Updated March 2026 · Independent Analysis
Microsoft AzurevsCloudways
Microsoft Azure is free; Cloudways starts at $14/mo. Both rated 4.4/5 by users.
Microsoft Azurevs Cloudways
★ 4.4/5-0.1 vs Cloudways
Only in Microsoft Azure
- ✦ Virtual Machines
- ✦ App Service
- ✦ Azure Functions
✓ Free plan95% of Fortune 500 users · est. 2010
Try Microsoft Azure Free →
Cloudwaysvs Microsoft Azure
★ 4.5/5+0.1 vs Microsoft Azure
Only in Cloudways
- ✦ Managed Hosting
- ✦ 1-Click Install
- ✦ Free SSL
From $14/mo250K+ websites users · est. 2011
Try Cloudways Free →Ratings Breakdown
Microsoft Azure
4.4/5 avg
G2 Score4.4/5
Capterra Score4.5/5
G2 Rating4.4/5
Cloudways
4.5/5 avg
G2 Score4.5/5
Capterra Score4.7/5
G2 Rating4.5/5
Quick Stats
Feature Comparison
Microsoft Azure uniquely offers Virtual Machines, App Service, Azure Functions. Cloudways uniquely offers Managed Hosting, 1-Click Install, Free SSL. Both share 1 features including CDN.
Feature
Microsoft Azure
Cloudways
CDN
✓
✓
Virtual Machines
✓
✗
App Service
✓
✗
Azure Functions
✓
✗
Azure SQL
✓
✗
Cosmos DB
✓
✗
Blob Storage
✓
✗
Azure Kubernetes
✓
✗
Azure DevOps
✓
✗
Azure AI
✓
✗
Active Directory
✓
✗
Load Balancer
✓
✗
Monitoring
✓
✗
Key Vault
✓
✗
200+ Services
✓
✗
Azure Firewall
✓
✗
Virtual Network
✓
✗
ExpressRoute
✓
✗
Azure Databricks
✓
✗
Azure Synapse
✓
✗
Data Factory
✓
✗
Azure Cache
✓
✗
Service Bus
✓
✗
Event Grid
✓
✗
Azure Maps
✓
✗
Azure Sphere
✓
✗
Azure Sentinel
✓
✗
Azure Monitor
✓
✗
Azure Advisor
✓
✗
Azure Policy
✓
✗
Azure Cost
✓
✗
Resource Manager
✓
✗
Azure Migrate
✓
✗
Azure Site
✓
✗
Recovery Services
✓
✗
Azure Backup
✓
✗
Azure Storage
✓
✗
Data Lake
✓
✗
Azure Data
✓
✗
Azure Analytics
✓
✗
Azure Machine
✓
✗
Media Services
✓
✗
Azure Search
✓
✗
Azure Stream
✓
✗
Azure IoT
✓
✗
Azure Automation
✓
✗
Azure Service
✓
✗
Azure Support
✓
✗
Azure Consulting
✓
✗
Azure Marketplace
✓
✗
Azure Partner
✓
✗
Azure Community
✓
✗
Azure Forum
✓
✗
Azure Blog
✓
✗
Azure Training
✓
✗
Azure Certification
✓
✗
Azure Tutorial
✓
✗
Azure Guide
✓
✗
Azure Handbook
✓
✗
Azure Reference
✓
✗
Azure Architecture
✓
✗
Azure Design
✓
✗
Azure Deployment
✓
✗
Azure Management
✓
✗
Azure Security
✓
✗
Azure Compliance
✓
✗
Azure Governance
✓
✗
Azure Risk
✓
✗
Azure Audit
✓
✗
Azure Assessment
✓
✗
Azure Migration
✓
✗
Managed Hosting
✗
✓
1-Click Install
✗
✓
Free SSL
✗
✓
Free Migration
✗
✓
Staging Environment
✗
✓
Automated Backups
✗
✓
Server Monitoring
✗
✓
PHP Apps Support
✗
✓
WordPress Optimization
✗
✓
Team Collaboration
✗
✓
SFTP/SSH Access
✗
✓
24/7 Support
✗
✓
Git Deployment
✗
✓
CloudwaysBot
✗
✓
Total Features
71
15
Quick Verdict
Independent analysis based on features, pricing, and user ratings
Choose Microsoft Azure if you need:
- ✓ Virtual Machines
- ✓ App Service
- ✓ Azure Functions
- ✓ Azure SQL
- ✓ Cosmos DB
Choose Cloudways if you need:
- ✓ Managed Hosting
- ✓ 1-Click Install
- ✓ Free SSL
- ✓ Free Migration
- ✓ Staging Environment
Pricing Comparison
Microsoft Azure is free; Cloudways starts at $14/mo.
Microsoft Azure Plans
Free tier available
Free Account
Free- • $200 credit
- • 55+ always-free services
Pay-as-you-go
Custom- • VMs from $0.004/hr
- • Blob Storage $0.018/GB
Cloudways Plans
Paid plans only
DO 1GBBest Value
$14/mo- • 1GB RAM
- • 1 Core
- • 25GB SSD
DO 2GB
$28/mo- • 2GB RAM
- • 1 Core
- • 50GB SSD
DO 4GB
$54/mo- • 4GB RAM
- • 2 Cores
- • 80GB SSD
AWS/GCE
$38/mo- • Starting price for AWS small
🔔 Get notified when prices change
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
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