Cloudways Review 2026: Stress Test, TTFB, Uptime, Pros, & Cons

I’ve been using Cloudways hosting for 5 years now. Not a free trial. Not a 2-week test. Five real years, running three WordPress sites, paying money every month.

During those five years, I’ve personally tested Cloudways DigitalOcean and Vultr High Frequency servers. I moved sites between them, watched the numbers, and stuck around. So this isn’t a “Cloudways Review” post written after a weekend of testing. This review is based on long-term, hands-on Cloudways experience. So, let’s get started.

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Why I Picked Cloudways in the First Place

I didn’t want to manage a raw VPS server myself. I don’t want to log in to SSH to a server and patch security updates at midnight. I also didn’t want shared hosting, because I got tired of server bottlenecks slowing down or crashing during traffic spikes.

Between slow shared hosting and an unmanaged VPS server, Cloudways sits in the middle.

You get a real VPS (from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, or Google Cloud), but Cloudways sets it up, manages it, and gives you a clean, modern dashboard. You get the power of a VPS server without the headache of running one yourself.

Believe me, I did try to manage a Vultr VPS server myself and crashed my entire server a few times. In my experience, the unmanaged VPS plan will cost you more in downtime than you save in dollars.

That’s the whole pitch. And 5 years later, it’s still why I’m using Cloudways. Here are my pros and cons of using Cloudways:

Pros and Cons Of Using Cloudways

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My CloudWays Setup (Real Numbers, Not Marketing Numbers)

Here’s what I’m actually running right now:

• Server: Vultr High Frequency, 2GB RAM, 1 CPU core
• Sites on this server: 3 WordPress sites
• Combined monthly traffic: around 15,000 monthly visitors (combined)
• CPU usage: sits under 15% most days
• Monthly cost: around $30/month
• TTFB (Time to First Byte): under 200ms on most page loads globally
• Uptime over 5 years: I’ve maybe seen 2-3 hours of downtime in total.

I also ran the same setup for a few months on DigitalOcean before switching to Vultr HF. Here’s the difference I noticed.

DigitalOcean vs Vultr High Frequency: What I Actually Found

I ran the exact same WordPress site, same plugins, same caching setup (WP Rocket), on both DigitalOcean and Vultr HF servers. Here’s what I noticed:

DigitalOcean (Standard droplet):

• Page load time: around 1.1-1.4 seconds
• TTFB (No CDN): around 380ms-640ms
• High CPU usage spikes were more noticeable during traffic bumps

Vultr High Frequency:

• Page load time: around 0.7-0.9 seconds
• TTFB (No CDN): around 180ms-510ms
• CPU usage stayed relatively calm under the same traffic

The difference isn’t huge, but it’s noticeable. Vultr HF uses faster CPUs and NVMe SSDs, and you can feel it. That’s why I moved all my sites to Vultr HF and never looked back. If you’re picking a provider on Cloudways, go with Vultr High Frequency or DigitalOcean Premium. Skip the regular, non-premium tiers. The regular tiers use older, shared CPUs, and it shows during traffic spikes.

Here’s the raw spec difference between the two for the same price tier I use:

Spec	DigitalOcean	Vultr High Frequency
CPU type	Shared vCPU (older)	Intel/AMD high-frequency, less sharing
Storage	SSD	NVMe SSD
RAM (2GB tier)	2GB	2GB
Network bandwidth	2TB/mo	2TB/mo
Clock speed	Standard shared cores	Higher clock speed per core

As you can see, RAM and bandwidth are basically the same on paper. The real difference is the CPU and SSD. Vultr HF cores run at a higher clock speed and share less with other users on the same VPS server.

Which is why my TTFB and page load numbers came out faster than the DigitalOcean server. NVMe storage also helps with database-heavy pages, since WordPress is constantly reading and writing to MySQL.

Cloudways Vultr HF Performance

Talk is cheap. Let me show you actual numbers from my Cloudways Vultr server. All of this is on my main site, running on the 2GB Vultr HF server I mentioned above.

