How popular isCloudways?
In September 2026, people searched for Cloudways by name about 74,000 times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 1.6% of all global VPS hosting provider searches, placing Cloudways sixth out of seven providers. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about VPS hosting providers, Cloudways appeared in three of the five answers and was the sixth most recommended of the seven.
Cloudways is the sixth most searched of 7 competitors and the sixth most recommended in AI answers.
HostingerShare of searches 79.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
HetznerShare of searches 9.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
OVHcloudShare of searches 4.3%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
VultrShare of searches 3.5%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
CloudwaysShare of searches 1.6%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
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Top VPS hosting providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cloudways was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Cloudways is the sixth most recommended of the seven.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
DigitalOcean5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Vultr4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Hostinger3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Hetzner3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Cloudways3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OVHcloud2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Linode2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about VPS hosting providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which VPS hosting provider should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best VPS hosting providers?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best VPS hosting provider for a small website?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“vps hosting providers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best vps hosting”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Which VPS hosting providers compete with Cloudways?
Share of searches by month for Hostinger, Hetzner, OVHcloud, Vultr, Cloudways. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hostinger | Hetzner | OVHcloud | Vultr | Linode | Cloudways | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 84.6% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 84.9% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 84.9% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 84.8% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 1.4% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 82.1% | 9.7% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 82.1% | 9.9% | 3% | 2.4% | 0.9% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 82.2% | 10.1% | 3% | 2% | 0.91% | 1.7% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 81.8% | 10.1% | 3% | 2.5% | 0.91% | 1.7% | 0% |
| Jun 2026 | 78.6% | 11.6% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0% |
| Jul 2026 | 80.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 80.2% | 9.7% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 0% |
| Sep 2026 | 79.1% | 9.6% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 1.9% | 1.6% | <0.01% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 79.1% | 3.7M | 0% | -1 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 9.6% | 450K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 4.3% | 201K | 0% | -0.1 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 3.5% | 165K | +22.2% | +0.6 points | |
| 5, moved from 6th to 5th | 1.9% | 90.5K | +49.6% | +0.6 pointsmoved from 6th to 5th | |
| 6, moved from 5th to 6th | 1.6% | 74K | 0% | 0 pointsmoved from 5th to 6th | |
| 7, held 7th | <0.01% | 10 | — | 0 points |
79.1%
Held 1st. 3.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1 points.
2.
Hetzner9.6%
Held 2nd. 450K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
3.
OVHcloud4.3%
Held 3rd. 201K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
4.
Vultr3.5%
Held 4th. 165K estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
5.
Linode1.9%
Moved from 6th to 5th. 90.5K estimated branded searches, +49.6% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
1.6%
Moved from 5th to 6th. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.
<0.01%
Held 7th. 10 estimated branded searches, — vs prior month. Share 0 points.
Compare popularity between Cloudways and its closest rivals
Every comparison with Cloudways
20 comparisons
- Bluehost vs Cloudways
- Cloudways vs GoDaddy
- Cloudways vs Hostinger
- Cloudways vs Namecheap
- Cloudways vs SiteGround
- Amazon Web Services vs Cloudways
- Cloudflare vs Cloudways
- Cloudways vs Google Cloud
- Cloudways vs Hetzner
- Cloudways vs Linode
- Cloudways vs Microsoft Azure
- Cloudways vs OVHcloud
- Cloudways vs Vercel
- Cloudways vs Vultr
- Cloudways vs DreamHost
- Cloudways vs WP Engine
- Cloudways vs Kinsta
- Cloudways vs Pressable
- Cloudways vs Flywheel
- Cloudways vs Pagely
How has branded search demand for Cloudways changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
2 findings
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Cloudways worldwide held steady at 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cloudways’ share of searches among VPS hosting providers worldwide held steady at 1.6%.
How did search popularity change for VPS hosting providers worldwide in September 2026?
5 changes
In September 2026, Linode overtook Cloudways to rank 5th among VPS hosting providers worldwide, with 1.9% of the searches.
In September 2026, Vultr gained share of searches among VPS hosting providers worldwide, from 2.9% to 3.5%.
In September 2026, Hostinger lost share of searches among VPS hosting providers worldwide, from 80.2% to 79.1%.
Hetzner’s share of searches among VPS hosting providers worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 11.6% to 9.6% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for OVHcloud worldwide rose 48.9% over 12 measured months, from 135K to 201K in September 2026.
How are Cloudways’ branded searches counted?
1 search term
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cloudways’ name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.
- cloudways
Who owns Cloudways?
Cloudways is owned by DigitalOcean. Brandwave also tracks DigitalOcean, owned by the same company, worldwide.
Do you work for Cloudways? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.
Where does Cloudways compete?
| Competitor set | Rank | Share of searches | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud hosting platforms | 7th of 8 | 0.57% | Show ranking |
| Web hosting providers | 8th of 10 | 0.57% | Show ranking |
| VPS hosting providers | 6th of 7 | 1.6% | Shown above |
| Managed WordPress hosting platforms | 3rd of 8 | 12.5% | Show ranking |
Is Cloudways your brand?
Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.