Cloudways
Managed cloud servers that sit between a raw VPS and fully managed WordPress, with unlimited sites per server.
Pricing
| Plan | Per month | Limits | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Micro (1GB) | $14 | unlimited sites · unlimited visits/mo | monthly cap; $0.0208/hr |
| Small (2GB) | $28 | unlimited sites · unlimited visits/mo | monthly cap; $0.0417/hr |
| Medium (4GB) | $54 | unlimited sites · unlimited visits/mo | monthly cap; $0.0804/hr |
| Large (8GB) | $99 | unlimited sites · unlimited visits/mo | monthly cap; $0.1473/hr |
Checked 23 September 2026. Billed in USD by the hour against a monthly cap, excluding tax. Prices shown are DigitalOcean Basic servers.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths
- +Unlimited sites and unlimited visits per server — far cheaper than per-site pricing once you run several sites.
- +Choice of cloud provider: DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS or Google Cloud.
- +Free staging, free migration, and Object Cache Pro included on 4GB servers and above.
Limitations
- −You are choosing and sizing a server yourself, even if the panel hides most of the work.
- −Offsite backup storage is billed separately, per gigabyte.
- −Advanced support is a paid add-on on top of the standard 24/7 support.
Capability scores
| Dimension | Score | |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-site management | 5/5 | |
| Value for money | 5/5 | |
| Performance | 4/5 | |
| Staging environments | 4/5 | |
| Scalability | 4/5 | |
| Support | 3/5 | |
| Ease of use | 3/5 | |
Cloudways pricing and alternatives
Cloudways compared
Alternatives
Kinsta
Premium managed WordPress hosting on Google Cloud, aimed at sites where downtime costs money.
WP Engine
The long-standing incumbent in managed WordPress hosting, with a mature agency toolset.
Hostinger
Budget WordPress hosting with email and AI tools included, priced far below the managed platforms.
SiteGround
Shared WordPress hosting with a free CDN, daily backups and staging on higher plans, priced low for the first year.
Rocket.net
Premium managed WordPress hosting built on an enterprise CDN, with no renewal price increases.
Common questions
How much does Cloudways cost?
Cloudways starts at $14/mo (monthly cap; $0.0208/hr). Billed in USD by the hour against a monthly cap, excluding tax. Prices shown are DigitalOcean Basic servers. Checked against the vendor's pricing page on 23 September 2026.
Does Cloudways have a free plan?
No. A 3-day free trial without card details.
Is Cloudways any good?
It scores 78 out of 100 on our weighted capability scoring, ranking fourth of 6 for WordPress hosting. Anyone hosting several sites who is comfortable taking on a little more responsibility. Its main limitation: you are choosing and sizing a server yourself, even if the panel hides most of the work.
Sources & verification
- cloudways.com — checked 23 September 2026No free plan; a 3-day free trial without card details.