Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting with the flexibility of raw infrastructure.
By Shaun · Co-founder
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that runs on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, or Vultr. It removes the server management overhead while giving you the performance benefits and flexible pricing of cloud infrastructure. Compared to shared hosting, Cloudways sites are faster, more isolated from neighbour traffic, and easier to scale. The trade-off: it's more complex than cPanel-based hosts and starts at a higher price point than shared hosting introductory rates. Best suited to sites that have outgrown shared hosting and need cloud performance without a DevOps team.
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Our Rating
8.6/10
Pricing
From $11/month (DigitalOcean 1GB) · pay-as-you-go cloud pricing
Best For
Growing sites and developers who want cloud performance without managing servers
Category
Hosting
Quick Verdict
The right hosting choice when you've genuinely outgrown shared hosting. Isolated cloud infrastructure, vertical scaling in minutes, and a managed platform give you cloud performance without a DevOps team. Start with Hostinger or SiteGround on a new site and migrate here when shared hosting limits are a real constraint — not before.
Key Facts
| Tool | Cloudways |
| Company | Cloudways (DigitalOcean Company) |
| Best for | Growing sites, developers, and agencies who need cloud performance without managing servers |
| Starting price | From $11/month (DigitalOcean 1GB); pay-as-you-go cloud pricing |
| Main limitation | Higher starting price than shared hosting; no email hosting; more complex than cPanel |
| Last verified | May 9, 2026 |
Pros & Cons
What works
- Cloud infrastructure performance (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP) without manual server management
- Isolated server environment — no shared resources, so neighbour traffic doesn't affect your site
- Vertical scaling in minutes — upgrade server size as traffic grows without migration
- Built-in PHP-FPM, Nginx, Redis, and Varnish for high-performance WordPress stacks
- Staging environments and Git deployment on all plans
- Transparent pay-as-you-go pricing based on actual server resources
What doesn't
- Starting price (~$11/month) is higher than shared hosting — not cost-effective for very low-traffic sites
- More setup complexity than cPanel hosts — not recommended for complete beginners
- No domain registration or email hosting — these must be managed separately
- Support quality on lower-tier plans leans toward self-service documentation; live support upgrades are paid add-ons
- Cloudflare Enterprise CDN available only as a paid add-on; free CDN options are more limited
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean 1GB | $11/month | Low-to-medium traffic WordPress sites migrating from shared hosting |
| DigitalOcean 2GB | $22/month | Medium-traffic sites or multiple smaller sites on one server |
| DigitalOcean 4GB | $42/month | Higher-traffic sites or WooCommerce stores with real product catalogs |
| AWS / Google Cloud | From $36/month | Enterprise workloads needing AWS or GCP infrastructure with managed overhead removed |
Who It's For
Isolated cloud servers, vertical scaling, and better performance are exactly what sites need when shared hosting starts hitting its limits
Git deployment, staging, SSH, and choice of cloud provider give development teams the flexibility of raw cloud with managed convenience
Cloud infrastructure handles eCommerce traffic spikes better than shared hosting; Redis object caching helps with dynamic WooCommerce pages
The setup process and platform interface require more technical comfort than cPanel hosts — Bluehost or Hostinger are better starting points
Starting at $11/month, Cloudways is hard to justify until shared hosting performance is actually a problem for your site
How It Compares
| Dimension | Cloudways | SiteGround | Hostinger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $11/month | $2.99/mo intro | $2.49/mo intro |
| Infrastructure | Cloud (DO/AWS/GCP) | Shared + CDN | Shared (LiteSpeed) |
| Performance | Excellent | Fast | Fast |
| Ease of Use | Intermediate | Beginner-friendly | Beginner-friendly |
| Scaling | Easy vertical | Limited | Limited |
| Email Hosting | No (separate) | Yes (included) | Yes (included) |
Our Rating
Our Verdict
Cloudways earns an 8.6 — the strongest option for sites that have genuinely outgrown shared hosting and need cloud performance without managing Linux servers. The combination of isolated cloud infrastructure, vertical scaling, and a managed platform removes the biggest pain points of traditional VPS hosting while keeping costs well below fully managed solutions. The reasons it scores below the top: the starting price and setup complexity make it a poor fit for beginners, and the lack of built-in email and domain hosting adds friction. If your site is driving real traffic and shared hosting is causing performance problems, Cloudways is the right next step. If you're launching a new site, start with Hostinger or SiteGround and migrate when the performance ceiling becomes a real constraint.
Try CloudwaysAffiliate Disclosure: ToolNav earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page. This does not affect our editorial rating or recommendation. Pricing verified May 7, 2026 — may vary by region; always confirm at Cloudways's official site before purchasing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Cloudways different from shared hosting?
Cloudways runs on top of cloud infrastructure (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud) rather than shared servers. This means your site gets isolated resources — CPU, RAM, and storage dedicated to your server — so neighbour traffic never affects your performance. You also get vertical scaling in minutes (upgrade server size as traffic grows) without migrating. Shared hosting is cheaper for low-traffic sites; Cloudways is the right upgrade when shared hosting performance becomes a real constraint.
Cloudways vs SiteGround — which is better?
SiteGround is better for beginners and sites that need an all-in-one host with email, domain, and guided setup. Cloudways is better for developers, agencies, and growing sites that have outgrown shared hosting performance and need isolated cloud resources, Git deployment, and vertical scaling. At SiteGround's GoGeek renewal price (~$44.99/month), Cloudways' 2GB DigitalOcean plan ($22/month) offers comparable or better performance at a lower ongoing cost.
Is Cloudways suitable for beginners?
It requires more technical comfort than cPanel-based hosts — the platform interface is more developer-oriented, there is no guided WordPress setup wizard, and you'll need to manage your domain and email separately. If you're launching a first site, Hostinger or Bluehost are better starting points. Cloudways rewards users who understand server fundamentals and want the control and performance of cloud infrastructure.
Does Cloudways include email hosting?
No — email hosting is not included and must be managed separately. Most Cloudways users pair it with Google Workspace, Zoho Mail, or another email provider. This is a real additional cost and complexity compared to shared hosts like SiteGround or Hostinger, which include cPanel-based email on all plans. Factor this into your total cost comparison.
Which cloud provider should I choose on Cloudways?
DigitalOcean is the default recommendation for most users — it offers the best price-to-performance ratio and straightforward scaling. AWS and Google Cloud are available for teams with existing cloud commitments or compliance requirements that mandate those providers. Linode (now Akamai) and Vultr are cost-effective alternatives worth comparing at higher server sizes.
Who should NOT use Cloudways?
Brand-new sites with no traffic should start on shared hosting (Hostinger or SiteGround) and migrate when shared hosting limits become a real problem — paying for cloud isolation on a site getting 500 visits/month is over-engineering. Users who need email hosting included, guided WordPress setup, or domain management in one dashboard will find shared hosting more practical.
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