Short answer: a cloud phone is an Android phone that runs in a datacenter, so it runs the Android version of Roblox. A cloud PC is a Windows computer in a datacenter, so it runs the Windows version of Roblox, Roblox Studio and OBS. If you only want to play the mobile version of a game, a cloud phone can be enough. If you want to build in Roblox Studio or stream with OBS, you need Windows (or a Mac), so a cloud PC.
What each one is
Cloud phones such as UGPhone and LDCloud sell Android devices you control from your own phone or computer. UGPhone describes its product as "24/7 Cloud Online", running Android, and publishes its own guide to playing Roblox on it. You get an Android system with Android apps, such as the Roblox mobile app.
Cloud PCs give you a Windows desktop instead. You connect with a remote desktop app and use it like a PC. At Space-Node that is our Roblox VPS line, where you connect with RustDesk or AnyDesk.
Roblox Studio: only on a cloud PC
This is the clearest difference. Roblox Studio exists for Windows and macOS only. Roblox's education FAQ says it directly: "Roblox Studio cannot run on Chromebooks or mobile devices such as smartphones." A cloud phone is a smartphone, so it cannot run Studio.
If you build, script or test your own experience, the choice is made: a computer with Windows or macOS, either your own or a cloud PC. Our Roblox Studio system requirements guide lists what Studio needs.
Roblox's rules: emulators and virtual machines
Both options run into a Roblox rule, just a different one.
Emulators. On 7 August 2025 Roblox announced on its developer forum that it is "restricting general player access from emulators", and that "Players without creator permissions will be kicked if detected on an emulator and will need to switch to an official version of Roblox" (DevForum). The announcement does not name cloud phone services. Whether a given cloud phone counts as an emulator is something to check with the provider, and to test with a free account before you pay for months.
Virtual machines. On Windows, Roblox Player only starts in a virtual machine that has a real graphics card passed through to it; otherwise it shows "Virtual machine detected" (Roblox Support). That rules out most cheap Windows VPSes. Our Roblox Cloud PC and Creator + Stream plans are physical machines with their own graphics, so this check does not stop them. Our Studio Starter plan is a virtual machine without a graphics card: it runs Roblox Studio, not Roblox Player. More in Roblox Virtual Machine Detected.
Controls
The Android app is built for touch. On a cloud phone you control a phone screen, which is natural from your own phone and clumsier from a laptop.
The Windows version of Roblox and Roblox Studio are built for keyboard and mouse, and a remote desktop app passes those through from your own computer. Studio in particular expects a mouse: building and moving the camera with touch alone is slow.
Streaming with OBS
OBS Studio runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, not on Android. On a cloud phone you would need a second computer to capture and stream the screen. On a cloud PC with a graphics card, Roblox and OBS run on the same machine and the stream goes out straight from the datacenter. Our guide to streaming Roblox with OBS covers the settings.
Cost
Compare the total for how you actually use it, not the headline price:
- Per hour or per month. Hourly services are cheap for a few hours a week and expensive when the device runs all day.
- What is included. Storage, VAT and limits on session length or idle time can change the real price.
- What you need it to run. A cheaper option that cannot run Studio or OBS is not cheaper if that is what you need.
Our plans are monthly and include VAT: Studio Starter €19.99 (Roblox Studio only), Roblox Cloud PC €49.99 and Creator + Stream €79.99.
Which one fits
- You play the mobile version of a game and want it on a device that is not your own phone: a cloud phone can be enough. Check the emulator rule first.
- You build in Roblox Studio: a cloud PC, or your own Windows PC or Mac.
- You want the Windows version of Roblox from a phone, tablet or Chromebook: a cloud PC with its own graphics.
- You stream Roblox with OBS: a cloud PC with a graphics card.
FAQ
Can I run Roblox Studio on a cloud phone?
No. Roblox Studio only runs on Windows and macOS, and Roblox says it cannot run on mobile devices such as smartphones.
Is a cloud phone allowed on Roblox?
Roblox has restricted player access from emulators since August 2025 and kicks players without creator permissions who are detected on one. Its announcement does not mention cloud phones by name, so ask the provider and test before you commit.
Which is cheaper, a cloud phone or a cloud PC?
It depends on what you need to run and how many hours you use it. A cloud phone is usually the smaller product, but it cannot run Roblox Studio or OBS.
Sources
- Roblox Creator Hub: Studio setup and Education FAQ
- Roblox DevForum: An Update on Using Third-Party Emulators
- Roblox Support: Anti-cheat Messages
- UGPhone: product page
- OBS Studio: download page