Cloudways vs DigitalOcean: Managed Cloud Hosting Showdown (2026)
Published: 2026-11-03 (article re-verified against provider pages)
Status: Ready to publish — pending publishing domain.
DISCLOSURE: This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend hosts I have researched and use.
Quick verdict
Cloudways is the better fit if you want managed hosting — the provider handles scaling, backups, and app-level support, and you pay a markup for that convenience. DigitalOcean is the better fit if you want a raw VM you control yourself — the lowest base price, the most transparent billing, and total freedom.
For most developers shopping for managed WordPress or Laravel hosting, Cloudways wins on ease of use. For developers who want a simple VPS they can point a domain at and forget, DigitalOcean wins on price and simplicity.
What you're actually buying
Both Cloudways and DigitalOcean sell cloud hosting — but they do it differently.
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform. It puts your site on a cloud server (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud) and adds managed services: automatic backups, staging, one-click app installs (WordPress, Laravel, Magento, etc.), 24/7 support, and load-balancing automation. You don't rent a server from Cloudways directly; Cloudways rents one for you and charges a markup for management.
DigitalOcean is a raw cloud server (Droplet) provider. You rent a virtual machine and manage everything yourself: the OS, the web server, the database, the backups, the security. It's the simplest, most transparent cloud server you can get, but "managed" is not in the name.
Side-by-side comparison
Feature
Cloudways
DigitalOcean
Best for
Managed WordPress/Laravel hosting
Raw VPS, predictable price
Entry plan
~$11/mo (Cloudways DO: 2GB/1 vCPU/50GB)
$4.00/mo (DO: 1 vCPU/0.5GB/10GB)
Top plan
$400/mo (Business)
Custom (higher tiers)
Server OS control
Managed (you choose the cloud provider)
Full control of the VM
Managed WordPress / apps
Built-in (1-click installs)
None (install yourself)
Backups
Automated (offsite storage)
Manual or via third party
Support
24/7 support team
Community docs (no phone)
Billing
Monthly or yearly per app
Hourly (Some plans) / monthly
Best price per server
Mid
Lowest
Affiliate model
Up to $125/sale + $30 + 7% lifetime
10% recurring, 12 months
Deep dive: Cloudways
Cloudways sells managed cloud hosting. You pick the underlying cloud provider (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud), and Cloudways adds a managed layer on top: automatic staging, daily backups to offsite storage, one-click WordPress/Laravel/Magento installs, and a 24/7 support team.
Why people choose it
Managed. You get WordPress/Laravel staging, offsite backups, and a support team without having to run the server yourself.
Choose the underlying provider. You can run on DigitalOcean for price, Vultr for regions, Linode for value, or AWS/Google for scale.
App-centric. Built-in one-click installs for WordPress, Laravel, Magento, PrestaShop, and more. Easy to launch a new project.
Hassle-free scaling. You can scale apps up or down (add more RAM/CPU or a bigger server) with a few clicks; Cloudways handles the migration.
Pricing (as published on cloudways.com)
Cloudways plans range from ~$11/mo (DO Micro, 1 vCPU/2GB on DigitalOcean) up to ~$400/mo (Business).
Price depends on the underlying provider and the app. Prices exclude taxes.
Offsite backup storage carries an extra per-GB charge; CDN (Cloudways Compatible CDN) is billed per GB.
The catch
The markup for "managed" is real. You pay a premium over a bare DigitalOcean droplet for the convenience. The entry plans are more expensive than a bare DO droplet.
Support is strong, but you still own the server. Cloudways manages the app stack, not the underlying OS to the same depth as a pure VPS.
Cloudways' free trial runs 3 days, no credit card, and only covers certain cloud providers.
Affiliate economics
Cloudways pays a flat up to $125 per sale, plus a Hybrid model of $30 per sale + 7% lifetime on referred customers. Payout minimum is $250 via PayPal (or $1,000+ via wire), paid monthly on the last week of the month on a 30-day cycle. Cookie is 90 days.
