Last reviewed: 5 October 2026. Competitor details change often, so check each provider's official site before you decide.
Short answer: Cloudways and SharkCluster both run your applications on cloud servers without you managing them by hand. SharkCluster adds a DevOps team that sets up your site, free migration, and daily site and server checks. Stay with Cloudways if it works well and the price is comfortable.
What Cloudways does well
Cloudways puts a management layer on top of cloud providers, so you can run applications without handling servers directly. It has been in the market for years, has a large customer base, and offers 24/7 support through chat and tickets, according to its Help Center. It supports five infrastructure providers: AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode and Vultr.
Why people look for an alternative
- Cost at scale. Managed platforms add a service fee on top of raw infrastructure, and the difference grows with the number of servers.
- Mixed applications on one server. Some teams want to run PHP, Node.js and React applications together on a single server instead of paying for separate hosting for each.
- A managed, self-hosted Supabase database. Teams building modern apps often want Postgres with authentication, instant APIs and realtime features, managed for them, without paying a separate database vendor.
- Lower-cost servers for development sites. A development or staging site does not need premium infrastructure. The same server configuration can cost less on other providers such as Contabo and OVHcloud (see the price example below).
- Hands-on help. Some teams want a person who sets up, watches and maintains their sites, not only a panel to do it themselves.
How SharkCluster works
SharkCluster is a multi-provider cloud hosting platform. You can run servers on DigitalOcean, Contabo and OVHcloud, with IDrive e2 for object storage, and we show the real plan specifications before you sign up.
- DevOps setup. Our DevOps team sets up your site and server for you. Everything: server setup, security, caching, SSL, backups.
- PHP and Node.js on one server. Run your PHP and Node.js applications together on a single server.
- Managed database with Supabase. Self-hosted Supabase gives you a Postgres database with authentication, storage and realtime features, without a separate vendor.
- Free migration. We move your sites, apps and servers from your current host at no charge.
- Daily site and server checks. We check your site and server every day and act on problems.
- Lower-cost maintenance. Ongoing site and application maintenance at $2 per month with InfraCaptain enterprise.
Pricing is a single standard price per plan. If prices change, you get 30 days' notice, changes apply only going forward, and you can cancel without penalty.
Price example: the same server on each platform
The fairest comparison is one server size on one provider. All prices below come from official pricing pages on 5 October 2026, in USD, per month, excluding tax. Where a platform does not offer a provider, the cell says so.
| Server (provider and size) | SharkCluster | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean, 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM NVMe | $45 per month (billed hourly) | $54 |
| OVHcloud, 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM NVMe | $20 per month (billed monthly) | Not offered |
| Vultr, 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM NVMe | Not offered | $60 per month (hourly billing) |
Sources: Cloudways pricing, DigitalOcean, OVHcloud, Vultr, SharkCluster pricing. Backups, support and add-ons are priced separately on each platform, so compare those too.
Side-by-side overview
| Topic | SharkCluster | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Multi-provider cloud hosting platform with a DevOps team | Managed cloud hosting platform |
| Infrastructure providers | DigitalOcean, Contabo, OVHcloud; IDrive e2 for storage (details) | AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr (Cloudways Help Center) |
| Backup | Free local backups; offsite storage billed per GB | Easy backup and restore |
| Offsite backup | Yes | Yes |
| PHP and Node.js apps | Run PHP and Node.js applications on one server (details) | Managed Node.js hosting is a separate product, Velocity, with its own plans (Cloudways Velocity) |
| Managed database | Self-hosted Supabase: Postgres, built-in authentication, instant APIs and realtime sync, with no separate database vendor to pay (details) | Local MariaDB/MySQL provisioned per server, managed through a web-based Database Manager or remote connections. We did not find a Supabase or separate Postgres backend option. |
| Autoscaling | Not available yet | Yes (WordPress and WooCommerce only, with Cloudways Autonomous) (Cloudways Autonomous) |
| Migration | Free and unlimited for sites, apps and servers (WordPress, Laravel, Magento, PHP, Node.js), guided by our DevOps team for minimal downtime | WordPress and WooCommerce migrations are free, including expert-managed migrations, with unlimited self-service migrations via the Cloudways Migrator plugin. Non-WordPress applications (including Magento, Laravel, and custom PHP) cost $99 per application. The Standard plan includes 1 free non-WordPress migration, while the Agency plan includes up to 5. Subsites may count as separate migrations. Expert-managed migration is unavailable during the free trial. After submitting a request, a support engineer will follow up within 48 hours. |
| Monitoring and maintenance | Daily server and application health checks included by default; deeper automated infrastructure checks with InfraCaptain at $2 per month (InfraCaptain) | Built-in server resource tracking (CPU, RAM, disk, network) with alerts through CloudwaysBot (Slack, email). Deeper application metrics use the New Relic integration, which needs a New Relic account or plan. |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| Deployment Methods | Git, ZIP, fresh install, and migration | Git deployment and supported application workflows |
| Repository Access | Repository-scoped deploy keys | Git integration; verify equivalent key-scoping options |
| In-Browser SSH | Run commands from the browser-based terminal | SSH access using an SSH client |
| Database Engines | MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and MariaDB | Managed MySQL/MariaDB; database options vary by product |
| Configuration Drift | Detect supported configuration differences | Compare specific configuration-drift capabilities |
| Applications per Server | Unlimited apps, subject to server capacity | Application and server limits depend on product and plan |
| Self-Hosted Business Apps | Free supported self-hosted business app deployments | Compare supported applications and deployment requirements |
| One-Click App Deployment | OpenClaw Agent, n8n, Cal.diy, MQTT, FreeScout, Formbricks, Chatwoot | Limited native one-click app options |
| Support | Free, with a dedicated DevOps team (support) | 24/7 via chat and tickets |
| Track record | Newer platform, growing customer base | Established, large customer base |
Where Cloudways is ahead
Cloudways has real strengths, and they matter for some projects:
- Autoscaling. Cloudways Autonomous scales resources automatically with traffic and includes high availability and load balancing. It is for WordPress and WooCommerce only.
