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Cloudways vs Netfirms

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Pros
  • Flexibility to choose top cloud providers
  • High-speed performance with SSD and advanced caching
  • Scalable resources with pay-as-you-go pricing
  • Fully managed hosting with automated backups
  • 24/7 customer support and developer-friendly tools
  • Free SSL certificates and robust security features
  • User-friendly custom control panel
  • Free website migration for the first site
Pros
  • Generous resource allocation
  • Transparent pricing structure
  • Free first domain
Cons
  • No money-back guarantee
  • No built-in email hosting
  • Limited 3-day free trial
  • No cPanel, uses proprietary control panel
  • Expensive offsite backup storage
  • No free CDN included
Cons
  • No VPS or cloud hosting options
  • No CDN integration
  • No site backups or WAF protection
Summary

Cloudways is a leading managed cloud hosting provider acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022. Originally founded in 2011 and headquartered in St. Julian’s, Malta, they aim to simplify cloud hosting by integrating with top providers like AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr, offering businesses access to robust infrastructure without requiring technical expertise. Designed for digital agencies, e-commerce businesses, developers, and SMBs, Cloudways emphasizes performance, scalability, and ease of use. Key features include autoscaling for zero downtime during traffic spikes, pay-as-you-go pricing, SSD hosting, free SSL certificates, and advanced security tools like Imunify360. The platform also provides one-click app installations, automated backups, real-time monitoring, and developer-friendly tools like SSH access and Git integration. While praised for their flexibility, performance, and 24/7 support, Cloudways has a learning curve for beginners and lacks built-in email hosting or a free CDN. This review explores their pros, cons, and unique features to help you decide if Cloudways is the right hosting solution for your business.

Summary

Netfirms was founded in 1998 and is based in Burlington, Massachusetts. They’re a long-running hosting provider known for simple, budget-friendly plans aimed at individuals, entrepreneurs, and small to medium-sized businesses. Their shared hosting services come with unlimited storage and scalable bandwidth, a free domain name for the first year, and free SSL through Let's Encrypt. They also provide URL forwarding, DNS management, and unlimited email accounts tied to your domain, making it easy to manage both hosting and domains from a single dashboard. Pricing starts at $3.95 per month for the entry-level plan, which covers one website, while higher tiers support unlimited websites and additional resources. Their pricing structure is straightforward, with clear renewal rates and minimal hidden fees. Customer feedback, however, shows mixed experiences. Some long-time users appreciate the simplicity and ease of setup, while many recent reviews report slow performance, limited scalability, and frustrating support experiences. With no VPS or cloud hosting options, Netfirms is best suited for smaller projects rather than large, high-traffic sites.

Quick Stats
  • Bandwidth : Unmetered
  • Price : Starting at $11/month (monthly plan)
  • Free Domain : Unavailable
  • Money-Back Guarantee : Unavailable
  • Uptime Guarantee : 99.99%
  • Customer Experience : Excellent
  • Storage : Between 25-3840 GB, depending on plan
Quick Stats
  • Bandwidth : Unmetered
  • Price : Starting at $3.95/month
  • Free Domain : Available
  • Money-Back Guarantee : 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Uptime Guarantee : 99.9% uptime
  • Customer Experience : Poor
  • Storage : Unlimited disk space
Selling Points
  • Autoscaling for zero downtime during traffic spikes
  • Choice of multiple cloud providers (AWS, Google Cloud, etc.)
  • Pay-as-you-go pricing model with no long-term commitments
  • CloudwaysBot for real-time performance and security alerts
  • Agency-focused tools for client billing and team collaboration
Selling Points
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth
  • Unlimited email hosting
  • Free domain services
Core Features
  • CDN Included
  • cPanel Included
  • Direct Hosting Provider
  • Undisclosed
    Reseller Hosting
  • Undisclosed
    Responsive Design
  • SEO Tools
  • Undisclosed
    Sitemap Support
  • SSD Storage
  • Unlimited Bandwidth
  • Unlimited Storage
  • Unlimited Websites
Core Features
  • CDN Included
  • cPanel Included
  • Direct Hosting Provider
  • Reseller Hosting
  • Responsive Design
  • SEO Tools
  • Sitemap Support
  • SSD Storage
  • Unlimited Bandwidth
  • Unlimited Storage
  • Unlimited Websites
Server & Hosting Types
  • Cloud Hosting
  • Dedicated Hosting
  • Green Web Hosting
  • Mac Hosting
  • Shared Hosting
  • VPS Hosting
  • Windows Hosting
  • WordPress Hosting
Server & Hosting Types
  • Cloud Hosting
  • Dedicated Hosting
  • Green Web Hosting
  • Mac Hosting
  • Shared Hosting
  • VPS Hosting
  • Windows Hosting
  • WordPress Hosting
E-commerce & CMS
  • Drupal Hosting
  • E-commerce Plans
  • Joomla Hosting
  • Magento Hosting
  • Online Store
  • WooCommerce Support
E-commerce & CMS
  • Drupal Hosting
  • E-commerce Plans
  • Joomla Hosting
  • Magento Hosting
  • Online Store
  • WooCommerce Support
Security Features
  • 24/7 Network Monitoring
  • DDoS Protection
  • Free Dedicated IP
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Malware Scanning and Removal
  • Site Backups
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Security Features
  • 24/7 Network Monitoring
  • DDoS Protection
  • Free Dedicated IP
  • Free SSL Certificate
  • Malware Scanning and Removal
  • Site Backups
  • Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
  • Web Application Firewall (WAF)
Advanced Features
  • Custom Cron Jobs
  • HTTP/2 Support
  • MySQL Databases
  • PHP 7 Support
  • Python Support
  • Ruby on Rails Support
  • Secure Shell (SSH) Access
  • Website Builder
Advanced Features
  • Custom Cron Jobs
  • HTTP/2 Support
  • MySQL Databases
  • PHP 7 Support
  • Python Support
  • Ruby on Rails Support
  • Secure Shell (SSH) Access
  • Website Builder
Customer Support Options
  • 24/7 Support Availability
  • Community Forum
  • Email
  • Knowledge Base
  • Live Chat
  • Phone
  • Social Media
  • Ticketing
Customer Support Options
  • 24/7 Support Availability
  • Community Forum
  • Email
  • Knowledge Base
  • Live Chat
  • Phone
  • Social Media
  • Ticketing
Payment Methods
  • Bank Transfers
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Major Credit Cards
  • PayPal
Payment Methods
  • Bank Transfers
  • Cryptocurrency
  • Major Credit Cards
  • PayPal
Payment Options
  • Checks
Payment Options
  • Checks
Server Operating System
  • Linux/ Ubuntu Hosting
Server Operating System
  • Linux/ Ubuntu Hosting