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With Flywheel, you’re paying for traffic you’re not utilizing.
When you exceed your plan limits, Flywheel charges you overages and you risk
a crash.
Cloudways as the Flywheel Alternative 1
Scale Beyond Limits
with True Global Reach
Cloudways secures an easy Flywheel vs Cloudways victory.
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Lower Cost
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5x Storage
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50x Bandwidth
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11x Coverage
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Auto Scaling
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Quality Live Support
Cloudways vs Flywheel
Why Choose Cloudways as Your Flywheel Alternative
Cloudways combines speed, performance, and global reach, setting a new standard among Flywheel competitors.
Get More, Pay Less
Cloudways packs in more features and easy scalability while keeping costs much lower than Flywheel.
Learn More >11x Data Centers
With coverage in 11x the locations compared to Flywheel, Cloudways gives you superior global reach with fast and reliable connectivity.
Learn More >G2’s Top Rated
Flywheel doesn’t even make the top 20, while G2 ranks Cloudways #1 in WebOps Platform, outperforming Flywheel and all other Flywheel alternatives.
Learn More >Pay-as-you-go
With Flywheel, you might overpay or compromise on performance. With Cloudways, pay only for what you need, when you need it.
Learn More >Handle Traffic Spikes
Cloudways Autonomous™ enables seamless auto scaling to handle traffic surges, with flexible pay-as-you-go billing.
Learn More >Quality Live Support
Flywheel support leaves users waiting for their issues to be resolved. Cloudways delivers quick, expert help whenever you need it.
Learn More >People Love Us
Cloudways’ dedication to quality has earned the trust of users like you, making us the best choice for reliable hosting.
Learn More >The Flywheel Alternative that is
Faster. Scalable. Transparent
Cloudways is the Better Choice.
Cloudways offers the performance, scale, and transparent pricing Flywheel can’t match. Explore the comparison table below to see why Cloudways is the choice for those who expect more.
| Price | ||
| Price per month | Starting From $11 | Starting From $15 |
| Features | ||
| No. of websites | Unmetered on all plans | Starting from 1 |
| Monthly Visits | Unmetered on all plans | Starting from 5,000 |
| Disk Storage | Starting from 25 GB SSD | Starting from 5 GB |
| Bandwidth | Starting from 1 TB | Starting from 20 GB |
| Auto Scaling | ||
| Support | ||
| 24/7 support | ||
| Slack Channel | ||
| Customization Support | ||
| Performance | ||
| Global Data Center Coverage | 55 Unique Locations, 116 Data Centers | 05 Unique Locations, 11 Data Centers |
| Infrastructure | GCP, AWS, DO, Vultr, Linode | GCP Only |
| Free Object Cache Pro | ||
| Security | ||
| DDoS Protection | ||
| Malware Scanning and Removal | ||
| Auto Healing Technology | ||
| Free SSL | ||
| Backups & 1-Click Restore | ||
| WAF (Anti-Hack System) Add-on | ||
The Flywheel Alternative That Has
11x the Data Centers
Cloudways’ data centers span 11x more locations than Flywheel, bringing your site closer to your users – wherever they are. Flywheel’s limited reach just can’t keep up.
Cloudways
116 Data Centers55 Unique LocationsFlywheel
11 Data Center05 Unique Locations
Cloudways is G2’s #1
WebOps Platform
While Flywheel fails at even making it to the top 20, Cloudways sets the standard above Flywheel and all other alternatives to Flywheel as the top-rated WebOps Platform on G2.
No Underutilization
Handle Traffic Surges
No Upsells
Instant Scaling
Pay Only For
What You Use
Flywheel has limited pricing flexibility, so you pay for more than you utilize. With Cloudways’ pay-as-you-go model, we only charge you for what you need and use.
Sign Up Now 3-Day Trial Without Credit CardHandle Traffic Spikes with Cloudways Autonomous
Cloudways Autonomous™ takes it to the next level with effortless scalability and unmatched flexibility. No need for costly upgrades or risking downtime – Cloudways keeps your site running smoothly, with no hidden fees or surprise overages.
Try Now 3-Day Trial Without Credit Card With Cloudways’ Pay-as-you-go model, you pay only for what you use – no under
utilisation, no crash risks!
Cloudways Support is
Your Extended Team
At Cloudways, we are always available to help resolve your issues. Cloudways delivers personalized support from real experts, right when you need it.
Priority Support
24/7/365 priority live chat and ticketing support from our Senior Engineers, with improved SLAs.
Plugin Troubleshooting
“Our Support Engineers help you troubleshoot errors and conflicts with plugins and themes.
Performance Optimization
On-demand optimization tweaks to ensure your application is performing well.
Server Error Investigation
We’ll collaborate with your team for deeper investigation should you experience server errors.
Proactive Monitoring
If your server or stack goes down, we will go beyond sending you an alert and proactively start investigating.
Customization
Customization of your stack/server, e.g. deploying additional packages, specific configurations etc.
Dedicated Account Manager
Your primary contact at Cloudways is here to help guide you, whatever you want to achieve.
Private Slack Channel
24/7/365 private Slack channel connects your team directly with our Senior Support Engineers. We partner with your team to help you grow.
Phone Support
Call our Senior Support Engineers any time for in-person support.
The Verdict is in
Cloudways is THE Flywheel Alternative
Cloudways isn’t just another hosting option – it’s the one people can’t stop talking about. From superior performance to support that’s always got your back, here’s what our users are buzzing about.
