Top 8 Cloudways Alternatives for 2026 — Fully Tested and Compared
Cloudways alternatives are worth exploring for anyone who uses Cloudways managed cloud hosting. Cloudways is a popular managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies server management for developers and agencies. However, its pricing can add up quickly, its platform is proprietary which creates vendor lock in, and some features that are free elsewhere require paid add-ons on Cloudways. Whether you are looking for cheaper pricing, more control, better Indian data centers, or a different management experience, this guide covers the best Cloudways alternatives available in 2026. For context on what managed cloud hosting offers, see our guide to cloud hosting in India and VPS hosting.
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Watch: Best Cloudways Alternatives for 2026
Table of Contents
Why Look for Cloudways Alternatives?
Cloudways serves over 80,000 customers and is well known for its managed cloud hosting platform that abstracts server complexity. However, several pain points push customers to explore alternatives.
Rising Costs
Cloudways marks up cloud provider prices significantly. A DigitalOcean droplet that costs $24/mo directly costs more through Cloudways managed platform.
No Indian Data Center
Cloudways does not offer an Indian data center. Their nearest Asian location is Singapore, adding latency for Indian users.
Proprietary Platform
Cloudways uses its own ThunderStack and management platform. This creates vendor lock in that makes migration difficult.
Limited Server Control
Despite being managed, root access restrictions exist. Some server level customizations are not possible.
Add-on Costs
Free SSL on other providers costs extra. Email, staging environments, and monitoring tools all add to the bill.
No Phone Support
Even on premium plans, Cloudways offers only ticketing and live chat. No phone support for urgent issues.
That said, Cloudways excels at simplicity. For teams that want managed hosting without dealing with server management, it remains a strong choice. If any of the above pain points affect you, one of these alternatives may be a better fit.
Top 8 Cloudways Alternatives
1. Vultr
BEST OVERALLVultr is our top Cloudways alternative recommendation. It offers high performance cloud instances at competitive prices, with a data center in Mumbai, India that provides significantly lower latency for Indian audiences compared to Cloudways Singapore. Vultr Compute instances start at $2.50 per month for 1 vCPU, 512MB RAM, and 10GB SSD. For the same workload that costs $30/month on Cloudways, you pay around $10 to $15 directly on Vultr.
Pros
- ✓ Mumbai data center (nearest to India among top providers)
- ✓ 100% SSD storage, Intel/AMD CPUs
- ✓ Hourly and monthly billing
- ✓ Full root access, no proprietary lock in
- ✓ Block storage and object storage options
Cons
- ✗ No managed services out of the box
- ✗ Requires server management knowledge
- ✗ No built-in caching or staging tools
Best for: Developers and agencies who want full control, an Indian data center, and lower costs. Pair with RunCloud or ServerPilot for managed control panel features.
2. DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is the gold standard for developer focused cloud hosting. It is the cloud provider that Cloudways uses under the hood for its managed offering. Going direct to DigitalOcean cuts out the Cloudways middleman markup. DigitalOcean has a Singapore data center and recently launched a Bangalore region (Mumbai adjacent) making it a solid choice for Indian developers. Droplets start at $4 per month for 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 25GB SSD.
Pros
- ✓ Simple interface, excellent documentation
- ✓ Bangalore region coming soon
- ✓ Marketplace with pre configured apps
- ✓ Team collaboration features
- ✓ Strong community and tutorials
Cons
- ✗ No Indian data center currently
- ✗ Unmanaged, requires server skills
- ✗ Limited Windows options
3. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS is the world's most comprehensive cloud platform, offering over 200 services. For Indian businesses needing enterprise grade infrastructure, AWS with its Mumbai region (ap-south-1) provides extremely low latency for Indian users. AWS Lightsail offers simplified virtual servers starting at $3.50 per month, while full EC2 instances provide granular control. AWS is particularly powerful for businesses already using AWS services like S3, RDS, or Lambda.
