SiteGround vs Cloudways: Forced Upgrades vs DigitalOcean Markup
Table of Contents
You’re searching “SiteGround vs Cloudways” because you want managed hosting without dealing with server administration.
Here’s the problem: SiteGround’s CPU limits force $1,456/year Cloud upgrades and Cloudways charges 220% markup over DigitalOcean direct pricing. You’re choosing between forced upgrades and paying double for a middleman.
Better alternatives:
- Hetzner - Best unmanaged VPS
- Scala Hosting - Best managed VPS
- ChemiCloud - Best shared hosting
This SiteGround vs Cloudways comparison will show why neither is optimal, then present Scala VPS as better alternative.
⚡ Quick Verdict: SiteGround vs Cloudways
TL;DR: SiteGround has CPU limits forcing $1,456/year Cloud upgrades. Cloudways charges 220% markup over DigitalOcean direct pricing and was acquired by DigitalOcean (price increases, support degradation). Scala VPS ($539/year) is better than both.
SiteGround vs Cloudways vs Scala VPS
| Feature | SiteGround | Cloudways | Scala VPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intro Price | $2.99/mo (shared) | $11/mo (DO) | $44.95/mo |
| Real Annual Cost | $1,456/yr (forced Cloud) | $168/yr (DO 1GB) | $539/yr |
| DigitalOcean Direct | N/A | $6/mo = $72/yr | N/A |
| Cloudways Markup | N/A | 133% ($11 vs $6) | N/A |
| CPU Limits | Yes (forces Cloud) | No | No |
| Hardware | Google Cloud (undisclosed) | DigitalOcean/Vultr | AMD EPYC 9474F (4.1 GHz) |
| Owned By | Independent | DigitalOcean (acquired) | Independent |
Winner: Scala VPS ($539/year) beats SiteGround’s forced Cloud upgrade ($1,456/year) and offers better value than Cloudways’ markup.
Why: SiteGround advertises $216/year shared but CPU limits force $1,456/year Cloud. Cloudways charges $168/year (DigitalOcean 1GB) but DigitalOcean direct is $72/year - you’re paying 133% markup. Scala VPS is $539/year with AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz, SPanel included, 0% renewal, no markups.
Why I Don’t Recommend Either
SiteGround:
- 501% renewal + CPU limit forced Cloud upgrades make total cost $1,456/year
Cloudways:
Better alternative:
- Scala Hosting: Best managed VPS value ($539/year, 0% renewal), AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz, SPanel included, no markups
You shouldn’t trust me blindly. Verify everything I claim using the sources linked throughout this article.
SiteGround vs Cloudways: The Direct Comparison
Pricing: Forced Upgrades vs Hidden Markups
SiteGround Pricing (Shared → Forced Cloud)
SiteGround Shared:
- Year 1: $2.99/mo = $36/year
- Renewal: $17.99/mo = $216/year
- Increase: 501%
SiteGround’s Real Cost (After CPU Limits Hit):
- Undisclosed CPU limits force Cloud upgrade
- Cloud Entry: $120/mo = $1,440/year
- Domain: $15.95/year
- Total: $1,456/year
Source: SiteGround official pricing, SiteGround CPU Analysis
Cloudways Pricing (DigitalOcean Markup)
Cloudways DigitalOcean 1GB:
- Monthly: $11/mo = $132/year
- Annual billing (25% off): $8.25/mo = $99/year
- Renewal: Same (pay-as-you-go, no renewal increase)
DigitalOcean Direct Pricing (Without Cloudways):
- 1GB Droplet: $6/mo = $72/year
- Cloudways charges: $11/mo = $132/year
- Markup: $5/mo = $60/year (83% markup over direct DO)
From Online Media Masters:
“Cloudways charges ~220% more than DigitalOcean and Vultr… Since Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean, they’ve: Increased prices. Implemented AI chat support. Had issues with billing and server shut-offs.”
