Categories: Hosting

UpCloud vs Cloudways 2025: Which One Should You Choose? (Our Pick)

UpCloud

€3/month

Cloudways

$14/month

Features


-Deploy Linux or Windows virtual machines with customizable CPU, RAM, and storage configurations.
-Simplify container orchestration with a fully managed Kubernetes service.
– High-performance storage with options for MaxIOPS, standard, and archive tiers.
– Eliminate data transfer fees within the UpCloud network.

– Users can deploy applications like WordPress and WooCommerce with a single click
– Cloudways allows the creation of staging environments
– The platform offers automated backups to safeguard data
– Cloudways provides round-the-clock support

Pros

Strong reliability commitment ensuring minimal downtime.
Multiple locations worldwide for better latency and redundancy.
Comprehensive API, CLI access, and automation-friendly features.
Especially good for applications needing fast disk performance.

Great for businesses that need scalability
Cloudways implements various security measures, including DDoS protection
Cloudways supports collaboration by allowing users to create different team roles

Cons

Unlike some competitors, UpCloud’s free or trial offerings are quite minimal.
Some users report that support response times can vary, and premium support incurs additional costs.

Cloudways can be more expensive
❌Users have limited ability to customize their servers

Ease of Use

– User-friendly, simple to navigate.
– Quick and easy setup process.

– More complex, with a steeper learning curve.
– Setup takes longer due to the use of advanced tools.

Storage issues are a significant problem that many people face these days. Whatever device it may be, with whatever storage capacity it has, there will definitely come a time when the storage capacity is exceeded, regardless of the brand. 

Cloud storage comes as a savior at this time, and it can help in many ways. It’s a brilliant tool that can help resolve the problem of many people. These people are tired of their hanging and lagging device. Here, we will compare Upcloud and Cloudways.

This UpCloud vs. Cloudways comparison will help you determine which of these two cloud service providers offers the best services.

To help you understand what cloud storage is and its main concept, this UpCloud vs Cloudways comparison is particularly important. Let us discuss it in a bit of an explained way. 

What Actually is Cloud Storage? 

Cloud storage is essentially a model based on cloud computing. Its major work is to store our additional data on the internet.

This is accomplished with the help of various cloud computing providers, whose primary role is to manage and operate data storage as a service. They deliver their services when people demand it, and they provide it right when they demand it at minimal costs. All this helps to eliminate your buying and storing data services and their storage.

Cloud storage offers the benefits of agility, global scale, and durability. It can be accessed from anywhere and at any time, from any device they choose

The cloud storage market works by purchasing cloud storage from a third-party vendor, who owns and operates various data storage capacities and delivers it to you based on the pricing model you choose.

The vendors of cloud storage manage the capacity, durability, and security of your cloud storage account in a way that ensures it is accessible to you from anywhere and on any device you use.

Some service providers also offer complementary services, including managing, storing, collecting, and analyzing large-scale data

The following are some benefits of cloud storage.

  • Affordable because the customer has to pay for the storage it is using
  • Utility billing is based on the capacity that the customers are using
  • Global availability, as it can be accessed from wherever you go
  • Cloud storage is really easy to use and is a child’s play
  • It makes sure that your data remains safe and secure

UpCloud VS Cloudways 2025: The Better Cloud Storage Service – Overview

UpCloud: Overview

UpCloud is a cloud storage management company founded by individuals with like-minded perspectives. They wanted to come up with something that was out of this world and exemplary, so they created UpCloud.

UpCloud was founded in 2011 by its founder, Antti Viloponen. It has been in operation for seven years and offers excellent solutions and suggestions to businesses and individuals seeking to customize and personalize their operations.

UpCloud operates a global cloud platform with data centers strategically located across four continents. This extensive network ensures low-latency connections and high availability for users worldwide.

The company’s infrastructure spans 13 data centers in cities such as Amsterdam, Chicago, Frankfurt, Helsinki, London, Madrid, New York, San Jose, Singapore, Sydney, Warsaw, and Stockholm.

The services that one can obtain from UpCloud include cloud servers, software-defined networking, and block storage. Its headquarters are located in North America, Asia, and Europe, and its servers are present on all six continents

Cloudways Overview

Cloudways was launched in 2009. Its main headquarters are situated on the island of Malta in the Mediterranean. Additionally, it has offices in Spain and Dubai.

They are known for delivering fast, reliable, and hassle-free WordPress cloud hosting, all at a pocket-friendly price. Users of Cloudways are generally satisfied with their services.

It simplifies cloud hosting by offering a user-friendly interface, enabling users to deploy and manage applications on top of cloud infrastructure providers such as DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode.

It not only helps to launch your website but also to manage it throughout its lifetime. In addition to that, they offer an expert panel comprising various professional experts who guide you through the business, provide the best suggestions, and ultimately help you take your business to the peak.

