Cloudways
7/10Managed cloud hosting platform that runs WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel and PHP apps on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud servers.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
Cloudways is a managed hosting layer on top of public cloud providers. Customers choose a server on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud, and Cloudways handles the server stack, security, backups and monitoring through its own control panel. It is built mainly for PHP applications such as WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento and Laravel, and agencies use it to manage many client sites from one account. DigitalOcean bought the company in 2022 for 350 million dollars. Flexible plans are billed by the hour. On DigitalOcean they start at 14 dollars a month for 1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25GB NVMe storage and 1TB of bandwidth. The next tiers are 28, 37, 54 and 99 dollars a month. AWS and Google Cloud prices vary by region. Paid add-ons include Cloudflare Enterprise CDN from 4.99 dollars per domain, malware protection, SafeUpdates, Rackspace email, block storage and a 100 dollar per month advanced support tier. Every server gets free Let's Encrypt SSL, Layer 3 and 4 DDoS mitigation, offsite automated backups, staging, Git auto-deployment, a REST API and New Relic monitoring. The main drawbacks are limited low-level control for power users, no included email or domain registration, and billing that gets complicated once add-ons and bandwidth overages are added. Some reviewers also say support has declined since the acquisition.
Our Rating
Who Cloudways is best for
Good fit
Reviewers praise managing many client sites from one account, and the panel includes cloning and staging.
The stack is tuned for WooCommerce and Magento, with Object Cache Pro included on larger servers.
Low entry pricing and multi-site management suit freelancers who host client sites.
Plans start at 14 dollars a month and include managed security, though some beginners find the server concepts confusing.
Less suited
Git deployment, an API and WP-CLI are available, but some reviewers say low-level control is limited.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- You can choose from five cloud providers and more than 50 locations from one control panel.
- Hourly pay-as-you-go billing, with a 5-day trial that needs no credit card.
- Every server includes free SSL, Layer 3 and 4 DDoS mitigation, a firewall and offsite backups.
- Agencies get one-click staging, cloning and Git auto-deployment for many client sites.
- Ratings are strong, at about 4.7 on G2 and 4.6 on Trustpilot.
Cons
- Email hosting and domain registration are not included.
- Billing gets hard to track once add-ons and bandwidth overages are added, and some reviewers report charges after cancelling.
- Some reviewers say support quality has dropped since the DigitalOcean acquisition.
- Power users report limited low-level control.
- Phone support requires a paid premium support add-on.
Key Features
Cloudways Pricing
Flexible Micro (DigitalOcean)
- 1 vCPU
- 1GB RAM
- 1TB bandwidth
- Hourly billing
- 5-day free trial
- 25GB NVMe storage
Flexible Medium (DigitalOcean)
- 2 vCPU
- 4GB RAM
- 4TB bandwidth
- 80GB NVMe storage
- Object Cache Pro included
Frequently Asked Questions
DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways in 2022 for 350 million dollars.
Yes. Flexible plans have a 5-day trial with no credit card required, but only on DigitalOcean, Vultr or Linode. AWS and Google Cloud are not part of the trial.
DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud, across more than 50 locations.
No. Rackspace email is available as an add-on at 1.50 dollars per mailbox per month.
Cloudways advertises 99.99 percent uptime. In a six-day independent test, a site reached 99.95 percent.
All plans include 24/7 live chat and tickets. A paid support add-on starts at 100 dollars a month.
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