Hostinger vs Cloudways: guide for 2024

Final verdict

Looking over Hostinger vs. Cloudways, it’s clear why both hosts are so popular. They have both hosted millions of
websites that run on WordPress for decades, building up a loyal customer base.

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  Cloudways (Overall grade: 8.5)
  
  
  stands out for its managed cloud hosting, offering high-performance features, including an excellent uptime guarantee of 99.99% and lightning-fast server response times of 229ms. It’s particularly beneficial for agencies, high-traffic websites, and eCommerce businesses due to its advanced support, reliability, and scalability options. The platform’s flexibility to choose among top cloud providers (like AWS and Google Cloud), combined with superior security measures, makes it a reliable choice for users seeking robust performance and advanced server management.
  
• 
  Hostinger (Overall grade: 8.7)
  
  
  excels with a broad range of hosting plans, budget-friendly pricing, and user-friendly features. It guarantees a commendable uptime of 99.97% and offers several advantages like global data centers, free SSL certificates, daily backups, and extensive security features. Hostinger’s intuitive hPanel, AI-driven tools, and competitive prices—starting as low as $1.99 per month—make it ideal for beginners and professionals alike. While it may lack the high-end scalability of Cloudways, its comprehensive suite of features and ease of use make it a strong contender, especially for multimedia websites and those on a budget.
  

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: Excellent managed cloud hosting with multiple cloud infrastructure options and performance optimization features.

Cloudways shows a slightly superior performance in terms of reliability and speed. Both hosting services have impressive uptimes, with Cloudways slightly edging out Hostinger with a 99.99% uptime over a 3-month period compared to Hostinger’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 Hostinger had 5 outages totaling 2h 12 minutes.

Cloudways’ advantage is more pronounced in terms of server response time. It boasted an average response time of 229ms, which is significantly lower than the shared hosting industry standard and faster than Hostinger’s average response time of 450ms to 625ms, 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 Hostinger: Offers exceptional speed, security, and support.

When comparing the general performance of Hostinger and Cloudways, several factors stand out. Hostinger utilizes high-speed CPUs, NVMe storage, and LiteSpeed web servers to deliver fast website loading times. It also includes a built-in CDN, HTTP/3, and IPv6 support to ensure low latency and fast data transfers. On the other hand, Cloudways uses SSD storage and offers advanced caching through Memcached, Varnish, Nginx, and Redis. Both hosts offer a global presence with multiple data centers; however, Hostinger’s data centers span more regions including Europe, Asia, North America, and South America, whereas Cloudways provides fewer but strategically placed data centers.

Website speed

Hostinger is engineered for speed with features like LiteSpeed Web Servers and the LSCWP Cache Plugin, ensuring quick website load times. The Hostinger CDN further enhances speed by as much as 40% thanks to code minification and automatic image optimization. Cloudways also emphasizes performance with SSD drives and integrated caches like Memcached and Varnish. Both hosts offer WordPress-optimized features, but Hostinger edges out with its highly praised AI tools and Smart WordPress Auto Updates.

Scalability

When it comes to scalability, Hostinger offers clear, tiered plans (Cloud Startup, Cloud Professional, Cloud Enterprise) that require plan upgrades to access higher resources. The cost of scaling is transparent, with prices ranging from $9.99/month to $29.99/month initially. Cloudways supports vertical scaling, allowing you to scale up server resources such as RAM, CPU, and storage without the need for an entire plan upgrade. This flexibility can be more cost-effective and agile, although exact scaling costs were not specified.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Offers extensive security features and a robust hosting environment.

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

Technical security measures:

Hostinger and Cloudways provide strong security measures, but there are distinct differences. Hostinger implements 24/7 server monitoring, firewall protection, advanced security modules, and anti-malware protection. Cloudways also includes server-level firewalls, platform-level firewalls, and automated protection mechanisms like Fail2ban. Both providers offer SSL certificates, though Hostinger’s are free and auto-renewed. Hostinger features a malware scanner and enhanced DDoS protection, while Cloudways uses Cloudflare Enterprise for DDoS mitigation and relies on built-in advanced caches.