UpCloud VS Cloudways: Key Features

UpCloud Key Features

MaxIOPS Storage Technology

UpCloud’s proprietary MaxIOPS storage technology is designed to deliver enterprise-grade performance with high input/output operations per second (IOPS). This results in significantly faster disk speeds and lower latency compared to standard SSD storage, making it ideal for demanding workloads such as databases, high-traffic websites, and applications that require quick read/write access.


99.999% Uptime SLA

UpCloud guarantees a service uptime of 99.999%, demonstrating its commitment to reliability and availability. This high uptime SLA minimizes downtime risks, ensuring that applications and services hosted on UpCloud remain accessible and operational virtually all the time, which is critical for businesses that depend on continuous online presence.


Scalable Cloud Servers

Users can deploy virtual cloud servers with flexible configurations that can be tailored to match their exact resource requirements, including CPU, RAM, and storage. UpCloud enables easy vertical scaling, allowing resources to be adjusted up or down on the fly without requiring rebuilds or interruptions to server operation, thereby providing both agility and cost efficiency.


Global Data Center Network

UpCloud operates a global infrastructure with data centers spread across multiple continents, including Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. This widespread network allows users to deploy their services closer to their end-users, improving latency, performance, and data redundancy by geographically distributing workloads.


Software-Defined Networking (SDN)

UpCloud’s networking is built on a software-defined network architecture, which enables users to create private networks with customized IP ranges and configure routing rules. This provides enhanced security and flexibility for complex deployments, allowing seamless interconnection between servers and enabling the creation of isolated network environments.

Cloudways Key Features

Managed Hosting for PHP Applications

Cloudways specializes in managed hosting tailored for PHP-based applications. This includes popular platforms like WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, and custom PHP projects. The platform handles server management, security, and optimization, allowing developers to focus on building their applications.


ThunderStack Technology

Cloudways utilizes its proprietary ThunderStack, a custom server stack that combines NGINX, Apache, Varnish, Redis, and Memcached. This technology is designed to optimize website speed, enhance caching efficiency, and deliver improved overall performance for hosted applications.


Flexible Billing Options

Cloudways offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model with both hourly and monthly billing. This flexibility enables users to manage costs effectively, paying only for the resources they consume, which is ideal for businesses with fluctuating demands or those testing new projects.


One-Click Deployment and Staging Environments

The platform simplifies the deployment process by providing one-click installation of applications and services. Users can quickly launch websites or apps and set up staging environments to test changes safely before going live, streamlining development workflows.


Built-in Caching and CDN Integration

Cloudways includes the Breeze caching plugin and integrates seamlessly with Cloudflare Enterprise CDN. These features significantly enhance website load times and security by caching content locally and distributing it globally, reducing latency and server load.

Verdict

Both of these cloud management platforms provide a variety of creative and innovative features. These features help make the work easier and significantly decrease the workload. 

However, if we have to choose one from both, we will definitely opt for Cloudways, as it offers additional features as well. All these features are really creative and helpful as well.

Additionally, all of them are extremely easy to use and understand. So the obvious winner of the battle of features is UpCloud. 

User Satisfaction: UpCloud VS Cloudways

Cloudways

A thorough study of a product, website, or other entity is crucial before using it. And for this, relying solely on experts’ reviews is not enough at all.

However, we should conduct a review of every person who uses it to gain a proper understanding of what that thing actually is, its benefits, and its disadvantages.

The reviews that we get are always mixed. After studying users’ reviews and their sentiments on different platforms, we found that Cloudways receives approximately 65 positive comments and 35 negative or average comments out of a total of 100.

Additionally, it offers 24/7 customer care service, providing support through email, phone calls, live training, and ticketing systems. The response time is also quite rapid, and consumers are generally satisfied with the service.  

This information can help you make an informed buying decision that you won’t regret later. The engagement of people in this plugin platform is comparatively low.

UpCloud

A thorough study of a product, website, or other entity is crucial before using it. And for this, relying solely on experts’ reviews is not enough at all.

But rather, should we examine every person who uses it in order to get a proper look at what that thing actually is, its benefits, and its disadvantages?

The reviews that we get are always mixed. After studying the user reviews and their sentiments on various platforms, we found that UpCloud receives approximately 85 positive comments and 15 negative or average comments out of a total of 100.

Additionally, to address customers’ queries, they have published various articles and videos, and also offer live training sessions for their customers. In addition to internal support, they also provide online support to their customers

This information can help you make an informed buying decision that you won’t regret later. 

Verdict

When we examine the customer service support of both UpCloud and Cloudways, both providers offer excellent customer service across all available channels, including phone calls, live training, messaging, tickets, and more.

Also, their response timings are nothing less than excellent. Thus, examining both, one cannot decide which is better, and therefore, there is a tie between them in terms of customer service and support.

