Last updated on November 24th, 2024 at
Cloudways vs Hostinger 2024 – Which Hosting Is Best for You?
If you’re deciding between Cloudways vs Hostinger for your website, you’re in the right place. I’ve tested both services for my own sites, and I’ll break them down in simple terms so you can choose the one that fits your needs best.
Cloudways: Fast, Flexible, and Scalable Hosting
What is Cloudways? Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting provider, meaning they handle all the technical stuff for you while you focus on your website. They partner with major cloud providers like Google Cloud, AWS, and DigitalOcean, which means your site gets reliable and high-speed hosting.
Why Choose Cloudways?
- Top Performance: Cloudways uses advanced technologies like Redis Object Cache Pro and NVMe SSDs to make your site super fast, even when a lot of people are visiting at once.
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN: This service helps load your site faster for people around the world, with features like smart routing and full-page caching.
- Flexibility: Cloudways lets you pick your cloud provider and scale your hosting easily as your website grows.
- Excellent Support: Their support team is available 24/7 and always quick to respond, so you can get help when you need it.
Who Should Use Cloudways? Cloudways is perfect if you need fast performance, reliable uptime, and scalability for a growing website. It’s great for business websites, eCommerce sites, or any site that needs to handle lots of traffic.
Hostinger: Affordable and Easy for Beginners
What is Hostinger? Hostinger is a budget-friendly hosting provider offering shared hosting and cloud hosting. It’s an excellent choice if you’re new to hosting and need a simple, inexpensive option to get your site online.
Why Choose Hostinger?
- Affordable Plans: Hostinger is known for its low prices, making it a great option for beginners or those on a budget.
- Beginner-Friendly: Hostinger’s hPanel is easy to use, even if you have no experience with web hosting.
- LiteSpeed Hosting: Some of Hostinger’s plans use LiteSpeed, which is great for fast loading times—especially for WordPress sites.
- Email Hosting: Hostinger also offers email hosting (something Cloudways doesn’t), so you can have a professional email address with your domain.
Who Should Use Hostinger? If you’re just starting your site and want affordable hosting without a lot of complexity, Hostinger is a solid choice. It’s great for personal blogs, small business websites, and basic online projects.
Cloudways vs Hostinger – Quick Comparison
Feature | Cloudways | Hostinger | Verdict |
---|---|---|---|
Hosting Type | Managed Cloud Hosting | Shared & Cloud Hosting | Cloudways for performance, Hostinger for affordability and beginners |
Performance | Excellent (fast servers, scalable) | Good (affordable, but can slow down with traffic) | Cloudways for better performance |
Speed | Very fast (advanced caching, NVMe) | Good (LiteSpeed on some plans) | Cloudways for faster speed |
Storage | NVMe SSD on top cloud providers | SATA SSD | Cloudways for faster storage |
CDN | Cloudflare Enterprise (premium) | QUIC.cloud | Cloudways for advanced CDN features |
Object Cache | Redis Object Cache Pro | Not supported | Cloudways for superior caching |
Security | Excellent (OS-level firewalls, 2FA) | Average (recent security breach) | Cloudways for enhanced security |
Support | 24/7 live chat, phone, email | 24/7 live chat, slower response | Cloudways for faster, more reliable support |
Uptime | 99.99% | 99% | Cloudways for better reliability |
Price (Entry Plans) | Starts at $11/month | Starts at $9.99/month | Hostinger for lower entry price |
Email Hosting | Not provided | Available | Hostinger for email hosting |
Best For | Growth, performance, scalability
| Budget-friendly, beginners
| Cloudways for growth, Hostinger for budget |
Why I Recommend Cloudways Over Hostinger
After using both Cloudways and Hostinger, here’s why I think Cloudways is the better option for anyone serious about their website:
- Better Performance: Cloudways uses fast cloud technology and advanced caching to make sure your site loads quickly, even with high traffic. Hostinger’s performance is good, but Cloudways takes it to the next level.
