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A virtual private server (VPS) can offer things you could only dream about with shared hosting: high-end performance, more robust security, and greater control over configuration, all at a lower price than a dedicated server. Or at least that’s how it’s supposed to work. In reality, many hosts offer subpar hosting at premium VPS prices.
That’s why the Website Planet team put dozens of VPS hosting providers through rigorous testing. I then compared them on everything from server infrastructure and performance to customer support, and came up with the 10+ best options on the market right now.
My top recommendation is Hostinger. Its affordable plan options and wide selection of user-friendly tools make it an outstanding entry point for those who want to graduate from shared hosting to VPS hosting. That said, the best VPS for you will depend on your needs and expertise. So, read on to discover your ideal provider, or try Hostinger VPS risk-free for 30 days.
As a VPS is more expensive than simple shared hosting, our expectations were accordingly higher. Only providers that met all (or most) of the following criteria made our list:
Powerful, modern servers. It doesn’t matter how many vCPU cores you buy – if the processors are ten years old, your server won’t perform at its best. We looked for providers that update their infrastructures regularly to offer exceptional speeds and uptime.
Full control. A VPS hosting service should allow you to access and configure your server to meet specific requirements. We only included providers that give you SSH access and full control over your VM (virtual machine).
Easy scalability. Need more power? These hosts will let you add CPU cores, RAM, storage space, and bandwidth with a couple of clicks. It’ll also be just as easy to scale back down when you no longer need the extra resources.
Managed support. VPS hosting is easy-ish to use once you configure your server, but setup can be challenging if Linux isn’t your mother tongue. Some of the providers on our list will help you get started as part of their managed services.
Value. Low prices can be attractive, but what good is a cheap VPS if it comes crumbling down during a traffic surge? The providers on our list are not only affordable (some of them are insanely cheap), but they also offer reliability, generous resources, and lots of features for your money.
There’s a lot of value in Hostinger’s affordable VPS plans with NVMe SSD storage and quality processorsHostinger offers solid VPS and cloud hosting for more demanding tasks, including high-traffic e-commerce websites and web applications. You get a choice of popular Linux OSs and control panels (cPanel, CyberPanel, etc.), plus free CloudPanel with every VPS account.
There are no managed VPS solutions on offer with Hostinger and user-friendliness really depends on the control panel you use. But if you’re comfortable diving into the technical aspects yourself, you’ll get powerful resources at a very reasonable cost. In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a lower-cost VPS anywhere else with the same global reach and support quality.
If you’re open to it, Hostinger also offers budget-friendly managed cloud plans starting at $7.99. They’re equally impressive in terms of user-friendly tools and features that enhance performance, like fast NVMe SSD storage, in-house CDN, and out-of-the-box caching.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from Hostinger
Features
High-performance hardware. All of Hostinger’s VPS plans feature NVMe SSD storage and AMD EPYC processors for the fastest loading speeds and best performance.
300 Mbit/sec network. Hostinger offers limited bandwidth of 4–32 TB with VPS plans but on a faster-than-average 300 Mbit/sec network.
Free backups and snapshots. Free automated weekly backups, as well as on-demand snapshots, are included with your Hostinger VPS plan.
Range of supported Linux OSs. You can choose from Ubuntu, Debian, Rocky Linux, CentOS, and AlmaLinux operating systems for your Hostinger VPS.
Kamatera maintains its equipment at the highest standards, ensuring performance and reliabilityThe case for Kamatera is simple: this is a provider that offers cutting-edge cloud VPS solutions, and it does so while keeping prices low. Now, as you know, the cloud is a magical thing. It’s stable, it’s easy to scale, and it makes money vanish from your wallet (faster than usual). The mere mention of “the cloud” gives most hosts an excuse to up their prices – but Kamatera is different.
Kamaterakeeps its infrastructure up to date without massively increasing the cost of hosting. It also lets you choose from pre-configured plans or customize your own server with up to 104 vCPU processors, 512 GB of RAM, and 4 x 4 TB of SSD storage. With the latter, you’re not locked into predefined configurations and can opt to pay by the hour rather than monthly or yearly.
Kamatera is easy enough to use for experienced admins. But while it gives you dozens of server images to help you get started, you’ll need to use the command line to get your VPS working. If you know Linux or are willing to learn or pay extra for a Windows OS license, you’ll be fine. If not, you can buy managed services as an add-on to make the most of this provider’s infrastructure. And that’ll cost you a set monthly fee regardless of your setup.
