Skip to content
ChooseBetter
Hosting · Comparison

Kinsta vs Cloudways

Both are managed cloud hosts aimed at sites that have outgrown shared hosting. One costs two and a half times the other. The gap is not about speed, it is about how much you want to manage.

Updated September 8, 2026Sajid Gohar

Compared at a glance

ToolBest forStarting priceFree planRatingVisit
Cloudways
Growing stores and apps needing scalable cloudFrom $14/mo—4.5Visit
Kinsta
High-traffic WordPress sites that can't go downFrom $35/mo—4.7Visit

The short answer

On raw numbers Cloudways wins easily: $14 a month for unlimited sites and 25 GB of storage against Kinsta's $35 for one site and 10 GB. Kinsta's case is that backups, CDN and a fully managed WordPress platform are included rather than configured and billed separately.

Side by side

Cloudways MicroKinsta Single
Price$14/mo$35/mo
First monthPaidFree
Annual optionPay monthly only$350/yr, two months off
SitesUnlimited1 WordPress install
Storage25 GB NVMe10 GB
Bandwidth1 TB transfer20 GB server plus 125 GB CDN
BackupsOff-site storage billed at $0.033/GB14-day retention included
EmailPaid add-on from $1.50 a mailboxNot included
MigrationsFreeUnlimited free
You choose the serverYes — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Google CloudNo, Kinsta runs it

Prices read from each provider's own pricing page in US dollars on 8 September 2026, excluding tax. Cloudways figures are for the cheapest Flexible server.

You are not paying Kinsta for resources

That is the part worth understanding. Kinsta gives you less storage and fewer sites for more money. If you compare the spec sheets alone, the decision looks absurd.

What Kinsta sells is the absence of decisions. There is no server type to pick, no backup storage to size, no email add-on to price. It is one plan, one bill and one support team that only does WordPress. For a business site earning money, that can be worth $21 a month.

Cloudways sells the opposite. You choose the cloud provider, the server size and which extras to pay for. That flexibility is why it costs less. It is also why it takes more attention.

Watch the Cloudways extras

  • Off-site backup storage is $0.033 per GB per server, not included.
  • Mailboxes start at $1.50 each per month. Kinsta does not offer email at all.
  • A server bills for the hours it runs, whether or not anyone visits.
  • Upgrading the server raises the monthly invoice immediately.

Add a few of those and the gap narrows. It rarely closes, but $14 is the floor rather than the final bill.

Which one fits you

  • Running several sites — Cloudways. Kinsta charges per install.
  • One business site you would rather not think about — Kinsta.
  • You already manage servers — Cloudways, comfortably.
  • Storing lots of media — Cloudways gives 25 GB against 10 GB.
  • You want to try before paying — Kinsta's first month is free.

Neither is a first host

If this is your first website, both are more than you need. Shared hosting handles a brochure site or a new blog for a few dollars a month. Move up when traffic or sales make slowdowns expensive.

How we compared them

We read both pricing pages on the same day and compared the entry plan each company promotes. We did not run matching sites on both, so this page makes no speed claim. Anyone showing you a winner without publishing their test setup is guessing.

Not sure you need managed cloud yet?

See the best hosting for small business

The tools, in detail

01

Cloudways

Best for: Growing stores and apps needing scalable cloud

4.5Editorial scoreFrom $14/mo
Visit Cloudways

Why we picked it

Managed cloud hosting on top of DigitalOcean, AWS and more.

Pros

  • Scales cleanly
  • Choice of cloud providers
  • Pay-as-you-grow

Cons

  • No domain registration
  • Steeper for total beginners
02

Kinsta

Best for: High-traffic WordPress sites that can't go down

4.7Editorial scoreFrom $35/mo
Visit Kinsta

Why we picked it

Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud with elite performance.

Pros

  • First month free
  • Backups and CDN included
  • Great support

Cons

  • $35/mo for one site
  • 10 GB storage on the entry plan

Independent

Rankings aren't for sale.

Kept current

Reviewed and dated.

Clear method

Same 5 criteria, every time. See how

Frequently asked questions

Is Kinsta worth the extra money?

It depends whether you value the time more than the $21 a month. Kinsta includes backups, a CDN and WordPress-only support in one bill. Cloudways gives more storage and unlimited sites for less, but you configure the server and pay separately for backups and email.

Which is cheaper overall?

Cloudways, at $14 a month against $35. The gap narrows once you add off-site backups at $0.033 per GB and mailboxes from $1.50, though it rarely closes.

Can I host more than one site?

Cloudways Micro runs unlimited websites on one server, limited by the server's resources. Kinsta Single covers one WordPress install, so a second site needs the WP 2 plan at $70 a month.

Does either include email?

Neither includes it in the plan. Cloudways sells a mailbox add-on from $1.50 a month. Kinsta does not offer email, so you would use an external provider.

Can I try them first?

Kinsta's first month is free on the Single plan. Cloudways bills from the start but has no contract, so one month costs $14 and you can stop.

Keep reading

Head-to-headUpdated Sep 2026

Cloudways vs SiteGround

Compare Cloudways and SiteGround on upfront cost, renewal, email and backups. See which fits one business website or a developer-managed setup.

HostingSmall business owners
ComparisonUpdated Sep 2026

Best Hosting for Small Businesses

The best web hosting for small businesses, ranked for speed, support and value. Compare real costs, key limits and the best fit for your site.

HostingSmall business owners
Head-to-headUpdated Sep 2026

SiteGround vs Hostinger

SiteGround vs Hostinger compared on price, lock-in, storage and backups. One is cheaper to start. The other is far cheaper to stay.

HostingSmall business owners