WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress vs Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud
Estimate what moving from WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress to Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud costs over 12 to 36 months, including the one-time switch. Then remap your exported CSV headers.
Why teams look at this switch: Renewal price tripling after Year 1 & strict PHP worker overage penalties
Cost calculator
CSV header mapper
Rename exported WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress column headers to the names Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud expects. It runs in your browser. Only headers change and values are kept.
Renamed headers do not make a file import-ready. Compare the result with Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud's import template and create any custom fields there first.
| WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress column | Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud column | Field type |
|---|---|---|
| WP_HOME | CW_APP_URL | Custom field, create it first |
| WP_SITEURL | CW_DOMAIN | Custom field, create it first |
| DB_HOST | LOCALHOST_DB | Custom field, create it first |
| CACHE_REDIS_PORT | REDIS_ENABLED_PORT | Custom field, create it first |
When moving to Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud makes sense
- Your main cost driver is Renewal price tripling after Year 1 & strict PHP worker overage penalties, and your volume is past the break-even point above.
- Your team can finish the CSV import and onboarding within the switching budget you entered.
- You have checked that Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud's plan covers the integrations and compliance rules you need.
When staying on WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress is the better call
- The one-time migration, re-integration or retraining cost is larger than 12 to 24 months of savings.
- You are inside a multi-year WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress contract with early-termination fees.
- Your workflow relies on add-ons or features Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud does not support yet.
How the result changes with volume
Twelve-month totals at half, default and double volume, using the default pricing model and a $150 switching cost.
| Volume (Hosted Sites / Stores) | WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress | Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud | 12-month difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50% volume (2) | $100/mo | $26/mo | +$738 |
| Default volume (4) | $170/mo | $42/mo | +$1,386 |
| 200% volume (8) | $310/mo | $74/mo | +$2,682 |
Questions
How is the total cost of WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress and Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud compared?
Each side's monthly cost is multiplied by the months in the horizon, and the one-time switching cost is added to Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud. At the default volume (Hosted Sites / Stores: 4), the model gives about $170 per month for WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress and $42 per month for Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud.
How do WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress CSV headers map to Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud?
The mapper renames WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress columns (WP_HOME, WP_SITEURL, DB_HOST, CACHE_REDIS_PORT) to Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud columns (CW_APP_URL, CW_DOMAIN, LOCALHOST_DB, REDIS_ENABLED_PORT) in your browser. Custom fields must exist in Cloudways / Nexcess Managed Cloud before you import.
When should a company stay on WP Engine / Legacy Managed WordPress?
Stay if the one-time switching, integration or contract-exit cost is larger than the savings over the horizon you care about. The calculator shows that case as a negative result.