Updated October 18, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
checkdomain vs Cloudways
checkdomain
Higher score in this comparison
Cloudways
What sets them apart
| Compare | checkdomainReviewVisitVisit | CloudwaysReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | €1.99 to €6.99 | $11 |
| Renewal price | €5.90 to €27.90 | $11 |
| Hosting types | Shared, Wordpress, Email, Website builder | Managed cloud hosting, Managed WordPress hosting, Magento hosting, Laravel hosting, PHP application hosting, WooCommerce hosting, Node.js application hosting, Managed AI agent hosting |
| Websites allowed | 1 website | Unlimited websites per server |
| Features | Free SSL, Backups, Email | Free SSL, Backups, Staging, CDN, EmailCovers more |
| Uptime guarantee | 99% | 99.99%Higher |
| Data centres | Germany | New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto |
| Intro price term (months) | 1 to 12 monthsHigher | 3 months |
| Money-back period | 14 days | Not confirmed |
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Key differences
- Hosting types: only checkdomain offers Shared, Wordpress, Email.
- Hosting types: only Cloudways offers Managed cloud hosting, Managed WordPress hosting, Magento hosting.
- Features: only Cloudways offers Staging, CDN.
- Data centres: only checkdomain offers Germany.
- Data centres: only Cloudways offers New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore.
- Intro price term (months) is higher at checkdomain: 1 to 12 months vs 3 months.
- Uptime guarantee is higher at Cloudways: 99.99% vs 99%.
Our verdict on each
checkdomain
checkdomain suits small businesses and beginners seeking German hosted domains plus hosting under checkdomain GmbH, with .com first year at €0.84 keeping entry low while renewals apply separately. Support through email, phone and help centre adds reassurance for owners managing sites and mail without switching providers.
Cloudways
Cloudways suits developers and small businesses who want managed hosting rather than shared plans, with WordPress, Magento, Laravel and Node.js covered. Entry plans start at $11 a month, and every server allows unlimited websites. Renewal holds at $11, so the entry figure is the working budget.
Score breakdown
| Area | checkdomain | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherEntry stays low with .com first year at €0.84 and transfer at €0. | 8.4Entry of $11 and renewal of $11 are identical, but the entry figure exceeds the web hosting median €2.95. |
| Offer | 9.4Hosting covers shared, wordpress and email with mail and builder paths in Germany. | 9.8Higher |
| Trust | 8.0Company is checkdomain GmbH in DE with defined support paths. | 9.1Higher |
Choosing between them
Pick checkdomain if cost and intro price term (months) matter most.
Pick Cloudways if offer, trust, features, and uptime guarantee matter most.
Licences and countries
| Country | checkdomain | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | United States |
Sources behind this comparison
checkdomain
- checkdomain.de: 11 facts, checked September 29, 2026
Cloudways
- cloudways.com: 12 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | checkdomain | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Web hosting | 10 of 530 | 9 of 530 |
| Business email hosting | 10 of 425 | 9 of 425 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | checkdomain | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Legal entity | Not confirmed | Cloudways LLC |
| Headquarters | Not confirmed | United States |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2012 |
| Support channels | Not confirmed | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre, Community |
Website builders
| Fact | checkdomain | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €9.90 | Not confirmed |
| Free plan | No | Not confirmed |
| E-commerce plan price | €23.90 | Not confirmed |
| Transaction fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Free trial length | 14 days | Not confirmed |
| Templates | 150 | Not confirmed |
| Builder type | Site, Store | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | checkdomain | Cloudways | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | 14 dayslowest quarter | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99%lowest quarter | 99.99%above the median | 99.9% |
| Intro price term (months) | 1 to 12 monthsat the median | 3 monthslowest quarter | 12 |
Median across 380 listed software products.
Pros and cons
checkdomain
Pros
- Low .com first year at €0.84, below easyname at €0.89
- Free .com transfer at €0 for consolidating domains without an entry fee
- Hosting range spans shared, wordpress and email with data centres in Germany
Cons
- Ongoing .com cost moves to €28.68 after the low .com first year at €0.84
- Hosting renewal for the hosting range runs €5.90 to €27.90, above intro hosting at €1.99 to €6.99
- Free plan is unavailable, so evaluation rests on trial lasting 14 days
Cloudways
Pros
- Renewal matches entry, so $11 at sign up becomes $11 on renewal with no jump
- One provider covers the stack: managed cloud hosting, managed WordPress hosting and Magento hosting spans managed cloud, WordPress, Magento, WooCommerce, Laravel, PHP, Node.js and managed AI agent hosting
- Support reaches email, chat and phone, and uptime is guaranteed at 99.99%
Cons
- At $11 a month, entry cost sits above the web hosting median of €2.95
- free trial lists a free trial only, so there is no permanent free plan to test on
- Regions are limited to New York, Amsterdam and Bangalore, so a site needing a location outside that list has to look elsewhere
Who each suits
checkdomain
Who it suits
- Beginners and small firms wanting German hosting plus domains, unlike Krystal Hosting which suits UK centred care
- Shoppers consolidating names on low entry cost, unlike easyname where .com first year is at €0.89
- Simple site owners needing mail and backups in hosting, unlike WebHosting when UK support focus matters more
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers seeking the lowest .com renewal should compare Krystal Hosting, since checkdomain renewal sits at €28.68
- Shoppers wanting a lasting free builder tier should look beyond checkdomain, since Free plan is unavailable and trial lasts 14 days
Cloudways
Who it suits
- Agencies and freelancers running client WordPress, Magento or WooCommerce sites that want backups and staging handled, both listed under free ssl, backups and staging
- Developers shipping Laravel, PHP or Node.js applications who want a managed runtime in New York, Amsterdam and Bangalore
- Small businesses that want free SSL, backups, staging, CDN and email covered in the entry plan rather than bought separately
Who should look elsewhere
- Render, whose entry price is $0, suits readers who only want a free starting point
- Afrihost, listed at ZAR 84, is the pick when the opening number alone settles the shortlist
- Hosting.cl, quoted at CLP 159,900, gives readers a second entry figure to weigh against Cloudways $11
Current offers
Cloudways
Current offer
First period offer
30% OFF for 3 Months on All Plans: 30% off for 3 months
Limited time offer on Cloudways Flexible and Autonomous plans, claimed via the pricing page signup link
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
30% OFF for 4 Months on Cloudways Autonomous: 30% off for 4 months
Promotional banner for Cloudways Autonomous; scope limited to that product line
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Free trial
3-day free trial: 3 days free
No credit card needed; cancellable anytime
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Questions about each
checkdomain
How much does a .com cost at checkdomain+
A .com starts at €0.84 for the opening period, then moves to €28.68 on renewal. That shape suits buyers chasing low entry cost who accept higher ongoing cost. Budget by the renewal figure, since it drives the longer term spend.
Does checkdomain charge for .com transfers+
Yes, .com transfer is listed at €0, which lowers the barrier to consolidate domains under checkdomain. Renewal after transfer is billed at €28.68. Review remaining term and included services before moving active sites or mail.
Cloudways
How much does Cloudways cost at the start of a plan?+
Cloudways lists an entry price of $11 a month, and that rate applies for an introductory term of 3. After that term the plan moves to the renewal price of $11, which here matches the entry rate rather than rising above it.
Does the price change when a plan renews?+
Renewal sits at $11, the same figure as the $11 entry rate, so budgets do not step up after the first term. That makes the opening number a fair guide to what a managed server costs month to month.
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