On this page
Cloudways offers Slab, Hybrid and Custom direct commissions, plus a separate two-tier option. Hybrid advertises $30 per sale + 7% recurring; two-tier pays 7% of a referred affiliate’s eligible per-sale commission, not their customer’s hosting bill. 2,1
A customer must leave the trial, supply billing details and pay at least two invoices before sale approval; the main FAQ specifies two full invoices. Hybrid’s precise recurring revenue base remains unclear. 2,1
Official pages checked October 2, 2026 · Conflicting advertised rates · Terms incomplete. This is public-source research, not firsthand hosting or payout testing. 2,1
Who it may fit
Our assessment: consider Cloudways when your readers are choosing hosting and you can explain the practical tradeoffs. A documented migration, tested tutorial or scoped comparison offers more help than a generic earnings list.
The main tradeoff is cash timing: payout thresholds can mean a longer wait at low referral volume. Cloudways identifies creators, agencies, trainers, reviewers and developers as prospective affiliates; acceptance remains subject to review. 2,1
Compare the three direct models
| Model | Advertised structure | Conditions to compare |
|---|---|---|
| Slab | Up to $125 per sale, based on performance | Maximum is not the entry rate. Confirm bands and eligible sales; position resets monthly. 2,1 |
| Hybrid | $30 per sale + 7% recurring, marketed for the referred customer’s lifetime | Sale approval requires two paid invoices. Exact recurring base is unclear; ongoing eligibility and agreement conditions apply. 2,1 |
| Custom | A negotiated combination of Slab and Hybrid | Obtain your written offer; no universal Custom rate is established. 2,1 |
Conflicting higher figures: the same official program page also contains a comparison table advertising up to $350 or 12% recurring. The public text does not adequately explain eligibility for those figures. They are not treated here as the standard offer. Confirm your account’s schedule. Program page 2,1
Slab needs a known per-sale amount; Hybrid also depends on eligible customer spending and retention. Taxes, add-ons, credits and discounts are not fully defined in Hybrid’s base, so a precise break-even forecast would be premature. Structure changes take effect at the next month’s start, according to the program guide. 2,1
Two-tier commissions are separate
The referred affiliate’s commission
Hypothetical eligible commission, not a hosting bill or standard Slab rate. Requires opt-in and an approved original sale; plan coverage and duration remain unconfirmed.
Enable the Two-tier option in your Affiliate Profile. Cloudways says the override is generated when a referred affiliate makes a sale and approved with the original transaction. 2
| Rate and base | Unconfirmed limits |
|---|---|
| 7% of the referred affiliate’s eligible per-sale commission | Hybrid recurring components, bonuses, Custom coverage, duration and recruitment attribution 2 |
Cloudways’ own example assumes Slab; do not extend Hybrid’s lifetime description to this separate reward. Two-tier guide 2
Compare two-tier programs by calculation base, qualification and duration, not percentage alone.
From click to payment
The published 90-day cookie concerns customer referrals. First-versus-last-click treatment, cross-device tracking and a recruitment window are not fully established. Two paid invoices are a qualification rule, not a guaranteed number of calendar days. 2,3
| Destination | Published threshold | Payment distinction |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal | $250 approved monthly earnings | Processing advertised for the month’s last week once eligible; subthreshold carry-forward is unclear. 2,3 |
| Wire transfer | $1,000 approved commission per payout cycle | Invoice and bank details requested; confirm regional availability. 2,3 |
| Cloudways account funds | $100 approved commission | Hosting funds, not cash withdrawal. 2,3 |
Confirm settlement currency and fees; these dollar amounts reproduce the public FAQ. Do not assume a PayPal balance reset or an accumulation rule. Processing timing does not guarantee arrival. Attribution, approval and payout FAQ 2,3
The linked agreement allows additional holds and deductions for fraudulent, questionable or cancelled transactions. Keep reported, approved and paid earnings separate. 2,3
Promotion rules to plan around
- Add Cloudways to your negative keyword list. Avoid trademark variants and misspellings in paid search; do not use its name as a display URL or directly link/redirect to its site in PPC ads. Any advertised approval exception needs actual confirmation. 2,3
- The linked agreement restricts self-referrals, cookie stuffing, misleading links, masked referring URLs, artificial leads and purchase/signup incentives. Check your enrolled policies before selecting traffic tactics. 2,3
- For SEO content, solve an actual hosting decision. Separate tested observations from merchant claims; do not publish untested performance comparisons.
Sources: PPC guidance, program FAQ, linked agreement. 2,3,1
Before you apply
The guide permits joining without hosting your site with Cloudways. Enrollment involves a Cloudways account, Affiliate Profile and application review. 2
- Identify your audience, channel and proposed promotional methods.
- Read the applicable agreement and Cloudways-specific policies.
- Confirm publisher-country eligibility separately from customer-country eligibility.
- Check your rate, calculation base, payment method, currency and fees.
- For two-tier participation, confirm plan coverage, duration and recruitment attribution.
Visit the official affiliate program. This is an untracked provider destination; Affiliate Orchard’s acceptance is not confirmed. 2,1
Use the hosting directory for alternatives and recurring versus one-time commissions to compare payment structures. Start with audience fit, then compare qualification and cash timing alongside rates.
Sources and open questions
Official pages were checked October 2, 2026. The help guide displays April 28, 2026, which is not necessarily each offer’s effective date. Cloudways’ legal index links to a DigitalOcean agreement that defers key details to the applicable tool or Program Policies. No enrolled account or private agreement was inspected. 4,3,2
Still unresolved: higher promotional-rate eligibility, Hybrid revenue inclusions, two-tier coverage and duration, attribution precedence, complete country eligibility, PayPal carry-forward, and settlement fees/currency.
Sources: Cloudways program page, program guide, Cloudways legal index, linked DigitalOcean agreement. 4,3,2,1
Research and editorial review: Affiliate Orchard with AI assistance. Based on public sources; no firsthand product or payout test.
How our research works