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Cloudways vs DigitalOcean
Cloudways
DigitalOcean
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and performance to help you choose the right hosting provider.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cloudways | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | N/A | N/A |
| Price | N/A | N/A |
| Storage | 25 GB NVMe | 10 GiB NVMe SSD |
| Bandwidth | 1 TB | 500 GiB |
| Websites | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| CPU | 1 vCPU | 1 vCPU |
| RAM | 1 GB | 512 MiB |
| Free Domain | ||
| Free SSL | ||
| Server Locations | ||
| Regions | 9 ★ | 7 |
| Locations | US East, New York, Virginia US West, San Francisco, Oregon Western Europe, London, Amsterdam Central Europe, Frankfurt Southeast Asia, Singapore East Asia, Tokyo India, Mumbai, Bangalore Australia & Oceania, Sydney South America, Sao Paulo | US East, New York, Toronto US West, San Francisco Western Europe, London, Amsterdam Central Europe, Frankfurt Southeast Asia, Singapore India, Bangalore Australia & Oceania, Sydney |
| Plan Details | ||
| Limited plan details available | Limited plan details available | |
| Monthly Visitors | Unlimited | |
Features | ||
CMS & Platforms (7) | ||
Languages & Frameworks (9) | ||
Databases (4) | ||
Developer Tools (8) | ||
Performance & CDN (4) | ||
| Caching | ||
| CDN | ||
| LiteSpeed | ||
| SSD Storage | ||
Security (6) | ||
| 2FA | ||
| Backups | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Malware Scan | ||
| SSL | ||
| WAF | ||
Support (4) | ||
Extras & Guarantees (5) | ||
| Slight discrepancies are possible. We recommend verifying details on the provider's website. | ||
| Visit Cloudways | Visit DigitalOcean | |
Pricing & Plans
Cloudways Plans
DigitalOcean Plans
Pros & Cons
Cloudways
Pros
- Choice of 5 cloud providers (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud)
- Pay-as-you-go monthly billing — no long-term contracts required
- No price increase on renewal
- Free staging environments with 1-click push/pull
- Imunify360 server firewall and vulnerability scanner
- Object Cache Pro included on 4 GB+ servers
- 3-day free trial without credit card
- 24/7/365 support on all plans
Cons
- No annual billing discount on Flexible plans
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN is a paid add-on ($4.99/domain/mo)
- No free domain included
- No built-in email hosting (Rackspace add-on $1/mailbox/mo)
- Advanced Support is expensive ($100/mo)
- AWS and Google Cloud plans are significantly more expensive
- No cPanel or Plesk — custom control panel only
DigitalOcean
Pros
- Transparent per-second billing with monthly cap — no hidden fees
- No price increase on renewal
- Developer-friendly interface with full REST API and CLI (doctl)
- 99.99% SLA uptime guarantee
- Free cloud firewall and VPC networking
- 15+ global datacenter regions
- App Platform PaaS for zero-ops deployment
- Extensive community with 5000+ tutorials
- One-click Marketplace apps for quick deployment
- Free monitoring and alerting included
Cons
- No managed shared hosting — IaaS only, requires self-management
- No phone or live chat support for standard plans — tickets only
- Backups cost extra (20–30% of Droplet price)
- No free domain registration
- Linux only — no Windows support
- No cPanel/WHM — command-line or custom panel required
Frequently Asked Questions
Cloudways
Is there a discount on managed cloud hosting for the first month?
Yes, many managed cloud hosting providers offer discounts for new users during the first month. These offers let you try the platform at a lower cost before fully committing. At Cloudways, we are offering 30% off for the first 5 months on all web hosting plans, along with free migrations handled by experts and making it easier for you to get started with our managed cloud hosting platform.
Which web hosting provider offers the best value for long term plans?
Finding the best long term web hosting provider depends on performance, scalability, and transparent pricing. While many providers attracts users with low starting prices that jump sharply at renewal, Cloudways offers pay-as-you-go pricing to keep costs predictable. With managed cloud servers starting at $11/month, Cloudways provides enterprise-level performance, 24/7 expert support, and full scalability across top cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. For small to medium bus
How does 24/7/365 support work?
Every cloud hosting plan on Cloudways includes 24/7/365 support via Live Chat and our ticketing system. The Advanced and Premium Support add-ons offer exclusive benefits such as quicker response times and enhanced support access. For assistance, contact Cloudways support at '[email protected]'.
