Explore the key differences between managed and unmanaged cloud hosting with this detailed, table-driven comparison.
Table of Contents
Introduction: What Is Cloud Hosting & Why It Matters in 2025
Hosting Type
Managed
Unmanaged
Setup
Preconfigured, hassle-free
Manual, requires sysadmin skills
Maintenance
Handled by provider (e.g., Cloudways)
User’s responsibility
Security
Managed security protocols
DIY or hire external security
Support
24/7 expert help
Forums or pay-per-ticket
Cost
Slightly higher for convenience
Lower, but higher long-term labor cost
Cloud hosting provides scalable, flexible performance across virtual servers. In 2025, the divide between managed and unmanaged has become clearer—and Cloudways bridges that gap with affordability and robust features.
1. Feature Comparison: Managed vs Unmanaged Hosting
Cloudways automates nearly every technical task, giving business owners and developers time to focus on growth, not server upkeep.
2. Performance & Uptime Benchmarks
Hosting Provider
Uptime Guarantee
Average Load Time
Auto-Scaling
Cloudways
99.99%
400ms
Yes
SiteGround Cloud
99.98%
470ms
Yes
Liquid Web
99.999%
520ms
Yes
Bluehost VPS
99.9%
600ms
No (manual scaling)
Cloudways delivers enterprise-grade performance backed by advanced caching, CDN integration, and seamless vertical scaling.
3. Pricing & Billing Transparency
Provider
Starting Price
Billing Style
Free Trial
Cloudways
$11/month
Hourly or monthly
Yes (3 days)
SiteGround
$100+/month
Monthly only
No
AWS (Unmanaged)
$6/month (t2.micro)
Usage-based
No
DigitalOcean (Unmanaged)
$5/month
Usage-based
No
With Cloudways, you can deploy servers on DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud—with no need for DevOps skills. Its flexible billing makes it easier to predict and control costs.
4. Security & Maintenance Features
Security Element
Cloudways
Unmanaged (e.g., AWS)
SSL Certificates
Free Let’s Encrypt SSL
Must be manually configured
Firewalls
Built-in
User-managed
Backups
Automated & on-demand
Manual snapshots or scripts
OS Patches
Automatic
User-dependent
2FA
Yes
Depends on provider integration
Cloudways delivers enterprise-grade security, including auto-healing, dedicated firewalls, and two-factor authentication—no sysadmin required.
5. Ease of Use & Developer Tools
Tool/Feature
Cloudways
Unmanaged Cloud
Dashboard UI
Beginner-friendly
CLI / Terminal
Staging Environment
1-click
Custom setup required
Git Deployment
Yes
Manual integration
Server Cloning
Yes
Scripted process
Team Collaboration
Role-based access
DIY with third-party tools
With Cloudways, developers and agencies can deploy, test, and push to production seamlessly without writing complex scripts.
6. Support & SLAs
Provider
Support Type
SLA Response Time
Availability
Cloudways
Standard, Advanced, Premium Plans
Under 1 hour
24/7/365
SiteGround
Ticket + chat
~15 minutes
24/7
AWS (Unmanaged)
Paid support tiers
Depends on tier
Limited
DigitalOcean
Tickets only
1–2 hours
Business hours
Cloudways’ support receives high praise for being fast, technical, and 24/7. Premium support plans include proactive monitoring and Slack integration.
7. Drawbacks to Consider
Provider
Drawbacks
Cloudways
No email hosting, separate backup charges, brief trial period
AWS (Unmanaged)
Complex setup, no UI, steep learning curve
SiteGround
Expensive at scale, limited server location options
Bluehost VPS
Lower performance, fewer cloud-native features
Despite a few limitations, Cloudways remains the easiest path to powerful cloud hosting without needing sysadmin experience.
