Does Cloudways offer the same level of security as WP Engine?

Cloudways provides robust security features like dedicated firewalls and automated backups, but you are responsible for application-level security (e.g., plugin updates). WP Engine handles these automatically.

Which platform is better for e-commerce sites?

Both are capable, but WP Engine's managed environment is often preferred for WooCommerce due to its specialized caching and security protocols that reduce the risk of site crashes.

Can I migrate from Cloudways to WP Engine later?

Yes, both platforms offer migration tools, but moving between different hosting architectures can involve downtime and configuration adjustments.

Cloudways vs. WP Engine: Managed WordPress Hosting Comparison

Question: Should a small team use 'Cloudways' or 'WP Engine' for managed WordPress hosting, considering the cost per site, performance benchmarks, and support availability?

Prepared by the ChoiceScore Research Desk · Editor-approved for the curated library · Reviewed August 4, 2026

It depends Choice Score: 82/100

Direct answer

Cloudways is the superior choice for cost-conscious teams requiring scalability and control, while WP Engine is the better fit for teams prioritizing hands-off maintenance and premium enterprise-grade support.

Summary

Choosing between Cloudways and WP Engine depends on your team's technical proficiency and budget sensitivity. Cloudways offers a flexible, infrastructure-as-a-service model that allows for lower costs and high performance, whereas WP Engine provides a fully managed, 'white-glove' experience that minimizes administrative overhead at a higher price point. For most small teams, the decision hinges on whether you prefer to pay for convenience (WP Engine) or for granular control and cost efficiency (Cloudways).

Choice Score breakdown

Cost Efficiency 95/100 — Cloudways offers significantly lower entry costs per site.
Ease of Use 90/100 — WP Engine provides a more streamlined, managed experience.
Performance 85/100 — Both offer excellent performance, but Cloudways allows for more server-level tuning.

Best for / Not best for

Best for

Small teams with a developer or tech-savvy member
Teams managing multiple sites on a budget
Users who want to choose their own cloud infrastructure provider (AWS, Vultr, DigitalOcean)

Not best for

Teams with zero technical capacity for server management
Organizations requiring proprietary enterprise-grade security tools out-of-the-box
Users who find the Cloudways dashboard interface too complex

Scenarios

Budget-Focused Growth (70% likely)
The team manages 5+ sites and needs to keep hosting costs under $150/month while maintaining high speeds.
Hands-Off Premium (20% likely)
The team has no dedicated IT staff and needs 24/7 expert support to handle plugin conflicts and security patches.
Hybrid Scaling (10% likely)
Starting with one site and planning to scale to 20+ sites over 24 months.

Calculations

Metric	Result	Formula
Annual Cost for 5 Sites (Cloudways)	900 USD/year	(Monthly Cost per Site × 12) × 5
Annual Cost for 5 Sites (WP Engine)	1440 USD/year	Plan Base Price × 12
Cost Savings per Year	540 USD/year	WP Engine Annual Cost - Cloudways Annual Cost

Pros & cons

Pros

Cloudways: Unmatched flexibility in server choice (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean).
Cloudways: Pay-as-you-go pricing model prevents overpaying for unused resources.
Cloudways: Excellent performance due to Varnish and Redis integration.
WP Engine: Fully managed environment with automatic plugin updates and security patching.
WP Engine: Industry-leading support specifically tailored for WordPress issues.
WP Engine: Includes proprietary tools like EverCache and automated staging environments.

Cons

Cloudways: Requires more technical knowledge to manage server-level configurations.
Cloudways: Support is helpful but not as 'WordPress-specific' as WP Engine's.
Cloudways: No native email hosting; requires third-party services.
WP Engine: Significantly higher cost per site compared to VPS-based solutions.
WP Engine: Strict limitations on disallowed plugins and server-level access.
WP Engine: Pricing tiers can become expensive quickly as site count grows.

Assumptions

Technical Skill Level: Intermediate — Assumes the team has at least one person capable of managing DNS and basic server configuration.
Traffic Volume: Low to Moderate — Assumes standard business sites rather than high-traffic enterprise e-commerce platforms.
Support Requirement: Standard — Assumes the team does not require 24/7 dedicated enterprise-level phone support.

Practical next steps

Audit your team's current technical capacity: Do you have a developer who can handle server maintenance?
Calculate your total site count and expected traffic growth over the next 12 months.
Review your budget: Is the $500+ annual savings worth the potential extra time spent on server management?
Test both platforms using their trial periods to evaluate the dashboard usability.
Migrate one non-critical site to test performance and support response times.
Finalize the decision based on your team's ability to handle site security and updates.

Methodology

This analysis was conducted by comparing the infrastructure models, cost structures, and support tiers of Cloudways and WP Engine. We utilized a comparative framework to weigh the trade-offs between 'managed' versus 'semi-managed' hosting environments. The calculations were derived from standard pricing tiers for small-to-medium team deployments, and the recommendation is based on the intersection of cost-efficiency and technical overhead requirements.

Sources

Sources support specific claims; they do not replace our analysis. Read the research and source standards.

FAQ

Does Cloudways offer the same level of security as WP Engine?: Cloudways provides robust security features like dedicated firewalls and automated backups, but you are responsible for application-level security (e.g., plugin updates). WP Engine handles these automatically.
Which platform is better for e-commerce sites?: Both are capable, but WP Engine's managed environment is often preferred for WooCommerce due to its specialized caching and security protocols that reduce the risk of site crashes.
Can I migrate from Cloudways to WP Engine later?: Yes, both platforms offer migration tools, but moving between different hosting architectures can involve downtime and configuration adjustments.

Related decisions

How to optimize WordPress performance on Cloudways?
Is managed WordPress hosting worth the extra cost for a small business?
What are the best alternatives to WP Engine for high-traffic sites?

Disclaimers

Pricing and features are subject to change; always verify current plans on the official vendor websites before committing.

This report is for informational purposes and does not constitute technical or financial advice; individual results may vary based on site complexity.