Managed Cloud VPS Comparison
| Feature comparison table |
 $29.95 /mo
Build 1
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 $34 /mo
DO Medium
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|---|---|---|
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Feature Name
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CPU cores
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2 CPU cores
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2 CPU cores
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RAM
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4GB RAM
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4GB RAM
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Storage
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50GB NVMe
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80GB NVMe
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Automatic Offsite Backups
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yesYes, included free
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no$0.033/GB extra charge
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External Backups Support
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yesS3, B2
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noNo
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Includes Control Panel
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yesYes, SPanel (free)
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yesYes, in-house panel
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Free Website Migration
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yesYes, unlimited
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no1 free, then $25-$200/site
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Free Email Migration
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yesYes
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noNo email services
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Free Global CDN Integration
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yesYes, via Cloudflare
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noCloudflare, paid addon ($4.99/mo)
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Malware Protection
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yesYes, SShield (included)
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noPaid addon
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Free OpenLiteSpeed Аcceleration
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yesYes
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noNo, Nginx-based stack
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Scalable Resources
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yesYes, unlimited scaling
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noNo, plan-based upgrades only
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Dedicated IP
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yesYes
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yesYes
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IP Blacklist Monitoring
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yesYes, built into SPanel
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noNone
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Free SSLs
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yesYes - Let's Encrypt
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yesYes - Let's Encrypt
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Root Access
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yesYes, full root access
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noNo, user-level SSH only
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DNS Services
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yesIncluded free
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no$0.50/domain/month via 3rd party
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Email Services
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yesIncluded free
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noNot available (Rackspace paid option)
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Money-back Guarantee
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yesAnytime
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noNone; 3-day free trial
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Bandwidth
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yesUnmetered
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4TB ($0.12/GB overage)
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Comparing the Managed Cloud VPS plans reveals significant differences in value and control. ScalaHosting provides true cloud VPS with full root access and complete server management capabilities, while Cloudways operates as a management layer between you and third-party cloud providers (DigitalOcean, AWS, etc.).
There are visible limitations with Cloudways that are included for free on all ScalaHosting cloud plans. For starters, even though most hosts nowadays don’t put a set limit on bandwidth, you are charged for any traffic over 4TB with cloudways. The same goes for hosting your DNS, which is charged monthly per domain.
You can expect plenty of services to be charged extra as well. If you are looking to have a CDN and malware protection - they are only available as a paid add-on. The same goes for the ability to keep backups, which are especially costly as Cloudways charges their storage per GB.
Emails are an integral part of any business but such a service is not available with Cloudways, unless you use an external provider.
In comparison, all of the above are absolutely free with ScalaHosting, saving clients a hefty sum for features that should be a given.
Support Comparison
Real Experts. Real Answers. No Waiting.
ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting provides 24/7 technical support via live chat and ticket system, with direct access to in-house trained server-level experts. Because the team has full control over the hosting infrastructure, even complex issues can be diagnosed and resolved without escalation layers or third-party coordination. Average response times are approximately 15 seconds on live chat and 15 minutes for tickets. You get direct access to real engineers, ultra-fast response times, and no extra fees for premium support.
Cloudways
Cloudways offers 24/7 support through chat and ticketing; however, as an intermediary between customers and third-party cloud providers, infrastructure-related issues may require additional coordination. This can extend resolution times, particularly for more complex server-level problems. Average response times range from 5–60 minutes for chat and 6–24 hours for tickets, and premium support requires an additional monthly fee. You may get solid support coverage, but infrastructure issues may involve third-party coordination and added costs for priority assistance.
| Support Response Time |
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|---|---|---|
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24/7 Technical Support
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Average response time
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15 seconds (chat),
15 minutes (tickets) |
5-60 minutes (chat),
6-24 hours (tickets) |
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Dedicated In-House Experts
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Trained server-level engineers
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Acts as intermediary
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Complex Issue Resolution
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Resolved without escalation
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May require provider coordination
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Control Over Infrastructure
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Full control of hosting stack
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Third-party cloud dependency
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Performance Comparison
| Performance Comparison |
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|---|---|---|
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Feature Name
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Storage Read IOPS
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162,000 read IOPS
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30,000 read IOPS
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Storage Write IOPS
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53,900 write IOPS
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12,000 write IOPS
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CPU Power
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5,028 events per second
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1,585 events per second
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Storage Type
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NVMe on all plans
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NVMe on premium plans only
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LiteSpeed Web Server
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OpenLiteSpeed included
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No option, Nginx-based
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Redis Cache
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Redis manager included
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Available but requires config
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Network Speed
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200+ Mbps
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Varies by provider
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ScalaHosting delivers superior performance across key infrastructure metrics, with 5.4x faster storage read speeds (162,000 vs 30,000 IOPS), 4.5x faster storage write speeds (53,900 vs 12,000 IOPS), and 3.2x greater CPU processing power (5,028 vs 1,585 events per second).
