Head-to-head
Kinsta vs WP Engine vs Cloudways
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Our pick: Kinsta. Kinsta is fully managed WordPress hosting with free migration, free malware removal and an uptime SLA on its plans, which suits business sites where speed and support protect revenue.
| Factor | Kinsta Our pick | WP Engine | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud | Managed WordPress hosting | Managed cloud servers on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud |
| Migration | Free migrations handled by Kinsta | Free migration plugin on Essential; managed migration on Core | Free migration by Cloudways engineers |
| Uptime guarantee | Up to 99.99% SLA | 99.99% SLA on Core plan | See official site |
| Malware removal | Free malware removal | Security scans included; see official site | Malware Protection add-on from $4/app/mo |
| CDN and firewall | Cloudflare integration, edge caching, WAF with DDoS protection | Global CDN and Layer 3+4 DDoS; managed WAF is optional | Cloudflare Enterprise CDN add-on from $4.99/domain/mo |
| Support | 24/7/365 human experts | 24/7 technical support | 24/7/365 chat and ticketing; Advanced Support add-on |
| Entry pricing | From $35/mo ($30 annual); first month free on select plans | Essential from $28/mo (1 site) | Flexible from $11/mo, billed hourly |
| Free trial | Trial and first-month-free promo offered | No free trial mentioned | 3-day free trial, no card |
Why we pick Kinsta
- Fewer paid add-ons: malware removal, CDN integration and WAF protection are part of the platform, while Cloudways sells CDN and malware protection as add-ons.
- Guarantees included: uptime SLA up to 99.99% and free migrations, whereas WP Engine lists managed migration and the SLA on its higher Core plan.
- Monitoring and expertise: sites are monitored every 3 minutes with support from 40+ engineers, per the official site.
- Made for WordPress: isolated containers, one-click staging and daily backups are core features.
When a competitor may fit better
- Cloudways is cheaper to start (from $11/mo, hourly billing) and lets you choose your cloud provider, which suits developers and small projects.
- WP Engine may suit agencies that value its plan structure for many sites and a long-established WordPress focus.
Verdict
When your WordPress site earns money, Kinsta’s included protections and support are worth more than the cheapest plan. If budget is the only concern, Cloudways is the alternative to price against.
Read the full Kinsta review · All comparisons
Figures come from each vendor’s own public pages at the time of writing and can vary by region, currency and promotion. Always confirm on the official sites before you buy. Last verified: 2026-10-12