CLOUDWAYS VS HOSTSTAR
Side-by-side comparison using HRI™ data, Google reviews, and Trustpilot scores. No paid placements, ranked by signal only.
WHICH IS BETTER?
As of 2026, Cloudways scores 97/100 on HostList's HRI algorithm versus Hoststar's 95/100, making Cloudways the higher-rated provider in this comparison. The two are nearly tied, the right choice depends on geographic location, specialisation, and whether you need a claimed and verified profile rather than overall quality. Cloudways is based in HQ: Saint Julians, Malta, while Hoststar operates from HQ: Fraubrunnen, Switzerland, worth considering if your audience has regional latency requirements. HRI is an independent 0–100 algorithmic rating combining trust signals (25 points), profile completeness (25 points), data freshness (25 points), and performance (25 points), never paid placements.
| Metric | vs | Hoststar95 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| HRI™ | 97 | vs | 95 |
| Trust Score | 25 | vs | 25 |
| Completeness | 24 | vs | 24 |
| Performance | 23 | vs | 21 |
| Freshness | 25 | vs | 25 |
| Google Rating | · | vs | 4.6★ |
| Google Reviews | · | vs | 1,036 |
| Trustpilot | 4.6★ | vs | 2.2★ |
| Location | HQ: Saint Julians, Malta | vs | HQ: Fraubrunnen, Switzerland |
| Founded | 2011 | vs | 1996 |
| Segment | PURE HOST | vs | PURE HOST |
| Claimed | Yes | vs | Yes |
PROS & CONS
Cloudways
- +Strong overall HRI of 97/100
- +High trust signals, 25/25 on the Trust component
- +Trustpilot score of 4.6/5 indicates positive third-party sentiment
- +Thorough profile data: pricing, features, and contact details verified
- +Profile data is recent and actively maintained
- −No verified Google rating available, limited customer-feedback signal
- −Hostscore is algorithmic, does not assess pricing, support response time, or feature parity
Hoststar
- +Strong overall HRI of 95/100
- +High trust signals, 25/25 on the Trust component
- +Excellent Google rating (4.6/5 from 1,036 verified reviews)
- +Thorough profile data: pricing, features, and contact details verified
- +Profile data is recent and actively maintained
- −Pricing details should be verified directly with the provider
- −Hostscore is algorithmic, does not assess pricing, support response time, or feature parity
WHICH SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?
you prioritise measured performance signals.
you specifically need a Switzerland-based operation or a larger review history (1,036 reviews).
WHAT IS CLOUDWAYS?
Cloudways is a web hosting provider based in HQ: Saint Julians, Malta, founded in 2011, specialising in pure host. Cloudways, a managed cloud hosting platform based in Saint Julians, Malta, offers a range of hosting services tailored for developers and businesses seeking simplicity and performance. Founded as part…
Cloudways has a HRI of 97/100. The listing is claimed and verified by the host.
WHAT IS HOSTSTAR?
Hoststar is a web hosting provider based in HQ: Fraubrunnen, Switzerland, founded in 1996, specialising in pure host. Founded in 1996 and based in Fraubrunnen in the canton of Bern, Hoststar is one of Switzerland’s long-established web hosts and part of the Miss Group hosting family. It offers everything needed to ge…
Hoststar has a HRI of 95/100 and a Google rating of 4.6★ from 1,036 verified reviews. The listing is claimed and verified by the host.
CLOUDWAYS VS HOSTSTAR, FAQ
Is Cloudways better than Hoststar?
Cloudways and Hoststar are closely matched, Cloudways scores 97/100 on HRI versus Hoststar's 95. At this margin, the decision should be based on your geographic location, preferred hosting type, and whether you need direct support from a claimed and verified provider. Both are legitimate hosting operations; neither has a dominant quality advantage over the other.
Which has better customer reviews, Cloudways or Hoststar?
Cloudways has no Google rating, and Hoststar has 4.6★ on Google (1,036 reviews). Review volume matters as much as the star rating, a 4.5★ score from 50 reviews is less reliable than a 4.2★ score from 5,000. HRI weights Google reviews by volume, so providers with more verified customer feedback score higher on the trust component. Check each provider's Trustpilot profile for a second independent signal before deciding.
What are good alternatives to Cloudways and Hoststar?
The best alternative depends on what you value. If you want unbiased rankings across all hosting types, the HostList directory ranks 30,000+ providers by HRI. For AI-powered matching based on your specific project requirements, tech stack, traffic, location, budget, use HostMatch at hostlist.io/match. For category-specific alternatives, the pure host rankings at hostlist.io show the highest-scoring providers in the same hosting type as Cloudways and Hoststar.
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