Cloudways is a top-tier managed cloud hosting platform for business owners seeking superior speed.
While writing this Cloudways review, I noticed updates to their cloud infrastructure partners, server caching technology, and the new Cloudways Autonomous autoscaling feature.
It remains a preferred choice for high-performance WordPress hosting and WooCommerce stores, famous for its pay-as-you-go pricing. With recent changes to their dashboard and support options, does it still deliver exceptional value?
I analyzed key features, including server response times and uptime reliability, backed by real-time data and a practical setup guide.
Let’s examine how these hosting solutions perform and if Cloudways is the right engine for your website growth! 🚀
What is Cloudways? ☁️
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform acting as a bridge between you and top cloud providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud.
It simplifies technical server management so you can launch WordPress sites and PHP applications without coding skills. Users get dedicated server resources and automated security features on a pay-as-you-go model.
This platform removes the complexity of handling raw cloud servers while delivering high-speed performance for businesses.
Key Aspects of Cloudways 📋
| Key Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| 📅 Founded | 2012 |
| 🏢 Headquarters | Malta |
| 👥 Founders | Uzair Gadit, Aquib Gadit, Pere Hospital |
| 🤝 Parent Company | DigitalOcean (Acquired 2023) |
| ☁️ Cloud Partners | DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, Google Cloud |
| 💻 Control Panel | Custom Easy-to-Use Dashboard |
| 🚀 Server Type | Managed Cloud Servers |
| 💰 Pricing Model | Pay-As-You-Go (Monthly/Hourly) |
| 💳 Free Trial | 3 Days (No Credit Card) |
| 🌐 Data Centers | 75+ Global Locations |
| 🔒 Security | Dedicated Firewalls & Free SSL |
| 🛒 Best For | WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento |
| 📞 Support | 24/7 Live Chat & Ticketing |
Cloudways connects users to premium cloud infrastructure without the usual technical headaches. It remains a top choice for agencies and stores needing scalable hosting solutions.
How AFFMaven Tested Cloudways 🧪
Our team at AFFMaven spent 30 days running live performance tests on Cloudways to verify its claims for affiliate marketers and SEO professionals.
We deployed three high-traffic niche sites using DigitalOcean and Vultr servers to simulate real-world affiliate campaigns.
Our testing protocol involved monitoring server uptime every minute and executing load tests with 50 concurrent users to check stability during traffic spikes.
We also migrated a WooCommerce store to evaluate their free migration service and support responsiveness.
This hands-on approach ensures our hosting reviews are based on actual data rather than just feature lists.
Cloudways Key Features 💎
Multiple Cloud Provider Options
Cloudways partners with five leading infrastructure providers, giving you freedom to choose based on your needs:
Unlimited Application Hosting
Host unlimited websites on any Cloudways plan regardless of tier. Manage multiple WordPress sites, WooCommerce stores, or PHP applications from a single unified dashboard.
75+ Global Data Centers
Access 75+ server locations across North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South Africa. Choose geographically optimal locations to minimize latency for your target audience.
Cloudways Autonomous: Auto-Scaling Solution 🎯
Cloudways Autonomous provides fully managed WordPress hosting built on Google Kubernetes Engine.
Features include:
Advanced Performance Stack
Cloudways implements a powerful combination of Apache and Nginx servers with built-in optimization technologies. Each server includes SSD-based storage, PHP 8.3 support, and multiple caching layers including Varnish, Redis, and Memcached.
Breeze Cache Plugin comes pre-installed, optimizing WordPress sites without additional configuration. Performance tests reveal impressive results with P95 response times of 268ms under heavy load and peak throughput reaching 99 requests per second.
Enterprise-Grade Security 🛡️
Security infrastructure includes Imunify360 firewall, automated malware scanning, Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates, two-factor authentication, and DDoS protection. WordPress Vulnerability Scanner continuously monitors plugin and theme versions against Patchstack database for potential threats.
Performance Testing Results 📊
Speed Performance
Server response time from the Singapore location measured just 1 millisecond—extraordinarily fast. India-based testing showed page loads of 1.04 seconds, while US testing recorded 3.62 seconds.
Cloudways implements Apache and Nginx server combination optimized for peak performance. While not using LiteSpeed like some competitors, their configuration delivers exceptional results.
Uptime Monitoring
365-day uptime monitoring revealed 99.98% average uptime across DigitalOcean Singapore servers. Recent months consistently achieved 99.99% uptime, with several months reaching perfect 100%.
Cloudways doesn’t guarantee uptime contractually, yet real-world performance exceeds industry standards.
Load Testing Capacity
Stress testing with 50 virtual users generating 7,900 requests resulted in zero failures. P95 response time remained stable at 268 milliseconds with peak handling of 41 requests per second.
Response time graphs showed no significant spikes during traffic surges, confirming excellent load handling capability for high-traffic scenarios.
📘 Getting Started Guide: Setting Up Cloudways
- Step 1: Choose Cloud Provider
Select from DigitalOcean (best value), Vultr High Frequency (best performance), AWS, Google Cloud, or Linode based on your needs and budget.
- Step 2: Select Server Size
Start with entry-level specifications (1GB RAM, 25GB storage, 1TB bandwidth) and scale up as traffic grows.
- Step 3: Pick Data Center Location
Choose from 50+ global data centers across the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. Select locations closest to your target audience for optimal speed.
- Step 4: Install Application
1-click installation available for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, and PHP applications. Additional platforms like Drupal and Joomla can be installed via PHP Stack.
