Cloudways review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Cloudways suits developers who want a managed VPS with plenty of regions and hourly billing without managing the stack. The 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage entry plan costs $11 a month, above the site median €5.83, and 150 locations put it near the top of the field.
Key facts
- Best for
- Managed VPS hosting with hourly billing and a wide region pick.
- Entry price
- $11 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Entry plan
- 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Bandwidth allowance
- 2 TB transfer bandwidth (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Billing models
- Hourly, Monthly (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Locations
- 150 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Regions
- US, NL, IN, DE, GB, SG, AU, CA (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free credits
- 4 free AI Copilot credits (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- DDoS protection
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- SLA uptime
- 99.99% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Compliance certifications
- SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Server types
- VPS (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Cloudways, LLC (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2012 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Hourly billing
- Official website
- cloudways.com
Apps and profiles
Pros and cons
Pros
- 150 locations across US, NL and IN, ranking 2 of 239 brands on locations
- Entry plan of 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage at $11
- hourly and monthly billing, so short test runs do not need a full term
- 2 TB transfer bandwidth and DDoS protection included
Cons
- Entry price of $11 is well above the site median €5.83
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line listed
- Server types are limited to vps
Who it suits
- Developers who need a server in one of US, NL and IN near their users
- Teams wanting hourly and monthly billing on the same platform
- Anyone handling data that needs SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers on the tightest budget, where Aruba starts at €1.99
- Teams wanting bare metal, since server types cover vps only
- Anyone who needs phone support, given the listed support channels
What it does well
The entry plan gives 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage with 2 TB transfer bandwidth and DDoS protection at $11. Reach is the standout: 150 locations spread across US, NL and IN, which ranks 2 of 239 brands compared on locations. Certificates held cover SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR, and the company is Cloudways, LLC in the United States, founded 2012. New accounts get 4 free AI Copilot credits.
How Cloudways compares
Cloudways vs ScalaHosting9.2 vs 8.3
Cloudways vs Contabo9.2 vs 9.2
Cloudways vs Kamatera9.2 vs 9.5
Cloudways vs PlanetHoster9.2 vs 8.7
Cloudways vs Aruba9.2 vs 9.3Entry price of €1.99 sits well below the Cloudways entry plan at $11.
Cloudways vs Hostinger9.2 vs 9.1
Cloudways vs Easy-Hebergement9.2 vs 8.6
Cloudways vs HostNoc9.2 vs 8.4- Cloudways vs Misshosting9.2 vs 8.4
Cloudways vs AIS Cloud9.2 vs 8.1- Cloudways vs Miss Hosting FI9.2 vs 8.0
- Cloudways vs Miss Hosting SE9.2 vs 8.0
Frequently asked questions
How much does the cheapest Cloudways plan cost?+
The entry plan gives 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage for $11 a month. That sits above the site median of €5.83 and near the upper quartile of €11.52. The 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 50 GB storage spec is the smallest listed VPS on the platform.
Can I pay hourly or only monthly?+
Cloudways bills on hourly and monthly, so you can start hourly and switch to a monthly cycle. Hourly billing is the pattern for 38.5% of the brands tracked, against 90.8% for monthly.
How much bandwidth do I get?+
Plans include 2 TB transfer bandwidth, a generous allowance for a managed VPS. Combined with DDoS protection at the same tier, it suits sites that draw steady visitors rather than burst-heavy traffic spikes.
Which regions can I deploy to?+
You can pick from US, NL and IN, spread across 150 locations. That footprint ranks 2 of 239 brands compared on locations, well above the site median of 4.
What compliance certifications does Cloudways hold?+
The platform lists SOC 2, ISO 27001 and GDPR. That covers the usual buyer questions around data handling and card processing. The operating company is Cloudways, LLC, based in the United States and founded 2012.
How do I get help if something breaks?+
Support runs on email, chat and help centre. Email and the help centre cover most cases, with live chat for quicker replies and a community forum for shared answers. A phone line is not among the listed channels.
What kinds of servers can I run?+
Server types cover vps, so this is a managed VPS platform rather than a bare metal one. Anyone needing dedicated hardware would look at a provider outside this comparison.
Do I get anything free to start?+
New accounts receive 4 free AI Copilot credits, which is a small starting allowance for the AI Copilot feature. It is a top-up on the entry plan rather than a free tier, since the smallest VPS still costs $11.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudways checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“Founded August 1, 2012”
- cloudways.com/en/cloudways-reviews.php checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Server types
“Great platform for when you need a VPS but don't have the time to configure and maintain your own server”
- cloudways.com/en/datacenters.php checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Compliance certifications, Locations, SLA uptime
“SOC 2 TYPE 2 Audited, ISO 27001 Certified, GDPR Compliant, PCI DSS Compliant”
- cloudways.com/en/pricing.php checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Bandwidth allowance, Billing models, DDoS protection, Entry plan, Entry price, Free credits, Pricing model, Regions, Support channels
“2TB Transfer Bandwidth”
- cloudways.com/en/terms.php checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Legal entity
“(c) 2026 Cloudways, LLC”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.