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Pros
99.999% uptime guarantee
Fast server speeds
Free SSL certificates
High user ratings across G2 and Trustpilot
Three-day free trial
Cons
Charges for additional customer support outside of live chat
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting service that caters to small businesses. With the ability to choose from AWS, DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, Linode, or Vultr servers, Cloudways provides fast load speeds and free SSL certificates. They also offer advanced caching technologies, SSD-based servers, and CDNs, as well as dedicated firewalls and IP whitelisting. Cloudways allows you to easily scale services up and down as needed.
How Cloudways Managed Hosting Works
As a cloud-based web hosting service, Cloudways provides storage for website files, databases, and other data required to get your company online via a website users can visit as well as email and other communications channels. Cloudways offers managed hosting, which means it provides dedicated resources and customized server settings to ensure consistent performance for your site.
To get started with Cloudways, I can create an account and choose my preferred cloud infrastructure provider from Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Linode, Vultr, or DigitalOcean. Once I have chosen my provider, I can install WordPress by following a few simple steps through Cloudways’ Application Management section.
If I want to direct any domain I own to my site hosted on Cloudways, I’ll have to update the DNS records to point the domain to my Cloudways server (an “A” record using Cloudways’ IP address). Then I can connect the domain to my WordPress site through Cloudways’ Domain Management section.
Once I have WordPress installed, I can design and manage my site primarily through WordPress. But I can always access my hosting account through Cloudways to make any adjustments as needed.
It’s important to note that any company that wants to get online needs some kind of web hosting. If I’m building a website from scratch or using a downloaded CMS, including WordPress, I need managed hosting such as Cloudways offers to get my site’s data online. In contrast, shared hosting services involve multiple websites sharing resources on a single server, so I’d have limited control over settings and performance.
Overall, Cloudways’ managed hosting service provides a reliable and customizable way to get my website online and ensure consistent performance.
Is Cloudways Managed Hosting Right for Me?
As a managed cloud hosting provider, Cloudways offers an ideal solution for businesses that want to host their WordPress websites. It is particularly suitable for businesses that require flexible scalability, fast loading speeds, and a managed hosting service.
However, Cloudways may not be the best option for those with limited technological knowledge or businesses with limited data needs that could save money with a simple shared hosting service. Additionally, businesses that require a wide selection of data center locations to serve a global audience may not find Cloudways suitable.
For businesses that manage multiple client websites, Cloudways offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model, making it easier to manage costs. However, the complex pricing structure might be intimidating for beginners.
If you are an e-commerce store that uses WooCommerce, Cloudways offers an optimized hosting solution that can help improve your website’s performance.
Overall, Cloudways is a reliable hosting provider that offers a range of features suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. If you are looking for a managed cloud hosting service for your WordPress website, Cloudways is definitely worth considering.
What Makes Cloudways Stand Out
Cloudways offers a unique approach to website hosting by allowing users to choose from three different cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. This flexibility allows users to select the provider that best suits their business needs. Additionally, Cloudways provides a user-friendly platform, performance optimization, and a pay-as-you-go pricing structure that makes it easy to scale services as needed.
All plans include unlimited WordPress websites, 24/7 live chat support, free website migration, an in-house cache plugin to improve loading times, and team collaboration features. While Cloudways does not offer email hosting as part of its website hosting package, customers can add on a Gmail SMTP server or a fully managed email service. Additionally, while Cloudways does not offer domain name registration, users can easily point their domain from any registrar to their Cloudways-hosted site.
Cloudway Features
Cloud Providers
Cloudways offers five cloud server providers, including DigitalOcean, Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Linode, and Cloudways Vultr. Each provider offers varying amounts of processing power, memory, and storage space. These cloud-based servers are robust enough for small business needs.
Storage and Bandwidth Limits
Cloudways offers plans ranging from 25GB to 3840GB storage and 2GB to 12TB bandwidth depending on the cloud server you choose. Bandwidth is metered and limited based on your plan, but you are only billed for the amount of bandwidth you use per month or per hour.
Extras and Inclusions
Cloudways hosting includes a free SSL certificate for added security. However, it does not include many of the extra features some hosting services provide, such as a free domain and email hosting.
Ease of Use
Cloudways managed hosting comes with a higher learning curve than some web hosting services, so it’s not recommended for beginners. The user interface and configuration options are complex and might be overwhelming for users with low technological knowledge.
User Dashboard/cPanel
Cloudways provides a custom-built user dashboard instead of a traditional cPanel interface. The dashboard is designed to make server management simpler, though it’s still more complex than some hosting dashboards for beginners. It includes basic server management functions, such as server and application management, domain management, SSL certificate installation, backups, and server scaling.
