Cloudways alternative for agencies on your own servers
Cloudways rents you managed servers and bundles the cloud cost into each one, so every client server adds its own line to the bill. Deployment keeps servers in your own cloud account, so you pay the provider directly and a flat panel fee from 49 USD. You get git push deploys, backups, zero-downtime releases and one panel for PHP, Node.js, Next.js, Python and more, with roles and an audit log from Team.
$ deployment plan
Paste a repository and get a deploy plan
Your servers stay in your own cloud account. No card needed for the demo.
$ deployment plan
Building your deploy plan
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$ deployment plan
Detected stack
Recommended server
Packages
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Processes
Deploy script
Create your account to see the full script and connect a server
$ deployment plan
Private repository or no stack found
Deployment and Cloudways side by side
The core difference is who owns the machines and what the product is built around. Cloudways is managed hosting for PHP and WordPress style applications. Deployment is a control panel for servers in your account. Cloudways figures come from Cloudways' published pricing.
| Deployment | Cloudways | |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the server | You, in your AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode or Vultr account, or bare metal over SSH | Cloudways manages servers on cloud providers and bills you for them |
| Pricing model | Flat panel fee: Starter 49, Team 199, Agency 499, Enterprise 1 499 USD. Yearly billing is half price. Provider cost is paid to the provider | Per server, with provider infrastructure bundled. Autonomous plans listed at 99, 199 and 399 USD a month |
| Capacity limits | 3 servers and 15 sites on Starter, 15 and 100 on Team, 60 and unlimited on Agency, 250 servers on Enterprise | Set by the size and number of servers you buy |
| Stacks | PHP, Node.js, Next.js, Python, Rails, Go, Java, .NET, static, Docker | Centered on WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel, Magento and other PHP applications |
| Team access | 1 member on Starter, 10 on Team, 30 on Agency. Roles and audit log from Team | Team members and per-application access on the dashboard |
| Add-ons | Included in the panel plan; backups go to your S3-compatible storage | Separately billed: CDN from 4.99 USD per domain, malware protection from 4 USD per app, offsite backup storage per GB |
| Trial | Try the repository demo, then connect a server | 3-day trial, no card required on Flexible |
Why agencies move off Cloudways
Cloudways is a good product for the job it was built for. Teams leave when the job changes.
Client apps are no longer only PHP
A Next.js storefront, a Node.js API or a Django back office does not fit a WordPress-centered stack. Deployment runs all of them from one panel with the same git push workflow.
One server per client multiplies the bill
Isolating clients on separate Cloudways servers means a bundled server price per client. On Deployment Agency, 60 servers fit in 499 USD of panel fee, and the provider bills the raw machines to you.
Clients want the account in their name
Some clients require servers in their own cloud account. Connect it, manage it from your panel, and hand it over if the contract ends. Ownership is not compliance, you still set access and retention.
Add-ons stack up
CDN, malware scanning and offsite backups are billed per domain, app or GB on Cloudways. With Deployment, backups go to your own S3-compatible storage at your provider's rate.
How to compare the cost honestly
Cloudways prices change by provider and plan, and independent sites quote different numbers for the same server, so do the sum with your own rate card instead of ours.
- List every server you pay Cloudways for and its monthly price, including add-ons.
- Price the same CPU and RAM directly at your cloud provider. Servers are often much cheaper unbundled, because Cloudways adds a management margin.
- Add the Deployment plan that covers your server count: Starter for 3, Team for 15, Agency for 60.
- Add your own time for patching and backups. Deployment automates backups and deploys, but you still own the machine.
The saving grows with server count, because the panel fee is flat while bundled server margins repeat per server. For one or two WordPress sites, Cloudways is often the better buy. See Deployment plan limits and billing and the PaaS versus own server cost breakdown.
What you keep when you leave
Connect a repository, map branches to environments and push to deploy. Builds show logs in the panel, environment variables are kept per environment and one-click rollback returns to a kept release. Every plan runs health checks before a zero-downtime switch.
Databases run on your own server with backups to your storage, and uptime checks plus a REST API cover daily operations. See the server control panel, VPS management for many servers and Laravel deployment on your own server.
Where Cloudways still wins
Cloudways takes the server off your plate. Provisioning, patching, caching tuned for WordPress and support are part of the product, and the free trial lets you test without a card. If you host a handful of WordPress sites and never want to touch a server, that is worth the margin.
Move when you run several client servers, add non-PHP apps, or need servers under the client's own account.
Move from Cloudways in four steps
Move code and data separately, and keep the Cloudways server running while you validate.
1. Prepare your own infrastructure
Connect a cloud account or add a clean Ubuntu or Debian server over SSH, sized for the apps and databases it will carry.
2. Connect code and environment
Link each repository, pick the branch and review build and start commands. Copy environment variables and uploaded files.
3. Restore the database
Dump MySQL or PostgreSQL on Cloudways, restore on the new server, check versions and set up backups before accepting production writes.
4. Complete the cutover
Test on a temporary domain, lower DNS TTL, run a final sync, then switch DNS and verify traffic before closing the old server.
Comparing more panels? Our RunCloud alternative, Ploi alternative and Laravel Forge alternative pages cover the other server panels.
Cloudways alternative questions
What is the best alternative to Cloudways?
Deployment is a strong Cloudways alternative when you run more than PHP and WordPress and want servers in your own cloud account. You keep git push deploys, backups and zero-downtime releases, but pay your cloud provider directly and a flat panel fee from 49 USD. Cloudways stays simpler if you want fully managed WordPress hosting.
How much does Cloudways cost?
Cloudways bills per server and bundles the cloud provider cost into that price, so the total grows with every server. Its Autonomous plans are listed at 99 USD (Growth), 199 USD (Scale) and 399 USD (Plus) a month, and add-ons such as the CDN start at 4.99 USD per domain. Check the current rate card before you compare.
Is Cloudways good for agencies?
Cloudways works well for agencies that mostly host WordPress and WooCommerce sites and want managed servers with little ops work. It gets expensive when every client needs a separate server, and it is built around PHP applications. Agencies with Node.js, Python or Next.js client apps often need a panel that covers every stack.
Can I move from Cloudways to my own server?
Yes. Connect a cloud account or add a clean Ubuntu server over SSH, link each repository, copy files and the database with a dump and restore, and test on a temporary domain. Lower the DNS TTL, switch DNS after the final sync, and keep the Cloudways server until traffic and data check out.
Does Deployment host my servers like Cloudways does?
No. Cloudways provides the server and the hosting. Deployment hosts only the control panel, and your servers run in your own AWS, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, Linode or Vultr account, or on bare metal over SSH. You pay the provider directly, which makes costs visible and gives you ownership of the machines.
Run every client app on servers you own
Try the repository demo, price your server list against a flat panel fee and connect your first server when you are ready.
$ git push origin main
✓ build release 20261019-142210
✓ health check 200
✓ switch current 0.4 s
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