Akamai Cloud (Linode) vs Cloudways
This is not a like-for-like contest. Akamai Cloud (Linode) sells raw compute and hands you the operating system; Cloudways sells a managed service and charges for the work you no longer do. Compare them only if you genuinely have not decided whether to run the server yourself.
Akamai Cloud (Linode)
$5.00/mo entry
Teams that value platform maturity and stability over the lowest possible invoice.
Cloudways
$14.00/mo entry
Freelancers and small agencies hosting several client sites on one managed server.
Specification differences
Entry-tier plans compared line by line. Rows marked with a dash are preferences rather than measurable wins, so we do not pick a side on them.
| Attribute | Akamai Cloud (Linode) | Cloudways | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry plan price / month | $5.00 | $14.00 | Akamai Cloud (Linode) |
| Entry plan vCPU | 1 | 1 | |
| Entry plan RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB | |
| Entry plan storage | 25 GB | 25 GB | |
| Included transfer | 1 TB | 1 TB | |
| Listed regions | 20 | 25 | Cloudways |
| Management model | Unmanaged (you run the OS) | Managed | |
| Support | Ticket and phone support; paid premium tiers available. | 24/7 live chat and tickets; premium support tiers cost extra. | |
| Billing | Hourly metering, capped at the listed monthly price. | Hourly metering billed monthly, pay-as-you-go. | |
| Free tier | No free tier. Trial credit is offered to new accounts from time to time. | Free trial available for new accounts; no permanent free tier. |
Every plan from both providers
Sorted by monthly price so you can see where the two ladders overlap.
Akamai Cloud (Linode)
Nanode 1GB
$5.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM
- Storage
- 25 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 1 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $5
- Cost per GB RAM
- $5
- Annual
- $60
Not paidPricing pageAkamai Cloud (Linode)
Linode 2GB
$12.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 2 GB RAM
- Storage
- 50 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 2 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $12
- Cost per GB RAM
- $6
- Annual
- $144
Not paidPricing pageCloudways
DO 1GB (managed)
$14.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM
- Storage
- 25 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 1 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $14
- Cost per GB RAM
- $14
- Annual
- $168
AffiliatePricing pageAkamai Cloud (Linode)
Linode 4GB
$24.00
per month
- Specification
- 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM
- Storage
- 80 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 4 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $12
- Cost per GB RAM
- $6
- Annual
- $288
Not paidPricing pageCloudways
DO 2GB (managed)
$28.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 2 GB RAM
- Storage
- 50 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 2 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $28
- Cost per GB RAM
- $14
- Annual
- $336
AffiliatePricing pageCloudways
Vultr HF 2GB (managed)
$30.00
per month
- Specification
- 1 vCPU / 2 GB RAM
- Storage
- 64 GB NVMe
- Included transfer
- 2 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $30
- Cost per GB RAM
- $15
- Annual
- $360
AffiliatePricing pageAkamai Cloud (Linode)
Linode 8GB
$48.00
per month
- Specification
- 4 vCPU / 8 GB RAM
- Storage
- 160 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 5 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $12
- Cost per GB RAM
- $6
- Annual
- $576
Not paidPricing pageCloudways
DO 4GB (managed)
$54.00
per month
- Specification
- 2 vCPU / 4 GB RAM
- Storage
- 80 GB SSD
- Included transfer
- 4 TB
- Cost per vCPU
- $27
- Cost per GB RAM
- $14
- Annual
- $648
AffiliatePricing page
| Provider & plan | Monthly | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Transfer | / vCPU | / GB RAM | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akamai Cloud (Linode) Nanode 1GBNot paid | $5.00 | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5 | $5 | Open |
Akamai Cloud (Linode) Linode 2GBNot paid | $12.00 | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $12 | $6 | Open |
Cloudways DO 1GB (managed)Affiliate | $14.00 | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $14 | $14 | Open |
Akamai Cloud (Linode) Linode 4GBNot paid | $24.00 | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $12 | $6 | Open |
Cloudways DO 2GB (managed)Affiliate | $28.00 | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $28 | $14 | Open |
Cloudways Vultr HF 2GB (managed)Affiliate | $30.00 | 1 | 2 GB | 64 GB | 2 TB | $30 | $15 | Open |
Akamai Cloud (Linode) Linode 8GBNot paid | $48.00 | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $12 | $6 | Open |
Cloudways DO 4GB (managed)Affiliate | $54.00 | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $27 | $14 | Open |
All figures are the providers' own published list prices in USD, on-demand monthly, recorded on 2026-08-30. Nothing here is live or negotiated pricing. Hetzner publishes in euros, so its dollar figure moves with the exchange rate. Check the provider's pricing page before you commit.
Related comparisons
Some links on this page are affiliate links, marked Affiliate, and we may earn a commission if you sign up through them. Hetzner and Akamai Cloud pay us nothing and are included anyway, because a comparison that hides the cheapest option is worthless. Commission never affects the ordering: every table on this site is sorted by the figures you choose.