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Cloudways Review 2026: The 60-Second Verdict
Cloudways is the fastest managed cloud hosting platform I've tested at idle. 127ms TTFB on Vultr High Frequency — the lowest idle TTFB across all providers tested. 168ms at 100 concurrent users (32% degradation). 99.981% uptime over 12 months. Redis Object Cache Pro included free. Best developer tooling in managed hosting: Git deployment, SSH, WP-CLI, one-click staging.
The honest weaknesses: no email hosting (add $6-12/mo), no cPanel, migration costs $50/site. The true cost for a production 4c/8GB setup with email is ~$118-130/mo — 3x more expensive than ScalaHosting's equivalent at ~$36/mo. The DigitalOcean acquisition (2022) raised long-term concerns. No phone support.
Use code CLOUDS2022 for $30 free credit — enough to test a Vultr HF server for ~2 months at no cost.
✅ Cloudways Is Right For:
- Developers who need Git deployment, SSH, and WP-CLI
- Agencies managing 5+ WordPress sites
- Sites needing cloud provider flexibility (Vultr, DO, AWS, GCE, Linode)
- Teams who already use Google Workspace for email
- Sites that need autoscaling for traffic spikes
- Anyone who wants pay-as-you-go with no lock-in
❌ Cloudways Is NOT Right For:
- Budget users (→ ChemiCloud at $3.95/mo)
- Non-technical users who need cPanel (→ ScalaHosting)
- Users who need email hosting included (→ ScalaHosting)
- Windows VPS users (→ Kamatera)
- Users who need phone support (→ SiteGround)
- Sites under 10k monthly pageviews (overkill)
Test Environment & Methodology (Full Disclosure)
Every benchmark in this review is reproducible. Here's exactly what I tested and how.
🔬 Test Environment — Full Disclosure
All TTFB tests were run with CDN disabled and page caching disabled — measuring pure server response time. Load tests simulated real concurrent WordPress visitors. Cloud provider comparison used identical WordPress installs on each provider in the same region (New York).
What Is Cloudways? Architecture Explained
Cloudways is not a traditional web host. It's a managed cloud platform — a management layer that sits between you and the underlying cloud infrastructure.
The Cloudways Architecture:
Your WordPress Site → Cloudways Management Layer → Cloud Provider (Vultr/DO/AWS/GCE/Linode)
- You manage: WordPress, plugins, themes, content
- Cloudways manages: Server OS, security patches, PHP, Nginx/Apache, Redis, backups
- Cloud provider manages: Physical hardware, network, data center
This architecture gives you the performance of raw cloud infrastructure (Vultr, AWS, etc.) with the convenience of managed hosting — without needing to configure Linux servers yourself. You get SSH access if you want it, but you don't need it for day-to-day operations.
What "Managed" Means on Cloudways vs ScalaHosting
The DigitalOcean Acquisition (2022) — What Changed
DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways in September 2022 for $350 million. The key changes since acquisition:
- Pricing: Some plans increased 10-15% post-acquisition
- Free trial: Shortened from 3-day free trial to credit-based system
- Features: Some legacy features deprecated; new features added (Cloudflare Enterprise CDN)
- Independence: Cloudways still supports all 5 cloud providers (not just DigitalOcean)
- Support: No significant change in support quality
The acquisition raised concerns about long-term independence, but Cloudways has continued operating as a distinct product. The multi-cloud support (Vultr, AWS, GCE, Linode) remains intact.
Cloud Provider Comparison (Vultr vs DO vs AWS vs GCE vs Linode)
This is the most important decision you'll make on Cloudways. The cloud provider determines your server hardware, network, and ultimately your TTFB. I tested all 5 providers with identical WordPress installs in New York:
Recommendation: Vultr High Frequency for Most WordPress Sites
Vultr HF wins on both speed (127ms TTFB) and price ($14/mo for 1c/1GB). The NVMe storage and high-frequency CPUs make it the best choice for WordPress and WooCommerce. Choose DigitalOcean if you need their Spaces object storage or Managed Databases. Choose AWS or GCE only if your organization has existing cloud contracts or compliance requirements — the 2-3x price premium is rarely justified for WordPress.
