Comparison is based on aggregated benchmark data, published performance studies, and community feedback from TrustPilot, G2, and WebHostingTalk. See our methodology for full sourcing details.
| Feature | Cloudways | WP Engine | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $14/mo | $30/mo | Cloudways |
| Max Sites | Unlimited | Plan-limited | Cloudways |
| Provider Choice | 5 cloud providers | Proprietary + AWS | Cloudways |
| Avg. TTFB | 178ms | 195ms | Cloudways |
| Staging Environments | All plans | All plans | Draw |
| Included Themes | No | StudioPress / Genesis | WP Engine |
| Affiliate Cookie | 30 days | 180 days | WP Engine |
| Phone Support | No | Yes (higher plans) | WP Engine |
| Agency Tools | Excellent | Good | Cloudways |
| Plugin Restrictions | None | Some blocked | Cloudways |
Cloudways wins for agencies managing multiple client sites. The combination of unlimited apps, provider flexibility, and lower starting price makes it significantly more economical at scale. The lack of plugin restrictions is also a genuine advantage.
WP Engine wins when you need to present a hosting solution to a non-technical stakeholder who will recognise the brand, or when WordPress-specific features (StudioPress themes, Genesis framework) have direct value. The 180-day affiliate cookie is also the industry's best.
Winner: Cloudways — for agencies and developers on price and flexibility, though WP Engine wins on WordPress-specific features and enterprise trust.