Cloudways Review 2026 — Best Managed Cloud Hosting?

What Is Cloudways?

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that sits between traditional shared hosting and raw cloud infrastructure. Instead of managing a DigitalOcean droplet or AWS EC2 instance yourself, Cloudways handles all the server management — security patches, caching, backups, monitoring — while giving you access to the underlying cloud provider's power. Founded in 2012 and acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022, Cloudways serves over 85,000 businesses across 65 countries.

Pricing and Plans

Cloudways pricing is usage-based rather than plan-based. You choose a cloud provider (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud) and a server size. The smallest DigitalOcean server (1 GB RAM, 1 CPU, 25 GB storage) starts at $14/month. AWS and Google Cloud options start higher — around $36-40/month — but deliver enterprise-grade infrastructure. There are no per-website fees; you can host unlimited sites on a single server. Bandwidth is charged based on actual usage above the included allocation.

Performance

Performance is Cloudways' strongest selling point. With Nginx, Apache, Varnish cache, Memcached, and Redis all available, you can tune your server for specific workloads. The Breeze caching plugin for WordPress is purpose-built for Cloudways and delivers excellent results. Independent benchmarks consistently place Cloudways-hosted sites in the top tier for TTFB and page load speed — competitive with dedicated servers costing far more.

Ease of Use

Cloudways offers a custom control panel that abstracts away the complexity of raw cloud management without eliminating control. Launching a new WordPress site takes about 7 minutes — choose your cloud provider, select server size, install WordPress, and deploy. The panel handles SSL, staging environments, team access, and automated backups. It's not as simple as cPanel or hPanel, but it's accessible to anyone with basic web experience.

Support

24/7 live chat and ticket support are included. Cloudways offers three tiers: Standard (free), Advanced ($29.99/month), and Premium ($99.99/month) — the paid tiers include phone support and faster response times. Standard chat support is generally responsive but can slow during peak hours. For agencies managing client sites, the Advanced plan is often worth the investment.

Who Should Use Cloudways?

Cloudways is ideal for growing businesses that have outgrown shared hosting, agencies managing multiple client sites, WooCommerce stores expecting significant traffic, and developers who want cloud infrastructure without the server administration overhead. It's not suited for complete beginners or anyone needing the cheapest possible option.

Is Cloudways good for WordPress?

Yes — Cloudways is one of the best choices for WordPress at scale. It includes a dedicated WordPress-optimized stack, the Breeze caching plugin, staging environments for safe updates, and one-click cloning for spinning up new sites.

Does Cloudways have a free trial?

Yes — Cloudways offers a 3-day free trial with $0 credit included, no credit card required. This is enough time to launch a test site, run speed benchmarks, and evaluate the control panel before committing.

How does Cloudways compare to managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta?

Kinsta is purely managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud and tends to be faster out of the box with better support. Cloudways offers more flexibility — multiple cloud providers, any PHP app not just WordPress — at a lower price point. Kinsta is better for pure WordPress performance; Cloudways is better for value and versatility.