Updated September 29, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
Cloudways vs Krystal Hosting
Cloudways
Krystal Hosting
Higher score in this comparison
Where Cloudways and Krystal Hosting differ
| Compare | CloudwaysReviewVisitVisit | Krystal HostingReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $11 | £7 |
| Renewal price | $11 | £7 |
| Hosting types | Managed cloud hosting, Managed WordPress hosting, Magento hosting, Laravel hosting, PHP application hosting, WooCommerce hosting, Node.js application hosting, Managed AI agent hosting | Shared cPanel web hosting, Business hosting, Reseller hosting, Managed WordPress hosting, VPS hosting, Dedicated servers, Cloud virtual machines, Block storage, Object storage, GPU compute, CDN, Managed solutions, Domain registration, Website builder |
| Websites allowed | Unlimited websites per server | 1 on Amethyst, 5 on Ruby, unlimited on Emerald and above |
| Features | Free SSL, Backups, Staging, CDN, EmailCovers more | Free SSL, Backups, CDN, Email |
| Data centres | New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto | London, United Kingdom, Edison, New Jersey, United States, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 days |
| Intro price term (months) | 3 months | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Uptime guarantee (99.99%).
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.
Key differences
- Krystal Hosting scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.1.
- Hosting types: only Cloudways offers Managed cloud hosting, Magento hosting, Laravel hosting.
- Hosting types: only Krystal Hosting offers Shared cPanel web hosting, Business hosting, Reseller hosting.
- Features: only Cloudways offers Staging.
- Data centres: only Cloudways offers New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore.
- Data centres: only Krystal Hosting offers London, United Kingdom, Edison, New Jersey, United States, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Our verdict on each
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.
Krystal Hosting
Krystal Hosting suits small businesses and beginners seeking hosting with broad support across email, chat, phone and help centre via email, chat and phone. Entry hosting starts at £7 with renewal at £7, alongside a money back period of 60 days that gives added room to decide.
Score breakdown
| Area | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Entry of $11 and renewal of $11 are identical, but the entry figure exceeds the web hosting median €2.95. | 8.6HigherEntry hosting at £7 with renewal at £7 keeps costs steady. |
| Offer | 9.8Higher | 9.5Hosting range spans shared cPanel web hosting, business hosting and reseller hosting with added extras via free SSL, backups and CDN. |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.7HigherSupport covers email, chat and phone with uptime promise of 99.99%. |
Intro price vs renewal
| Fact | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $11, then $11 (+0%) | £7, then £7 (+0%) |
Which one suits you
Pick Cloudways if offer and features matter most.
Pick Krystal Hosting if trust matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Web hosting | 9 of 530 | 4 of 530 |
| Business email hosting | 9 of 425 | 3 of 425 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Free trial |
| Legal entity | Cloudways LLC | Not confirmed |
| Headquarters | United States | Not confirmed |
| Founded | 2012 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre, Community | Not confirmed |
Website builders
| Fact | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | £5 |
| Free plan | Not confirmed | No |
| E-commerce plan price | Not confirmed | £17 |
| Free trial length | Not confirmed | 30 days |
| Templates | Not confirmed | from 190 |
| Builder type | Not confirmed | Site, Store |
Domain registrars
| Fact | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| .com first year | Not confirmed | £11.99 |
| .com renewal | Not confirmed | £11.99 |
| .com transfer | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Free WHOIS privacy | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Domain endings | Not confirmed | 20 |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99%above the median | 99.99%above the median | 99.9% |
| Intro price term (months) | 3 monthslowest quarter | Not confirmed | 12 months |
Median across 380 listed software products.
Pros and cons
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
Krystal Hosting
Pros
- Money back period of 60 days gives extended room to assess fit against the wider market.
- Support spans email, chat, phone and help centre through email, chat and phone for flexible contact.
- Included extras cover SSL, backups, CDN and email via free SSL, backups and CDN for everyday site needs.
Cons
- There is no Free plan option, so you need a paid hosting plan from £7 to get started.
- Entry hosting at £7 sits above WebHosting at £3.29, so tight budgets may prefer to compare elsewhere.
- Builder access relies on trial cover of 30 rather than lasting no-cost access, which limits extended tryouts.
Who each suits
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
Krystal Hosting
Who it suits
- Beginners who prefer Krystal Hosting over easyname for guided support through email, chat and phone and steady pricing.
- Small businesses that favour Krystal Hosting over checkdomain for broad hosting choice via shared cPanel web hosting, business hosting and reseller hosting and bundled extras.
- Growing sites that pick Krystal Hosting over WebHosting for longer money back cover of 60 and clear renewals.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers chasing the lowest entry price rather than Krystal Hosting, as easyname from €0.99 to €1.99 may suit tighter budgets better.
- Buyers who want lasting no-cost hosting rather than Krystal Hosting, as checkdomain may merit a look for a different entry model.
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
Krystal Hosting
Current offer
Bonus
Switch Credits plus free website migration: Pro-rated credit of unused time with your current host, convertible to free hosting time
Credit is the pro-rated value of unused time with your current host; at the moment only credited for transfers from hosts with more than 100,000 clients; free expert migration performed by Krystal
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Discount code
Discount for annual or biennial payment: Save 16% annually, 25% biennially
Discounted rate applies when paying annually or biennially instead of monthly; prices shown exclude VAT
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Free domain for life of plan on Ruby and above: Free standard domain for the life of the plan
New hosting accounts only; upgrading or switching from another Krystal package does not qualify; standard domains such as .uk, .com, .org only, not premium or restricted TLDs; domain returns to full price if the plan is cancelled or downgraded
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Bonus
Three months complimentary hosting for affiliates: 3 months free hosting
Only for affiliates who join the Awin programme
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Cloudways | Krystal Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
Questions about each
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.
Krystal Hosting
How much does Krystal Hosting cost at signup and at renewal+
Entry hosting starts at £7 and renewal sits at £7, so the amount stays level after the opening term. You can plan yearly spend without a jump between terms. Check plan limits before you commit, as site allowances vary.
How long do you have to change your mind after purchase+
The money back period lasts 60, which gives generous room to review performance and support. You can request cover under stated terms if the service feels unsuitable. Read the terms carefully so you understand scope and timing.
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