Cloudways Review 2025: Is It the Best Managed Cloud Hosting?

Are you looking for a hosting provider that’s fast, reliable, and easy to use?

Cloudways might just be the solution you need. It is known for its speed, top-notch uptime, and flexible options.

Whether you’re running a business, a blog, or an online store, this platform promises to keep your site running smoothly even during traffic spikes.

In this Cloudways review, we’ll explore why Cloudways is gaining popularity, what features it offers, and how it can improve your website.

Let’s find out if it’s the right choice for you!

Check this: Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Web Hosting Provider in 2025

Cloudways Review 2025 – Quickview

Feature	Details
Hosting Type	Managed cloud hosting
Infrastructure	Partners with DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud; Kubernetes-powered, SSD-based servers, NVMe SSDs on Vultr HF, Apache/Nginx stack
Performance & Speed	Thunderstack (Nginx, Varnish, Redis, Memcached, PHP 8); 0.2s load time, 97/100 GTmetrix score, passes Core Web Vitals
Uptime Guarantee	99.99% uptime, verified by UptimeRobot; auto-healing servers ensure high availability
Server Response Time (TTFB)	100-200ms globally; as low as 65ms with Cloudflare Enterprise CDN
Data Centers	65+ locations across 5 providers (e.g., New York, London, Singapore, Sydney); switchable without downtime
CDN	Cloudflare Enterprise ($4.99/month/domain); 200+ edge locations, Argo Smart Routing, HTTP/3, image optimization (Mirage/Polish)
WooCommerce Performance	Optimized with Redis Object Cache Pro, Varnish, and Cloudflare; 266ms response time under 500 simultaneous users, ideal for eCommerce
Scalability	Pay-as-you-go, one-click vertical scaling (CPU, RAM, storage); Cloudways Autonomous auto-scales with Kubernetes for high-traffic sites
Caching	Multi-layered (Varnish, Redis, Memcached, Nginx); Breeze plugin for WordPress, full-page caching with Cloudflare
Staging Environment	One-click staging for WordPress, WooCommerce, custom apps; push-to-live/pull-to-staging, SSH/SFTP access
Security & Firewall	Imunify360 server-level firewall, Fail2ban for brute-force protection, key-based SSH, GDPR compliance
DDoS Protection	Layer 3, 4, 7 mitigation via cloud providers; enhanced by Cloudflare Enterprise, blocks 700M+ attacks monthly
Malware Protection	Imunify360 default scanning; optional Malware Protection add-on for real-time scanning and cleanup; Sucuri integration available
SSL Certificates	Free Let’s Encrypt SSL (including wildcards), one-click installation, auto-renewal; custom SSL supported
Web Application Firewall (WAF)	Cloudflare Enterprise WAF ($4.99/month) for SQL injection, XSS protection; Imunify360 HTTP filtering included
Backups	Automatic (hourly, daily, weekly), one-click restore, offsite backups ($0.033/GB); 4-week retention for daily backups
Dashboard & UI	Intuitive, centralized dashboard; one-click SSL, app cloning, server monitoring (CPU, RAM, bandwidth); minor learning curve for beginners
Site Migrations	Free WordPress migration plugin, one free managed migration per plan, additional migrations from $25; zero downtime, staging for testing
Banned Plugins	No banned plugins
Email Hosting	– No free email hosting – Rackspace add-on ($1/mailbox/month)
Ease of Use	User-friendly for developers/agencies; staging, Git, SSH/SFTP support; slight learning curve for beginners vs. shared hosts like Hostinger
Customer Support Channels	– 24/7 live chat, ticketing, CloudwaysBot alerts, knowledge base, community forum; no phone support; – Advanced/Premium Support add-ons available at $100-$500/month with phone support
Support Response Time & Quality	1 min live chat response, 1-3 hr ticket resolution; 4.7/5 Trustpilot rating; occasional inconsistencies post-2022 DigitalOcean acquisition
Best For	– Developers, agencies, eCommerce, high-traffic WordPress/WooCommerce sites; – Users needing scalability, speed, and flexibility; – Less ideal for beginners seeking all-in-one solutions like email and domains
Pricing	Strats from $11/mo
Money-Back Guarantee	There is no money back guarantee, but Cloudways offer 3 days free trial without a credit card
Link	Try Cloudways for Free

What is Cloudways?

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform designed to simplify web hosting for digital agencies, eCommerce stores, and online businesses. It allows users to host websites on major cloud providers, such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, Google Cloud, and AWS, without the complexity of server management.

With features like automated backups, FREE SSL, and a user-friendly interface, Cloudways aims to deliver high performance and reliability.

About Cloudways

Cloudways has established itself as a leading managed cloud hosting platform, offering a compelling blend of performance, flexibility, and user-friendly features for businesses, developers, and agencies.

