Cloudways vs Justhost: guide for 2024

Cloudways vs Justhost: Final verdict

Looking over Cloudways vs. JustHost, both have strengths catering to different user needs and preferences.

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  Cloudways (Overall grade: 8.5)
  
  
  excels in performance, scalability, and security, making it an optimal choice for high-traffic websites, agencies, and businesses requiring advanced features. Its superior uptime, comprehensive support for multiple cloud providers, and advanced technical security measures position it as a robust solution for those seeking managed cloud hosting. The intuitive control panel, flexible pricing, and extensive support resources further enhance its appeal. While it lacks dedicated hosting and shared hosting plans, its advanced performance metrics, including fast server response times and extensive caching solutions, make it ideal for demanding environments.
  
• 
  JustHost (Overall grade: 7.4)
  
  
  stands out for its user-friendly interface and beginner-friendly features, making it a suitable choice for individuals and small businesses just starting with web hosting. Its inclusion of a free domain for the first year, drag-and-drop website builder, and various shared hosting plans offers considerable value at an introductory price. However, performance metrics such as server response times and fully loaded times show room for improvement, and advanced support options are limited compared to Cloudways. Despite this, JustHost’s straightforward cPanel interface and reliable customer service provide a solid option for less technical users or those seeking basic hosting solutions.
  

Hosting types offered

Both platforms provide a variety of hosting types, each designed to meet the different needs of users.

Although both offer a variety of hosting plans tailored to different needs, in
certain cases, one platform may prove to be more suitable.

Detailed comparison

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: It’s superior uptime and significantly faster response times make Cloudways a better choice for users who require high performance and stability from their hosting provider.

Cloudways shows a slightly superior performance in terms of reliability and speed. Both hosting services have impressive uptimes, with Cloudways slightly edging out Example hosting one with a 99.99% uptime over a 3-month period compared to Example hosting one’s 99.89%. This difference in uptime is reflected in the number and duration of outages, where Cloudways experienced 3 outages totaling 12 minutes, while Example hosting one had 5 outages totaling 2h 12 minutes.

Cloudways’s advantage is more pronounced in terms of server response time. It boasted an average response time of 389ms, which is significantly lower than the shared hosting industry standard and faster than Example hosting one’s average response time of 670ms, which can peak up to 1152ms. This suggests that Cloudways is not only more reliable in maintaining uptime but also in delivering faster website loading speeds, making it a preferable option for users prioritizing performance.

🏆 Winner Cloudways: High-performance, feature-rich hosting with excellent support and scalability.

When it comes to general performance, Cloudways offers superior speed powered by SSD drives, multiple advanced caching solutions like Memcached and Redis, and an optimized stack that supports NGINX, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, and PHP-FPM. In contrast, Just Host provides standard performance across most plans, with high performance available only on its Pro Plan. Cloudways includes Cloudflare Enterprise for enhanced CDN services, while Just Host primarily relies on traditional caching and basic CDNs. Cloudways’ numerous data centers worldwide enable efficient load balancing and quicker response times compared to Just Host’s limited data center options.

Website speed

Cloudways demonstrates remarkable website speed thanks to its SSD hosting and built-in advanced caches like Varnish and nginx. With support for PHP 8.2, Cloudways ensures faster load times, and its free Object Cache Pro further accelerates database performance. On the other hand, Just Host’s website speed is adequate but not exceptional, with enhanced caching only available for dedicated hosting. For most of its plans, Just Host’s performance remains standard, which can result in slower page load times compared to Cloudways.

Scalability

Cloudways excels in scalability with vertical scaling options that allow users to increase server resources such as RAM, CPU, and storage seamlessly. This flexibility doesn’t necessitate a plan upgrade. Alternatively, Just Host offers scalability primarily through VPS and dedicated hosting plans, which require specific plan upgrades. While Cloudways provides elastic and efficient scaling at low costs, the specifics of Just Host’s scaling costs remain unclear. This makes Cloudways an ideal choice for businesses anticipating growth without the need for frequent plan adjustments.

🏆 Winner Cloudways: A managed web hosting platform with a robust suite of security features.

Both Cloudways and Just Host, have notable differences in their approaches to technical and operational security, as well as in their compliance with regulations.

Technical security measures:

Cloudways employs server-level and platform-level firewalls to protect against malicious traffic and unauthorized login attempts. They integrate automatic protection through Fail2ban for monitoring suspicious activities and MalCare-powered bot protection on WordPress sites. Just Host focuses on SiteLock, offering daily vulnerability scanning, automatic malware removal, and a web application firewall. Both provide SSL certificates and support PHP, but Cloudways supports the latest PHP versions up to 8.2, while Just Host supports PHP versions 5 and 7.

