Cloudways

Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting platform that sits on top of providers such as DigitalOcean, Linode, AWS, and Google Cloud, handling server setup, caching, backups, and security so you never touch a terminal. It launched in 2011, is based in Malta, and was acquired by DigitalOcean in 2022. It is a favourite among agencies running many client WordPress sites.

Pricing starts at roughly $11 per month for the smallest DigitalOcean-backed server and scales by RAM, storage, and bandwidth. Billing is hourly and usage-based, so you can spin servers up and down without annual lock-in.

The affiliate program is unusual in letting you choose your own commission model. The Slab model pays a flat bounty of up to $125 per sale, scaling with your monthly volume and resetting each month. The Hybrid model instead pays $30 upfront plus 7% lifetime recurring commission — better if your referrals stay for years.

Tracking is in-house rather than on a network, which is what makes the slab-versus-hybrid switching possible. The cookie runs 90 days, and there is a 7% two-tier override on the earnings of sub-affiliates you recruit. High performers can negotiate a custom blended tier.