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Head to head

Cloudways vs WP Engine

This matchup is less about raw speed than about how you want to work. Cloudways is faster at the origin and cheaper to start. WP Engine is a more established managed WordPress platform whose value shows up in workflow rather than in the TTFB column.

Reviewed August 2026 · 2024–2025 benchmark data · methodology

Cloudways

3/5

metrics led

$14/mo

WP Engine

1/5

metrics led

$25/mo

Counted across the five measured columns below. Not a weighted score.

Quick verdict

Cloudways for most people

Choose Cloudways if you are optimising for speed per dollar. Choose WP Engine if you manage client sites and the staging, transferable-install and team-access tooling will save you more time than the price difference costs.

Go direct

Cloudways ad

118ms origin · $14/mo

Visit

WP Engine

147ms origin · $25/mo

Visit

Measured

Benchmark comparison

Straight from the ranking table — these figures are shared with the homepage dataset rather than restated here, so the two can never disagree.

Cloudways vs WP Engine benchmark metrics compared
Metric Cloudways WP Engine Edge
US origin TTFB No CDN — measures the server itself 118ms 147ms Cloudways −29ms
Global TTFB Each provider’s default delivery setup 312ms 225ms (CDN) WP Engine −87ms
Under load Concurrent-user simulation Stable Stable Even
Uptime Published availability figure 99.98% 99.95% Cloudways
Entry price Lowest advertised plan $14/mo $25/mo Cloudways

Figures marked (CDN) are achieved with a bundled content delivery network and describe delivery rather than server performance. Comparing a CDN-assisted global figure against an unassisted one is not like for like.

Beyond the numbers

Key differences

The parts a benchmark cannot measure, which is usually where the decision actually gets made.

Agency workflow

WP Engine leads
Cloudways
Staging and team features exist but are less developed.
WP Engine
Transferable installs, staging and dev environments built around agency handover.

Platform flexibility

Cloudways leads
Cloudways
Runs any PHP application on infrastructure you choose.
WP Engine
WordPress only, with a curated plugin disallow list.

CDN posture

WP Engine leads
Cloudways
CDN is an add-on; the 312ms global figure is unassisted.
WP Engine
Global Edge CDN included, giving 225ms global TTFB.

Entry cost

Cloudways leads
Cloudways
$14/mo, scaling with server size rather than site count.
WP Engine
$25/mo for a single site on the entry plan.

Predictability

Comparable
Cloudways
You size and manage the server, so costs and performance track your decisions.
WP Engine
Visit-based plans make monthly cost predictable but can force upgrades on traffic spikes.

Decide

Which one should you pick?

Find the row that sounds most like you.

  • Freelancer with a handful of sites

    Consolidating several small sites onto one server is far cheaper than per-site plans.

    Cloudways

  • Agency with client handover requirements

    Transferable installs and per-site environments are built for exactly that workflow.

    WP Engine

  • Non-WordPress or mixed PHP stack

    WP Engine is WordPress-only; Cloudways will run Laravel, Magento and plain PHP.

    Cloudways

  • Enterprise procurement and compliance

    Longer track record, formal SLAs and the account structure larger buyers expect.

    WP Engine

  • Fastest possible server response for the money

    118ms versus 147ms origin TTFB, at $14/mo versus $25/mo.

    Cloudways

Common questions

Cloudways vs WP Engine FAQs

Is WP Engine slower than Cloudways?

On US origin TTFB, yes — 147ms against 118ms. Globally WP Engine is ahead at 225ms versus 312ms, because its plans include an edge CDN and Cloudways plans do not.

Does WP Engine justify the higher price?

For agencies, often yes — the workflow tooling is genuinely more mature. For a single site where you are comfortable with server management, the performance data does not support the premium on its own.

Can I host non-WordPress sites on WP Engine?

No. WP Engine is WordPress-only. Cloudways will run other PHP applications.

Other comparisons

All comparisons

Before you decide

Cloudways vs Kinsta

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Kinsta vs WP Engine

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Cloudways vs SiteGround

The clearest illustration of why origin speed and global speed are different things.

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