- More Flexibility: With Cloudways, you can pick your cloud provider (Google Cloud, AWS, DigitalOcean), giving you more control over your hosting setup. Hostinger is more limited in this area.
- Easier Scalability: As your site grows, Cloudways makes it easy to scale up your resources without hassle. Hostinger can struggle when you need more power.
- Better Support: Cloudways’ support team is fast and responsive, ready to help you when you run into any issues. Hostinger’s support is decent, but it can be slower.
When Should You Choose Hostinger?
- If you’re on a tight budget, just starting a simple website, or need email hosting included, Hostinger is a great choice. It’s easy to use, affordable, and gets your site online quickly.
Final Verdict: Which One Should You Pick?
- Choose Cloudways if you want fast performance, reliable hosting, and scalability as your website grows. It’s the best option for business websites, eCommerce stores, or any site that needs to perform well under high traffic.
- Choose Hostinger if you’re just starting out, need affordable hosting, and don’t need a ton of resources yet. It’s great for personal blogs or small business websites on a budget.
I’ve used both hosting providers, and for growth and performance, Cloudways is definitely the better option. But if you need something simple and cost-effective, Hostinger is still a solid choice.
Plans and Pricing
Cloudways Hosting Plans
Cloudways offers a range of flexible plans based on your chosen cloud provider. Below are the details of the plans they offer:
DigitalOcean Plan
- Price: $11/month
- Best for: Small to medium-sized websites
- Features:
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 25 GB SSD Storage
- 1 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
Premium Plan
- Price: $14/month
- Best for: Websites needing better performance
- Features:
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 30 GB SSD Storage
- 1 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
Vultr Plan
- Price: $16/month
- Best for: High-performance websites
- Features:
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 30 GB SSD Storage
- 1 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
Linode Plan
- Price: $14/month
- Best for: Reliable hosting for small to medium applications
- Features:
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 25 GB SSD Storage
- 1 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
AWS Plan
- Price: $20.56/month
- Best for: High-traffic websites
- Features:
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 20 GB SSD Storage
- 2 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
Google Cloud Plan
- Price: $37/month
- Best for: Resource-heavy websites or applications
- Features:
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 30 GB SSD Storage
- 2 TB Bandwidth
- Free SSL Certificate
- Managed Backups
- Cloudflare CDN Integration
- 24/7 Support
Hostinger Hosting Plans
Hostinger offers several hosting plans catering to different website needs. Below are the details of Hostinger’s plans:
Premium Plan
- Price: $2.49/mo (Renews at $7.99/mo)
- Ideal for: General websites
- Features:
- 100 Websites
- ~25,000 visits monthly
- 100 GB SSD Storage
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Free SSL & Email
- Free Domain (1st year)
- Free CDN
- Weekly Backups
- WordPress vulnerabilities scanner
- WordPress auto updates
- Dedicated IP Address
- Priority Support
Business Plan
- Price: $3.49/mo (Renews at $8.99/mo)
- Ideal for: Enhanced features for growing websites
- Features:
- 100 Websites
- ~100,000 visits monthly
- 200 GB NVMe Storage
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Daily and On-demand Backups
- Free SSL & Email
- Free Domain (1st year)
- Free CDN
- Smart WordPress auto updates
- Dedicated IP Address
- Priority Support
Cloud Startup Plan
- Price: $7.59/mo (Renews at $19.99/mo)
- Ideal for: High-traffic sites
- Features:
- 300 Websites
- ~200,000 visits monthly
- 200 GB NVMe Storage
- Unlimited Bandwidth
- Daily & On-demand Backups
- Free SSL & Email
- Free Domain (1st year)
- Free CDN
- WordPress AI Tools
- Dedicated IP Address
- Priority Support
Cloudways vs Hostinger: Pricing and Features Comparison
Cloudways:
Cloudways provides cloud hosting solutions with flexible pricing based on top cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Google Cloud. Starting at $11/month, Cloudways plans are ideal for websites that need high performance, scalability, and advanced features.
