Is It the Best Managed Cloud Hosting for WordPress?
Introduction to Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies the complexities of cloud infrastructure, making it accessible for small businesses, developers, and agencies. Unlike traditional hosts, Cloudways doesn’t own its servers. Instead, it partners with top-tier cloud providers. DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud to deliver high-performance hosting with a user-friendly interface. Launched in 2011, Cloudways has grown to host over 1 million websites for 90,000+ customers, earning a 94% satisfaction rate on G2.
What sets Cloudways apart is its focus on managed services, handling server setup, security, and maintenance so users can focus on their websites. It supports WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, and other PHP-based applications, offering one-click installations and a custom control panel. In 2025, Cloudways continues to innovate with features like Cloudways Autonomous (autoscaling hosting) and Cloudways Copilot, an AI-powered tool for server insights and management.
This review covers Cloudways’ features, pros and cons, performance, ease of use, pricing, support, and real-world results. Whether you arerunning a blog, an eCommerce store, or managing client sites, we will help you decide if Cloudways is worth the hype.
Key Features of Cloudways
Cloudways packs a robust feature set tailored for performance and convenience. Here’s a detailed breakdown.
Choice of Cloud Providers
Cloudways’ standout feature is its flexibility in choosing from five cloud providers: DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud. Each offers different pricing and performance tiers, catering to various budgets and needs. For example, DigitalOcean starts at $11/month for 1GB RAM and 25GB storage, while AWS suits high-traffic enterprise sites. This allows users to align hosting with their specific requirements, unlike traditional hosts with rigid plans.
Cloudways handles server setup, including PHP, MySQL, and Nginx configurations, so you don’t need advanced technical skills. You select your provider, server size, and data center location (over 48 globally), and Cloudways does the rest.
Performance Optimization
Cloudways uses an optimized stack called Thunderstack, combining PHP 8, MySQL, Redis, Memcached, Apache, Varnish, and Nginx for top-tier performance. SSD-based servers ensure fast data access, while built-in caching (via Breeze for WordPress) reduces load times. Cloudways also offers Cloudflare Enterprise as an add-on for edge caching and faster global delivery.
In 2025, Cloudways introduced Imunify360 for real-time malware scanning and auto-cleaning, boosting security without extra plugins. Free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates and auto-healing servers minimize downtime, with 99.99% uptime reported in tests.
Scalability and Flexibility
Cloudways’ pay-as-you-go model lets you scale resources (RAM, CPU, storage) with a few clicks, ideal for seasonal traffic spikes or growing sites. Cloudways Autonomous, launched in 2024, uses Kubernetes for automatic scaling, handling thousands of concurrent users without manual intervention. This contrasts with shared hosting, where resources are limited and shared among multiple sites.
Management and Automation
The Cloudways dashboard is a custom-built control panel, replacing clunky cPanel interfaces. It offers server and application management, including one-click backups, staging environments, and SSL installation. Automated backups can be scheduled hourly, daily, or weekly, with one-click restores for peace of mind.
Staging environments allow testing of updates or redesigns without affecting live sites. Team collaboration features let you assign roles, restricting access to billing or sensitive areas. Cloudways Copilot, introduced in 2025, provides AI-driven performance insights and is set to automate basic server tasks soon.
Application Support
Cloudways supports one-click installations for WordPress (including Multisite), Magento, Laravel, Drupal, and more. Its WordPress Migrator plugin offers free migration for your first site, streamlining transitions from other hosts. For eCommerce, Cloudways excludes cart and checkout pages from caching, ensuring smooth WooCommerce performance.
Add-Ons and Integrations
Cloudways integrates with CDNs like Cloudflare and offers its own RocketCDN. Add-ons include elastic email, SMTP services, and DNS management. Varnish cache and Sucuri integration enhance performance and security. However, email hosting and domain registration are not included, requiring third-party solutions like Gmail or Porkbun.
Ease of Use and Setup
Cloudways shines in simplicity. Sign-up is straightforward, with a 3-day free trial (no credit card required for most plans). After choosing your cloud provider, server size, and application (e.g., WordPress), your server spins up in minutes. The dashboard is modern, intuitive, and well-organized, with tooltips guiding beginners.
Setting up a WordPress site involves selecting the app, provider, and data center, then configuring DNS to point your domain to Cloudways’ IP. The platform provides detailed guides, and migrations are free for the first site. Compared to managing raw cloud servers (e.g., DigitalOcean directly), Cloudways eliminates technical overhead. However, beginners unfamiliar with DNS or server concepts may face a slight learning curve.
Reddit users praise the dashboard: “It’s so easy to spin up a site or staging area,” says one r/Wordpress commenter. Advanced users appreciate server-level access without root, though some developers note the lack of full root access limits customization.