By providing access to top-tier cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, AWS, Linode, and Vultr, Cloudways simplifies the complexities of server management while delivering enterprise-grade performance.

This review has explored its key aspects, performance, ease of use, customer support, email hosting, and more to help you determine if Cloudways is the right hosting solution for your needs.

Why Consider Cloudways?

Cloudways is praised for its speed (1.22 seconds tested from India) and 99.99% uptime, making it suitable for high-traffic websites. It’s a “Pay as you go” model, starting at $11/month, that offers scalability.

However, the lack of free email hosting and CDN, along with changes after its acquisition by DigitalOcean, may be considerations for some users.

Who Should Choose Cloudways?

Cloudways is best suited for digital agencies, eCommerce businesses, developers, and growing websites that prioritize performance, scalability, and flexibility. Its support for applications like WordPress, Magento, Laravel, and PHP, combined with a powerful hosting stack (MariaDB, MySQL, Redis), makes it ideal for resource-intensive projects.

Users managing high-traffic sites (1-2 lakh visitors/month) or requiring global reach will benefit from its data center network and CDN options. The platform’s managed services, such as automated backups and server monitoring, are perfect for those who want to focus on their business rather than server management.

However, small bloggers or budget-conscious users may find the lack of shared hosting and additional costs for email/CDN prohibitive, and alternatives like Hostinger Cloud Hosting ($7.99/month) might be more cost-effective.

Performance

Server Infrastructure

Cloudways leverages a robust server infrastructure by partnering with top-tier cloud providers, including DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud Platform.

This allows users to choose from high-performance servers tailored to their needs, such as Vultr High Frequency (HF) servers with NVMe SSDs for faster data retrieval or DigitalOcean’s Premium servers for reliable performance.

The infrastructure is powered by Kubernetes for advanced load balancing, server redundancy, and failover mechanisms, ensuring consistent performance even during traffic spikes.

The use of SSD-based hosting further enhances speed, offering up to three times faster data access compared to traditional HDD storage.

Uptime

Cloudways boasts an impressive uptime of 99.99%, making it one of the most reliable hosting providers. Real-world tests conducted over extended periods, such as a month-long monitoring using tools like UptimeRobot, confirm that Cloudways consistently meets this standard with minimal downtime.

The platform’s auto-healing servers automatically recover from crashes, and the distributed infrastructure across multiple cloud providers ensures high availability, even during unexpected events like hardware failures. This makes Cloudways a strong choice for mission-critical websites, such as eCommerce platforms or high-traffic blogs.

TTFB (Time to First Byte)

Cloudways excels in delivering low TTFB, a critical metric for website responsiveness. Tests conducted on a WordPress site hosted on a Vultr HF server showed TTFB ranging from 100-200 ms globally, significantly faster than shared hosting providers (300-400 ms).

With the integration of Cloudflare Enterprise CDN and full-page caching, global TTFB can drop to as low as 65 ms in regions far from the server, such as India or Singapore, when tested with tools like KeyCDN or SpeedVitals. This performance is driven by optimized server configurations and advanced caching layers.

Data Centers

With over 65 global data center locations across five cloud providers, Cloudways offers unmatched flexibility in choosing a server close to your target audience, reducing latency and improving load times.

For example, Vultr and DigitalOcean alone provide 22 data centers, including locations in the U.S. (e.g., New York, San Francisco, Miami), Europe, Asia, and Australia. This extensive network ensures faster content delivery and better TTFB, particularly when paired with a CDN.

Users can easily switch data centers without downtime, making it ideal for businesses targeting international audiences.

CDN (Content Delivery Network)

Cloudways integrates with Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, available for $4.99/month per domain, offering a cost-effective alternative to Cloudflare’s standard Enterprise plan ($1000-$5000/month).

This CDN leverages Cloudflare’s Anycast network with over 200 data centers worldwide, caching static content like images, CSS, and JavaScript at edge locations for faster delivery.

Features like Argo Smart Routing, HTTP/3, and full-page caching reduce TTFB by up to 70% and improve Core Web Vitals. Additionally, Mirage and Polish optimize images by compressing, resizing for mobile, and serving in WebP format, eliminating the need for separate image optimization plugins.

Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, DDoS, WAF Features:

• 100GB Enterprise CDN
• Edge Page Caching NEW
• Argo Smart Routing NEW
• Argo Tiered Caching
• Priority DDoS protection
• Intelligent firewall (WAF)
• Global Rate Limiting NEW
• The Honey Pot Project NEW
• Image optimization with Polish
• Brotli compression
• Mobile optimization with Mirage
• Wildcard SSL support
• PCI DSS compliance
• HTTP/3 support
• Reserved for Cloudways IPs & prioritized routing
• Price Starts from $4.99/mo/domain

Check this: Top 10 Best CDN Providers in 2025 (Free and Paid)

Caching

Cloudways employs a multi-layered caching strategy, including Varnish, Memcached, Redis, and Nginx, to deliver lightning-fast response times.

