Cloudways Review: Is It Worth Your Money? Full Breakdown

Having trouble finding a reliable website host for your business? If you’re thinking about moving away from a shared hosting environment to something more dependable and high-performing, it’s worth considering options like Cloudways. In this Cloudways review, I’m going to go over both the pros and cons of hosting with Cloudways and be as unbiased as I possibly can.

I’ve been using them for about 10 years now and want to share my experience and who Cloudways is for, because it’s not for everyone.

I know there’s been concerns over pricing changes post-DigitalOcean acquisition. Any time a company is bought out by another its usually not a great transition, but if I’m being blunt, I’ve had zero impact in both my performance and my service level that I’m aware of so I don’t really have any feedback in that regards.

Cloudways has performed for me and I’ll explain why I made the transition from shared hosting to managed website hosting.

Right now, Cloudways do free trials and are offering 40% for 3 months for Black Friday sale, so there wouldn’t be a better transition time then now if you are considering them.

My Overview of Cloudways Hosting

After my site was hacked multiple times while using a shared hosting account, I made the decision to switch to Cloudways. I’m not entirely sure if the shared platform was solely to blame, but the issues literally stopped once I had moved.

Performance was another headache. My site’s loading speed was painfully slow, and no tweaks seemed to help. Check out my current GTmetrix rating since the switch—impressive, especially for a resource-heavy site.

I needed something more secure and reliable, so I did a little research and ended up choosing Cloudways managed hosting. Now, my sites are faster, safer, and overall, my experience has improved. Yes, it costs more, but I find it’s a necessary investment.

Having relied on Cloudways for over a decade, I’ve seen firsthand how it helps users to manage their websites effectively.

Full disclosure: I am an affiliate of Cloudways and if you use my link I do get a commission and if you don’t that is fine too. Please keep in mind I only recommend products I’ve experienced or truly believe in. I’m an active Cloudways user for over 10 years.

Today, I want to dive into their features and even some of their drawbacks.

Cloudways Review: Hosting Model

Cloudways operates on a managed cloud hosting model, distinct from the shared hosting many are familiar with.

With shared hosting, your resources, including CPU and RAM, are shared with other users on the same server. As I mentioned this can lead to performance issues if other users on the server consume more resources.

Cloudways, basically allows you to choose from top-tier cloud providers like Vultr, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean, ensuring dedicated resources for your sites.

In simple terms this means optimal performance, enhanced security, and the ability to scale as required without downtime or complicated migrations.

As a marketer who relies heavily on speed to help improve conversion rates this isn’t a decision I take lightly.

Key Features of Cloudways

Cloudways has a robust set of features designed to cater to both novices and seasoned developers:

• Multiple Cloud Providers: Choose from five cloud providers, including AWS and Google Cloud, each offering unique advantages and their own pricing structures.
• Managed Services: Enjoy automated backups, real-time monitoring, and 24/7 support, providing you peace of mind and allowing you to focus on growing your business.
• Scalability: With Cloudways, scaling your server resources is straightforward, enabling you to handle traffic spikes effortlessly. There is nothing worse than having to migrate an entire server hosting multiple websites. If you see traffic increases you can simply upgrade your resources. This is a big deal for many resource heavy businesses.

These features ensure that your website runs smoothly, irrespective of its size or the complexity of its operations.

Who is Cloudways Hosting For?

Now, honestly, it does pain me to suggest shared hosting options because I know in the long run, managed hosting platforms like Cloudways are the top choice for ALL business owners.

But, I understand its hard to wrap your head around the price difference, even though Cloudways is still relatively cheap. It’s just not as affordable as the shared hosting platforms and will never be.

Shared hosting is not a bad starting point. I started there myself because I didn’t understand the differences and they can be super affordable.

I’d only recommend shared hosting if you have a low resource website, creating the one landing page or you have a very limited budget. It’s an option that comes with the mentioned drawbacks, but if I was to recommend any of them it would be these 2 options: Elementor Hosting and SiteGround.

I’ll explore both of these much deeper at another time.

Cloudways is the top choice for various audiences, but it truly excels for developers, agencies, and freelancers managing multiple websites.

Its flexibility and ease of use make it a favorite among developers who need a robust and dependable platform. Agencies appreciate the managed environment and ability to host clients’ websites without requiring an in-house server management team.

Even business owners who manage several domains can benefit from its intuitive setup and cost-effective plans. For those who might still be skeptical, there are numerous community reviews on its performance.