Operational security measures:

Hostinger employs a dedicated internal security team, applies OWASP Secure Coding Practices, and encourages vulnerability reporting through a bug reward program. It supports up-to-date OS and database encryption. Cloudways emphasizes login security with two-factor authentication and IP whitelisting, and isolates applications to prevent cross-site issues. Hostinger also provides regular vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and internal security policies to maintain a secure hosting environment. Cloudways maintains regular patches and server OS updates, including using tools like Patchstack for vulnerability scanning.

Compliance and certifications:

Hostinger complies with GDPR regulations but does not provide PCI or HIPAA compliance. It lacks certifications like ISO 27001 and SOC but maintains strong security practices. Cloudways similarly is not PCI-DSS compliant independently, relying on compliance through cloud infrastructure providers. While Cloudways’ GDPR status is not explicitly mentioned, its robust security features likely align with GDPR requirements.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: Reliable, fast, and feature-rich hosting for beginners and professionals.

When comparing Hostinger and Cloudways, both providers offer robust hosting features but are tailored to cater to different user needs. Hostinger comes with a custom-built hPanel control panel, an intuitive drag-and-drop website builder, and advanced security measures like Imunify360 and Cloudflare DNS Firewall. It includes free domain registration and SSL certificates with most plans, making it a cost-effective choice for those looking to cut down on extra fees. Additionally, Hostinger’s AI-driven tools and extensive WordPress optimization features make it ideal for users who want ease of use combined with the ability for complex customization.

Cloudways stands out for its powerful performance features, such as an optimized stack (NGINX, Apache, PHP-FPM), built-in caches, and vertical scaling options. It provides a pay-as-you-go plan structure, which could be appealing for users who prefer flexibility without long-term commitments. While Cloudways doesn’t offer a built-in website builder, it supports one-click staging environments and team collaboration features, making it a strong contender for development teams. Unique selling points include the option to purchase additional support add-ons, ensuring tailored assistance when needed. The dedicated firewalls, IP whitelisting, and comprehensive login security features offer an extra layer of protection for more advanced users.

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 Hostinger and Cloudways 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:

Hostinger offers integrated email hosting services, allowing users to manage their email campaigns directly from their hosting account. Cloudways, however, partners with Rackspace for email hosting, available as an add-on service. This flexibility might be beneficial for users who prefer high-performance transactional email capabilities and need to manage and scale their email communication separately.

Winner Hostinger: Offering a diverse range of feature-rich hosting plans at competitive prices.

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.

Hostinger and Cloudways provide an array of hosting plans catering to different needs. Hostinger’s plans are generally more budget-friendly, with prices starting as low as $1.99 per month for shared hosting, $2.99 per month for WordPress hosting, and $9.99 per month for cloud hosting. Hostinger also includes various freebies such as domain names, SSL certificates, and email services across many of their plans. Cloudways, on the other hand, offers more specialized options with their plans focusing on providing higher performance and scalability, particularly with the integration of top cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud. Cloudways’ hosting plans start at $11 per month and offer a pay-as-you-go pricing model. Higher-end plans by Cloudways, such as those using AWS or Google Cloud, provide richer resource allocation but come at a higher price.

Enterprise plans

Hostinger’s enterprise plans provide a comprehensive package with the Cloud Enterprise plan at $29.99 per month. This plan includes 300 websites, 300 GB NVMe storage, 12 GB RAM, 6 CPU cores, and an array of free services like SSL, email, and domain registration, plus daily backups and dedicated resources. Cloudways offers high-end performance plans such as AWS 24XL or comparable packages made for extensive resource needs, but generally at a much higher price point, such as $3569.98 per month for AWS 24XL. For enterprises seeking a balance between features and affordability, Hostinger presents a compelling choice, whereas Cloudways is more suited to those needing extensive, high-performance resources.

