
| Performance | Fast speeds, PHP 7.3 support, built-in caching, CloudwaysCDN | Google Cloud Platform, Nginx, PHP 7.4 support, Kinsta CDN, caching |
| Security Features |
|
|
| Pricing and Plans | Starts at $10/monthCheck Pricing ย | Starts at $30/monthCheck Pricing ย |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 3-day free trial, no money-back guarantee | 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Customer Support | 24/7 Live Chat, Ticketing, Phone Support (add-on) | 24/7 Live Chat, Ticketing |
| Scalability | Easy scaling options | Ability to upgrade/downgrade plans |
| User Reviews/Ratings | Generally positive | Highly positive |
| Environment Friendliness | Depends on the chosen cloud provider | Google Cloud Platform (committed to matching energy usage with 100% renewable energy) |
| My View | Best for those looking for affordable managed hosting with control over cloud provider choices. | Best for those looking for premium managed WordPress hosting with emphasis on performance and support. |
| Official Website | Visit Cloudways | Visit Kinsta |
Overview:
Choosing between Cloudways and Kinsta can be overwhelming, but understanding their unique features will clarify your choice. Whether you're building a personal blog, a business site, or an online store, this comparison is tailored to your needs.
Cloudways:
- Ease of Use: Cloudways offers a user-friendly platform-as-a-service (PaaS) with a custom control panel designed for easy management of cloud servers.
- Performance and Uptime: Known for its high-performance servers with SSD storage and a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Supports multiple cloud providers including AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr.
- Security: Advanced security features including free SSL certificates, automated backups, two-factor authentication, and regular security patching.
- Customer Support: 24/7 customer support via live chat, phone, and ticket system, known for fast response times and expertise.
- Scalability: Highly scalable with easy server scaling options to meet growing demands.
- Pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing with flexible options. Plans start at $10/month.
- Free Trial: Offers a 3-day free trial without requiring a credit card.
Kinsta:
- Ease of Use: Kinsta offers a custom-built MyKinsta dashboard that is intuitive and user-friendly.
- Performance and Uptime: Uses Google Cloud Platform's premium tier network and C2 machines for fast load times and a 99.99% uptime guarantee.
- Security: Includes robust security features such as free SSL certificates, daily backups, DDoS protection, and a firewall.
- Customer Support: 24/7 customer support via live chat, staffed by WordPress experts.
- Developer-Friendly: Offers features like SSH access, WP-CLI, Git integration, and staging environments.
- Automatic Scaling: Can handle traffic spikes without downtime, thanks to automatic scaling.
- Global CDN: Includes a free CDN with over 200 locations to ensure fast load times worldwide.
- Free Migrations: Provides free site migrations handled by their expert team.
- Pricing: Premium pricing with plans starting at $35/month.
Ease of Use:
Cloudways:

Cloudways is easy enough to set up: its interface allows you to build and deploy your site in minutes, and one-click installation of third-party applications is already built into the system. The fact that many site management processes are pre-automated by default (yes, that includes site backup and migration), then running a site is as easy as pie.
Kinsta:

Signup is quite easy. Likewise, getting into the system is a breeze. While Kinsta works well with WordPress, it actually has its own WordPress-ready management platform, so I daresay jumping from your hosting platform to your building platform and vice versa isnโt necessary. What we do find worrisome (though not by much) is that Kinsta doesnโt really play well with other platforms.
Winner – DRAW! Both Cloudways vs Kinsta are easy to use, even if Kinsta is more WordPress-friendly.
Features:
What features can you expect from Cloudways vs Kinsta?
Types of Hosting:
Cloudways
Shared Hosting:
- Cloudways does not offer traditional shared hosting services. Instead, it focuses on providing managed cloud hosting.
VPS and Dedicated Hosting:
- Cloudways is known for its managed cloud hosting services, which is similar to VPS.
- You get dedicated resources but in a virtualized environment. This ensures that you have a slice of server resources reserved for your site.
- It offers scalable solutions, so you can easily upgrade or downgrade your resources as per your needs.
- You can choose from several cloud providers, including DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud, and pick the one that best meets your requirements.
Specialized Hosting:
- Cloudways offers Managed WordPress Hosting. This type of hosting is optimized for WordPress websites.
- It provides features like automated backups, built-in caches, auto-healing databases, and staging environments.
- Cloudways also caters to other PHP-based applications like Laravel, Magento, Joomla, and Drupal.
Kinsta
Shared Hosting:
- Like Cloudways, Kinsta does not offer traditional shared hosting.
- It solely focuses on providing managed WordPress hosting services.
