Plesk vs Cloudways

by Gralio Feb 05, 2025

Plesk and Cloudways offer distinct approaches to web hosting management. Plesk is a comprehensive control panel designed for users who prefer a single platform to manage all aspects of their web presence. Cloudways, on the other hand, is a managed cloud hosting platform that prioritizes ease of use and scalability, making it ideal for businesses and individuals who want a hassle-free hosting experience.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 1384 reviews and 59 websites, saving 8 hours, 10 minutes of reading.

Plesk

Website LinkedIn Twitter

Cloudways

Website LinkedIn Twitter

About

Plesk is a platform that simplifies website and server management for web professionals and businesses. It provides a single dashboard to manage websites, email accounts, security, and resources. Plesk offers automated tools, easy integration of popular web applications, and compatibility with major cloud providers. It's designed to streamline web hosting operations, freeing up time for users to focus on their core business.

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies website and application management for businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface to launch and manage servers and applications on top cloud providers like Amazon and Google. Cloudways handles technical tasks like server setup, security, and maintenance, freeing you to focus on your business. It's known for its fast loading speeds, reliable uptime, and responsive customer support. Key features include automated backups, security tools, and easy collaboration for teams.

Summary

Main difference

Plesk offers a comprehensive suite of tools for server management, ideal for users who prefer a single control panel for various tasks. Cloudways focuses on simplifying cloud hosting with its managed platform and user-friendly interface, making it suitable for users who prioritize ease of use and scalability.

Relative strengths of Plesk (compared to Cloudways)

Plesk provides a centralized platform for managing all aspects of web hosting, including websites, email, and security.
Plesk offers a robust WordPress Toolkit with features such as one-click installation, updates, and security hardening.
Plesk has a plugin ecosystem that allows users to extend its functionality with various add-ons.

Relative weaknesses of Plesk (compared to Cloudways)

Plesk's pricing can be perceived as expensive, especially for smaller businesses.
Some users have reported bugs and issues with the software, impacting its reliability.
Plesk's customer support has received mixed reviews, with some users experiencing slow response times.

Who should use Plesk VS. Cloudways

Plesk simplifies website and server management through a single dashboard. Users praise its user-friendly interface and WordPress Toolkit. However, some find it pricey and occasionally buggy. It's ideal for web professionals, developers, and agencies managing multiple online properties.

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform simplifying website and application management. It's known for its ease of use, fast loading speeds, and reliable uptime. Users appreciate the responsive customer support and wide range of cloud providers. However, some have noted recent price increases and occasional performance issues for e-commerce sites.

Best for small to medium-sized businesses seeking streamlined server management.
Ideal for IT, software, media, and e-commerce companies.

Ideal for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and digital agencies.
A good fit for various industries, including E-commerce, Healthcare, and IT.

Plesk and Cloudways features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

Security vulnerability detection

Partially supported

Plesk offers vulnerability scanning for WordPress sites via its WP Toolkit, but not for general code.

Partially supported

Cloudways detects vulnerabilities in WordPress applications.
Unified Dashboard

Supported

Plesk offers a unified dashboard to manage all aspects of web hosting.

Partially supported

Cloudways offers a centralized dashboard but its unclear if it covers all the mentioned aspects.
WordPress Toolkit

Supported

Plesk supports WordPress Toolkit with features such as one-click installation, updates, security hardening, and cloning. Staging can be achieved via cloning.

Partially supported

Cloudways offers simplified WordPress management, including one-click installs and updates, but not staging or cloning.
Cloud integration

Supported

Plesk supports various cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, and others.

Supported

Cloudways integrates with various cloud platforms like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean.
AWS integration

Supported

Plesk supports AWS integration for scalable infrastructure, application management, and database management.

Supported

Cloudways allows connecting to and managing AWS servers.
Drag and drop editor

Partially supported

Plesk offers drag and drop website building via Sitejet and Microweber integrations.

Partially supported

Cloudways supports drag and drop website building via Visual Composer integration.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

-1

Strongly negative sentiment

+0.15

Neutral sentiment
Customer Service

+0.5

Rather positive sentiment

+0.69

Rather positive sentiment
Ease of Use

+0.57

Rather positive sentiment

+0.84

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

+0.14

Neutral sentiment

+0.77

Strongly positive sentiment
Ease of Implementation

-0.2

Neutral sentiment

+0.59

Rather positive sentiment
Scalability

No data

+0.7

Strongly positive sentiment

Plesk and Cloudways Pricing

Plesk offers three VPS plans: Web Admin Edition, Web Pro Edition, and Web Host Edition. Each of these plans includes Sitejet Builder and varying levels of domain support and management features. They also offer Business Plans for scaling businesses with partner discounts and dedicated support.

Plans

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.15

See full Pricing page

Plesk and Cloudways review insights

1345 reviews analysed from and

Users love

Plesk offers a user-friendly interface that simplifies server management.
The WordPress Toolkit is a valuable feature for managing WordPress sites.
Plesk provides a wide range of integrations with popular web applications and services.
The software is regularly updated with new features and security patches.

