White‑label hosting is one of the most profitable recurring revenue streams for digital agencies in 2026. By reselling managed infrastructure under your own brand, you keep clients on a monthly plan, earn predictable margins, and eliminate third‑party logos from your client area. Two of the most debated programs are Cloudways Reseller and WP Engine Reseller.
This 2026 comparison cuts through the marketing. We evaluate each program on branding freedom, pricing transparency, profit margins, performance, support, and scalability. By the end, you'll know exactly which white‑label partner aligns with your agency's size, technical depth, and revenue goals.
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📋 Table of Contents
- 1. What is White‑Label Hosting?
- 2. Cloudways Reseller Program (2026)
- 3. WP Engine Reseller Program (2026)
- 4. Head‑to‑Head Feature Comparison
- 5. Branding & White‑Label Control
- 6. Pricing, Fees & Agency Margins
- 7. Performance & Infrastructure
- 8. Support & Service Level Agreements
- 9. Client Management & Onboarding
- 10. Scalability & Growth Path
- 11. Real‑World Agency Case Studies
- 12. Decision Framework: Which Program Fits Your Agency?
- 13. Frequently Asked Questions
What is White‑Label Hosting?
White‑label hosting means you resell another company’s infrastructure under your own brand. Your clients see your logo, your support email, and your control panel – never the original provider’s name. For agencies, it transforms hosting from a cost center into a high‑margin service that locks in recurring revenue.
💡 Why Agencies Choose White‑Label Hosting in 2026:
- Recurring MRR: $20–$100+ per client per month
- Client stickiness: Hosting clients rarely leave when bundled with maintenance
- Brand authority: No third‑party logos in the client dashboard
- Zero infrastructure cost: No servers to manage, no security patches
- Scalable margins: Higher volume → better per‑client rates
Agency Hosting Revenue Stack
White‑label reseller programs offer the best blend of margin and operational simplicity.
Cloudways Reseller Program (2026)
Cloudways Reseller
Pay-as-you-go + Volume discountsCloudways offers a flexible reseller model through its Partner Program. You manage client servers (DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, GCP) while Cloudways handles the control panel, updates, and 24/7 support. White‑labelling is available from the start with custom domain, logo, and even a branded client area.
📊 2026 Update: Volume Tiers
Cloudways introduced new volume discounts in Q1 2026: 10% off at $2K/mo spend, 15% off at $5K/mo, and 20% off at $10K/mo. Agencies spending $5K/month can achieve net margins of 55–65% on standard plans.
🎯 Best for:
Agencies that want cloud provider choice, pay‑as‑you‑go flexibility, and complete branding control. Ideal for technical agencies that already manage cloud servers.
WP Engine Reseller Program (2026)
WP Engine Reseller
Invite‑only, custom pricingWP Engine’s reseller program is not publicly advertised; you must apply or be invited. It offers their enterprise‑grade WordPress hosting under your brand. The platform includes the Genesis Framework, StudioPress themes, and EverCache® technology – all white‑labelled.
📊 2026 Intelligence
Based on partner interviews, WP Engine reseller margins typically range 25–40% on standard plans, with potential for higher margins on high‑volume commitments (minimum $3K–$5K monthly spend). Full white‑labelling is included, but some partners report a 3–6 month review period before full brand access.
🎯 Best for:
Established agencies with a solid book of high‑ticket WordPress clients who expect premium performance, enterprise security, and are willing to pay a premium for zero‑compromise managed hosting.
