Amazon Web Services vs Cloudways
Amazon Web Services
Global hyper-scale infrastructure for bespoke digital publishing stacks.
Publishers using it: 5 · incl. Yahoo Finance
Cloudways
Flexible managed cloud hosting where you pick the provider and control the cost.
Publishers using it: 2 · incl. Spotlight Media
Last verified Nov 11, 2026
At a glance
- Amazon Web Services scores 3.5/5 and Cloudways scores 3.2/5 in Benchmark Grid's independent hosting benchmark, both assessed on the same 6 criteria.
- The widest gaps are security & compliance (Amazon Web Services 4.8, Cloudways 3.2) and scale & traffic-spike resilience (Amazon Web Services 4.8, Cloudways 3.8); they are within 0.3 on 3 of 6 criteria.
- Amazon Web Services is built for enterprise publishers; Cloudways for small and mid-market.
- On total cost of ownership Amazon Web Services scores 2.6 and Cloudways 3.8 (higher means better value, not a lower price).
- In our tracking 5 publishers use Amazon Web Services and 2 use Cloudways.
- Scores last verified 11 Nov 2026. Vendors cannot pay for a score or a position.
Where they differ
Amazon Web Services is stronger on security & compliance (4.8 vs 3.2), scale & traffic-spike resilience (4.8 vs 3.8) and performance & delivery (4.6 vs 4.2).
Cloudways is stronger on support & migration (3.3 vs 3.0).
Which one fits
Choose Amazon Web Services if…
- You publish at enterprise scale.
- You weight security & compliance, scale & traffic-spike resilience and performance & delivery heavily — Amazon Web Services leads on those in this benchmark.
Choose Cloudways if…
- You publish at small and mid-market scale.
- You weight support & migration and platform & developer workflow heavily — Cloudways leads on those in this benchmark.
Also weighing these
The nearest-scored tools to Amazon Web Services and Cloudways in this benchmark, listed A to Z.
- 3.8Google Cloud PlatformEnterprise-scale raw infrastructure for data-driven media ecosystems.Read review
- 3.6PantheonWebOps platform for WordPress, Drupal and Next.js portfolios that need governance at scale.Read review
- 2.9PressableEnterprise-grade managed CMS hosting backed by industry-leading infrastructure.Read review
- 3.1Rocket.netAI-native managed CMS hosting optimized for high-performance content delivery.Read review
All 12 scored tools are in Best Hosting for Media Publishers.
Who uses them
Publishers we have detected running each tool, from ads.txt, site code and published case studies. Agencies, brands and vendors are excluded.
Amazon Web Services · 5
Cloudways · 2
Head to head
| Criterion | Amazon Web Services | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Performance & delivery22% of capability | 4.6 | 4.2 |
| Scale & traffic-spike resilience20% of capability | 4.8 | 3.8 |
| Platform & developer workflow17% of capability | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Security & compliance17% of capability | 4.8 | 3.2 |
| Uptime SLA & remedies14% of capability | 3.2 | 3.0 |
| Support & migration10% of capability | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Capability45% of composite | 4.2 | 3.6 |
| Publisher fit40% of composite | 3.0 | 2.5 |
| Total cost of ownership15% of composite | 2.6 | 3.8 |
Cost of ownership
| Sub-score | Amazon Web Services | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| Entry cost | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Implementation cost | 1.0 | 3.0 |
| Hidden-fee risk | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| Ongoing cost | 2.5 | 4.5 |
Amazon Web Services pricing
Highly complex pay-as-you-go model with costs based on granular resource consumption, data egress, and managed services.
Cloudways pricing
Plans from ~$14/mo; pricing tracks chosen cloud provider.
What users say
Amazon Web Services
6 positive · 6 neutral · 12 negative
Cloudways
17 positive · 18 neutral · 32 negative
Mentions we could not tie to a real user, and those flagged as promotional, are excluded. Sentiment is opinion, and is independent of the verified publisher adoptions above.
Amazon Web Services scores 3.5 and Cloudways scores 3.2 in Benchmark Grid's independent Best Hosting for Media Publishers benchmark (benchmarkgrid.com/vs/amazon-web-services/cloudways, verified Nov 11, 2026)
Common questions
How do Amazon Web Services and Cloudways differ?
Amazon Web Services is stronger on security & compliance (4.8 vs 3.2), scale & traffic-spike resilience (4.8 vs 3.8) and performance & delivery (4.6 vs 4.2). Cloudways is stronger on support & migration (3.3 vs 3.0). Neither is better in the abstract — which one suits you depends on which of those dimensions carries the most weight in your operation.
Which is cheaper, Amazon Web Services or Cloudways?
On total cost of ownership — pricing transparency, entry cost, implementation, hidden-fee risk and ongoing cost — Amazon Web Services scores 2.6/5 and Cloudways scores 3.8/5. A higher score means better value, not a lower sticker price.
How are these scores calculated?
Each tool is assessed against its category's published criteria (6 in this benchmark), which make up Capability (45% of the composite), Publisher fit (40%) and Total cost of ownership (15%). Assessment is carried out by SODP's editorial team against a published methodology. Vendors cannot pay for inclusion, scores or positions.
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Both tools are scored in Best Hosting for Media Publishers. See alternatives to Amazon Web Services or alternatives to Cloudways.
Weighing a third option? Add a tool to this comparison.
Where to next
Related comparisons
Other head-to-heads publishers look at in Best Hosting for Media Publishers.