Operational security measures:

Cloudways provides multiple layers of DDoS mitigation via Cloudflare Enterprise, which offers broad protection against attacks. They also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and IP whitelisting for secure server access. Auto-healing servers and built-in advanced caches are additional perks offered by Cloudways. Just Host, on the other hand, includes spam protection through Spam Assassin and hotlink protection but does not match the DDoS mitigation strengths of Cloudways. Just Host offers 24/7 phone support, which can be a decisive factor for some users.

Compliance and certifications:

Cloudways leverages PCI-DSS compliant hardware from cloud providers like Google Compute Engine and Amazon AWS, although it is not PCI-DSS compliant itself. Their security measures likely align with GDPR requirements but aren’t explicitly stated. Just Host provides GDPR compliance features like domain masking and Whois Privacy. PCI compliance is not explicitly mentioned for Just Host but essential components for this compliance are supported.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: A feature-packed hosting solution designed for robust performance and security.

Cloudways and Just Host both bring a wide array of features to the table, making them strong contenders in the hosting landscape. Cloudways emphasizes high performance with SSD hosting and built-in caches like Memcached, Varnish, and Redis. Its optimized stack supports PHP 8, and tools like the Breeze Plugin and Cloudflare enhance site speed. On the other hand, Just Host offers a free domain name for the first year and includes a drag-and-drop website builder, making it ideal for beginners. However, Cloudways also stands out with premium features like built-in server monitoring and SSH access, which bolsters its appeal to more tech-savvy users. Additionally, the scalability options and pay-as-you-go plans of Cloudways are notably flexible, eliminating long-term contracts and facilitating resource upgrades.

Regarding user experience, Cloudways offers one-click actions, making tasks like backups and site cloning simpler. Its interface also supports team collaboration and user roles, beneficial for businesses needing multiple access points. Just Host’s user-friendliness comes through with its cPanel control and comprehensive documentation, including one-click WordPress installation. Both hosts provide robust support systems with 24/7 availability, but Cloudways’ active community and additional support add-ons offer a more hands-on approach. Free migration services and automated backups by Cloudways give it an edge for users looking to switch providers without hassle. In contrast, Just Host includes attractive marketing tools such as Google AdWords credits, which can be valuable for new site owners aiming to attract initial traffic.

Both providers support a range of users from beginners to experts with user-friendly website builders and WordPress staging areas. However, in terms of developer tools, both Cloudways and Just Host offer robust options including SSH access, support for multiple programming languages, and Git for version control, thus appealing to developers looking for advanced capabilities.

Email services:

Email services at Cloudways and Just Host both offer email functionalities, but they cater to different needs. Cloudways provides email hosting through the Rackspace add-on and Elastic Email, which can support transactional emails and more extensive campaigns. Just Host includes unlimited email accounts with POP3/IMAP support but lacks the integration with third-party services found in Cloudways. For reselling email services, Cloudways offers more versatility, while Just Host focuses on simple, out-of-the-box email solutions.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Offers a wider array of hosting plans with flexible pricing options.

Evaluating the pricing of plans among various hosting providers can be complex due to their differing pricing and renewal strategies. Additionally, certain plans require annual commitments, which adds to the difficulty of making comparisons. The prices listed are based on monthly commitments; plans requiring annual commitments are indicated. Additionally, although some providers offer identical plans for WordPress and shared hosting, we have created separate tables for each to enhance clarity.

Cloudways and Just Host offer a range of hosting plans catering to different user needs. Cloudways offers more diverse options across various types of hosting—WordPress, Ecommerce, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Compute Engine (GCE), Vultr, and Linode—making it suitable for a wide array of web hosting requirements. Pricing starts at $11 per month, offering hourly billing and high-end specifications. Just Host concentrates on Shared, VPS, and Dedicated Hosting plans with promotional prices and notable introductory offers, starting at $14.99 per month for Standard Shared Hosting. Both providers provide unmetered bandwidth on shared plans, SSL certificates, and domain registration, but Cloudways excels with more specialized options and hourly billing.

Enterprise plans

Cloudways offers a comprehensive range of enterprise plans with the AWS and GCE hosting options, delivering high-performance with options extending up to 384 GB RAM and 96-core processors. These plans come with flexible billing options and superior support. Just Host, on the other hand, provides dedicated hosting plans such as the Premium Plan with 16 GB RAM and 4 cores for $209.99 per month. While Just Host includes free domain names and multiple IPs, Cloudways excels with their specialized, high-performing configurations suitable for large-scale enterprises.

🏆 Winner Cloudways: A user-friendly hosting option with powerful 1-click actions and free migration.