The proprietary Breeze plugin, a free WordPress caching solution, simplifies cache management with features like static and internal caching, database optimization, and Varnish compatibility.

For dynamic sites, Redis Object Cache Pro significantly reduces CPU usage and improves TTFB, particularly for WooCommerce stores.

Full-page caching via Cloudflare Enterprise further enhances performance by serving entire pages from edge servers. Unlike some competitors, Cloudways’ caching stack is pre-optimized, requiring minimal configuration.

Scalability

Cloudways offers seamless scalability with its pay-as-you-go pricing model and vertical scaling options. Users can increase CPU, RAM, storage, or bandwidth directly from the dashboard without downtime, making it ideal for handling traffic spikes or growing businesses.

For example, a 1GB server can be upgraded to 2GB or more in minutes, unlike traditional hosts that require purchasing new plans.

Cloudways Autonomous, powered by Kubernetes, automatically adjusts resources for high-traffic sites, ensuring consistent performance without manual intervention. This flexibility sets Cloudways apart from shared hosting providers like Bluehost or SiteGround.

Cloudways Stack

The Cloudways Thunderstack is an optimized tech stack combining Apache, Nginx, Varnish, Redis, Memcached, PHP-FPM, and MariaDB databases.

This stack is fine-tuned for speed, with Nginx handling static content, Varnish accelerating dynamic requests, and PHP 8 support boosting performance. MariaDB, a high-performance MySQL alternative, enhances database queries, while SSD storage ensures rapid data access.

Unlike LiteSpeed-based hosts, Cloudways uses Apache but compensates with advanced caching and Cloudflare Enterprise, often outperforming competitors in real-world tests. The stack is pre-configured, minimizing setup complexity for users.

Object Cache Pro

Redis Object Cache Pro is a standout feature for Cloudways, particularly for WooCommerce and dynamic WordPress sites. This advanced object caching solution stores frequently accessed data in memory, reducing database queries and lowering CPU usage.

Compared to standard Memcached, Redis offers superior performance and features, resulting in faster wp-admin load times and improved TTFB.

While integration with Cloudflare Enterprise could be smoother (e.g., compared to Rocket.net’s Relay support), Object Cache Pro remains a critical tool for high-performance WordPress sites, making Cloudways a top choice for eCommerce.

Real-World Speed Test

Real-world speed tests highlight Cloudways’ performance edge.

A WordPress site with a GeneratePress eCommerce theme and demo content, hosted on a $14/month DigitalOcean 1GB server in New York, achieved a GTmetrix score of 97/100 without a CDN, with a fully loaded time of 0.2 seconds.

After enabling Cloudflare Enterprise, TTFB dropped to 65 ms globally, and the site passed Core Web Vitals with a perfect 100/100 on mobile and desktop via Google PageSpeed Insights.

Stress tests with Loader.io confirmed the server handled 500 simultaneous visitors with an average response time of 266 ms and no errors, outperforming shared hosts like SiteGround or Hostinger.

Security

When it comes to protecting your websites, Cloudways has built a strong security framework that combines cloud-provider-level protection with its own platform enhancements.

Here’s how Cloudways ensures your site remains safe:

Firewall Protection

Cloudways employs a robust server-level firewall powered by Imunify360, which filters malicious traffic and restricts access to specific ports essential for application functionality.

This firewall proactively defends against brute-force attacks, port scans, and unauthorized login attempts, ensuring only legitimate traffic reaches your site.

Additionally, Fail2ban monitors login attempts and automatically blocks suspicious IPs, enhancing protection against malicious activities.

While the firewall is effective, it’s not a complete substitute for application-level firewalls like Wordfence, which some users may still opt for.

DDoS Protection

Cloudways provides layer 3, 4, and 7 DDoS mitigation across all plans, courtesy of its cloud provider partners (DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud).

The Cloudflare Enterprise add-on ($4.99/month per domain) enhances this with enterprise-grade DDoS protection, mitigating attacks in under 3 seconds.

This add-on leverages Cloudflare’s global Anycast network to absorb and filter malicious traffic, ensuring site availability during attacks. Cloudways reports blocking over 700 million DDoS attacks monthly, making it a reliable choice for high-traffic or vulnerable sites.

Malware Scanning & Removal

Cloudways offers proactive malware scanning through Imunify360, which is enabled by default across all plans at no extra cost. The system scans applications for malware and vulnerabilities, alerting users via CloudwaysBot when threats are detected.

For advanced protection, the Malware Protection add-on provides real-time scanning and automated cleanup, though it comes at an additional cost.

