Cloudways
Managed web hosting, built with intelligence.
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What is Cloudways?
Cloudways sits between raw cloud infrastructure and easy website management. Instead of configuring servers on DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr or Linode yourself, the platform handles the technical complexity while keeping flexibility.
It serves more than 100,000 customers hosting over 570,000 websites across 50+ data centre locations, built for PHP applications including WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento and Laravel.
- Category
- AI Tools, Developer Tools, Hosting & Infrastructure
- Pricing
- Subscription
- Starts from
- From USD 11/month
- Best for
- WordPress and PHP sites that need speed without a DevOps team
- Reviewed
- January 2026
Prices checked 11 January 2026
Why we use it
Performance Without Complexity
ThunderStack, Cloudways' stack of Nginx, Apache, PHP-FPM, Memcached, Varnish and Redis, makes sites fast without manual tuning.
Your Choice of Cloud Provider
Pick from five providers to match budget and performance: DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud.
Scalability on Demand
Scale a server up with minimal downtime, add servers to spread load, and pay as you go.
Developer-Friendly Features
Git integration, SSH and SFTP access, WP-CLI and one-click staging environments for safe testing.
Robust Security
Dedicated firewalls, free SSL certificates, regular patching, two-factor authentication, IP whitelisting, bot protection and Cloudflare integration.
Pros
- Excellent PerformanceBuilt-in caching delivers fast load times
- Multiple Cloud ProvidersFive leading options to choose from
- User-Friendly DashboardA clean, intuitive interface
- 24/7 Expert SupportLive chat, under 90 seconds on average
- Pay-As-You-Go PricingNo long-term contracts
- Free SSL CertificatesOne-click installation
- Automated BackupsScheduled, with easy restores
- Staging EnvironmentsTest safely before production
- Free Website MigrationMigration help included
- Object Cache Pro IncludedFree on servers with 4 GB or more
Cons
- No Email HostingNeeds a third-party service
- Costs More Than Shared HostingA premium over budget hosts
- PHP Applications OnlyNot for Node.js, Python or other stacks
- No Domain RegistrationRegister domains elsewhere
- Learning Curve for BeginnersThe range of options can overwhelm
- No Root AccessSSH, but not full root
- Add-On CostsSome premium features cost extra
Our team's experience with Cloudways
Support resolves complex questions quickly, often within about 90 seconds on live chat.
High-traffic launches stayed responsive for us, backed by strong uptime commitments.
Staging, Git deployment and server cloning cut deployment time on client WordPress work.
Recommended for
- WordPress developers and agencies managing several sites
- E-commerce businesses on WooCommerce or Magento
- Growing businesses that need to scale without a DevOps team
- Anyone frustrated with slow, unreliable shared hosting
Not ideal for
- Node.js, Python or other non-PHP applications
- Teams that need email hosting or domains from the same provider
Pricing
Pay as you go, priced by cloud provider and server size. From USD 11/month for the smallest server.
Prices checked 11 January 2026
Our verdict
If you want the power of cloud infrastructure with the convenience of managed hosting, Cloudways is excellent value. The extra cost over basic shared hosting pays for itself in speed, time saved and support.
Other tools we use
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