Managed WordPress hosting · Kinsta vs Cloudways
Kinsta vs Cloudways in 2026: Prices, Billing and Support Compared
Cloudways costs less. Its smallest DigitalOcean server is 11 USD a month, billed by the hour with no prepayment and no renewal step, against 35 USD a month or 350 USD a year for Kinsta Single 35k. Kinsta includes a CDN and a 30-day money-back guarantee for first-time customers; at Cloudways the CDN is an add-on and no refund window is stated. Checked 23 September 2026.
Affiliate link: the Kinsta button is an affiliate link and Kinsta pays us a commission if you sign up through it; you pay Kinsta’s list price either way. The Cloudways link is a plain link; Cloudways pays us nothing.
Written and checked by Sascha Martins, Promo Code Network, Switzerland
Kinsta vs Cloudways: two billing models, no renewal step
Kinsta sells a plan defined by sites, visits and storage at one list price, billed monthly or yearly. Cloudways rents you a cloud server by the hour and invoices the previous month’s use in the first week of each month; you put as many sites on it as the server holds. Neither host shows an introductory rate that steps up later.
| Plan | Price | Prepayment | Resources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kinsta Single 35k | 35 USD a month or 350 USD a year | One month or one year, paid in advance | 1 install, 35,000 visits, 10 GB storage, 125 GB CDN bandwidth |
| Cloudways, DigitalOcean 1 GB | 11 USD a month (0.0164 USD an hour) | None; billed in arrears | 1 vCPU, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB transfer |
| Cloudways, DigitalOcean 2 GB | 24 USD a month | None | 1 vCPU, 50 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer |
| Cloudways, DigitalOcean 4 GB | 46 USD a month | None | 2 vCPU, 80 GB SSD, 4 TB transfer |
Kinsta pricing page and Cloudways pricing page (server sizes and prices in the Flexible plan selector), both read 23 September 2026.
Total cost of Kinsta and Cloudways over 36 and 48 months
| Period | Cloudways 1 GB | Cloudways 2 GB | Kinsta Single 35k, annual | Kinsta Single 35k, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 12 × 11 = 132 USD | 12 × 24 = 288 USD | 350 USD | 12 × 35 = 420 USD |
| 36 months | 36 × 11 = 396 USD | 36 × 24 = 864 USD | 3 × 350 = 1,050 USD | 36 × 35 = 1,260 USD |
| 48 months | 48 × 11 = 528 USD | 48 × 24 = 1,152 USD | 4 × 350 = 1,400 USD | 48 × 35 = 1,680 USD |
List prices before tax. On top of the Cloudways figures, depending on use: offsite backup storage at 0.033 USD per GB per server and bandwidth beyond the included transfer at 0.02 USD per GB on DigitalOcean.
Backups, staging, CDN and migrations at Kinsta and Cloudways
| Item | Kinsta Single 35k | Cloudways server |
|---|---|---|
| Backups | Automatic every 24 hours, kept 14 days; every 6 hours 20 USD, hourly 100 USD per site a month | Automated and on-demand offsite backups; storage billed at 0.033 USD per GB per server |
| Staging | Free one-click staging | Free staging and cloning |
| CDN | Included with edge caching, 125 GB CDN bandwidth a month | Add-on: Cloudflare Enterprise, no price on the pricing page |
| Migrations | Unlimited, free, carried out by Kinsta’s migrations team | Free migration by Cloudways’ team; the FAQ speaks of “your existing sites”, a feature box of “your first website” |
| Sites | 1 WordPress install; extra site 30 USD a month | Unlimited websites per server |
Kinsta pricing page and Cloudways pricing page, 23 September 2026.
Traffic model, support channels and refund window
| Item | Kinsta Single 35k | Cloudways server |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic | 35,000 visits a month; site stays online above it, notices at 80% and 100%, overage billed per additional 1,000 visits | Unlimited visits; 1 TB transfer on the 11 USD server, extra bandwidth 0.02 USD per GB |
| Support | Chat, 24/7, in 8 languages | Chat and ticketing, 24/7; Advanced Support is a paid add-on |
| Refund window | 30 days for first-time customers; overages and one-time fees excluded | None stated; 3-day free trial without a credit card; use is invoiced after the month |
Cloudways’ model moves risk the other way: nothing is prepaid, so there is nothing to refund, but the bill follows use. Extra bandwidth on DigitalOcean is 0.02 USD per GB and offsite backup storage 0.033 USD per GB per server, and the Advanced Support add-on is listed at 100 USD a month or 10% of the invoice (a flat 25 USD under a limited-time offer on 23 September 2026). Kinsta’s refund conditions are on Kinsta refund policy.
Verdict: Kinsta vs Cloudways
Price and total cost: Cloudways, 132 USD a year on a 1 GB server or 288 USD on 2 GB against Kinsta’s 350 USD, with no prepayment. Renewal: neither steps up. Inclusions: Kinsta includes a CDN; Cloudways sells one. Staging and migrations are free at both; Kinsta’s backups need no extra storage fee. Traffic: Cloudways, with unlimited visits against Kinsta’s metered 35,000. Support: 24/7 chat at both, tickets at Cloudways, 8 languages at Kinsta. Refunds: Kinsta, 30 days against none stated.
Kinsta vs Cloudways: common questions
How much cheaper is Cloudways than Kinsta?
Does Cloudways have a renewal price?
Is a CDN included at Cloudways?
Can I get my money back from Cloudways?
How many sites can I host on each?
Sources
- Kinsta: WordPress hosting plans, prices in both line-ups, first month free, inclusions, add-ons, overage FAQ. Read 23 September 2026.
- Kinsta: Terms of Service, renewal at the standard fee, and Money-Back Guarantee, conditions and plan cancellation. Read 23 September 2026.
- Cloudways: Pricing and Plans, hourly billing in arrears, included features, backup storage and bandwidth rates, Cloudflare Enterprise add-on, migrations FAQ, 3-day trial; server sizes and prices in the Flexible plan selector, Advanced Support offer. Read 23 September 2026.