- The DigitalOcean Plan at $11/month is best for small to medium-sized websites with 1 GB RAM, 1 TB bandwidth, and 25 GB SSD storage.
- If you expect higher traffic or need better performance, Cloudways offers more scalable options like Vultr ($16/month) and Google Cloud ($37/month), which provide more resources for high-traffic websites.
Key advantages of Cloudways:
- High-performance cloud hosting from top cloud providers.
- Flexibility to scale your plan as needed.
- Cloudflare CDN integration, managed backups, and free SSL on all plans.
- Best suited for businesses or resource-heavy websites needing fast, reliable hosting.
Hostinger:
Hostinger offers affordable hosting plans that cater to smaller websites or those with moderate traffic needs, starting as low as $2.49/month for the Premium Plan. Hostinger is ideal for general websites and includes essential features like free SSL, unlimited bandwidth, 100GB SSD storage, and free domain for the first year.
- The Premium Plan at $2.49/month supports ~25,000 visits/month and 100 websites.
- The Business Plan at $3.49/month supports ~100,000 visits/month and adds 200 GB NVMe storage and daily backups, making it suitable for growing websites.
- For high-traffic websites, Hostinger’s Cloud Startup Plan at $7.59/month supports 300 websites and ~200,000 visits/month, with advanced features like WordPress AI tools and on-demand backups.
Key advantages of Hostinger:
- Low-cost hosting with great features for beginners.
- High-value plans with lots of features at affordable prices.
- Dedicated IP address and priority support on all plans.
- Best for general websites or smaller businesses looking for a cost-effective hosting option.
Which is the Best Choice for You?
Hostinger is perfect for those on a tight budget or small-to-medium websites that require affordable hosting with solid features. Its Premium Plan at $2.49/month is perfect for beginners or personal projects, and its Cloud Startup Plan at $7.59/month is a good choice for growing sites with up to 200,000 visits/month.
On the other hand, if you need high-performance hosting and more control over your server, especially if you’re dealing with high-traffic sites or resource-heavy applications, Cloudways provides much more power and scalability. Starting at $11/month, Cloudways offers a cloud-first hosting solution with better flexibility and faster performance, making it the best choice for businesses or websites expecting significant growth.
Conclusion:
- Hostinger: Great for budget-friendly hosting for smaller websites and moderate traffic.
- Cloudways: Ideal for high-traffic or performance-driven websites that need cloud hosting with more resources and scalability.
Ease of Use: Cloudways vs Hostinger
If you’re new to web hosting, choosing between Cloudways and Hostinger can come down to how easy the platform is to use. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Cloudways
Cloudways is a powerful hosting option but may not be the easiest for beginners. The dashboard is modern and clean, but there are some technical steps involved. For example, when you need to connect your domain (like your website’s name) to your hosting, you’ll have to change settings with your domain provider. This might sound confusing if you’re not familiar with how things work.
Cloudways does not offer email hosting directly, so if you need an email address for your site (like [email protected]), you’ll have to set it up with a third-party service, which costs extra.
Overall, Cloudways is best for people who are comfortable with a little bit of tech knowledge and want more control over how their site works.
Hostinger
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Hostinger, on the other hand, is much more beginner-friendly. The setup process is simple and straightforward, and there are automatic tools to help you get your website, email, and domain set up easily. The hPanel (their control panel) is designed to be easy to use, so you don’t have to worry about confusing settings or technical terms.
One small downside is that Hostinger updates its interface quite often, which can sometimes be confusing if you’re not used to the changes. But overall, it’s easy to navigate and perfect for beginners.
What I think:
- Cloudways is great if you’re okay with some technical steps and want more control over your hosting. It’s not the easiest if you’re just starting out.
- Hostinger is perfect for beginners. It’s easy to set up, and the control panel is simple to use, making it ideal if you want something hassle-free.
If you’re new to web hosting, Hostinger will be easier and more straightforward for you. If you want to dive deeper and have more control, Cloudways could be a good choice, but it may take some time to learn.