Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting on your choice of provider
Data source: Review Signal, Bitcatcha, Cloudwards (2025–2026)
Overview
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that acts as a layer between users and five major cloud infrastructure providers: DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode (Akamai), and Vultr. Rather than managing its own physical servers, Cloudways provisions and manages cloud servers on your behalf, handling security patches, performance optimisation, and server management while giving you the flexibility to choose your underlying infrastructure.
This model makes Cloudways uniquely flexible. A small agency can start on a $14/month DigitalOcean server and scale to a $500/month AWS instance without changing platforms or migrating their sites. The platform supports unlimited application installations on each server, making it an excellent choice for agencies managing multiple client sites.
Cloudways' performance is strong across all cloud providers, with DigitalOcean and Vultr servers offering excellent price-to-performance ratios. The platform's Breeze caching plugin and Cloudflare Enterprise CDN integration further enhance speed. The main trade-offs are the absence of email hosting (you'll need a separate email provider) and a steeper learning curve compared to traditional cPanel hosts.
Pros & Cons
Strengths
- Flexible cloud choice
- Excellent value
- Great for agencies
Limitations
- No email hosting
- Learning curve
Pricing Plans
- 1 GB RAM
- 1 Core processor
- 25 GB SSD
- 1 TB bandwidth
- DigitalOcean infrastructure
- Free SSL
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 Core processor
- 50 GB SSD
- 2 TB bandwidth
- DigitalOcean infrastructure
- Staging
- 4 GB RAM
- 2 Core processors
- 80 GB SSD
- 3 TB bandwidth
- Vultr High Frequency
- Team collaboration
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 vCPU
- 20 GB SSD
- 2 TB bandwidth
- AWS infrastructure
- Enterprise-grade reliability
Benchmark note: Cloudways DigitalOcean servers averaged 168ms TTFB in Bitcatcha's 2025 global speed tests. Review Signal rated Cloudways Top Tier for load testing performance.
Pricing disclaimer: Prices shown are indicative and may change. Always verify current pricing on the vendor's official site before purchasing.Last verified: April 2026.
View current pricingKey Features
Integrations
Who Is It Best For?
Migration Friction Score: 4/10
Moderate friction — plan for a transition period if you decide to switch.
Quick Facts
Cloudways is a top-tier choice in the web hosting category. Our data consistently places it among the best options available.
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