All benchmarks in this review use Vultr High Frequency unless otherwise noted. If you choose a different provider, expect TTFB to be 15-45ms higher.
TTFB Results: 3 Locations, 3 Runs Each
All tests run with CDN disabled, page caching disabled. Pure server response time from WebPageTest. Vultr HF, New York server.
New York (Primary Test Location)
London (EU Origin)
Sydney (APAC Origin)
Cloudways' 127ms from New York is the fastest idle TTFB we've measured. It's 95% faster than SiteGround (247ms) and 111% faster than Hostinger VPS (268ms). ScalaHosting is 16ms slower at idle — but that gap narrows dramatically under load (see load test section).
⚠️ Important: These Numbers Are Origin TTFB (No CDN)
All tests were run with CDN disabled. With Cloudflare Enterprise CDN enabled (Cloudways add-on, $1/100GB), TTFB from all locations drops to 30-50ms. The origin TTFB matters for dynamic pages (WooCommerce checkout, logged-in users) that can't be cached. For static pages, CDN makes the origin TTFB largely irrelevant.
Load Test: 10 → 500 Concurrent Users
Idle TTFB is easy. The real test is what happens when real traffic hits simultaneously.
The most important comparison: at 100 concurrent users, Cloudways (168ms) and ScalaHosting (171ms) are essentially identical — a 3ms difference. Cloudways' 16ms idle advantage disappears under real load. The decision between them comes down to cost and features, not performance.
The 32% Degradation in Context
Cloudways degraded 32% from idle to 100 concurrent users (127ms → 168ms). ScalaHosting degraded 19%. Both are excellent — most shared hosts degrade 66-232% over the same range. SiteGround returned errors at 100 users. Hostinger VPS returned timeouts. For production WordPress sites, both Cloudways and ScalaHosting handle real traffic without performance collapse.
CPU Throttling Behavior Under Sustained Load
CPU throttling is the hidden performance killer that most Cloudways reviews don't cover. Here's what actually happens when your server hits 80%+ CPU utilization:
Cloudways CPU Behavior (Vultr HF)
Cloudways on Vultr High Frequency uses dedicated vCPUs — your allocated cores are not shared with other tenants. This means:
- No CPU steal: Unlike shared hosting, your CPU cycles aren't taken by other accounts
- Burst behavior: Vultr HF allows CPU bursting above your allocated cores for short periods
- Sustained load: At 80%+ CPU for extended periods, performance degrades gracefully (no hard throttle)
Cloudways vs DigitalOcean CPU Behavior
⚠️ AWS t3 Instances: The CPU Credit Trap
If you choose AWS on Cloudways, avoid t3 instances (the default). t3 instances use burstable CPU credits — when credits are depleted, CPU is hard-throttled to the baseline (20-40% of nominal). For a WordPress site with sustained traffic, this means sudden performance collapse. Use t3a or c5 instances instead, or choose Vultr HF to avoid the issue entirely.
How to Monitor CPU in Cloudways Dashboard
Cloudways provides real-time CPU monitoring in the server management panel. Navigate to: Servers → [Your Server] → Monitoring. Set alerts at 70% CPU to get notified before performance degrades. If you're consistently above 60% CPU, upgrade to the next plan tier.
Uptime: 12-Month Monitoring Data
99.981% uptime means approximately 101 minutes of downtime per year. This is good — significantly better than Bluehost (6.3 hours) or HostGator (7.3 hours). ScalaHosting edges Cloudways at 99.993% (~37 min downtime). The difference is partly due to Cloudways' dependency on the underlying cloud provider's infrastructure — Vultr HF had 2 brief incidents in our monitoring period.
Cloudways Pricing — The Real Cost Breakdown
Cloudways' advertised price ($14/mo) is real — but it's the minimum for a 1c/1GB server that's only suitable for testing. Here's the true cost for a production WordPress site:
⚠️ The $14/mo Advertised Price Is Misleading
The $14/mo Vultr HF 1c/1GB plan is only suitable for development/testing. A real WordPress site with WooCommerce needs at minimum 2c/4GB ($50/mo). Add email ($6/mo) and you're at $56/mo — 4x the advertised price. For a 4c/8GB production setup with email, the true cost is $118-130/mo. Always calculate the full cost before comparing to competitors.
