Cloudways
Managed cloud hosting on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google
Cloudways report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Oct 17, 2026
Best for managed cloud servers without running them yourself
Cloudways sits between shared hosting and running your own server: you pick a cloud provider and a server size, and it handles SSL, backups, staging, security and an AI monitor called Copilot. You can try it for 3 days with no card. But we couldn't read its prices, and email, the CDN and fuller malware protection all cost extra.
Who Cloudways is for
- Great if your site has outgrown shared hosting but you don't want to run a server
- Handy when you host Laravel or other PHP apps next to WordPress
- Good for agencies hosting many client apps on servers they control
Who Cloudways is not for
- Not for you if you want email included, as it's a paid add-on
- Skip it if picking a server size sounds like homework, since you choose it yourself
- Tight if you want a proper look before paying, as the free trial lasts 3 days
Why Cloudways gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyNo price on record: Cloudways' pages answered our readers with a bot check, so no two-year figure can be worked out. With nothing to compare, it sits at C, the grade for no stated price. Email, the CDN and malware protection are extra on top.
- DFree plan and trialA 3-day free trial with no credit card, which is nice. But three days is less than a week, too short to judge a host properly, so it lands at D.
- CFeaturesManaged servers on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud, with SSL, backups, staging, Object Cache Pro, Copilot and free migration. The gaps the listing names: email, the CDN and the malware protection service are paid add-ons.
- CEase of useNo app store rating to go on. You choose and size the server yourself, which is more decisions than a shared hosting plan asks of you.
- BPlatforms and integrationsA web console with no app on record, plus a published API and a choice of five cloud providers, with WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento and Laravel apps on top.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Cloudways's own pages on 17 October 2026. Its pricing page answered our reader with a bot check when we checked it again that day. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Cloudways? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/cloudways#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/cloudways.svg" alt="Cloudways: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Cloudways stands among web hosts
Cloudways's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 12 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 19).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 22 web hosts we grade, cut by the letter each got. Cloudways’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 1 of 21, level with 9
- DFree plan and trialAbove 19 of 21, level with 2
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 21, level with 10
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 21, level with 21
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 12 of 21, level with 9
Keep Cloudways, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Cloudways you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- It plugs into other products, WordPress, WooCommerce and Magento among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
What this rests on. Cloudways’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Cloudways?
Cloudways runs managed servers for WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel and other PHP apps on a cloud provider you pick, such as DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud. It handles the server, SSL, backups, staging and security, and an AI tool called Copilot watches the server and helps diagnose problems.
Cloudways's current pricing could not be confirmed from its own site. See every plan
Good for
- Sites that have outgrown shared hosting but do not want to run a server
- Agencies hosting many client apps on servers they control
- Developers running Laravel or other PHP apps alongside WordPress
Worth knowing
- Cloudways' pages answered our readers with a bot check, so its server prices could not be read and are not listed here.
- Email hosting, the Cloudflare CDN and the malware protection service are paid add-ons rather than part of the server price.
- You choose and size the server yourself, which takes more decisions than a shared hosting plan.
Key features
- Choice of cloud provider
- Servers run on DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud, and you pick the provider, size and location, then scale up later.
- Managed server essentials
- Cloudways sets up and maintains the server with free SSL, backups, one-click staging and Object Cache Pro, and moves an existing site over for free.
- Copilot AI monitoring
- Cloudways Copilot watches the server's critical components and uses AI to diagnose issues and suggest fixes.
- Security and malware scanning
- Servers get malware scanning and vulnerability alerts, with a fuller malware protection service and a Cloudflare CDN sold as add-ons.
- Cloudways API
- Cloudways publishes an API, linked from every page, for working with the platform from your own scripts and tools.
Cloudways pricing
We could not confirm Cloudways’s current pricing from its own site, so we are not listing plans here. See cloudways.com for current prices.
Works with
- WordPress
- WooCommerce
- Magento
- Laravel
- DigitalOcean
- Amazon Web Services
- Google Cloud
- Cloudflare
Cloudways alternatives
- Cloudways vs Kinsta
Free trial · from $30/mo
- Cloudways vs WP Engine
From $35/mo
- Cloudways vs Rocket.net
From $25/mo
- Cloudways vs Liquid Web
From $17/mo
- Cloudways vs SiteGround
From $14.99/mo
Common questions
Is Cloudways free?
No, Cloudways is a paid product, but you can try it first. 3-day free trial, no credit card required.
What platforms does Cloudways work on?
Cloudways is available on Web.
Does Cloudways have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Cloudways is listed for Web.
Does Cloudways have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 17, 2026. Cloudways is listed for Web.
Is Cloudways open source?
Cloudways is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 17, 2026.
Does Cloudways have an API?
Yes. Cloudways offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Cloudways integrate with?
Cloudways's listing names WordPress, WooCommerce, Magento, Laravel, DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Cloudflare. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Cloudways?
Cloudways is made by Cloudways, LLC.
What are the alternatives to Cloudways?
The closest alternatives to Cloudways in our directory are Kinsta, WP Engine, Rocket.net, Liquid Web and SiteGround. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with Cloudways.
How does Cloudways compare with other web hosts?
Cloudways's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 7 of the 21 other web hosts we grade, and level with 7. It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 12 of 21) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 19).
Could I make my own version of Cloudways?
To replace Cloudways you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one. What you could not make: An engine that recognises new malware as it appears. It plugs into other products, WordPress, WooCommerce and Magento among them, and has an API. AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself. This is a judgement from its listing. We have not built one.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Oct 17, 2026.