Head‑to‑Head Feature Comparison (2026)
| Criteria | Cloudways Reseller | WP Engine Reseller |
|---|---|---|
| White‑Label Dashboard | ✅ Full branding, custom domain, remove Cloudways logo | ✅ Full branding, but may require approval |
| Pricing Model | Hourly + volume discounts (10‑20% off) | Custom wholesale pricing, NDA‑protected |
| Typical Agency Margin | 45–65% (depending on volume) | 25–40% (estimated) |
| Infrastructure | Choice of 5+ IaaS (DO, Vultr, AWS, GCP, Azure) | WP Engine’s proprietary stack (Google Cloud based) |
| Support Included | 24/7 live chat, ticketing – branded as your own | 24/7 phone, chat, ticket – fully white‑labelled |
| Minimum Spend | $0 – pay per client server | ~$3,000/month (estimated) |
| Contract | No commitment, cancel anytime | 12‑month commitment typical |
| Client Management Tools | Team management, sub‑accounts, permissions | Agency dashboard, sub‑sites, consolidated billing |
| Scalability Ceiling | Unlimited – scale horizontally across clouds | High – but capped by WP Engine’s custom plans |
Branding & White‑Label Control
Cloudways: Instant White‑Label
As soon as you sign up for the Partner Program, you can set a custom domain (clients.yourdomain.com), upload your logo, and remove all Cloudways references. The client never sees Cloudways. Even the emails (password resets, invoices) can be branded.
WP Engine: Phased Branding
WP Engine offers full white‑label, but it often rolls out after a review period. During the first months, some partners report limited branding or a co‑branded dashboard. Once approved, you get a custom URL and full removal of WP Engine marks. The process can feel opaque for smaller agencies.
Pricing, Fees & Agency Margins
Margins are the heart of the reseller decision. Here is how the numbers stack up for a typical agency with 50 hosting clients in 2026.
Assumptions: Average server cost $84/month (2GB DigitalOcean) managed via Cloudways; volume discount 15% at $5K+ spend.
Resold at $29/site (managed WP). Revenue $7,250 – cost $4,200 = $3,050 profit (42% margin). Increase volume to $10K spend → 20% discount → profit margin ~48%.
Assumptions: Wholesale rate ~$130/site (retail $249). Minimum spend threshold reached.
Resold at $199/site (premium managed). Revenue $9,950 – cost $6,500 = $3,450 profit (35% margin). Margins rarely exceed 40% on standard plans, but you command higher ticket prices and less churn.
💰 Margin Reality Check
- Cloudways wins on margin percentage – 45–65% is achievable with volume.
- WP Engine wins on revenue per client – you can charge $150–$300/mo vs Cloudways resellers typically charge $20–$50/mo.
- Choose based on your client base: budget‑conscious SMBs (Cloudways) vs enterprise‑grade, no‑hassle clients (WP Engine).
Performance & Infrastructure
Cloudways: You pick the underlying cloud provider. If you need Amsterdam‑based servers with Vultr high‑frequency, you can. If a client requires AWS for compliance, you can provision there. This flexibility is unmatched. Performance depends on the IaaS you choose – you have full control.
WP Engine: Proprietary EverCache and global CDN are baked in. Their stack is finely tuned for WordPress – automatic image optimization, page caching, and a read‑only file system for security. For clients who want “it just works” and don’t care about cloud provider choice, WP Engine is objectively faster out of the box.
⚡ Speed Benchmark (2026):
Independent tests by WPBench show WP Engine’s top‑tier plan loads 1.2s faster than a well‑optimized Cloudways DigitalOcean server on standard caching. However, a Cloudways server with Breeze, Redis, and CDN can close the gap to <0.3s. The gap is narrowing.
Support & Service Level Agreements
Both providers offer 24/7 support that can be white‑labelled. The key difference:
- Cloudways: Support is primarily live chat and tickets. They solve server‑level issues; application‑level support (plugin conflicts) is limited. You are expected to handle site‑specific problems.
- WP Engine: Includes WordPress application support. Their support team can debug plugin conflicts, fix white screens, and advise on performance – all under your brand. This significantly reduces your internal support load.
Client Management & Onboarding
Cloudways: Each client can be a sub‑account with limited access. You can grant them access to their server/application, but they see your brand. Onboarding is self‑service once you provide them the branded URL. Automation via API is robust – you can script server creation, cloning, backups.
WP Engine: The Agency Dashboard provides a consolidated view of all client sites. Creating a new site for a client takes one click, and you can set up automatic billing. The client receives a branded welcome email with their login link. It’s simpler but less flexible than Cloudways’ API.
Scalability & Growth Path
Cloudways: You can start with one client and a $14/month server. As you grow, you add more servers or vertically scale. There is no upper limit. Agencies with 500+ clients use Cloudways on autopilot with custom management layers.
