Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that lets you deploy PHP applications, WordPress sites, and e-commerce stores on top of leading cloud providers — AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. It abstracts away server management while giving more control and better performance than shared hosting. Cloudways is popular with agencies and developers who want managed WordPress without WP Engine's pricing.
Website & HostingVerified listing
Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting platform that runs WordPress, WooCommerce, and PHP apps on DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, or Google Cloud — without managing servers directly.
Best for: Developers and agencies that want the performance and flexibility of cloud hosting (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP) without managing server configuration, security, or the underlying infrastructure
- Free trial
- From $14/month (DigitalOcean 1GB)
4.7/5 ratingEditorial score 87/100Last reviewed Oct 4, 2026cloudways.com
Starts at
From $14/month (DigitalOcean 1GB)
Start free trial
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Editorial score87/100
The editorial note
What to know about Cloudways
Is it right for you?
Who Cloudways suits
Choose it if
- Developers and agencies that want the performance and flexibility of cloud hosting (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP) without managing server configuration, security, or the underlying infrastructure
Look elsewhere if
- Complete beginners needing simple blog hosting — Bluehost or SiteGround offer simpler cPanel-based hosting with email for less technical users
What you get
Key features
- Deploy on AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, or Linode
- One-click WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel, and PHP app deployment
- Staging environments with push-to-live
- Automated daily backups with one-click restore
- Built-in CDN (Cloudflare integration)
- Free SSL certificates
- Team management with role permissions
- 24/7 expert support
Works with
Integrations8
What it costs
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| DO 1GB | From $14/month (DigitalOcean 1GB)Billed monthly | 1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth. Managed hosting on DigitalOcean with free SSL, CDN, backups, and staging. |
| DO 2GB | $28/month (DigitalOcean 2GB)Billed monthly | 2GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB SSD, 2TB bandwidth. Good for small to medium traffic WordPress or WooCommerce stores. |
| Vultr 4GB | $50/month (Vultr High Frequency 4GB)Billed monthly | 4GB RAM, 3 vCPU, 128GB NVMe SSD, 4TB bandwidth. NVMe storage for significantly faster I/O performance. |
| AWS / GCP | From $80+/month (AWS/Google Cloud) | Enterprise-grade infrastructure on AWS or Google Cloud. Higher cost but maximum reliability, global regions, and compliance options. |
Prices are recorded from the vendor's public pricing page and can change. Check before you buy.
The trade-off
Pros and cons
Pros
- Host on premium clouds (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean) at lower managed cost
- Simplified server management with one-click scaling and backups
- Staging environments and cloning for every application
- 24/7 support with fast response times and a helpful knowledge base
- Pay-per-use pricing — scales with your needs, not arbitrary tiers
Cons
- More expensive than basic shared hosting for very low-traffic sites
- Learning curve for users coming from cPanel-based hosting
- No email hosting included — requires a separate email service
- Some advanced server configurations require SSH knowledge
Quick read
At a glance
- Category
- Website & Hosting
- Pricing model
- Subscription
- Entry plan
- From $14/month (DigitalOcean 1GB)
- Free plan
- Not listed
- Free trial
- Available
- Platforms
- Web
- Website
- cloudways.com
- Last reviewed
- Oct 4, 2026
The verdict
Our take on Cloudways
Cloudways hits the sweet spot between raw VPS complexity and over-priced managed hosting. At $14/month for a DigitalOcean 1GB server, you get managed infrastructure that rivals hosts charging 3-4x more. The 3-day free trial (no credit card) is enough to benchmark performance. Main tradeoff: you need some technical comfort — Cloudways still expects you to manage your application, not just the server.
Editorial review
From the journal
Editorial review of Cloudways
Cloudways hits the sweet spot between raw VPS complexity and over-priced managed hosting. At $14/month for a DigitalOcean 1GB server, you get managed infrastructure that rivals hosts charging 3-4x more. The 3-day free trial (no credit card) is enough to benchmark performance. Main tradeoff: you need some technical comfort — Cloudways still expects you to manage your application, not just the server.
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