A quality web hosting is crucial for your blog or e-commerce business. In this Cloudways review, we have explained if Cloudways makes a good option for you. Are you looking for a reliable, managed web hosting? Are you fed up with the sub-par service current market leaders provide? Cloudways could be the solution you’ve been waiting for. This Cloudways review will explore the hosting service in detail and leave no stone unturned. On the surface, this web hosting service seems to have the right balance of efficiency and affordability, which is rare to find these days. But is it really going to make any difference, especially if you’re migrating from another hosting platform? Most Cloudways hosting reviews only look at the most basic things. We want to dig deeper and analyze everything, including how you can set up a server, migrate a website, manage it, etc. We also want to explore the infrastructure this hosting service is based on and what makes it different from others. Started in 2011, Cloudways is based in the tiny country of Malta in the Meditteranean. However, it’s garnering popularity all over the world. Their hosting solutions cover a variety of hosting needs, including managed WordPress, managed cloud hosting, and PHP app hosting. One of the highlights of Cloudways is that you can choose the cloud hosting provider. This list contains five of the best cloud hosting platforms in the world right now. There are plenty of other key features that give this particular hosting company quite a leverage over other popular platforms. Cloudways does not offer shared hosting, but that could be a possibility in the future. With servers located across seven countries and major technological hubs of the world, it’s fair to say that the company has a solid infrastructure. In this Cloudways review, we’ll look into that as well to determine how it affects the speed and performance.
Cloudways Review: A Detailed Analysis of the Hosting Services
Cloudways offers a free trial for its hosting services, so you can experience their service for yourself and see if it fits the bill. To use the free trial, you will need your full name and an email address. The Cloudways Bot guides you all along, which would make things even easier for you. We used this free trial to do all of this for you. From creating a server to testing the performance of the website, we looked into everything. From the get-go, Cloudways will feel a lot different from the traditional managed hosting platforms. The main differentiating factor of Cloudways is that it does not have its physical hardware (servers). Also, unlike other platforms, they do not restrict you by using someone else’s hardware. Well, they do use someone else’s, but you get to choose who that someone will be. Speaking in technical terms, Cloudways lets you choose which cloud hosting server provider you want. The good thing is there are plenty of choices, five to be exact. Aside from this major control you get, you also get to control the resources you receive from the provider you ultimately choose.
The Five Cloud Server Providers
Cloudways uses five of the best cloud server providers in the world:
- Digital Ocean
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud Platform
- Vultr
- Linode
No one but Cloudways is providing this type of freedom, that gives the control in your hand from the beginning. As a customer, you can choose the cloud hosting provider you already use or know about. Since Cloudways does not even host your website on its own servers, this begs the question of why not just use the hosting service provider directly? Well, for starters, you can do something like that, but it would not be the same.
1 Digital Ocean
Digital Ocean is a relatively new name in the world of web hosting, but it’s quickly climbing ranks. The cloud infrastructure is considered as more developer-friendly. The biggest advantage of the Digital Ocean is that it’s one of the most affordable options.
Digital Ocean’s servers are located in Singapore, Banglore, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London, Toronto, New York, and San Francisco. With a reliable infrastructure, it’s able to offer cheap bandwidth.
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RAM 1GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 25GB
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Bandwidth 1TB
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RAM 2GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 50GB
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Bandwidth 2TB
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RAM 4GB
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Processor 2 Core
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Storage 80GB
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Bandwidth 4TB
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RAM 8GB
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Processor 4 Core
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Storage 160GB
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Bandwidth 5TB
2 Linode
Linode is not as expensive but not the cheapest either; it’s more in the mid-range price. They also offer cheap bandwidth. However, scaling up is a little slower as compared with AWS or Google Cloud.
This company also has a reliable infrastructure with eight locations, including four for each region of the US. The other four are in the usual tech hotspots like Tokyo, Singapore, Frankfurt, and London.
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RAM 1GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 25GB
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Bandwidth 1TB
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RAM 2GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 50GB
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Bandwidth 2TB
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RAM 4GB
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Processor 2 Core
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Storage 80GB
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Bandwidth 4TB
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RAM 8GB
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Processor 4 Core
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Storage 160GB
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Bandwidth 5TB
3 Vultr
Vultr is the newest of the five cloud hosting providers that Cloudways uses. It’s also cheaper than both Google and Amazon’s cloud hosting.
