WP Engine vs Cloudways
Our pick: WP Engine
Cloudways gives you more server for the money, unlimited sites and hourly billing, but you manage more yourself. WP Engine is more hands-off, with WordPress-trained support for non-developers.
Updated October 2026.
Side by side
| WP Engine Visit site | Cloudways Visit site | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 8.4/10 | 8.3/10 |
| Speed and uptime | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Support | 8.5 | 7.8 |
| Value | 6.8 | 8.0 |
| Features and security | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Ease of use | 8.5 | 7.3 |
| Starting price | $26.25/mo | $14/mo |
| Renewal | Renewal price not published | Same price at renewal |
| Entry plan | Essential · 1 site, 25,000 visits/mo, 10 GB storage | DigitalOcean 1 GB · Unlimited sites (server-limited), No visit cap, 25 GB storage |
| Money-back | 60 days (reported by reviewers) | None (3-day free trial) |
| Support | 24/7 chat, Phone on Business and up, Knowledge base | 24/7 chat, Tickets, Paid premium support add-on |
| Best for | Established businesses, agencies and developers who want a mature platform and can pay a premium | Developers, agencies and growing stores that want cloud power without running servers |
| Key features |
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Highlighted cells show the higher score in each row.
Winner by category
| Speed and uptime | Tie |
|---|---|
| Support | WP Engine |
| Price in year one | Cloudways |
| Price over three years | Unclear: WP Engine doesn't publish its renewal price |
| Features and security | WP Engine |
| Ease of use | WP Engine |
Which one should you choose?
Why pick WP Engine
Best for: Established businesses, agencies and developers who want a mature platform and can pay a premium
- Mature, polished developer workflow: staging, Git, CI/CD and Local
- Strong compliance and security credentials
- Reliable speed with built-in caching and CDN
Why pick Cloudways
Best for: Developers, agencies and growing stores that want cloud power without running servers
- True cloud performance with easy scaling
- Pay hourly, no long contracts
- Unlimited sites on one server
Questions people ask
Is WP Engine or Cloudways better?
WP Engine is the better pick for most people. Cloudways gives you more server for the money, unlimited sites and hourly billing, but you manage more yourself. WP Engine is more hands-off, with WordPress-trained support for non-developers.
Which is cheaper, WP Engine or Cloudways?
Cloudways starts lower, at $14/mo versus $26.25/mo for WP Engine. At renewal, Cloudways is cheaper. Prices checked October 2026.
Which is faster?
WP Engine scores higher for speed and uptime (9.0 vs 9.0).
Which has better support?
WP Engine scores higher for support (8.5 vs 7.8). Every plan gets 24/7 chat with WordPress-trained agents. Phone support starts on the Business tier, and Enterprise customers get a dedicated account team.