Cloudways vs Kinsta: which is better value?

By The Web Hosting Depot team · Updated Oct 8, 2026 · How we research

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Quick verdict

Cloudways is cheaper over three years ($396 vs $1,050 on the entry plans). On our overall rating, Kinsta scores higher (4.6 vs 4.0). Kinsta gives you longer to change your mind (30 days).

Pick Cloudways if

growing sites that want cloud performance without managing a server.

Visit Cloudways

Pick Kinsta if

business WordPress sites where speed and support justify the price.

Visit Kinsta

Side by side

	Cloudways 5 wins	Kinsta 2 wins
Cheapest plan	DigitalOcean 2 GB · $11/mo	Single 35k · $29.17/mo
Prepay for intro price	monthly	1-year term
Renews at	$11/mo	$29.17/mo
Renewal jump	+0%	+0%
3-year cost	$396	$1,050
Money-back	3-day free trial, no card required	30 days
Backups	Automated (configurable)	Daily, 14-30 days retention
Free domain	No	No
Control panel	Cloudways platform	MyKinsta (custom)
Data centers	DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud locations	Google Cloud regions worldwide
Performance (our rating)	5/5	5/5
Support (our rating)	4/5	5/5
Ease of use (our rating)	3/5	5/5
Value (our rating)	4/5	3/5

Green = better on that row. Entry plans compared: Cloudways DigitalOcean 2 GB and Kinsta Single 35k (Managed WordPress). Prices checked Oct 8, 2026.

Cloudways: real cost

Intro$11/momonthly

Renews at$11/mono increase

3-year cost$396intro + renewals

Kinsta: real cost

Intro$29.17/mo1-year term

Renews at$29.17/mono increase

3-year cost$1,050intro + renewals

Why Cloudways

Managed cloud servers billed monthly or hourly
Choose your cloud provider and region
No long-term contract

Downsides: No email included; More technical than shared hosting.

Why Kinsta

No intro-price trap: you renew at the price you pay
Google Cloud infrastructure, CDN and staging
Excellent dashboard and support

Downsides: Expensive for small sites; No email hosting; Visit-based limits.

The bottom line

Cloudways manages cloud servers from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud, billed monthly with no contract. A 2 GB DigitalOcean server is $11 a month.

Kinsta is premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud. Plans start at $35 a month ($350 a year) for one site and 35,000 visits, and there is no promotional price to jump from at renewal.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cloudways cheaper than Kinsta?

Over three years, Cloudways costs less on the cheapest comparable plans: about $396 versus $1,050, counting the intro price for its required term and then the renewal price. Month one is misleading: compare the 3-year totals.

Which has the better money-back guarantee?

Cloudways: 3-day free trial, no card required. Kinsta: 30 days. Domain fees are usually not refundable.

Can I move from Cloudways to Kinsta later?

Yes. Moving a site means copying its files and database, then pointing your domain at the new host. Kinsta advertises free migration: Free. See our guide to switching hosts.