Cloudways vs SiteGround (2026): Managed Cloud vs Managed Shared
Cloudways sells managed cloud VPS servers; SiteGround sells premium shared hosting with exceptional support. Both are top-tier, but they serve different users. If you want VPS-grade performance with a dashboard that hides the hard parts, Cloudways wins. If you want the fastest shared hosting with the best support on the market, SiteGround takes it.
Updated: Jul 30, 2026
Our Verdict
cloudways wins
Cloudways wins for anyone who wants real VPS performance and scaling, especially at comparable prices to SiteGround's top-tier shared plans. SiteGround is the better pick for absolute beginners on a single site.
Data
Side-by-side comparison
| Compare | Cloudways | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | ||
| Starting price | $14/mo | $3.99/mo |
| Global TTFB | 124 ms | 185 ms |
| Uptime (30d) | 99.99% | 99.98% |
| Editorial score | 96/10 | 92/10 |
| Best for | Editor's Choice | Top Pick |
Analysis
How they compare dimension by dimension
Performance
CloudwaysCloudways on a 2GB VPS delivered a 218ms median TTFB; SiteGround's best shared plan hit 291ms. Both beat typical shared hosts. Cloudways also scales vertically when you grow.
Ease of use
SiteGroundSiteGround's Site Tools are beginner-friendly out of the box. Cloudways has a steeper learning curve but its dashboard is still far easier than raw SSH.
Scaling & flexibility
CloudwaysCloudways lets you resize RAM, add servers, and clone apps instantly across DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud. SiteGround is capped by your shared plan.
Support
CloudwaysBoth are excellent. SiteGround's support is famously fast and friendly for non-technical users; Cloudways' team is more developer-oriented and responds within a minute.
Value
CloudwaysAt comparable budgets, Cloudways delivers VPS resources for roughly the price of SiteGround's higher shared tiers. The renewal pricing on both is transparent and month-to-month.
Data
Benchmark comparison
Pros & Cons
The quick summary
Cloudways
- + Choice of top-tier cloud providers (AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode)
- + Stack includes Nginx, Varnish, Redis, and MariaDB
- + Pay-as-you-go pricing with no lock-in
- − No traditional cPanel - custom panel requires a short learning curve
- − No free email hosting included
SiteGround
- + Industry-leading 24/7 support with fast median response
- + Google Cloud infrastructure with SSD storage
- + Free daily backups and advanced caching (SG Optimizer)
- − Lower entry plans restrict the number of websites
- − Renewal prices are noticeably higher than introductory rates
Frequently Asked Questions
For performance, scaling, and value, yes. Cloudways' 2GB VPS beats SiteGround's shared servers on TTFB and grows with you. SiteGround is easier for complete beginners running a single site.
It's easier than managing a raw VPS but harder than SiteGround. The dashboard handles SSH, caching, staging, and SSL - you never touch a terminal.
Both are excellent WordPress hosts. Cloudways if you expect growth or run heavier plugins; SiteGround if you want managed simplicity and top-tier support for a single site.
Still deciding?
Read both full reviews and test your site on each provider before committing.
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