Integration with Sucuri is also available for enhanced monitoring and malware removal, making Cloudways suitable for users seeking comprehensive security without relying on third-party plugins like MalCare.

Malware Security Add-on Features:

• Phishing Protection
• System Protection
• Database Protection
• Malware Cleanup
• Proactive Defence
• Price starts from $4/mo per application

Web Application Firewall (WAF)

The Cloudflare Enterprise add-on includes a managed Web Application Firewall (WAF) that protects against common web threats like SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other exploits.

This WAF processes 32 million requests worldwide per second, using intelligent rulesets tailored for WordPress and Magento to block attackers.

While the server-level Imunify360 WAF filters HTTP traffic, the Cloudflare WAF adds an extra layer of application-level security.

Note that the WAF is only available with the Cloudflare add-on, unlike competitors like Chemicloud, which include it by default.

SSL Certificates

Cloudways simplifies SSL implementation with free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, including wildcard options for securing root domains and subdomains.

These can be installed via a one-click process in the dashboard, with auto-renewal to prevent expiration. Custom SSL certificates are also supported for users with specific needs.

SSL encryption secures data in transit, boosts SEO, and ensures compliance with GDPR and PCI-DSS standards. The padlock icon and HTTPS enhance user trust, making this a critical feature for eCommerce and sensitive applications.

Automatic Backups

Cloudways provides automatic backups at no additional cost, with customizable schedules (hourly, daily, or weekly) to suit your needs.

On-demand backups are also available, and one-click restores make recovery seamless. Offsite backups, stored securely to eliminate data loss risks, incur a small fee of $0.033/GB per server.

This flexibility and reliability ensure quick recovery from crashes or attacks, though some competitors like Hostinger include offsite backups for free.

Daily backups with four-week retention are particularly valuable for dynamic sites like WooCommerce stores.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Cloudways enhances account security with two-factor authentication (2FA) for primary accounts and team members.

Users can set up 2FA via authenticator apps, adding a layer of protection against phishing, brute-force attacks, and keylogging. Backup codes are provided in case of device loss, ensuring uninterrupted access.

This feature is easy to configure and critical for securing sensitive server settings, especially for teams or agencies managing multiple sites.

Other Security Features

Cloudways offers additional security measures to fortify its platform:

• Bot Protection: Powered by MalCare, this feature blocks brute-force login attempts, dictionary attacks, and malicious bots, reducing server load. It’s easily enabled in the Application Management menu.
• Vulnerability Scanning: The Patchstack-powered Vulnerability Scanner audits WordPress core, plugins, and themes, providing instant notifications for potential risks.
• SafeUpdates: This add-on automates and tests WordPress core, plugin, and theme updates to prevent vulnerabilities without disrupting site functionality.
• IP Whitelisting: Users can restrict SSH and SFTP access to specific IPs, minimizing unauthorized access risks.
• Regular OS Patching: Cloudways performs routine server OS updates (e.g., Debian 10 to 11) to address vulnerabilities, ensuring a secure environment.
• Key-Based SSH Authentication: Beyond password-based access, Cloudways supports key-based SSH for secure server communication.
• Auto-Healing Servers: This feature automatically resolves server issues, reducing downtime from crashes or attacks.These features, combined with GDPR compliance and a staging environment for safe testing, make Cloudways a secure choice, though some advanced features require add-ons, unlike competitors with more inclusive plans.

Ease of Use

One of Cloudways’ major strengths is how it balances powerful features with an intuitive platform. Whether you’re a developer, agency owner, or business user, Cloudways makes cloud hosting accessible without the steep learning curve typically associated with it.

Here’s a closer look:

Dashboard and User Interface

The Cloudways dashboard is intuitive and well-organized, designed to simplify server and application management for users of all skill levels.

The clean, modern interface centralizes key functions like server monitoring, backups, scaling, and domain management into a single hub. Features like one-click SSL installation, app cloning, and team collaboration tools are accessible with minimal navigation.

Real-time server metrics (CPU, RAM, bandwidth) are displayed prominently, helping users monitor performance without technical expertise.

Compared to cPanel-based hosts like SiteGround, Cloudways’ proprietary platform is more streamlined but may require a brief learning curve for users unfamiliar with cloud hosting.

Cloudways Autonomous

Cloudways Autonomous is a fully managed, auto-scaling solution powered by Kubernetes, designed to eliminate manual server management. Ideal for high-traffic sites or eCommerce platforms, it automatically adjusts CPU, RAM, and bandwidth based on real-time demand, ensuring optimal performance without user intervention.

Setup is straightforward, requiring only a few clicks to deploy, and the dashboard provides clear insights into resource usage.

While Autonomous reduces complexity, it’s a premium add-on, which may not suit budget-conscious users who prefer manual scaling options available in standard plans.