For a new company, they have managed to have 12 locations worldwide. Most of these locations are in the US, in New York, Chicago, Miami, Silicon Valley, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Other locations include Sydney, Tokyo, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and London.
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RAM 1GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 25GB
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Bandwidth 1TB
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RAM 2GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 50GB
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Bandwidth 2TB
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RAM 4GB
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Processor 2 Core
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Storage 80GB
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Bandwidth 4TB
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RAM 8GB
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Processor 4 Core
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Storage 160GB
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Bandwidth 5TB
4 Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS hardly needs an introduction, as its cloud hosting is one of the most popular in the world right now. With great infrastructure, easy scaling, and quick backup, AWS provides a reliable cloud hosting environment for time-sensitive and heavy traffic websites.
AWS is one of the best web hosting providers as far as their infrastructure is concerned. With 14 different locations spread across different regions, it has the most locations than any of the web hosting providers.
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RAM 1GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 25GB
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Bandwidth 1TB
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RAM 2GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 50GB
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Bandwidth 2TB
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RAM 4GB
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Processor 2 Core
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Storage 80GB
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Bandwidth 4TB
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RAM 8GB
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Processor 4 Core
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Storage 160GB
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Bandwidth 5TB
5 Google Cloud Platform
Google Cloud Platform is really popular with cloud hosting solutions like Cloudways that rely on other company’s infrastructure. Again, a relatively new player, but one with a good track record. Also, the prices are lower as compared with Amazon.
If you’re an environment-conscious individual or company, you should know that Google Cloud relies on 100% renewable energy, with zero emissions.
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RAM 1GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 25GB
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Bandwidth 1TB
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RAM 2GB
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Processor 1 Core
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Storage 50GB
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Bandwidth 2TB
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RAM 4GB
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Processor 2 Core
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Storage 80GB
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Bandwidth 4TB
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RAM 8GB
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Processor 4 Core
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Storage 160GB
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Bandwidth 5TB
How Does Cloudways Work?
No best web hosting review can be complete without actually using it and testing it. In this Cloudways review, we have tried to do the same. From application installation to the website going live, each step will determine whether Cloudways is even worth your money. The very premise of this cloud hosting platform is flexibility and ease. The only way to confirm that is to see how it works. We did exactly that by creating a WordPress website.
Launching Server
The setup process of Cloudways is one of the easiest and quickest we have encountered. Before you do anything, you have to understand two things. First, decide what server in terms of resources and the provider you want to use. Secondly, the application you want to employ, i.e., WordPress, Joomla, WooCommerce, etc. There is enough flexibility for you to run multiple applications on a single server. That said, the server should have ample resources to handle all those applications. So your first step is to install WordPress.
Creating a Website
You will find Cloudways a bit different, mainly because there’s no traditional cPanel or Plesk. Rather, Cloudways has its own custom control panel that can be a little daunting at first. However, as you will start using it more, you’ll find it to have a nice flow and navigation. The control panel is mostly for managing the server. With just a few clicks, you can proceed to set up the pages of your application. On the WordPress page, there are almost all the necessary tools you need to set up the website. Here we found a screen to set up the domain. Now, Cloudways does not offer domain registration. However, it makes up for it by offering temporary URLs for the admin panel and the website. You can add the domain later when you have bought one. Also, we found SSL installation for installing Let’s Encrypt SSL certificate to the WordPress website. After allocating a temporary URL, we proceeded to the WordPress Dashboard. From here on, everything is standard, as you would find on other platforms for WordPress hosting.
Site Migration
If you already have a website and have it hosted somewhere else, you can migrate it to Cloudways for free. You can move an unlimited number of websites. For WordPress, you can use the Cloudways WordPress Migrator Plugin. This plugin is available at WordPress.org and is super convenient. You just need to provide the SFTP details from the account you just set up on Cloudways. The rest of the job is for the plugin.
