DigitalOcean vs Cloudways: Comparing Cloud Hosting Solutions

Selecting the right hosting solution is essential for businesses venturing into the cloud. DigitalOcean and Cloudways are two great options if you’re looking for reliable and scalable cloud hosting solutions. DigitalOcean and Cloudways have been close partners since 2014. In 2022, DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways, a robust managed cloud hosting platform, broadening DigitalOcean’s service portfolio by incorporating managed hosting solutions specifically designed for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).

DigitalOcean caters to developers and businesses seeking full control and customization over their server infrastructure. This empowers them to fine-tune configurations and optimize performance for their specific needs. Cloudways, on the other hand, differentiates itself by offering a managed hosting experience. The platform handles all the complexities of server management and maintenance behind the scenes. This frees up valuable time and resources for SMBs, allowing them to focus on core business activities.

Both DigitalOcean and Cloudways are good options for businesses, but the best choice will depend on factors such as your technical expertise, the specific requirements of your website or application, and your budget. This article provides a detailed comparison of both cloud hosting platforms.

Overview of DigitalOcean vs Cloudways hosting solutions

Both DigitalOcean and Cloudways have distinct approaches to cloud hosting management. If you prefer hands-on management and prioritize simplicity in complex technical abilities and use cases, DigitalOcean as a web host is a good choice. Cloudways caters to those who value managed services, scalability, and flexibility across various cloud providers.

DigitalOcean Summary

DigitalOcean simplifies cloud computing, allowing builders to focus on creating innovative software. With its reliable infrastructure and fully managed services, DigitalOcean assists developers, startups, and SMBs in building, deploying, and scaling applications.

Its user-friendly control panel and thorough documentation boost its appeal for those valuing simplicity and users who still require code-level control over their infrastructure setup. Customers gain direct access to the following DigitalOcean cloud products for easy application deployment and management:

• Droplets (Virtual Machines)

• Managed Kubernetes

• App Platform

• Managed Databases: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB

• Spaces (Object Storage)

• Block Storage

• Load Balancers

• Cloud Firewalls

• VPC

• Backups

• Monitoring

• DDoS Protection

• Support

A startup building a mobile gaming app might use DigitalOcean to deploy its multiplayer game servers on Droplets that auto-scale to handle increasing multiplayer traffic, leverage Managed Databases to store and manage player profiles and game data in a fully managed PostgreSQL cluster, and use Spaces for scalable object storage of large game asset files.

Cloudways Summary

In contrast, Cloudways offers managed cloud hosting, simplifying cloud management complexities. Unlike traditional cloud hosting, where users take on the responsibility of server management and maintenance, Cloudways handles these tasks for its customers. It offers more options for digital agencies, e-commerce shops, bloggers, and freelance developers hosting their websites on WordPress, PHP, and Magento.

Cloudways is particularly well-suited for those with limited technical expertise or who simply prefer a hands-off approach to hosting. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes and offers a user-friendly dashboard and advanced features like automated backups, server scaling, and application monitoring. Here are the main products and features provided by Cloudways:

• Managed Applications: WordPress Hosting, WooCommerce Hosting, PHP Hosting, Magento Hosting, Laravel Hosting, Drupal Hosting,

• Managed Cloud Hosting: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, Google Cloud

• Solutions: Agency Hosting, Ecommerce Hosting, Developers, SMB Hosting, Multisite Hosting, Bloggers & Publishers Hosting

• Cloudways Managed Security

• DNS

• Cloudways Support

• Cloudways Autonomous

Digital marketing agencies and SMBs might use Cloudways to host client WordPress sites on managed LAMP stacks that automatically scale to meet traffic demands. They could also use the built-in caching services to improve WordPress performance for increased page views and leverage Cloudways’ one-click staging site cloning to test updates before deploying to production.

Comparing DigitalOcean vs Cloudways

Are you deciding between DigitalOcean and Cloudways? Below, we outline essential considerations when evaluating the two platforms, including key differences and their fit for various business use cases.

1. Performance

DigitalOcean: DigitalOcean provides 99.99% uptime, ensuring high performance and low latency. The platform offers a robust yet hands-on approach. Users with technical expertise can leverage its configuration options to fine-tune performance. However, this also means results rely heavily on user skill, potentially leading to performance issues without the necessary knowledge to resolve them.

Cloudways: Cloudways prioritizes ease of use and optimized performance. Their pre-configured solutions leverage industry best practices and modern technology for out-of-the-box speed. Additionally, Cloudways offers flexibility in choosing data center locations and cloud providers (including giants like AWS and GCP, and alternative providers like Vultr and LInode) for further performance optimization. Cloudways relies on the selected provider’s Service Level Agreement (SLA) for uptime guarantees.

2. Features

This table compares DigitalOcean and Cloudways features to help you decide which cloud hosting platform is best for your cloud hosting needs.

3. Pricing

DigitalOcean: Transparent pricing with a pay-as-you-go structure, meaning you only pay for the resources you use (CPU, RAM, storage). However, consider these additional factors:

• Optional services: DigitalOcean offers a marketplace with various add-on services, such as security monitoring and backup solutions. These services can enhance your server functionality but incur additional costs.

