ArduMaker vs Cloudways

Verdict

13–9

ArduMaker wins

Criteria won: ArduMaker 4, Cloudways 0. Tied on 9.

Only criteria that resolve to yes, partial or no are counted. Price has no single winner: it depends on each case.

Comparison table

Quick summary

ArduMaker

• Who it is for: Developers, freelancers and agencies who run APIs, workers, Docker or n8n alongside WordPress and want root on the server.
• Biggest strength: Root, Docker with Compose and PostgreSQL on the same VPS, with an MCP server over OAuth and human approval.

Cloudways

• Who it is for: Agencies and stores on WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento or Laravel that want to hand off server management and choose the cloud underneath.
• Biggest strength: Five clouds and 150+ data centers, OS patching handled by Cloudways, and an official MCP that covers its API.

The main difference: Cloudways manages the server for you and in exchange gives you neither root nor Docker. ArduMaker gives you root on an isolated Ubuntu and maintains the panel, with more room for apps that aren't PHP.

Key differences

Managed server without root versus root

Cloudways doesn't give root access, explaining that it protects the services its platform depends on. You get in over SSH and SFTP with master credentials and change packages from the panel. On ArduMaker you have root on an isolated Ubuntu (a system container) while the platform maintains the panel; you can't pick the operating system or touch the kernel.

PHP stack versus any stack

Cloudways Flexible is built for WordPress, Magento, Laravel and PHP. Node.js and n8n live on Velocity, a different product, and Docker isn't available on its servers. On ArduMaker, WordPress, Docker with Compose, n8n with workers, PostgreSQL, Redis and GitHub-deployed apps share the same VPS.

Five clouds versus one provider

Cloudways builds your server on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud and advertises 150+ data centers in 50+ countries. That helps when you need a specific cloud or region. ArduMaker runs its own infrastructure and offers the locations you see when choosing a plan.

API token versus OAuth

Both have MCP. Cloudways' server connects with an access token you create in the panel, scoped read-only, limited or full. ArduMaker's is authorized with OAuth in the browser, sensitive actions require human approval and the agent is limited to the projects and VPSs you allow.

Pricing and costs

On Cloudways Flexible the price includes the server: DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode bill hourly with a monthly cap, while AWS and Google Cloud bill hourly with no cap and extra bandwidth. Off-site backups per GB, Rackspace email per mailbox, the Cloudflare CDN and migrating non-WordPress apps are billed separately. On ArduMaker you pay the VPS plan with panel and weekly backups included, and email per mailbox. Cloudways saves you OS patching in exchange for no root; on ArduMaker the platform maintains the panel and, inside the VPS, the system is within reach with root.

Assumptions: Cloudways prices checked on October 17, 2026, in US dollars, excluding taxes, monthly billing. Its pages show both $11 and $14 as the entry price depending on the provider and server type: confirm it in its calculator. Flexible on DigitalOcean 1 GB is compared with ArduMaker's entry plan.

Real-world scenarios

WooCommerce store with traffic spikes

On ArduMaker: The site runs natively with its own PHP-FPM and database, with staging and backups. There's no autoscaling: before a campaign you move the VPS to a bigger plan, which restarts it.

On Cloudways: On Flexible you pick a bigger server and use its Redis caching. If you want it to scale on its own, Autonomous does that per application, with plans from $99/month.

Node.js API with PostgreSQL

On ArduMaker: Connect the GitHub repo, every push deploys with a domain and SSL, and PostgreSQL is installed from the panel on the same VPS.

On Cloudways: Flexible isn't designed for this. The API would go on Velocity, and I found no managed PostgreSQL on either product.

Agency running 50 sites by chat

On ArduMaker: The agent signs in over OAuth, sees only the projects and VPSs you allow and asks for approval on sensitive actions; every action is logged.

On Cloudways: Cloudways' MCP covers its API: servers, apps, backups and team members. You create a token limited to what you need and store it in the client.

Deploying a custom theme on every push

On ArduMaker: Pick repo and branch: every push deploys, with no scripts or tokens to renew.

On Cloudways: You set up Git on the app, upload a gitautodeploy.php script with an API token and create the webhook in GitHub. If the token expires, automatic deploys stop.

When Cloudways is the better fit

• You want the provider to handle OS patching and security and you don't need root.
• You need a specific cloud, such as AWS or Google Cloud, or a region among 150+ data centers.
• Your stack is WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento or Laravel and you don't need Docker.
• You want frequent server backups, as often as hourly, kept up to 4 weeks.
• You want autoscaling for WordPress with Autonomous.
• You want to migrate WordPress without a migration fee.

When ArduMaker is the better fit

• You need root to install your own packages, services or agents.
• You run Docker with Compose, n8n with workers or Node.js and Python apps next to WordPress.
• Your project uses PostgreSQL.
• You want deploys on every push without maintaining a webhook script or renewing tokens.
• You'd rather your agent authorize over OAuth with human approval than with a stored token.

How to migrate from Cloudways to ArduMaker

Moving from Cloudways to ArduMaker means copying each application to a new VPS and switching DNS at the end. Keep the Cloudways server running until you've verified everything, then delete it to stop paying its hours.

1. Inventory: For each server, review the apps, PHP versions, cron jobs, cache settings, domains, Rackspace mailboxes and each app's Git setup.
2. On-demand backup: Run a server backup on Cloudways before you start so you have a way back.
3. Create the VPS: Choose a plan with enough RAM and disk for all the apps you're moving and create the VPS.
4. WordPress: Create a backup with All-in-One, Duplicator or UpdraftPlus and create the site on ArduMaker from it. Test the result on staging.
5. PHP apps and databases: Connect the repos to GitHub deploys. Export each database with mysqldump over SSH using the master credentials and import it into the VPS's MySQL or MariaDB.
6. Email: If you're moving email, create the domain and mailboxes on ArduMaker and copy messages over IMAP from Rackspace with a tool such as imapsync.
7. DNS and SSL: Point the records at the VPS or delegate the zone to ArduMaker; publishing each domain issues its certificate. For email, add SPF, DKIM and DMARC with the wizard.
8. Verify and shut down: Test payments, forms and cron on the new domain. Once everything works, delete the server and add-ons on Cloudways.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Cloudways data checked on 2026-10-17 on its official pages. Prices change: confirm them before deciding. Logos belong to their owners and are shown only to identify each service.

• Cloudways Pricing & Plans
• Cloudways: Why Can't I Have Root Access to My Server?
• Cloudways: How to Use Cloudways MCP Server for AI-Based Server Management
• Cloudways: How to Automatically Deploy From Git Using Webhooks
• Cloudways: Charges for Off-site Backups
• Cloudways: How to Create and Update Team Members
• Cloudways: How to Use Rackspace Email Add-on
• Cloudways: 150+ Global Data Centers

Keep reading

• WordPress
• Docker
• GitHub deploy
• MCP server
• Professional email

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