bwt
// host

Cloudways

by Cloudways

Managed hosting layer on top of DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, GCP. Pay-per-server pricing, agency-friendly multi-site management.

Visit Cloudways → Docs
// decision data
Entry price
$14/mo
DigitalOcean 1GB tier
Response time
220ms
P50 · June 1, 2026
Lighthouse
95 / 100
Tested June 1, 2026
Support
24/7 chat
chat · tickets
Cloud NGINX Unlimited (per server resources) 25GB storage Not capped (within server capacity) PHP 8.3
Included at entry tier
  • Choose underlying cloud (DO, Vultr, AWS, GCP, Linode)
  • Varnish + Redis + NGINX stack
  • Free SSL
  • Daily backups
  • Staging environments
  • Cloudflare integration (basic free)
  • Pay-per-server pricing
  • Multi-site server management
Data centers: 10+ regions on DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, GCP
// editorial verdict

Cloudways sits between cloud infrastructure (DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, GCP) and the WordPress administrator. You pick the underlying cloud and tier; Cloudways handles WordPress optimization, server management, caching (Varnish, Redis, NGINX), backups, and updates. Pay-per-server pricing rather than per-site lets you run many small sites on one server economically. Acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022.

Pros

  • Pay-per-server lets agencies run many small client sites economically
  • Choice of underlying cloud (DigitalOcean for cost, AWS/GCP for compliance)
  • Stack is solid — Varnish + Redis + NGINX out of the box
  • Now owned by DigitalOcean (more sustainable than an independent layer would be)

Cons

  • Admin UI is functional but not as polished as Kinsta or WP Engine
  • No email hosting (BYO)
  • Some advanced features require add-ons (CloudwaysCDN, Cloudflare integration)
When to pick Cloudways

Pick Cloudways for agencies running many small-to-medium client sites where per-site pricing on managed-WP gets expensive. Strong fit when you want cloud control without managing the infrastructure yourself.

When to avoid Cloudways

Avoid for single high-traffic sites where the managed-WP optimization premium pays off, or when you specifically want bundled email hosting or a polished hand-holding admin.

// faq

Frequently asked questions

How does Cloudways pricing work?
Pay-per-server, not per-site. The 1GB DigitalOcean tier is $14/month and you can run multiple WordPress sites on it (limited by your traffic and server resources). Scaling up: bigger DO droplet or move to AWS/GCP. Agencies running many small client sites get strong economics from this model.
Is Cloudways still independent?
Cloudways was acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022. The brand and product continue to operate independently within DigitalOcean's broader portfolio. The acquisition has been net-positive for sustainability — the abstraction layer Cloudways provides is more secure with a major cloud provider behind it.
Cloudways vs SiteGround?
Cloudways runs on top of major cloud providers with pay-per-server pricing — best for agencies managing many sites. SiteGround uses LiteSpeed on their own infrastructure with per-site pricing — best for single-site owners who want hands-off hosting. Different shapes of value.
Does Cloudways include email?
No, Cloudways does not bundle email hosting. You'll need Google Workspace, Fastmail, ImprovMX, or a similar provider separately.
// pairs with

Themes that pair well with Cloudways

// often compared with
// similar hosts
// methodology

Performance testing

Tested config: DigitalOcean 1GB tier, Astra + WC baseline, mobile 4G, cold cache, 5 runs. 5 runs, median reported. Response time is server TTFB measured at the entry tier.

Pricing disclosure

Prices shown are the public entry-tier rate at the time of last review. Many WordPress hosts use aggressive intro pricing that increases substantially at renewal (often 2-3×). Always check the renewal rate before committing to a multi-year prepay.