Cloudways vs Bluehost: Which One in 2026?
Cloudways charges purely for the cloud resources you use, with genuinely no renewal shock; Bluehost is far cheaper upfront, carries the official WordPress.org endorsement, and is much more beginner-friendly — but its Trustpilot score trails Cloudways by a wide margin. Here's the honest comparison.
Last updated August 2026 · Pricing verified against each host's site · Reviewed by [Your Name]
You want cloud flexibility and a stronger review record
Choice of 5 cloud providers, usage-based pricing with no renewal shock, and a meaningfully better Trustpilot score than Bluehost — the right choice if you're technical and value review trust.
Try Cloudways →You want the cheapest, most beginner-friendly start
The official WordPress.org pick, with email hosting and a familiar control panel included at a far lower entry price — the right choice for a first-time site owner.
Try Bluehost →
images_demo_bluehost.png and images_demo_cloudways.png to see it live.The full comparison
| Cloudways | Bluehost | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $11/mo (usage-based) | $1.99/mo (36mo term) |
| Renewal pricing | None — pay-as-you-go | $9.99/mo (fixed jump) |
| Official WordPress endorsement | No | Yes — WordPress.org recommended |
| Control panel | Cloudways dashboard (no cPanel) | Standard cPanel-style dashboard |
| Email hosting | Not included | Included |
| Cloud provider choice | 5 providers (DO, Vultr, AWS, GCP, Linode) | Standard shared hosting only |
| Beginner-friendly | No — built for developers | Yes |
| G2 rating | 4.7★ (1,120+ reviews) | 4.2★ (1,900+ reviews) |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.6★ (3,500+ reviews) | 3.2★ (29,000+ reviews) |
| Best for | Developers & agencies | Cheapest official WordPress pick |
Indicative 2026 pricing — Cloudways scales with actual server resource usage (DigitalOcean entry shown); Bluehost Basic requires a 36-month prepaid term to hit $1.99/mo. Full breakdown below, and confirm on cloudways.com and bluehost.com.
Who wins each category
Renewal pricing honesty
CloudwaysNo renewal shock at all — Bluehost's price still doubles from its lowest intro rate once the term ends.
Review trustworthiness
Cloudways4.6★ Trustpilot against Bluehost's 3.2★ — a real, well-documented gap driven by domain fee and checkout complaints specific to Bluehost.
Ease of use for beginners
BluehostA familiar cPanel-style dashboard, email hosting and the official WordPress.org endorsement make Bluehost far friendlier to start with.
Entry price
Bluehost$1.99/mo undercuts Cloudways' $11/mo entry tier — though Bluehost requires a 36-month commitment to hit that rate.
Cloud provider flexibility
CloudwaysChoice of 5 cloud providers versus Bluehost's standard shared-hosting infrastructure only.
Bundled features
BluehostEmail hosting and a free domain come standard with Bluehost — Cloudways offers neither at any tier.
Pros & cons of each host
C Cloudways
Genuinely no renewal shock
Usage-based pricing means no promotional rate to expire — a structural advantage over Bluehost's fixed renewal jump.
A meaningfully better review record
4.6★ Trustpilot versus Bluehost's 3.2★ — a real, well-documented gap, not a marginal difference.
Not beginner-friendly
No cPanel, no email hosting, no free domain — a real learning curve compared to Bluehost's more traditional setup.
Higher entry price
$11/mo starting price versus Bluehost's $1.99/mo — though Bluehost's rate requires a 36-month commitment to access.
B Bluehost
The official WordPress.org recommendation
A genuine, verifiable endorsement Cloudways can't claim — meaningful if that credential matters to your decision.
Far more beginner-friendly
A familiar dashboard, included email hosting, and a much lower entry price make Bluehost the easier starting point.
A meaningfully lower Trustpilot score
3.2★ against Cloudways' 4.6★ — driven by documented domain fee and checkout upsell complaints specific to Bluehost.
No cloud provider flexibility
Standard shared-hosting infrastructure only — no equivalent to Cloudways' choice of 5 cloud providers.
The detail that decides this comparison for most people: if you're technical and value review trust and no renewal shock, Cloudways is the structurally better choice. If you're a first-time site owner who wants the cheapest, simplest way to get online with an official endorsement, Bluehost remains the easier starting point.
What each host gives you
Billing model
Cloudways: usage-based, no fixed term. Bluehost: fixed term with renewal jump.
WordPress endorsement
Bluehost: official WordPress.org pick. Cloudways: no equivalent.
Cloud providers
Cloudways: 5 providers to choose from. Bluehost: standard shared hosting only.
Control panel
Bluehost: standard cPanel-style. Cloudways: custom dashboard, no cPanel.
Email hosting
Bluehost: included. Cloudways: not offered — needs a separate service.
Support
Both offer 24/7 live chat; Bluehost also includes phone support as standard.
Free SSL
Both include free SSL on every plan.
Server scaling
Cloudways: resize in seconds. Bluehost: requires a plan upgrade.
Pricing side by side (2026)
C
Usage-based. No fixed term. No renewal shock.
B
WordPress.org's pick. 36-month term for best price.
*Bluehost's rate requires the 36-month term. Cloudways scales continuously with actual resource usage — no equivalent term commitment exists. Confirm current pricing on cloudways.com and bluehost.com before buying.
Which one fits you?
C Choose Cloudways
- You want no renewal shock, ever
- Review trustworthiness matters most to your decision
- You're comfortable managing a cloud server without cPanel
- You want choice between multiple cloud providers
B Choose Bluehost
- You're launching your first website
- The official WordPress.org endorsement matters to you
- You want email hosting included
- You want the lowest possible entry price
These two solve genuinely different problems for genuinely different buyers. Cloudways offers real structural advantages — no renewal shock, cloud provider flexibility, and a substantially better review record (4.6★ vs Bluehost's 3.2★) — in exchange for a steeper learning curve and a higher entry price. Bluehost offers the official WordPress.org endorsement and the cheapest, simplest way to get a first site online, with email hosting included.
If you're technical, price-conscious about renewals specifically, or the review-trust gap matters to you, Cloudways is the clearer choice. If you're launching your first site and want the lowest possible price with an official endorsement behind it, Bluehost remains a defensible pick — just read the checkout screen carefully and go in aware of its review pattern.
Cloudways vs Bluehost FAQs
Is Cloudways or Bluehost better?
Which is cheaper?
Why is Bluehost's Trustpilot score so much lower than Cloudways'?
Does Cloudways include email hosting?
Is Cloudways good for beginners?
Related comparisons
Hostinger vs SiteGround → · Hostinger vs Bluehost → · Bluehost vs SiteGround → · Cloudways vs Hostinger → · Cloudways vs SiteGround → · See our Web Hosting category →