Cloud hosting
Managed cloud servers on DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud and more, billed by the hour.
Cloudways lets you pick a cloud server from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud, then manages it for you. You can host as many sites as the server can handle, scale up in a few clicks, and pay by the hour with no annual contract. Staging, Redis and Object Cache Pro are included.
It's less hand-holding than a managed WordPress host: there's no email or domain, the Cloudflare Enterprise CDN and off-site backup storage cost extra, and there's no phone support. There's also no money-back guarantee, only a 3-day free trial.
See Cloudways plans From $14/mo · 3-day free trial, no card needed.
| Best for | Developers, agencies and growing stores that want cloud power without running servers |
|---|---|
| Type | Cloud hosting |
| Entry plan | DigitalOcean 1 GB · Unlimited sites (server-limited), No visit cap, 25 GB storage |
| Starting price | $14/mo · Billed monthly by the hour; no intro discount |
| Month to month | $14/mo |
| Renewal | Same price at renewal |
| Money-back guarantee | None (3-day free trial) |
| Uptime guarantee | 99.99% (stated) |
| Support | 24/7 chat, Tickets, Paid premium support add-on |
| Owner | DigitalOcean |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Starting price | $14/mo |
|---|---|
| Renewal | Same price at renewal |
| First year | $168 |
| Three years (estimate) | $504 |
Choose Cloudways if you're one of these: developers, agencies and growing stores that want cloud power without running servers.
Skip it if you want email, a free domain, phone support or a money-back guarantee. See the best Cloudways alternatives.
Cloudways offers 24/7 chat and tickets. Faster, more hands-on help is a paid add-on, and there's no phone support.
Ready to try Cloudways?
From $14/mo. 3-day free trial, no card needed.
Managed cloud servers without cPanel license fees, thanks to its own SPanel.
Best for Growing sites and agencies ready to move from shared hosting to a managed cloud server
Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud, with the best dashboard we've seen.
Best for Businesses, stores and agencies that want top speed and support and are happy to pay for it
Edge-first managed WordPress with Cloudflare Enterprise built into every plan.
Best for Site owners who want very fast global load times and no visit counting
Head-to-heads: WP Engine vs Cloudways, Kinsta vs Cloudways, Cloudways vs ScalaHosting, Rocket.net vs Cloudways, SiteGround vs Cloudways, Hostinger vs Cloudways
Cloudways starts at $14/mo on the DigitalOcean 1 GB plan billed monthly. Month-to-month it's $14/mo. Prices were checked in October 2026 and can change, so confirm at checkout.
No. Cloudways doesn't offer a money-back guarantee. Instead there's a 3-day free trial, and you pay by the hour, so you can delete a server at any time.
Yes, if you're comfortable with a bit more technical setup. Its WordPress stack includes server caching, Redis and staging, and you can scale a busy site easily.
Developers, agencies and growing stores that want cloud power without running servers. Real cloud performance with easy scaling and no contracts, but more technical than a managed WordPress host and extras cost more.
Real cloud performance with easy scaling and no contracts, but more technical than a managed WordPress host and extras cost more. It scores 8.3 out of 10 overall. Skip it if you want email, a free domain, phone support or a money-back guarantee.
No. Cloudways offers 24/7 chat and tickets. Faster, more hands-on help is a paid add-on, and there's no phone support.
Yes, Cloudways includes free site migration.
ScalaHosting, Kinsta, Rocket.net are the closest alternatives in our ratings.