Performance Benchmarks and Speed Tests
Speed is Cloudways’ forte. In 2025 tests, Cloudways consistently outperforms budget shared hosts. A DesignBombs review using a $10/month DigitalOcean server recorded a median load time of under 0.5 seconds on WebPageTest and a 582ms mean response time under 20 concurrent users on Load Focus.
For a WooCommerce site on a Vultr HF server, StartBlogging101 reported a TTFB of 147ms, LCP of 0.9s, and near-zero CLS, crushing shared hosts like Bluehost. AuthorityHacker tests showed Cloudways beating SiteGround by 1.2s in load time on a WordPress site.
Core Web Vitals scores are stellar, with P95 response times as low as 8.77ms and 99 requests/second throughput. Pairing Cloudways with Cloudflare Enterprise or Breeze boosts PSI mobile scores to 90+. However, performance varies by provider—DigitalOcean suits small sites, while AWS or Google Cloud handle high-traffic demands better.
Compared to WP Engine or Kinsta, Cloudways is slightly slower on premium plans but far cheaper. On LiteSpeed servers, competitors like Rocket.net may edge out due to LiteSpeed Cache, but Cloudways excels on non-LiteSpeed setups.
Pricing and Plans
Cloudways operates on a pay-as-you-go model, with pricing tied to your chosen cloud provider. Here’s a 2025 overview:
- DigitalOcean: Starts at $11/month (1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB bandwidth).
- Vultr: Starts at $14/month (1GB RAM, 32GB storage, 1TB bandwidth).
- Linode: Starts at $12/month (1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB bandwidth).
- AWS: Starts at $38.56/month (1.75GB RAM, 20GB storage, 2GB bandwidth).
- Google Cloud: Starts at $33.18/month (1.7GB RAM, 20GB storage, 2GB bandwidth).
Cloudways Autonomous starts at $35/month for autoscaling. All plans include unlimited websites, free SSL, migrations, and 24/7 support. Add-ons like email ($1/domain/month) or Cloudflare Enterprise increase costs.
No long-term contracts or renewal hikes, unlike SiteGround. A 3-day trial lets you test without risk. Compared to Kinsta ($30/month for one site), Cloudways is more budget-friendly for multiple sites.
Pros and Cons
G2 reviews highlight performance but note support inconsistencies. Reddit users complain about upselling and occasional CPU usage issues on smaller plans.
Cloudways vs Alternatives
Bluehost
NameCheap
Kinsta
Godaddy
HostGator
Liquid Web
Network Solutions
Customer Support and Community
Cloudways offers 24/7 live chat and ticket support, with a knowledge base and community forum. Response times average under 5 minutes, but some Reddit users report “meh” experiences with less knowledgeable agents. Premium support add-ons are available for faster resolution. The knowledge base is comprehensive, covering DNS setup to advanced caching.
On X, users praise Cloudways’ speed: “Migrated from VeeroTech to Cloudways, and the speed is face-melting.” However, support complaints persist, with one user noting slow second-line responses.
Conclusion
Cloudways remains a top contender in 2025 for managed cloud hosting, balancing performance, flexibility, and affordability. Its choice of providers, scalable pricing, and user-friendly dashboard make it ideal for WordPress, WooCommerce, and multi-site managers. While it lacks email hosting and has occasional support hiccups, the speed and features outweigh these for most users.
For beginners, SiteGround or Hostinger may be simpler. For premium WordPress hosting, Kinsta or WP Engine shine. But if you want fast, scalable cloud hosting without breaking the bank, Cloudways is hard to beat. Try the 3-day free trial at cloudways.com to see the difference.
Cloudways: FAQs
Is Cloudways good for hosting?
Yes, cloudways is one the good hosting when it comes to relaible, performace,speed, and, scalability. It is great for grwing any kind website whether you have asimple blog website or wooCommerce sites.
How to host a website on Cloudways?
Well, that’s simpe process follow to host a website. Simply, create an account and choose the domain name you want register and choose hosting plan for your business needs. Just click and install your website on WordPress. congratulations, you have launched your business.
Cloudways vs Hostinger – Which one is good?
Both stands on their way of people choice.
Hostinger: cheaper than cloudways, very easier to use and setup , but less powerful and less scalable as compare to cloudways.
Cloudways: more powerful than hostinger, scalable, and managed, but more expensive and somewhat more technical.
What are the alternatives of cloudways hosting?
There are many alternatives of Cloudways hosting but here are some my recommendation:
- Bluehost: It offers easy, beginner-friendly hosting, best for new bloggers and small businesses.
- Namecheap: Thanks to its low-cost hosting and domain services, best for budget users or Medium-sized businesses.
- Godaddy: It provides all-in-one services (domains + hosting), best for small businesses wanting everything in one place.
- Kinsta: A high-performance managed cloud host, best for professional WordPress sites and high-traffic businesses.
- Hostinger: Affordable shared and cloud hosting, best for beginners and price-conscious users.