Pros
- ✓ Mumbai region (ap-south-1) for lowest India latency
- ✓ Free tier for new accounts (12 months)
- ✓ 200+ services, unlimited scaling
- ✓ Enterprise grade security and compliance
- ✓ Lightsail for simplified pricing
Cons
- ✗ Complex pricing (pay per usage model)
- ✗ Steep learning curve for beginners
- ✗ Overkill for simple websites
4. Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud offers premium network performance with its global fiber infrastructure. For Indian websites, Google Cloud has a Mumbai region (asia-south1) delivering excellent performance. Compute Engine instances start affordably, and the sustained use discounts can reduce costs by up to 57% for constant workloads. Google Cloud is ideal for performance critical applications, machine learning integration, or teams already using Google Workspace.
Pros
- ✓ Mumbai region (asia-south1)
- ✓ Premium Tier network (fast global routing)
- ✓ Up to 57% sustained use discounts
- ✓ C2 machine types for compute intensive work
- ✓ Free tier and $300 credit for new accounts
Cons
- ✗ Complex pricing like AWS
- ✗ Documentation less friendly than DigitalOcean
- ✗ Management complexity
5. Kamatera
Kamatera is a cloud services provider that offers highly customizable cloud servers with 16 global data center locations including Mumbai. It strikes a balance between the simplicity of managed hosting and the flexibility of raw cloud servers. Kamatera plans start at $4 per month for 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, and 20GB SSD with no setup fees. Their management console is straightforward, making it accessible for developers who want control without AWS complexity.
Pros
- ✓ Mumbai data center
- ✓ Highly customizable (scale up and down)
- ✓ No setup fees, no hidden costs
- ✓ Hourly and monthly billing
- ✓ Managed Windows and Linux options
Cons
- ✗ No free trial
- ✗ Less brand recognition
- ✗ Smaller community than AWS/DO
6. Linode (now Akamai Connected Cloud)
Linode was acquired by Akamai in 2022 and rebranded as Akamai Connected Cloud. It remains one of the most straightforward cloud providers with transparent pricing and excellent documentation. Linode has a Singapore data center, which while not in India, is geographically close and offers good performance for Indian audiences. Shared CPU instances start at $5 per month, and dedicated CPU instances are available for high performance workloads.
Pros
- ✓ Singapore data center (close to India)
- ✓ Transparent, simple pricing
- ✓ Excellent documentation and API
- ✓ Backups and block storage add-ons
Cons
- ✗ No Indian data center
- ✗ Akamai acquisition raised some integration questions
- ✗ Smaller ecosystem than AWS/DO
7. Rackspace Technology
Rackspace is a managed cloud hosting provider that offers a higher level of managed service than Cloudways. If you want fully managed hosting with dedicated support engineers, Rackspace is worth considering. It specializes in multi cloud strategies (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) with Rackspace managed services on top. This is a premium option suited for enterprises that need dedicated support.
Pros
- ✓ Fanatical support (dedicated engineers)
- ✓ Multi cloud management
- ✓ Fully managed on AWS, Azure, GCP
- ✓ Strong enterprise SLAs
Cons
- ✗ Significantly more expensive than Cloudways
- ✗ Overkill for small to medium projects
- ✗ Complex sales process
8. SSDNodes
SSDNodes offers high memory, high storage cloud servers at remarkably low prices. Their Miami and Los Angeles locations perform well for North American traffic, though they lack an Asian data center. Where SSDNodes excels is value: you get more RAM and storage per dollar than virtually any competitor. For memory intensive applications like caches, databases, or large WordPress installations, SSDNodes offers exceptional density.
