Cloudways Web Hosting Review: Pros, Cons, Pricing, and Features

Cloudways, founded in 2011, has rapidly established itself as a prominent player in the cloud hosting industry. The company was created with a mission to simplify cloud hosting by offering an easy-to-use platform that provides flexibility, reliability, and scalability. Headquartered in Malta, Cloudways collaborates with leading cloud hosting providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform, DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr. This partnership enables Cloudways to deliver a seamless and robust cloud hosting experience to businesses and developers worldwide.

Cloudways Pros and Cons

Pros

1. User-Friendly Platform: Cloudways provides an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible even for those with limited technical expertise.
2. Performance Optimization: With features like SSD-based hosting, built-in caches (Memcached, Varnish, Nginx, and Redis), and PHP 7-ready servers, Cloudways ensures high-speed performance.
3. Scalability: Users can easily scale their servers up or down based on their requirements without any downtime, which is crucial for growing businesses.
4. Multiple Cloud Providers: Cloudways offers a choice of five top cloud providers, allowing users to select the one that best suits their needs and budget.
5. Security: The platform includes dedicated firewalls, automated backups, SSL certificates, and regular security patching.
6. 24/7 Support: Cloudways provides round-the-clock support through live chat and ticketing systems. Their support team is known for being responsive and knowledgeable.

Cons

1. No Domain Registration: Cloudways does not offer domain registration services, which means users need to purchase domains from third-party providers.
2. No Email Hosting: The platform does not include email hosting, requiring users to set up email services separately.
3. Limited Customization: While Cloudways offers a managed solution, some advanced users may find the lack of root access limiting for specific customizations.
4. Cost: The pricing can be higher compared to other most famous hosting service providers, although the features and performance justify the cost for many users.

Cloudways Review: User Feedback and Customer Support

User feedback for Cloudways is generally positive, with many praising its ease of use, performance, and customer support. According to various reviews on platforms like Trustpilot and G2, users appreciate the following aspects:

• Performance: Many users report significant improvements in website speed and performance after migrating to Cloudways. The combination of SSD storage, built-in caches, and advanced optimization tools contributes to this.
• Customer Support: Cloudways’ 24/7 support is frequently mentioned as a major advantage. Users highlight the quick response times and the expertise of the support team in resolving issues efficiently.
• Ease of Use: The user-friendly interface and one-click solutions for tasks like server setup, application deployment, and scaling make Cloudways a preferred choice for non-technical users.

However, some users express concerns about the lack of domain and email hosting, as well as the learning curve for those new to cloud hosting. Despite these minor drawbacks, Cloudways maintains a high satisfaction rate among its customers.

Cloudways Pricing and Types of Hosting

Cloudways offers a flexible pricing model with pay-as-you-go plans, allowing users to pay only for the resources they use. This pricing structure is particularly beneficial for businesses with fluctuating traffic patterns. Here is a breakdown of the hosting types and pricing:

Hosting Types

• Agency Hosting
• E-commerce Hosting
• Developers
• SMB Hosting
• Multisite Hosting
• Bloggers & Publishers Hosting

Pricing Plans

Cloudways’ pricing varies based on the chosen cloud provider and server specifications. Here are some examples:

• DigitalOcean: Plans start at $14 per month for 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 25 GB Storage, and 1 TB Bandwidth.
• Vultr: Plans start at $16 per month for 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 32 GB Storage, and 1 TB Bandwidth.
• Linode: Plans start at $14 per month for 1GB RAM, 1 Core Processor, 20 GB Storage, and 1 TB Bandwidth.
• AWS: Plans start at $20.56 per month for 1GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 20 GB Storage, and 2GB Bandwidth.
• Google Cloud Platform: Plans start at $37.45 per month for 1.75 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 20 GB Storage, and 2 GB Bandwidth.

Price can change time by time so, prefer to check the Cloudways website.

Cloudways Features

Cloudways offers a comprehensive suite of features designed to enhance the hosting experience. Some of the standout features include:

1. Managed Security: Dedicated firewalls, regular security patching, and free SSL certificates ensure robust security for your applications.
2. Automated Backups: Cloudways provides automated backups with flexible retention options, ensuring your data is always safe.
3. Staging Environment: The platform offers a staging environment for testing changes before deploying them to the live site.
4. Team Collaboration: Users can add team members to their accounts with role-based access, facilitating collaboration on projects.
5. Application Management: One-click application installation and management for popular CMS platforms like WordPress, Magento, Joomla, and more.
6. Performance Monitoring: Cloudways includes built-in monitoring tools that provide real-time insights into server and application performance.
7. Free Migration: Cloudways offers a free migration service for moving your website to its platform without any downtime.

Cloudways Comparison with Competitors

When compared to competitors like WP Engine, SiteGround, and Namecheap, Cloudways stands out for its unparalleled flexibility, performance, and scalability. Supporting multiple CMS platforms and offering a choice of five leading cloud providers, Cloudways provides users with greater control over their hosting environment. Its custom control panel and built-in performance optimization tools ensure top-tier performance, while straightforward and flexible scalability options make it ideal for growing businesses and developers. Cloudways’ comprehensive features and pay-as-you-go pricing model offer significant advantages, making it a robust and customizable hosting solution for a wide range of users.

Conclusion

Cloudways has positioned itself as a reliable and versatile managed cloud hosting provider. With its user-friendly platform, robust performance, and excellent customer support, it caters to a wide range of users, from small businesses to large enterprises. While the lack of domain and email hosting may be a drawback for some, the overall features and benefits make Cloudways a strong contender in the cloud hosting market. By offering flexible pricing and a choice of top cloud providers, Cloudways provides a tailored hosting solution that meets diverse needs and budgets.