TTFB: Raw Server vs. With Cloudflare Enterprise

I tested Cloudways Vultr HF server TTFB from 22 different global locations using FlyingTTFB. Vultr HF raw average server TTFB is already decent (from 180 ms to 510 ms) globally.

But Cloudflare’s cache edge cuts TTFB down even more. Especially for visitors far from my server’s data center. That gap in Sydney and Singapore is the real story. Without Cloudflare edge CDN, a visitor far from my server waits noticeably longer. With it, that gap almost disappears.

Test Location	Raw Server TTFB	With Cloudflare
Dallas (near server)	180ms	25ms
London	320ms	39ms
Singapore	480ms	48ms
Sydney	510ms	225ms
Mumbai	390ms	195ms

Stress Test: 100 Concurrent Users on Loader.io

I wanted to check whether my 2GB Vultr HF server could actually handle 100 concurrent users in under 1 min. So I ran a load test using Loader.io, ramping up to 100 concurrent users hitting the homepage over a 1-minute window.

Here’s what came back:

As expected: No errors, no timeouts, no 503s. Initial server response time did climb under load (from around 720ms baseline to 819ms average), which makes sense since I only have 1 CPU core (CPU peaked at 93%). But it held together under the stress test.

For context, on my website real traffic rarely sees more than 8-10 concurrent visitors at once. So this stress test was pushing 10x my normal peak load, and the Vultr HF server didn’t blink. If your site gets real traffic spikes above 50 concurrent users regularly, I’d change my server config to a 4GB/2-core plan.

Metric	Result
Concurrent users	100
Test duration	1 minutes
Average response time	819ms
Peak response time	1574ms
Error rate	0%
Server CPU during test	Peaked at 93%

Downtime Monitoring

I used Pingdom for my site’s uptime monitoring. On Cloudways Vultr, my site has overall 99.99% uptime (yearly), around 36 minutes of downtime. Here is my site’s three months’ uptime monitoring data:

Note: I stopped my Pingdom subscription this year. So, I couldn’t provide the latest uptime data.

The October dip was scheduled for a server reboot. And the other December downtime was short, likely Vultr’s server-side maintenance, not anything I had to fix myself. That’s solid for a $30/month server. In comparison, I wouldn’t expect much better uptime even from a premium managed WordPress hosting.

Why Performance Has Stayed Good for 5 Years

A few things made the biggest difference for me:

1. Varnish cache is on by default: Varnish caches your whole page so WordPress doesn’t have to build it fresh every time. Huge speed boost for free.

2. Redis (Object Cache Pro) for dynamic pages: Varnish can’t cache dynamic pages (logged-in pages, cart pages, checkout). That’s where Redis Object Cache kicks in. I turned this on about 2 years ago, and my WordPress admin dashboard got noticeably faster.

3. I don’t overpay for server size: Cloudways’ dashboard likes to suggest a 4GB server for “production” sites. I didn’t listen. My 3 sites, with 15K combined monthly visitors, run fine on 2GB. If your CPU sits under 20-30%, you don’t need to upgrade to an expensive plan. Don’t let the Cloudways dashboard scare you into paying more.

4. Hourly billing: I once needed a test server for 3 days to try a plugin migration. I spun it up, used it, deleted it. I only paid for those 3 days. That’s saved me real money over the years.

5. Unlimited free site migrations: Cloudways doesn’t charge or cap site migrations. I’ve moved close to 7 sites (including my clients) over 5 years. I use Cloudways free migrator plugin or ask their team to do site migration manually. Never paid a cent for any of it. This matters more than people think, since a lot of hosts charge $30-100 per migration.

6. Global server availability. Because Cloudways lets you pick from DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud, you get data centers almost everywhere. I have a site running on a Mumbai data center for a mostly Indian audience, and my main sites run on a US data center. Same dashboard, same setup process, just pick the region closest to your actual visitors. This alone can shave hundreds of milliseconds off TTFB.