Application Management Dashboard
If you want to manage your website, simply click on the specific website, and it will take you to the Application Management Dashboard. This dashboard is pretty neat, with lots of functions for you to control and make changes to the application. We have already talked about SSL Certificate and Domain Management. Those options are here as well. Other than that, you have Access Details. Here you can find the FTP and MySQL credentials.
Server Management
With Cloudways, you also have another interface for managing your server. It’s similar to how you manage the applications. Each server has its own configurations, and you can have as many as you need.
Team Management
You can use Cloudways Team features to set up a team framework. Using this feature, you can grant access to the server or applications to your team members. It’s fairly simple, and great for businesses using a team to manage their online presence.
Cloning/Staging a Site
If you’re using WordPress, or any other application for that matter, staging a site can come in very handy when applying major upgrades or adding plugins. Staging or cloning basically creates a copy of the website, which can be used for testing. This ensures that your website is live at all times, and any changes causing problems do not affect it. To create a staging website, click on the orange floating action button. Once you click, you’ll see the option ‘Clone App/Create Staging.’ From there on, it’s quite simple staging your website. You can choose the server you want to clone the website on. Once on the server, it’ll just be like your live website. When you toggle to the Applications Management dashboard, you will see the website marked as staging. Now, you can apply the changes or plugins to the staging website. Transferring the changes from staging to live website is also simple and takes just a few clicks. The Staging Management portal has all these options. What’s great about Cloudways Staging Websites is that it allows you to choose exactly what you want to push live. You can push live only the files, only the databases, or both. When you’re doing this, it also gives an option to backup the website automatically. Similarly, you can push data from live websites to the staging websites.
Performance
Measuring the performance of a web hosting provider relies on so many factors. However, with Cloudways, it gets even more complicated. As with almost everything on Cloudways, speed and performance also depend on the cloud server hosting provider you have chosen. The good news is that Cloudways’ performance is one of the best we have seen. During our testing, the uptime was 100%. Also, the loading speeds are quite impressive, ranged between 300-600 milliseconds. That’s almost 50% faster than what you would normally get from shared hosting.
Security
Cloudways security is impressive, to say the least. In an ever-changing world of the internet, security is an important consideration for any business or person creating a website. With a dedicated firewall, Cloudways protects the world’s largest CMS from cyber attacks. When you set up your website, you get free Let’s Encrypt SSL Certification. This certification is imperative for security and also improving the ranking of your website on SERPs. Without SSL encryption, your website is susceptible to attacks and data theft.
Add-ons
Cloudways offers Add-ons that can make your overall cloud hosting even better. With Email add-ons and other utility add-ons, Cloudways is able to balance out some of its drawbacks, which we will discuss later. Some of these, like the Gmail SMTP, are free, while others cost additional money.
Developer Features
There are plenty of features for developers, with several PHP frameworks available. They can also work with PHP 7. With Git repository tab, developers can set up deployment, and ultimately deploy an unlimited number of applications. For scripting operations, you have the RESTful API. A script could do a bunch of operations that otherwise you would do manually. Also, an API background can help you test scripts.
Support
Support is a vital consideration when it comes to web hosting. You know how they say everyone needs help sometimes, that applies to the most tech-savvy people too. You can need help from the support staff anytime to ensure your website runs smoothly. Fortunately, Cloudways offers 24/7 customer support. When we say 24/7, it really is round the clock. The best part is that the customer support comes with all the plans as a standard feature. You do not have to splurge more just to get an agent to help you.
Cloudways Pricing
Cloudways pricing is not as straightforward as you would normally find with web hosting providers. Since Cloudways offers multiple cloud server providers, the plans and prices vary for each service provider. As a result, there are quite a lot of plans for you to choose from.
Benefits of Cloudways Hosting


Now that you have read in detail the Cloudways review, you can understand that this platform offers quite a lot of benefits that are either unavailable or too expensive on other platforms. Here are the many benefits of using cloud server hosting at Cloudways:
1. Freedom and Control
The main distinguishing aspect of cloud hosting at Cloudways is that it offers a lot of control. You get to choose the server provider you want, that too, from a list of reliable names. As a result, you’re in the driver seat from the moment you decide to host your website on this platform. You can upscale anytime you like without needing to pay outrageous costs. Cloudways makes scaling up or down seamless, as it charges depending on the resources you use. With such a setup, you can run your business with peace of mind.