Client Billing

Cloudways offers a flexible client billing system through its partnership with WHMCS, a popular billing and automation platform.

Agencies and freelancers can create branded invoices, manage subscriptions, and automate billing directly from the Cloudways dashboard.

The platform supports white-labeling, allowing users to resell hosting services under their own brand. Features like automated payment reminders and multi-currency support streamline client management.

However, WHMCS integration requires some setup, and unlike Hostinger’s native reseller tools, it may feel less seamless for beginners managing multiple clients.

Site Migrations

Cloudways simplifies site migrations with a free, automated WordPress migration plugin that transfers sites in minutes without downtime.

Users provide source site details (e.g., FTP credentials), and the plugin handles data, databases, and configurations.

For non-WordPress sites or complex migrations, Cloudways’ support team offers one free managed migration per plan, with additional migrations starting at $25. The process is reliable, with staging areas to test migrations before going live.

Compared to competitors like WP Engine, Cloudways’ migration tools are more user-friendly, though advanced users may prefer manual control via SSH.

Check this: How to Migrate a WordPress Site to a New Host

Staging Environment

Cloudways provides a robust staging environment for testing changes without affecting live sites. Users can create a staging site with one click, duplicating the live site’s files and database for safe experimentation.

Features like push-to-live and pull-to-staging ensure seamless synchronization, while SSH and SFTP access allow developers to fine-tune configurations. The staging area supports WordPress, WooCommerce, and custom apps, making it versatile for agencies and developers.

Unlike some hosts (e.g., Bluehost) that charge for staging, Cloudways includes it free, though managing multiple staging sites may require additional server resources.

Email Hosting

Unlike traditional web hosts, Cloudways does not include built-in email hosting with its plans. Instead, Cloudways focuses purely on delivering high-performance cloud hosting for websites and applications. However, they offer flexible options for users who still need email services:

Rackspace Email Add-On

Cloudways partners with Rackspace to provide a reliable and affordable email hosting solution. Through this add-on, you can set up professional email accounts (e.g., [email protected]) directly from the Cloudways dashboard. Key features include:

• 99.99% uptime guarantee
• 25GB mailboxes
• Secure IMAP and POP access
• Spam and virus protection
• Webmail access

The cost is relatively low ($1 per email account per month), making it an easy way to add professional email without managing your own mail servers.

Alternative Email Options

If you prefer, you can also integrate third-party email services like:

• Google Workspace (Gmail for Business)
• Microsoft 365
• Zoho Mail

These options are easy to configure through your domain’s DNS settings, and Cloudways provides detailed guides to assist you with the setup process.

Check this: Top 10 Best Email Hosting Providers (2025) – Secure & Affordable

Why This Approach?

By not bundling email hosting, Cloudways ensures that web server resources are fully dedicated to delivering top website performance. This separation is actually a best practice for scaling businesses because it avoids resource conflicts between website performance and email reliability.

Customer Support

When it comes to hosting, strong technical support can make a huge difference, and Cloudways takes customer support seriously. They offer multiple ways for users to get assistance quickly and effectively.

24/7/365 Live Chat

Cloudways provides 24/7/365 live chat support. No matter when you need help, day or night, a support agent is available. Response times are usually fast, and the agents are knowledgeable about both server management and application-level issues like WordPress optimization, plugin conflicts, and performance tuning.

Ticket-Based Support

For more complex problems that require deeper investigation, Cloudways offers a ticket-based system. You can open a support ticket directly from the dashboard, and it will be handled by technical experts who specialize in cloud hosting environments. Tickets are typically resolved within a few hours to a day, depending on the complexity.

Advanced and Premium Support Add-Ons

While basic support is free for all customers, Cloudways also offers Advanced and Premium Support plans for businesses that require even faster response times and hands-on assistance. These plans include:

• Faster ticket and chat response times
• Application-level troubleshooting
• Dedicated account managers (for Premium Support)
• Private Slack channels (for Premium Support)

This tiered support structure is especially useful for agencies, eCommerce stores, and businesses running mission-critical websites.

Knowledge Base and Community

Cloudways maintains an extensive knowledge base filled with tutorials, how-to articles, and troubleshooting guides. They also have a vibrant community forum where users can ask questions, share tips, and get advice from other Cloudways customers and staff.

Free Website Migration Assistance

As part of their commitment to customer support, Cloudways offers one free site migration for new users. Their migration team ensures a smooth transition with minimal downtime, which is a great value, especially for users who aren’t comfortable handling migrations themselves.

Customer Reviews and Ratings

To get a true sense of a hosting company’s performance, it’s important to look at what real users are saying. Cloudways consistently earns strong reviews across multiple platforms, reflecting a high level of customer satisfaction.

