ScalaHosting vs Cloudways — Which is Better in 2026?
ScalaHosting is significantly more expensive (172% more). In our testing, Cloudways consistently outperformed on speed. We compared pricing, support, uptime, and features so you can choose with confidence.
Last verified: June 2026
Our Quick Verdict
Cloudways wins overall with a 4.6/5 rating vs 4.5/5. It is best for Developers, Agency, WordPress. The other option — ScalaHosting — is a better fit if you need Developers or Agency.
Ratings Comparison
| Category | ScalaHosting | Winner | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 4.5/5 | Winner | 4.6/5 |
| Speed | 4.5/5 | Winner | 4.7/5 |
| Support | 4.5/5 | Winner | 4.4/5 |
| Uptime | 4.7/5 | Tie—Tie | 4.7/5 |
| Value | 4.6/5 | Winner | 4.5/5 |
| Features | 4.6/5 | Tie—Tie | 4.6/5 |
| Security | 4.8/5 | Winner | 4.5/5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.2/5 | Tie—Tie | 4.2/5 |
Features Comparison
| Feature | ScalaHosting | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Free SSL | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free Domain | ✕ | ✕ |
| Free Migration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Money-Back | 30 days | None |
| Storage Type | SSD | SSD |
| Bandwidth | Unmetered | Unmetered |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.9% | 99.99% |
| Founded | 2007 | 2012 |
Pros & Cons
ScalaHosting
Pros
- ✓Free SPanel — saves $30+/mo vs cPanel alternatives
- ✓SShield AI security blocks 99.998% of attacks
- ✓Fully managed VPS — no root config needed
- ✓Free website migration
- ✓Daily backups included
- ✓Affordable managed VPS pricing
Cons
- ✕SPanel learning curve vs cPanel
- ✕Fewer global data centres than competitors
- ✕VPS requires basic technical knowledge
Cloudways
Pros
- ✓Choose your underlying cloud provider
- ✓Pay-as-you-go — no annual lock-in
- ✓Built-in CDN, Redis, and Varnish cache
- ✓Free SSL and automated backups
- ✓One-click staging environments
- ✓PHP-FPM and Nginx Varnish stack
Cons
- ✕No phone support
- ✕No email hosting included
- ✕Pricing scales with cloud server size
- ✕Not ideal for non-technical beginners
Performance Comparison
In our testing, Cloudways consistently outperformed ScalaHosting on page load speed, scoring 4.5/5 and 4.7/5 respectively. ScalaHosting uses SSD storage with data centres in USA, Bulgaria, while Cloudways relies on SSD storage with locations including USA, EU. ScalaHosting guarantees 99.9% uptime, and Cloudways offers 99.99% uptime.
Pricing Breakdown
Cloudways starts at $11.00/month, making it more affordable than ScalaHosting ($29.95/month) — a 172% price difference. Over 12 months, that's $227 in savings by choosing Cloudways. ScalaHosting offers a 30-day money-back guarantee; Cloudways has no standard refund policy.
Support Comparison
ScalaHosting offers support via live chat, ticket with a support rating of 4.5/5. Cloudways provides live chat, ticket support, rated 4.4/5. ScalaHosting has the edge on support responsiveness and quality in our evaluation.
Who Should Choose Which?
Choose ScalaHosting if you need:
- Developers
- Agency
- Resellers
Not ideal for:
Beginners, Non-technical users
Choose Cloudways if you need:
- Developers
- Agency
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
Not ideal for:
Beginners, Email hosting users
Our Verdict
After testing both platforms, we recommend Cloudways for most users. The ratings are close (4.5 vs 4.6), so your decision should come down to your specific use case.
Our Testing Methodology
ArdentSupport evaluates hosting providers across eight weighted criteria: overall value, page load speed, customer support quality, uptime reliability, feature depth, security posture, and ease of use. Ratings reflect real-world performance data, industry reputation, public SLAs, and first-hand support interactions. Prices are verified at time of publication. We update this comparison when provider data changes.