7. Security: I don’t manage security patches myself. So I wanted to know what’s actually protecting my sites in the background. Here’s what’s included without paying extra:

• Free SSL on every domain, auto-renewed. Never had to touch this in 5 years.
• Dedicated firewall at the server level. Blocking common attack patterns before they hit WordPress.
• IP whitelisting for SSH and SFTP access.
• OS-level security patching. It’s handled by Cloudways in the background. I don’t get emails about kernel updates. It just happens.
• Bot protection through Cloudways’ own layer, plus whatever I add on top with Cloudflare.

What’s not included: premium malware scanning add-on and a Web Application Firewall beyond the basic one (via Cloudflare Enterprise). I skip both and run the Wordfence plugin and Cloudflare’s free WAF rules instead. It’s not as polished, but it covers what I need.

Now Let’s Talk Cloudways Cons (Because Every Host Has Them)

I’m not here to sell you Cloudways hosting. I’ve read through a bunch of other Reddit reviews too (not just my own experience) to make sure I’m being fair. Here’s what’s actually true.

1. It’s Not as Cheap as Renting a Raw Server

Cloudways marks up prices compared to what you’d pay DigitalOcean or Vultr directly. Cloudways Vultr HF is as high as 200%+ at the higher tiers. This is real. You need to know this; you’re paying for the VPS server, server management layer, the dashboard, security, support, and other built-in caching tools.

For my 2GB Vultr server, is this markup a big deal?

No. I’m happily paying it because I don’t want to manage the server myself.

But if you’re running a big site with an 8GB+ RAM server, the markup starts to sting. At that size, renting directly from Vultr and managing it yourself (or using a cheaper panel like RunCloud or xCloud) can save you real money.

2. Customer Support Can Be Slow & Expensive

On Cloudways, I’ve had good support experiences and slow ones too. I use Cloudways standard plan. On this plan, live chat response time varies (sometimes you need to spend an awfully long time with a chatbot). Sometimes I get an answer in 2 minutes; sometimes I need to wait a long time to fix a technical issue.

Why? Unlike most managed WordPress hosts, Cloudways actually charges extra for faster & dedicated customer support. It’s not cheap. It costs $25/month, and if you want a private Slack channel & 24/7 phone support, it costs $500/month. If your business depends on instant phone support, factor this into your hosting bill.

3. You Don’t See the Full Server

Cloudways manages the VPS server for you, which is great, until something goes wrong that you don’t know what.

I had one stretch where my site’s MariaDB got stuck, and CPU usage spiked hard for no clear reason.

Primarily, I suspected a security scan or firewall rule on Cloudways’ side. Since I don’t have full visibility into the Vultr server layer, I couldn’t confirm it or fix it myself. Customer support eventually identified the problem and helped me restart MariaDB.

But it wasn’t a quick fix. This is the trade-off with all managed WordPress hosting. You give up some control for convenience.

4. Backups Aren’t Completely Free

First, I need to clarify: Cloudways local server backup is completely free of charge. However, it consumes your server’s actual disk space. If Cloudways’ server itself faces a critical hardware failure, you risk losing both your live site and the local backup.

That’s why offsite backup is recommended for safety.

Cloudways charges $0.033/GB per month for offsite backup storage per server.

It’s cheap (I pay about $1/month for daily offsite backups across my sites), but it’s not bundled into the base price. You also can’t switch backups off completely, so there’s always a small minimum fee ($0.50/month).

5. Paid Add-ons Are Where They Try to Upsell You

Cloudways has a nasty habit of trying to sell you paid add-ons whenever you face a problem.

Facing slow response time? Buy our Cloudflare Enterprise CDN. Facing difficulty during WordPress management? Buy our site manager for only $3/month for each site.

One time, Cloudways tried to sell me their “malware scanner” add-on, leaning on scare tactics. Cloudways automatically flags normal stuff to nudge you into buying malware protection you don’t need. I skip most of these add-ons and use free alternatives (Cloudflare’s free plan, Wordfence, Zoho for email, etc.)

