WP Engine vs Cloudways
Managed WordPress against managed cloud, two routes to worry-free hosting with different pricing.
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WP Engine
The original managed WordPress host.
Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting with no limit on sites.
Prices last checked on
| Feature | WP Engine | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.4 / 5 | 4.2 / 5 |
| Price | From $30/mo | From $11/mo |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Best for | Managed WordPress | Multiple sites |
| Category | Managed WordPress | Managed WordPress |
| Provider | WP Engine | Cloudways (DigitalOcean) |
| Visit WP Engine | Visit Cloudways |
Our verdict
WP Engine is one hundred percent WordPress, with staging, premium themes, and support that breathes WordPress, at a fixed price per site. Cloudways is more flexible. You rent a server and run as many sites on it as you like, which pays off with multiple projects.
For one important WordPress site, WP Engine is the safer, more complete pick. For a portfolio of projects, Cloudways quickly earns its keep.
“The company that invented managed WordPress and has stayed near the top ever since. Caching, staging, and backups are all included. A slightly dated dashboard, proven stable platform.”Editorial team, on WP Engine
“Host unlimited sites and pay per server size. With multiple sites this is far cheaper than the competition. Slightly more technical, but the strongest price-to-performance you will find in managed hosting.”Editorial team, on Cloudways
Frequently asked questions
Is WP Engine better than Cloudways?
For one important WordPress site, yes. WP Engine is one hundred percent WordPress, with caching, a CDN, staging, automatic backups, ten premium themes, and support that breathes WordPress, at a fixed price per site. Cloudways becomes the better pick the moment you run a portfolio, because there a second project costs you nothing extra.
Which is cheaper, WP Engine or Cloudways?
Cloudways, at $11 a month ($132 a year) against $30 a month ($360 a year) for the WP Engine Startup plan, checked August 2026. Neither uses promo pricing, so no renewal jump is waiting on either side. Per site the gap widens fast. Cloudways stays $11 whether you host one site or ten, WP Engine bills per site.
How many sites does each plan cover?
WP Engine Startup covers one WordPress site and 25,000 visits a month. Cloudways DO Starter covers unlimited sites on one server, with the capacity of that machine as the real limit. For a handful of small projects that is the difference between one bill and several, which is why Cloudways wins portfolios.
What do I give up by choosing Cloudways?
The WordPress specialism. WP Engine bundles staging, a CDN, automatic backups, and ten premium themes, and its support answers WordPress questions rather than server questions. Cloudways manages the server well but leaves more of the WordPress side to you, and its panel is a step more technical. The 3-day free trial is the cheapest way to test that.