IN SHORT
Managed cloud hosting (by DigitalOcean): you pick the cloud and Cloudways manages the server for you.
- Flexible, scalable managed cloud
- Choose among several clouds (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP…)
- Pay-as-you-go, no lock-in
- Unlimited sites and apps per server
THE BRAND
- Company
- Cloudways
- Headquarters
- Malta (DigitalOcean group)
- Founded
- 2011
- Group
- DigitalOcean (since 2022)
- Main product
- Managed cloud hosting
- Audience
- Those who want a flexible, scalable cloud
ANALYSIS
Our experience with Cloudways
Multi-cloud
You choose between DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Vultr or Linode and pay as you go.
Fully managed
Cloudways sets up and manages the server (security, caching, backups) for you.
Unlimited websites
Host unlimited websites and apps per server (WordPress, WooCommerce, Laravel…).
Keep in mind
No domain or email included and support in English; a bit more technical.
PROS & CONS
The good and the bad
- Flexible, scalable managed cloud
- Choose among several clouds (DigitalOcean, AWS, GCP…)
- Pay-as-you-go, no lock-in
- Unlimited sites and apps per server
- No domain or email included (bought separately)
- Support mainly in English
- More technical than shared hosting
FAQ
The most common questions Canadians ask about Cloudways
Most-searched questions, per Sistrix
What are Cloudways used for?
Cloudways is used to run WordPress (and other apps) on cloud servers — DigitalOcean, AWS or Google Cloud — without doing the server administration yourself. You pick the cloud and size; Cloudways handles setup, security patches, caching and backups. It's the middle path between cheap shared hosting and expensive premium managed plans.
Is Cloudways a Pakistani company?
Cloudways was founded in 2011 with headquarters in Malta, and its large engineering team has historically been based in Pakistan — so the association isn't wrong, but the company is Maltese-founded and, since 2022, owned by DigitalOcean, a US company listed on the NYSE. Your hosting runs on whichever cloud region you choose, including Toronto.
Is Cloudways owned by DigitalOcean?
Yes — DigitalOcean acquired Cloudways in 2022, and it operates as DigitalOcean's managed-hosting arm. In practice that brought tighter integration with DigitalOcean's infrastructure (including its Toronto data centre, convenient for Canadian sites) while keeping the multi-cloud choice of AWS and Google Cloud.
Are Cloudflare and Cloudways the same?
No — similar names, different businesses. Cloudflare is a CDN and security network that sits in front of websites; Cloudways is a hosting platform where websites live. They even work together: Cloudways offers a Cloudflare Enterprise add-on for its hosted sites. You'd use Cloudways to host WordPress, and optionally Cloudflare to accelerate and shield it.
How much is Cloudways per month?
Plans start at US$8.25/mo for an entry DigitalOcean server, on pay-as-you-go billing with no long lock-in — a rarity in this comparison; the standard rate after any introductory credit is US$11/mo. AWS and Google Cloud options cost more. Note the price is per server, not per site: you can host several smaller sites on one server, which is where the value shows.
Is Cloudways a good hosting?
Yes — it's our value pick for anyone slightly technical: real cloud performance, hourly billing flexibility, and freedom to scale the server up as you grow. The trade-offs are a dashboard that's more technical than SiteGround's or Bluehost's, no email hosting included, and support that's good but not white-glove premium.
VERDICT
Is Cloudways right for you?
Managed cloud hosting (by DigitalOcean): you pick the cloud and Cloudways manages the server for you.
ALTERNATIVES
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