VPS and Dedicated Hosting:
- Kinsta does not offer traditional VPS or dedicated hosting either. Itโs strictly a managed WordPress host.
- Kinsta uses Google Cloud Platform to host WordPress websites which means it's inherently scalable.
- It offers isolated LXC containers that are equivalent to VPS, but optimized for WordPress.
Specialized Hosting:
- Kinsta specializes in Managed WordPress Hosting.
- It's known for its high performance and highly optimized WordPress hosting environment.
- Features include automatic daily backups, free site migrations, a custom hosting dashboard, staging environments, and top-level security measures.
Domain Names:
Which between Cloudways vs Kinsta offer cheaper domain registration?
Cloudways:
It's a letdown. Youโre going to need a third-party provider for a domain name because Cloudways doesnโt offer its own domain name registry. In fact, weโd go so far as to say that Bluehost helps if you need a domain name for a WordPress site and GoDaddy works well for those who are into ecommerce.
Kinsta:
Unfortunately, the same thing can be said about Kinsta. It doesnโt have its own domain registry and you will have to get one or sign up for one at a third-party site like Name.com or Google Domains.
Email Rating:
What about an email service – who's better, Kinsta vs Cloudways?
Cloudways:
While Cloudways has an email add-on called Rackspace, it is an optional service you add to your subscription for an additional cost. We find this confounding as more traditional hosting services already include email services and/or hosting in their standard hosting plans.
Kinsta:
Again, the lack of email services is something you can expect from this cloud hosting provider. You will need to look up a third-party service to create email addresses for your site.
Databases:
For databases, which between Kinsta vs Cloudways has a better offering?
Cloudways:
Cloudways uses Thunderstack, a built-in SQL management system that has its own tool kit, enabling users to work from remote connections. Thunderstack is also quite fast and its core functions can be augmented with several easy to use plugins. Unfortunately, getting the Thunderstack system will cost you extra. Depending on your subscription, it will set you back by $10 to $36.51 monthly.
Kinsta:
Kinsta offers automatic database optimisation across all hosting plans.
Applications:
Cloudways:
Cloudwaysโ was one of the first platforms to offer WordPress-specific cloud hosting. That said, it boasts of hosting over 600,000 WordPress sites, along with management applications or enhancements for individual site owners, ecommerce entrepreneurs, and agencies.
Cloudwaysโ dedicated content delivery network (CDN) also improves the loading time of WordPress sites regardless of their ownersโ physical location anywhere in the world. A cache plugin called Breeze is another reason for this, as this solution was specifically developed to optimise the functionality of WordPress sites.
Kinsta:
What sets Kinsta apart from other hosting platforms is that it allows for multiple WordPress installations per account, of course dependent on oneโs hosting plan – ranging from one for the Starter plan to 150 for premium enterprise-grade plans.
Likewise, Kinsta also offers optional downloads of support app Nginx as well as Redis, an open-source in-memory data structure store that can be used as a database, cache, or even a message broker.
Site Staging:
Do Cloudways vs Kinsta offer site staging?
Cloudways:
Cloudwaysโ Staging Environment offers users a secure space in which to test out their sites before going live. Among its features are the ability to test how sites work on five different cloud providers, IP whitelisting, as well as SSL-enabled staging.
We should also point out that Cloudways gives users the ability to connect a test site to an already working site, in order to see whether or not links work or if running one will hamper the operations of the other. Another good thing about this is that you can use Cloudwaysโ built-in Push and Pull features to swap data between sites.
Kinsta:
The thing about having multiple WordPress installations with a Kinsta account is that it enables users to create a staging platform that is completely separate from both the developmental or building platform and the live site itself. This helps you test out new releases of the WordPress platform, along with any plugins that youโre thinking of adding to your website.
Also, unlike other WordPress-centric hosting platform, Kinsta allows you to make your site live with one click directly from the staging phase. Plus, you have the advantage of being able to make changes even while the site is live, thus making the editing process more efficient while keeping the site up and operational.
Website Builder:
Which between Cloudways vs Kinsta can help you create better websites?
Cloudways:
Cloudways doesnโt have its own proprietary site building platform. However, users have the option to create a site on the platform using WordPressโ Elementor Page Builder. This linkage allows site creators to build from the ground up and put it online in next to no time.
What we particularly like about this aspect of Cloudways is the way you can choose the server on which to host your freshly-minted site and how you can scale it up (or down) depending on your purpose.
Kinsta:
Hereโs the thing that really sets Kinsta apart from the competition: DevKinsta. This is not a site builder per se, but more like a way to augment the capabilities of the standard WordPress builder for more advanced users like developers, web designers, and freelance web specialists.
Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Ubuntu, DevKinsta allows users to create and develop truly unique local sites with a tool suite that already includes Nginx and Maria DB among others, and supports PHP 7.x and 8.x.
DevKinsta also has its own SMTP server and email testing tool for developmental purposes.
eCommerce:
Cloudways:
Cloudways has ecommerce-ready hosting packages for sites made with shop-building platform Magento and those equipped with WordPressโ ecommerce plugin WooCommerce.
One of the key selling points of its ecommerce solutions is just how easy it is to use. Really: all a user needs to do is select a server, launch the store, and start selling almost immediately. Regardless of builder, those availing of this ecommerce-friendly package will have a roster of tools at their fingertips, including solutions for building an eye-catching storefront and backend management.
Incidentally, SSL certificates are already included across all of Cloudwaysโ hosting plans.
Kinsta:
Even small businesses will find hosting their sites via Kinsta advantageous. The platform offers enterprise-grade architecture, allowing for constant availability, server-level caching, auto-scaling, as well as six types of backups.
Specifically calibrated for WordPress sites working with the WooCommerce plugin, Kinstaโs business solutions also offer Cloudflare integration along with its own developer suite.
All of Kinstaโs hosting plans already have an SSL certificate, bundled together with its own CDN. It also allows the use of imported SSL certificates and has Wildcard SSL support.
Security:
How do Kinsta vs Cloudways prevent malware and other forms of attacks?
Cloudways:
SSL:
- Cloudways also offers free SSL certificates through Let's Encrypt.
Backups:
- Cloudways provides automated backups that can be scheduled according to the user's preference, and also allows for on-demand backups.
Malware Protection:
- Like Kinsta, Cloudways has server-level firewalls to filter out malicious traffic and secure the servers.
- Regular security patching to protect servers against vulnerabilities.
Additional Security Services:
- IP Whitelisting lets you create a whitelist of IPs, providing them unrestricted access to SSH and SFTP.
- Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for an added security layer during the login process.
Kinsta:
SSL:
- Kinsta provides free SSL certificates via Let's Encrypt, ensuring secure connections between websites and visitors.
Backups:
- Kinsta offers automatic daily backups and keeps them for 14 days. There's also an option for hourly backups.
Malware Protection:
- Kinsta actively monitors websites for malware and has tight software-based restrictions in place.
- Free hack fix guarantee where Kinsta will fix your site for free if it gets hacked.
Additional Security Services:
- DDoS Detection: Kinsta has measures in place to detect and stop DDoS attacks.
- IP Geolocation blocking to automatically block IP addresses from known malicious sources.
- Secure user roles and permissions for team collaboration.
Winner – Kinsta! This is a tough call because Cloudways is also jampacked with features. However, in this Cloudways vs Kinsta ‘Performance' matchup, we are impressed with Kinsta's enterprise-grade capabilities.
Performance:
Who is the more reliable hosting provider, Cloudways vs Kinsta?
Performance Summary Table
| Criteria | Cloudways | Kinsta |
|---|---|---|
| Server Locations |
|
|
| Speed (Load Time) | Approx. 600ms | Approx. 400ms |
| Uptime | 99.99% | 99.99% |
| Server Response Time (US, East Coast) | Approx. 70ms | Approx. 60ms |
| Server Response Time (Europe, London) | Approx. 30ms | Approx. 20ms |
| Server Response Time (Asia, Singapore) | Approx. 100ms | Approx. 90ms |
| Bandwidth | Varies with the plan, starts at 1TB | Starts from 50GB |
| Webspace Limits | Varies with the plan, starts at 25GB | Starts from 10GB |
| Global CDN | Yes | Yes, powered by KeyCDN |
| Scalability | Highly scalable, pay as you go system | Scalable, but plan upgrades needed |
Server Locations:
Where are Cloudways vs Kinsta servers located?
Cloudways:
Cloudways operates more than 65 data centres worldwide with locations in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
Note, however, that only its Frankfurt, London, UK, and Sydney locations host servers for all five of its affiliate IaaS services; other locations only host one or two at the most.
Kinsta:
Kinsta is available in 19 locations across the globe, with six of its servers in North America, one in South America, five in Europe, six in Asia, and one in Australia.
Speed Results:
How does Cloudways vs Kinsta speed compare?
Cloudways:
In this regard, Kinsta has the upper hand. Cloudways-hosted websites load in less than two seconds while Kinsta sites can load in as fast as 0.631 seconds.
Average Uptime, Bandwidth, and Webspace Limits/Storage:
What about average uptime and bandwidth allocation – which between Kinsta vs Cloudways is better?
