Last Updated: April 6, 2026
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Cloudways doesn’t use coupon codes for its standard plans. The entry point is a 3-day free trial — no credit card required. After that, you pay only for what you use with hourly billing and no long-term contracts.
How to Start Cloudways for Free
What It Does
Cloudways in Plain English
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that sits between cheap shared hosting and DIY cloud infrastructure. You pick from DigitalOcean, Vultr, AWS, Google Cloud, or Linode — Cloudways handles SSL, backups, server caching, staging environments, and migrations on top of your chosen provider.
For content marketers running affiliate sites or client blogs, the main draw is performance at a reasonable price — without needing to touch a server command line. Free expert migration is included for new accounts.
Pricing
Cloudways Plans (Pay-as-You-Go, Monthly)
| Provider | Entry Plan | RAM / Storage |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean Standard | $11/mo | 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD |
| DigitalOcean Premium | $14/mo | 1GB RAM, 25GB NVMe |
| Vultr High Frequency | $14/mo | 1GB RAM, 32GB NVMe |
| AWS | $38.56/mo | 1GB RAM, 20GB SSD |
| Google Cloud | $37.33/mo | 1.7GB RAM, 20GB SSD |
Cloudways uses hourly billing — you’re charged for actual usage, not a fixed monthly seat. No price increases at renewal; your server cost stays flat unless you scale up.
How To Claim
3 Steps to Start on Cloudways
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1Start the free 3-day trial
No credit card required. Choose your cloud provider and server size during signup.
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2Use free migration
Request the complimentary expert migration for your existing WordPress site — no downtime required.
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3Add your payment method after trial
Monthly billing kicks in at your server rate. No lock-in — scale up or down at any time.
Quick Take
Honest Assessment: What Works, What Doesn’t
- No price increases at renewal — your server rate is stable indefinitely
- Free expert site migration included with new accounts
- All features (staging, SSL, backups, CDN) included on every plan
- Email hosting isn’t included — you’ll need a separate mail provider
- Entry price ($11/mo) is higher than shared hosting; not ideal for hobby sites with low traffic
FAQ
Cloudways Coupon Questions
Does Cloudways have a coupon code?
This page is updated with any active Cloudways promotions. The standard deal is a 3-day free trial with no credit card required.
Is Cloudways cheaper than WP Engine?
Yes, significantly. Cloudways starts at $11/mo with no visitor limits — you pay for server size, not traffic. WP Engine starts at $25/mo on annual billing and charges overage fees at $2 per 1,000 extra visits. For high-traffic affiliate sites, Cloudways is the more predictable choice.
Does Cloudways price increase at renewal?
No. Cloudways uses hourly billing with no annual contracts and no renewal price hikes. Your server cost stays the same unless you choose to upgrade to a larger server.
Which cloud provider should I choose on Cloudways?
For most content sites, DigitalOcean Premium ($14/mo) hits the best balance of price and NVMe storage speed. AWS and Google Cloud offer more geographic regions but cost 3–4x more at entry level.
Does Cloudways include email hosting?
No. Cloudways is server hosting only — email is not included. Most users pair it with Google Workspace or Zoho Mail as a separate add-on.