• Technical expertise: Managing a DigitalOcean server requires technical knowledge for server configuration, maintenance, and security tasks. Businesses without internal IT staff may need to factor in the cost of hiring a skilled professional or invest time in acquiring the necessary expertise.

Cloudways: Predictable monthly pricing with managed services included, translating to a higher upfront cost compared to DigitalOcean, but offers several benefits:

• Simplified billing with a free trial: Familiarize yourself with the Cloudways Platform and test its capabilities with a 3-day free trial, without entering your credit card details, and experience simplified billing.

• Cloudways Flexible: Experience the pay-as-you-go model; you only pay for the resources you consume. You will be invoiced for the services used in any given month at the start of the following month.

• Scalability: Easily scale resources up or down as your needs evolve with a few clicks, ensuring you only pay for what you use.

4. Ease of use and customization

DigitalOcean: Appealing to developers and technically savvy users who enjoy granular control over server configuration. You can fine-tune settings to optimize performance for your specific needs. However, this requires a steeper learning curve and technical expertise for tasks like:

• Server setup: Initially, the server configuration can be complex for beginners.

• Ongoing maintenance: The user needs to manage regular server maintenance tasks like updates, security patches, and backups.

Cloudways: Offers a user-friendly interface with pre-configured servers for popular applications (WordPress, etc.). This simplifies server management, making it ideal for users with minimal technical knowledge. Key benefits include:

• Quick setup: Launch your website or application quickly with pre-configured servers.

• Staging environments: Cloudways goes beyond basic server management with features like staging environments and easy scaling, empowering efficient web project management. However, Cloudways offers less customization than DigitalOcean, and you have less control over the underlying server configuration.

5. Integration opportunities

While both DigitalOcean and Cloudways offer comprehensive features, DigitalOcean stands out for its extensive integration opportunities, mainly through its robust API ecosystem.

DigitalOcean: DigitalOcean offers users programmable access for seamless resource management, facilitating integration with various third-party services. This provides additional flexibility and more customization options. For instance, developers can automate infrastructure provisioning using tools like Terraform or integrate cloud monitoring tools like Prometheus for improved performance insights.

Cloudways: Cloudways managed service, although providing API access, lacks the breadth and depth of integrations present in DigitalOcean. The limited choices and complexity of integration processes may require additional development efforts.

How to choose between DigitalOcean and Cloudways for your business needs

Here’s a comparison of DigitalOcean and Cloudways to help you choose the right tool:

DigitalOcean is ideal for you if:

• You require a platform that supports various workloads, including web apps, databases, and containers, and has robust API access.

• You’re a developer or SMB seeking direct control over your cloud infrastructure, prioritizing flexibility and customization.

• You value a user-friendly interface with comprehensive documentation for streamlined development.

• You are looking for a range of support plans, troubleshooting tips, unlimited customized support, and quick response times so you can quickly bring new products to market.

• You’re looking for other managed services, such as Managed Kubernetes, which are not available through Cloudways. These offerings make DigitalOcean a more comprehensive choice for businesses that require a wider range of managed services and greater control over their infrastructure.

Cloudways is best for if:

• You want a managed hosting solution that has a choice of multiple cloud providers for optimal performance, location, or cost.

• You prefer a platform that simplifies server management tasks, offering a user-friendly interface.

• You are looking for scalability and flexibility but lack deep technical knowledge.

• Managed security, automated backups, and regular monitoring are priorities.

• You value access to expert support for troubleshooting and advice to resolve issues quickly.

DigitalOcean vs Cloudways FAQs

What is the difference between DigitalOcean and Cloudways?

DigitalOcean provides cloud infrastructure with direct access to compute resources, storage, databases, and networking, allowing full control over your environment configuration. Cloudways offers managed cloud hosting that operates across multiple cloud providers including DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode, handling server management tasks and providing simplified interfaces for web application deployment without requiring infrastructure expertise.

How do pricing models compare between the two platforms?

DigitalOcean uses a pay-as-you-go model with transparent resource-based pricing, where Droplets start at $4/month and you pay directly for infrastructure resources consumed. Cloudways offers managed hosting plans starting at $11/month that include server management services, automated backups, security features, and technical support alongside the underlying cloud infrastructure, with pricing that reflects both infrastructure and managed service components.

Which platform provides more flexibility and control?

DigitalOcean delivers complete infrastructure control with root access, the ability to install any software and configure environments fully, plus access to a comprehensive suite of cloud services including Kubernetes, databases, object storage, and networking tools. Cloudways focuses on streamlined web application hosting with managed environments optimized for WordPress, PHP, Magento, and similar applications, providing pre-configured solutions and simplified management tools designed for users who prefer guided workflows over granular infrastructure control.

Which platform is better for different types of users?

DigitalOcean suits developers, startups, and technical teams who need infrastructure flexibility, diverse cloud services, direct server control, and the ability to build custom architectures across multiple workload types. Cloudways serves digital agencies, e-commerce businesses, freelancers, and organizations who prioritize simplified management for web applications, value included managed services and support, and prefer focusing on their business rather than infrastructure administration.