Looking for a Cloudways promo code for February 2026 ?. New users can use code CLOUDS2022 to get an exclusive $30 credit.
We’ve verified this code manually to ensure it works on all DigitalOcean and Vultr plans.
In general, Cloudways provides an official 3-day free trial for new users. Although the free trial period is limited, you can extend your savings significantly by using an exclusive Cloudways promo code from ThatMy.com.
By applying the code CLOUDS2022 during signup, you unlock a $30 credit that sits in your funds. This effectively allows you to use a standard DigitalOcean server ($11/month) for free for exactly 2 months. (We also have the 20% discount code THATMYCLOUD, but the $30 credit offers better value for most starters).
$30 Free Credit
- ✓ $30 instantly credited to your account
- ✓ Valid on DigitalOcean, Vultr & AWS
- ✓ Includes free Object Cache Pro
- ✓ Covers 2-3 months of free hosting
⚠️ Verification Note: To activate the "60-Day Free" strategy, you must verify your identity with a $1 refundable transaction. This is a standard anti-fraud measure. Once cleared, the $30 credit is applied instantly to pay your future invoices.
Table of Contents
Top Cloudways Promo Codes 2026: Valid & Verified
Choosing between the $30 Credit and the 30% Discount isn't a guessing. It’s just math.
Since Cloudways bills hourly, the right coupon depends entirely on your Monthly Spend. (Use our Savings Calculator below to see the exact dollar difference).
1. Best for Beginners: $30 Credit Code
Why This Code Wins
- $30 Free Credit (Pays for ~2 months)
- Zero Risk (Start without credit card)
- Valid on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode & AWS
- Includes Object Cache Pro (2GB+ Servers)
- Instant Activation (Code: CLOUDS2022)
Potential Downsides
- Free hosting ends once $30 is used
- Only valid for new account signups
Coupon Snapshot
- Promo Code: CLOUDS2022
- Validity: Non-Expiring
- Risk Level: None
Free $30
Code: CLOUDS2022
The $30 Credit works like cash in your account. This is the mathematically better deal for 90% of new users (Bloggers, Portfolios, and Small Stores).
- Longer Free Time: On a standard $14/mo DigitalOcean server, this credit covers your bill for 2 full months.
- Zero Risk: You can launch a server, test speed for a week, and delete it. You pay nothing out of pocket.
⚠️ Don't Waste Your Credit
This credit covers everything on your invoice. If you turn on paid add-ons (like offsite backups or Elastic Email), your $30 will run out faster. Keep your setup simple during the first month.
2. Best for Agencies: 30% Off Discount
Why This Discount Wins
- 30% Off Invoices for first 3 months
- No Cap on Savings (Great for big servers)
- Official Cloudways Offer (Auto-applied)
- Includes Free Migration for first site
- Best choice if bill exceeds $50/mo
Potential Downsides
- Discount expires after 3rd invoice
- Must enter payment details immediately
Discount Snapshot
- Deal Type: Percentage Off
- Duration: 3 Months
- Activation: Automatic
30% OFF
Official Deal Link
The 30% Discount lowers your bill rather than giving you cash. This is only the right choice if you are a High Spender starting Day 1.
- For Agencies: If you migrate 10 client sites, your bill might be $100/mo. Saving 30% ($30/mo) adds up to more value over 3 months than the credit above.
- For High Performance: If you need a powerful Vultr HF 4GB server ($60/mo), percentage savings beat the flat credit.
3. Standard Deal: 20% Off Coupon
Why This Code Exists
- 20% Off First 2 Months
- Verified Partner Code: THATMYCLOUD
- Works globally (US, UK, India, etc.)
- Valid on AWS, Google Cloud & Vultr
- Guaranteed to work if others fail
Potential Downsides
- Saves less money than the 30% deal
- Discount duration is shorter (2 months)
Coupon Snapshot
- Code: THATMYCLOUD
- Discount: 20% Off
- Reliability: Verified
20% OFF
Code: THATMYCLOUD
This is the generic coupon found on most "deal sites." It works exactly like the offer above, but the math is worse.
- The Math: Both codes last for 3 months. One saves you 30%, this one only saves 20%.
- The Verdict: There is no reason to use this unless the 30% offer expires. Treat this as a backup only.
