Compared 2026-09-05 using published specs and documentation.
These two solve different problems: Cloudways removes server work entirely; is*hosting gives you a cheap, flexible raw VPS almost anywhere on Earth.
Spec-by-spec
| Feature | Cloudways | is*hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $11/mo | $5.94/mo ✔ |
| Model | Fully managed ✔ | Self-managed (free basic admin) |
| Best for | WordPress/Woo/apps owners | Developers, bots, VPNs, geo projects |
| Locations | 65+ via DO/Vultr/Linode/AWS/GCP | 42 DCs, 40 countries |
| Backups | Automated daily ✔ | Free weekly |
| Crypto payments | No | 12+ coins ✔ |
| Windows VPS | No | Yes ✔ |
| Support | 24/7 managed hosting engineers | 24/7 + free basic administration |
Pick Cloudways if…
You run WordPress, WooCommerce or a business app and never want to SSH into a server. Cloudways handles patching, backups, staging, SSL and scaling; its support fixes hosting problems for you.
Pick is*hosting if…
You're technical and want control: a specific country's IP, Windows, Monero/USDT payments, or a box for trading terminals, VPNs and bots. At $5.94 with free backups, it's one of the most flexible raw VPS offers available.
Our verdict
For our readers — mostly business and site owners — Cloudways is the recommended default: it removes the entire server-operations category of risk. is*hosting is our recommendation for technical users and international/crypto use cases.
★★★★½ 4.7/5
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper?
is*hosting ($5.94/mo entry) vs Cloudways ($11/mo entry) — but Cloudways includes full management.
Can both host WordPress?
Cloudways has 1-click WordPress; on is*hosting you install it yourself on your VPS.
Do they accept crypto?
is*hosting accepts 12+ cryptocurrencies; Cloudways does not.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this site, at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our rankings — every comparison is based on published specs and pricing.