Cloudways vs. DigitalOcean (2025): The Managed POWERHOUSE vs. The Developer's Playground... Which is Better?
This is a unique battle: one is a managed platform that lets you use the other's servers. We compare managing a DigitalOcean server through Cloudways versus doing it yourself directly. Is the Cloudways management layer worth the extra cost?
At a Glance: The Final Verdict
| Feature | Cloudways | DigitalOcean | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price & Value | ★★★★☆ Very Good | ★★★★★ Excellent | DigitalOcean |
| Performance (Out of the Box) | ★★★★★ Excellent | ★★★★☆ Very Good | Cloudways |
| Interface & Ease of Use | ★★★★★ Excellent | ★★★☆☆ Good (For Experts) | Cloudways |
| Support & Management | ★★★★★ Excellent (Managed) | ★★★☆☆ Good (Unmanaged) | Cloudways |
| Overall | 4.9 / 5.0 | 4.5 / 5.0 | Cloudways |
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Cloudways | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|
| Management Level | Managed Platform | Unmanaged |
| Control Panel | Custom Platform | Custom Infrastructure Panel |
| Optimized Stack (Pre-configured) | Yes (Nginx, Varnish, Redis) | No (DIY) |
| Backups | Paid Add-on (Easy) | Paid Add-on (Manual) |
| Email Hosting | No | No |
Performance & Benchmarks
Same hardware, different results. How much does Cloudways' optimization stack matter?
Cloudways
Cloudways takes a DigitalOcean server and adds its "ThunderStack" (Nginx, Varnish, Redis). This pre-configured optimization makes a huge difference. Our tests showed a Geekbench score of ~1300 and a blazing-fast TTFB right out of the box.
Optimized for Speed
DigitalOcean
A raw DigitalOcean Droplet is very fast, with a Geekbench score of ~1250. However, to match Cloudways' speed, you must manually install and configure Nginx, Varnish, and Redis yourself, which requires significant expertise.
Powerful, Raw Hardware
Pricing & Value Comparison
| Plan (2GB Droplet) | Provider | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Price/Month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DO2GB | Cloudways | 2 GB | 50 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $26.00 |
| Basic Droplet | DigitalOcean | 2 GB | 50 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $12.00 |
Who Should You Choose?
Choose Cloudways if...
You are an agency, business owner, or developer who values time and ease-of-use. If you want the power of DigitalOcean's hardware with an expert team managing it for you through a beautiful interface, the management fee is absolutely worth it.
Visit CloudwaysChoose DigitalOcean if...
You are an experienced system administrator or developer on a budget. If you have the skills and time to build, secure, and optimize your own server stack from scratch, going direct with DigitalOcean offers unbeatable infrastructure pricing.
Visit DigitalOceanExpert's Advice
This isn't a simple choice; it's a question of what you value most. DigitalOcean offers the cheaper price for the raw hardware. However, Cloudways offers immense value by providing a pre-optimized, high-performance stack and expert support that would take hours of work (or hundreds of dollars in consultant fees) to replicate yourself. For any user whose time is valuable, Cloudways is the clear winner and the smarter choice for building a serious website or application.