2. Free Migration
If you’re already hosting your website on another web hosting platform, you can move the website on Cloudways for free. Not only does it offer free migration, but it also provides a lot of material in the help and resources section to make the process easier. No matter what plan you have chosen, there will be no additional charges for migrating the website. Those who are moving a WordPress website can use the special plugin, designed to make migration for WP websites seamless.
3. Unrivaled Performance
The performance Cloudways delivers gives the best of cloud hosting providers a run for their money. If Cloudways hosting reviews are anything to go by, the uptime is nearly 100%, and loading time is under one second. The whole infrastructure of the server providers delivers blazingly fast speeds. As a result, your website performs effortlessly, and there’s virtually no downtime unless you’re scaling up or down on certain hosting providers. There is no arbitrary traffic on the servers, so the performance is uniform. You can run tests yourself and check the rankings; you’ll be impressed.
4. Great Value
While there are more affordable options for cloud hosting out there, Cloudways still manages to deliver great value for money. This is mainly because their plans are quite flexible and billed on an hourly rate. It’s simple: you pay for what you have used. There are no hidden charges, and some of the essential features come with all the plans. This includes SSL certification, 24/7 customer support, and dedicated firewalls. Since there are multiple server providers onboard, you have a variety in terms of pricing too. Even if you’re on a tight budget, you can find a plan that meets your requirements and does not burn a hole in your pocket. For those who do not have budget restrictions, there are all sorts of features and add-ons to explore.
5. Real-time Monitoring
With Cloudways, you get 24/7 website monitoring. No matter what server your data is on or what plan you have opted for, your website gets monitored at all times. This helps keep things on an up and up, so you know your website is running smoothly. The Cloudways Bot, monitoring the website, sends updates in real-time by email or text message. You can also integrate the platform with Slack or other such third-party applications. The Relic integration feature makes resolving issues even easier. You get over 16 metrics on the console to monitor the performance of your website. Based on these analytical metrics, you can improve your website’s performance. These metrics can help you resolve smaller issues before they even begin to cause trouble.
6. Team Collaboration
While some people may not think of it as a big advantage, Cloudways makes team collaboration a breeze. This is the age of collaboration, and many businesses rely on different people that may not even be at one geographical location. You have unlimited staging areas, automatic git deployment, and secure SFTP/SSH access to make collaboration a possibility even before the website goes live. You can also control who can access which server or applications on the control panel.
7. Great Customer Support
Last but not least, Cloudways customer support is just as reliable as it’s other aspects. With a round the clock support included for all plans, the company knows how to treat its customers. Plus, there is a lot of study material present online to help get started or find solutions to common problems. Although this Cloudways review shows that it is targeted towards developers, Cloudways has made sure to reduce the learning curve for beginners. After all, the whole point of Cloudways is to make cloud hosting as simple as possible.
Cons of Cloudways Hosting
All in all, Cloudways cloud hosting proves to be a reliable cloud hosting environment, with lots of useful features and tools. However, there are some areas where it can use some improvement.
1. Lacks Domain Registration
Domain registration is almost a given with web hosting plans. Most web hosting providers give free domain with their web hosting plans. Cloudways does not offer a free domain or even paid for that matter. Domain name registration is not difficult or expensive, so one can do without this on the table. However, for a newbie creating their first website, this would be extra work and a hassle. They would have to buy a domain separately. This is something that they could easily include in their plans to make things a bit more easier and cohesive. Rather than going to another seller, one could get the domain name from the cloud hosting provider.
2. Lacks Email Hosting
The plans on Cloudways do not include email hosting, which is a necessity for most businesses. Instead, you have to pay for every email account. This can add unnecessary amounts to your bill that other hosting websites usually include in their plan prices. Email services are available as an add-on. The G-mail SMTP add-on is free, but you may have to pay for others. Cloudways can make their plans more inclusive by including email hosting options catering to small as well as large businesses.