- Step 5: Configure Domain
Add your domain name or use a free temporary URL provided by Cloudways for testing. Bulk domain management allows adding multiple domains simultaneously.
- Step 6: Enable Caching
Activate Breeze Cache Plugin and configure Redis/Memcached for optimal performance. Built-in Varnish cache works automatically.
- Step 7: Set Up Backups
Configure automated backup schedule with custom frequency and retention periods. Backups cost $0.033 per GB with $0.50 minimum.
💰 Cloudways Pricing Plans
Cloudways follows transparent pay-as-you-go pricing across five cloud infrastructure providers, with costs varying by server specifications and provider.
DigitalOcean Pricing (Most Popular)
| Plan | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Monthly Cost | Hourly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | 1GB | 25GB | 1TB | $11.00 | $0.015 |
| Small | 2GB | 50GB | 2TB | $24.00 | $0.033 |
| Medium | 4GB | 80GB | 4TB | $46.00 | $0.063 |
| Large | 8GB | 160GB | 5TB | $88.00 | $0.120 |
Other Cloud Providers
Cloudways Autonomous
Premium WordPress hosting with autoscaling, load balancing, and Cloudflare Enterprise CDN starts at $35/month.
Additional Costs 💵
Free Trial: 3-day trial available for DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr without credit card requirement.
Backup and Recovery Options 💾
Cloudways offers three backup types for comprehensive data protection:
Scheduled Backups run automatically based on your configured frequency, time, and retention preferences. On-Demand Backups create manual snapshots before implementing major changes or updates. Local Backups store recent backup copies directly on your server for quick access.
Restoration happens with 1-click simplicity, offering partial restore options for web files only, databases only, or complete restoration. The MyDumper backup utility optimizes backup speeds for larger databases, ensuring faster processing and improved server performance during backup operations.
Recently introduced Server Recovery lets you restore accidentally deleted servers within 15 days, providing an additional safety net against human error.
🌐 Content Delivery Network Options
Cloudflare Enterprise CDN partnership offers exceptional value at $5/month for the first domain and $2/month for additional domains. This enterprise-tier CDN typically costs $1,000-5,000/month when purchased directly.
Benefits include:
Alternatively, integrate free Cloudflare CDN manually or use Cloudways CDN at $1 per 25GB.
Advanced Features Worth Knowing 🔧
Team Collaboration Tools
Account sharing enables adding team members with granular permissions. Grant full access or limit to specific servers, applications, billing, or support categories. Perfect for agencies managing client sites.
Vertical Scaling Flexibility
Upgrade server resources instantly as traffic grows. DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr require permanent upgrades, while AWS and Google Cloud allow scaling up or down.
Scale CPU, RAM, and storage independently on AWS and Google Cloud. Other providers require upgrading all resources together—less flexible but simpler.
Traffic Analytics Dashboard
Monitor IP requests showing which addresses access your site most frequently. Bot traffic visibility helps identify resource-draining bots for blocking. URL requests reveal most-visited pages, while status codes highlight broken links.
Staging Environment
Clone production sites for testing updates safely. Push operation creates staging copy, while Pull operation implements tested changes to live site.
Choose overwriting (complete replacement) or incrementing (only changed files) when deploying. One-click staging included on all plans.
Cloudways Copilot AI
AI support assistant monitors services 24/7 and auto-detects server issues. Provides actionable recommendations and resolves problems 4x faster than traditional support. Currently free during the Public Preview phase.
🔄 Cloudways Alternatives Comparison
Here’s how Cloudways stacks up against leading managed WordPress hosting competitors:
| Feature | Cloudways | Kinsta | WP Engine | Rocket.net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $11/mo | $30/mo | $20/mo | $25/mo |
| Cloud Providers | 5 options | Google Cloud only | Google Cloud/AWS | Google Cloud |
| Data Centers | 50+ locations | 35+ locations | 15+ locations | 28+ locations |
| Free Migrations | 1 site | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free CDN | ❌ No | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (Enterprise) |
| Email Hosting | Paid add-on | None | None | None |
| Uptime Guarantee | 99.99% | 99.9% | 99.95% | 99.99% |
| Money-Back Guarantee | None | 30 days | 60 days | 30 days |
Kinsta offers unlimited free migrations and includes Cloudflare CDN but costs 3x more than Cloudways entry plans. WP Engine provides excellent WordPress-specific tools but lacks multi-cloud flexibility. Rocket.net includes autoscaling like Cloudways Autonomous but at higher base pricing.
For budget-conscious users needing control and flexibility, Cloudways delivers superior value. Agencies managing multiple client sites benefit from team collaboration features and multi-cloud options.
Cloudways Pros and Cons ⚖️
Advantages ✅
Disadvantages ❌
Customer Support Quality 📞
Available support channels:
Response times fluctuate between 2-5 minutes depending on query complexity. 96% CSAT score and 73 industry-leading NPS demonstrate customer satisfaction.
Premium support tiers offer dedicated account managers and private Slack channels for agencies requiring priority assistance.
📈 Is Cloudways Suitable for High-Traffic Websites?
Yes, Cloudways excels at handling high-traffic scenarios due to several factors:
Testing confirms capability to serve 7,900+ requests with zero failures and stable response times.
Maven Verdict on Cloudways☁️
Cloudways stands tall as a trusted managed cloud hosting solution for affiliate marketers and agencies handling demanding traffic volumes. AFFMaven’s real-world testing confirms its reliability for serious performance optimization across global audiences.
High-volume campaigns thrive on its consistent delivery, maximizing revenue potential for growth-focused teams.
Ready to upgrade your hosting performance and capture more conversions from your traffic?
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