Cloudflare vs Cloudways:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Cloudflare had more branded searches than Cloudways among cloud hosting platforms worldwide. Cloudflare had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Cloudways had 74,000. Cloudflare made up 31.2% of all cloud hosting platform searches we track, and Cloudways accounted for 0.57%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cloud hosting platforms, Cloudflare and Cloudways each appeared in two of the five answers. Cloudflare and Cloudways were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Cloudflare, about 55 searches for every 1 for Cloudways
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
Follow Cloudflare vs Cloudways and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top cloud hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cloudflare was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cloudways was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Cloudflare and Cloudways were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
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.
Google Cloud5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Amazon Web Services5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Microsoft Azure4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
DigitalOcean4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Vercel3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Cloudflare2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Cloudways2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Linode0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cloud hosting platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cloud hosting platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cloud hosting platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cloud hosting platform for web infrastructure?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cloud hosting platforms”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cloud infrastructure provider”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Cloudflare or Cloudways more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cloudflare and Cloudways by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight cloud hosting platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Cloudflare, Cloudways. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cloudflare | Vercel | Google Cloud | Amazon Web Services | Microsoft Azure | Linode | Cloudways | DigitalOcean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16.2% | 8.8% | 16.4% | 44.2% | 13.2% | 0.65% | 0.53% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 55.3% | 7.4% | 13.7% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 0.45% | 0.45% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 38% | 11.3% | 21.1% | 17% | 11.3% | 0.69% | 0.69% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.4% | 15% | 22.7% | 18.3% | 15% | 0.74% | 0.74% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 26.9% | 18% | 24% | 18% | 12% | 0.49% | 0.73% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 27% | 18% | 23.7% | 18% | 12.1% | 0.4% | 0.73% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.9% | 22.8% | 22.7% | 15.2% | 10.2% | 0.41% | 0.75% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 29.7% | 19.8% | 22.2% | 16.2% | 10.8% | 0.44% | 0.8% | 0% |
| Jun 2026 | 29.3% | 19.6% | 23.2% | 16% | 10.7% | 0.53% | 0.65% | 0% |
| Jul 2026 | 30% | 20% | 21.5% | 16.4% | 10.9% | 0.54% | 0.66% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.3% | 21.6% | 20.9% | 14.5% | 9.6% | 0.48% | 0.58% | 0% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.2% | 20.9% | 20.2% | 17.1% | 9.3% | 0.69% | 0.57% | <0.01% |
How has the Cloudflare and Cloudways comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Cloudflare was ahead of Cloudways in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cloudflare’s share of searches among cloud hosting platforms worldwide moved from 16.2% to 31.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 4.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cloudways’ share of searches among cloud hosting platforms worldwide moved from 0.53% to 0.57%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 74K.
How did search popularity change for cloud hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Cloudflare lost share of searches among cloud hosting platforms worldwide, from 32.3% to 31.2%.
In September 2026, Cloudways fell from 6th to 7th among cloud hosting platforms worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cloudflare’s and Cloudways’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cloudflare
1 branded search term
- cloudflare
Cloudways
1 branded search term
- cloudways
Other head-to-heads among cloud hosting platforms
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.