4. Seasonal Exclusive: Black Friday Deal
Why Bfcm Wins
- 50% OFF for 4 Months (Year's Best)
- 50 Free Migrations (Agency Value)
- Available on all data centers
- Priority Support included during holidays
- Lowest price per month possible
Potential Downsides
- Strictly limited to November
- Cannot be applied retroactively
Event Snapshot
- Discount: 50% Off
- Duration: 4 Months
- Status: Seasonal
50% OFF
Code: BFCM5050
Cloudways runs its biggest sale in November (Black Friday / Cyber Monday). This usually offers 40% OFF for 4 Months.
- Strict Timing: These codes are locked to the calendar. If you try to use a BFCM code in July, it will not work.
- Strategy: If it is currently November, grab this deal. If it is any other month, do not waste time looking for these codes.
5. Standard Feature: 3-Day Free Trial
Why Use The Trial
- No Credit Card Required to start
- Instant access to server console
- Test speed (TTFB) before paying
- 1-Click WordPress Staging included
- Easy cancellation (Just do nothing)
Potential Downsides
- Server deletes automatically after 3 days
- Cannot scale server size during trial
Trial Snapshot
- Cost: $0.00
- Card Needed: No
- Commitment: None
Free
3 Days Access
Many websites list "Free Trial" as a special coupon. It is important to know that this is not a special offer.
- Automatic: Every new Cloudways account gets a 3-day trial. You do not need a specific link or code.
- Limitations: 3 days is rarely enough time to test a live site properly.
Still undecided? Check your estimated bill:
- Bill under $50? → Use CLOUDS2022 ($30 Credit).
- Bill over $50? → Use Official Link (30% Discount).
- Total Beginner? → Use CLOUDS2022. It is the safest way to start for free.
How to Use Cloudways Promo Code 2026
Cloudways deliberately hides the promo code field. This isn't an accident; it is a Conversion Funnel tactic designed to get you to sign up faster, often at the expense of your discount.
If you rush through the form, you will end up on a standard 3-day trial with zero credit. You must follow this exact workflow to bypass their UX traps and force the $30 credit to apply to your account.
1. Activate the Tracking Cookie
The billing system won't apply the credit unless your browser session is tagged. Click the link below to drop the required cookie before you start.
Save this code: CLOUDS2022 2. Find the "Hidden" Promo Link
On the signup form, stop. Do not fill out your details yet.
Don't click "Start Free" yet! Click this blue link first. Look for the text link labeled "I have a promo code" (with a ticket icon). They hid it right above the "Terms" checkbox to make you miss it.
✅ Verification Signal:
A light green banner saying "Promo code applied successfully" will flash at the very top of the form. If you don't see that banner, the code didn't work.
Make sure you see this Green Checkmark before proceeding. 3. Avoid the "Hard" Verification
Cloudways uses aggressive fraud detection. If your IP address looks weird, they will lock your account and demand a passport scan.
Check your spam folder if the activation email doesn't arrive instantly. ⚠️ How to avoid manual review:
- Turn off your VPN: Signing up from a datacenter IP is an immediate red flag.
- Use Mobile Data: If you've created an account before on your WiFi, switch to your phone's 4G/5G to get a fresh IP fingerprint.
4. The Authorization Hold
When you log in, your "Funds" balance will be $0.00. This scares a lot of people, but it's normal. The trial account hides the credit.
To unlock the $30, you must click "Upgrade My Account". Cloudways will execute a $1.00 authorization hold on your card. It's just a ping to prove you aren't a bot—it refunds automatically.
Why is this required? The $30 credit buys real server time. They need a card on file to stop people from farming free servers for crypto mining.
Don't worry the $1.00 charge is just a check and is refunded instantly. 5. Verify the Credit Balance
Once your account is fully active, go to Account (Top Right) → Real Time Billing.
You will see a line item for "Promotion Credit: $30.00". Your monthly invoices will automatically pull from this ledger until it hits zero.
The credit sits in your funds and automatically pays your invoice.
Calculate Promo code Savings
Compare promo codes to find your best deal:
Compare Offers
How Cloudways Billing Works for Promo Codes
Most hosting coupons are simple: you pay a fixed price upfront for 3 years, and the code lowers that price. Cloudways does not work like that.