What do these numbers mean for your business? Faster read and write IOPS means more server requests you can process per second. The bigger the value - the faster page load times, quicker file transfers, and overall a more responsive system. The CPU power is another performance booster, allowing your system to execute more calculations/tasks and thus handle traffic spikes more efficiently.
ScalaHosting is not just a Cloudways alternative when it comes to performance, it takes your website to the next level.
Migrations Comparison
Migration Requests
Migration team works 24/7. You can schedule the migration for a desired time (nights and weekends included). The transfer will be initiated immediately after our team receives valid login credentials to start copying the data. Post-migration checks are included.
Migration team works 24/7. Migration will be done 1-2 business days after the migration details are verified.
Conditions
No conditions:
We will move you from any host, any panel, any type of website, as long as we have access to the files and database. The size, type, and number of websites don't matter as well - the migration is always free and guaranteed.
You are eligible for 1 free website migration for your first website. You can also migrate yourself with a WP plugin. All additional site transfers after the first one are only available as a paid feature..
Cost
Free migration for all new hosting accounts,
regardless if shared, email, reseller, or managed cloud. Available for multiple websites.
One free migration as a courtesy.
Additional migrations: $25 to $200 per site, depending on the application.
Mail Transfer
Email migration is free and can be performed for clients coming from any platform via IMAP sync. No restrictions on the size and number of mailboxes.
No email services available. Cloudways does not provide email hosting. If you need email, you must use external providers like Rackspace (paid) or other third-party email services. This is why no email migrations are available.
Resources and Scalability
| Scalability Feature |
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|---|---|---|
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Feature Name
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Resource Scaling
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Full, granular scalability - add individual resources as needed
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Plan-to-plan upgrades only, no granular options
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Maximum Resources
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Up to 24 CPU cores, 128GB RAM, 2000GB storage, cluster option for higher needs
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Varies by cloud provider
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Upgrade Process
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Quick server reboot for CPU/RAM; instant for storage
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Must upgrade to higher plan tier
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Server Migrations
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No migrations required for upgrades
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May require provider changes
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Resource Guarantee
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Guaranteed resources - no overselling
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Depends on the underlying provider
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Downgrade Flexibility
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Supported
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Limited (storage cannot be reduced)
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True Cloud Scalability
ScalaHosting offers virtually unlimited scaling with granular control - add just 1 CPU core or 10GB storage as needed. You're only charged for what you use.
Cloudways requires plan-to-plan upgrades. If you need 2 more CPU cores, you must upgrade to the next tier and pay for all the extra resources you don't need. Additionally, storage scaling is permanent - you cannot scale back down.
Security Comparison
| Security |
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|---|---|---|
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Feature Name
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Free SSL Certificates
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Included
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Included
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Malware Protection
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SShield AI - always active (included)
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Paid addon (extra cost)
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Backups
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Daily + remote option (included)
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Automated but charged $0.033/GB
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WordPress Anti-malware
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WP-lock on all SPanels
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No specific WP protection
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IP Blacklist Monitoring
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Included
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Not included
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Firewall Protection
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Advanced firewall (included)
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Basic firewall included
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Security Response
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Proactive + real-time alerts
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Reactive
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ScalaHosting includes comprehensive security features for free with all Cloud VPS plans. SShield provides real-time server monitoring, malware detection, and automated threat blocking. All security tools are integrated directly into SPanel.
Cloudways offers basic security features but requires paid add-ons for advanced protection. Their premium security add-on costs extra, severely impacting service value. Automated offsite backups come at an additional charge ($0.033/GB) on most plans.
Control Panel Comparison
| Control panels |
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|---|---|---|
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Feature / Tool
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Control Panel Type
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SPanel (cPanel-compatible)
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Custom panel
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License Fee
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Free with all plans
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Included
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Account Management
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Full admin/reseller/client separation
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Application-focused
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Email Management
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Full email tools + blacklist monitoring
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No email services
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DNS Editor
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Built-in, free
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$0.50/domain/month
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File Manager
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Root and user-level access
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Limited to app directories
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WordPress Manager
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Full WP Manager - auto updates, security, staging
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Basic (5 plugins), Pro costs $3/installation
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Redis Manager
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GUI for enabling and monitoring Redis
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Requires manual configuration
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Backup Access
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Direct download and restore of all files and databases
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Application-based restoration with no flexibility
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Control Panel Speed
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Fast, responsive
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Slow (5+ seconds to load pages)
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Server Root Access
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Yes, full root access
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No root access (master-level SSH only)
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Custom Software Installation
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Unlimited with root access
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Cannot install (no root access)
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Based on real user testing, Cloudways has several limitations that can restrict flexibility and scalability. It does not provide root access, preventing users from installing custom software or modifying system configurations. Email services are not included, DNS hosting requires a third-party provider at an extra cost, and the WordPress manager is limited unless upgraded to a paid version. Backup management is also restricted, requiring support tickets even for single-file restores, and the control panel can take several seconds to load. In addition, the platform has seen limited new functionality in recent months.
