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 Britons ask about Cloudways
Most-searched questions, per Sistrix
What are Cloudways used for?
Running WordPress (and other apps) on cloud servers — DigitalOcean, AWS or Google Cloud, including their London data centres — without doing the server admin yourself. It's the middle path between cheap shared hosting and premium managed plans.
Is Cloudways better than Hostinger?
Different rungs of the same ladder. Hostinger is simpler and cheaper — shared hosting with a beginner-friendly panel, the better true first host. Cloudways is a managed layer over real cloud servers (DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud), from US$8.25/mo, giving you more raw power and flexibility in exchange for a slightly more technical dashboard. Neither is 'better' outright: pick Hostinger to launch a first site cheaply, and move to Cloudways once you outgrow shared hosting and want dedicated server resources you don't have to administer yourself.
Is Cloudways a Pakistani company?
Its roots include a large Pakistani engineering team, but the company was founded in 2011 with headquarters in Malta and has been owned by DigitalOcean — a US company listed on the NYSE — since 2022. Your hosting runs in whichever cloud region you pick, London included.
How much does Cloudways cost?
From US$8.25/mo for an entry DigitalOcean server, with pricier AWS and Google Cloud options above. Two things set its pricing apart from most managed hosts here: it's pay-as-you-go monthly with no lock-in (a rarity in this category), and it's priced per server, not per site — several small WordPress sites can share one server, which is where the value really shows. There's no traditional money-back guarantee, just a short free trial, so test the platform before you commit a project to it.
What is the difference between Cloudways and DigitalOcean?
DigitalOcean rents raw cloud servers you administer yourself; Cloudways is the managed layer on top — setup, security patches, caching, backups — and since 2022 it's DigitalOcean's own managed-hosting arm. Same infrastructure, opposite amounts of DIY.
Does Cloudways have a website builder?
No — Cloudways hosts applications like WordPress; the building happens in those apps. You'd install WordPress in a click and design with its themes or page builders. If you want a drag-and-drop site builder, that's Wix/Squarespace territory, not Cloudways.
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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