Updated September 29, 2026 · ForgeCue Editorial Team
Cloudways vs PlanetHoster
Cloudways
Higher score in this comparison
PlanetHoster
Cloudways vs PlanetHoster: the differences
| Compare | CloudwaysReviewVisitVisit | PlanetHosterReviewVisitVisit |
|---|---|---|
| Intro price | $11 | €5.49 |
| Renewal price | $11 | €19.99 |
| 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 hosting, Semi dedicated hosting, Cloud/VPS, Dedicated server |
| Websites allowed | Unlimited websites per server | unlimited |
| Features | Free SSL, Backups, Staging, CDN, EmailCovers more | Free SSL, Backups, CDN, Email |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99% | 99.9% to 99.99% |
| Data centres | New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, San Francisco, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto | Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Intro price term (months) | 3 months | 24 monthsHigher |
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 days |
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Key differences
- Hosting types: only Cloudways offers Managed cloud hosting, Managed WordPress hosting, Magento hosting.
- Hosting types: only PlanetHoster offers Shared hosting, Semi dedicated hosting, Cloud/VPS.
- Features: only Cloudways offers Staging.
- Data centres: only Cloudways offers New York, Amsterdam, Bangalore.
- Data centres: only PlanetHoster offers Paris, France, Montreal, Canada, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Intro price term (months) is higher at PlanetHoster: 24 months vs 3 months.
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.
PlanetHoster
PlanetHoster suits beginners, small business users and enterprise teams wanting hosting with unlimited sites through unlimited alongside backups, CDN and email, with introductory pricing at €5.49 for World Hosting that later moves to renewal pricing, so budget for the jump before committing.
Score breakdown
| Area | Cloudways | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Entry of $11 and renewal of $11 are identical, but the entry figure exceeds the web hosting median €2.95. | 8.8HigherIntroductory pricing at €5.49 sits near mid market levels. |
| Offer | 9.8Higher | 9.3Catalog spans shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS with included free SSL, backups and CDN. |
| Trust | 9.1 | 9.4HigherSupport covers email, chat and phone with long operating history. |
Availability and regulation
| Country | Cloudways | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | United States | Not confirmed |
Pick Cloudways if, pick PlanetHoster if
Pick Cloudways if offer and features matter most.
Pick PlanetHoster if cost, trust, and intro price term (months) matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | Cloudways | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Web hosting | 9 of 530 | 12 of 530 |
| Business email hosting | 9 of 425 | 11 of 425 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Cloudways | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Audience | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise | Beginners, Small business, Enterprise |
| Pricing model | Free trial | Not confirmed |
| 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 | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Not confirmed | €7.99 |
| Free plan | Not confirmed | No |
| E-commerce plan price | Not confirmed | €7.99 |
| Builder type | Not confirmed | Site, Store |
Domain registrars
| Fact | Cloudways | PlanetHoster |
|---|---|---|
| .com first year | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| .com renewal | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| .com transfer | Not confirmed | $18.99 |
| Free WHOIS privacy | Not confirmed | No |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Cloudways | PlanetHoster | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Money-back period | Not confirmed | 60 dayshighest quarter | 30 days |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99%above the median | 99.9% to 99.99%above the median | 99.9% |
| Intro price term (months) | 3 monthslowest quarter | 24 monthsabove the median | 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
PlanetHoster
Pros
- Covers shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS, giving room to grow from shared hosting to cloud and dedicated servers.
- Allows unlimited with free SSL, backups and CDN, useful for portfolios of small business sites.
- Provides data centers in Paris, France, Montreal, Canada and Lausanne, Switzerland, supporting European and Canadian audiences.
Cons
- Renewal pricing at €19.99 for World Hosting is markedly higher than introductory pricing at €5.49 for World Hosting.
- Staging is not among its free SSL, backups and CDN, which may matter for testing site changes before release.
- Free plan is no, so there is no no cost route into hosting types in shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS.
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
PlanetHoster
Who it suits
- Beginners and small business users needing shared hosting, semi dedicated hosting and cloud/VPS with room to upgrade, rather than Krystal Hosting for lower entry pricing.
- Owners managing several sites who value unlimited plus free SSL, backups and CDN, rather than checkdomain when store focused simplicity matters.
Who should look elsewhere
- Shoppers seeking lower entry pricing should consider WebHosting because its introductory pricing at £3.29 contrasts with PlanetHoster introductory pricing at €5.49.
- Shoppers seeking privacy included with domains should consider Krystal Hosting because Free WHOIS privacy is no at PlanetHoster.
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
PlanetHoster
Current offer
Discount code
New Subscription Promo: pack of 10 Web Project Standard for 5.49 EUR/month: 5.49 EUR/month for a pack of 10 projects (0.55 EUR/project), renews at 19.99 EUR/month
24-month cycle; also applies to 1 Web Project Ultra at 5.49 EUR/month, renews at 19.99 EUR/month; 60-day guarantee
Source, checked September 26, 2026
First period offer
Free domain name for the first year: domain registration free for 1 year (listed TLDs include .eu,.fr,.ca,.re,.be,.de,.ch,.es,.lu,.li,.xyz)
requires an annual billing cycle or higher; domain renewed at standard rates afterwards
Source, checked September 26, 2026
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.
PlanetHoster
What does PlanetHoster charge at signup and at renewal for hosting+
PlanetHoster introductory pricing is €5.49 for World Hosting, while renewal pricing is €19.99 for World Hosting. That structure means early savings fade at renewal, so readers comparing hosting should budget around the renewal figure and the linked term of 24.
What does PlanetHoster charge for dot com domains+
PlanetHoster charges $18.99 for dot com registration, $18.99 for dot com renewal, and $18.99 for dot com transfer. Pricing stays flat across registration and renewal, which simplifies domain budgeting, although Free WHOIS privacy is no.
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