Cloudways

Cloudways occupies a clever middle ground in hosting. Raw cloud servers from providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr and AWS are powerful and cheap, but managing them requires real technical skill. Fully managed hosts like Kinsta handle everything for you, but at a premium. Cloudways bridges the two: it puts a managed layer on top of those cloud providers, so you get the power and value of cloud infrastructure without needing to be a server administrator. Now owned by DigitalOcean, it has become a favourite for value-conscious site owners and developers. In this review I look at how it works and who it suits.

The short version: Cloudways is our pick for value managed cloud hosting. You choose your cloud provider and server size, pay as you go, and Cloudways manages the technical side — caching, security, backups, staging. It is flexible, powerful and excellent value, and not limited to WordPress. There is no built-in email and it is a touch more hands-on than fully managed hosts, but for the price and control, it is hard to beat.

Cloudways at a glance

Choose your cloud provider

Cloudways’ defining feature is choice. When you sign up, you pick which cloud provider your site runs on — DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode for great value, or AWS and Google Cloud for enterprise-grade infrastructure — and the server size that fits your needs. This flexibility is unusual and genuinely useful: you can start small and cheap, scale up as you grow, and choose the underlying platform that matches your priorities, all while Cloudways handles the management. No other mainstream managed host gives you this kind of control over what your site actually runs on.

It also means you are never locked into one provider’s pricing or performance. If your needs change, you can scale your server or move to a different provider through the same Cloudways interface, keeping the managed experience consistent while the infrastructure underneath adapts to you.

Pay-as-you-go value

Cloudways’ pricing is pay-as-you-go, based on the cloud server you choose, which makes it excellent value. An entry-level DigitalOcean server starts at a low monthly rate, and you pay only for the resources you use, scaling up when you need more power and down when you do not. Compared with the fixed premium plans of fully managed WordPress hosts, this model can be significantly cheaper for the same or better performance, especially for smaller sites. For anyone who wants cloud-grade hosting without a premium price tag, the value proposition is strong.

The managed layer

What you get for the managed part is substantial. Cloudways handles server setup, security patching and firewalls, built-in caching (including Varnish and Redis and its own Breeze plugin for WordPress), free SSL, automated backups, staging environments and one-click app installation. This means you get much of the convenience of fully managed hosting — not having to configure and maintain a server yourself — while retaining the value and flexibility of raw cloud. For developers and site owners with a little technical comfort, it is an ideal balance of control and convenience.

That said, Cloudways is slightly more hands-on than a fully managed host like Kinsta: you are managing a server, albeit a well-supported one, rather than just a site. For most people this is easily manageable through its clean interface, but it is worth knowing you are a step closer to the infrastructure than with the most hands-off hosts.

Flexibility beyond WordPress

Unlike WordPress-only hosts, Cloudways is flexible about what you run. It hosts WordPress and WooCommerce excellently, but also plain PHP applications, Laravel projects and other stacks, making it a versatile choice for developers and businesses whose needs go beyond a single WordPress site. If you run a mix of sites and applications, or expect your requirements to evolve, this flexibility is valuable — one host, one managed experience, many kinds of project.

Plans and pricing

Cloudways pricing follows the cloud server you choose, on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you can match cost precisely to your needs.

Entry-level DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode servers offer outstanding value for small and growing sites, while AWS and Google Cloud options serve those needing enterprise-grade infrastructure at higher prices. One thing to plan for: email hosting is not included, so you will need a separate email service or a paid add-on. Prices are approximate and worth verifying, but across the board Cloudways offers cloud performance at prices that undercut fully managed hosts, which is the heart of its appeal.

Who Cloudways is for

Choose Cloudways if you want cloud-grade performance and flexibility at pay-as-you-go value, and you are comfortable being slightly closer to the server than with a fully managed host. It is ideal for developers, agencies, growing businesses and value-conscious site owners — especially those running WooCommerce stores or multiple projects who want to control their infrastructure and cost.

