Reviewed and fact-checked 2026-09-05 against official documentation.
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform: you pick the raw server underneath (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Akamai Linode, AWS or Google Cloud) and Cloudways handles everything on top — provisioning, security, backups, scaling and support. It targets businesses that want cloud performance without hiring a DevOps engineer.
What Cloudways actually is
Cloudways is a management platform, not a datacenter. You choose the underlying provider — DigitalOcean, Vultr, Akamai Linode, AWS or Google Cloud — and Cloudways provisions and runs it: security patching, firewalls, automated backups, staging, SSL, caching and 24/7 support. 65+ datacenter locations across all five providers.
Pricing (official, September 2026)
| Tier | From | Example config |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean Basic | $11/mo ($0.016/hr) | 1 vCPU · 1GB RAM · 25GB SSD · 1TB transfer |
| Vultr / Linode tiers | similar entry bands | hourly billing available |
| AWS / Google Cloud | higher tiers | for enterprise workloads |
Features that matter
- Automated daily backups with one-click restore
- 1-click staging environments
- Managed security patching + dedicated server firewall
- Free SSL certificates, auto-renewal
- Object Cache Pro — up to 40-50% faster WordPress
- Breeze caching for WordPress
- Vertical scaling in the dashboard (and auto-scaling for spikes)
- Git deployment, sFTP, SSH access
- Free migration plugin
- CloudwaysCDN add-on
Apps you can launch in one click
WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, Symfony, Joomla, Drupal, PrestaShop and more — each with its optimized stack. The same dashboard manages all of them.
Support and documentation
24/7 chat and ticket support from hosting engineers (not scripted first line), phone support on request, plus an extensive knowledge base at support.cloudways.com.
Two product lines: Flexible vs Autonomous
Cloudways now runs two lines. Flexible is the classic hourly pay-as-you-go managed server described above. Autonomous is a Kubernetes-based WordPress tier with autoscaling and visit-based pricing ($35–$995/mo by traffic band) for teams that want hands-off scaling. Most readers will land on Flexible — it's where the $11/mo entry lives.
Add-ons worth knowing (official prices)
- Cloudflare Enterprise — $4.99/domain/mo
- Offsite backups — $0.033/GB
- Site Manager — $3/mo
- Malware protection — $4/mo
- Rackspace email add-on — $1.50/mo
- Advanced Support — $100/mo (promo $25)
None are required; the base plan already includes daily backups, SSL and staging.
Honest limitations
You pay a premium over raw servers ($11 vs $4-5 entry). No native Windows hosting. Email hosting isn't included (use the $1.50 Rackspace add-on or external). The platform is opinionated — unusual stack requests live outside its scope.
Cloudways — Pros
- Fully managed: backups, security, staging, SSL included
- 5 cloud providers, 65+ locations
- 24/7 real engineer support
- 3-day free trial, no credit card
- Object Cache Pro + Breeze speed stack
- Scales without migration
Cloudways — Cons
- Premium over raw VPS pricing
- No Windows servers
- Email not included
★★★★½ 4.7/5
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Cloudways cost?
From $11/mo (DigitalOcean 1GB server, fully managed). Hourly billing available; no contracts.
Is Cloudways good for WordPress?
Excellent — optimized stack, Breeze caching, Object Cache Pro, staging and managed backups.
Does Cloudways have a free trial?
Yes — 3 days, no credit card required.
Is Cloudways a hosting company?
It's a managed hosting platform running on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud infrastructure.
Can I migrate an existing site?
Yes — free WordPress migration plugin plus migration support.
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