Pricing Battle: UpCloud VS Cloudways

Pricing of UpCloud

MemoryCPU coresStandard storagePricePrice per hourPurchase limit
1 GB110 GB€3/mo€0.0045/h2 per customer
1 GB120 GB€4.5/mo€0.0067/h5 per customer
2 GB130 GB€8/mo€0.1190/hUnlimited
4 GB140 GB€15/mo€0.0223/hUnlimited
4 GB260 GB€18/mo€0.0268/hUnlimited
8 GB280 GB€25/mo€0.0372/hUnlimited
16 GB2100 GB€35/mo€0.0521/hUnlimited

Pricing of Cloudways

PlanPrice (USD per month)Hourly Rate (USD)RAMvCPUNVMe StorageTransfer BandwidthVisitsWebsites
Micro$14$0.02081GB125GB1TBUnlimitedUnlimited
Small$28$0.04172GB150GB2TBUnlimitedUnlimited
Medium$54$0.08044GB280GB4TBUnlimitedUnlimited
Large$99$0.14738GB4160GB5TBUnlimitedUnlimited

Pros and Cons: UpCloud VS Cloudways

UpCloud Pros and Cons

Pros

  • High-performance MaxIOPS SSD storage delivering fast and reliable disk I/O
  • 99.999% uptime SLA ensuring excellent reliability
  • Flexible and scalable cloud servers with quick deployment (around 45 seconds)
  • Global data centers across multiple continents for low latency and redundancy
  • Advanced networking features like software-defined networking, floating IPs, NAT, and VPN gateways
  • Managed services, including databases and Kubernete,s for easier infrastructure management

Cons

  • Pricing can be less straightforward and sometimes higher for certain configurations
  • Limited free tier or trial offerings compared to competitors
  • Support response times can vary; premium support costs extra

Cloudways Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Built-in caching and CDN integration for improved website speed
  • Automated backups and free SSL certificates included
  • Strong security features, including two-factor authentication and DDoS protection
  • 24/7 expert customer support is available via live chat and tickets
  • Supports multiple cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode

Cons

  • Does not offer domain registration services; domains must be purchased elsewhere
  • No email hosting included; requires a separate email hosting solution
  • Additional add-ons and scaling can increase costs, leading to pricing complexity

Quick Links:

FAQs on UpCloud vs Cloudways

What Services will One Get if he Goes for the free trial of UpCloud ?

If one wants to opt for the free trial service of UpCloud then you can get the following things. Free access to the popular 5$ plan. Opportunity to use the Linux cloud server with 1 GB of storage memory, 1 CPU, 25 GB of storage, and 1 TB of file transfer as well. Ain't it amazing? All of this for free and you also get to experience what working at UpCloud feels like. You will be getting only one cloud server to use at one time, but you will have the opportunity to deploy, delete, and redeploy that too for as many times as you want. One drawback of using the free version of UpCloud is that the network speeds and performance may vary on time. Also, you will be provided with limited network ports only.

Can anyone use their own windows license while using UpCloud ?

As UpCloud is a licensed partner of Microsoft, thus using a windows license will not be that much of a trouble. They even offer some products that run and function according to the latest Windows servers. But the only thing you gotta do is that the Microsoft Windows license that you have to get shall be purchased from the UpCloud people itself and no other dealer. In order to use your own Microsoft license, you need to sign an agreement called the Microsoft License Mobility Agreement also known as MLMA. By signing this agreement you can easily use your Microsoft license, be it Microsoft SQL Server database software, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft SharePoint Server or whatnot.

Does Cloudways platform supports platform like WHM, Cpanel or File Manager ?

Rather than providing all these platforms and pairing with them, CLOUDWAYS preferred having it's very own server. This server not only is a very powerful one… but also is really easy to use. And in order to get the support of a file manager you have to access your web application through SFTP or SSH. Some of the examples of SFTP or SSH are Filezilla, putty, and more.

Conclusion: UpCloud vs Cloudways Comparison 2025

Cloudways and UpCloud are among the best in their respective domains, and it’s challenging to find a competitor that can easily surpass them.

They are unbeatable in their domain. If anyone is asked to select one from them, then this task will be quite challenging. Both of them are extremely fast, reliable, and highly secure as well.

While in some areas Cloudways is beating UpCloud, in others it’s UpCloud that is beating Cloudways. On the one hand, the cloud approach is easy to use and set up; on the other hand, UpCloud is extremely affordable and offers a wide range of features.

However, if one studies all this in detail and examines each point, one will definitely find a winner. And this winner is none other than CLOUDWAYS!!! 

Anikesh Singh

Hi, I’m Anikesh Singh, and I’ve spent more than 8 years mastering WordPress, page builders, and plugins. Now, I’m sharing my know-how through Education and WordPress tutorials on SchemaNinja.com. With experience at Yourstory, Bloggerideas, and Tweak Your Biz, I love offering practical tips to build awesome websites since 2018. When I’m not writing, I’m traveling or buried in a book. Catch my latest insights on LinkedIn or Twitter!

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