Free trial. You can enjoy 30 days of hosting with a $100 credit to get a taste of what Kamatera has to offer. If you decide the service is worth your money, you can pay to use the same setup after the trial is over.
Load balancers. The Cloud Load Balancer distributes all incoming traffic across multiple backend servers, which means your VPS can handle more heat without slowing (or breaking) down.
Built-in firewall. Kamatera offers its proprietary Cloud Firewall with every VPS configuration, so you don’t have to set one up yourself (unless you want to). But beware – you’re still responsible for your server’s security.
Managed services. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty with any of the back-end stuff, Kamatera will provide managed services.However, this option incurs a fixed monthly price per server. So it’s particularly advantageous with massive 32+ vCPU configurations. Not so much for tiny VPSs.
IONOS offers rock-solid performance at mind-blowing prices
If you know your way around a server and you’re on a tight budget, IONOS could be your top choice. That’s because IONOS offers self-managed VPS plans for as low as $2.00. It’s not a price-for-quality trade-off either – though it’s not as jam-packed with bonus features as other hosts, IONOS provides top-notch performance and a decent variety of resource configurations.
Also, when you sign up, you can opt to get a personal support representative assigned to you. That means that whenever you contact customer support, you’ll be in contact with the same person. Over time, this can mean having someone on your side who understands your goals and the best way to help you achieve them.
Keep in mind, though, that the reduced price tag comes at the cost of some extras, so while IONOS offers outstanding core features, it doesn’t offer much else. Also, the dedicated support isn’t the same thing as a managed service, so you will need to know your way around a server, at least to some extent.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from IONOS
Features
Intuitive mobile app. IONOS offers an intuitive and responsive mobile app (iOS and Android) to help you manage your servers wherever you are.
Unlimited traffic up to 1 Gbit/s. Regardless of your plan, IONOS doesn’t cap your total monthly traffic or charge any upcharge. Just stay within the generous 1 Gbit/s allowance.
Interactive invoicing. You can see exactly how many resources you’re using and exactly how much that’ll cost you at any time.
IONOS infrastructure. If you go for an IONOS VPS, you’ll be able to integrate with IONOS’ network ecosystem, which includes domain registration, website building, and email managing tools.
ScalaHosting combines user-friendly features within a developer environment for the perfect balance
ScalaHosting is by far the best option if you’re making the switch from shared hosting to a VPS for the first time. Its website is easy to navigate and understand (unlike some of the jargon-filed VPS homepages out there), and the starting process takes only a couple of clicks. ScalaHosting also gives you a choice between managed and self-managed VPS plans – and its managed VPS plans are actually some of the lowest-cost out there!Like Kamatera, you can also customize your managed VPS plan with exactly as much CPU, RAM, and storage as you need. And instead of the traditional cPanel license, ScalaHosting offers its proprietary SPanel for free to help you configure these settings. SPanel is somewhat easier to navigate and it includes similar functionality to cPanel.
Aside from its world-class performance, ScalaHosting also includes a bunch of extra goodies, such as a premium Softaculous license (with managed VPS) and OpenLiteSpeed web server software (when using sPanel). Besides, you can always pay a little extra to install the classic cPanel to your server if you miss it that much.
A free domain name is included with some hosting plans from ScalaHosting
Features
WordPress-ready. ScalaHosting’s SWordPress Manager might win an award for the world’s silliest name. But it’s actually super useful. Website staging and backup/restore are enabled so you can safely test changes on your site without breaking it.
Dedicated IP. This nice bonus is included with ScalaHosting’s managed VPS hosting.
Node.js support. If you’re a developer, you probably know that most hosts only let you use Node.js on self-managed servers. Not ScalaHosting, though. ScalaHosting fully supports this runtime environment on its managed VPS. You can even ask customer support for help setting it up.
SShield Security. This is an automated, AI-driven security service that runs in the background in order to prevent malicious attacks on your server. It’s included for free in all managed VPS plans.
