Why Cloudways is the managed cloud hosting sweet spot
Cloudways is the platform that lets you run managed cloud hosting without DevOps experience. Founded 2012, headquartered in Malta, acquired by DigitalOcean in August 2022 for $350M.
The pitch: pick your cloud provider (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP, Vultr, Linode), let Cloudways handle the server configuration, security patches, scaling, backups, and management. You focus on your site.
This sits between shared hosting (Bluehost, Hostinger — cheap but limited) and unmanaged VPS (DigitalOcean direct — cheap and powerful but requires Linux admin skills). Cloudways is "managed cloud" — cloud-tier performance with hosting-tier UX.
The 5 cloud provider choice
Cloudways lets you deploy WordPress (or other PHP apps) onto:
- DigitalOcean — Cheapest, cleanest, most-popular choice. Cloudways' default.
- DigitalOcean Premium — Newer high-CPU servers, ~30% faster than standard DO. $4-$12 premium over standard.
- Vultr — Comparable to DO, sometimes better routing in certain geographies.
- AWS (Amazon Web Services) — Enterprise-grade, expensive, deep ecosystem integration.
- GCP (Google Cloud Platform) — Comparable to AWS, slightly cheaper.
- Linode — Now part of Akamai. Solid alternative to DO.
For 90% of users, DigitalOcean Standard is the right pick. AWS/GCP make sense only if your business has specific cloud-vendor requirements (existing AWS contracts, GCP enterprise discounts, etc.).
Cloudways pricing model
Cloudways prices by server, not site. You can run unlimited WordPress installations on a single server.
DigitalOcean Standard pricing (most common): | Server tier | Cost | Specs | Best for | |-------------|------|-------|----------| | 1GB RAM / 1 CPU | $11/mo | 25GB SSD | Single small WordPress site | | 2GB RAM / 1 CPU | $24/mo | 50GB SSD | 1-3 WordPress sites | | 4GB RAM / 2 CPU | $46/mo | 80GB SSD | 3-10 WordPress sites, mid-traffic | | 8GB RAM / 4 CPU | $88/mo | 160GB SSD | High-traffic single site or 10+ small sites |
The 1GB tier is too small for serious WordPress (1GB RAM can run a single low-traffic site at best). Start at the 2GB tier ($24/mo) for any real site.
Unlike shared hosting, no traffic limits. No "100,000 visits/mo" caps like SiteGround. Your server runs as fast as the hardware allows.
What Cloudways handles for you
The "managed" in managed cloud hosting:
- Server provisioning — pick a provider + tier, server is ready in 10 minutes
- WordPress installation — one-click install with optimization presets
- Server stack — Nginx + Apache + MySQL/MariaDB + Memcached + Varnish + Redis
- Security patches — applied automatically
- SSL certificates — free Let's Encrypt, automatic renewal
- Backups — automated daily, restore with one click, configurable retention
- CloudwaysCDN — built-in CDN at $1/25GB
- Breeze cache plugin — WordPress-specific caching (or use WP Rocket if you prefer)
- Email — NOT included (use Google Workspace separately)
- Domain registration — NOT included (use Namecheap or similar)
- Database management — Adminer (web-based MySQL admin)
- SSH + SFTP — full access to your server
What you DON'T get vs raw DigitalOcean: - Server-level customization (custom Nginx config, etc.) - Direct shell access to the underlying OS - Total control over server stack
For 90% of WordPress users, this is fine. Power users who want to install custom services on their server need raw VPS instead.
The free trial
3-day free trial, no credit card required for trial start. Build out a site, decide if it works for you, then add billing info.
The trial is enough to test: - WordPress installation speed - Default site performance (PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix) - Backup/restore workflow - Migrating from your current host (Cloudways offers 1 free site migration)
If you migrate during the trial and the site performs well, you're done evaluating.
