Disclosure: This Cloudways Speed Test 2026 review includes affiliate links, though our independent benchmark results remain completely honest and unbiased regarding server
Cloudways is a management layer over cloud infrastructure, so “Cloudways speed” is not one server. A DigitalOcean plan in New York, an AWS instance in Frankfurt, and an autonomous product behind Cloudflare Enterprise have different processors, networks, and prices. Any credible benchmark must name the infrastructure provider, server size, region, application stack, and cache state.
What Cloudways manages
Traditional Cloudways Flexible servers combine an underlying cloud VM with a managed stack, control panel, backups, monitoring, staging, team access, and support. Providers and availability change, but the platform has offered DigitalOcean, AWS, and Google Cloud choices. Pricing is monthly and depends on infrastructure; check current price and bandwidth treatment.
Cloudways' WordPress stack uses layers such as Nginx, Apache, PHP-FPM, database services, Redis where enabled, and Varnish. Breeze is its WordPress cache plugin. Cloudflare Enterprise features are offered through an add-on or included product depending on the current plan.
Editor's Pick. Our team's current top recommendation for this category. (Affiliate link coming soon — we only link programs we've vetted.)
Email inboxes are not included. Rackspace Email or an external service handles users, while transactional sending can use Elastic Email or another provider. Include those costs when comparing Cloudways with shared hosting.
Test configuration that can be reproduced
Select and record one exact server—for example, a current entry DigitalOcean configuration in the region closest to the audience. Record CPU, memory, storage, transfer allowance, PHP version, database version, Cloudways stack settings, Breeze version, Varnish state, Redis state, and Cloudflare add-on state.
Install current WordPress with the default block theme. Build a 1 MB page containing an optimized hero, text, navigation, and content cards. Remove analytics, ad scripts, remote fonts, and uptime bots. Clone that fixture to every comparison host.
Benchmark matrix
| Workload | Cache state | Concurrency | Primary signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homepage | Varnish/Breeze HIT | 1–50 users | Cached delivery |
| First request after purge | MISS | Repeated single requests | PHP and database generation |
| WordPress search | BYPASS | 1–10 users | Dynamic capacity |
| WooCommerce cart | BYPASS | 1–10 users | Session workload |
| wp-admin edit | Authenticated | One user | Editor responsiveness |
Use a staging or disposable application and synthetic store data. Cloud providers and Cloudways have acceptable-use controls; obtain permission before aggressive testing.
TTFB method
Send 20–30 requests from a probe near the server and another near the target audience. Report median, p75, p95, and maximum. State whether DNS, connection, and TLS are included and whether connections are reused.
Run a warm-cache set, then repeat a purge-and-request cycle for MISS measurements. For BYPASS, confirm the route is intentionally excluded and validate the returned content. A fast cache HIT cannot predict checkout response.
A cached near-region median below about 200–400 ms is a useful small-site target. Under realistic concurrency, seek zero errors and a stable p95 below the application's user-experience budget. These are acceptance criteria, not fabricated Cloudways results.
Load testing and vertical scaling
Ramp from one virtual user to five, 10, 25, and only then higher. Add realistic pauses. Track requests per second, p95 latency, timeouts, non-2xx responses, CPU, free memory, disk, database load, and PHP worker saturation.
Cloudways monitoring can reveal whether PHP, database, or memory pressure aligns with latency. If cached traffic stays flat while BYPASS latency rises, increase PHP efficiency or resources. Scaling a DigitalOcean server upward is straightforward, but downsizing may require cloning to a smaller server; check current provider behavior.
Do not enable a temporary resource boost only for the test. Benchmark the capacity the site will operate every day. A short burst result is less useful than 15–30 minutes of stable traffic.
Varnish, Breeze, and Redis
Varnish can serve finished anonymous responses before WordPress runs. Breeze coordinates page caching and optimization, although configuration should be changed one feature at a time. Exclude carts, checkout, accounts, and personalized cookies.
Redis object cache stores reusable database objects and can help uncached or logged-in workloads. It does not replace full-page cache. Measure before and after enabling it; a small brochure site may show little difference, while WooCommerce or a large content database may benefit.
Purge Varnish, Breeze, CDN, and browser caches deliberately. Clearing one layer does not guarantee the others are empty, and an undocumented cache state invalidates comparisons.
Browser and global testing
Use WebPageTest with fixed mobile hardware, connection, and location. Capture LCP, total blocking time, CLS, transfer size, request count, and waterfall. Run at least three times and use medians.
Test Cloudflare Enterprise separately. It can reduce global static and edge-cache latency, but dynamic requests still depend on origin reachability and cache rules. Compare audience-weighted regions rather than selecting the fastest location.
An LCP failure with strong TTFB usually points to the hero image, CSS, fonts, or browser JavaScript. Hosting does not fix a 3 MB slideshow. An erratic origin MISS points toward PHP, plugins, database queries, or server pressure.
Cloudways versus shared and managed hosting
Hostinger and Bluehost are cheaper and simpler for a new brochure site. SiteGround GrowBig bundles WordPress tooling and email at a higher renewal. Kinsta, WP Engine, and Rocket.net offer a more tightly controlled managed WordPress platform with less server-level choice.
Cloudways is strongest when a technical owner wants selectable infrastructure, scaling, staging, and server visibility without managing Linux directly. It is less attractive for someone who expects included mailboxes, phone-led beginner support, or a one-click answer to every WordPress issue.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Choice of cloud provider, server size, and region.
- Varnish, PHP-FPM, staging, backups, and monitoring are integrated.
- Vertical scaling and application cloning support growth.
- Redis and Cloudflare options address dynamic and global workloads.
Cons
- Results differ materially by provider and configuration.
- Email hosting costs extra.
- More technical than conventional shared hosting.
- Scaling, backups, add-ons, and bandwidth complicate total cost.
FAQ
Is Cloudways faster than SiteGround?
It can be under dynamic load when provisioned with adequate resources, but SiteGround's Dynamic Cache can also serve anonymous pages quickly. Compare identical fixtures, cache states, regions, and p95 latency.
Which Cloudways provider is fastest?
There is no universal winner. Region, current hardware generation, network path, server size, and workload matter. Select a nearby provider and test during the refund or trial period.
Does Cloudways include a CDN?
CDN and Cloudflare Enterprise packaging varies by product and time. Check the current plan and add-on details. Document whether it is enabled in every benchmark.
How much RAM does WordPress need?
A simple cached site can run on a small server, while WooCommerce, imports, and multiple applications require more. Monitor memory and swap under real workload rather than selecting from visits alone.
Verdict
Cloudways can deliver strong WordPress performance, especially when Varnish handles anonymous traffic and an adequately sized server handles dynamic work. Its flexibility makes generic benchmark numbers meaningless. Choose one provider and region, test HIT and BYPASS p95 with the disclosed matrix, and keep Cloudways when its monitoring shows headroom at the traffic level the business actually expects.