Do you charge any tax on monthly invoices?
Yes, as part of DigitalOcean LLC, Cloudways is required to collect fiscal taxes (such as VAT, GST, or Sales Tax) from customers located in specific countries and U.S. states to comply with local regulations. The tax rate is determined by your billing address and will be listed as a separate line item on your monthly invoice. Registered businesses in most locations can apply for a tax exemption on future invoices by providing a valid Tax ID via the Cloudways Platform. Click to read more about how
What is a free trial?
It is a chance for you to familiarize yourself with Cloudways Platform and test its capabilities. No risk, no obligation, no credit card required and you can cancel anytime.
Can I have servers on separate pricing plans and separate cloud providers?
Yes, you can launch multiple servers of the same or different cloud hosting plans and providers. It is entirely up to you how many servers of which cloud hosting pricing plans and infrastructure provider(s) you launch.
Can I launch separate applications?
Yes. There is no restriction on the number of applications you can launch on a single server.
What if I change my Cloudways pricing plan midway through the month?
Cloudways charges you hourly. This means you are charged only for what you use. As soon as you change your cloud hosting pricing plans, it will be reflected immediately on your invoice.
When will I be charged?
We use post-billing method and charge in arrears. Invoices are issued in the first week of every month for usage of services in the previous month. You will be notified by email of your invoices. For details, click here.
Do you charge differently for servers in different regions?
Yes, pricing varies by region. AWS and GCP have different prices for their infrastructure in each region. We pass those regional pricing differences along to customers. Generally, North America and Europe regions tend to be less expensive than Asia Pacific and South America.
What if I exceed my bandwidth?
Cloudways follows a pay-as-you-go model for bandwidth usage. This means you only pay for the additional bandwidth you consume beyond your plan's limit. On Amazon Web Services (AWS), bandwidth is billed on-demand at $0.12/GB for all regions. On Google Cloud Platform (GCP), bandwidth is billed on pay as you go basis at $0.10 to $0.17 per additional GB, varying by region. On DigitalOcean, additional bandwidth is charged at $0.02/GB.
Is there a way to estimate costs prior to launching your server?
Yes. The exact pricing for whichever configuration you choose will be visible while launching your server. Note that pricing may vary based on location for AWS & GCP servers.
DigitalOcean
What is a DigitalOcean Droplet?
A DigitalOcean Droplet is a Linux-based virtual machine (VM) that runs on top of virtualized hardware. Each Droplet is a new server you can use, either as a standalone server or as part of a larger cloud infrastructure. They are designed to be simple, scalable, and developer-friendly.
What is the difference between a Droplet and a VPS?
A Droplet is DigitalOcean's brand name for a virtual private server (VPS). Essentially, they are the same thing. A VPS is a virtualized server that mimics a dedicated physical server, providing you with your own set of resources and a dedicated operating system.
Is a Droplet a form of IaaS or PaaS?
DigitalOcean Droplets are a form of Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). This means you are provided with the virtualized hardware (computing, storage, and networking) and you are responsible for managing the operating system, applications, and data.
What operating systems can I run on a Droplet?
You can choose from a variety of popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, and CoreOS. You can also use pre-configured 1-Click Apps for LAMP, Docker, WordPress, and more.
Do Droplets come with a dedicated IP address?
Yes, each Droplet you create comes with its own public IPv4 address. You can also assign Floating IPs to your Droplets for high availability.
What kind of storage do Droplets use?
All Droplets use high-performance Solid State Drives (SSDs) for storage. This ensures fast disk I/O, which is crucial for the performance of your applications. For additional storage, you can use DigitalOcean Volumes Block Storage.
How much bandwidth is included with each Droplet?
Each Droplet includes a generous amount of free outbound data transfer. The specific amount depends on the Droplet plan you choose, starting from 500 GiB/month. Inbound bandwidth is always free.
How much does a DigitalOcean Droplet cost?
DigitalOcean Droplets are available at a variety of price points, starting from as low as $4 per month. Pricing is based on the amount of RAM, CPU, SSD storage, and bandwidth included in your plan.
How am I billed for Droplets?
Droplets are billed on a per-second basis, with 60-second minimum and monthly cap. This means you only pay for what you use, and you'll never pay more than the monthly price for a Droplet.
Is there a free trial for DigitalOcean Droplets?