Alin-Lonel Banut
Verified Trust Pilot User
I’ve been a loyal Cloudways customer for over 6 years, and my experience has been nothing short of exceptional. What truly sets Cloudways apart is their outstanding customer support. The live chat team is incredibly professional, always quick to respond, and goes above and beyond to resolve any issues. Their dedication to customer care is truly impressive. If you’re looking for a hosting provider that combines top-notch performance with excellent support, I highly recommend Cloudways!
Russ Michaels
@RussMichaels@HeyFlywheel and @wpengine has some of the worst customer service I have experienced in the last 20 years. They never check tickets and don’t reply, even after weeks or months of chasing. In order to get replies I have to resort to social media every time. #wordpress”
Paul D
Creative Director & OwnerYou pay for what you get. Instead of paying a low introductory fee and then getting high prices a year or two later, you just pay for what you need now. It’s easy to scale up and down. Cloudways makes cloud hosting easy to start. The process of setting up your websites and server is simple and quick. The UI/UX design is great too. Very intuitive and simple. It’s also fast and reliable which is something you don’t want to mess with for websites. Also their support team has been great. They’ve been quick to respond to any issues I’ve experienced.
foliovision
@foliovision@HeyFlywheel It’s really not cool to make it impossible to cancel bulk plans and then charge empty plans. #hosting #wordpress #wp” @HostGator @HGSupport
Matthew Gregory
Verified TrustPilot UserRun, don’t walk to cancel your existing provider and migrate everything to Cloudways. You won’t regret it. These guys offer the best combo of services together and the best price around. And the sites you run are blazing fast with wicked good caching.
Tara Claeys
@TaraClaeys@HeyFlywheel What is going on!??? I can’t login to my account, you don’t have daily backups, sites are running slow and strange things are happening. Over 30 minutes wait for support and no phone support until 9am Central Time???!!! #thisisbad”
Jonathan Bailey
@PlagirismtodayI want to give a quick shoutout to @Cloudways, the host of my site.With the events taking place this week, I’ve received nearly a month’s worth of traffic in three days. Their server is going strong, never slowed down and remains fast despite the pressure.Thank you!.
Christina Arasmo
@dropsoul@HeyFlywheel — can’t install WooCommerce. Can’t remove except via ftp and that takes 10 min. Can’t update plugins. Can’t resize images. All on VERY expensive account on your oddly named cloned sites. 15 hours total wasted. I am not exaggerating.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Which web hosting company gives the most value to money for long term plans?
The best long term web hosting value depends on balancing performance, scalability, and predictable pricing. While many hosts attract users with cheap introductory rates that increase sharply upon renewal, Cloudways offers transparent pay-as-you-go pricing model that eliminates renewal surprises altogether.With managed cloud hosting starting from $11/month, Cloudways delivers enterprise grade performance, 24/7 expert support, and full scalability across top cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. For small to medium businesses planning long term growth, this model is the most cost effective and sustainable than traditional shared hosting providers.
Tip: When evaluating long term hosting value, compare the true renewal cost, resource scalability, and support quality, not just the first term discount. Cloudways flexible billing ensures you only pay for what you use, with no hidden renewal hikes.
Tip: When evaluating long term hosting value, compare the true renewal cost, resource scalability, and support quality, not just the first term discount. Cloudways flexible billing ensures you only pay for what you use, with no hidden renewal hikes.
What are the best Cloudways web hosting, coupon codes and promo code deals for 2025?
Cloudways BFCM 2025 deal offers 50% off for 3 months plus 50 free migrations on all app level add-ons including Malware, Cloudflare, Rackspace, Elastic, DNS Made Easy, and Advanced Support. Its valid from November 11 till December 4. Use the promo code BFCM5050 to avail the offer
What is the average web hosting pricing for small businesses?
Web hosting for SMBs vary from $2 to $10/month (shared), $10 to $100/month (VPS/cloud) and up to $500/month (dedicated). WordPress specific plans varies around $3 to $25/month. Consider intro vs renewal, plan length, including features like (SSL, domain, backups) and extra costs. Cloudways comes as a managed cloud hosting provider starting from $11/month, offering pay-as-you-go billing model, managed services, and predictable costs which is helpful for growing SMBs avoiding renewal surprises.
Which platform offers better staging environments?
Cloudways includes staging across all plans with one-click staging and deployment. Flywheel’s staging is limited to specific plans.
Can both platforms support applications beyond WordPress?
Cloudways supports various applications like Magento and Laravel, while Flywheel is WordPress-only, limiting flexibility for users needing broader application support
Which host is better for developers needing SSH access?
Cloudways provides SSH access on all plans, which is ideal for developers. Flywheel offers SSH only on certain plans and is more restricted in customization for non-WordPress users.
How do Flywheel and Cloudways compare on security features?
Both platforms offer security features, but Cloudways includes DDoS protection, automated backups, and server-level firewalls. Flywheel focuses on WordPress security but lacks some of Cloudways’ multi-cloud security options.
Can Cloudways handle high-traffic spikes better than Flywheel?
Yes, Cloudways’ cloud infrastructure and pay-as-you-go pricing model allow scaling during traffic spikes without extra charges. Flywheel does not have auto scaling, relying instead on a static server setup
Which platform provides better control over server settings?
Cloudways offers extensive control, with options to adjust PHP versions, memory limits, and other configurations. Flywheel restricts server access and limits advanced customization.
1. All information regarding Flywheel has been sourced from their official website and is accurate as of October 2024.
2. The information in this section has been procured from G2 in October (2024) and may be subject to change.
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