Cloudways vs DigitalOcean: Which Hosting Option Is Best for Your Business?
When building a website or an online business, choosing the right hosting platform is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Hosting impacts your site’s speed, security, scalability & overall performance. Two popular names in this space are Cloudways and DigitalOcean.
At first glance, both look strong DigitalOcean is known for its developer-friendly cloud infrastructure, while Cloudways offers managed hosting on top of DigitalOcean (and other providers). But the key question is: Which one should you choose for your project?
In this blog, we’ll break down Cloudways vs DigitalOcean in terms of ease of use, pricing, performance, scalability & more helping you make the right decision for your needs.
Cloudways or DigitalOcean? Compare cost, speed and support to pick the right host for your stack
A Quick Introduction
What is DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean is a cloud infrastructure provider that gives developers scalable virtual private servers (called Droplets). It’s highly affordable, flexible & powerful but requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain.
What is Cloudways?
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that sits on top of providers like DigitalOcean, AWS & Google Cloud. It simplifies server management, offering easy controls, automatic updates & support perfect for businesses that want performance without technical headaches.
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Cloudways vs DigitalOcean: Head-to-Head Comparison
Here’s a snapshot of the key differences:
|
Feature |
Cloudways |
DigitalOcean |
|
Ease of Use |
Beginner-friendly, no coding needed |
Requires technical skills, command line |
|
Hosting Type |
Managed cloud hosting |
Cloud infrastructure (DIY) |
|
Pricing Model |
Slightly higher, includes management |
Lower, pay for raw infrastructure |
|
Customer Support |
24/7 live chat and ticketing |
Basic documentation, limited support |
|
Performance |
Optimized with built-in caching, CDN |
High-performance servers, manual setup |
|
Scalability |
Easy scaling with dashboard |
Highly scalable but technical |
|
Ideal For |
Agencies, small-medium businesses |
Developers, tech-savvy users |
Ease of Use
- Cloudways: Built for users who want simplicity. With its control panel, you can deploy WordPress, Magento, or Laravel apps in just a few clicks. No server management knowledge is required.
- DigitalOcean: Offers more control but demands technical skills. Setting up servers, installing apps & configuring security must be done manually. Best suited for developers.
Cloudways or DigitalOcean: which fits your stack and budget? DigiPix guides the pick
Pricing Comparison
|
Plan Type |
Cloudways (on DigitalOcean) |
DigitalOcean |
|
Starting Price |
$14/month (includes management) |
$5/month (Droplet) |
|
Billing |
Monthly |
Hourly or monthly |
|
Add-ons |
Free SSL, backups, caching included |
Paid add-ons for backups, monitoring |
|
Support |
24/7 customer support |
Basic ticketing, paid support tiers |
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Performance and Speed
- Cloudways: Comes with performance-boosting features like Varnish, Redis, built-in CDN & auto-healing servers. Ideal for businesses that want fast load times without managing optimization manually.
- DigitalOcean: Raw performance is excellent, but you need to configure caching, CDN & optimizations yourself.
Security
- Cloudways: Includes dedicated firewalls, SSL certificates, automated backups & bot protection. Security patches are managed by the platform.
- DigitalOcean: Offers basic security features but requires you to set up and maintain firewalls, SSL & monitoring.
Scalability
- Cloudways: One-click vertical scaling allows you to increase RAM, CPU & storage as your site grows.
- DigitalOcean: Offers excellent scalability but requires manual configuration and technical skills.
Customer Support
- Cloudways: 24/7 live chat, ticket support & knowledge base. Advanced support tiers are also available.
DigitalOcean: Offers community documentation and ticket support, but live support is limited unless you pay for premium tiers.
Two great paths to deploy: Cloudways (managed) vs DigitalOcean (hands-on). See which fits your workflow
Which One Should You Choose?
- Choose Cloudways if:
- You run a business and want a stress-free hosting experience.
- You prefer managed hosting with built-in features like backups and caching.
- You don’t have technical expertise.
- Choose DigitalOcean if:
- You’re a developer who wants full control over the server.
- You have the technical knowledge to manage hosting.
- You want the lowest cost and don’t mind handling everytahing yourself.
Still unsure which platform fits your business best? Let the experts at DigiPixInc. guide you.
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Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
- Is Cloudways the same as DigitalOcean?
No. Cloudways is a managed hosting platform that uses DigitalOcean servers (among others) but adds management, support & performance features. - Is Cloudways more expensive than DigitalOcean?
Yes, but the higher cost includes management, support, backups & security features. - Which is better for WordPress hosting?
Cloudways is more beginner-friendly for WordPress, while DigitalOcean is better if you’re comfortable configuring servers yourself. - Can I scale my website easily on both platforms?
Yes. Cloudways allows one-click scaling, while DigitalOcean requires manual setup but offers more flexibility for advanced users. - Which platform offers better customer support?
Cloudways offers 24/7 live support, while DigitalOcean mainly relies on documentation and tickets. - Does Cloudways use DigitalOcean servers?
Yes, Cloudways uses DigitalOcean servers but adds a managed layer to simplify hosting for businesses.
Conclusion
When comparing Cloudways vs DigitalOcean, the choice depends on your technical expertise and business needs.
- If you want affordable, DIY hosting with maximum control, DigitalOcean is a solid choice.
- If you prefer managed hosting with support, performance tools & security handled for you, Cloudways is worth the extra cost.
At DigiPixInc., we believe the best hosting is the one that matches your goals and resources. Whether you’re a small business owner or a developer, both Cloudways and DigitalOcean are powerful solutions you just need to pick the one that fits your journey.
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Written By: Khurram Qureshi
Founder & consultant of DigiPix Inc.
Call or text: 416-900-5825
Email: info@digipixinc.com
About The Author
In 2005, Khurram Qureshi started DigiPix Inc. which started off as a design agency offering video editing to professional photography, video production & post production, website designs and 3D Animations and has now expanded towards online marketing and business consultancy. Khurram Qureshi also is a motivational figure and participates in local and international platforms. He also play a role in the local community development, helping local young minds get ready to enter the job market.