Cloudways Review (2025): Hassle-Free Managed Cloud Hosting for Your Website
Cloudways provides managed cloud hosting by leveraging top cloud infrastructure providers. It handles server management for you, allowing you to easily install WordPress or other CMS platforms without the technical complexities. If you’re looking for a hassle-free, cost-effective cloud hosting solution, Cloudways is a great choice. Plus, you can try it risk-free with a 3-day free trial.
Why consider cloud hosting? It offers built-in redundancy by using multiple servers, enhancing your site’s speed and security. Plus, it enables seamless scaling to handle traffic surges. However, setting up cloud hosting on your own can be complex and challenging.
With Cloudways, you can skip the technical hassles and focus on building your site. Simply choose from top providers like Google Cloud Platform or Amazon Web Services, and Cloudways takes care of the hosting management for you.
Pros:
- Flexible Pricing
- High Performance
- User-Friendly Interface
- Comprehensive Support
- Advanced Security Features
Cons:
- Additional Costs for Email Hosting
- No Domain Registration Services
- Limited Trial Period
4.6
Ranked 24 from 3860 Web Hosting
Pricing
Cloudways Review Summary
| Performance grade: | A+ |
| Average load time: | 750 ms |
| Average response time: | 63.2 ms |
| Free domain: | No |
| Free SSL: | Yes |
| Live Chat / Knowledge Base | Yes |
| Support Options: | Live Chat, Ticketing System, Knowledge Base |
About Cloudways
Founded in 2011, Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies web hosting for agencies, small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs), and individuals. By partnering with leading cloud infrastructure providers such as DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, Linode, and Vultr, Cloudways offers users a seamless experience to deploy, manage, and scale web applications without the complexities of traditional hosting setups
Headquartered in St. Julian’s, Malta, at Junction Business Centre, 1st Floor Sqaq Lourdes, Cloudways has expanded its global presence with additional offices in Karachi, Pakistan. The company has a diverse team of over 200 employees across five continents, ensuring round-the-clock support and services to its clientele.
In August 2022, Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean, a leading cloud infrastructure provider, for $350 million. This acquisition aimed to combine Cloudways’ managed services expertise with DigitalOcean’s infrastructure, offering a more robust and user-friendly experience for customers.
Cloudways mission is to empower businesses by providing a fast, secure, and easy-to-use hosting platform. As of March 2024, the company serves over 83,000 customers, hosting more than 570,000 websites globally. With a focus on performance and reliability, Cloudways continues to enhance its services, recently adding 17 new data centers across 13 locations, including regions like Tel Aviv, Doha, and Munich, to better serve its growing customer base.
Cloudways: Pros and Cons
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that simplifies the deployment and management of applications by offering a user-friendly interface atop leading cloud infrastructure providers. Below are the key advantages and disadvantages of using Cloudways:
Pros of Cloudways
- Flexible Pricing: Cloudways operates on a pay-as-you-go model, allowing users to scale resources up or down based on their needs without long-term commitments.
- High Performance: By partnering with top cloud providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud, Cloudways ensures high uptime and fast load times for hosted applications.
- User-Friendly Interface: The platform offers a modern, easy-to-navigate dashboard that simplifies server and application management, making it accessible even for users without extensive technical expertise.
- Comprehensive Support: Cloudways provides 24/7 live chat, support tickets, and a detailed knowledge base, ensuring that assistance is readily available when needed.
- Advanced Security Features: The platform includes features like firewalls, automated backups, and two-factor authentication to enhance the security of hosted applications.
Cons of Cloudways
- Additional Costs for Email Hosting: Email hosting is not included in the standard plans and is available at an extra cost of $1 per mailbox per month.
- No Domain Registration Services: Cloudways does not offer domain registration, requiring users to procure their domain names from third-party registrars.
- Limited Trial Period: The platform offers a brief 3-day free trial, which may be insufficient for users to fully assess its capabilities.
Cloudways offers a robust managed cloud hosting solution with flexible pricing, high performance, and comprehensive support. However, potential users should be aware of additional costs for services like email hosting, the absence of domain registration, a limited trial period.
Cloudways Hosting Plans and Features
Cloudways offers a range of managed cloud hosting plans designed to cater to various website needs, from small blogs to large enterprises. Their hosting solutions are built on top of leading cloud providers, including DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), allowing users to select the infrastructure that best suits their requirements.
Cloudways offers a range of managed cloud hosting plans designed to cater to various website needs. Here’s a breakdown of their hosting plans and features:
Managed Cloud Hosting: Cloudways provides managed cloud hosting services by partnering with top cloud infrastructure providers, including DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, and Linode. This approach allows users to select a cloud server that best fits their performance and budget requirements. Each plan includes features such as 24/7/365 support, free SSL certificates, unlimited application installations, automated backups, and dedicated firewalls.
WordPress Hosting: Optimized specifically for WordPress, this hosting plan ensures high performance and security for WordPress sites. Features include a built-in advanced cache, staging environments for testing changes, and free migration assistance. Additionally, Cloudways offers a Thunderstack optimization stack that combines various server technologies to enhance website performance
WooCommerce Hosting: Tailored for online stores powered by WooCommerce, this plan offers a Varnish-compatible environment to boost store performance. It includes free SSL certificates to secure transactions and supports unlimited product listings, ensuring scalability as your business grows.
Application Hosting: Beyond WordPress and WooCommerce, Cloudways supports various applications, including Magento, Laravel, and custom PHP applications. Users can deploy multiple applications on a single server, benefiting from features like automated backups, staging environments, and team collaboration tools.
Cloudways’ flexible pricing model allows users to pay for the resources they use, with the ability to scale up or down based on traffic and performance needs. This modular approach ensures that users only pay for what they need, making it a cost-effective solution for many businesses.
Cloudways Security
Cloudways prioritizes server security by implementing a comprehensive suite of features designed to protect websites from various threats. Key security measures include:
Dedicated Server-Level Firewall
Each server is equipped with a firewall powered by Imunify360, which detects and filters out malicious traffic, safeguarding sites from potential attacks.
Automated Protection with Fail2Ban
To prevent unauthorized access, Cloudways employs Fail2Ban, which monitors login attempts and automatically blocks suspicious activities.
Regular Security Patches and Updates
The platform ensures continuous protection by applying regular security patches and server OS updates, maintaining an up-to-date defense against emerging threats.
Malware Alerts
Applications hosted on Cloudways are regularly scanned for malware using Imunify360. If any malicious software is detected, users receive immediate alerts via CloudwaysBot, enabling prompt action.
Vulnerability Scanner
In collaboration with Patchstack, Cloudways offers a Vulnerability Scanner that provides instant notifications about potential vulnerabilities in WordPress core files, plugins, or themes, allowing users to address issues proactively.
Free 1-Click SSL Certificates
To enhance data security, Cloudways provides free Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, easily installable with a single click, ensuring encrypted connections for websites.
Web Application Firewall (WAF) with IP and Country Blocking
The integrated WAF offers advanced protection by blocking blacklisted traffic and challenging suspicious visitors with CAPTCHA. Users can control access by IP and country, helping to protect against known malicious regions and high-risk IPs.
Malcare Bot Protection
To defend against brute force attacks, DDoS attacks, and other automated bot threats, Cloudways incorporates Malcare Bot Protection, effectively mitigating malicious traffic.
Cloudways Support and Customer Service
Cloudways is renowned for its robust support and customer service, ensuring users have access to assistance whenever needed.
24/7 Expert Support
Cloudways offers round-the-clock support through live chat and a ticketing system. Their team of experts is readily available to address any hosting-related issues or inquiries. Users can submit requests via the Cloudways Ticketing System, where a support staff member will respond promptly.
Comprehensive Help Center
For those who prefer self-service, the Cloudways Help Center provides an extensive collection of knowledge base articles. This resource covers a wide range of topics, including getting started guides, managing subscriptions and billing, server and application administration, and troubleshooting. The Help Center is designed to empower users to find solutions independently with detailed, step-by-step tutorials.
Sales and General Inquiries
For sales-related questions or general inquiries, Cloudways offers a contact form on their website. By filling out the form, users can connect with the sales team to get answers to hosting questions, explore suitable pricing plans, or learn about partnership opportunities.
Conclusion: Is Cloudways the Right Choice for You?
Cloudways stands out as a powerful managed cloud hosting provider, offering flexibility, high performance, and scalability. Our testing confirms its impressive speed, strong uptime, and ability to handle traffic spikes efficiently.
For developers and growing businesses, Cloudways provides full control over server configurations while managing the complexities of cloud hosting. Beginners may face a learning curve due to its advanced features, but the intuitive control panel simplifies many tasks.
While Cloudways does not include domain registration or email hosting, its pay-as-you-go pricing and integration with top cloud providers like AWS and Google Cloud make it a great choice for those who need scalable and high-performance hosting.
Overall, Cloudways is ideal for businesses, developers, and agencies looking for cloud hosting with strong customization, reliability, and speed.
Cloudways Coupon
Looking to save on your hosting plan? Cloudways provides exclusive discounts, making it even more affordable to get high-performance cloud hosting.
To claim this deal, click here to visit Cloudways’ website—the discount will be automatically applied at checkout. Take advantage of this offer to experience top-tier cloud hosting at a reduced price.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cloudways
What is Cloudways?
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that allows you to deploy applications on top cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud.
Does Cloudways offer a free trial?
Yes, Cloudways provides a 3-day free trial on its DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr plans.
Can I host WordPress sites on Cloudways?
Yes, Cloudways supports WordPress and offers optimized hosting solutions with advanced caching and security features.
Does Cloudways offer email hosting?
No, Cloudways does not include email hosting by default, but you can purchase a Rackspace email add-on.
Is Cloudways support available 24/7?
Yes, Cloudways offers 24/7 live chat and ticket-based support, along with premium support plans for advanced assistance.