Standard VPS plans: 2 in the US and 1 in Europe AWS VPS plans: 3 in the US, 1 in Australia, 1 in Canada, 1 in France, 1 in Germany, 1 in India, 1 in Ireland, 1 in Japan, 1 in Singapore, 1 in South Korea, and 1 in the UK
Managed support
Fully managed
Money-back guarantee
30 days + anytime unconditional refund of unused services
VPS by the slice with InterServer – it’s not as granular as it could be, but it’s super cheap overall
InterServer is one of the cheapest VPS providers on this list. Hostinger and IONOS have slightly lower prices, but only during the first term. Of all the hosts I’ve tested, InterServer is the most affordable host after plan renewal. Plus, if you buy at least four VPS slices (four vCPU cores and 8GB of RAM), you get managed support for free.
Still, I wouldn’t recommend InterServer for beginners. InterServer’s UI is dated, confusing, and to be perfectly frank, an ugly thing to look at. If you know what you’re doing, it’s fairly easy to use. But if you’re new to VPS hosting, there’s a good chance you’ll need help.
Which brings me to my next point: InterServer’s customer support is available 24/7, but it can take hours for them to fix a simple issue, especially if you don’t get managed support with your VPS. All in all, I’d say that InterServer lets you get away with paying verylittle for outstanding performance, but only if you already know your way around a server.
Your choice of control panel and OS. InterServer offers the Webuzo, cPanel, PLESK, and DirectAdmin control panels, so you can manage your server however you prefer. You can also get Linux and Windows VPS.
Highavailability. If your server goes down, users get redirected to a copy of your VM that’s hosted elsewhere. Your website or app continues to run, while InterServer buys time to fix the issue.
Cheap remote backups. Automatic backups stored off site are more affordable from InterServer than from other providers. You can also create backups manually and download them to your PC.
No steep renewals. Most hosts lure you in with appealing introductory prices, only to surprise you with exorbitant renewal rates once the initial term is over. However, InterServer doesn’t follow this practice. What you see is what you get, so to speak, both when you sign up and when you renew.
Liquid Web has great performance, great support, awesome features…and a high price tagLiquid Web finds the right balance between flexible and fully managed hosting. It’s a bit pricey compared to other providers on my list, but it’s also the easiest way to get into VPS hosting while still having the freedom to do anything you want with your server. Well…almost anything. You probably shouldn’t use it to stream the adventures of your pet blobfish (though if you choose to, I’d be the last to stop you).
Now, when I say “fully managed,” I mean that Liquid Web can take care of everything for you, from server setup to ongoing maintenance. You can even choose between fully managed and core managed services to save a bit of money. I contacted support many times while testing the platform, and the agents were always glad to answer my questions.
As for performance, Liquid Web has a track record of reliable uptime and loading speed. It’s one of the fastest VPS providers I tested, and it gives you plenty of room to grow before you have to switch to a dedicated server.
Premium control panels. cPanel, Plesk, and InterWorx are all supported, but a license isn’t included with any VPS plan. Still, InterWorx is offered at a very low price, and it lets you create an unlimited number of websites.
Free site migration. Even if you’re moving from a different control panel, Liquid Web will help you migrate your website with minimal downtime. The tech team will also make sure that everything works properly after the transfer.
Managed security. A built-in firewall and DDoS protection are included in every plan. You can also ask Liquid Web to help out with PCI compliance if you want to process payments directly on your website.
Server monitoring. Most providers expect you to notify them of a problem before they start working on a solution. Liquid Web proactively monitors your server at all times. If anything comes up, the tech team jumps right in.
Cloudways’ management lets you access the biggest names in the industry
While it does offer its own managed VPS (or rather, managed VPS from its parent company, DigitalOcean), the unique thing about Cloudways is that it offers full management of VPS servers from some of the largest, enterprise-level providers out there. That means that it can give you access to state-of-the-art hosting from providers like Google Cloud, Linode, Vultr, or AWS, but without all the difficulty that comes with handling those beasts.
However, while Cloudways’ cheaper plans cost as little as $11.00 per month, the plans with access to the really exciting features cost a pretty penny. It’s definitely worth it if you can part with the money, but that won’t be a possibility for many. If you want, you can try Cloudways for free for 3 days, which may give you a sense of how the service works.
Setting up a VPS with FastComet is stress-free but it’ll cost youFastComet offers fully managed cloud VPS hosting that lets you focus on your business while a tech team takes care of server administration for you. It is a little on the pricier side, but in return, you’re getting a level of support few other providers will offer.
That’s not just at the beginning either. You can ask the tech team to install anything for you, at any time. Plus, if something breaks down (and trust me, something will break eventually), there’s no need to panic. All you need to do is throw the issue over to support and let them take care of the rest.