Now I wan’t to get into some of the technical aspects of Cloudways.

Cloudways Review: Performance Analysis

When it comes to hosting, performance really is everything. I personally judge any business by its online presence and I feel like others do the exact same thing.

Whether it be the quality of their website or the time it takes for their website to load, if your website doesn’t load quickly, users won’t stick around. There is no loyalty in such situations, so if you think your business won’t suffer from a slow-loading website, think again.

This brings me to my next point: Are you running your ads to a slow-loading landing page? I can tell you from experience that your conversion rate will be impacted by slow website speeds, so you may be wasting your hard-earned money.

Test your landing page speed with GTmetrix and see what results you get. I’d also encourage you to read my 9 practical tips to increase landing page conversions and understand why page speed is so important.

Cloudways Review: Speed and Response Times

Cloudways offers outstanding speed, a crucial aspect for anyone managing an online business. With the integration of Cloudflare, you can enjoy quicker load times and more responsive servers, leading to a more seamless experience for users.

Their use of NVMe SSDs plays a key role in reducing latency and boosting speed. If past performance reviews made you cautious, the current performance could change your perspective.

Cloudways achieves its impressive speed through partnerships with top cloud providers like Vultr, Google Cloud, AWS, and DigitalOcean, which bring strong infrastructure and high performance. They incorporate advanced caching solutions like Varnish, Memcached, and Redis, which store data in memory for faster access and significantly improve loading times.

A built-in CDN further reduces latency and accelerates content delivery globally. Plus, their servers are set up with HTTP/2, enhancing loading efficiency by handling multiple requests over one connection. If you have no clue what any of this is no worries its basically what influences a high performing website. Altogether, these features make Cloudways a quick and dependable hosting choice.

My preferred providers for speed with Cloudways are Vultr & Digital Ocean.

Uptime Reliability

Uptime is another critical aspect to consider. Cloudways boasts a robust uptime track record, with percentages that are competitive among top-tier providers.

Many users report minimal downtime, ensuring that your site is accessible when your visitors need it.

I’ve personally never had to experience a significant amount of downtime at any point since I started using Cloudways.

The reliability of their uptime is backed by various user reports and expert evaluations, placing Cloudways among the more dependable hosting options available.

For further insights on this, see How Storyware Achieves 99.99% Uptime & DIY Control with Cloudways

Security Features

Security is a top priority for any hosting service. With Cloudways you’ll get daily backups and free SSL certificates with their plans, ensuring your data is both secure and easily recoverable.

SSL certificates can cost you upwards of $59/year per site on other platforms. You can utilize these for free on every website using Cloudways and “Lets Encrypt” SSL certificates.

I realize most people don’t care about security until their security is compromised.

Cloudways servers come pre-equipped with features like Firewalls and Port Security, Database Security, Application Isolation, and much more.

For an in-depth review of this. Learn more on the pre cautions Cloudways takes to ensure your server security.

Their platform runs regular security patches and offers bot protection to shield your business from cyber threats. Another headache you don’t need to worry about.

Plus, all servers are monitored 24/7 to ensure any potential issues are quickly addressed, giving you confidence that your online business presence is in good hands.

Ease of Use

The top reason I use Cloudways vs other providers is definitely their UI (user interface).

The intuitive dashboard is designed for users of all skill levels. With one-click installations for popular platforms like WordPress and WooCommerce, setting up your online store or blog is very easy.

I go into much more detail of this with a short demonstration video found below.

I used to rent an unmanaged server with Ramnode hosting before I switched to managed hosting with Cloudways and the best way for me to describe this is.

An absolute waste of time, yes I saved a ton of money on my hosting fee but the hassles and time spent in running an unmanaged server were absolutely ridiculous. I would never, ever do it again.

I went into it with little to no experience managing a server, almost somewhat deluded. But when things went wrong, the support was very limited because I was paying for an unmanaged service, which I guess makes sense.

But honestly, updating and managing clients websites without a user interface and only shell commands was absolutely horrible. Don’t get me wrong its interesting to learn but I’d often sink hours into it when I could be doing something much more productive.

You want to be using a website host that does not require you to use it as much.

If I could give any advice on using an unmanaged hosting service it would be not to use it!

Affordability and Value

In the grand scheme of things Cloudways is actually very affordable, I’m currently spending $28 per month on my server and I have 8 websites on there with half my disk space available. See my usage below, CPU usage will fluctuate but looks good right now.