Renewal Pricing: The Good News
Unlike ScalaHosting (200% renewal increase) or SiteGround (6x renewal markup), Cloudways uses pay-as-you-go billing. The price you pay today is the price you pay next month. No renewal shock, no long-term contracts, no cancellation fees. This is a genuine advantage for budget predictability.
Cloudways Promo Code — $30 Free Credit
🎁 Exclusive THATMY Offer
Use promo code CLOUDS2022 at checkout to get $30 free credit — enough to test a Vultr High Frequency server for approximately 2 months at no cost.
$30 Free Credit | New customers only | No minimum spend
How to Apply the Promo Code
- Sign up for a new Cloudways account using our referral link
- During signup, enter promo code CLOUDS2022 in the "Got a Promo Code?" field
- $30 credit is automatically applied to your account
- Launch your first server — the credit covers ~2 months of Vultr HF 1GB
What the $30 Credit Covers
⚠️ Promo Code Terms
- New Cloudways customers only (first-time signup)
- Cannot be combined with other offers
- Credit expires 3 months after application if unused
- Valid for all 5 cloud providers (Vultr, DigitalOcean, AWS, GCE, Linode)
- No minimum spend required — $30 is yours to use immediately
Alternative: MYFASTCLOUD for ChemiCloud
If Cloudways is overkill for your needs, ChemiCloud offers 20% off all shared hosting plans with code MYFASTCLOUD. At $3.95/mo, it's 10x cheaper than Cloudways for small sites. Read our ChemiCloud review for details.
Dashboard & Developer Experience
Cloudways has the best developer experience in managed hosting. Here's what you get:
Server Management
- Server monitoring: Real-time CPU, RAM, disk, and bandwidth graphs
- PHP version switching: 1-click switch between PHP 7.4, 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3
- Vertical scaling: Upgrade server size without downtime (brief restart required)
- Team access: Add team members with role-based permissions
One-Click Staging
Cloudways' staging environment is the best in managed hosting. One click clones your production site to a staging URL. Push changes from staging to production with another click. No plugin required, no manual file transfers.
Git Deployment
Connect your GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository. Select the branch to deploy. Cloudways auto-deploys on every push to that branch. This is the feature that makes Cloudways the default choice for development teams — no other managed WordPress host offers this level of Git integration at this price point.
SSH & WP-CLI Access
Full SSH root access to your server. WP-CLI pre-installed. Run wp plugin update --all, wp db export, or any other WP-CLI command directly. This is the feature that separates Cloudways from managed WordPress hosts like Kinsta and WP Engine, which restrict server-level access.
WordPress Performance Stack (Redis + Varnish + PHP-FPM)
Cloudways' managed WordPress stack includes:
- Nginx + Apache (configurable): Nginx as reverse proxy, Apache for .htaccess compatibility. Or pure Nginx for maximum performance.
- Redis Object Cache Pro (free — $99/yr value): Caches WordPress database queries in memory. After warmup, cache hit rate exceeds 94%. This is the commercial version of Redis Object Cache — normally $99/yr — included free with all Cloudways plans.
- Varnish cache: Full-page caching layer. Serves cached pages without hitting PHP at all. Dramatically reduces server load for high-traffic sites.
- PHP-FPM workers (configurable): Configure the number of PHP workers based on your server size. For 2c/4GB, 10-15 workers is optimal for WordPress. For WooCommerce, increase to 15-20.
- Memcached: Available as an alternative to Redis for object caching.
How to Configure PHP Workers for WordPress
Navigate to: Servers → [Your Server] → Settings & Packages → PHP-FPM. The optimal PHP worker count depends on your server size:
For WooCommerce, increase workers by 30-50% above the standard recommendation — checkout pages are more PHP-intensive than static content pages.
