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Cloudways Pricing at a Glance
Cloudways takes a different approach to web hosting by offering managed cloud hosting on a pay-as-you-go basis. Instead of shared servers, you get dedicated cloud resources from top providers like DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud, with Cloudways handling the server management.
| Cloud Provider | Starting Price | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | $14/mo | 1 GB | 25 GB SSD | 1 TB |
| DigitalOcean (Premium) | $16/mo | 1 GB | 25 GB NVMe | 1 TB |
| Vultr | $16/mo | 1 GB | 25 GB SSD | 1 TB |
| AWS | $38/mo | 2 GB | 20 GB SSD | 2 GB |
| Google Cloud | $38/mo | 1.7 GB | 20 GB SSD | 2 GB |
Note: Prices shown are base configurations. You can scale resources up or down at any time. No long-term contracts required. Verify current pricing on Cloudways.com.
Cloudways Plans Explained
DigitalOcean Plans ($14-$46/mo)
The most popular and cost-effective option. DigitalOcean plans range from the $14/month starter (1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD) to the $46/month performance tier (4 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD). Premium DigitalOcean plans use NVMe storage for faster I/O performance at a slight premium. Best for small to medium WordPress sites, blogs, and most business websites.
Vultr Plans ($16-$50/mo)
Vultr offers similar pricing to DigitalOcean with slightly different data center locations. The High Frequency Vultr servers provide excellent performance for I/O-intensive applications. Starting at $16/month with 1 GB RAM and 25 GB SSD, Vultr plans scale to enterprise-level configurations.
AWS Plans ($38-$272/mo)
Amazon Web Services plans start higher at $38/month but provide the scalability and global infrastructure of AWS. Ideal for businesses that need AWS-specific integrations, compliance certifications, or presence in AWS-exclusive regions. The higher entry price reflects AWS infrastructure costs.
Google Cloud Plans ($38-$226/mo)
Google Cloud Platform offers similar pricing to AWS with access to Google’s global network. Best for businesses already invested in the Google ecosystem or needing Google Cloud-specific features. Provides excellent performance for data-intensive applications.
Hidden Costs & Fees
- No email hosting: Cloudways does not include email hosting. You need a third-party email service (Google Workspace at $6/user/month, Zoho Mail, or Rackspace Email at $2.99/mailbox).
- Domain not included: You must purchase and manage your domain through a separate registrar.
- SSL via add-on: While free Let’s Encrypt SSL is available, premium SSL certificates cost extra. Cloudways also offers a paid SSL add-on for automated management.
- Object cache pro: Advanced Redis-based caching requires the Object Cache Pro add-on at $4/month per application.
- Cloudflare Enterprise: Cloudways offers an integrated Cloudflare Enterprise CDN add-on starting at $4.99/month per domain, which adds cost beyond the base hosting price.
- Bandwidth overage: DigitalOcean and Vultr plans include generous bandwidth, but AWS and Google Cloud plans have limited base bandwidth with overage charges.
How to Save on Cloudways
- Start with DigitalOcean: The $14/month DigitalOcean plan is sufficient for most new websites and small businesses. Scale up only when your traffic demands it.
- Use vertical scaling: Instead of jumping to a higher plan, vertically scale your current server (add RAM or storage) to match your exact needs without overpaying.
- Avoid AWS/Google Cloud unless needed: For most WordPress sites, DigitalOcean or Vultr provide excellent performance at a fraction of the AWS/Google Cloud cost.
- Promotional credits: Cloudways offers free trial credits ($25-$50) for new accounts. Use promo codes from tech review sites for additional credits.
- Host multiple sites: Unlike shared hosting, Cloudways allows unlimited applications per server. Host multiple sites on one $14/month server to reduce per-site costs.
- Use free alternatives: Use free Let’s Encrypt SSL instead of premium certificates. Use Cloudflare’s free plan instead of the paid Enterprise CDN add-on.
Is Cloudways Worth the Price?
Cloudways occupies a unique position between budget shared hosting and fully managed premium hosting. At $14/month for DigitalOcean, you get dedicated cloud resources that outperform most shared hosting plans at any price point.
Compared to shared hosting (Bluehost, SiteGround), Cloudways offers better performance, true scalability, and no renewal price shocks. However, it lacks some beginner-friendly features like built-in email, domain registration, and one-click WordPress setup (though Cloudways does offer simplified WordPress deployment).
Compared to premium managed WordPress hosting (Kinsta at $35/mo, WP Engine at $20/mo), Cloudways is often cheaper while providing comparable or better performance, thanks to its direct cloud infrastructure access. The trade-off is a slightly steeper learning curve and less WordPress-specific hand-holding.
Our verdict: Cloudways is the best value for users who want managed cloud hosting performance without premium managed WordPress hosting prices. The pay-as-you-go model and no lock-in contracts make it a flexible and cost-effective choice.
Cloudways Free Trial & Refund Policy
- Free trial: Cloudways offers a 3-day free trial with no credit card required. You get $25 in free hosting credits to test any cloud provider and plan configuration.
- No refund policy: Since Cloudways uses pay-as-you-go billing with no long-term contracts, there is no traditional refund policy. You are billed only for the resources you use.
- Cancel anytime: You can cancel your Cloudways account at any time. Simply delete your servers and close your account with no penalties or fees.
- Hourly billing: Cloudways charges by the hour, so you can spin up a server for testing and pay only cents if you delete it quickly.
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FAQ
Is Cloudways good for WordPress?
Yes. Cloudways provides an optimized WordPress hosting environment with pre-configured PHP, MySQL, Nginx, and built-in caching (Breeze plugin, Varnish, Memcached, Redis). One-click WordPress deployment, automated backups, and staging environments are included. Many WordPress performance benchmarks rank Cloudways among the fastest hosting options available.
Why is Cloudways more expensive than shared hosting?
Cloudways provides dedicated cloud resources (your own virtual server) rather than sharing a server with hundreds of other websites. This means consistent performance regardless of neighboring sites’ traffic, true scalability, and better security isolation. The $14/month starting price buys 1 GB dedicated RAM and 25 GB SSD on DigitalOcean, which outperforms most shared hosting plans priced at $20-40/month at renewal rates.
Can I host multiple websites on one Cloudways server?
Yes. Cloudways allows unlimited applications (websites) per server at no additional cost. A $14/month DigitalOcean server can comfortably host 2-3 small WordPress sites. As traffic grows, you can vertically scale the server or deploy additional servers for resource-intensive sites.
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