Look elsewhere if you want the most hands-off, premium managed WordPress experience with top-tier support (Kinsta or WP Engine), the friendliest budget option for beginners (SiteGround), or an all-in-one website builder with hosting and email included (Squarespace). Compare them all on our best web hosting of 2026 list.

Scaling and who it suits

One of Cloudways’ practical strengths is how easily it scales. Because you are running a cloud server, you can increase its CPU, RAM and storage with a few clicks as your traffic grows, and reduce it again if needed — paying only for what you use. This makes it well suited to growing sites and businesses whose needs change, and to WooCommerce stores that may see traffic spikes. You are never boxed into a fixed plan; the infrastructure flexes with you.

This flexibility, combined with the value pricing, makes Cloudways especially appealing to developers, agencies and technically-comfortable business owners who want control over performance and cost. If you like the idea of cloud hosting but do not want to manage a raw server, Cloudways hits a sweet spot that few other hosts occupy.

Cloudways versus the alternatives

Cloudways competes chiefly on value and flexibility. Against fully managed hosts like Kinsta and WP Engine, it is significantly cheaper and lets you choose your cloud provider and scale precisely, but it is a little more hands-on and lacks built-in email. Against a beginner host like SiteGround, Cloudways offers more raw power and better value at scale, but assumes a bit more technical comfort. Against an all-in-one builder like Squarespace, it is a completely different proposition — real hosting for people who want control, not a closed website builder.

For value-focused site owners and developers who want cloud performance without premium prices — and who do not mind being a step closer to the server — Cloudways is often the smartest choice on the table, which is why it has such a strong following among those who know hosting well.

Monitoring, add-ons and tools

Cloudways includes useful operational tools beyond the basics. It monitors your servers and can auto-heal certain issues, offers detailed analytics on traffic and performance, and provides optional add-ons such as its own CDN and the paid Ritz email service to fill the email gap. One-click app installs, easy cloning, and team collaboration features round out a platform that, while giving you cloud-server control, keeps day-to-day management simple through a clean interface.

These conveniences mean that although Cloudways is a step closer to the infrastructure than a fully managed host, you rarely have to touch a command line. Most tasks are handled through the dashboard, so the added control comes without a proportionate increase in hassle — a big part of why Cloudways works so well for its audience.

Support and experience

Cloudways offers 24/7 support through live chat and a ticket system, and it is generally responsive and helpful, though for the most complex server-level issues some users find it less deep than the premium managed hosts’ expert teams. There is also an optional paid advanced support tier for those who want priority, hands-on help. For most site owners and developers, the standard support is perfectly adequate, and the extensive knowledge base covers common tasks well.

It is fair to set expectations: Cloudways sits between raw cloud (where you are on your own) and fully managed hosting (where experts do everything), and its support reflects that middle position. For the price and flexibility you gain, most users find the support a reasonable trade, particularly if they are comfortable handling routine tasks themselves.

Getting started and is it worth it

Cloudways typically offers a free trial so you can launch a server and test performance before paying, which is the best way to judge it. Signing up, choosing a provider and server, and deploying an app takes only minutes, and the interface guides you through it.

Is it worth it? For value-focused owners, developers and growing WooCommerce stores who want cloud performance without premium prices, absolutely — the pay-as-you-go model and provider choice deliver excellent capability per dollar. If you want a completely hands-off premium experience or need built-in email, Kinsta or a more traditional host may suit better. But for cloud power at a fair price, Cloudways is one of the best-value options in hosting.

Value in context

To appreciate Cloudways’ value, it helps to see what it replaces. Doing it yourself — renting a raw cloud server and managing security, caching, backups and updates — is cheap but demands real expertise and time. Fully managed hosting removes that work but charges a premium. Cloudways gives you most of the management for a price much closer to the raw-cloud end, so you pay a modest markup over the bare server cost for a great deal of convenience. For anyone who understands those alternatives, that positioning is compelling.