Cloudways Plans Explained (Which One to Pick)
Plan Selection Guide:
- Start with Standard (2c/4GB, $50/mo) for most WordPress sites — it's the sweet spot for performance and cost
- Upgrade to Growth (4c/8GB, $80/mo) for WooCommerce stores or sites consistently above 50% CPU
- Monitor CPU in the Cloudways dashboard — if you're consistently above 60%, upgrade
- Unlimited sites on any plan — you can host 5-10 low-traffic sites on a single Standard server
- Vertical scaling is easy — upgrade server size with a brief restart, no data migration needed
Remember: the Starter (1c/1GB, $14/mo) is for testing only. A real WordPress site with 12 plugins will hit memory limits on 1GB RAM. Start with Entry (1c/2GB, $28/mo) at minimum for production.
Support Quality: 8 Tickets, Real Response Times
I submitted 8 support tickets over 2 months across billing, technical, and migration categories:
Cloudways' L1 support is fast (3-8 min response) and generally competent for standard WordPress issues. The key limitation: L1 support won't make server-level configuration changes for you — they'll guide you through the process, but you need to execute it yourself. This is by design: Cloudways is a developer-focused platform, not a fully managed service.
⚠️ What Cloudways Support WILL and WON'T Do
Will do: Help with Cloudways dashboard issues, billing questions, basic WordPress troubleshooting, migration guidance, SSL setup, DNS configuration.
Won't do: Custom server configuration, plugin debugging, theme customization, WordPress development work, server-level performance tuning beyond standard recommendations.
If you need a host that will handle server-level WordPress optimization for you, consider ScalaHosting — their senior technical team handles server-level issues directly.
Cloudways vs ScalaHosting (Head-to-Head)
Verdict: Cloudways wins on raw idle TTFB (127ms vs 143ms), developer tooling (Git, SSH, staging), and pay-as-you-go flexibility. ScalaHosting wins on total value — email included, SPanel included, no migration fees, and 3x lower cost at equivalent specs. The TTFB gap narrows to 3ms under real load. For developer teams and agencies, Cloudways is the better choice. For WordPress businesses who need email and a control panel, ScalaHosting wins decisively.
View ScalaHosting Plans ➦ Read our full ScalaHosting review →
Cloudways vs Kinsta (Head-to-Head)
Verdict: Kinsta's Google Cloud C2 infrastructure delivers ~120ms TTFB — slightly faster than Cloudways' 127ms. But at $35/mo for 1 site vs Cloudways' $14/mo for unlimited sites, the cost difference is decisive for agencies. Kinsta wins for single high-value WordPress sites where managed features (auto-updates, expert WordPress support, visual regression testing) justify the premium. Cloudways wins for developers and agencies managing multiple sites.
The agency math: 10 sites on Cloudways (Standard plan) = ~$50/mo. 10 sites on Kinsta = $350/mo. Cloudways saves $3,600/year for agencies.
Cloudways vs WP Engine (Head-to-Head)
Verdict: WP Engine's visit limits are the hidden trap. A site getting 50k monthly visits on the Startup plan ($25/mo) pays $75/mo in overages — $100/mo total vs Cloudways' $14/mo with no visit limits. WP Engine wins for enterprise clients who need SOC 2 compliance, Smart Plugin Manager, and dedicated WordPress support. Cloudways wins for everyone else — especially growing sites where visit limits would trigger expensive overages.
The visit limit math: At 100k monthly visits, WP Engine Startup costs $25 + $150 in overages = $175/mo. Cloudways Standard = $50/mo with no limits.
Who Should NOT Use Cloudways
Cloudways is the wrong choice if:
- Budget is under $30/mo: → ChemiCloud ($3.95/mo) delivers 189ms TTFB on shared hosting with LiteSpeed Enterprise. For low-traffic sites, the performance difference is imperceptible.
- You need cPanel or a familiar control panel: → ScalaHosting ($29.95/mo) includes SPanel (cPanel-equivalent) with email hosting at 3x lower cost than equivalent Cloudways.
- You need email hosting included: → ScalaHosting includes email with all VPS plans. Cloudways requires a separate email service.
- You need Windows VPS: → Kamatera offers Windows VPS with flexible configurations starting at $4/mo.
- You need phone support: → SiteGround offers phone support. Cloudways is live chat and tickets only.
- You're not technical: → Cloudways requires comfort with server concepts (PHP workers, Redis, Nginx). If you want a host that handles everything, ScalaHosting's managed service or Kinsta's fully managed WordPress is better.
- Your site gets under 10k monthly pageviews: → The performance difference between Cloudways and ChemiCloud is imperceptible at low traffic. Save the money.
Migration: How to Move to Cloudways
Cloudways offers two migration paths: the free Cloudways Migrator plugin (DIY) or paid professional migration ($50/site).
Free Migration via Cloudways Migrator Plugin
- Sign up for Cloudways — Use code CLOUDS2022 for $30 free credit. Choose Vultr HF, New York (or your nearest region).
- Create a server and application — Select WordPress, choose your server size (Standard 2c/4GB recommended), and set your domain.
- Install Cloudways Migrator on your current site — Install the free plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
- Enter your Cloudways credentials — The plugin connects to your new Cloudways server via API and copies all files and databases automatically.
- Test on the temporary URL — Cloudways provides a temporary URL (e.g.,
yourdomain.cloudwaysapps.com) to verify everything works before changing DNS. - Update DNS — Change your domain's A record to your Cloudways server IP. DNS propagation takes 24-48 hours.
- Keep old host active for 48 hours — Don't cancel until DNS has fully propagated globally.
Migration Tips:
- Run the migration during low-traffic hours (2-4am in your primary timezone)
- Take a full backup of your current site before starting
- Test WooCommerce checkout on the temporary URL before switching DNS
- Use whatsmydns.net to monitor DNS propagation globally
- Configure Redis Object Cache Pro after migration — it's not enabled by default
- Set PHP workers to the recommended count for your server size after migration
FAQ: Cloudways
Is Cloudways worth it in 2026?
Yes — for developers and agencies who need cloud flexibility and don't require email hosting. Cloudways delivers 127ms TTFB on Vultr High Frequency (lowest idle TTFB we tested), 168ms at 100 concurrent users (32% degradation), and 99.981% uptime over 12 months. The main caveats: no email hosting (add $6-12/mo), no cPanel, and the true cost for a production setup (4c/8GB + email) is ~$118-130/mo vs ScalaHosting's ~$36/mo all-in. Use code CLOUDS2022 for $30 free credit to test before committing.
What cloud provider should I choose on Cloudways?
Vultr High Frequency for most WordPress sites. Our benchmarks: Vultr HF = 127ms TTFB at $14/mo (1c/1GB). DigitalOcean Premium = 142ms at $15/mo. Linode/Akamai = 155ms at $14/mo. AWS = 168ms at $36/mo. Google Cloud = 172ms at $33/mo. Vultr HF wins on both speed and price. Choose DigitalOcean if you need their specific ecosystem (Spaces, Managed Databases). Choose AWS or GCE only if your organization has existing cloud contracts or compliance requirements.
Does Cloudways include email hosting?
No. Email hosting is not included with any Cloudways plan. You'll need to add Google Workspace ($6/mo per user) or Zoho Mail ($1/mo per user) separately. This is one of Cloudways' most significant hidden costs — a team of 5 using Google Workspace adds $30/mo to the base price. ScalaHosting includes email hosting with all VPS plans.
How does Cloudways compare to Kinsta?
Cloudways wins on price and flexibility; Kinsta wins on managed features and support. Cloudways: $14/mo for unlimited sites, 127ms TTFB, 5 cloud providers, Git deployment. Kinsta: $35/mo for 1 site, ~120ms TTFB, Google Cloud only, best managed WordPress features. For agencies managing 10+ sites, Cloudways saves $210/mo vs Kinsta. For single high-value sites where managed features justify the premium, Kinsta is excellent.
What is Cloudways' uptime guarantee?
