Cloudways Review 2026: Managed Cloud Hosting Worth It?

This Cloudways review looks at one of the most popular managed cloud hosting platforms for agencies, ecommerce stores and growing sites. Owned by DigitalOcean and based in Malta, Cloudways lets you run fast managed servers on top of providers like AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr and Linode without touching the command line. Here is how it performs, what it costs, and who it suits.

Key takeaways

• Cloudways is managed cloud hosting that sits on top of five underlying cloud providers.
• You get strong performance and a clean control panel without managing servers yourself.
• Pricing is pay as you go with no long lock-in, but there is no free domain or email.
• It suits agencies, developers and ecommerce sites more than absolute beginners on a tight budget.

What is undefined?

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that removes the complexity of running your own cloud server. Instead of configuring AWS or Google Cloud directly, you pick a provider and a server size, and Cloudways handles the setup, caching, security patches and monitoring for you.

Since being acquired by DigitalOcean, Cloudways has kept its multi-cloud choice while investing in performance and support. It is a popular pick for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento and Laravel projects that have outgrown cheap shared hosting.

undefined features and plans

Every Cloudways plan includes free SSL, automated backups, staging environments, a built-in CDN option and server level caching with their Breeze and object cache tools. The platform is optimised for speed, which is why performance is a highlight in most Cloudways reviews.

You can scale server resources up or down with a few clicks, clone sites, and manage teams with role based access. There is 24/7 support over live chat, plus optional premium support tiers for agencies that need faster response times.

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Cloudways uses pay as you go pricing based on the underlying provider and server size, with DigitalOcean based plans starting at the low end and AWS and Google Cloud costing more. You are billed monthly for what you use, with no long contracts.

The trade off is that Cloudways does not bundle a free domain or email hosting, so you add those separately. For the managed features and performance you get, most users find the pricing fair for business sites.

undefined pros and cons

Pros:

• Excellent performance thanks to server level caching and SSD cloud infrastructure
• Choice of five cloud providers on one simple dashboard
• Pay as you go billing with no long-term lock-in
• Free SSL, staging, backups and 24/7 live chat support

Cons:

• No free domain or email hosting included
• Can be pricier than basic shared hosting for very small sites
• Some advanced server tweaks still need a support ticket

Who is undefined best for?

Cloudways is best for agencies, developers, and ecommerce or WordPress site owners who want cloud performance without managing servers. If you run client sites or a store that needs speed and easy scaling, it is a strong fit.

Absolute beginners building their first small blog on the tightest budget may prefer a cheaper shared host with a free domain, but they will give up the performance and scalability Cloudways offers.

Frequently asked questions

The bottom line

Cloudways is one of the best managed cloud hosts for anyone who wants real performance and easy scaling without becoming a server admin. It is not the cheapest option for a tiny first site, but for agencies, developers and growing stores, this Cloudways review rates it a reliable, high performance choice.

For more options, compare our DigitalOcean review, or learn more about web hosting.