SPanel goes beyond being just a Cloudways alternative. Developed by ScalaHosting, it offers full root access, advanced hosting management, and built-in tools like SShield security and a WordPress/Joomla Manager at no additional cost. The platform is lightweight, performance-optimized, and continuously improved based on client feedback and feature requests.
Refunds and Hidden Fees Comparison
Money-back Options:
30-day full money-back guarantee
Anytime partial/prorated refunds
Hidden Fees:
No mandatory extra charges
No backup creation or restore fees
No migration fees
No preselected paid extras upon order
Optional addons clearly disclosed
Money-back Options:
No standard money-back guarantee
3-day free trial (limited providers)
Hidden/Extra Fees:
Offsite backup storage: $0.033/GB/month
Extra bandwidth: $0.12/GB
Site migration: $25-$200 (after first free)
DNS hosting: $0.50/domain/month
Malware protection: Paid addon
Enterprise CDN: $4.99+/month
Premium support: $100-$500/month
While Cloudways advertises transparent pricing, the actual cost of running a production website includes many mandatory extras:
EXAMPLE REAL COST: A $34/month plan with 5 domains, backups, and CDN actually costs $54+/month before bandwidth overages.
What Our Customers Say About ScalaHosting
I have been operating websites on a commercial basis since 1993 and have never been exposed to such a satisfying and positive hosting experience. We are using the NY based servers and our speed is fantastic with First Contentful paint at 0.8s and Speed Index at 1.0s. You could not get faster!
Receiving a prompt, positive response when having a question or issue is very important, particularly when working with live ecommerce sites. I moved the 90+ websites I manage to ScalaHosting almost two years ago. It's a decision I've never regretted and has really been beneficial to my business.
I was having troubles with my online store going down every day losing visitors and sales. Then I found ScalaHosting. Those people moved my site for free and without downtime. My website never stopped loading. I recommend them with both hands and thumbs up!
Faster, More Powerful, Better Value
If you are looking for a Cloudways alternative that delivers superior performance, complete control, and transparent pricing without the hidden fees that plague managed hosting - ScalaHosting is your best bet.
Scala realizes that businesses need a stable, reliable web hosting environment without unnecessary technical complications or complex tools. This is why you not only get a state-of-the-art SPanel packed with all the essentials - tech support is just a few clicks away.
Start Your Migration Today
Frequently Asked Questions
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Does ScalaHosting offer true cloud hosting like Cloudways?
Yes, ScalaHosting provides genuine cloud VPS hosting with guaranteed resources and no overselling. Unlike Cloudways (which is a management layer over other providers), ScalaHosting owns and operates its cloud infrastructure, ensuring consistent performance and direct support.
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Can I install custom software on ScalaHosting?
Yes, you get full root access on ScalaHosting cloud plans. You can install any software, run background processes, and completely customize your server environment. Cloudways does not provide root access - you're limited to their pre-configured stack.
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Are backups really free with ScalaHosting?
Yes, offsite backups are included free with all ScalaHosting plans. You can create manual or automatic archives and restore them at no added cost. In comparison, Cloudways charges $0.033 per GB per month for backup storage, which adds up quickly ($1.65/month for a 50GB site).
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How long does data migration take?
ScalaHosting's migration team works 24/7 and begins immediately after receiving your credentials. Most migrations complete within hours. Cloudways migrations take 1-2 business days.
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What about email hosting?
ScalaHosting includes full email services with all plans, including webmail, filters, autoresponders, and IP blacklisting monitoring. Cloudways does not offer email services - you must use external providers like Rackspace (paid) or Google Workspace.
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Is DNS hosting included?
Yes, ScalaHosting includes DNS management in all plans at no extra cost. Cloudways charges $0.50 per domain per month for DNS hosting via a third-party provider.
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Can I test ScalaHosting risk-free?
Yes, ScalaHosting offers a 30-day full money-back guarantee and anytime partial refunds. Cloudways offers only a 3-day free trial (and only for DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr - not AWS or Google Cloud).