Cloudways and RunCloud may share plenty of similarities, but there are a few key differences between the two. Sure, both will let you host a website on a cloud server without the need to deal with Linux server commands, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Arguably, Cloudways is a lot easier to use than RunCloud. For starters, you won’t have to purchase cloud hosting separately. Both do have control panels that are simple enough, so there’s that. As for which one will give you more value for your money, that really depends on your situation. At that, we compare the two on a few important fronts to help you choose which one is better for you.
Cloudways vs RunCloud Comparison Chart
| Name | Cloudways | RunCloud |
 |  | |
| Price | Check Price at Cloudways.com | Check Price at RunCloud.io |
| Cloud Infrastructure Providers | DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud | Any that meets its minimum requirements: 512 MB of RAM, 1-core processor, 1 GB of space |
| Free SSL Certificate | Yes | Yes |
| Team Management | Yes | Business only |
| Firewall | Yes | Yes |
| Git Deployment | Yes | Business only |
| One-Click WordPress Install | Yes | Yes |
| WordPress Staging | Yes | Basic: 1 Pro: 10 Business: Unlimited |
| Support | Free: 24/7 live chat, tickets Paid: 24/7 phone, Slack channel | Tickets |
| Free Trial | 3 days | 5 days |
Features
Technically, you have more options with RunCloud.
First off, Cloudways has a ton of plans with various data center partners. The most affordable option is with DigitalOcean, and there are four tiers here. It starts with 1 GB of RAM, a single core processor, 25 GB of storage and 1 TB of bandwidth and tops out at 8 GB RAM, four-core processor, 160 GB storage and 5 TB of bandwidth.
Regardless of which you pick, you get these following features:
- Free SSL
- CDN
- Free migration
- Dedicated firewalls
- Staging environment
- Advanced caching
- Auto healing
These are only a couple of the essentials too, and there’s more in store.
On the other hand, RunCloud has three tiers: Basic, Pro and Business. Basic gets you one server, unlimited web applications, free SSL, Git deployment and one WordPress staging environment. Upgrading to Pro comes with everything Basic has, along with unlimited servers, 10 WordPress staging, custom NGINX configuration and 6G and 7G firewall. Last but not least, Business adds Cloudflare DNS, unlimited WordPress staging, team management and more.
Now RunCloud’s structure also has an advantage. As mentioned, cloud hosting isn’t included with its plans, meaning you’ll have to avail one directly from a cloud infrastructure provider. Thanks to that, you have more freedom to choose which plan fits your budget and needs.
To explain, Cloudways subscriptions on DigitalOcean servers only offer four options. However, if you’re on RunCloud, you can take your pick from DigitalOcean’s plans that come in better increments.
Moreover, RunCloud can be used on a hybrid NGINX/Apache tech stack, the same as Cloudways. However, it has the option to run on a pure NGINX stack.
Pricing
Which one is more affordable depends on your needs.
At first, RunCloud might seem to have set its prices lower than Cloudways, but those don’t include cloud hosting yet. For instance, its cheapest plan is at $6.67 a month, and tack on that DigitalOcean’s most basic offering that costs $5 a month, you’ll be looking at $11.67 a month. Meanwhile, Cloudways’s entry-level subscription on DigitalOcean data centers is available for $10 a month.
However, it becomes a different story when it comes to managing multiple servers. RunCloud’s Pro allows you to add as many servers as you want, while Cloudways will charge you at a fixed price for each server you avail, which can get real expensive.
Between the two, only Cloudways plans are available at hourly rates. That gives it an edge somewhat over RunCloud because it adds a touch of flexibility that’s perfect for short-term projects. Speaking of, its pay-as-you-go scheme makes sure you get your money’s worth.
Support
Cloudways has 24/7 support, but RunCloud doesn’t.
Cloudways is considered as easier to use than RunCloud, and on top of that, it has 24/7 live chat support and a ticketing system. In contrast, you’ll have to make do with support tickets on RunCloud, which may not be the fastest way to resolve issues.
One thing that sort of doesn’t sit right is Cloudways charges for “premium” support. There are three tiers here, and they’re Standard, Advanced and Premium. Standard is free, and it comes with 24/7 live chat and ticketing. Advanced adds customization support and Premium includes 24/7 phone and Slack channel support, both of which are locked behind paywalls—and they’re pretty steep, costing $100 and $500 a month, respectively. If nothing else, at least you have the option to upgrade.
Verdict
Cloudways and RunCloud each have their own strengths.
Cloudways and RunCloud are suitable for different kinds of users. Cloudways is the better pick for affordable cloud hosting for a few websites, while RunCloud is better and more affordable for multiple servers.
On that note, there isn’t really one that’s superior to the other here because of how much it depends on the user’s needs and situation. At any rate, you can expect each one to deliver where it counts and simply base your decision on what exactly you’re looking for.
FAQs
Neither is necessarily better than the other since each one is suited for different situations. Put simply, Cloudways is better for hosting only a handful of websites, and RunCloud is better for managing multiple servers.
Only Cloudways offers 24/7 live chat and ticketing support. RunCloud uses only a ticketing system.
On Cloudways, you don’t have to. However, you’ll have to purchase cloud hosting directly from other providers on RunCloud.
Cloudways supports DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud.