How much does Cloudways cost?

As of May 2026, Cloudways plans start at $14/mo and scale across 4 tiers. Cloudways does not have a free plan.

What pricing model does Cloudways use?

As of May 2026, Cloudways uses a Flat Rate pricing model. Fixed monthly fee — cost does not scale with team size or usage.

Are there cheaper alternatives?

Yes. DigitalOcean (from $4/mo), Hostinger (from $2.99/mo), SiteGround (from $2.99/mo) offer lower starting prices in the same category.

Does Cloudways offer a free trial?

Cloudways does not have a free plan. However, most cloud hosting tools offer a free trial — check the official site for the current trial length (typically 14–30 days).

What are the hidden costs of Cloudways beyond the subscription price?

Beyond the Cloudways subscription, organizations typically budget for implementation and data migration, user training and onboarding, premium support tier upgrades, required add-on features, third-party integrations, and annual true-up costs from seat overages. These costs can add 20-80% to the base subscription price depending on team size and deployment complexity.

Does Cloudways charge for implementation or setup?

Cloudways may charge for professional services, data migration, and initial configuration, particularly for enterprise deployments. These costs are typically not listed on the public pricing page and are negotiated separately. Request a total cost of ownership estimate before signing.

Is Cloudways pricing stable or does it change frequently?

Cloudways pricing has been stable over the last 90 days based on our monitoring. We verify pricing on a rolling 30-day cadence and log all changes in our public changelog.

Home›Cloud Hosting›Cloudways›Pricing

Cloudways Pricing Plans and Tiers 2026

Q: Is Cloudways worth the price?

Cloudways offers 15 features including Managed Hosting, 1-Click Install, Free SSL. With a 4.5/5 rating, most users find good value: its starting price of $14/mo is above the Cloud Hosting category average of $11/mo.

Managed cloud hosting platform on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud

Cloud HostingFlat RatePrice verified May 14, 2026From $14/mo

·4 plans·★★★★★4.5/5 G2

Full Review →

Alternatives to Cloudways →Compare with others →

Plans Analysis Worth It?True Cost Price History Alternatives FAQ

All Plans & Pricing

DO 1GB

$14/mo

Best for: $14/mo gets you 1GB RAM, 1 Core, 25GB SSD

✓1GB RAM
✓1 Core
✓25GB SSD

Start Plan →

DO 2GB

$28/mo

Best for: $28/mo gets you 2GB RAM, 1 Core, 50GB SSD

✓2GB RAM
✓1 Core
✓50GB SSD

Start Plan →

DO 4GB

$54/mo

Best for: $54/mo gets you 4GB RAM, 2 Cores, 80GB SSD

✓4GB RAM
✓2 Cores
✓80GB SSD

Start Plan →

AWS/GCE

$38/mo

Best for: $38/mo gets you Starting price for AWS small

✓Starting price for AWS small

Start Plan →

Pricing Analysis

Overview

Cloudways - Managed cloud hosting platform on top of DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud. 4 tiers from $14 to $54/mo. DO 1GB covers 1GB RAM, 1 Core, while DO 4GB adds 4GB RAM and 2 Cores. The $14/mo entry price is 40% above the category average ($10/mo). If budget is the priority, Namecheap ($1.98/mo) or Vultr ($2.5/mo) cost less - but check what you lose. The gap between DO 1GB ($14) and DO 4GB ($54) is significant - the 4x multiplier only makes sense if you need 4GB RAM.

Cost Per User

DO 1GB$14/mo

Flat rate: cost doesn't scale with team size

DO 2GB$28/mo

Flat rate: cost doesn't scale with team size

DO 4GB$54/mo

Flat rate: cost doesn't scale with team size

AWS/GCE$38/mo

Flat rate: cost doesn't scale with team size

Which Plan Is Right for You?

DO 1GB$14/mo

$14/mo gets you 1GB RAM, 1 Core, 25GB SSD. Entry point - standard pricing for cloud hosting.

DO 2GB$28/mo

$28/mo gets you 2GB RAM, 1 Core, 50GB SSD. The middle ground - enough for growing teams without enterprise overhead. Saves $26/mo vs. DO 4GB.

DO 4GB$54/mo

$54/mo gets you 4GB RAM, 2 Cores, 80GB SSD. 42% more than AWS/GCE - justified only if you need the extras.

AWS/GCE$38/mo

$38/mo gets you Starting price for AWS small. The middle ground - enough for growing teams without enterprise overhead.

vs. Category Average

Cloudways$14/mo

Category avg$11/mo

27% above the cloud hosting average

Our Verdict

Cloudways rates well (4.6/5) but costs 40% above average at $14/mo. Namecheap ($1.98/mo) is a viable budget alternative if the premium features aren't essential. Start with DO 1GB ($14/mo). Upgrade to DO 2GB only after you've confirmed 2GB RAM will get used. Also compare against Kinsta ($35/mo) before deciding.

Is Cloudways Worth the Price?

Strengths

5 points

1Affordable starting at $14/mo
2Highly rated (4.5/5 on G2)
315 key features including Managed Hosting and 1-Click Install
4Multiple pricing tiers (4 plans) to match different needs
5Team collaboration support

Ideal For

Agencies & WordPress Power Users

Which plan fits you

DO 1GB — $14/mo gets you 1GB RAM, 1 Core, 25GB SSD.

DO 2GB — $28/mo gets you 2GB RAM, 1 Core, 50GB SSD.

DO 4GB — $54/mo gets you 4GB RAM, 2 Cores, 80GB SSD.

Pricing Takeaway

★ 4.5/5

27% above category avgCategory avg: $11/mo

Beyond the subscription: what to budget for

List price covers the subscription. Total cost of ownership for Cloudways typically includes additional line items that don't appear on the pricing page.

Implementation

Setup, data migration, initial configuration

Training

Onboarding, certification, admin enablement

Premium Support

SLA upgrades, dedicated CSM, 24/7 access

Required Add-ons

Features gated behind higher tiers or paid extras

Integrations

Third-party connectors, API usage, custom builds

Annual True-Up

Seat overages, usage spikes, contract reconciliation