How Cloudways compares to alternatives
Cloudways vs Kinsta: Different categories. Cloudways is "managed cloud" — you pick the provider, lower price ($24+/mo). Kinsta is "fully managed WordPress" on Google Cloud Premium tier ($35+/mo). Kinsta has cleaner UI (MyKinsta dashboard) and better support response times. Cloudways is more flexible and cheaper.
For most WordPress businesses earning under $5K/mo, Cloudways is sufficient and cheaper. For revenue-critical sites, Kinsta's premium support is worth the markup.
Cloudways vs WP Engine: Both fully managed WordPress. WP Engine starts at $20/mo for 25K visits/mo. Cloudways at $24/mo has no visit limit. WP Engine includes StudioPress themes + Genesis Framework. Cloudways includes server-tier flexibility.
For agencies managing many client sites, Cloudways scales better (one server, many sites). For single high-revenue site, WP Engine's theme bundle adds real value.
Cloudways vs SiteGround: SiteGround is premium shared hosting ($2.99-$24.99 intro). Cloudways is managed cloud ($24+ flat). SiteGround has visit caps + storage caps. Cloudways has neither.
For low-traffic sites (under 10K visits/mo), SiteGround is cheaper. For sites that grow beyond shared-hosting limits, Cloudways is the natural upgrade.
Cloudways vs Hostinger: Hostinger is budget shared hosting ($2.49 intro). Cloudways is mid-tier managed cloud ($24+). 10x price difference reflects 10x performance difference. Start on Hostinger if budget-constrained; upgrade to Cloudways when you outgrow shared hosting.
Cloudways vs raw DigitalOcean: Direct DO is $6/mo for 1GB server. Cloudways adds $5-$15/mo on top for management. If you can configure Nginx + MySQL + WordPress + SSL + backups yourself, raw DO is cheaper. If you can't (or don't want to), Cloudways is the time-saver.
The DigitalOcean acquisition (2022)
DigitalOcean bought Cloudways for $350M in August 2022. Concerns at the time: - Would Cloudways be forced to use only DO infrastructure? - Would pricing increase? - Would AWS/GCP/Vultr options disappear?
So far: none of these have happened. Cloudways still offers all 5 cloud providers. Pricing has been stable. AWS/GCP/Vultr/Linode all still selectable.
DO acquired Cloudways primarily to capture the WordPress hosting market. Cloudways' independence from any single cloud provider is the value DO bought.
What Cloudways isn't best at
Email hosting: Cloudways doesn't host email. Use Google Workspace ($6/user/mo) or Microsoft 365 separately. Many shared hosts (SiteGround, Hostinger) include basic email.
Domain registration: Cloudways doesn't register domains. Use Namecheap, Porkbun, or Cloudflare Registrar.
Single-site small operators: For one small blog/portfolio with under 5K visits/mo, Cloudways ($24/mo) is overkill. Hostinger ($2.49 intro) is sufficient.
Enterprise managed WordPress: For sites doing $10K+/mo and needing premium support, WP Engine or Kinsta offer more polished managed experiences.
Our verdict
Cloudways is the right pick if you want: - Managed cloud hosting without DevOps skills - Choice of cloud provider (DO, AWS, GCP, Vultr, Linode) - Unlimited sites per server (great for agencies) - No traffic caps (unlike shared hosting) - Pay-per-server pricing (predictable, not per-site)
Skip Cloudways if: - You're on a tight budget with low-traffic sites → Hostinger or SiteGround - You need email hosting included → Use a shared host instead - You need fully managed WordPress with white-glove support → Kinsta or WP Engine - You want single-site simplicity for one small project → Hostinger is cheaper
Sweet spot for Cloudways: 3-15 WordPress sites, total traffic 50K-500K visits/mo, comfortable with WordPress but not server admin. At this profile, Cloudways outperforms shared hosting and undercuts fully-managed WordPress hosts.
For the affiliate angle: Cloudways pays $50-$200 per signup PLUS 7% lifetime recurring. The recurring model means active Cloudways referrals generate $1.68-$6.16/mo perpetual income (7% of $24-$88 server cost). Over 5 years of customer retention, a single Cloudways referral pays out $100-$370.