3. Takes Time Getting Used to
Even if you had owned websites before and used web hosting providers, you would find Cloudways to be a little different. This difference is its uniqueness and what makes it relatively better than other cloud hosting platforms. However, it can take some time to get used to it, especially the console.
4. Restricted to Applications
If you want to build your website on one of the common CMS like WordPress or Joomla, then you can use Cloudways. However, if you’re building the website from scratch using languages like JavaScript, Python, or Ruby, then this cloud hosting solution is not for you. Also, it does not give root access, which some people prefer to have.
Cloudways Comparison
If this Cloudways review is not enough for you, perhaps you’ll be better able to decide if it’s a good fit for you after comparing it with other cloud hosting platforms and web hosting providers. Cloud hosting is becoming a preferred choice for small and enterprise-level businesses alike, so there’s a lot of offerings on the market. If you’re a small blog or business, you might be thinking of sticking to the usual shared hosting service. We’re comparing Cloudways with both cloud hosting providers and shared hosting providers, giving you a better idea about where it stands. After Cloudways review, the comparison is the best way to rate its capabilities.
Cloudways vs. Kinsta
Kinsta is another popular managed cloud hosting provider for WordPress. So if there’s any other platform to compare Cloudways WordPress hosting plans with, it’s Kinsta. If we compare prices, Cloudways is cheaper than Kinsta. The cheapest plan on Cloudways is $10 per month, whereas the cheapest plan on Kinsta is $30. In terms of the resources you get for this price, there’s not much of a difference. It’s safe to say that Cloudways is much cheaper. When comparing cloud hosting, the number one differentiating aspect is speed. Both of these platforms use cutting-edge technology such as caches like Nginx and PHP 7 to offer impressive loading speeds for the websites. On average, Cloudways reviews show loading speeds of less than a second.
Cloudways vs. SiteGround
If you compare Cloudways with Siteground, it will not take you long to see the strengths of the former. The Pay as you Use pricing format makes Cloudways much more cost-effective. Initially, SiteGround is cheaper, but you have to sign up for one to three years. SiteGround also has its own control panel, similar to cPanel. It also uses Let’s Encrypt SSL certification. You can find developer features with its GoGeek plans. So there are similarities as well between the two providers. SiteGround’s shared hosting plans deliver great speed for a shared hosting plan. However, Cloudways is much faster, as it’s cloud-based and uses caching. One thing to note here is that Google now uses site loading times as one of the measures to rank websites. So if you want high speeds, Cloudways is the right choice.
Who is it For?
Just because something is good does not make it the right fit for you. Cloudways has many strengths that could give a business the right trajectory towards growth. However, you still have to figure if it meets your requirements and delivers your end-goals. Even if you do decide to use Cloudways, the decision making is not complete. You have to figure out which hosting provider to choose and which plan to go for. This means you have to take into account your storage needs, potential traffic, and budget. Cloudways supports many of the most commonly used applications and CMS, including Drupal, Joomla, Magento, and WordPress. The WordPress Managed Hosting plans are perfect for bloggers of all kinds. It’s quickly gaining popularity for its built-in advanced caches that make high speeds a reality. If you want to create an online store, you could go for their WooCommerce Hosting plans. These are geared towards online stores and deliver the performance that could make your e-commerce business take off. Cloudways offers a wide range of hosting solutions that cater to almost every kind of business. The quality and performance are delivered for all the plans. So there is no single type of hosting that could qualify as the best on Cloudways. Some plans are quite cheap, so even those startups or individuals on a shoestring budget can find something for their business. However, this is a cloud hosting platform, so you would not find any shared hosting plans. If you have a website that does not get a lot of traffic, perhaps you could go for a shared hosting plan elsewhere with even cheaper rates.
Cloudways FAQs
What types of hosting plans are available on Cloudways?
Cloudways is a cloud hosting platform, so as far as the type of hosting is concerned, there’s only one kind: managed cloud hosting. However, there are many different plans with varying resources. Prices depend on the plan you choose, and ultimately the resources that you allocate. Some of the services are available with all the plans. All you need to figure out is the size of the resources you need, like RAM, storage, and bandwidth. Also, the plans are divided by the five web hosting providers. Nevertheless, there’s plenty of variety for all types and sizes of businesses.
