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Managed Cloud Hosting · Reviewed 2025

Cloudways Review — Is It Worth It?

Cloudways is the best managed cloud hosting for growing sites and agencies. You choose your cloud provider (AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode), and Cloudways handles the server management. Consistent pricing, no renewal shock, and genuine expert support. Not for beginners — but excellent for anyone who's outgrown shared hosting.

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Starting price
$11/mo
✅ Renews at: $11/mo — no renewal jump
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JoshuaHosting score
93/100
Speed
95
Support
91
Value for money
88
Uptime
96

Pros

  • No renewal price jump — what you pay is what you pay
  • Choice of AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode
  • Staging environment included
  • Auto-scaling for traffic spikes
  • 24/7 expert support (genuinely technical)
  • Global datacentres across all major regions
  • Pay monthly — no long-term contract

Watch out for

  • No email hosting included — need Rackspace or external provider
  • More expensive than entry shared hosting
  • Dashboard takes time to learn
  • No cPanel — custom Cloudways panel
  • Not ideal for complete beginners

✅ Best for

Growing WordPress/WooCommerce sites, agencies managing multiple client sites, developers who want managed servers without the DevOps overhead.

❌ Avoid if

You're a beginner launching your first site, or need email hosting included. Also not ideal if you need cPanel or a traditional shared hosting interface.

Feature breakdown

What you actually get

Cloud providers

Choose from 5 providers: DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr, Linode. Each has different pricing and global datacenter availability. DigitalOcean is the most popular entry choice.

Speed

Redis + Varnish cache + Nginx = consistently fast load times. One of the best-performing managed hosting options in independent benchmarks.

Staging

One-click staging clone on all plans. Push/pull live to staging and back. Essential for agencies and WooCommerce stores.

Email

Cloudways does not include email hosting. You'll need to add Rackspace Email ($1/mailbox/mo via Cloudways) or use a third-party like Google Workspace or Zoho.

Support

24/7 live chat with genuinely technical staff. Add-on Premium Support available for dedicated account management. Staff can actually help with server-level issues.

Scaling

Vertical scaling (upgrade server size) via the dashboard. Pay-as-you-go — scale up for a traffic spike, scale back down after. No migration needed.

Alternatives

Not sure? Compare these providers

SiteGround
from $3.99/mo
Easier for beginners
Kinsta
from $30/mo
Google Cloud, premium tier
DigitalOcean
from $4/mo
Unmanaged, developer-focused
Questions answered

Frequently asked about Cloudways

Is Cloudways good for WordPress?▾
Yes — Cloudways is one of the best WordPress hosting platforms for growing sites. Managed stack (Nginx, Redis, Varnish), staging, and expert support make it particularly strong for WooCommerce and high-traffic WordPress sites.
How much does Cloudways cost?▾
Cloudways starts at $11/month for a 1GB DigitalOcean server. AWS and GCP start slightly higher. All pricing is month-to-month with no renewal shock — what you pay in month 1 is what you pay in month 24.
Does Cloudways include email hosting?▾
No — Cloudways does not include email hosting. You need to add Rackspace Email (available through Cloudways at ~$1/mailbox/month) or use an external provider like Google Workspace or Zoho Mail.
Cloudways vs SiteGround — which is better?▾
SiteGround is better for beginners who want all-in-one hosting with email and a lower entry price. Cloudways is better for sites that have outgrown shared hosting, need better performance, or require multiple staging environments. SiteGround has a big renewal jump; Cloudways does not.