Three models: Slab (performance-based), Hybrid ($30 + 7% lifetime), or Custom. This flexibility is a big plus for affiliates who want to scale with their own growth.
Who should choose it: developers and agencies who want WordPress/Laravel managed hosting without the DevOps. Also ideal if you want a managed host that lets you pick the underlying cloud provider.
Deep dive: DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is the simplest, most transparent cloud server you can get. You rent a Droplet — a virtual machine — and you own it end to end.
Why people choose it
Predictable, low price. Entry droplet starts at $4.00/mo (1 vCPU/0.5GB/10GB), with the basic $6/mo tier well-known for developers.
Clean, simple interface. One control panel, one bill, one Ubuntu image, one hostname.
Writing-purpose transparent. No hidden app stacks with per-app fees. Just a VM, clearly priced.
Top-tier affiliate. DigitalOcean's affiliate program pays 10% recurring commission, each month for a full year, on the referred user's monthly spend, paid monthly. This is a strong evergreen affiliate.
Hourly billing (on Some CPU plans) lets you spin up and tear down in minutes, paying only for what you use.
The catch
Not "managed." If you want WordPress or Laravel managed for you, you run it yourself on a droplet. There's no built-in managed app layer.
Setup is on you. A droplet is a blank VM. You install the OS, web server, database, and app. This is easier than it sounds (there are snapshots and marketplaces), but it's more work than Cloudways.
Support is community docs, not a phone team. Good for devs; less so for non-technical buyers.
No US price advantage over Vultr, and fewer regions than Vultr.
Affiliate economics
DigitalOcean pays 10% recurring commission for 12 months on the referred user's monthly spend. A cash-commission program (not the separate "credits" referral). Cookie varies by program configuration — confirm the current value before quoting.
Who should choose it: developers who want a reliable, simple VPS they control. Also ideal as the underlying host for a managed-housing affiliate, because Cloudways runs on top of DigitalOcean.
The real comparison: managed vs raw
The honest difference isn't hosting speed or uptime — it's who does the work.
Cloudways does the work for you. You get staging, backups, app installs, and a support team. You pay for that convenience. You're buying a managed experience on top of someone else's cloud.
DigitalOcean does not do the work for you. You rent a clean VM and you run it. You pay less, and you keep total control. You're buying a build-it-yourself experience.
Question
Cloudways
DigitalOcean
I want a WordPress site in an hour
Yes — one-click install
No — install WordPress myself
I want zero server babysitting
Yes — managed
No — I run the server
I want the lowest entry price
No (~$11/mo)
Yes ($2.50/mo)
I want to keep all the control
No
Yes
I want a support team
Yes
No
I want to sell to non-technical clients
Yes — easy
Harder
Which one would I start with?
If you're building a site yourself and want the lowest price, fastest setup, and total control → DigitalOcean.
If you're recommending a WordPress/Laravel host to a client or reader and want something managed that they'll not want to touch → Cloudways.
If you're an affiliate looking for the best commission structure → Cloudways' $125/sale + $30 + 7% lifetime beats DigitalOcean's 10% recurring on volume, but DigitalOcean's 10% recurring for a year compounds better over time.
The right call comes down to one question: who do you want holding the server? Cloudways (managed) or DigitalOcean (raw, you hold it).
Affiliate programs (as of 2026-11-03)
Cloudways — up to $125 per sale, plus $30 + 7% lifetime (Hybrid). Payout $250 PayPal / $1,000+ wire, monthly, last week of month. 90-day cookie.
DigitalOcean — 10% recurring for 12 months on monthly spend. 90-day cookie (varies by program configuration).
Vultr — per qualified referral, headline "up to $100".
Disclaimer: Affiliate terms change frequently. Figures above were checked against the provider pages on 2026-11-03. Confirm the current terms before quoting.
How to measure this article
Target keyword: "cloudways vs digitalocean", "managed wordpress hosting 2026", "best cloud hosting for wordpress".
Success = a paying referred user, not a click. A click is a hypothesis; only the payout counts as a sale.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through these links. I only recommend hosts I have researched and use.