A2 Hosting vs Cloudways

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A2 Hosting vs Cloudways

When pitting A2 Hosting against Cloudways, you’re looking at a clash of titans in the hosting arena. A2 Hosting, once hailed for its speed, now brings reliable hosting solutions with a focus on support, while Cloudways shines with its scalable, cloud-based offerings.

A2 Hosting - HostScore: 58.1%
Cloudways - HostScore: 80.8%

Key Differences Between A2 Hosting & Cloudways

When comparing A2 Hosting and Cloudways, both providers have their strengths, but they cater to slightly different audiences and needs.

Cloudways: Powerful Yet Affordable

Strengths:

  • Cloud Hosting Options: Cloudways offers a variety of cloud hosting options from leading providers like AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. This flexibility allows users to choose the best infrastructure to meet their specific needs.
  • Auto Scaling: Cloudways’ new Autonomous Plan feature provides automatic scaling and charges based on usage. This makes it highly effective and economical for handling traffic spikes on high-traffic websites (read our research here).
  • Cost Efficiency: While offering high performance and solid security features, Cloudways is generally more cost-effective compared to traditional hosting solutions (which, includes A2 Hosting).
  • Support for Unlimited Multiple Applications: Cloudways supports a wide range of applications and allows users to setup unlimited projects in one account. This makes it flexible choice for users with various on-hand projects.
  • Performance and Security: With features like a global CDN, advanced caching, and comprehensive security measures, Cloudways ensures that websites perform well and are secure from potential threats.

Weaknesses:

  • Complexity: While Cloudways offers a lot of flexibility and control, it can be more complex to set up and manage compared to other hosts with more simplified interfaces.

A2 Hosting: For Budget-Focused Developers

Strengths:

  • Development Environments: A2 Hosting is particularly appealing to developers due to its support for special development environments like Node.js, React, Ruby, and Tomcat in its shared hosting plans. This makes it a cost-effective solution for developers who need these specific environments.
  • Control Panel: A2 Hosting uses cPanel, which is a familiar and user-friendly control panel preferred by many users.

Weaknesses:

  • Renewal Prices: A2 Hosting, like many other providers, has significant price increases at renewal. The lowest shared hosting plan can jump from $2.99 per month to $12.99 per month.
  • Customer Support: While A2 Hosting offers adequate customer support, it has received some complaints regarding the consistency and quality of its support services.
  • Limited Global Presence: A2 Hosting has fewer server locations compared to Cloudways, which can impact performance for international audiences.

Compare Service Offering

FeatureA2 HostingCloudways
Hosting ServicesShared, VPS, Dedicated, and Reseller HostingCloud, and Reseller Hosting
Specialized ServicesManaged WordPress, Email, and Game Server HostingManaged WordPress Hosting
Server LocationsUSA, Netherlands, SingaporeCanada, USA, Brazil, UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, India, Australia
Control PanelcPanelIn-House
Uptime Guarantee99.9%100%
Money Back (Days)303
Free MigrationYesYes
Support ChannelsLive chat and emailLive chat and email

Key Takeaways

  • A2 Hosting offers full suite of traditional hosting services, including shared, VPS, dedicated, and reseller hosting.
  • Cloudways comes with a simplified management interface and focuses exclusively on cloud hosting solutions powered by Digital Ocean, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Vultr, and Linode.

Compare Plans & Pricing

Hosting TypeA2 HostingCloudways
Shared Hosting$2.99 - 14.99/mo$ - /mo
VPS Hosting$2.99 - 99.99/mo$ - /mo
Dedicated Hosting$109.99 - 529.99/mo$ - /mo
Cloud Hosting$ - /mo$11.00 - 1056.00/mo
Managed WP Hosting$11.99 - 41.99/mo$35.00 - 1640.00/mo
Windows Hosting$ - /mo$ - /mo
Coupon-HOSTSCORE
Coupon Details-30% Discount for 3 Months

Key Takeaways

  • A2 Hosting is cheap during signup but expensive in long term. Cloudways, on the other hand, operates on a pay-as-you-go model (meaning, you don’t have to pay a large sum during signup) that can be more cost-effective for users requiring scalable cloud resources.

Web Dev Features & Others

FeatureA2 HostingCloudways
Language SupportPHP, Java, Python, Node.js, Django, Perl, and Ruby on RailsPHP, Java, Python, Node.js, and Ruby on Rails
Dev FeaturesGIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH accessGIT access, WP-CLI, cron jobs, Multiple PHP versions, and SSH access
Staging ToolSoftaculousBuilt-in
Free SSLYesYes
Built-in CacheHigher plansYes
Global CDNYesYes
Free Malware ScanYesYes
DDoS ProtectionYesYes
Web Application Firewall (WAF)YesYes

Key Takeaways

  • Both A2 Hosting and Cloudways offer developer-friendly features, including support for multiple programming languages, GIT access, and free SSL certificates.
  • Cloudways stands out with its managed cloud hosting environment – offering features like easy server cloning, site staging, and automatic backups.
  • A2 Hosting, on the other hand, provides traditional cPanel access and developer-oriented features across all its hosting plans.

Our Final Verdict

Cloudways generally stands out for its flexibility, scalability, and cost efficiency. In our opinion, it is the better choice for those who need a high-performance yet affordable hosting solution.

A2 Hosting remains highly beginner-friendly and can be an affordable short-term choice for users looking for specific development environments (Node.js, Ruby, Perl, etc.). Keep in mind, though, its renewal prices are significantly higher, and its choice of server locations is limited compared to Cloudways.


About A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting's origins trace back to 2003 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where it was founded by Bryan Muthig. Starting as a hobby project offering web hosting for friends and family, A2 Hosting swiftly transitioned into a professional business focusing on high-performance hosting solutions, particularly for WordPress sites. Responding to customer demands for speed and reliability, A2 Hosting pioneered SSD hosting to boost website loading times and developed the A2 Optimized solution, enhancing WordPress site performance through optimized settings for speed and security.

A2 Hosting Pros

  • Server locations in North America, Europe, and Asia
  • Free website migration assistance
  • Developer-oriented features even on shared hosting
  • Custom performance optimizations tools available in higher shared plans

A2 Hosting Cons

  • Steep price increase during the renewal
  • Free site transfers mainly for cPanel installations
  • HTTP/2 only on TURBO plans
  • Lowest shared plan does not support automatic backup

About Cloudways

Cloudways

Established in 2011 by co-founders Aaqib Gadit, Pere Hospital, and Uzair Gadit, Cloudways is a managed hosting platform that initially focused on leveraging partnerships with AWS, Google Cloud Platform, and Digital Ocean to serve its customers better. The acquisition by DigitalOcean in August 2022 further solidified this partnership, enhancing Cloudways' ability to provide superior managed hosting solutions.

Cloudways Pros

  • Topnotch server uptime and speed performance
  • Good abstration over complex cloud server setups with integrated dashboard
  • Outstanding customer support
  • High scalability; Autonomous plan supports auto-scaling
  • Easy server cloning, site staging, and website transfer
  • Host unlimited applications in one account
  • 25% discount for first two months with coupon "HOSTSCORE"

Cloudways Cons

  • Getting expensive - Prices increased steadily for the past few years
  • Limited trial period


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Article by Jerry Low

Jerry Low has immersed himself in web technologies for over a decade and has built many successful sites from scratch. He is a self-professed geek who has made it his life’s ambition to keep the web hosting industry honest. For latest personal updates and news, follow Jerry on Facebook and Twitter.
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