Because Cloudways is a Usage-Based Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), their promo codes interact with a live billing engine, not a static checkout cart. Understanding this difference is the only way to avoid wasting your discount.
1. Credit vs. Percentage: The Billing Difference
There is a fundamental difference in how these two types of deals are processed in the ledger:
- Fixed Credits ($30): These act as a Cash Deposit. When you apply the code, Cloudways adds $30 to your "Funds" balance. When your monthly invoice generates, the system drains this wallet before charging your credit card.
- Percentage Discounts (30% Off): These act as Invoice Modifiers. They reduce the final total of your monthly bill by a set percentage. They do not add funds; they simply lower the debt you owe at the end of the month.
⚠️ The Marketing Trick
Marketing teams love percentage discounts because "30%" sounds bigger than "$30." Do not fall for the optics.
If you are launching a standard 1GB server ($14/mo), a 30% discount saves you only $4.20. The $30 credit covers the entire bill twice. The "smaller" number is mathematically superior for starter plans.
2. The "Post-Paid" Hourly Model
Unlike SiteGround or Bluehost, where you pay for 36 months in advance to get a deal, Cloudways operates on a Post-Paid Utility Model.
- Real-Time Metering: You are billed only for the hours a server exists. If you launch a server at 9:00 AM and delete it at 11:00 AM, you are charged for 2 hours (~$0.04), not a month.
- The Invoice Cycle: Cloudways generates an invoice on the 1st of every month for the resources consumed in the previous month.
3. Resource Reservation (Stop vs. Delete)
This is the most critical concept to understand. Because you are renting raw infrastructure from DigitalOcean or Vultr, stopping a server does not stop the billing.
🛑 Stopping a Server
Status: Billed.
The Mechanics: Even if the CPU is off, Cloudways must reserve the Dedicated IP and NVMe Storage on the physical rack. The provider charges them, so they charge you.
✅ Deleting a Server
Status: Not Billed.
The Mechanics: This releases the IP address and wipes the disk. The billing clock stops the exact second you hit delete.
4. What Drains Your Credit?
The $30 credit applies to the Final Invoice Amount. This means it covers more than just the server rental. It is consumed by:
- Compute: The main CPU/RAM rental cost.
- Offsite Backups: Charged at $0.033/GB. If you store 100GB of backups, this will drain your credit quickly.
- Add-ons: Elastic Email, Rackspace Email, or SafeUpdates.
The Priority Order:
- Free Trial: First 3 days (No cost).
- Promo Credit: Automatically applied to the invoice until $0.
- Credit Card: Charged only after the promo credit is exhausted.
Configuration Note: To maximize free hosting duration, reduce Backup Retention to "1 Week" instead of the default "4 Weeks" during the evaluation period.
Real Cost Breakdown of Cloudways Plans
Many users see Cloudways pricing (starting at ~$14/mo) and think, "That's way more expensive than my $2.99/mo Hostinger plan." This is a fundamental misunderstanding of what you are actually buying.
You are not buying "hosting" in the traditional sense. You are leasing **dedicated compute power** on a Fortune 500 infrastructure network. This changes the entire cost equation.
1. The $2.99 vs $14 Illusion
The perceived cost difference between Cloudways and cheap shared hosting is a **resource illusion**. Shared hosting companies sell cheap plans by overselling their server capacity by 1000%.
When you buy a $14/mo Cloudways DigitalOcean server, you get:
- Dedicated CPU: No "CPU Steal" from noisy neighbors running heavy scripts.
- Dedicated RAM: Your memory is reserved physically for your application.
- NVMe SSD: High-speed disk I/O that doesn't choke during database queries.
- Zero Inode Limits: Unlike SiteGround or GreenGeeks, you won't hit a hidden file cap.
The "Crowded Dorm" Analogy
Think of shared hosting as renting a bed in a crowded hostel dorm. It's cheap ($3/night), but 50 people share one bathroom, and if one guy snores, nobody sleeps.
Cloudways is like renting your own private hotel room. It costs more ($14/night), but you have a private bathroom, silence, and guaranteed resources. For a business, this isn't a luxury; it is a baseline requirement.
2. The "Post-Paid" Cash Flow Advantage
Cloudways invoices are generated between the 1st and 6th of every month for the resources consumed in the previous month. This is a critical distinction from prepaid shared hosting.