Total cost:
- Cloudways DigitalOcean 1GB: $132/year
- Direct DigitalOcean 1GB: $72/year
- You pay $60/year extra for Cloudways management layer
Source: Cloudways official pricing
Pricing Winner
On advertised intro pricing: SiteGround wins ($36/year vs Cloudways $132/year)
On real annual cost:
- SiteGround shared (if under CPU limits): $216/year
- SiteGround Cloud (after forced upgrade): $1,456/year
- Cloudways DO 1GB: $132/year
- Direct DigitalOcean 1GB: $72/year
The problems:
- SiteGround: CPU limits force $1,456/year
- Cloudways: 83% markup over direct DigitalOcean ($132 vs $72)
- Both have issues that make them suboptimal
Better alternative - Scala VPS:
- $44.95/mo = $539/year
- AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz (faster than DO/Vultr)
- SPanel included (saves $180/year cPanel license)
- 0% renewal increase
- No markup (Scala owns infrastructure)
Real winner: Scala VPS at $539/year - better hardware than Cloudways, $917/year cheaper than SiteGround forced Cloud, no markup trap
Performance: Google Cloud vs DigitalOcean vs AMD EPYC
SiteGround Infrastructure
SiteGround Shared:
- CPU: Google Cloud (undisclosed cores/speed)
- RAM: Undisclosed
- Storage: SSD (Google Cloud)
- CPU Limits: Yes, forces expensive Cloud upgrade
SiteGround Cloud:
- CPU: 4-8 cores (Google Cloud)
- RAM: 8-16GB
- Storage: SSD (Google Cloud)
- Cost: $1,456/year
Source: WhatsTheHost SiteGround Review
Cloudways Infrastructure
Cloudways DigitalOcean:
- CPU: 1 vCPU (DigitalOcean Droplet)
- RAM: 1GB
- Storage: 25GB SSD
- Cost: $132/year via Cloudways, $72/year direct
The markup problem:
- Same DigitalOcean infrastructure
- Cloudways adds management layer
- 83% markup over direct pricing
Post-acquisition issues:
“Since Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean, they’ve: Increased prices. Implemented AI chat support. Had issues with billing and server shut-offs. Removed Vultr and other non-DO providers.”
Source: Cloudways Review
Scala Hosting Infrastructure
Scala Managed VPS:
- CPU: AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz
- RAM: 4GB (Build plan)
- Storage: PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs
- Cost: $539/year
Performance advantages:
- Highest multithread rating (102107) among VPS providers
- DDR5 RAM (PC5-38400R at 4800Mhz)
- Own infrastructure (no DigitalOcean markup)
Source: VPSBenchmarks Scala Analysis
Performance Winner
On raw performance: Scala’s AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz beats both SiteGround’s undisclosed Google Cloud and Cloudways’ DigitalOcean 1 vCPU
On cost/performance:
- SiteGround: Fast eventually but costs $1,456/year after forced Cloud
- Cloudways: DigitalOcean performance but 83% markup ($132 vs $72 direct)
- Scala: Fastest AMD EPYC at $539/year (no markup, no forced upgrades)
Real winner: Scala VPS - faster hardware, better cost/performance ratio
The Hidden Problems Both Hosts Have
SiteGround problems:
- Undisclosed CPU limits - $1,456/year forced Cloud upgrade
- 501% shared renewal - $2.99/mo → $17.99/mo
- CDN costs extra - $19.95/mo ($239/year)
- Limited migrations - 1 free site
Cloudways problems:
- DigitalOcean markup - 83-220% over direct pricing
- Acquisition issues - Acquired by DigitalOcean, price increases, support degradation
- Removed provider options - Can’t use Vultr/others anymore (forced into DigitalOcean ecosystem)
- AI chat support - Replaced human support with AI after acquisition
From Online Media Masters:
“Cloudways charges ~220% more than DigitalOcean and Vultr… Since Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean, they’ve: Increased prices. Implemented AI chat support. Had issues with billing and server shut-offs. Removed Vultr and other non-DO providers. Had more complaints about support/billing issues.”
Scala advantages (avoids both problems):
- No CPU limits (true VPS with dedicated resources)
- 0% VPS renewal increase
- No cloud provider markup (owns infrastructure)
- Independent company (not acquired)
- SPanel included (no $180/year cPanel license)
Support Quality
SiteGround Support
Support quality:
- In-house support (better than Newfold brands)
- Average response: 10-15 minutes
- But: Pushes Cloud upgrades when CPU limits hit
Support score: 7/10
Cloudways Support
Support quality (post-acquisition):
- Implemented AI chat support after DigitalOcean acquisition
- More billing/support complaints post-acquisition
- Average response time increased
Support score: 6/10 (degraded after acquisition)
Scala Hosting Support
Support quality:
- 24/7 in-house support with SPanel expertise
- VPS migration assistance included
- Average response: 10-15 minutes
- No forced upgrade tactics
Support score: 8/10
Support Winner
Winner: Scala (8/10) > SiteGround (7/10) > Cloudways (6/10 post-acquisition)
Features Comparison
Features Comparison
| Feature | SiteGround | Cloudways | Scala VPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free SSL | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Backups | Yes | Yes (paid on DO) | Yes |
| Free Migrations | 1 site | Yes | Unlimited |
| Staging Sites | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Control Panel | Custom | Custom | SPanel (cPanel alternative) |
| CPU Limits | Yes (forces Cloud) | No | No |
| Infrastructure Markup | N/A | 83-220% | None (own infra) |
Features winner: Scala VPS - unlimited migrations, SPanel included, no CPU limits, no infrastructure markup
Why You’re Looking at the Wrong Comparison
Most people search “SiteGround vs Cloudways” thinking:
- “Should I use SiteGround shared ($216/year) or Cloudways DO ($132/year)?”
