Cloudways

Quick Look

• official website：https://www.cloudways.com
• Main products: Cloud Hosting / Managed Cloud Hosting , Managed WordPress, Auto Scaling WordPress (Autonomous)
• applicable populationNewbie｜Small & Medium Business｜Cross-border E-commerce｜Development & Testing｜Agency Hosting Multi-site
• operating systemLinux（Support，Debian Server）｜Windows（The official website does not state that Windows Server is provided)
• Node coverage：65+ Data centres(provided by infrastructure partners) covering Americas/Europe/Asia/Australia etc.
• Highlighted TagsMulti-cloud options | Easy to use | Scalable | Card-free trial | Cloudflare CDN | 24/7 support
• caveatBilling by usage / by time; after cancellation, a final invoice will still be issued (in arrears, based on the deletion date); nodes/inventory subject to the official website

Core strengths

1. One panel hosting multi-cloud platformAWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr are available on the same console for more flexibility in go-live/migration/expansion.
2. “Captive platform capability” is more like a product, not just resaleThe official website offers Cloudways Flexible/Autonomous/Copilot and Client Billing as separate product lines.
3. Cloudflare Enterprise CDN / Optional security add-on: Provided Cloudflare Enterprise Integration(CDN, DDoS, WAF, HTTP/3, etc.), suitable for global access and anti-attack needs.
4. The old CloudwaysCDN has been deprecated. We recommend switching to Cloudflare CDN.: The official help centre is clear CloudwaysCDN EOL, and provide the Cloudflare CDN solution and tutorial.
5. low probationary threshold: Both Flexible/Autonomous offer 3-day free trials with no credit card required; if you don't like it, you can just delete the trial app and call it a day.
6. Clear support system: Standard support includes 24×7 Live Chat + Work Orders + Knowledge Base; higher levels of support are optional.

Server rooms and network nodes

Nodes are subject to official website display and may be adjusted with inventory and activities.

Asian

• Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan-Tokyo, Korea-Seoul, Singapore, India (Mumbai/Bangalore), Bahrain, etc.

European

• UK-London, Germany-Frankfurt, France-Paris, Netherlands-Amsterdam, Ireland-Dublin, Sweden-Stockholm, etc.

North America

• United States (San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, etc.), Canada (multi-city)

South American

• Brazil - São Paulo

Australia/Oceania

• Australia - Sydney

Node Description: Nodes are subject to official website display and may be adjusted with inventory and activities.

Products & Packages

Host Type

• Cloud Hosting / Managed Cloud(Cloudways Flexible)Host apps on the five major cloud providers (WordPress/Magento/Laravel/PHP, etc.); Cloudways handles platform management and operations experience.
• Autostretch WordPress (Cloudways Autonomous)The main focus is on auto-scaling and a more “hosted to the end” experience (the official website is positioned as a standalone product) for WordPress/WooCommerce, which has highly volatile traffic.
• Cloudflare Enterprise(additions)Enterprise CDN + Security Enhancement (WAF/DDoS/HTTP3 etc.)
• Copilot / Client Billing & Reporting(Platform capacity): The official website lists this as a product/capability module for Agency management clients and O&M.

Systems and Mirrors

• Linux: Debian Linux on the server side (as seen in the official changelog).
• Windows (computer): Windows Server is not explicitly provided on the official website (if you want to write Windows, please refer to the actual options available on the backend).
• control panelCloudways management platform/console

Common Uses

• Website building (WordPress / WooCommerce)
• Cross-border e-commerce website (WooCommerce/ecommerce hosting)
• Multi-site/Agency hosting (managing multiple client sites on the same platform)
• Development testing (PHP/Laravel app hosting)
• Global Business Acceleration & Protection (Cloudflare Enterprise)

Prices & Buying Advice

• price positioning: Mainstream medium-high (depending on cloud vendor and configuration chosen), offering a per-use/per-hour billing calibre with a 3-day play experience.
• Offers & EventsCommon entrance is “3-day trial / no credit card”; the rest of the discounts are subject to the official website activities.
• How to choose：
  • Newbie/small site: start with Flexible 3-day trialIf you want to use a node that is close to the user (Hong Kong/Singapore/Tokyo/U.S. West, etc.), select the node that is close to the user.
  • Stable operations/multi-site: priority look Platform management capabilities + support levels, plus purchase premium support if necessary.
  • Mainland China Access + Global Users: Node Selection Asia Nearby + Stacking Cloudflare (CDN/cache/security) Do global acceleration and anti-attack.

Service & After Sales

• After-sales channels: 24/7 Live Chat + Work Orders + Knowledge Base; higher levels of support available.
• Response Experience: Officially described as “solving problems at the platform and infrastructure level”, with a focus on work orders/chat.
• Refund/Trial Policy: A 3-day trial is available; cancellation is done in the background by the account holder and the trial can be ended by deleting the app.
• Billing AlertsCloudways: billed in arrears ars. After cancellation, you may still receive a final bill next month, depending on the deletion date.

for whom

• Suitable for: Wanted “Less O&M, faster go-live.” WordPress/PHP site user (global nodes available)
• Suitable for: operations covering multiple regions, requiring Multi-Cloud/Multi-Room Flexibility The team.
• Suitable for: those who wish to add one-click Cloudflare Enterprise CDN+ Security of cross-border and growth-oriented business.

Not really for anyone.

• Not ideal for users who only want the cheapest unmanaged server/self-managed option
• Less suitable: scenarios where Windows Server must be used (the official website does not explicitly provide a Windows solution).
• Not suitable for: the business of a cold city node “must be fixed and long-term availability” (node / inventory will change, subject to the official website).

Related links

summaries

• At the heart of the Cloudways areSelf-managed platform(Flexible/Autonomous/Copilot etc. product lines)+ Hosting infrastructure from multiple cloud vendors, for people who don't want to self-run, but want multi-cloud options.
• CDN section:Old CloudwaysCDN EOLedThe official recommendation is to use Cloudflare CDN/Cloudflare Enterprise(can be integrated in the Cloudways platform).
• BILLING AND EXITS TO NOTE: Press in arrears to bill out, deletions/cancellations will still be billed to the date of deletion and may result in a final bill the following month.

common problems

Q1: Does Cloudways have its own server room, or is it for resale?

The underlying server room/server is from a partner cloud vendor (AWS/GCP/DigitalOcean/Linode/Vultr), Cloudways provides its own hosting platform and management capabilities, bringing multiple clouds into a single console.

Q2：Does Cloudways have “self-managed products”?

The official website lists Cloudways Flexible, Cloudways Autonomous, Cloudways Copilot, and Client Billing & Reporting as product lines (platform-capability products).

Q3: Is CDN Cloudflare?

The official help centre states that CloudwaysCDN has been discontinued and that Cloudflare CDN is recommended; meanwhile Cloudways offers Cloudflare Enterprise integration (add-on).

Q4: Which cloud vendors are supported?

The official help centre lists 5: AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr.

Q5: How do I try it out/how do I stop if I'm not satisfied?

Flexible/Autonomous both come with a 3-day free trial and no credit card required; trial can be ended by deleting the trial app in the background.