Pros
- ✓ Extremely low prices for resources
- ✓ High RAM and storage allocations
- ✓ DDoS protection included
- ✓ Full root access
Cons
- ✗ No Indian or Asian data center
- ✗ Smaller provider, less brand trust
- ✗ Support may be slower than major providers
Cloudways Alternatives Comparison Table
| Provider | Starting Price | Indian DC? | Managed? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vultr | $2.50/mo | ✓ Mumbai | No | Indian traffic, full control |
| DigitalOcean | $4/mo | Singapore | No | Developers, simplicity |
| AWS | $3.50/mo (Lightsail) | ✓ Mumbai | Partial | Enterprise, full AWS ecosystem |
| Google Cloud | Varies | ✓ Mumbai | Partial | Performance, Google integration |
| Kamatera | $4/mo | ✓ Mumbai | Optional | Customizable, Indian market |
| Linode | $5/mo | Singapore | No | Developers, documentation |
| Rackspace | High | Via AWS/Azure | ✓ Fully | Enterprise, dedicated support |
| SSDNodes | $4/mo | ✗ No | No | RAM intensive apps |
| Cloudways | ~$10/mo | ✗ Singapore | ✓ Yes | Managed simplicity |
How to Choose the Right Cloudways Alternative
The right Cloudways alternative depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and budget. Here is a decision framework to help you choose.
Choose Vultr if:
You prioritize an Indian data center for low latency, want full root control, and prefer lower costs by eliminating the managed markup. Pair with RunCloud for a control panel.
Choose DigitalOcean if:
You value simplicity, excellent documentation, and a strong developer community. Best for startups and developers who want a reliable cloud without complexity.
Choose AWS if:
You need enterprise grade infrastructure, already use AWS services, or need the broadest range of cloud services. The Mumbai region makes it viable for Indian audiences.
Choose Kamatera if:
You want customizable cloud servers with an Indian data center, at a price between managed and raw cloud. Good balance of control and simplicity.
Choose managed hosting like Hostinger if:
You prefer not to manage servers at all. Hostinger Cloudways equivalent would be their cloud hosting plans. See our Hostinger review for managed cloud hosting details.
For a complete overview of hosting options for your project, see our best web hosting guide for India.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Cloudways alternative for Indian websites?
Vultr is the best Cloudways alternative for Indian websites due to its Mumbai data center, which provides significantly lower latency than Cloudways Singapore. Kamatera is also a strong choice with its Mumbai location and managed service options.
Is DigitalOcean better than Cloudways?
It depends on your needs. DigitalOcean direct is cheaper but unmanaged. Cloudways is managed but more expensive and uses DigitalOcean as one of its backends. If you want managed hosting without Cloudways complexity, consider Hostinger Cloud hosting instead.
Can I migrate from Cloudways to Vultr?
Yes, you can migrate from Cloudways to Vultr or any other provider. The process involves taking a full backup of your Cloudways server, provisioning a new server on your chosen platform, and restoring the backup. Most WordPress and Laravel applications migrate without issues. RunCloud or ServerPilot on your new Vultr instance can simplify management afterward.
Does Cloudways offer an Indian data center?
No, Cloudways does not currently offer an Indian data center. The closest option is their Singapore data center. For Indian websites, this adds latency compared to Vultr, Kamatera, AWS, or Google Cloud which all have Mumbai regions.
Is managed cloud hosting worth the extra cost?
For developers and agencies who prefer not to manage server administration, security updates, and server configuration, managed hosting is worth the premium. For those comfortable with server management, unmanaged cloud instances on Vultr or DigitalOcean provide better value and more control.
How does Cloudways compare to AWS for Indian websites?
AWS with its Mumbai region (ap-south-1) offers lower latency for Indian users than Cloudways Singapore. AWS Lightsail provides simple virtual servers starting at $3.50/mo, competitive with Cloudways pricing. However, AWS pricing is more complex (pay per usage) while Cloudways offers predictable monthly pricing.
Looking for Cloud Hosting in India?
Vultr and Kamatera offer Indian data centers at competitive prices. For fully managed hosting with an Indian presence, Hostinger Cloud is another option to consider.