G2 Ratings

On G2, one of the most trusted business software review sites, Cloudways holds an impressive rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars from 980 user reviews. Users frequently praise:

• The ease of server management
• Fast website performance
• Helpful customer support
• Scalability and flexibility

G2 reviewers often highlight how Cloudways simplifies cloud hosting without locking users into complicated, high-cost contracts.

Trustpilot Ratings

On Trustpilot, Cloudways also maintains a very strong reputation, often rated around 4.6 out of 5 stars based on thousands of reviews. Customers particularly appreciate:

• Reliable uptime and fast loading speeds
• Transparent pricing (pay-as-you-go model)
• Professional support and fast issue resolution

Negative feedback, when it appears, usually revolves around the learning curve for absolute beginners and additional costs for add-ons like email hosting, but these concerns are relatively minor compared to the overwhelmingly positive feedback.

Customer Reviews and Real-World Experiences

Across blogs, forums, and social media, Cloudways customers frequently share real-world experiences that reinforce its strong reputation. Some common themes include:

• Performance: Users consistently report significant speed improvements after migrating to Cloudways from shared hosting providers.
• Support: Many reviewers share positive stories of Cloudways support agents going above and beyond to solve technical problems.
• Flexibility: Developers and agencies appreciate the freedom to choose cloud providers (like DigitalOcean, AWS, or Google Cloud) based on budget and needs.
• Ease of Use: Despite being a cloud-focused platform, users mention that the dashboard makes powerful tools accessible even to non-technical users.

Overall, real customer feedback paints Cloudways as a reliable, high-performance hosting solution that meets the needs of a wide range of users — from solo bloggers to growing businesses and digital agencies.

Pros and Cons of Cloudways Hosting

✅ Pros

• Excellent Performance: With optimized server stacks, advanced caching, and cloud infrastructure from top providers (like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud), Cloudways delivers consistently fast loading speeds and low TTFB (Time to First Byte).

• Flexible Cloud Provider Choice: You can choose from multiple cloud providers depending on your needs and budget — something not many managed hosts offer.

• User-Friendly Platform: Despite offering cloud hosting, Cloudways simplifies server management with an intuitive dashboard, one-click scaling, staging environments, and easy app deployment.

• 24/7/365 Support: Cloudways provides reliable live chat support at all hours, plus optional advanced and premium support for businesses needing deeper assistance.

• Pay-As-You-Go Pricing: Instead of locking you into long contracts, Cloudways offers transparent, monthly pay-as-you-go billing, making it easy to scale up or down without penalties.

• Robust Security Features: Firewall protection, SSL management, automated backups, 2FA, malware scanning options, and Cloudflare integration offer strong website security.

• Free Site Migration: New users receive one free professional website migration, ensuring an easy and safe move to their platform.

❌Cons

• No Built-In Email Hosting: Unlike traditional hosts, Cloudways does not include email accounts by default. You’ll need to pay extra for Rackspace email or set up an external email service.

• Slight Learning Curve: Although the dashboard is user-friendly, complete beginners to cloud hosting might need a little time to get comfortable with server management concepts.

• Additional Costs for Some Features: Certain premium features like Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, Object Cache Pro, and Advanced Support are available but at an extra cost.

• Limited Access to Root Server Settings: Because Cloudways manages the server for you, deep server-level customizations (root access) are restricted, which may limit very advanced users.

Real-World Use Cases

Cloudways is trusted by agencies, developers, and eCommerce businesses around the world.

Following are a few case studies,

Case Study 1: SoftwareHow

SoftwareHow, a leading tech blog founded by J.P. Zhang, has been offering in-depth software reviews, guides, and tips since 2016.

As the demand for consumer software surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, SoftwareHow needed a robust hosting solution that could handle increased traffic, improve site performance, and reduce operational costs.

Challenges Faced by SoftwareHow

Before migrating to Cloudways, SoftwareHow faced several key challenges:

• Site Performance: The speed and uptime of the website were inconsistent, leading to user dissatisfaction and potential loss of traffic.
• Cost Efficiency: Managing multiple hosting services was becoming increasingly expensive, with consulting fees and the need for freelance developers adding to the financial burden.
• Technical Support: Zhang needed a hosting provider that offered reliable and responsive customer support to resolve technical issues quickly.

After receiving recommendations from peers in the industry, J.P. Zhang decided to migrate SoftwareHow to Cloudways.

