A managed WordPress platform, not another cloud control panel
The Cloudways Alternative Built for Focused Growth
Cloudways' $11/month headline is appealing, but the final operating cost can grow as Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, email, offsite backup storage, and enhanced support are added separately.
Nova is the higher-priced, more bundled choice: isolated Kubernetes hosting, CDN, backups, support, and an SEO platform are included by plan. It is worth switching when removing server decisions and metered add-ons matters more than choosing the cheapest VPS.
What the Low Cloudways Price Does—and Does Not—Bundle
Cloudways Flexible entry plan
The DigitalOcean Micro configuration is $11/month, billed after use at $0.0357/hour. It includes 2GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB storage, 2TB transfer, unlimited visits, and unlimited applications per server.
- Bandwidth above the allowance costs $0.02–$0.12/GB by provider
- Offsite backup storage costs $0.033/GB per server
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN starts at $4.99/domain/month
- Rackspace Email costs $1/mailbox/month
- Advanced Support costs $100/month
Nova's bundled model
Nova Hosting starts at $49/month for one site, 10GB storage, 100GB bandwidth, daily backups, automatic SSL, 30 SEO audits, and 20 AI drafts per month. The fully managed Scale plan starts at $349/month plus a $1,499 setup fee.
- CDN, free SSL, backups, and support included by plan
- Built-in keyword research, content briefs, rank tracking, and AI drafts
- Every tenant isolated in its own Kubernetes namespace and containers
- Unlimited dashboard change requests on managed plans
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Nova and Cloudways Feature Comparison
Competitor details as of July 2026 — verify current terms on their site.
Infrastructure
| Feature | Nova | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Hosting model | Purpose-built WordPress platform | Management layer over generic cloud compute |
| Isolation | A Kubernetes namespace and containers for every tenant | Managed cloud VPS selected and configured by the customer |
| Provider choices | Nova manages the platform | DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud |
| Edge delivery | CDN plus Traefik and WAF included | Cloudflare Enterprise CDN add-on from $4.99/domain/mo |
Security
| Feature | Nova | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Tenant boundary | Isolated namespace and containers | Generic cloud VPS model |
| SSL | Free SSL included | Not compared beyond the supplied July 2026 terms |
| Edge protection | Traefik plus WAF at the edge | Cloudflare Enterprise is a paid CDN add-on |
| Backups | Daily to Google Cloud Storage; frequency and retention vary by plan | Offsite storage billed at $0.033/GB per server |
SEO & Growth
| Feature | Nova | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| SEO platform | Keyword research, content briefs, rank tracking, and AI drafts included | Cloud infrastructure management is the core offering |
| Entry hosting allowance | 30 SEO audits and 20 AI drafts/month on Nova Hosting | 2GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB storage, and 2TB transfer |
| Managed change requests | Unlimited through the client dashboard on managed plans | Customer makes server-level configuration choices |
| Billing shape | Flat per-plan pricing with bundled platform features | Post-paid usage plus separately metered add-ons |
Support & Management
| Feature | Nova | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Included support | Email support on Scale; priority support on Momentum | 24/7 chat, email, and ticketing |
| Enhanced support | Infinite includes 24/7 priority phone support with 1hr response | Advanced Support add-on costs $100/month |
| Email hosting | Not presented as a bundled Nova feature | Rackspace Email add-on costs $1/mailbox/month |
| Free migration | Every plan; files, database, and DNS cutover | First website only |
Switching from Cloudways
Nova's free zero-downtime migration is included on every plan, not sold as an upsell. The team moves your files and database, then handles DNS cutover. A migration is typically completed in 24–48 hours. Import it yourself with our self-service tool, or let the team handle it.
Cloudways includes an expert migration for the first website only. If you are consolidating several applications, weigh that limit against Nova's every-plan inclusion. Read the full Nova migration process before planning the cutover.
Prefer self-service? Sign up and import from your dashboard.
Choose Nova If:
- You want one WordPress platform price instead of separately metered add-ons
- You want every tenant isolated in its own Kubernetes namespace and containers
- You need built-in SEO research, briefs, rank tracking, and AI drafts
- You want unlimited change requests on a fully managed plan
Stay with Cloudways If:
- You want to choose DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud
- You prefer post-paid, hourly billing for a low-cost entry configuration
- You want unlimited applications per server and unlimited advertised visits
- You are comfortable making server-level configuration decisions
Cloudways Alternative FAQs
Is Nova a good alternative to Cloudways?
Nova is a strong fit when you want WordPress infrastructure managed as one platform instead of choosing and configuring a generic cloud VPS. Nova includes isolated Kubernetes environments, CDN, backups, support, and built-in SEO tooling in its hosting plans. Cloudways remains a sensible option when provider choice and granular server configuration matter more.
How does Nova pricing compare with Cloudways?
Cloudways starts at $11/month for its DigitalOcean Micro Flexible plan, billed in arrears at $0.0357/hour, before optional CDN, email, offsite backup storage, or Advanced Support charges. Nova is not cheaper at entry: self-serve Nova Hosting is $49/month, while fully managed Scale starts at $349/month with a $1,499 setup fee. Nova pricing reflects a bundled WordPress platform rather than a low-cost cloud VPS management layer.
How does the migration process work?
Nova includes a free migration on every plan: import your site yourself, or let our team handle the site files, database, and a zero-downtime DNS cutover, typically in 24–48 hours for a simple site. Cloudways offers its first website migration for free, so customers moving several sites should account for that limit when comparing.
What is different about Nova Kubernetes isolation versus Cloudways infrastructure?
Every Nova tenant runs in its own Kubernetes namespace and containers. Cloudways is a management layer over a cloud VPS from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud, with the customer selecting and configuring that server. The difference is an isolated, purpose-built WordPress platform versus managed access to generic cloud compute.
Does Nova offer a money-back guarantee?
Yes. Nova offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Cloudways offers a three-day free trial with no credit card required; that is a different evaluation model from Nova’s guarantee.
Compare the Wider WordPress Market
Cloudways is only one infrastructure model. Use our WordPress hosting comparison hub, or compare Nova with other managed platforms in our Kinsta comparison and WP Engine comparison.
See Nova Pricing