Why I Choose Cloudways
for My Client Websites
After more than 25 years building and hosting websites, I value a platform that makes the everyday work easier. Cloudways has become part of how I run SiteWaves: practical hosting controls, flexible server resources, and a sensible way to manage multiple websites.
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The Value Is in Working With It
Hosting is easy to describe in a list of specifications. Living with it is another matter. When you maintain client websites, you regularly need to work with domains, SSL certificates, files, databases, backups, and PHP settings. How a platform handles those jobs matters.
My work at SiteWaves includes long-established ExpressionEngine sites, front-end rebuilds, CMS updates, and ongoing maintenance. I need hosting that fits that work and gives me useful control over the environment.
Cloudways brings many of those routine hosting tasks into one place. That is a large part of its appeal for me: less friction in the hosting workflow and more time to spend on the websites themselves.
Practical Reasons to Consider Cloudways
These are the features that matter to the way I build and maintain websites. My experience here is with Cloudways Flexible.
Multiple Sites on One Server
Cloudways Flexible lets you add multiple applications to a server. That is useful for managing a group of smaller websites, provided the server has enough resources for their combined workload.
Useful Hosting Controls
Domain mapping, SSL, application access, databases, and server settings are part of routine website maintenance. Having those controls in a consistent interface makes the work more manageable.
Less Server Administration
Cloudways manages the underlying server, including operating-system patches and infrastructure tasks. I can focus more of my attention on the CMS, add-ons, templates, and website functionality.
Backup & Restore Tools
Automated and on-demand backup options are valuable when planning updates and maintenance. I still keep independent copies of important site files and databases as part of my own workflow.
Resources You Can Review
Server resources can be increased as requirements change. I like being able to review capacity over time rather than make every hosting decision around an individual website package.
Access That Fits the Work
SFTP and SSH access fit naturally into a developer workflow. I use SSH-key-based SFTP when working with site files, alongside the platform controls for managing the hosting environment.
A Hosting Model That Makes Sense for a Portfolio
One of the things I appreciate most about Cloudways Flexible is the ability to run multiple applications on a server. For a developer or small agency, that creates room to organize hosting around the needs of the websites rather than a separate hosting purchase for every site.
It also makes the economics easier to assess. The useful question becomes: what resources does this group of websites actually need, and what does that server cost?
Capacity still matters. The sites on a server share its resources. Traffic, databases, background tasks, and the applications themselves all affect how much it can comfortably support. I prefer to leave room for maintenance and growth rather than fill a server simply because another application can be added.
The Saving Goes Beyond the Monthly Bill
For me, value includes the time spent managing the hosting. A workable dashboard, accessible settings, and a repeatable process across applications all contribute to the overall cost of maintaining a portfolio.
Great Hosting for Two Powerful CMS Platforms
WordPress and ExpressionEngine both give businesses powerful ways to build and grow their websites. Cloudways Flexible provides a hosting environment that supports both, with practical tools for managing the applications behind them.
A Huge Ecosystem, With Hosting to Match
WordPress combines approachable publishing with an extensive ecosystem of themes, plugins, and integrations. From business websites and publications to WooCommerce stores, it offers tremendous flexibility for building a site around your goals.
Cloudways makes that combination even more appealing with hosting tools designed for WordPress and a centralized Site Manager that helps simplify ongoing website management.
Creative Freedom & Flexible Content
ExpressionEngine shines when a website needs carefully structured content, custom templates, and a design built around the business. Its flexible publishing tools give developers room to create distinctive websites and give editors a focused way to maintain them.
I've worked with ExpressionEngine since 2008 and use Cloudways' PHP application environment for client sites. Access to files, databases, SSL, and server settings fits naturally into that workflow.
Multiple WordPress Sites. One Management Dashboard.
Cloudways Site Manager brings your connected WordPress sites into one place. Manage plugins, themes, and users, access WordPress through single sign-on, and see which sites need updates without working through every dashboard individually.
For developers, agencies, and businesses maintaining several WordPress websites, that centralized view is a compelling reason to consider Cloudways.
The free Basic plan covers essential management tools. Site Manager Pro adds features such as scheduled automatic updates, SafeUpdates with staging-based testing, visual regression checks, performance monitoring, and activity logs.
What I appreciate is the flexibility. Whether you prefer WordPress and its expansive ecosystem or ExpressionEngine and its tailored approach to content, Cloudways gives you a practical platform for hosting and maintaining the website you want to build.
Who I Think Will Appreciate It Most
Useful Control Across Multiple Sites
If you manage several websites, understand the basics of hosting, and want control over how applications are grouped and maintained, Cloudways Flexible is worth a close look.
The ability to manage several applications from a consistent platform is particularly relevant to the way I work.
Your Account, Your Hosting
A business can open its own Cloudways account and keep direct control of its hosting relationship and billing while working with the developer it chooses.
If you want to manage the website yourself, expect to learn the platform and take responsibility for the application. A developer can still handle those tasks when needed.
A Few Useful Questions
Which Cloudways product is this recommendation about?
My experience on this page is with Cloudways Flexible, particularly DigitalOcean servers used for client websites. Cloudways also offers other products, so check that the product and plan you select match your application and requirements.
Does managed hosting include updates to my website?
Server management and website maintenance are different responsibilities. Cloudways manages the underlying infrastructure, while your CMS, add-ons, custom code, and application compatibility still need attention. Some application services are offered separately; review their scope before purchasing.
Can I host ExpressionEngine on Cloudways?
Yes. I use the PHP application environment on Cloudways Flexible for ExpressionEngine sites. Review the PHP and database requirements of your ExpressionEngine version and add-ons before choosing or changing the server environment.
Can I host several websites on the same server?
Yes, with Cloudways Flexible. Applications share the resources of that server, so the appropriate number depends on their workload. Multiple applications does not mean unlimited processing power, memory, or storage.
What costs should I review?
Review the selected server plan, backup storage, bandwidth allowances, and any paid add-ons. Keep mailbox hosting and domain registration in your budget as well. A promotional discount is temporary, so check the ongoing price and which charges the offer covers.
Which server size should I choose?
Base the decision on your CMS, traffic, database activity, storage requirements, and the number of applications sharing the server. My own use of DigitalOcean servers is a starting point for understanding this recommendation, rather than a plan recommendation for every website.
How do I use the current offer?
Use the offer button on this page and check that the promotional code and discount appear during signup or billing setup. Cloudways determines eligibility, eligible products, limits, and expiration dates. Review the terms shown there before proceeding.
See Whether Cloudways Fits the Way You Work
I recommend Cloudways because of the value I find in using it for real client websites. Explore the platform, review the available plans, and try it for yourself.
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