Head-to-head · Managed WordPress Hosting
Flywheel vs Cloudways
Flywheel leads on 2 checks, Cloudways on 1, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreFlywheel · 7.0/10
- Lowest starting priceFlywheel · $25/mo
- Free trialonly Cloudways
Flywheel scores higher on our rubric for managed wordpress hosting: 7.0 against 6.3 out of 10; our editors rank them #24 and #30.
Flywheel is cheaper to start at $25/mo against $35/mo. Cloudways leads on storage: 15 GB versus 10 GB. Flywheel offers malware removal; Cloudways doesn't.
Flywheel is the better fit for designers and agencies wanting simple workflows. Cloudways is the better fit for users wanting provider choice and scaling.
- Flywheel fits best
Designers and agencies wanting simple workflows
- Cloudways fits best
Users wanting provider choice and scaling
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Side by side
| Feature | Flywheel 7.0/10 Visit ↗ | Cloudways 6.3/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 7.0 | 6.3 |
| Ranking | #24 in Managed WordPress Hosting | #30 in Managed WordPress Hosting |
| Best for | Designers and agencies wanting simple workflows | Users wanting provider choice and scaling |
| Pricing model | Paid | Paid |
| Starting price | $25/mo (best) | $35/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | 3 days |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Features Flywheel 3/4 · Cloudways 3/4 | ||
| Automatic backups | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staging environment | ✓ | ✓ |
| Malware removal | ✓ (best) | — |
| CDN included | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Specs | ||
| Sites included | 1 sites | 1 sites |
| Storage | 10 GB | 15 GB (best) |
| Support channel | Chat | Chat |
| Our review | ||
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| Our verdict | Flywheel is managed WordPress hosting for designers, freelancers, agencies, and businesses running WordPress websites. Its plans combine hosting capacity with workflow features such as staging environments, site cloning, free migrations,… Read the review → |
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform for WordPress websites and other PHP applications. It lets small and medium-sized businesses, agencies, developers, ecommerce operators, bloggers, and publishers manage sites from a dashboard… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Flywheel — where it wins
- Staging, cloning, migrations, and nightly backups support site workflows.
- Caching, CDN delivery, SSL, and malware cleanup are included.
- SFTP, SSH, and 24/7 chat support suit professional site management.
Where it doesn't
- The Starter plan supports only 1 site.
- Plans use annual billing and are priced in USD.
- The platform is available on the web only.
Cloudways — where it wins
- Staging, backups, cloning, and vertical scaling are built in
- DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, and other provider integrations
- 24/7 support through chat, email, and ticketing
Where it doesn't
- No free plan; the free trial lasts 3 days
- Automated malware removal is a paid add-on
- Scale and Plus plans each support one website
- Flywheel7.0/10 · Paid
A workflow-focused WordPress host with strong agency features and web-only coverage.
Visit FlywheelFull verdict → - Cloudways6.3/10 · 3-day trial
A provider-flexible WordPress host with strong scaling, staging, and operational tools.
Visit CloudwaysFull verdict →
All managed WordPress hosting comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update