Discover if Cloudways is the right hosting solution for your website in this comprehensive review. We dive deep into Cloudways' features, performance, pricing, and customer support to help you make an informed decision.
Table of contents
About Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform founded in 2011 that offers a unique approach to web hosting. Unlike traditional hosting providers, Cloudways acts as an intermediary between users and cloud infrastructure providers, offering a user-friendly interface and managed services on top of powerful cloud servers.
Cloudways allows users to choose from 5 different cloud providers: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud. It provides a layer of management on top of these cloud infrastructures, making it easier for users to deploy and manage websites and applications.
- Choice of five cloud providers: DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, AWS, and Google Cloud.
- Managed services for popular applications like WordPress, Magento, and Laravel.
- Built-in caching and content delivery network (CDN) for improved performance.
- One-click staging environments and server cloning.
- 24/7 support via live chat and ticket system.
- Pay-as-you-go billing model with hourly rates available.
Cloudways aims to simplify cloud hosting for businesses and developers, providing the benefits of cloud infrastructure without the complexity of server management. This approach has made it a popular choice for those seeking high-performance hosting with greater flexibility than traditional shared hosting plans.
Cloudways vs Traditional Hosting
Cloudways offers several advantages over traditional hosting providers. Unlike shared hosting, Cloudways provides virtual private servers (VPS) with dedicated resources, ensuring better performance and scalability. The platform allows users to choose from multiple cloud infrastructure providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud, offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness. While Cloudways may have a steeper learning curve, it provides more control and better performance for the price compared to most shared hosting plans.
- Pay-as-you-go billing model, charging only for resources used.
- Unlimited websites per server, unlike many traditional hosts.
- Advanced features like server cloning, auto-healing, and AI-assisted performance optimization.
- Built-in caching, CDN, and security measures without additional costs.
- Easier scalability during traffic spikes compared to traditional hosting.
Cloudways Key Features
Cloudways offers a robust set of core capabilities that set it apart in the managed cloud hosting market. These features are designed to provide users with a powerful, flexible, and user-friendly hosting experience.
Server Management and Deployment
Cloudways excels in simplifying server management and deployment. Users can launch a server with their chosen application in minutes using a straightforward interface. The platform supports multiple PHP-based applications, including WordPress, Magento, Laravel, and Drupal. One-click server cloning and staging environments allow for easy testing and development without affecting live sites.
Performance Optimization
Performance is a key focus for Cloudways. The platform utilizes ThunderStack, a proprietary caching system that combines several server technologies for optimized hosting. This includes advanced caching mechanisms like Varnish, Memcached, and Redis, which work together to significantly improve website loading speeds. Additionally, Cloudways offers a built-in CDN and image optimization features to further enhance performance.
Security Measures
Cloudways prioritizes security with a range of features. These include dedicated firewalls, IP whitelisting, and regular security patching. The platform also provides free SSL certificates with one-click installation, ensuring encrypted connections for all websites. Two-factor authentication and bot protection add extra layers of security to both user accounts and hosted websites.
Scalability and Flexibility
One of Cloudways' standout features is its scalability. Users can easily scale their server resources up or down as needed, with some providers offering instant upgrades. The pay-as-you-go pricing model ensures that users only pay for the resources they use, making it cost-effective for businesses of all sizes.
Monitoring and Analytics
Cloudways provides comprehensive monitoring tools to help users keep track of their server and application performance. Real-time monitoring is available for CPU usage, RAM, storage, and bandwidth. Integration with New Relic offers advanced application performance monitoring, allowing users to identify and resolve issues quickly.
Backup and Recovery
Automated backups are a standard feature on Cloudways, with options for both server-level and application-level backups. Users can customize their backup frequency and retention periods. The platform also offers one-click restoration, ensuring quick recovery in case of any data loss.
Uptime Performance
Cloudways consistently delivers exceptional uptime performance across its various cloud hosting providers. Independent tests have shown that Cloudways maintains an impressive 99.99% uptime, with some users reporting 100% uptime over extended periods. This high level of reliability is crucial for businesses and websites that require constant availability.
- Digital Ocean servers on Cloudways offer 99.99% uptime SLA per month.
- Long-term monitoring (365+ days) has shown an average uptime of 99.99%.
- Some users report no downtime at all over several months of continuous monitoring.
- Cloudways' uptime performance is consistent across different cloud providers, including AWS and Google Cloud.
The platform's robust infrastructure and proactive server management contribute to this stellar uptime record, ensuring that websites hosted on Cloudways remain accessible and operational for users around the clock.
Website Speed Performance
Cloudways consistently delivers impressive website speed performance across its various cloud hosting options. In speed tests conducted by independent reviewers, Cloudways servers demonstrated exceptional loading times and responsiveness.
- GTmetrix tests showed an A grade with a 100% score, passing all Google Core Web Vitals performance metrics.
- Load times as low as 1.22 seconds were recorded for websites hosted on Cloudways' Singapore servers.
- Server response times as low as 1 ms were observed in Asian regions.
- LoadImpact tests simulating 200 concurrent users showed stable performance with minimal fluctuations in response times.
Cloudways achieves these impressive speeds through a combination of optimized server configurations, built-in caching mechanisms, and content delivery network (CDN) integration. The platform's use of SSD storage, Nginx web servers, and advanced PHP versions further contributes to its high-performance hosting environment.
