Reviewed by Nick Oakley, Head of Digital
Nicada Digital has built and looked after more than 800 websites since 2014, almost all of them on WordPress. Hosting is the part clients never see and always feel.
Cloudways and SiteGround take different approaches. Cloudways is a management layer over cloud servers from companies like DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS and Google: you choose a server, pay by the hour, and add the extras you need. SiteGround is all-in-one shared hosting with almost everything included.
Before you read on
We are a SiteGround affiliate, not a Cloudways one. Cloudways wins on several points below. Prices from each company's own site, 1 October 2026, in US dollars.
At a Glance
| Cloudways | SiteGround GrowBig | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | From $11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB), billed hourly | $4.99/mo year one, then $29.99 |
| Contract | None; cancel any time | 12 months up front for the intro price |
| Sites | Unlimited per server | Unlimited |
| Paid add-on, per mailbox | Included | |
| Malware protection | Paid add-on from $4 per app a month | Scanning; clean-up paid |
| Backups | Daily by default, adjustable; off-site storage charged by the GB | Daily, 30 days; on-demand |
| Support | 24/7 chat and tickets; advanced support costs extra | 24/7 phone, chat and tickets |
| Money back | None found; 3-day free trial | 30 days |
| AI tools | — | AI Agent for WordPress, AI Studio |
| Trustpilot | 4.6 from 3,755 | 4.9 from 30,899 |
Price: It Depends When You Look
In year one, SiteGround is much cheaper: GrowBig is $4.99 a month. After that it renews at $29.99, while Cloudways stays the same, so a Cloudways server from $11 to $14 a month can work out cheaper from year two.
But Cloudways' price is for the server alone. Email (a Rackspace add-on), malware protection ($4 per app a month), off-site backup storage and advanced support all cost extra. Add those up before you compare.
Flexibility: Cloudways Wins
Cloudways lets you choose your cloud provider and data centre, resize the server when you need more power, and pay only for what you use. For developers and agencies who want control, that is a real advantage.
Simplicity and Support: SiteGround Wins
SiteGround includes email, a free domain, staging, daily backups and AI tools, and you can phone its in-house team at any hour. For a business owner who does not want to think about servers, that matters more than flexibility.
Everything included, and a phone number
SiteGround GrowBig: unlimited sites, email, staging, backups and free AI tools for $4.99 a month in year one. In-house support by phone any time.
See SiteGround Plans →Put the renewal date in your diary. The price goes up after the first term.
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Which Should You Choose?
Cloudways, if:
- You are a developer or agency who wants to choose and resize your own server.
- You want to pay monthly with no contract.
- You already handle email elsewhere.
SiteGround, if:
- You want everything included, with no add-ons to manage.
- You want phone support.
- You want the AI tools.
Read our SiteGround review. Want a managed host with a steady price and malware removal included? See our WPX review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cloudways better than SiteGround?
For developers who want to choose their own cloud server and pay by the hour, Cloudways is more flexible. For business owners who want everything included, with phone support, email and AI tools, SiteGround is simpler and better value in year one.
Is Cloudways cheaper than SiteGround?
In year one, no: SiteGround GrowBig is $4.99 a month against Cloudways from $11. After that, Cloudways is often cheaper than SiteGround's $29.99 GrowBig renewal, because Cloudways has no renewal increase. Add-ons such as email and malware protection cost extra on Cloudways.
Does Cloudways include email?
No. Email is a paid Rackspace add-on, charged per mailbox. SiteGround includes email on every plan.
Who owns Cloudways?
DigitalOcean, which bought Cloudways in 2022.
Does Cloudways have a money-back guarantee?
We could not find one. Cloudways offers a 3-day free trial with no card needed instead. SiteGround has a 30-day money-back guarantee.