Security
Cloudways offers several security features, including free SSL certificates, the ability to create an IP address whitelist, regular firmware upgrades and patches to prevent potential threats, and a built-in security system to prevent vulnerabilities and unauthorized access to data.
Server Monitoring
Cloudways allows users to monitor the load on their cloud server. The dashboard offers more than 15 variables to monitor, including the amount of incoming traffic received. This feature is helpful if you want to anticipate a surge in website traffic and upgrade plans temporarily to accommodate for it.
Cloudways Pricing and Plans
Cloudways offers a variety of pricing plans to suit the needs of businesses of all sizes. Plans start as low as $10 per month and scale up to $1,035 per month. Cloudways also offers a variety of pay-as-you-go options, so you only pay for the resources that you use.
Here is a table of Cloudways’ pricing plans:
Plan
Price per month
Cores
RAM
Storage
Bandwidth
DO1GB
$10
1
1 GB
25 GB
1 TB
DO4GB
$27.60
2
4 GB
80 GB
4 TB
DO8GB
$46.80
4
8 GB
160 GB
8 TB
DO16GB
$92.40
8
16 GB
320 GB
16 TB
DO32GB
$184.80
16
32 GB
640 GB
32 TB
Pay-as-You-Go Cloud Hosting
Cloudways managed hosting offers pay-as-you-go service, allowing users to pay only for the storage and bandwidth they use. The Cloudways pricing varies depending on the chosen service provider and whether payment is made monthly or hourly.
All plans include Cloudways features such as 24/7 customer support, free SSL, security features, a staging environment, and more. This pricing model is ideal for those who want flexibility in their hosting plans and who want to avoid paying for unused resources.
Cloudways Customer Service and Support
I have found that Cloudways offers excellent customer support through various channels, including email, online chat, and its FAQ help center. Customers have praised the prompt and helpful assistance provided by Cloudways representatives. The support team is available 24/7/365, making it convenient for customers to get the help they need at any time.
Fine Print
Cloudways provides customer service through its help center, email, and 24/7 live chat. However, if you require additional features such as a customer service hotline or app, you’ll need to upgrade your plan. The pricing for these upgrades starts at $100 per month. It is important to note that Cloudways does not offer support for changes to plugin or theme functionality, website content, or debugging codes for any plan.
Top Cloudways Alternatives and How They Compare
Cloudways vs. Bluehost
When comparing Cloudways and Bluehost, it’s important to note that Bluehost offers unmetered hosting service at a per-month or per-year rate with contracts of one to three years. In contrast, Cloudways offers pay-as-you-go metered hosting service, which means you’ll pay for the bandwidth and storage your site uses in a given month.
While Cloudways boasts a 99.99% uptime guarantee, Bluehost doesn’t mention an uptime guarantee at all. Additionally, Bluehost offers a free domain name and hosting for up to five business emails, while Cloudways doesn’t offer either. Read Bluehost Review
Features
Cloudways
Bluehost
Hosting Service
Pay-as-you-go metered hosting
Unmetered hosting at a per-month or per-year rate
Uptime Guarantee
99.99%
Not mentioned
Free Domain Name
No
Yes
Business Emails
No
Up to 5
Cloudways vs. HostGator
HostGator offers unmetered hosting at a monthly or yearly rate on a three-year contract, along with unlimited business email accounts and a free domain name. In comparison, Cloudways does not offer these features. Read HostGator review
Both Cloudways and HostGator offer limited customer support options, including chat support and an online help center. However, dedicated customer service comes at an extra cost.
Features
Cloudways
HostGator
Hosting Service
Pay-as-you-go metered hosting
Unmetered hosting at a monthly or yearly rate on a three-year contract
Free Domain Name
No
Yes
Business Emails
No
Unlimited
Customer Support
Chat support and online help center
Chat support, online help center, and dedicated customer service for an extra cost
Cloudways vs. GoDaddy
When comparing Cloudways and GoDaddy, GoDaddy offers unmetered cloud hosting at a monthly or yearly rate on a three-year contract, along with a free domain name for one year and up to two business emails. Additionally, GoDaddy provides a suite of services, including domain name registration and a free website builder, that Cloudways doesn’t offer.
