Cloudways vs Hostinger

Cloudways and Hostinger sit at different points on the hosting ladder. Hostinger is a low-cost entry point with a builder. Cloudways is managed cloud hosting for sites that have outgrown shared plans.

Written October 2026. Prices and features change, so confirm on each vendor's site.

The short answer

Choose Hostinger for a first site or side project on a budget. Choose Cloudways if your site needs more consistent performance and you want managed servers without doing server work.

Pick Cloudways for

Managed servers on your choice of cloud provider
Backups and staging tools
Resources you can scale up as traffic grows

Visit Cloudways

Pick Hostinger for

Lower entry price for getting online
Website builder for non-developers
Domain, hosting and email from one place

Visit Hostinger

Side by side

Cloudways and Hostinger compared
Feature	Cloudways	Hostinger
Category	Hosting & domains	Hosting & domains
Best for	Site owners who outgrow shared hosting and want managed performance without server work	First websites and side projects on a tight budget
Pricing	Cloudways bills based on the server size and provider you choose, with optional add-ons for extras such as backups and email. Check the current pricing page and any trial.	Hostinger sells hosting plans that are cheapest on longer upfront terms, with higher renewal prices. Plans differ by number of sites, storage and included extras such as a free domain or email. A money-back guarantee period is usually offered; check current terms on their site.
Keep in mind	Pricing follows server size and usage rather than a flat shared-hosting rate, so estimate your costs before you move.	Introductory prices usually rise on renewal; read the renewal terms.
Skip it if	Skip it if you only need a first, low-cost site and the simplest path. Shared hosting with a site builder will be cheaper and easier.	Skip it if you expect heavy traffic from day one or need fine-grained server control. Managed cloud hosting is a better fit for that.
Why people pick it	Choice of underlying cloud providers Managed servers with backups and staging tools Scale resources up as your site grows	Low entry price for getting a site online Website builder for non-developers Domains and hosting from one place

Categories: Hosting & Domains and Hosting & Domains. Details come from our reviews of each tool.

How they really differ

Cloudways bills by server size and usage rather than a flat shared-hosting price, so estimate your costs. Hostinger's cheapest plans require longer upfront terms and renew at higher prices.

A common path is to start on shared hosting and move to managed cloud hosting once traffic or performance needs justify it.

The verdict

Hostinger to get started cheaply, Cloudways when the site outgrows shared hosting.

Want the full write-up on each? Read our Cloudways review and Hostinger review.

Still deciding?

Both have ways to start small. Check current plans and trials, then pick the one that matches the thing you are building.

Visit Cloudways Visit Hostinger

Quick answers

When should I move from shared hosting to Cloudways?

When slow pages, traffic spikes or resource limits start to hurt the site and a managed server would fix them.

Is Cloudways good for beginners?

It is managed, so you skip server setup, but it has more choices than a simple shared plan. Hostinger is usually the easier first step.

Does this page earn money if I sign up?

Possibly. The buttons use affiliate links, so we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change the price you pay or which tool we say fits you.

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