- No Lock-in Contracts: You don't have to pay $200 upfront for 3 years to get a "deal." This frees up your cash flow for ads or content.
- Dynamic Billing: If you scale up your server for Black Friday and scale down on Tuesday, your bill accurately reflects only those 4 days of higher usage.
3. The Hidden Costs (What They Don't Bold)
To provide a truly honest assessment, you must understand the *real* cost structure, which includes the boring utility fees most reviews skip.
- Offsite Backups ($0.033/GB): If you have a 50GB site and run hourly backups, this will add $5-$10 to your bill fast. Pro Tip: Set retention to 1 week, not 4 weeks.
- Bandwidth Overages: DigitalOcean and Vultr include generous bandwidth (1TB+). However, AWS and Google Cloud charge heavily for bandwidth. Do not choose AWS unless you have a budget for variable bandwidth costs.
- Email Hosting ($1/mo): Remember, email is not included. You will pay $1/mo per inbox for the Rackspace add-on.
Analyst Insight: Configuration Drives Cost
Your Cloudways bill is determined more by your configuration choices (Backup frequency, Server Provider) than by the base price.
Users who configure Cloudways properly (e.g., daily backups instead of hourly, Vultr HF instead of AWS) save 50% more than users who treat it like a dumb shared host.
Verified by ThatMy.com
Status: Active & Verified for 2021-12-11T10:44:19.405+05:30
Partnership: Official Cloudways Affiliate Partner since 2018.
We do not use auto-generated coupons. I personally test the CLOUDS2022 code monthly on a live signup form to ensure the $30 credit triggers correctly. The screenshots below are from my own account dashboard.
My Final Recommendation
If you have read this far and are still undecided, you are overthinking it.
You don't need to be a math genius to pick the right code. It comes down to one simple question: What is your budget right now?
Use this cheat sheet to decide in 5 seconds:
🚀 The Strategy Cheat Sheet
| If you are a Beginner... | Get the $30 Free Credit This covers your first ~2 months. It is completely risk-free. As detailed in my Cloudways Review, this is the best way to test the platform without paying a dime. | Use CLOUDS2022 ➜ |
| If you are an Agency... | Get 30% OFF (3 Months) If your monthly bill will be over $50 immediately (e.g. migrating 5+ sites), the percentage discount saves you more money. Check the math here ➜ | Use Official Deal ➜ |
Cloudways doesn’t force you into a 3-year contract. There are no renewal traps. You pay only for what you use, and you can cancel anytime. This flexibility is why it tops our list for fastest web hosting in 2026.
The smart move? Start with the free credit. Test the speed. If you love it, scale up. If you hate it, you haven't lost a dime.
🚀 Activate $30 Free Credit Now
*Verification required for credit unlock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are the straight answers to the billing and coupon questions we get every day.
What is the best Cloudways promo code?
For 90% of users, the best code is CLOUDS2022. This applies a $30 cash credit to your account, which allows you to run a basic server for approximately 2 months completely free. This offers more value than the standard percentage discounts for beginners.
Does Cloudways offer a free trial?
Yes. Every new account gets an automatic 3-day free trial. You do not need to enter a credit card to start this trial. However, to keep your server running after day 3 (and unlock the $30 credit), you must upgrade to a paid account.
How do I verify the code worked?
Two signs. First, you will see a green checkmark next to CLOUDS2022 on the signup form. Second, once you log in, go to Account → Real Time Billing. You will see a "Funds" line item with $30.00 available.
Verified Dashboard Proof How do I cancel my Cloudways free trial?
You don't need to "cancel" the account. You simply need to Delete the Server. Go to your server list, click the three dots, and select "Delete." Once the server is gone, billing stops immediately. If you are in the 3-day trial, you are charged nothing.
How long does the $30 credit actually last?
It acts like a debit card balance. On a DigitalOcean 1GB plan (~$14/mo), it lasts approx. 2 months. On Vultr HF ($16/mo), it lasts about 7 weeks. If you turn your server off when not using it, it can last much longer.
Why do I need a credit card for "Free" credit?
To unlock the $30, Cloudways requires a valid card to prove you are human (not a bot). They charge a refundable $1.00 fee which is returned to you immediately. You are not charged for hosting until the $30 credit runs out.