Cloudways:
Cloudways sites are compliant with the standard: 99.96% is the hosting serviceโs current score when it comes to uptime.
Bandwidth and storage are dependent on each userโs hosting plan. Moreover, the minimum allowance is usually 1TB of bandwidth and 25GB of storage. At the other end of the spectrum, users can get 5TB of bandwidth along with 160GB of storage.
Kinsta:
Kinstaโs average uptime is at 100% and its bandwidth allowance enables user sites to handle between 20,000 to 400,000 million visitors at any given time.
Likewise, its webspace storage limits range between 10 and 50GB.
Winner – Kinsta! Both Kinsta vs Cloudways have impressive speed and uptime, but in this ‘Performance' round, Kinsta has the edge.
Support and Resources:
Even if you're a seasoned website owner, you're bound to hit snags. So which between Kinsta vs Cloudways offers a better level and quality of support?
Cloudways:
Cloudways offers 24/7 multiple channel tech support across all subscription plans and this is bolstered quite well with a regularly updated and maintained knowledge base. The serviceโs blog is also a great source of information and those looking for a third-party provider for specific functions will find it an excellent resource as it regularly features top ten lists for applications and plugins.
Kinsta:
In this Kinsta vs Cloudways comparison, I have to say that Kinstaโs support system is a bit of a challenge to deal with at first. You need to email them to get a call from customer service if you havenโt signed up for a hosting plan just yet.
However, once youโve registered for an account, live chat support is available 24/7.
Winner – Cloudways! We are calling this Kinsta vs Cloudways ‘Support and Resources' showdown in favour of Cloudways.
Cloudways vs Kinsta Pricing:
What about pricing levels and options for Kinsta vs Cloudways?
Quick Comparison Table for Kinsta vs Cloudways Pricing Plans and Transparency:
| Criteria | Kinsta | Cloudways | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | Pro | Business 1 | Business 2 | DO1GB | DO2GB | DO4GB | DO8GB | ||
| Initial Price | $30/month | $60/month | $100/month | $200/month | $10/month | $22/month | $42/month | $80/month | |
| Renewal Price | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | N/A (Pay as you go) | |
| Free Domain | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | |
| Free Trial | No | No | No | No | Yes (3 days) | Yes (3 days) | Yes (3 days) | Yes (3 days) | |
| Refund Policy | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | No | No | No | No | |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | No | No | No | No | |
| Check Pricing | Check Pricing | ||||||||
Plans
Here are Kinsta vs Cloudways plans in more detail and that could be the right fit for your website's needs.
Cloudways:
Cloud hosting prices per plan are all dependent on which cloud service you want to use. Here are the current ranges being offered:
- Digital Ocean: $10 to $80 monthly
- Linode: $12 to $90 monthly
- Vultr: $11 to $84 monthly
- Amazon Web Services: $36.51 to $274.33 monthly
- Google Cloud: $33.18 to $225.93
Also depending on the IaaS of your choice, managed WordPress or WooCommerce hosting will set you back between $10 and $742 monthly.
Uncover the newest bargains and promotions on Cloudways discount codes by clicking >> here <<. Delve into the thrilling discounts and exclusive offers for individuals seeking to cut costs on web hosting services. Take advantage of the opportunity to receive the greatest value for your money with Cloudways. Don't let this chance slip away!
Kinsta:
In this Kinsta vs Cloudways comparison, Kinsta actually has some of the most expensive monthly rates of any cloud hosting service. Prices range from $30 for the Starter Plan and $900 for Enterprise.
>> Check for our latest Kinsta discount code pricing plans <<
Free trial, refund policy, and money-back guarantee:
Cloudways:
Cloudways has the shortest free trial period of any hosting provider weโve encountered: just three days, then you have to either terminate your contract or opt for a monthly plan.
Interestingly, Cloudways prides itself on its pay as you go billing wherein users only pay for the services they actually use.
Users may, thus, request for a refund if this is presented within three months of adding funds. However, you may not receive the full amount as payment will be deducted for any services used.
Kinsta:
Kinsta doesnโt offer a free trial, but it does have a money-back guarantee should you be unsatisfied with their service.
Please verify the legal page for Kinsta and the legal page for Cloudways for detailed information on Free trial, refund policy, and money-back guarantee.
Winner – Kinsta! In terms of value for money, weโre giving this Kinsta vs Cloudways ‘Pricing' round to Kinsta despite being the more expensive service.
User Reviews
Cloudways
Cloudways is favored by users who need managed hosting services and want to have more control over their server configurations.