But the real comparison is:
- “SiteGround Cloud ($1,456/year after forced upgrade) vs Cloudways DO ($132/year but 83% markup) vs Scala VPS ($539/year, no markup)”
The problems with both:
SiteGround:
- Advertises $216/year
- CPU limits force $1,456/year Cloud
- You end up paying $1,456/year, not $216/year
Cloudways:
- Charges $132/year for DigitalOcean 1GB
- DigitalOcean direct is $72/year
- You’re paying 83% markup for management layer
- Acquired by DigitalOcean, quality concerns
The better question: “What managed VPS doesn’t have forced upgrades or cloud markups?”
Answer: Scala VPS at $539/year
What You Should Actually Use Instead
Best Managed VPS (Better Than Both)
Use: Scala Hosting VPS
Why:
- $539/year (0% renewal on VPS)
- AMD EPYC 9474F @ 4.1 GHz (highest multithread rating)
- PCIe 5.0 NVMe SSDs
- SPanel included (saves $180/year cPanel license)
- No CPU limits (vs SiteGround’s forced Cloud)
- No cloud markup (vs Cloudways’ 83% DO markup)
- Independent company (not acquired like Cloudways)
- Saves $917/year vs SiteGround Cloud
- Better value than Cloudways’ marked-up DO
Read full Scala Hosting review
If You Need Direct Cloud Access (No Markup)
Use DigitalOcean Direct (Not Cloudways)
Why:
- DigitalOcean 1GB: $6/mo = $72/year
- Cloudways DO 1GB: $11/mo = $132/year
- Save $60/year by going direct
- Same infrastructure, no management markup
Tradeoff: Unmanaged (you handle server setup)
Or use: Hetzner at €3.79/mo (~$50/year) for even better unmanaged value
If You Need Shared Hosting (Cheaper Than VPS)
Use: ChemiCloud
Why:
- $239/year (no CPU forced upgrades like SiteGround)
- AMD EPYC 9354 @ 3.8 GHz
- Cheaper than Scala VPS if on tight budget
- Better than SiteGround’s CPU limit trap
If You Can Handle Unmanaged VPS (Best Value)
Use: Hetzner
Why:
- €3.79/mo = ~$50/year
- AMD EPYC CPUs, NVMe SSDs
- Saves $489/year vs Scala, $82/year vs Cloudways, $1,406/year vs SiteGround Cloud
Migration: Leaving SiteGround or Cloudways
Backup Everything First
- SiteGround: Use their backup tool + plugin backup
- Cloudways: Use their backup system + download manually
- Always download locally: Don’t trust old host
Migration to Scala VPS
Use Scala’s free unlimited VPS migration:
- Scala handles complex migrations from both platforms
- Support assists with Cloudways → Scala transition
- 24-48 hours migration time
Timeline
- Week 1: Sign up Scala VPS, request migration
- Week 2: Test new VPS performance
- Week 3: Update DNS
- Week 4: Cancel old host (SiteGround/Cloudways)
Real User Experiences
SiteGround CPU Limit Complaints
From RaazKumar:
“SiteGround has CPU limits on shared hosting that aren’t disclosed upfront. Once you hit these limits, they force you to upgrade to Cloud plans costing $120+/month.”
Cloudways Acquisition Issues
From Online Media Masters:
“Since Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean, they’ve: Increased prices. Implemented AI chat support. Had issues with billing and server shut-offs. Removed Vultr and other non-DO providers. Had more complaints about support/billing issues.”
Scala VPS Success Stories
From VPSBenchmarks:
“ScalaHosting’s AMD EPYC 9474F has highest multithread rating (102107)… 0% renewal increase on VPS plans.”
The Bottom Line: SiteGround vs Cloudways
Direct comparison verdict:
Neither is optimal.
- SiteGround: CPU limits force $1,456/year Cloud (not $216/year shared)
- Cloudways: 83% markup over DigitalOcean direct, acquisition quality concerns
Better alternative: Scala VPS at $539/year
- Faster AMD EPYC 9474F CPUs
- No CPU limits (vs SiteGround)
- No cloud markup (vs Cloudways)
- Independent company (not acquired)
What you should actually do:
- Need managed VPS? → Scala VPS ($539/year, better than both)
- Need unmanaged? → Hetzner (~$50/year) or DigitalOcean direct ($72/year)
- Need shared? → ChemiCloud ($239/year, no CPU limits)
Verify This Yourself
SiteGround CPU limits:
Cloudways markup:
Scala claims:
Legal Note: This comparison contains both documented facts (linked to sources) and my personal opinions. All opinions are clearly marked.
Affiliate disclosure: I make money from Scala Hosting, ChemiCloud, and nothing from Hetzner. I don’t promote SiteGround or Cloudways.
