r/CloudwaysbyDO

We get this question a lot in here, so here's a clear guide on choosing between the two stacks. Everything below is based on Cloudways' official documentation and benchmarks.

First, what they actually are

The Hybrid Stack is the older setup — a mix of NGINX + Apache. Apache is what lets it read .htaccess files, so it supports granular, file-based server rules and Apache-specific modules. It's still the default for new applications. Trade-off: Apache adds overhead, so you get slightly lower performance and more complexity.

The Lightning Stack is the newer, fully NGINX + PHP-FPM architecture. Apache is removed entirely. NGINX uses an event-driven model that handles concurrent requests more efficiently than Apache's process-based approach, which means faster request processing, lower latency, and better resource use under load. The catch: NGINX doesn't natively support .htaccess. It's available at no extra cost, and switching doesn't cause downtime.

When to use the Lightning Stack

This is the better choice for most modern, dynamic sites. Reach for it when:

• You run ecommerce, LMS, or membership sites — anything transactional and data-driven. This is exactly what it was rebuilt for.
• Your uncached / backend performance matters — admin panels, checkouts, logins, course progression. Lightning's whole advantage is holding performance steady on requests that bypass full-page caching.
• You expect high concurrency or traffic spikes and need consistent throughput without leaning entirely on Varnish.
• Your .htaccess needs are simple — 301/302 redirects, URL rewrites, header rules. These are now handled through Web Rules, a UI-based feature in the platform. Per Cloudways' analysis of 100,000+ sites, Web Rules covers roughly 80–90% of common .htaccess use cases (they found ~51% are simple redirects/rewrites/headers NGINX handles easily).

The benchmark gains (independently tested by Koddr[dot]io, commissioned by Cloudways) are strongest in write-heavy, uncached workloads:

• Up to 65% faster response times for dynamic workloads
• Up to 33% faster WordPress admin load times
• Up to 58% more successful WooCommerce checkouts under load
• Up to 85% higher throughput on LearnDash course progression
• Stable performance without Varnish even past 1,000 concurrent users

Worth noting: for fully cached, mostly static pages, the two stacks perform similarly, Lightning's edge shows up when caching is bypassed.

When to stay on (or use) the Hybrid Stack

Hybrid is the right call when your site genuinely depends on Apache. Stay on it if:

• Your app relies on complex, multi-condition .htaccess logic that Web Rules can't yet replicate. Cloudways found ~36% of the remaining cases had single conditional rules and the rest had complex/multi-conditional logic they couldn't reliably translate.
• You depend on Apache-specific modules.
• You have older sites, plugins, or custom configs built around .htaccess files.
• You need advanced rule setups and aren't ready to rebuild them in the Web Rules UI.

Important: .htaccess files are not compatible with NGINX. If you switch to Lightning, you'll need to manually recreate your redirects, rewrites, and headers in Web Rules. Nothing carries over automatically.

A few practical notes if you're switching

• The switch happens at the application level, takes under a minute, and causes no downtime. Apps on the same server can run different stacks.
• It's reversible — you can switch back to Hybrid anytime.
• Test on a staging/clone first, and back up files + database before switching (Safe Updates and Staging Management both help here). Only files and databases get pushed between staging and live — the stack config stays separate.
• Sites are not auto-migrated. Cloudways supports both stacks for the foreseeable future, so you move on your own timeline.

TL;DR

Dynamic/transactional site + simple redirects → Lightning.
Site that leans on complex .htaccess rules or Apache modules → Hybrid (or move to Lightning after rebuilding those rules in Web Rules).

Test on staging either way. Hope this helps, folks!

Hi I received a call last night from a dude saying he was from Cloudways. Is this normal? He asked if my issue was resolved and if I was happy.

Is this normal?

I got emails from cloudways this morning that a bunch of sites on my server has malware. As i check them myself (securi scans/codex scans/giving codex the backup files and sql/wordfence scans/etc) and found nothing.

only been with cloudways for a few months. i know false positives can happen but just wondering if this has happened before? especially asking cause a post within last 24 hrs is someone else talking about the site becoming infected with malware.

All the sites are up to date on plugs/WP version. PHP is fully updated.

I may be over thinking this, but Im entirely not sure when to use one or the other.

For starters, all my applications are standard 5-10 page WordPress/Elementor builds with an occasional WooCommerce website in the mix.

I've been using Lightning Stack by default for probably around my last 10 web builds. However, when solving a problem with support yesterday, the guy recommended I move the site (a standard WordPress build) back to hybrid, as that was more optimal for the site.

Have I been needlessly (or even harmfully) changing sites to Lightning Stack? Should all WordPress sites remain on hybrid? What if WooCommerce is involved?

We see some people obsessed with hitting a 100/100 mobile score on Lighthouse and others may still think that it's a vanity metric and not as important for actual business. But we also see messy, slow sites making lots in revenue. What are your views?

Hey mods and other sub members, sorry if this is a rookie question but i’d really like a summary on what type of applications i can run on Cloudways. We all know WordPress is a big one but what else can Cloudways host?

WP Rocket has introduced a new feature that lets users speed up their most important pages with a built-in free CDN. Instead of configuring a separate CDN service, you can now accelerate up to three priority pages directly from the plugin.

The feature is designed to help improve loading speed and Core Web Vitals with minimal setup, making it especially useful for landing pages, homepages, or other high-traffic pages. While larger websites may still benefit from a full-site CDN, this is a great addition for smaller websites or anyone who wants to test CDN performance without extra cost.

What do you think about this update? Will you be trying it on your WordPress site?