The Results After Migrating to Cloudways,

After migrating to Cloudways, SoftwareHow saw dramatic improvements:

• 200% Increase in Traffic: The improved performance and faster load times resulted in higher organic traffic. With Cloudways, SoftwareHow experienced a 200% surge in visitors without compromising site speed or stability.
• 50% Reduction in Load Time: Cloudways’ advanced caching features and optimized server infrastructure led to a significant reduction in page load times, improving user experience and engagement.
• Cost Savings: By consolidating hosting services under Cloudways, SoftwareHow saved approximately $300 per month. Additionally, with the help of Cloudways’ support team, the need for a freelance developer was eliminated, further reducing operational costs.
• Improved Uptime: Cloudways’ reliable uptime and monitoring tools helped Zhang rest easy, as the site no longer experienced frequent downtimes or issues that required immediate attention.

Migrating to Cloudways was a game-changer for SoftwareHow. The blog not only saw a significant boost in traffic and site speed but also enjoyed substantial cost savings and peace of mind.

Cloudways provided a scalable, reliable, and high-performance hosting solution that allowed SoftwareHow to focus on growing its content and business without worrying about technical challenges.

Case Study 2: Guru SEO Services

Guru SEO Services, based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, is a top digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and web design.

Guru SEO’s impressive track record includes increasing traffic for a variety of clients, such as driving a crypto news site’s audience from 400k to 1.3 million visitors and achieving a 400% ROI in just four months for a large crypto poker site.

Challenges Faced by Guru SEO Services

Before migrating to Cloudways, Guru SEO faced several critical challenges:

• Site Performance and Speed: SEO rankings and user experience were impacted by slower website load times, leading to reduced organic traffic.
• Client Management: Managing multiple client websites across different servers was inefficient, and deployment times were longer than desired.
• Scalability: As client traffic increased, so did the complexity of the websites. Guru SEO required a scalable hosting infrastructure to accommodate growth.
• Downtime and Security: Unreliable uptime and security concerns from the previous hosting provider risked client trust and SEO rankings.
• International Audience: Some clients targeted global audiences, requiring enhanced website accessibility and performance across multiple regions.

The Results After Migrating to Cloudways,

After migrating to Cloudways, Guru SEO achieved remarkable results:

• 45% Faster Load Times: Reduced page load times by 45%, leading to better SEO rankings and a 30% increase in organic traffic.
• 50% Faster Deployment: Cloudways’ multi-server management and site cloning features reduced deployment times by half, enabling quicker turnarounds for clients.
• 99.99% Uptime: With virtually no downtime, client trust and SEO rankings improved, ensuring a reliable and secure hosting environment.
• 200% Traffic Surge Handled Smoothly: During peak promotional periods, Cloudways’ scalable infrastructure effortlessly accommodated significant traffic spikes.
• Cost Savings: Compared to previous hosting providers, Cloudways offered a cost-effective solution while delivering superior performance and stability.

Cloudways has been a game-changer for Guru SEO and Web Design Services, enabling the agency to improve site performance, scale effortlessly, and reduce hosting costs.

With enhanced site speed, reliable uptime, and global infrastructure, Cloudways has empowered Guru SEO to deliver even greater results for its clients.

As a result, Guru SEO has strengthened its position as a leading digital marketing agency, driving success for its clients through improved SEO and web design.

How to Launch PHP Stack on Cloudways?

Launching the PHP stack on Cloudways is a simple and straightforward process that can be done in just a few steps as following:

1. Sign Up for a Cloudways Account

If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to sign up for one on the Cloudways website. You can take advantage of their free trial to test the platform.

2. Select Your Application

Once you’ve logged in to your Cloudways dashboard, click the “Launch” button. From the application list, choose PHP as your application type. Cloudways allows you to launch different types of PHP-based apps, making it versatile for various development needs.

3. Choose a Cloud Provider

Cloudways lets you choose from five top cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. Each of these providers offers different levels of performance, pricing, and scalability. Select the one that best suits your project’s needs.

4. Configure Server Settings

After selecting a cloud provider, you’ll need to configure your server. Choose the size of the server (CPU, RAM, storage) and the location of the data center closest to your target audience for faster load times.

5. Launch Your Server

Once your server settings are configured, click “Launch Now.” Cloudways will automatically set up the server, including your selected PHP stack. This process typically takes a few minutes.

6. Access Your Application

Once your server is ready, you can access your PHP application via the Cloudways dashboard. You’ll be able to manage settings like database access, SSL certificates, domain management, and more directly from the platform.