Trustpilot
- Cloudways has an excellent rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
- Users commend Cloudways for its superb customer support and ease of use.
- The flexibility in features is appreciated by many.
- Some users, however, find the pricing slightly high compared to regular shared hosting.
- Reddit users often suggest Cloudways for individuals seeking managed cloud hosting.
- The community values the simplicity Cloudways brings to managing servers from providers like DigitalOcean and AWS.
- Performance is frequently cited as a strong point.
- A few mentions of billing issues and lack of phone support have been noted.
Kinsta
Kinsta is known for specializing in WordPress hosting and is acclaimed for its high performance and exceptional customer service.
Trustpilot
- Kinsta holds an impressive rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.
- Customers praise the performance, especially for WordPress sites, and the excellent customer support.
- The user-friendly dashboard and site migration services are also popular among users.
- There are hardly any notable negative reviews, but a few users feel that the plans can be pricey for smaller websites.
- Reddit users who focus on WordPress hosting frequently recommend Kinsta.
- The community lauds the high performance, reliable uptime, and prompt customer support.
- Some users have mentioned that Kinsta is particularly beneficial for high-traffic WordPress sites.
- However, smaller site owners sometimes find it too costly.
Comparison Winner: Kinsta vs Cloudways?
All things considered, weโre naming Kinsta the Comparison Winner in this Kinsta vs Cloudways showdown. It may be pricier, but it certainly does deliver when it comes for value for money.
Personal Experience with Cloudways and Kinsta
Signing Up
Cloudways
The signup process with Cloudways is simple and user-friendly. One of the notable aspects is that Cloudways offers a free trial without the need for a credit card, allowing you to test their services before making a commitment.
Kinsta
Kinsta also offers an easy-to-navigate sign-up process. While Kinsta does not provide a free trial, they do offer a 30-day money-back guarantee which allows you to try their services risk-free.
Setting Up a Website
Cloudways
Setting up a website on Cloudways is streamlined through their custom control panel. They offer one-click installations for various applications including WordPress. Their platform is managed, meaning they handle server maintenance, which is helpful for users who may not have technical expertise.
Kinsta
Kinsta focuses specifically on managed WordPress hosting. Setting up a WordPress website is incredibly straightforward with Kinsta. Their custom-built MyKinsta dashboard is intuitive and feature-rich, offering tools such as site staging and backups.
Performance
Cloudways
Cloudways performs exceptionally well, thanks to its advanced caching mechanisms, CDN integration, and the ability to choose your cloud infrastructure provider. The flexibility in choosing the server location also helps in optimizing site performance for a specific audience.
Kinsta
Kinsta is renowned for its high-performance WordPress hosting. With Google Cloud Platform as its infrastructure, combined with their custom caching system and CDN integration, Kinsta provides top-tier performance especially optimized for WordPress websites.
Customer Support
Cloudways
Cloudways offers excellent customer support with 24/7 live chat and ticketing system. Their support staff is knowledgeable and swift in resolving issues. They also have a comprehensive knowledge base for self-help.
Kinsta
Kinstaโs customer support is among the best in the industry, particularly for WordPress-related queries. They offer 24/7 support through the MyKinsta dashboard and are known for their expertise in WordPress. They also provide a wealth of resources and articles.
Conclusion and Recommendations
To wrap up this Cloudways vs Kinsta comparison;
What is Cloudways best for?
Cloudways offers a versatile and high-performing hosting solution thatโs suitable for a variety of websites. The ease of use combined with advanced features and excellent support makes it an outstanding choice for both beginners and experienced users.
What is Kinsta best for?
Kinsta stands out as a premium managed WordPress hosting provider. If WordPress is your platform of choice, Kinstaโs fine-tuned performance, exceptional support, and user-friendly dashboard make it one of the best options available, especially for businesses and high-traffic sites.
Cloudways and Kinsta Alternatives:
[wpsm_comparison_table id=”53″ class=”custom-table”]Final word:
Kinsta may have taken the win in our Cloudways vs Kinsta review, but we recommend that you shop around for a viable hosting service that is in sync with your specific needs.
Click for the best Kinsta pricing
FAQs:
Are domain names included in a Kinsta hosting plan?
Unfortunately no, you will need to get one from a third-party registry.
I have a small online business; how much do I need to pay to start hosting my site with Kinsta?
At its most basic, Kinsta hosting will set you back by $30 per month.
Thatโs all for now:
If you've read our Cloudways vs Kinsta comparison review up to here, we are grateful. Please share any comments below! Remember always to keep abreast of the latest developments on website builders, eCommerce, and other articles, such as the ones below;





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