This is why Cloudways is so popular with people who know hosting: it captures most of the savings of cloud infrastructure while removing most of the hassle. For growing sites and stores especially, where both performance and cost matter, that balance is hard to find elsewhere.

Flexibility for the future

Choosing Cloudways is also a bet on flexibility. Because you can change server size, switch providers, and host many kinds of application, your hosting can evolve with your needs rather than forcing a migration to a new host every time something changes. A small site today can become a busy store tomorrow on the same platform, simply by scaling the server. For anyone whose requirements are uncertain or expected to grow, that adaptability is genuinely valuable and reduces the risk of outgrowing your host.

That future-proofing, combined with backing from DigitalOcean, makes Cloudways a platform you can commit to with confidence. You are not locked into a fixed plan or a single provider, and the managed layer stays consistent even as the infrastructure beneath it changes to suit you.

A final word

Cloudways is a smart, flexible, great-value way to get cloud-grade hosting without becoming a server administrator or paying premium prices. Choose your provider, pay for what you use, and let Cloudways handle the management — it is an approach that suits developers, agencies and value-conscious owners especially well. The lack of built-in email and slightly more hands-on nature are minor trade-offs against what you gain. For cloud power at a fair price, Cloudways is one of the best options going.

Great for WooCommerce and stores

Cloudways is a particularly strong fit for WooCommerce and other e-commerce sites. Online stores are resource-hungry and sensitive to speed — slow checkouts lose sales — and Cloudways’ scalable cloud servers, built-in caching (including Redis and Varnish) and ability to size resources to demand handle store traffic well. Because you can scale up for busy periods like sales and holidays, then scale back down, you match cost to real demand rather than overpaying for capacity you rarely use.

This makes Cloudways a favourite among store owners who want good performance without the premium prices of dedicated managed-commerce hosts. The combination of speed, scalability and value is exactly what a growing online shop needs, and it is one of the clearest cases where Cloudways’ flexible cloud model pays off.

The bottom line

Cloudways stands out by making cloud hosting accessible: the power and value of providers like DigitalOcean and Vultr, with the management handled and the freedom to choose and scale as you like. For developers, agencies, growing businesses and store owners who want performance and control without premium pricing — and who can live without built-in email — it is one of the best-value hosts available. Backed by DigitalOcean and flexible enough to grow with you, it is a confident, sensible pick for cloud-grade hosting on a budget.

A clean, capable interface

For all its underlying power, Cloudways keeps day-to-day use approachable through a clean, well-organised interface. Launching servers, deploying apps, managing backups and staging, configuring caching and monitoring performance are all handled through clear dashboards rather than the command line. This is what makes the platform work for its audience: you get genuine cloud-server control, but presented in a way that a technically-comfortable site owner or developer can navigate without specialist system-administration skills, striking the balance that defines Cloudways.

Ideal for the technically curious

Cloudways rewards a particular temperament: people who are comfortable being a little closer to how their site actually runs, and who like the idea of choosing their infrastructure and tuning it to their needs. You do not need to be a system administrator, but a willingness to understand servers and take a hands-on role unlocks the platform’s full value. For that kind of user — curious, cost-aware, wanting control without complexity — Cloudways is close to ideal, delivering cloud power on their terms and at a price that respects their budget.

The verdict

Cloudways is our pick for value managed cloud hosting because it delivers something genuinely smart: the power and low cost of raw cloud infrastructure, wrapped in a managed layer that handles the technical work, with the freedom to choose your provider and pay only for what you use. For value-conscious owners and developers, it is a superb balance of performance, flexibility and price.

The lack of built-in email and the slightly more hands-on nature mean it is not the most turnkey option, and those wanting the ultimate premium managed experience may prefer Kinsta or WP Engine. But for cloud performance without a premium price, Cloudways is excellent — and backed by DigitalOcean, it is a solid, well-supported choice.