I see this question in WooCommerce groups every week: "SiteGround or Cloudways?" The answers usually compare features, support, or uptime — but they never do the math on what each host actually costs you over 3 years, including the revenue you lose to speed.
This is the math that nobody gives you.
The raw hosting cost (what most people compare)
SiteGround's intro pricing looks unbeatable. Cloudways looks expensive. But the intro price is a lie — here's what you actually pay:
| Period | SiteGround | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 (promo) | $2.99/mo ($35.88) | $14/mo ($168) |
| Year 2 (renewal) | $17.99/mo ($215.88) | $14/mo ($168) |
| Year 3 (renewal) | $17.99/mo ($215.88) | $14/mo ($168) |
| 3-Year Total | $467.64 | $504 |
Cloudways costs $36 more over 3 years. On raw hosting cost alone, SiteGround wins. Most comparison articles stop here.
But this is the wrong comparison.
The revenue cost (what actually matters)
SiteGround's shared hosting delivers 300–600ms TTFB under real-world load. Cloudways' managed cloud delivers 80–200ms TTFB. That's a 300–500ms gap — and every 100ms of TTFB above 200ms costs your store measurable conversions.
Using the conservative published floor (0.4% conversion loss per 100ms):
| Metric | SiteGround | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| Typical TTFB | 300–600ms | 80–200ms |
| TTFB gap | ~400ms difference | |
| Conversion impact (conservative) | −1.6% relative | Baseline |
| Revenue impact ($10K/mo store) | −$160/mo lost | $0 |
| Annual revenue loss | −$1,920/yr | $0 |
And that's the conservative floor. The Deloitte millisecond study found 2.1% conversion lift per 100ms on desktop — which puts the same gap at $840/month and $10,080/year for a $10K/month store.
"Cloudways costs $36 more per year in hosting. SiteGround costs $1,920+ more per year in lost conversions. The math isn't close."
FutureStack — Cloudways vs SiteGround TCO Research futurestk.online/blog/cloudways-vs-siteground-tco.htmlThe real 3-year cost (hosting + revenue)
Put both costs together:
| Cost Component | SiteGround | Cloudways |
|---|---|---|
| 3-year hosting cost | $468 | $504 |
| 3-year revenue loss (conservative) | $5,760 | $0 |
| 3-Year Total Cost | $6,228 | $504 |
| Net Savings (Cloudways) | $5,724 over 3 years | |
Cloudways saves you $5,724 over 3 years — not because it's cheaper, but because it's faster. The $36 "extra" in hosting cost recovers $5,760 in lost revenue.
Enter your traffic, conversion rate, and AOV into the Revenue Leak Detector. See your monthly loss in 30 seconds.
Where SiteGround actually wins
I want to be fair. SiteGround isn't a bad host — it's a bad value for stores that generate revenue. Here's where it genuinely wins:
Initial cost. If you're running a blog, portfolio, or non-commerce site, SiteGround's $2.99/mo intro is a legitimate deal. You're not losing $160/month in conversions because you're not selling anything.
Support. SiteGround's support is consistently rated higher than Cloudways for WordPress-specific issues. If you need hand-holding on setup, SiteGround's team is more accessible.
Simplicity. SiteGround's interface is simpler for beginners. Cloudways is a cloud platform — more powerful, but steeper learning curve.
But for a WooCommerce store doing real revenue? These advantages don't offset $1,920/year in lost conversions. The math is the math.
When Cloudways is the obvious choice
Your store does more than $5,000/month. At that revenue level, even the conservative speed-to-revenue floor means Cloudways pays for itself in the first month.
You're on a renewal. If you're already paying SiteGround's $17.99/mo renewal, you're paying almost Cloudways prices for slower infrastructure. Switching is a pure upgrade.
You care about Core Web Vitals. Google uses LCP, INP, and CLS as ranking signals. Cloudways' faster TTFB directly improves your CWV scores and organic traffic.
When SiteGround makes sense
You're just starting out. If you're building your first store and haven't launched yet, SiteGround's $2.99/mo gets you live. Upgrade to Cloudways when revenue starts flowing.
Non-commerce site. Blog, portfolio, SaaS marketing site — speed matters less when you're not losing checkout revenue.
Tight budget, no revenue yet. If you can't afford $14/mo, SiteGround at $2.99/mo is better than not having a site at all.
If your WooCommerce store is generating revenue and you're still on SiteGround shared hosting, you're paying more for less — both in the invoice and in the sales you never see. Cloudways costs $36 more per year and recovers $5,700+ in lost conversions. The comparison isn't close.
Further reading
- WooCommerce Site Speed & Revenue Lost — the full math on speed-to-revenue for WooCommerce stores
- How Slow Hosting Costs You Sales — the general TTFB → revenue breakdown
- What Is Price-Lock Hosting? — hosts that don't spike at renewal
- Hostinger Renewal Price Shock — another comparison with budget hosts
FAQ
Yes — Cloudways delivers 80–200ms TTFB vs SiteGround's 300–600ms on shared hosting. The gap is 300–500ms, which translates to measurable conversion differences for WooCommerce stores.
SiteGround uses introductory pricing to acquire customers, then charges renewal rates that are 501% higher. This is a common hosting industry practice — Cloudways avoids it with price-lock renewal.
Cloudways is a cloud platform, so there's a learning curve. But for WooCommerce stores, the performance difference outweighs the setup complexity. Most store owners adapt within a day.
SiteGround's managed plans are faster than their shared plans, but still more expensive than Cloudways at renewal — and Cloudways' managed cloud infrastructure typically outperforms SiteGround's managed WordPress tier.