- One-click scaling and a built-in performance stack. Flexible servers can be scaled up in one click, and caching tools such as Varnish, Redis and Object Cache Pro are available for WordPress and WooCommerce.
- Free trial. Cloudways advertises a 3-day free trial without a credit card.
- Cloudflare Enterprise add-on. A ready-made edge integration with firewall (WAF), DDoS protection and edge caching, from $4.99 per domain per month, going down to $1.99 per domain for larger numbers of domains (Cloudways plans).
- SafeUpdates for WordPress. Automatic detection, testing and deployment of WordPress updates, from $3 per site per month (Cloudways plans).
- Maturity and provider range. An established platform with a large customer base, a published uptime SLA, and a wider choice of infrastructure providers, including AWS and Google Cloud.
Who should stay with Cloudways
- Your sites run well and your monthly bill is acceptable.
- You use Cloudways features or integrations you would have to replace.
- You need AWS or Google Cloud specifically, or prefer the longest-established option.
Who should consider SharkCluster
- You run several servers and want to compare real costs across providers.
- You want a DevOps team to set up your site, migrate it for free, and check your site and server every day.
- You run PHP, Node.js and React applications and want them together on one server.
- You want a self-hosted Supabase database (Postgres, authentication, instant APIs and realtime) managed for you, without paying a separate database vendor.
- You want lower-cost provider options, such as Contabo and OVHcloud, for development and staging sites.
- You want lower ongoing maintenance costs and custom features built for your application.
Moving a site, app or server: what to prepare
Migration is free, and you do not have to do it alone. Tell us about your site first and our DevOps team will plan the move with you to keep downtime minimal.
To make the move faster, have these ready:
- A full backup of files and database, stored outside the old server.
- A list of DNS records, cron jobs, SSL certificates and environment settings.
- Access to your domain's DNS, so the switch can happen at a quiet time.
- A rollback plan: keep the old server running until the new one is confirmed working. We help with this.
Frequently asked questions
SharkCluster is a managed cloud hosting alternative with similar basics: cloud servers on DigitalOcean, Contabo and OVHcloud. It adds a DevOps team that sets up your site, free migration, and daily site and server checks.
Compare the same server size on the same provider. In the price example in this article, checked on 5 October 2026, SharkCluster costs $45 per month and Cloudways $54 per month for a DigitalOcean 2 vCPU / 4 GB server. Prices change, so check both official pricing pages.
Cloudways supports Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, Linode and Vultr, according to the Cloudways Help Center.
SharkCluster supports DigitalOcean, Contabo and OVHcloud for servers, and IDrive e2 for object storage.
Yes. SharkCluster can host PHP and Node.js applications on one server. Cloudways offers managed Node.js hosting through a separate product called Velocity.
Yes. SharkCluster offers a managed database option with self-hosted Supabase, an open-source Postgres backend that includes a database, authentication, storage and realtime features.
Cloudways migrates WordPress and WooCommerce sites for free, including expert-managed migrations. Non-WordPress applications such as Magento, Laravel and custom PHP cost $99 per application, with 1 free migration on the Standard plan and up to 5 on the Agency plan, according to the Cloudways Help Center checked on 5 October 2026. SharkCluster migrates all supported application types for free.
Yes. SharkCluster migrates your sites, apps and servers for free, and our DevOps team guides you to keep downtime minimal.
We plan each migration to keep downtime as short as possible. The exact time depends on your site size and DNS setup.
They set up your site and server, handle migration, and act on problems found in our daily site and server checks. Support is free.
Daily site and server checks are included. Deeper monitoring with InfraCaptain, our server monitoring product, is available at $2 per month.
Cloudways is a trademark of its respective owner and is used here only to identify the product being compared. SharkCluster is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cloudways. Competitor information was checked on 5 October 2026 from public sources and may have changed. If you see an error, email [email protected] and we will correct it.