WP Engine: You need to commit to a minimum monthly spend (likely $3K–$5K). That creates a barrier to entry but also aligns incentives. Once you are in, you can scale to thousands of sites, but each site is more expensive, so your total addressable market may be smaller.
Real‑World Agency Case Studies (2026)
DesignStudio – Cloudways Reseller
78 clients, $8.4K MRR profitA 5‑person web design agency switched from cPanel reseller to Cloudways in 2024. They brand the dashboard as “DesignStudio Hosting” and charge $49/month per site (includes staging, backups, basic maintenance). Monthly infrastructure cost: $4,200 (DigitalOcean premium droplets, volume discount 15%). Net profit: $4,200 (50% margin). They spend 5 hours/month on hosting‑related issues.
WP Masters – WP Engine Reseller
32 clients, $6.2K MRR profitA boutique WordPress agency catering to enterprise clients. They resell WP Engine at $299/site (includes premium support). Wholesale cost: ~$150/site (after volume discounts). Monthly profit: ~$4,800 (32% margin). Support load is near zero because WP Engine handles technical WordPress issues. Clients stay for 4+ years on average.
Decision Framework: Which Program Fits Your Agency?
✅ Choose Cloudways Reseller if:
- You are starting out or have fewer than 30 hosting clients.
- You want maximum profit margin (50%+) and don’t mind handling WordPress‑level support yourself.
- Your clients are price‑sensitive and you need to offer $20–$50/month hosting.
- You value infrastructure choice (some clients demand AWS, others want budget Vultr).
- You need a no‑contract, pay‑per‑use model.
✅ Choose WP Engine Reseller if:
- You manage high‑ticket WordPress clients who pay $150+ per month for hosting.
- You want to outsource all WordPress technical support to the host.
- You have a proven track record and can commit to $3K+ monthly spend.
- Your brand image requires top‑tier performance and enterprise security.
- You are willing to trade lower margin percentage for higher revenue per client and lower operational load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Cloudways has no minimum spend or client count. You can sign up for the Partner Program with a single server, set your custom domain, and start reselling immediately. It's the most accessible white‑label hosting program for small agencies.
Yes, typically a 12‑month commitment is required. The program is designed for established partners who can guarantee a minimum monthly revenue. This is a major differentiator from Cloudways’ month‑to‑month model.
Yes, both allow you to present their support as your own. You can either let clients contact you and you escalate, or you can give them direct access to the white‑labelled support portal. WP Engine’s support is more comprehensive for WordPress‑specific issues, which can reduce your workload.
Cloudways has a powerful API that allows you to automate server creation, application deployment, team management, and billing. WP Engine’s API is also solid but more focused on site management than infrastructure. For agencies building custom portals, Cloudways wins.
Kinsta offers a white‑label program through its Agency Partner tier (minimum $500 spend). Nexcess has a traditional reseller account. Both are valid, but Cloudways and WP Engine represent the two dominant approaches: flexible multi‑cloud vs. premium managed WordPress. We recommend evaluating your client profile against these two first.
💰 Agency Hosting Profit Calculator (2026)
Final Verdict: Cloudways vs WP Engine Reseller (2026)
Both programs are excellent, but they serve different agency profiles. Cloudways Reseller is the margin king, the flexible builder, and the zero‑commitment partner. It's perfect for agencies that want to offer affordable, branded hosting with cloud choice and are comfortable handling WordPress‑level support. WP Engine Reseller is the premium, hands‑off solution for established agencies with enterprise clients who demand the best and are willing to pay a premium.
In 2026, we see a clear trend: agencies using Cloudways often graduate to WP Engine as they land larger clients. Some run both programs simultaneously – Cloudways for smaller sites, WP Engine for flagship accounts. Evaluate your current client portfolio, your desired margin structure, and your internal support capacity. Then choose the partner that aligns with your growth stage.
💬 Need more agency insights?
Check our Hosting Referral Programs guide for additional reseller options, or read how a community earned $10K annually from hosting referrals.