Cloudways offers an intuitive control panel designed for users who might not have technical expertise. Its control panel is customized to provide easy access to various operational tasks such as backup/restore, website cloning, and managing applications. The inclusion of pre-installed Git, SSH, and SFTP access further reduces the complexity for developers, making it practical for both novice and advanced users. On the contrary, Just Host uses the standard cPanel, known for its well-established interface and reliability in managing hosting activities. This approach provides a straightforward path for configuring email accounts, domain management, and database administration, ensuring simplicity and ease for all levels of users.

The accessibility of Cloudways’ custom control panel stands out due to its range of 1-click actions and vertical scaling options, streamlining server management without overwhelming users. Just Host’s cPanel is equally user-friendly but relies heavily on simplicity rather than feature-rich functionalities. Both platforms succeed in minimizing user confusion, but Cloudways edges out with its more advanced yet accessible features in its control panel.

Cloudways offers free migration for the first website, making transitioning simpler for new users. This free service can attract those who might find the migration process daunting. Just Host, meanwhile, does not mention a free migration service, implying that users might need to handle migration themselves or incur additional costs. The availability of free migration on Cloudways is a decisive advantage for those looking to switch hosting providers without extra expenses.

Cloudways provides extensive help center resources, including a centralized help center, articles, a ticketing system, 24/7 expert support, and an active community. These resources ensure that users receive timely and comprehensive assistance. Just Host offers a robust knowledge base, phone, chat, and email support, along with tutorials and online help. However, Cloudways’ commitment to support is more pronounced with its around-the-clock expert assistance and community support.

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Cloudways provides a more comprehensive user management experience tailored to WordPress users.

Cloudways and JustHost offer distinctive approaches to managing user roles, permissions, and accessibility. Cloudways utilizes the WordPress admin panel, providing a wide range of predefined roles like Super Admin, Administrator, Editor, Author, Contributor, and Subscriber. This detailed hierarchy allows for precise delegation of tasks and responsibilities. Conversely, JustHost relies on the cPanel interface, emphasizing flexibility for account management with features like root access for VPS hosting. While both platforms offer essential user management capabilities, Cloudways stands out with its structured and detailed role definitions, offering finer control over user permissions.

Both platforms feature user-friendly interfaces for managing users, but they differ in execution. Cloudways integrates deeply with the familiar WordPress admin panel, simplifying user and role management directly from the content management system. Users can easily add, edit, and delete roles within the WordPress environment. In comparison, JustHost uses the cPanel control panel, which is user-friendly but potentially less familiar to those coming from a WordPress-centric background. The enhanced cPanel used for VPS configurations adds advanced features but may require a steeper learning curve for new users.

Access control measures are crucial for both Cloudways and JustHost. Cloudways excels by utilizing WordPress’s built-in user roles, making it easy to manage user access and roles as the team grows. Features such as the ability to assign different roles to team members streamline collaboration and management. JustHost, providing root access for VPS hosting and robust multi-account management through cPanel, also supports efficient growth. However, Cloudways’ capabilities within the WordPress ecosystem offer more intuitive and immediate control, especially for teams growing within a WordPress-based workflow.

Cloudways user roles table:

JustHost user roles table:

🏆 Winner Cloudways: Comprehensive customer service with multiple channels, proactive monitoring, and customizable support options.

Cloudways and JustHost both offer extensive customer support, but Cloudways stands out due to its premium options, including phone support, private Slack channels, and dedicated account managers. Cloudways’ support is available 24/7/365 through email, live chat, and phone or Skype, with additional support packages offering faster response times and proactive monitoring. The ability to customize support makes Cloudways a more versatile choice for businesses looking for comprehensive service.

JustHost provides reliable 24/7 support through phone, chat, and email. While they offer a free domain for the first year and have a 30-day money-back guarantee, they lack the advanced support options available with Cloudways. JustHost’s mandatory validation process for support requests can be tedious, and they do not provide enterprise-level support, making them less suitable for businesses with complex requirements.

Cloudways vs Justhost: User feedback

Cloudways consistently receives high praise for its ease of use, robust performance, and excellent customer support. Many reviewers highlight the platform’s intuitive interface, effective server management features, and the ability to choose from top-tier cloud providers like AWS and DigitalOcean. Users appreciate the scalable hosting options and reliable customer service, which often includes quick response times and helpful assistance. However, some customers note areas for improvement, such as the absence of email hosting, limitations on server vendor choices, and discrepancies in pricing transparency. Overall, Cloudways is deemed a solid hosting provider, especially valued for its managed hosting features and performance enhancement capabilities.

JustHost is praised for its simplicity and ease of use, making it a great option for beginners wanting to learn more about hosting and cPanel. Users appreciate its intuitive interface and reliable performance with minimal outages. The introductory pricing is highly attractive, offering significant savings for long-term commitments. However, some users feel that the regular pricing after the initial period can be steep, though still competitive.

Cloudways vs Justhost: FAQ