What makes it seem like a high price is the fact that shared hosting can cost you $40 to $100 per year, but the drawbacks and risks that come with it aren’t worth the value to me personally. At the same time, I understand the appeal.

Cloudways offers affordable plans with transparent pricing, meaning no hidden fees or costs creeping in later.

Over the years, I’ve found the lack of unexpected charges a refreshing change from other hosting services. I think my price has fluctuated by a few dollars as I’ve added some email add-ons.

For added comfort there is free migration service if you are planning the transition, and a money-back guarantee for those still on the fence.

My experience with Cloudways over the past decade highlights not just cost savings but also significant value for businesses seeking reliable and versatile hosting solutions.

Pricing Structure

Cloudways pricing structure is a little different to your typical shared hosting, after all you are renting the server space so you can fully understand what you are paying for. That’s the way it should be!

Take a look at their pricing plans here.

Remember, the top two options are Vultr and DigitalOcean. To get started, I’d suggest going with the second level of pricing on either provider, as it would be more than sufficient for a few websites.

You can scale as you go from there, which could take years depending on traffic and the resources you’re using.

Of course if you have more websites you’re going to need more resources.

Tiered Pricing Plans

Cloudways splits its services into various tiered pricing plans depending on the cloud provider and server specifications you choose. Here’s a snapshot of what these plans generally entail:

• DigitalOcean Plans: Starting at around $14 per month, these plans are ideal for those getting started with managed hosting. For this price, you get 1 GB RAM, 25 GB storage, and 1 TB bandwidth. The main advantage here is cost, making it accessible for small projects or startups.
• Vultr and Linode Plans: Slightly more robust than DigitalOcean, these plans offer higher storage starting from approximately $14 to $16 per month. These options are well-suited for websites expecting moderate traffic and requiring stronger performance.
• AWS and Google Cloud: I wouldn’t go with these unless you have a specific reason. I’ve never used them and haven’t needed too. They are a higher price and it looks like they offer less resources so I’d focus on either DigitalOcean, Vultr or Linode.

Cost vs. Value Analysis

When evaluating if the costs associated with Cloudways are justified, it’s essential to weigh the value offered. The managed hosting model provides numerous benefits that can offset the higher price point.

• Performance: Cloudways’ use of NVMe SSDs with Vultr across plans ensures quick data retrieval, which is crucial for keeping load times low and user engagement high. This is particularly valuable for websites where performance is non-negotiable.
• Scalability: As your business grows, so do your needs. Cloudways allows for seamless scalability, saving time and resources that would otherwise be spent on hosting migrations. Each tier offers room to expand, making it a great choice for dynamic businesses.
• Ease of Use: The user-friendly interface and managed services mean there’s no need to hire server administrators, allowing you to focus on your core business activities.

Sure, the upfront price might look high, but if you haven’t understood the value yet then maybe shared hosting might be for you.

User Experience & The Cloudways Dashboard

Aside from high performance and value for money, as I mentioned my favorite aspect of Cloudways has to be the user experience and its interface.

I don’t know any other platform for hosting that is easier to use. This section delves into what Cloudways offers in terms of a user interface and customer support, two areas crucial to maintaining a seamless and efficient hosting environment.

Take a look at this short video where we take a deep dive into the backend of Cloudways Hosting Software.

User Interface and Ease of Setup

I’m being completely unbiased when I say this, but Cloudways is smooth, intuitive, and very easy to use.

It’s also one of the biggest reasons why I’m reluctant to try any other managed web host because I don’t think there is a system as good as this, and I’m somewhat scared to lose it.

Key Features of the Cloudways Dashboard:

• Simplified Server Management: Manage everything from a single interface. Whether it’s scaling servers or monitoring performance, tasks that usually require technical prowess are super easy to do.
• One-Click Installations: Whether you are launching a WordPress site or setting up WooCommerce, it truly is just a click away (well, a couple of clicks). This feature has saved me countless hours and allowed me to focus on what matters: content and strategy.
• Real-time Monitoring: Keep tabs on your resources and performance with integrated monitoring tools. This transparency allows for proactive adjustments, ensuring your site runs optimally. You’ll get notifications when you are exceeding resources and whether you should be upgrading your servers.

The setup process is so streamlined and very quick, eliminating the traditional headaches associated with server management.

There is a switch, button and user interface for every aspect of managing a server so you never have to use command prompt. This ease of use makes Cloudways my favourite managed hosting platform.

