Cloudways Hosting Review 2025
This Cloudways hosting review 2025 explores why the platform has emerged as a pivotal player. In today’s fast-paced digital world, Cloudways has become a significant force in the web hosting landscape.
Combining the flexibility of cloud hosting with user-friendly management tools, Cloudways stands out for its innovative approach. This Cloudways hosting review explores the platform in depth, assessing everything from its core offerings to advanced features that make it a preferred choice for developers, digital agencies, and SMBs. We’ll cover performance benchmarks, customer testimonials, competitive positioning, and new 2025 updates to help you make an informed decision.
What is Cloudways Hosting? (Review 2025)
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform designed to make high-performance hosting accessible to everyone — from developers and digital agencies to small businesses. In this Cloudways hosting review 2025, we’ll explore why it’s trusted by professionals looking for flexibility, speed, and ease of use.
Unlike traditional hosting providers that rely on their own physical servers and data centers, Cloudways takes a different approach. It partners with top-tier cloud infrastructure providers including:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
- DigitalOcean
- Linode
- Vultr
This partnership model allows Cloudways to focus on what it does best — delivering a seamless, managed hosting experience — while leveraging the power, scalability, and global availability of major cloud platforms.
With Cloudways, you don’t need to worry about complex server-side management tasks. From server setup and security patches to monitoring and backups, everything is handled for you. You get access to a simple dashboard, built-in performance tools like Breeze caching and Cloudflare CDN integration, and 24/7 expert support.
Whether you’re building WordPress sites, hosting Laravel apps, or running WooCommerce stores, Cloudways gives you cloud performance without the DevOps stress — all at a predictable monthly price.
Why Choose Cloudways Hosting?
As we continue with this Cloudways hosting review 2025, we’ll break down each feature and explain how it works in real-world scenarios. Cloudways offers distinct advantages that make it an excellent choice for developers, digital agencies, and growing businesses:
- ✓ Simplified Cloud Hosting: Ideal for both beginners and developers seeking ease of use.
- ✓ Performance Efficiency: SSD-based servers ensure consistently fast website speeds.
- ✓ Scalability: Easily resize servers and applications as your traffic or business grows.
- ✓ Enhanced Security: Built-in firewalls, two-factor authentication (2FA), and automated patching.
- ✓ Smart SafeUpdates (New 2025): Automatically prevents updates if potential app breakage is detected.
- ✓ Copilot AI (New 2025): Real-time AI assistant to monitor and help fix server issues efficiently.
- ✓ MyDumper Integration: Speedy backup and restoration process for large databases.
How Cloudways Hosting Works
Cloudways simplifies the cloud hosting process by turning complex infrastructure into a seamless experience. Here’s how it works step-by-step:
- 1. Choose Your Cloud Provider: Select from top-tier options like DigitalOcean, AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, or Vultr depending on your needs and budget.
- 2. Customize Server Specs: Pick your desired server location, storage space, RAM, and bandwidth to match your website’s size and traffic.
- 3. Automatic Provisioning: Cloudways handles server setup, installs the required stack (Nginx, Apache, PHP, MySQL), and applies performance & security optimizations.
- 4. Deploy Applications: Launch WordPress, Magento, Laravel, or custom PHP apps with a single click — no coding needed.
- 5. Manage via Unified Dashboard: Access powerful tools to create staging sites, set up backups, monitor performance, manage firewalls, and more — all from one place.
- 6. Scale Easily: As your website grows, scale server resources up or down instantly without any downtime or migration hassles.
Cloudways Key Features
- ✓ Cloud Provider Flexibility: Cloudways lets you choose from five top-tier cloud infrastructure providers: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform (GCP), DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr. You stay in control of performance, pricing, and server location.
- ✓ Breeze Cache Plugin: Built-in caching plugin specifically designed for WordPress, Breeze improves page load speeds, supports minification, and works seamlessly with CloudwaysCDN.
- ✓ CloudwaysCDN: A fully integrated content delivery network that boosts global load times and secures content with minimal setup — perfect for eCommerce and international websites.
- ✓ Vertical & Horizontal Scaling: Instantly increase server RAM, CPU, or clone servers/apps across regions based on seasonal traffic spikes or business growth.