It's worth noting that actual website speeds can vary depending on factors such as the chosen cloud provider, server location, and specific website configuration. However, Cloudways consistently outperforms many traditional shared hosting providers in terms of speed and responsiveness.
Cloudways Pros and Cons
Cloudways offers a unique blend of features that make it an attractive option for many users, but it also has some drawbacks to consider. Cloudways offers powerful features and flexibility, users should weigh these pros and cons against their specific needs and technical expertise before choosing this hosting solution.
| pros | cons |
|---|---|
| Flexible cloud provider options (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, etc.) allowing users to choose their preferred infrastructure. | No free email hosting included, requiring an additional paid add-on. |
| User-friendly interface and easy server management, making cloud hosting accessible to non-technical users. | Lack of root access to servers, which may limit some advanced customizations. |
| Pay-as-you-go pricing model with no long-term commitments. | Steeper learning curve compared to traditional shared hosting for beginners. |
| Excellent performance and speed optimization through built-in caching and CDN integration. | No free CDN on basic plans. |
| 24/7 expert support available via live chat. | Custom control panel can be confusing for users accustomed to cPanel. |
| Automated backups and one-click restoration for data security. | Offsite backups are chargeable and cannot be turned off. |
Cloudways Hosting Options
Cloudways offers a range of affordable cloud hosting options that cater to various needs and budgets. By leveraging multiple cloud infrastructure providers, Cloudways can provide cost-effective solutions for businesses of all sizes.
The most budget-friendly option on Cloudways is the DigitalOcean Standard plan, which starts at $11 per month. This plan includes 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, and 1TB Bandwidth, making it suitable for small websites or blogs with moderate traffic. For those requiring slightly more resources, the DigitalOcean Premium plan begins at $14 per month, offering improved performance.
For users looking for more robust cloud solutions, Cloudways provides access to Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure. These options start at higher price points but offer enhanced scalability and performance. The AWS plans begin at $38.56 per month, while GCP plans start at $37.45 per month.
| Cloud Provider | Starting Price | Features |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean Standard | $11/month | 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, 1TB Bandwidth |
| DigitalOcean Premium | $14/month | 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, 1TB Bandwidth |
| Vultr | $15/month | 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, 1TB Bandwidth |
| Linode | $14/month | 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, 1TB Bandwidth |
| AWS | $38.56/month | 2GB RAM, 2 Core Processor, 20GB Storage, 2GB Bandwidth |
| Google Cloud | $37.45/month | 2GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25GB Storage, 2GB Bandwidth |
It's important to note that Cloudways operates on a pay-as-you-go model, charging only for the resources used. This means that if you use a server for only a portion of the month, you'll be billed accordingly. For instance, the DigitalOcean 1GB plan costs approximately $0.015 per hour, allowing for flexible and cost-effective scaling.
While these plans offer a great starting point, Cloudways allows easy vertical scaling of resources as your needs grow. This flexibility ensures that you can start with an affordable option and seamlessly upgrade as your website or application demands more resources.
Cloudways vs Top Competitors
Cloudways stands out from traditional hosting providers like Bluehost and GoDaddy by offering a unique managed cloud hosting platform. Unlike shared hosting plans, Cloudways provides users with virtual private servers (VPS) that offer dedicated resources and better performance. This approach allows for greater scalability and flexibility, as users can easily adjust their server resources to meet changing demands.
When compared to other managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine, Cloudways offers more competitive pricing and greater flexibility in terms of server locations and infrastructure partners. Cloudways boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee, which is superior to many competitors. Additionally, Cloudways' pay-as-you-go pricing model and the ability to host unlimited websites on a single server make it an attractive option for agencies and developers managing multiple sites.
However, Cloudways may have a steeper learning curve compared to some traditional hosting providers, as it requires more technical knowledge to fully utilize its features. While Cloudways excels in performance and flexibility, it lacks some conveniences offered by competitors, such as free domain registration and email hosting. Despite these trade-offs, Cloudways' combination of performance, scalability, and competitive pricing makes it a strong contender in the managed cloud hosting market, particularly for users seeking a balance between control and ease of use.
Final Verdict
Cloudways stands out from traditional hosting providers like Bluehost and GoDaddy by offering a unique managed cloud hosting platform. Unlike shared hosting plans, Cloudways provides users with virtual private servers (VPS) that offer dedicated resources and better performance. This approach allows for greater scalability and flexibility, as users can easily adjust their server resources to meet changing demands.
When compared to other managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine, Cloudways offers more competitive pricing and greater flexibility in terms of server locations and infrastructure partners. Cloudways boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee, which is superior to many competitors. Additionally, Cloudways' pay-as-you-go pricing model and the ability to host unlimited websites on a single server make it an attractive option for agencies and developers managing multiple sites.
However, Cloudways may have a steeper learning curve compared to some traditional hosting providers, as it requires more technical knowledge to fully utilize its features. While Cloudways excels in performance and flexibility, it lacks some conveniences offered by competitors, such as free domain registration and email hosting. Despite these trade-offs, Cloudways' combination of performance, scalability, and competitive pricing makes it a strong contender in the managed cloud hosting market, particularly for users seeking a balance between control and ease of use
Cloudways Hosting Review Summary
- User Interface4.4
- Features4.7
- Performance4.6
- Security4.8
- Customer Support4.4