I don’t want to work on a server I want to focus on my core business without getting bogged down in the technical side of things.

They recently improved their interface even further with Navigating the New & Improved Cloudways Interface

Customer Support Evaluation

I realize that every company has the #1 customer support team and the best customer support out there so I’m not going to oversell it.

I’ve had many hiccups with websites and why they haven’t been working properly, and the Cloudways technicians have always assisted me, even though it’s not necessarily something related to their server hosting.

I’ve had them help me with development issues completely unrelated to server problems. To me, that is an above-and-beyond experience.

Cloudways offers a support system that, while not flawless, provides a generally reliable backbone for it’s users and for anyone with a technical background.

Support Features Include:

• 24/7 Live Chat and Tickets: Immediate help is available through live chat, with more complex issues handled via a ticket system.
• Community Forums and Guides: For those who prefer a self-service approach, an extensive library of tutorials and a vibrant community forum offer additional support and insights.
• Expert Assistance: The support team is well-versed in technical troubleshooting, providing knowledgeable assistance when you encounter issues.

In my experience, response times have been generally quick, and the assistance is thorough.

For a broader survey on Cloudways support quality, take a look at some of their other client reviews.

Overall, the user interface and customer support are integral to what makes Cloudways one of the best softwares in the hosting market.

Focusing on simplicity and responsiveness, they offer a valuable package for business owners and developers alike, ensuring a smooth user experience.

Keep in mind that when I migrated to Cloudways I had little to no technical experience with hosting, and I still don’t know everything.

Potential Cons of Cloudways Hosting

I’ve addressed all the advantages of using a hosting software like Cloudways.

And it’s all fun and games to talk about what makes managed Cloudways hosting so great.

But, I also want to share who I think Cloudways is not for and a couple of potential disadvantages of Cloudways Hosting.

Disadvantages

No service is without its downsides. The pricing model of Cloudways can be a big hurdle for some. Unlike traditional hosts that offer fixed-rate plans, Cloudways follows a pay-as-you-go model, which can lead to mounting costs as your site scales.

I do want to add that I’ve never had this happen to me, I’m notified and well aware of my server resources from Cloudways and any suggested upgrades.

For those interested, this Reddit discussion provides user experiences and opinions on the cost-factor and some potential limitations.

In a nutshell Cloudways is not for:

• People on a tight budget
• Those that think the performance of your website doesn’t matter
• Users needing just one simple website with bare minimal resources, and no updates.
• Those satisfied with small websites on current shared hosting

I would also like to add that there is nothing wrong with running a small website on Cloudways, but I’d personally want to take advantage of all it’s resources.

So, while Cloudways offers excellent performance and user-friendly features, it’s crucial to weigh these against the cost implications, if you are on a very strict budget and only need the one website you should go with a cheaper shared hosting option.

But, something to keep in mind when you sign up with your shared hosting provider, make sure you fully understand your renewal cost because its usually much higher than you think. Often being comparable to a managed hosting service cost like Cloudways.

I’d also say, check out your current website speed and see how good or bad it is from a customer perspective.

Is the money your saving worth it to you?

Final Thoughts on Cloudways Hosting

If you are still somewhat reserved on choosing Cloudways for your managed hosting provider, then I’m unsure what else I could go over to help put your doubts to rest.

I’ve been using Cloudways for over a decade now. My personal experience with Cloudways has been mostly positive, with a few bumps along the way, mainly related to development issues.

I’d be happy to help you with any questions related to Cloudways – feel free to send me a message here.

Here’s a quick summary of what we’ve discussed.

Pros:

• Strong long-term performance with high-speed NVMe SSDs
• Impressive uptime rates for reliable site accessibility
• Easy management of multiple sites with a user-friendly interface
• Simplified backend tasks, allowing focus on content
• One-click installations for apps like WordPress
• Simple, intuitive user interface system

Cons:

• Pricing can rise with increased traffic and resource needs
• Higher price than shared hosting initial cost

Conclusion & Next Steps

I’ve been using Cloudways for close to a decade, Cloudways has been a reliable choice for hosting my websites, offering impressive speed boosts and the ease of not having to manage servers myself.

With prices starting at around $15 USD. Their intuitive setup with one-click installations ensures even those without technical expertise can manage a web server effectively.

After weighing out both the pros and cons, think about what’s most important for your online projects and business. I’d encourage you to try their free trial with no credit card required to get started.

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