6. No File Manager

This one annoyed me at first. Most hosting panels give you a basic browser-based file manager.

Cloudways doesn’t. You need SFTP or SSH to move see and move files around. Not a dealbreaker if you’re used to FTP tools before, but if you’re coming from cPanel or a custom control panel (like in Kinsta or Rocket.net), this is a real adjustment.

7. No Root Access, No Domain Registration, No Built-in Email

Yes, you get SSH access, but not full root control.

Like most managed WordPress hosting, Cloudways doesn’t offer free email hosting. Cloudways uses the Rockspace paid add-on for email delivery. I personally prefer to use Google Workspace (paid) or Zoho (free) for my email.

As for domain registration, Cloudways doesn’t offer it either. None of these are dealbreakers for me since I keep email, domain, & hosting separate anyway. But worth knowing going in.

8. Since the DigitalOcean Acquisition, Some Things Changed

Cloudways was bought by DigitalOcean in 2022. In my day-to-day experience, not much changed. My Vultr server kept running smoothly. My billing stayed the same. But I did notice prices creep up a bit over time. For a while, Cloudways temporarily paused new signups for non-DigitalOcean VPS providers (Vultr, Linode). Eventually, they came back, but it caused some confusion and complaints online.

9. High CPU Usage Complaints Are Common

I haven’t personally faced many major CPU issues (only during the MariaDB incident). My CPU sits low most of the time.

But a lot of people on Reddit complain about Cloudways high CPU usage on WooCommerce sites. Some of this issue comes from the caching layer, and some from Cloudways itself. If you run a busy WooCommerce store, keep an eye on your CPU graphs and don’t be surprised if the Cloudways support team tells you to upgrade your server spec.

Is Cloudways Autonomous Good For a WooCommerce site?

WooCommerce is a beast compared to a static WordPress blog. Cart pages, checkout, and account pages are all dynamic, so you need to configure Redis object cache perfectly. So your WooCommerce site doesn’t choke during traffic spikes.

Fortunately, Cloudways offers some good stuff for WooCommerce specifically: “Cloudways Autonomous”.

I did manage a WooCommerce store for a client on a Cloudways Vultr HF server (4GB RAM). After Cloudways launched “Autonomous”, my client made the switch.

So I’ll share what I’ve seen there. In simple words: Significant improvements during the checkout process and dynamic PHP response times under high traffic.

Here’s what actually helped my busy client’s WooCommerce site:

• It scales up PHP pods and resources automatically during checkout.
• Free Object Cache Pro + Relay (Worth $242/Month)
• True autoscaling and load balancing
• Free Advanced Staging & Cloning
• Automated offsite backup and restore
• Free Cloudflare enterprise CDN with advanced DDoS protection
• Dedicated firewall
• 100 PHP workers/server, etc.

Note: If you’re running a heavy WooCommerce site, don’t use the same size server you use for a blog. Use Cloudways Autonomous for better WooCommerce performance. It’s built for automatic autoscaling and load balancing; it can handle thousands of concurrent users effortlessly.

Check out Cloudways Autonomous For WooCommerce

Cloudways vs Kinsta vs WP Engine vs Rocket.net vs ScalaHosting

First thing you need to know is: Kinsta, WP Engine, and Rocket.net all cap your monthly visitor count and bandwidth. If your website gets extra traffic, you need to pay overage fees or get pushed to upgrade to an expensive plan.

Cloudways & ScalaHosting don’t do this. You just pay for the server resources you use, no matter how many visitors show up.

Why Choose Kinsta/WP Engine/ Rocket.net: Customer support, Cloudflare Enterprise CDN, and polish dashboard. Kinsta, Rocket.net, and WP Engine all have a reputation for faster, more knowledgeable support than Cloudways’ standard plan. All three hosts have Cloudflare Enterprise baked into every plan. If you don’t mind the visitor caps and support time matters more to you than saving money, those hosts are worth the extra cost.

