Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies server management by allowing you to deploy applications on top infrastructure providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud.
Heroku
Heroku is a cloud platform as a service that enables you to build, run, and scale modern applications entirely in the cloud without managing underlying infrastructure.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | Cloudways | Heroku |
|---|---|---|
| Website | cloudways.com | heroku.com |
| Pricing Model | Subscription | Subscription |
| Starting Price | $11/month | $5/month |
| FREE Trial | ✓ 3 days free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✘ No free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✘ No product demo |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2011 | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Mosta, Malta | San Francisco, USA |
Overview
Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed hosting platform that takes the complexity out of cloud server management. Instead of wrestling with command lines or server security patches, you get a simplified interface to launch and manage high-performance applications. You can choose your preferred infrastructure from providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud while Cloudways handles the technical heavy lifting like automated backups, security updates, and server monitoring.
It is designed for agencies, developers, and e-commerce businesses who need the power of the cloud without the headache of sysadmin tasks. You can scale your server resources with a single click and manage multiple team members under one account. Whether you are running a high-traffic WordPress site or a custom PHP application, the platform provides a dedicated environment optimized for speed and reliability.
Heroku
Heroku is a cloud platform that handles the complexity of infrastructure so you can focus on writing code. You can deploy, manage, and scale your applications using a simplified workflow that supports popular languages like Python, Ruby, Node.js, and Java. By using isolated containers called Dynos, the platform manages everything from hardware orchestration to security patching and runtime configuration automatically.
You can easily extend your application's capabilities through a vast ecosystem of integrated add-ons for databases, monitoring, and caching. Whether you are launching a personal project or scaling a high-traffic enterprise application, the platform provides the tools to monitor performance and adjust resources instantly. It eliminates the need for dedicated systems administration, allowing your development team to move from idea to production faster.
Overview
Cloudways Features
- Choice of Infrastructure Select your preferred cloud provider from DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud to match your specific performance and budget needs.
- One-Click Installations Deploy popular applications like WordPress, Magento, and Laravel in seconds with automated installers that save you hours of manual setup.
- Staging Environments Create secure staging areas to test new features or updates before pushing them to your live site with a single click.
- Vertical Scaling Increase your server RAM and storage instantly as your traffic grows so your website never slows down during peak times.
- Automated Backups Schedule off-site backups at your preferred frequency and restore your entire server or specific files with just one click.
- Dedicated Firewalls Protect your applications from malicious traffic and security threats with platform-level firewalls that are managed and updated for you.
Heroku Features
- Heroku Dynos. Run your applications in isolated, virtualized Linux containers that scale vertically or horizontally with a single click.
- Managed Data Services. Access fully managed instances of Postgres, Redis, and Apache Kafka to handle your application data securely and reliably.
- Heroku Add-ons. Extend your app instantly with over 200 integrated services for logging, monitoring, storage, and automated testing.
- GitHub Integration. Connect your repositories to enable automatic deployments every time you push code to a specific branch.
- Heroku Runtime. Deploy apps using official buildpacks for Node, Ruby, Java, PHP, Python, Go, Scala, and Clojure without manual configuration.
- Operational Experience. Monitor application health and performance metrics through an intuitive dashboard that alerts you to potential issues.
Pricing Comparison
Cloudways Pricing
- 1GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 25GB Storage
- 1TB Bandwidth
- 24/7/365 Support
- Free SSL Certificate
- Everything in Entry, plus:
- 2GB RAM
- 1 Core Processor
- 50GB Storage
- 2TB Bandwidth
- Object Cache Pro included
- Cloudflare Enterprise add-on
Heroku Pricing
- 1,000 monthly Dyno hours
- Shared across all Eco apps
- Sleeps after inactivity
- Custom domains
- Standard deployment tools
- Everything in Eco, plus:
- Unlimited Dyno hours
- App never sleeps
- SSL certificates included
- Heroku Dashboard access
- Integrated metrics
Pros & Cons
Cloudways
Pros
- Excellent server performance and fast loading speeds
- Very easy to scale resources during traffic spikes
- Intuitive dashboard simplifies complex server management tasks
- Responsive 24/7 customer support via live chat
- Flexible pay-as-you-go pricing with no long-term contracts
Cons
- Free trial period is quite short at three days
- No built-in email hosting requires third-party services
- Interface can be overwhelming for absolute beginners
- Off-site backup storage incurs a small additional fee
Heroku
Pros
- Extremely simple deployment process saves significant time
- Excellent documentation makes onboarding new developers easy
- Vast add-on marketplace simplifies third-party integrations
- Managed database services reduce operational overhead significantly
Cons
- Costs scale rapidly compared to raw infrastructure
- Limited control over underlying server configurations
- No longer offers a forever-free tier