- ✓ One-Click SSL & Backup Management: Easily install free SSL certificates, schedule automatic backups, and restore any version with just one click — all from your Cloudways dashboard.
- ✓ Free Migration for First Website: Cloudways offers complimentary white-glove migration for your first site — ensuring zero downtime or hassle during the move.
- ✓ Team Member Collaboration: Add unlimited team members, assign specific roles, and control access permissions — ideal for agencies or businesses with multiple collaborators.
- ✓ Real-Time Bandwidth Tracking (2025 Update): Monitor data usage live with visual reports to optimize site performance and avoid unexpected overages.
- ✓ PHP 8.3 Support (2025 Update): Cloudways now supports the latest stable PHP 8.3 version — bringing better speed, stability, and compatibility for modern web apps.
Pricing Plans (Updated 2025)
Cloudways operates on a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model, allowing you to pay only for the resources you use. Pricing varies based on your selected cloud provider and server configuration. Whether you’re running a blog or a high-traffic application, you can scale your hosting according to your needs — without any long-term contracts.
| Cloud Provider | Starting Price (Monthly) |
|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | $11 |
| Vultr | $14 |
| Linode | $14 |
| Amazon Web Services (AWS) | $20.56 |
| Google Cloud Platform (GCP) | $37.33 |
✅ No contracts or surprise fees: You can pause, stop, or scale your usage anytime — making it ideal for startups, freelancers, and growing businesses.
Customer Support
Cloudways places a strong emphasis on delivering reliable and responsive customer support. Whether you’re a developer, business owner, or agency, you can expect prompt assistance and smart solutions.
- ✓ 24/7 Live Chat & Ticketing System: Get round-the-clock support from trained professionals ready to assist with setup, performance, and troubleshooting.
- ✓ Knowledgeable Hosting Experts: Agents are not just script-readers — they have real-world experience managing servers, applications, and performance optimization.
- ✓ Premium Support Add-ons: Need more advanced help? Upgrade to Premium or Enterprise support for faster SLAs, dedicated account managers, and deeper technical assistance.
- ✓ Comprehensive Knowledge Base & Forums: Access detailed documentation, how-to guides, and an active community forum to find solutions and tips from other Cloudways users.
- ✓ Copilot AI Assistant (New 2025): The newly introduced AI assistant helps diagnose common issues, auto-suggest fixes, and streamline ticket creation — significantly reducing wait times and enhancing efficiency.
Cloudways Hosting Review 2025: Key Takeaways
After exploring all aspects of Cloudways in 2025, it’s clear that this platform delivers a high-performance, developer-friendly cloud hosting solution — but it’s not for everyone. Below is a summarized view of its strengths and limitations to help you make an informed decision.
✅ Pros
- ✓ Multi-cloud flexibility: Choose from 5 industry-leading cloud providers (AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr) to suit your app’s traffic, location, and budget.
- ✓ Transparent pricing: Pay-as-you-go billing model with no contracts, hidden charges, or surprise overages — ideal for startups and scale-ups.
- ✓ Developer-friendly stack: Access to Git, SSH, staging environments, APIs, and performance tools like Redis, Varnish, and Breeze caching.
- ✓ Smart SafeUpdates: A 2025 feature that intelligently skips software updates if it detects broken apps, minimizing downtime risks.
- ✓ Copilot AI & CDN integration: Use AI-powered support and built-in CloudwaysCDN to automate problem solving and ensure global speed and reliability.
⚠️ Cons
- ✗ No domain registration: You’ll need to purchase and manage your domain separately through a registrar like Namecheap or GoDaddy.
- ✗ Slight learning curve: While easier than raw cloud platforms, Cloudways may feel advanced for complete beginners unfamiliar with hosting dashboards.
- ✗ Email hosting not included: Cloudways does not provide native email hosting. You’ll need to connect a third-party solution such as Rackspace or Google Workspace.
💡 Pro Tip: Cloudways shines by simplifying the power of cloud infrastructure. If you’re still exploring your options, don’t miss our in-depth breakdown of Cloud Hosting — where we explain performance, pricing, and use cases.
Security at Cloudways
Cloudways follows a layered security strategy to protect websites at every level — from infrastructure to application. Whether you’re running a personal blog or mission-critical app, Cloudways ensures your hosting environment stays secure, optimized, and protected against modern threats.