Easy to use interface for server and application management
Responsive and helpful customer support
Fast loading speeds and reliable uptime
Wide range of cloud providers to choose from including AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode
Good value for the price, especially compared to shared hosting

Users dislike

Plesk is expensive, and the price increases frequently.
The software is buggy, with users reporting frequent errors and issues.
Security features are lacking and require additional paid plugins.
Customer support can be slow and unhelpful for complex issues.

Prices have increased in recent months
Autonumus service performance for e-commerce sites has mixed reviews, some users report frequent issues
Installing SSL certificates and some scripts can be slow
Limited PHP versions supported

Plesk and Cloudways Ratings

G2

4.4/5

(269)
Capterra

4.7/5

(145)
TrustPilot

2.0/5

(39)

G2

4.7/5

(906)
Capterra

4.4/5

(83)
Glassdoor

3.9/5

(384)

Company health

Employee growth

No data

16% increase in the last year

Web traffic

No data

6% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

June 2021 - $491M

How do Plesk's WordPress-specific features compare to Cloudways' broader application support?

Plesk offers specialized WordPress tools like one-click installation, updates, and security hardening through its WordPress Toolkit. While Cloudways doesn't have a WordPress-specific toolkit, it supports a broader range of applications and offers more flexibility in choosing the underlying cloud provider (AWS, Google Cloud, etc.) giving users more control over their hosting environment. This makes Plesk potentially better for users heavily focused on WordPress, while Cloudways is more suitable for those needing a more versatile platform supporting various applications and cloud infrastructures.

Which product offers better customer support responsiveness given user reviews?

Cloudways has better customer support responsiveness. While both Plesk and Cloudways have positive reviews regarding ease of use and features, Plesk users specifically complain about slow and unhelpful customer support for complex issues. Conversely, Cloudways users consistently praise the responsiveness and helpfulness of their customer support. Cloudways' higher customer service rating (0.69) compared to Plesk (0.5) further supports this conclusion.

What are the advantages of Plesk?

Plesk's advantages include a unified dashboard for simplified website and server management, a WordPress Toolkit with streamlined WordPress management features, and a plugin ecosystem for extended functionality. It is particularly well-suited for web professionals, developers, and agencies managing multiple websites.

What are the disadvantages of Plesk?

Plesk's disadvantages include higher and frequently increasing pricing, software bugs and errors reported by users, perceived weaknesses in security features requiring additional paid plugins, and potentially slow or unhelpful customer support for complex issues.

Alternatives to Plesk and Cloudways

Vercel

Vercel is a cloud platform designed to help developers build and launch websites and web applications quickly. It provides tools and infrastructure for a streamlined development process, enabling teams to go from code to a live website with minimal effort. Vercel focuses on performance and scalability, ensuring websites can handle large amounts of traffic and load quickly for users worldwide. It boasts a user-friendly interface and integrations with popular development tools, making it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes looking to improve their online presence.

DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean is a cloud computing platform designed to be user-friendly for businesses of all sizes. It offers a range of services including virtual servers, managed databases, and tools for building and deploying applications. DigitalOcean focuses on providing simple, cost-effective solutions for businesses to build and grow their online presence, making it particularly popular with startups and smaller companies. Its straightforward approach and helpful support resources are designed to make cloud computing accessible to those without deep technical expertise.

ServerAvatar

ServerAvatar is a cloud server management tool that lets you control your websites and applications hosted on any server. It simplifies server management for non-technical users by offering automatic setup, deployments, backups, and easy application installation. It allows you to manage multiple websites and servers from a single dashboard, making it a suitable alternative to traditional managed hosting with more control and potentially lower costs. ServerAvatar integrates with popular developer tools and includes features like team management, security monitoring, and performance optimization.

Rocket.net

Rocket.net is a managed WordPress hosting provider that prioritizes speed and security. They offer a fully-managed solution, meaning they handle technical aspects like server maintenance and security updates. This allows you to focus on your business, not your website's backend. Rocket.net is known for its simple interface, fast loading times, and 24/7 expert support. They cater to a variety of users, from individual publishers to large agencies, and offer specialized solutions for eCommerce and enterprise-level businesses.

Softxaa

Softxaa is a managed cloud platform designed for developers to host web applications and websites. It aims to simplify the management of web projects and servers within a secure environment. A key feature is their 24/7 technical support. Softxaa also offers services like WordPress hosting and domain registration.

Portainer

Portainer is a software platform that helps businesses manage how their applications are deployed and run. It provides a single, easy-to-use interface for managing applications across different environments, whether in the cloud, on physical servers, or at the edge. Portainer simplifies the process of deploying, monitoring, and securing these applications, offering a centralized platform for control and visibility. This can be particularly helpful for organizations with limited IT resources, allowing them to adopt modern application management practices.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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