DigitalOcean often provides promotional credits for new users, which can be used to try out Droplets and other services for free. Check the DigitalOcean website for the latest offers.
What can I use a DigitalOcean Droplet for?
Droplets are incredibly versatile and can be used for a wide range of applications, including:Hosting websites and web applications (e.g., WordPress, Node.js, Python)Development and testing environmentsDatabases (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB)CI/CD pipelinesVPN and proxy serversGame serversMachine Learning and AI applications (with GPU-optimized Droplets)
Are Droplets suitable for e-commerce websites?
Yes, Droplets are a popular choice for hosting e-commerce websites. They provide the performance, scalability, and security needed to run online stores of all sizes.
How does DigitalOcean Droplets compare to AWS EC2?
DigitalOcean Droplets are often praised for their simplicity and developer-friendly interface, making them a great choice for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. AWS EC2 offers a wider range of instance types and services, which can be more suitable for large enterprises with complex requirements. In terms of pricing, DigitalOcean is generally more affordable for comparable resources.
What is the difference between DigitalOcean Droplets and Google Compute Engine?
Similar to the comparison with AWS, Google Compute Engine (GCE) is a more enterprise-focused platform with a vast array of services. DigitalOcean Droplets are known for their straightforward pricing and ease of use, which makes them a popular choice for developers and startups.
How do I create a Droplet?
Creating a Droplet is a quick and easy process. You can create a new Droplet from the DigitalOcean control panel in just a few clicks. Simply choose your operating system, Droplet plan, and datacenter region, and your new server will be up and running in under a minute.
How do I connect to my Droplet?
You can connect to your Droplet using SSH (Secure Shell). You will need to use an SSH client and the root password or an SSH key to log in to your server.
Does DigitalOcean offer managed Droplets?
DigitalOcean's core Droplet offering is unmanaged, which means you are responsible for managing the server. However, DigitalOcean offers a Managed Kubernetes service for containerized applications, and you can find managed hosting providers that specialize in managing DigitalOcean infrastructure.
Where are DigitalOcean's datacenters located?
DigitalOcean has datacenters in multiple locations around the world, including New York, San Francisco, Amsterdam, Singapore, London, Frankfurt, Toronto, Bangalore and Richmond. This allows you to choose a datacenter that is closest to your target audience for lower latency.
Can I get a Droplet with a server in the UK?
Yes, you can create a Droplet in the London (UK) datacenter. This is an excellent choice for businesses and developers who need to serve customers in the United Kingdom and Europe.
Are there any datacenter options in India?
Yes, DigitalOcean has a datacenter in Bangalore, India. This is ideal for serving the rapidly growing Indian market and the surrounding regions.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Apple pay requires a Safari browser. For additional payment options, including wire transfer, purchase orders, and ACH, please contact us. Note that when you add a card, we may send a temporary pre-authorization request to the issuing bank. This pre-authorization charge is immediately released by DigitalOcean but may take a few days to clear from your card depending on the bank.
When will my card be charged?
DigitalOcean billing cycles are monthly. Typically, on the first day of each month we invoice and automatically charge your account's primary payment method for the previous month's usage. In some cases, we might charge if your usage exceeds a threshold. You can also login and self pay the balance at any time.
Am I charged when I enter my credit card?
No. Your card is only charged at the end of the billing cycle or upon exceeding a usage threshold. Pre-authorization charge: When you add a card, we may send a preauthorization request to the issuing bank. This is to verify that the card being added has been issued by the bank and that they will authorize any charges in future. These temporary pre-authorizations are typically $1 but can vary in range and are immediately canceled by us. Depending on your bank, it might take a few days for the cha
How do I destroy my resources?
Check out the docs to learn how to destroy Droplets, Kubernetes clusters, Managed Databases clusters (PostgreSQL, MySQL, Caching), Spaces, Volumes , Firewalls , and Load Balancers.
Can I be notified if my bill exceeds a threshold?
Yes, you can set up billing alerts and we will email you if the monthly spending exceeds an amount you specify.
Ready to Choose?
Both providers offer great features. Visit their websites to see the latest deals and pricing.
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US East, New York, Virginia
Western Europe, London, Amsterdam
Central Europe, Frankfurt
Southeast Asia, Singapore
East Asia, Tokyo
India, Mumbai, Bangalore
Australia & Oceania, Sydney
South America, Sao Paulo