DevVersus

WP Engine vs Cloudways(2026)

WP Engine is better for teams that need longest cookie window (180 days) for affiliates. Cloudways is the stronger choice if freedom to pick underlying cloud provider. WP Engine is paid (from $30/month) and Cloudways is paid (from $14/month).

Full feature breakdown, pricing details, and pros & cons below.

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WP Engine logo

WP Engine

paid

WP Engine is a managed WordPress hosting platform focused on enterprise and agency customers, with EverCache technology, Genesis themes, and Global Edge Security.

Starting at $30/month

Visit WP Engine
Cloudways logo

Cloudways

paid

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that runs on top of AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr — abstracting server management while giving you cloud flexibility.

Starting at $14/month

Visit Cloudways

How Do WP Engine and Cloudways Compare on Features?

FeatureWP EngineCloudways
Pricing modelpaidpaid
Starting price$30/month$14/month
Managed WordPress
EverCache technology
Genesis Framework included
Global Edge Security
Smart Plugin Manager
Headless WordPress (Faust.js)
Multi-site support
Multi-cloud (AWS, GCE, DO, Linode, Vultr)
One-click app installs
Managed security and patching
PHP/Node/Laravel/WordPress support
Team collaboration
Performance monitoring

WP Engine Pros and Cons vs Cloudways

W

WP Engine

+Longest cookie window (180 days) for affiliates
+Enterprise-grade performance
+Excellent uptime track record
+Headless WordPress support
+Free premium themes included
Expensive for small sites
WordPress-only (no PHP apps)
Add-on costs add up quickly
Overly restrictive plugin policies
C

Cloudways

+Freedom to pick underlying cloud provider
+Significantly cheaper than managed alternatives
+No server management headaches
+Good staging workflow
+Transparent pricing
Not suited for static sites or JAMstack
Less beginner-friendly than Hostinger
Limited serverless support
Requires some DevOps awareness

Should You Use WP Engine or Cloudways?

Choose WP Engine if…

  • Longest cookie window (180 days) for affiliates
  • Enterprise-grade performance
  • Excellent uptime track record

Choose Cloudways if…

  • Freedom to pick underlying cloud provider
  • Significantly cheaper than managed alternatives
  • No server management headaches

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