Pricing

Cloudways Plans

Plan	RAM	Processor	Storage	Bandwidth	Price
DigitalOcean
DO1GB	1 GB	1 Core	25 GB	1 TB	$11 /mo
DO2GB	2 GB	1 Core	50 GB	2 TB	$24 /mo
DO4GB	4 GB	2 Core	80 GB	4 TB	$46 /mo
DO8GB	8 GB	4 Core	160 GB	5 TB	$88 /mo
VULTR
Vultr1GB	1 GB	1 Core	25 GB	1 TB	$14 /mo
Vultr2GB	2 GB	1 Core	55 GB	2 TB	$28 /mo
Vultr4GB	4 GB	2 Core	80 GB	3 TB	$54 /mo
Vultr8GB	8 GB	4 Core	160 GB	4 TB	$99 /mo
Linode
Lin1GB	1 GB	1 Core	25 GB	1 TB	$14 /mo
Lin2GB	2 GB	1 Core	50 GB	2 TB	$28 /mo
Lin4GB	4 GB	2 Core	80 GB	4 TB	$59 /mo
Lin8GB	8 GB	4 Core	160 GB	5 TB	$105 /mo
AWS
AWS Small	2 GB	2 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$38.56 /mo
AWS Medium	4 GB	2 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$91.84 /mo
AWS Co Large	4 GB	2 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$164.50 /mo
AWS Large	8 GB	2 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$183.22 /mo
Google Cloud
GCE Small	1.75 GB	1 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$37.45 /mo
GCE Medium	3.75 GB	1 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$84.12 /mo
GCE Large	7.5 GB	2 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$152.14 /mo
GCE XL	15 GB	4 Core	20 GB	2 GB	$241.62 /mo

Cloudways Addons Pricing

Add-on	Description	Pricing
Support Add-on	Premium support with faster response times, private Slack channel, and Zoom calls	Starts at $100/mo
Gmail SMTP	Gmail SMTP integration for sending transactional emails from your server	Free
DNS Made Easy	Premium DNS management with global Anycast network	$2.5/mo per domain
Application Upgrade	Get Cloudways experts to upgrade your WordPress or PHP application	Starts from $50/mo
Application Migration	Migrate websites with Cloudways expert help	$25/migration
Rackspace Email Hosting	Professional email hosting with your domain via Rackspace	$1/email/mo
Cloudflare CDN	Integrate Cloudflare Enterprise CDN via partner setup (performance & security)	$4.99/mo
Malware Protection	Powered by Imunify360 — monitors and removes malware from your server	$4/mo
Client Billing	White-label billing management tool for freelancers and agencies	$4.99/mo

Discount Offers

Cloudways offers a 20% discount for the first 4 months on any hosting plan when you use the promo code “WPRESS4“. Plus, they provide a free 3-day trial with no credit card required—perfect for testing their managed cloud hosting before committing. You can chek our Cloudways coupon article to know more about the special offer.

With top-tier features like 24/7 support, free SSL, daily backups, and your choice of cloud providers (DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, GCP, Linode), it’s a great deal for beginners and professionals alike.

If you’re looking to save even more, Cloudways runs massive discounts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, sometimes offering up to 40% off. These are the biggest deals of the year and ideal for locking in long-term savings. Don’t miss our in-depth Cloudways Black Friday Deal guide for the latest offers and tips on when to buy!

Check the following:

• 7 Best Managed WordPress Hosting Providers in 2025
• 6 Best Cloud Hosting Providers in 2025

Cloudways Alternatives with Comparison

	Cloudways	WP Engine	Kinsta
Hosting Type	Managed Cloud Hosting	Managed WordPress Hosting	Managed WordPress Hosting
Cloud Infrastructure	Google Cloud, AWS, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode	Google Cloud, AWS	Google Cloud
Pricing Model	Pay-as-you-go, Flexible	Fixed Pricing	Fixed Pricing
Uptime	99.99%	99.99%	99.99%
TTFB (Server Response)	200-300 ms	200-400 ms	200-300 ms
Page Load Time	1-2 seconds	1-2 seconds	1-2 seconds
Scalability	Seamless scaling	Seamless scaling	Seamless scaling
Global Data Centers	65+ locations	20+ locations	37+ locations
Caching Mechanisms	Advanced caching	Advanced caching	Advanced caching
Backups	Automatic daily backups	Automatic daily backups	Automatic daily backups
Key Differentiators	Choose from multiple cloud providers; cost-effective pay-as-you-go pricing	Advanced WordPress features, integrated dev tools	Fast autoscaling and excellent performance with GCP
Starting Price	$11/mo	$25/mo	$30/mo
	Get Cloudways	Get WP Engine	Get Kinsta

FAQs

Conclusion

Cloudways stands out as a powerful and flexible managed cloud hosting platform, offering an impressive blend of performance, security, and ease of use. With access to top-tier cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud, users benefit from lightning-fast speeds, excellent uptime, and the ability to scale as their websites grow.

While it doesn’t include built-in email hosting and has a slight learning curve for absolute beginners, the trade-offs are minimal compared to the overall value Cloudways delivers. Features like 24/7 support, automatic backups, advanced caching, and optional premium add-ons make it a strong choice for businesses, agencies, developers, and serious website owners.

If you’re looking for a hosting solution that combines cloud-level performance with managed simplicity, without being locked into complicated contracts, Cloudways is definitely worth considering.