Cloudways doesn't publish a formal SLA uptime guarantee. Our 12-month UptimeRobot Pro monitoring (1-minute checks) recorded 99.981% uptime on Vultr HF — approximately 101 minutes of downtime per year. This is good but not the best we've tested (ScalaHosting: 99.993%, ~37 min downtime). Cloudways' uptime depends partly on the underlying cloud provider — Vultr HF and DigitalOcean are the most reliable in our tests.
Can I host multiple WordPress sites on Cloudways?
Yes — unlimited WordPress sites on any Cloudways plan. This is one of Cloudways' biggest advantages over Kinsta ($35/mo per site) and WP Engine ($25/mo per site). A single Cloudways server (2c/4GB at $50/mo) can host 5-10 low-to-medium traffic WordPress sites. For agencies, this makes Cloudways significantly more cost-effective than per-site pricing models.
Does Cloudways have hidden fees?
Yes — several. The base price doesn't include: email hosting (add $6-12/mo), Cloudflare Enterprise CDN (add $1/100GB), extended backups beyond 7-day retention (paid), and site migration ($50/site, or free DIY). The true cost for a production WordPress setup (4c/8GB Vultr HF + email) is $118-130/mo — not the $14/mo advertised. Always calculate the full cost including add-ons before comparing to competitors.
Is Cloudways good for WooCommerce?
Yes, with the right configuration. Cloudways includes Redis Object Cache Pro free ($99/yr value) — essential for WooCommerce performance. PHP-FPM workers are configurable (increase to 20+ for WooCommerce). Our load test showed 168ms at 100 concurrent users on Vultr HF. For WooCommerce, choose at minimum the 2c/4GB plan ($50/mo) and configure PHP workers to 15-20. The main limitation: no email hosting means you need a separate transactional email service (Mailgun, SendGrid) for WooCommerce order notifications.
What happened after DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways?
DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways in September 2022. The main changes: pricing increased on some plans, the free trial was shortened from 3 days to a credit-based system, and some legacy features were deprecated. The core product (managed cloud hosting across 5 providers) remains unchanged. Cloudways still supports Vultr, AWS, GCE, and Linode — not just DigitalOcean. The acquisition raised concerns about long-term independence, but Cloudways has continued operating as a separate product.
How do I cancel Cloudways?
Cloudways uses pay-as-you-go billing — you can cancel any time with no penalties. To cancel: 1) Delete all applications and servers in your Cloudways dashboard, 2) Go to Account > Billing > Close Account. You'll be charged for the current billing period (hourly billing). There's no long-term contract or cancellation fee. This is one of Cloudways' genuine advantages over hosts with annual contracts.
Final Verdict: Is Cloudways Worth It?
Yes — for developers and agencies who need cloud flexibility and don't require email hosting.
The benchmarks are clear: 127ms TTFB (fastest idle TTFB tested), 168ms at 100 concurrent users (32% degradation — excellent), 99.981% uptime over 12 months. Redis Object Cache Pro included free. Best developer tooling in managed hosting: Git deployment, SSH, WP-CLI, one-click staging, 5 cloud providers.
The honest caveats: no email hosting (add $6-12/mo), no cPanel, true production cost is $118-130/mo for 4c/8GB with email — 3x more expensive than ScalaHosting's equivalent. The DigitalOcean acquisition raised long-term concerns. No phone support.
Try Cloudways Free — Code CLOUDS2022 = $30 Credit ➦
Not right for you? See our ScalaHosting review (email included, 3x lower cost) or our full WordPress hosting comparison — including ChemiCloud ($3.95/mo) for budget users.
📚 Related Cloudways Content
- Comparisons: Cloudways vs SiteGround • Cloudways vs Kinsta • Cloudways vs ScalaHosting • Cloudways vs Hostinger
- Alternatives: ScalaHosting (better value) • Kinsta (premium) • ChemiCloud (budget)
- 💰 Save Money: Cloudways Promo Code ($30 free credit + 10% off 3 months) • ScalaHosting Coupon (20% OFF recurring) • ChemiCloud Coupon (75% OFF + free domain)
- More Deals: Hostinger Coupon • SiteGround Renewal Tips • Black Friday Deals
- Categories: Best cloud hosting • Best managed WordPress