Does Cloudways charge yearly or monthly?
One of the key benefits of using Cloudways is that it does not charge you for the whole year upfront. You pay on a monthly basis, but really you are charged by the hour. You can see the rates of the plan in both monthly and hourly rates. The plan prices cover server fees and hosting management fees. You may have to pay more for server configuration and any extra resources or applications you use. This way, there’s more flexibility, and you can manage your budget easily. If you’re more comfortable with a yearly budget, you can put the whole yearly amount in your account. However, you will continue to be charged by the hour and or by the month.
What is Vertical Scaling in the Server Management tab?
Vertical scaling allows you to increase or decrease resources on the server, as per the needs of your website. Cloudways makes scaling up or down pretty quick and easy. With just a few steps, you will be able to allocate resources that can handle the growing traffic on your website. Similarly, if you think your website does not need resources that come with your plan and want to scale down, you can use the same Vertical Scaling to reduce resources. However, that option is only available for plans with AWS or Google Cloud.
Is Cloudways a good option for an app developer?
Yes, Cloudways can work great with any application and already supports thousands of them. As an app developer, having a managed cloud hosting plan in place would make things faster. You will have more time on your hands to work on developing. There are many useful features that can help you as a developer. This includes Git deployment and cloning of the server or app. Some people say that Cloudways is geared towards developers. However, it’s easy enough for those without programming skills.
What is Auto-Healing?
Auto-Healing is a great feature that comes with all the plans on Cloudways. This feature identifies and resolves problems with your website. As a result, your website will hardly ever crash as any problem will be nipped in the bud. Cloudways is able to offer this feature, thanks to its constant server and website monitoring. You get all the data regarding server resources, as well as application resources. Furthermore, you get regular updates and notifications about the performance of the server and your website. If you have a team, you can configure the CloudwaysBot to send notifications and updates to your team members. The whole process is very swift and helps businesses ensure there’s no downtime for their website.
Is Cloudways suitable for WordPress hosting?
Cloudways Managed WordPress hosting plans are some of the most popular on this platform. With these plans, you can get high speeds, great uptime, and stellar security. You get an unlimited WP installation, unlimited number of staged URLs, and pre-installed WP-CLI.
Can I use Cloudways for My E-Commerce Website?
Cloudways offers several plans that are targeted at online stores. Many e-commerce businesses are already taking advantage of the blazingly fast speed their server provides. A slow website can essentially kill your online store. Cloudways also has some of the most popular platforms for e-commerce. These include Magento, WooCommerce, and PrestaShop.
How to choose a Managed Hosting Provider?
If you have decided to take the managed hosting route for your website, there are a few things to keep in mind. While managed hosting makes it easier for you to configure your server and set up the website, it’s not without its challenges. A quality hosting provider can make all the difference. Your first consideration is the resources your website will use, like RAM, storage, and computing power. The hosting provider should offer the resources you need, ideally at an affordable price. Also, you want to make sure they have the technical capabilities to ensure reliable performance and unbreakable security. When it comes to hosting, scaling flexibility often gets ignored. You want to sign up for a managed hosting provider that makes it easy for you to grow and accommodate more visitors. All these qualities that make a good managed hosting provider are present in Cloudways plans.
Why Not Use CloudWays Providers Directly?
You can use one of the cloud providers that Cloudways uses directly. It may even be cheaper to host your website directly on the cloud server provider. However, you will have to set up the server and do all the configuration tasks yourself. This could be complicated for someone who does not program. Cloudways acts as a middleman managing all this stuff for you. This significantly cuts time and makes it easier for you to deploy your website. You get to use the servers of some of the best companies, but with Cloudways doing half the work for you.
Verdict
As this Cloudways review indicates, this cloud hosting provider offers freedom, flexibility, and reliability, at prices that are fairly decent. For those who want the fast performance of cloud servers, this could be a viable option. Cloudways has managed to use some of the best server providers, while also bridging the gap between server management and application management. Even a beginner can use the interface of this platform to set up the server. On the other hand, developers also have some room to play around.