{
  "slug": "cloudways",
  "name": "Cloudways",
  "domain": "cloudways.com",
  "category": "hosting-deployment",
  "categoryName": "Hosting & deployment",
  "description": "Managed cloud hosting with configurable Flexible servers and autoscaling Autonomous WordPress hosting.",
  "directAnswer": "Cancel Cloudways inside the platform: delete every server, deactivate paid add-ons under Integrations, then choose Cancel My Account at the bottom of the Account page. It takes about 15 minutes, billing stops as resources are deleted, and cancellation is irreversible with all data permanently deleted. Cloudways is postpaid; usage up to cancellation is payable on a final invoice, with no refund promised.",
  "price": "From $11 / month",
  "priceMonthlyUsd": 11,
  "planName": "Cloudways Flexible",
  "subscriptionPlans": [
    {
      "id": "cloudways-flexible",
      "name": "Cloudways Flexible",
      "billingOptions": [],
      "priceNote": "Usage-based by provider, server size, and region; published DigitalOcean pricing starts at $11 per month or $0.0357 per hour",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.cloudways.com/en/pricing.php"
    },
    {
      "id": "cloudways-autonomous",
      "name": "Cloudways Autonomous",
      "billingOptions": [],
      "priceNote": "Usage-based per active application and autoscaling resources; the public page lists a Small configuration at $35 per month",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.cloudways.com/en/pricing.php"
    }
  ],
  "difficulty": "Hard",
  "difficultyScore": 9.1,
  "billingMethods": [
    "web",
    "invoice"
  ],
  "accountTypes": [
    "personal"
  ],
  "cancellationUrl": "https://unified.cloudways.com/",
  "cancellationTime": "~15 minutes",
  "cancellationTimeSeconds": 900,
  "steps": {
    "web": [
      {
        "title": "Download a verified backup",
        "body": "Back up or migrate every application and database before deleting resources because canceled account data cannot be recovered."
      },
      {
        "title": "Delete every server",
        "body": "Open Flexible, locate each server, open its three-dot menu, choose Delete, and complete the prompts. Stopping a server does not stop billing."
      },
      {
        "title": "Remove paid add-ons",
        "body": "Open Integrations, review active add-ons, and deactivate or unsubscribe every paid add-on."
      },
      {
        "title": "Open the Account page",
        "body": "Select the profile icon, choose Account, and scroll to the bottom."
      },
      {
        "title": "Cancel the account",
        "body": "Select Cancel My Account, review the warnings, and confirm the permanent closure."
      }
    ],
    "ios": [],
    "android": [],
    "team": []
  },
  "platformNotes": {
    "web": {
      "note": "Cloudways is postpaid. Removing all billable resources stops future usage charges even if the empty account stays open.",
      "warning": "Stopping, pausing, or leaving a server inactive does not stop Flexible server billing. Delete servers and remove every paid add-on."
    }
  },
  "refundInfo": "Cloudways is postpaid and invoices actual usage. The official billing and cancellation pages do not promise a refund for ordinary cancellation; usage up to resource deletion or account cancellation remains payable on a final invoice. Contact Support about billing disputes.",
  "pauseInfo": "Stopping, pausing, or leaving a Flexible server inactive does not stop billing. DigitalOcean, Linode, and Vultr resources continue billing while stopped; AWS and Google Cloud stopped servers still incur storage and IP charges. Delete resources to stop those charges.",
  "downgradeInfo": "Cloudways has no permanent free hosting downgrade in the official pages reviewed. An account can remain open without charges after every active server, Autonomous plan, and paid add-on is removed. Billing resumes when a new billable resource is launched.",
  "dataRetentionInfo": "Account cancellation is irreversible. Cloudways says all servers, applications, and data are permanently deleted, canceled accounts cannot be restored, and Support cannot retrieve the data. Export and verify backups first.",
  "factRows": [
    {
      "k": "Cancellation fee",
      "v": "None documented"
    },
    {
      "k": "Refund window",
      "v": "No ordinary refund documented"
    },
    {
      "k": "Effective",
      "v": "As resources are deleted"
    },
    {
      "k": "Free plan after",
      "v": "No"
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "When does Cloudways billing stop?",
      "answer": "Server billing stops when the server is deleted, and add-on billing stops when each add-on is deactivated. A final invoice covers prior usage."
    },
    {
      "question": "Can I stop a Cloudways server instead of deleting it?",
      "answer": "No. Stopping or pausing a Flexible server does not stop its billing."
    },
    {
      "question": "Will Cloudways refund unused time?",
      "answer": "Cloudways bills actual resource usage in arrears, so its cancellation guides describe a final usage invoice rather than an unused-term refund."
    },
    {
      "question": "Can I keep an empty Cloudways account without charges?",
      "answer": "Yes. An open account with no active servers, Autonomous plans, or paid add-ons does not incur charges."
    },
    {
      "question": "Can a canceled Cloudways account be restored?",
      "answer": "No. Cancellation is irreversible and Cloudways says all server, application, and account data is permanently deleted."
    }
  ],
  "officialSources": [
    {
      "title": "Cloudways pricing",
      "url": "https://www.cloudways.com/en/pricing.php",
      "lastCheckedAt": "2026-08-08"
    },
    {
      "title": "How to stop Cloudways billing",
      "url": "https://support.cloudways.com/en/articles/5119650-how-do-i-stop-my-cloudways-billing",
      "lastCheckedAt": "2026-08-08"
    },
    {
      "title": "How to cancel a Cloudways account",
      "url": "https://support.cloudways.com/en/articles/5119918-how-do-i-cancel-my-account",
      "lastCheckedAt": "2026-08-08"
    },
    {
      "title": "Cloudways billing guide",
      "url": "https://support.cloudways.com/en/articles/5116158-guide-to-billing-at-cloudways",
      "lastCheckedAt": "2026-08-08"
    }
  ],
  "verified": true,
  "manuallyVerifiedAt": "2026-08-08",
  "nextReviewAt": "2026-10-07",
  "urls": {
    "guide": "https://canicancelit.com/cancel/cloudways",
    "json": "https://canicancelit.com/cancel/cloudways.json",
    "markdown": "https://canicancelit.com/cancel/cloudways.md"
  }
}