- ✓ SSL by Default: Every site hosted on Cloudways comes with free SSL certificates pre-installed, ensuring encrypted traffic and enhanced trust.
- ✓ Regular OS Patching: Automatic updates and security patches are applied at the operating system level to eliminate vulnerabilities.
- ✓ Bot Protection & Firewalls: Integrated bot protection and server-level firewalls safeguard your application from brute-force and DDoS attacks.
- ✓ Application Isolation: Each application is deployed in a separate container to ensure that one compromised app doesn’t affect others on the same server.
- ✓ Cloudflare Enterprise (Add-on): With this premium integration, users benefit from advanced DDoS protection, intelligent caching, and WAF (Web Application Firewall).
- ✓ 2FA & IP Whitelisting: Add an extra layer of login security with two-factor authentication and restrict dashboard access by IP.
You can monitor login attempts, review access logs, and configure firewall rules right from the Cloudways dashboard — giving you complete control over your server’s security posture.
Performance Benchmarks
To assess the real-world performance of Cloudways, we set up a WordPress WooCommerce store on a 2GB RAM DigitalOcean server — one of the most popular configurations among small to medium businesses. With Breeze caching and CloudwaysCDN enabled, the results were impressive:
-
✓ Global Load Time: 0.9 Seconds
Our site loaded globally in under 1 second, thanks to optimized caching and CDN acceleration. Pages rendered smoothly even on mobile networks. -
✓ Uptime: 99.99% (30-Day Monitoring)
Using automated uptime tracking tools, the server remained available 99.99% of the time — exceeding industry averages. -
✓ Concurrent Users: Handled 1,000+ Simultaneous Visitors
Under a simulated traffic spike, the site remained stable and responsive with up to 1,000 users browsing at once — perfect for flash sales or launches. -
✓ MyDumper Backup Speed: Under 2 Minutes for 1.5GB
Using Cloudways’ MyDumper integration, a 1.5GB WooCommerce database was backed up in just under 2 minutes — showcasing fast I/O performance.
These performance stats place Cloudways in the top tier of managed hosting platforms. You can compare it directly with SiteGround and see how they stack up in our Cloudways vs SiteGround comparison.
Cloudways vs Traditional Hosting
| Feature | Cloudways | Traditional Hosting |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Cloud Options | Yes | No |
| AI Support Assistant | Yes | No |
| Built-in Caching/CDN | Yes | Limited |
| Real-Time Monitoring | Yes | Rare |
| Developer Features | Rich | Basic |
| Free Site Migration | Yes | Sometimes |
Testimonials & Use Cases
“Cloudways once again hit the ball out of the park with SafeUpdates. I have not had a single incident of SafeUpdates breaking a site during Beta.”
— Patricia Dumond
Founder, wpXPRESS | Source
“The Copilot AI assistant quickly pointed out the bottlenecks causing the slowdown. Within minutes, we were back to full performance.”
— Beta Tester (Cloudways AI)
Ecommerce Performance Audit | Source
Final Verdict on Cloudways Hosting Review 2025
If you’re still wondering whether Cloudways fits your needs, this Cloudways hosting review 2025 proves that it’s built for speed, flexibility, and simplicity. With exciting new enhancements like Copilot AI, Smart SafeUpdates, MyDumper integration, and real-time bandwidth tracking, Cloudways has solidified its place among the top managed cloud hosting providers.
Whether you’re a solo developer, growing agency, or eCommerce store owner, Cloudways offers the power and control of cloud infrastructure without the technical hassle. It’s easily one of the smartest hosting choices in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Yes, they offer a 3-day free trial — no credit card required.
Absolutely. WooCommerce is fully supported with pre-configured caching and scaling options.
It’s Cloudways’ AI assistant that suggests fixes, automates maintenance, and helps with diagnostics.
Since it’s pay-as-you-go, there’s no long-term contract, hence no need for a refund policy.
Yes. Cloudways supports the latest PHP versions including 8.3 as of 2025.
No. You’ll need to use external providers for those.
Yes. Cloudways allows multiple applications on a single server.
Very. Security includes SSL, WAF, bot protection, patching, and isolation.
Your first migration is free, and support is available for additional help.
Yes — role-based access, cloning, and reporting features are ideal for agencies.
