Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting for WordPress and PHP apps on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud.
Updated · AppBreakup editorial · Web
Is Cloudways free?
No, it's a paid product
- Free trial:
- Yes
Checked on Cloudways's site Nov 8, 2026
1 alternative with a free optionSwitch from Cloudways to
All 11
KinstaStarting price: $35 a month, or $30 a month billed annually
WP EngineBusiness plan: From $400/month, billed annually
SiteGroundStarting renewal price: $17.99/month (StartUp)
- Verified facts
- 3 of 3
- Alternatives ranked
- 11
- Approved reviews
- 0
- Visits sent from here
- 0
About Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed hosting platform that sets up and maintains servers for you on a cloud provider of your choice: DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Compute Engine. It focuses on WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel and other PHP apps, handling the server stack, caching, security patches, backups, SSL and staging, while leaving you control over server size and the number of apps per server. Billing is by the hour based on the server you pick, so costs scale with resources rather than with site count, which makes it popular with agencies hosting many client sites. Cloudflare Enterprise is available, and newer products include Cloudways Autonomous for autoscaling WordPress and managed Node.js hosting. A free trial is offered. It suits developers, freelancers and agencies who want cloud performance without managing Linux themselves; complete beginners may find the server-first setup more involved than a shared host.
Best for: Agencies and developers hosting many WordPress or PHP sites on their own cloud servers.
Cloudways pricing (checked Nov 8, 2026)
Each line is quoted from Cloudways's own site, with the page it came from.
| Plan or term | What it says | Checked | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free trial | Yes | Nov 8, 2026 | cloudways.com |
Pros and cons
What works
- Choice of five cloud providers
- Hourly billing with no long prepaid terms
- Host many apps on one server without per-site fees
Why people leave
- Server-based setup is more technical than shared hosting
- Mailboxes are not part of the server plans
- Larger cloud providers like AWS cost noticeably more
Cloudways vs Kinsta, WP Engine and SiteGround
From each app's listing and the prices verified on its own site. A dash means we haven't verified it yet.
| Attribute | Cloudways | Kinsta | WP Engine | SiteGround |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Paid | Paid | Paid | Paid |
| Verified price | — | $35 a month, or $30 a month billed annually | From $400/month, billed annually | $17.99/month (StartUp) |
| Free plan | No | No | No | No |
| Open source | No | No | No | No |
| Self-hostable | No | No | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Web | Web | Web |
Top Cloudways alternatives
See all 11- 1Kinsta68.8
Premium managed WordPress on Google Cloud with staging, a CDN and expert support included.
- 2WP Engine64.8
Managed WordPress hosting with dev, staging and production environments and built-in security tools.
- 3SiteGround61.8
Managed shared and cloud hosting with caching, daily backups and staging, often cheaper for small sites.
- 4
Hostinger Web Hosting59.4Cheaper all-in-one hosting with email for small sites that don't need cloud servers.
- 5
IONOS55.9Hosting plus domains and email in one account, with a personal consultant.
Why people left Cloudways
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Cloudways, review the app you switched to and tell us why.
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. How we verify reviewers
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Cloudways: common questions
What is Cloudways?
Cloudways: Managed cloud hosting for WordPress and PHP apps on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud. Best for agencies and developers hosting many WordPress or PHP sites on their own cloud servers. Available for Web.
Is Cloudways free?
No, Cloudways is a paid product.
How much does Cloudways cost?
Cloudways is a paid product. Free trial: Yes. Checked on Cloudways's own site, November 2026.
Does Cloudways have a free trial or refund?
Free trial: Yes. Source: Cloudways's own site.
Is Cloudways open source?
No, Cloudways is not open source.
What platforms does Cloudways run on?
Cloudways is available for Web.
What are the best alternatives to Cloudways?
The highest-ranked Cloudways alternatives right now are Kinsta, WP Engine and SiteGround. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.
Cloudways vs Kinsta: what's the difference?
Both Cloudways and Kinsta are paid products. Both run on Web.