🏆 Winner
Hostinger: User-friendly web hosting with rich resources and excellent support.

Hostinger uses a custom-built control panel called hPanel, tailored for beginners and non-technical users. The panel simplifies various tasks like setting up emails, installing CMS, and utilizing the website builder. Its layout is intuitive and straightforward, enhancing the user experience. The presence of over 100 one-click app installations, built-in AI tools, and automated updates makes it a hassle-free choice for those new to web hosting or looking for minimal technical involvement.

Cloudways, on the other hand, offers an intuitive control panel focused on simplifying server and application management. The panel provides 1-click actions for tasks like backup/restore, cloning, and launching applications such as WordPress. Pre-installed Git and access via SSH and SFTP add layers of flexibility for developers. The control panel is also user-friendly but leans more towards technically inclined users who prefer greater control over server management.

Both Hostinger and Cloudways offer free website migration services. Hostinger provides automatic website migration with no downtime, ensuring a seamless transition for users. Cloudways also offers free migration for the first website from any web host, making it convenient for users to switch to their platform. The simplicity of these migration tools removes much of the hassle associated with moving websites.

Hostinger’s help center includes 24/7 multilingual support, extensive tutorials, and Hostinger Academy for video tutorials. The vast array of guides ensures users can easily find answers to their queries. Cloudways provides a centralized help center, a comprehensive knowledge base, and a ticketing system for prompt responses. Live chat support is also available 24/7, supported by an active community and additional premium support add-ons.

🏆 Winner Hostinger: Hostinger provides a highly efficient and user-friendly user management system that caters to a variety of client needs.

Hostinger and Cloudways both offer robust user management features but cater to different needs. Hostinger’s streamlined approach in user role management is designed for centralized service management, allowing quick onboarding, efficient oversight, and various levels of access without overcomplicating the process. Cloudways, on the other hand, focuses on its seamless integration with WordPress, providing granular control over user roles directly within the WordPress admin panel. This setup is beneficial for WordPress-centric businesses, offering detailed role definitions from Super Admin to Subscriber.

Hostinger’s hPanel provides a centralized platform where users can easily navigate between different sections like Websites and Domains. This interface makes adding clients, managing websites, and checking access straightforward. Cloudways integrates user management directly into the WordPress admin panel, offering familiarity and ease for WordPress users. Both platforms offer intuitive, accessible tools, but Hostinger’s focus on a single management pane may appeal to users looking for a consolidated view of their operations.

In terms of managing an increasing number of users, Hostinger’s access control ensures clients are efficiently onboarded and managed without compromising security. With clear distinctions between different user access levels and specific restrictions, Hostinger maintains a structured approach. Cloudways also provides effective access control through WordPress roles, allowing task-specific delegation and control over user activities. Hostinger appears to offer more centralized control suited for hosting management, while Cloudways meets the needs of WordPress users requiring detailed, content-specific control.

Hostinger user roles table:

🏆 Winner
Cloudways: Offers premium support with dedicated account management and proactive monitoring.

Hostinger’s customer service boasts 24/7 live chat support, email support for various queries, a comprehensive knowledge base, and video tutorials via Hostinger Academy. It also provides multilingual assistance and low response times for resolving issues. Priority support is available with higher-tier plans.

Cloudways provides round-the-clock support with multiple contact channels, including email, live chat, phone, and an FAQ help center. Premium support add-ons offer enhanced services such as a dedicated account manager, private Slack channels, and varying response times based on the support package. Proactive monitoring and customization support further enhance the support experience.

User feedback

Hostinger receives high praise for its user-friendly interface, competitive pricing, and robust performance. Customers appreciate the wide range of features, including seamless website migration, the intuitive hPanel, and excellent uptime. The standout feature, consistently mentioned across reviews, is the exceptional and responsive customer support available 24/7 via live chat, although some users express a desire for phone support. On the downside, a few customers report issues with renewal pricing, occasional slow support response times, and the limitations of the lower-tier plans.

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.

FAQ