Features
Cloudways
GoDaddy
Hosting Service
Pay-as-you-go metered hosting
Unmetered cloud hosting at a monthly or yearly rate on a three-year contract
Free Domain Name
No
Yes, for one year
Business Emails
No
Up to 2
Additional Services
No
Domain name registration and free website builder
Our Expert Opinion: Cloudways Review
As a cloud hosting service, Cloudways is an excellent choice for small business owners who want to build a managed WordPress site. However, if you prefer a hands-off experience, you may want to consider a shared hosting service instead. Cloudways does not offer domain name registration or email hosting, which means you’ll have to register a domain through a third party and use a separate email service.
It’s worth noting that Cloudways is best suited for those who are tech-savvy and don’t mind doing some of the legwork themselves. While Cloudways offers competitive pricing structures, there are other companies that offer more features at a lower price point.
Overall, Cloudways is a solid choice for those who want to build a cloud-based, managed WordPress site and are willing to put in some effort to set it up.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is managed WordPress hosting?
Managed WordPress hosting is a service where a web hosting company handles tasks such as installing WordPress, making core updates, backing up files daily, and enhancing security measures. Users who sign up for managed WordPress services will have their website hosted using this platform.
What is the difference between dedicated and shared hosting?
Dedicated hosting means that a website will have its own individual server, while shared hosting plans will have a website stored on a server alongside other users and their websites. With dedicated hosting, users have more control over their server and can customize it to their needs. Shared hosting, on the other hand, is more affordable and suitable for websites with low to moderate traffic.
What is a bandwidth limit?
Bandwidth is the amount of data transmitted to a website visitor or when the visitor uploads data to the web server. The bandwidth limit is the amount of bandwidth a website hosting company allows on a certain plan each month. If the bandwidth limit has been exceeded, then visitors may have trouble accessing the website. It’s important to choose a hosting plan with enough bandwidth to accommodate your website’s traffic.
In conclusion, understanding the basics of managed WordPress hosting, dedicated and shared hosting, and bandwidth limits can help you make an informed decision when choosing a web hosting plan. It’s essential to choose a plan that suits your website’s needs and traffic requirements to ensure a smooth and reliable online experience for your visitors.
What are the features of Cloudways hosting?
Cloudways provides managed cloud hosting services for websites built using WordPress CMS. It offers flexible scalability to growing businesses or those with regularly fluctuating data needs. Cloudways is also suitable for media-heavy websites that require high performance and speed. Some of the features of Cloudways hosting include:
Multiple cloud infrastructure providers
Automated backups
24/7 support
Dedicated firewalls
Free SSL certificates
CloudwaysCDN
Staging environments
Vertical scaling
SSH and SFTP access
How does Cloudways compare to WPEngine?
Cloudways and WPEngine are both managed cloud hosting providers for WordPress websites. However, there are some differences between the two. For instance, Cloudways supports multiple cloud infrastructure providers, while WPEngine only uses the Google Cloud Platform. Cloudways also offers more flexible pricing plans and allows users to pay as they go. On the other hand, WPEngine provides more specialized WordPress-specific features, such as automatic updates and security scanning.
What are some alternatives to Cloudways?
If you’re looking for alternatives to Cloudways, some options include:
SiteGround
Kinsta
WPX Hosting
Flywheel
Liquid Web
Each of these hosting providers has its own unique features and pricing plans, so it’s important to research and compare them before making a decision.
What are the differences between Cloudways Standard and Premium?
Cloudways offers two pricing plans: Standard and Premium. The Standard plan includes features such as 24/7 support, automated backups, and free SSL certificates. The Premium plan includes additional features, such as a dedicated account manager, advanced security, and priority support. The Premium plan also offers more resources and higher performance, making it suitable for larger websites with high traffic and complex needs.
Is Cloudways a good hosting provider for beginners?
Cloudways is a good hosting provider for beginners who are looking for a managed cloud hosting solution. Its user-friendly interface and 24/7 support make it easy to set up and manage your website, even if you have no technical experience. Additionally, Cloudways offers a free trial and pay-as-you-go pricing, so you can try it out before committing to a long-term plan.
What is Cloudways used for?
Cloudways is used for managed cloud hosting of websites built using WordPress CMS. It provides a range of features and benefits, such as flexible scalability, automated backups, and dedicated firewalls, that make it suitable for growing businesses or media-heavy websites. Cloudways is also used for high-performance hosting, with features such as CloudwaysCDN and vertical scaling that ensure fast loading times and high availability.
Harold Smith
Harold Smith is a seasoned web hosting expert with extensive experience in evaluating and recommending hosting solutions for businesses and individuals. His passion for WordPress-based websites led him to specialize in managed WordPress hosting, providing in-depth knowledge of the nuances and requirements of WordPress hosting environments.