Why Choose ScalaHosting: ScalaHosting VPS is the closest competitor to Cloudways. Full root access, no visitor caps, LiteSpeed support, and reasonable pricing. If you’re comfortable managing more of the server yourself, ScalaHosting is worth a look. ScalaHosting also has a custom SPanel for site management with fast 24/7 support. Explore ScalaHosting pricing.

Why I prefer Cloudways: Cloudways still wins for me because of provider choice. I like being able to pick Vultr HF specifically instead of being locked into one cloud provider.

Features	Cloudways	Kinsta	WP Engine	Rocket.net	ScalaHosting VPS
Starting price	~$14/mo	$35/mo	$30/mo	$30/mo	$30/mo
My real cost (2GB/1CPU tier)	$30/mo	~$70/mo	~$70/mo	~$65/mo	$30/mo
Built-in CDN	Yes (Cloudflare Enterprise, $4.99/month)	Yes (Cloudflare Enterprise)	Yes (Cloudflare Enterprise)	Yes (Cloudflare Enterprise)	No
Server choice	Yes (5 providers)	No (Google Cloud only)	No (own stack)	No (own stack)	Yes (own VPS)
Visitor/storage limits	No	Yes (hard caps)	Yes (hard caps)	Yes (hard caps)	No
Root/SSH access	Partial (SSH, no root)	No	No	No	Yes (full root)
Litespeed support	No	No	No	No	Yes
Free site migrations	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Support speed (my research)	Good, not instant	Very fast	Very fast	Very fast	Very fast
Best for	Multi-site control at low cost	Hands-off premium hosting	Agencies, enterprise WP	Speed-first, edge caching	Power users wanting full root

Final Thoughts: So Why Am I Still Using Cloudways After 5 Years?

Simple: Cloudways just works, and it’s fast enough that I stopped thinking about my hosting performance and uptime.

And most importantly, I don’t want to spend my evenings patching my VPS server or debugging Nginx configs. I want my site to load fast and stay up during any type of traffic spike. Cloudways, especially on a Vultr HF server, has done that for me for 5 years straight with barely any downtime. I don’t even use paid downtime monitoring anymore.

Is it the cheapest hosting option? No.

Is it perfect? No, the cons above are real.

But for someone who wants VPS-level performance without VPS-level headaches, Cloudways is still worth it to me. After reading my review, if you want to host your sites on Cloudways, use my exclusive promo code to get a 40% discount for the first 4 months.

My honest thought:

If you’re just starting out with under 1,000 visitors a month, honestly, cheap shared hosting (like Hosting.com, ScalaHosting, ChemiCloud) is fine for now. But once you cross that 1k monthly visitor mark and your site actually needs to perform. Cloudways Vultr HF or a Scalahosting VPS is where I’d point a friend.

Note: Start with the smallest Cloudways server with free Cloudflare CDN (enable HTML caching). Keep Redis and Varnish turned on. Don’t let the Cloudways dashboard talk you into buying a bigger plan or unnecessary overpriced add-ons.

That’s it. Five years, three sites, one managed WordPress hosting. Here’s my overall Cloudways ratings based on my experience:

Metrics	My Experience	My Ratings
Speed	Super fast, especially on Vultr HF. TTFB under 200ms.	5/5
Price	Fair for small-medium sites. Gets pricey after an 8GB RAM server.	4.5/5
Support	Decent, but not instant on the standard plan	3.5/5
Ease of use	Simple dashboard, no server headaches	4.5/5
Security	Dedicated server-level firewalls, automated Fail2Ban.	4.5/5
Overall	Best For: Bloggers, small business sites, agencies with multiple client sites	4.4/5

That’s all for now. If you’re already using CloudWays, share your experience in the comments section. If you have any questions related to CloudWays or Vultr VPS hosting, let me know.

Thank you for reading. Have a nice day.