Cloudways is often recommended as the best managed cloud VPS platform — but with a starting price of $14/month, it’s pricier than traditional VPS plans. Is the premium worth it?
I’ve been using Cloudways for the past 60 days to find out. Here’s an honest breakdown of what you get, what you don’t, and who should (and shouldn’t) use it.
What Is Cloudways?
Cloudways isn’t a traditional hosting company. Instead, it’s a managed cloud platform that sits on top of 5 cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode. You choose the underlying infrastructure, and Cloudways handles the server management — security patches, caching, CDN, backups, and monitoring.
You can compare Cloudways against other VPS providers on our virtual server comparison page.
Cloudways Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Price | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Provider |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DO 1GB | $14/mo | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | DigitalOcean |
| DO 2GB | $23/mo | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | DigitalOcean |
| Vultr 2GB | $25/mo | 2 GB | 55 GB | 2 TB | Vultr |
| AWS 2GB | $36/mo | 2 GB | 20 GB | 2 GB | AWS |
| GCE 1.7GB | $33/mo | 1.7 GB | 20 GB | 2 GB | Google Cloud |
What Makes Cloudways Different
What I Liked ✅
- One-click staging. Clone your entire site with a single click, test changes, then push live. No manual database copying.
- Built-in CDN. CloudwaysCDN is included — no need to set up Cloudflare separately. Average 40-60% faster page loads for global visitors.
- Automated backups. Set hourly, daily, or weekly backups. Restore with one click. Most hosts charge extra for this.
- Vertical scaling. Upgrade RAM/CPU without migrating. Takes 5 minutes with no downtime.
- 24/7 support. Live chat is genuinely fast — under 30 seconds during testing.
What I Didn’t Like ❌
- No root access. You can’t install custom software or modify the server OS. Cloudways manages the stack (Nginx + Apache + PHP-FPM).
- Pricing adds up. $14/month is just the base. Add-ons (additional backups, dedicated IP, Elastic Email) increase the monthly cost.
- Traffic limits. Bandwidth is capped — going over means extra charges.
- Not for complete beginners. You still need to understand basic web hosting concepts (DNS, caching, PHP settings).
Who Should Use Cloudways?
Cloudways is a great fit for:
- Agencies managing multiple client sites — the team collaboration features and client management tools save hours
- WooCommerce store owners — optimized specifically for e-commerce performance
- Developers who want managed infrastructure — you get cloud flexibility without sysadmin work
- Growing sites that need easy scaling — upgrade in minutes without migration headaches
It’s not ideal for:
- Budget-conscious users — at $14/month min, a traditional VPS at $3-$5/month gives better value for simple sites
- Users who need full server control — if you want root access, go with a traditional VPS
- Low-traffic personal blogs — shared hosting or budget VPS makes more financial sense
Cloudways vs Traditional VPS
| Factor | Cloudways | Traditional VPS (InterServer) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14+/mo | $3+/mo |
| Root Access | ❌ | ✅ |
| Managed Security | ✅ Included | Self-managed |
| Staging Sites | ✅ 1-click | Manual setup |
| Backups | ✅ Automated | Manual or plugin |
| Tech Support | 24/7 live chat | Ticket/live chat |
If you want the simplicity of managed hosting with cloud infrastructure flexibility, Cloudways is worth the premium. If you’re on a budget and comfortable managing your own server, a traditional VPS gives you more power per dollar.
Final Verdict
Cloudways isn’t the cheapest option, but it delivers on its promise: managed cloud hosting that’s faster, more reliable, and easier to scale than shared hosting — without needing a sysadmin. For agencies, e-commerce sites, and growing businesses, the $14/month entry price pays for itself in time saved.
Compare Cloudways against InterServer and other VPS providers on our side-by-side comparison.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.