InMotion Hosting offers you managed and unmanaged options
InMotion Hosting has a little something for everyone. If you’re a developer looking to keep costs low, InMotion’s self-managed cloud servers could work for you. However, no dashboard is included with these VPS plans, so you have to manage and configure everything via the command line. Or, you can opt for a managed VPS.
The managed servers are a better place to start if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. cPanel and CWP are included in the baseline price, as are Softaculous and InMotion’s BoldGrid website builder for WordPress. Once your server is set up, it’s just as easy to use as simple shared hosting. But before you get too excited, you have to know that InMotion Hosting’s managed VPS configurations are definitely on the expensive side.
A2 Hosting’s copywriters may have exaggerated a littleLike InMotion Hosting, A2 Hosting has a broad range of VPS plans, including managed and self-managed servers. That said, the marketing can be a bit confusing. Takeoff, Soar, Launch, Ascent – what does it all mean? Let me simplify to save you some time.
Takeoff and Soar are A2 Hosting’s managed VPS plans. They’re more expensive because they include a cPanel license and support for setting up your server. Launch and Ascent are A2’s self-managed VPS plans. They’re much cheaper, but they don’t include cPanel licenses, and you have to configure the server yourself.
DigitalOcean: heaven for developers, but less so for the inexperienced
If you’re looking for VPS with all the capabilities and tools you need to create, develop, and tweak, DigitalOcean is well worth a look. The parent company of Cloudways, this provider aims to offer hosting and web, database, and app creator tools to rival the biggest players. And it delivers, but also on its second aim: to offer a cost-effective service.
DigitalOcean appeals to anyone looking to save but may still not be the lowest-cost VPS service out there, nor is setting up an account, server, and website with DigitalOcean all that easy without knowledge. For that, you should go with Cloudways – DigitalOceans’s managed VPS service for those who aren’t familiar with servers and hosting.
You can try AWS Lightsail VPS for free for up to three months
As, arguably, the foremost player in web services, including servers and hosting, AWS is another provider to consider. Amazon boasts a vast array of cloud, hosting, and web services, Lightsail being its budget VPS offering. If you’re looking for the absolute best global performance, reasonably high-powered specs, and some room to play around, do take a look.
It’s not too pricey, comes with a free three months of service, and you can even try out AWS EC2 for free for a year. That said, AWS plans can be confusing to set up. Only those with experience in hosting, web development, apps, and servers are likely to navigate past the AWS products page without getting a little flustered.
Use Microsoft’s virtual machines for up to 12 months for free – but get ready for a steeper fee once this time is up
Being Microsoft, you’d expect its VPS cloud services to be on the costlier side – and they are. At least compared to budget providers. But… and this is a big one, Microsoft actually offers a whole year of Azure VM hosting usage for free. Plus, you get a generous Azure credit and the use of select tools free for life.
In fact, you’ll be hard-pressed to miss these offers but may struggle to find exact plans and pricing. You see, Microsoft is also geared towards the tech-savvy, offering completely customizable, pay-as-you-go Virtual Machine plans. On the plus side, you can really hone in on what you need – and Linux is supported, too, not just Windows servers.
Google Cloud Platform has dozens of real-life use cases for its cloud VPS plans
Google Cloud also offers free trials and credits, with which you can test the service risk-free for up to 90 days. Google Cloud is known for having one of the most extensive global data center and server networks, improving international performance and reliability.
However, you will need to know what you’re doing, as you’ll be configuring and managing your server yourself. You also need to keep your eye on the pricing. If you can’t afford full-cost rates, testing Google Cloud’s free tier may be a waste of time. The pricing and payment structure is similar to that of Microsoft Azure, featuring per-usage billing and instantly scalable resources.
Which Is the Best VPS Hosting Service for Your Project?
As I previously mentioned, only the top, most trustworthy VPS providers are on our list, meaning you can’t make a significant mistake with any of them. However, some are better for beginners, while others offer more flexibility to personalize your server. Some are incredibly affordable and straightforward, while others are pricier with additional features.
If you’re not yet sure about your pick, these are my recommendations:
Hostinger is by far the best choice1 if you’re upgrading from shared hosting to VPS hosting or looking for a beginner-friendly option for set-up. It’s completely easy to navigate, offers plenty of resources and its unmanaged plans are some of the cheapest on the market.
If you know your way around a server, Kamatera offers outstanding VPS hosting1. It’s not the cheapest provider on this list, but it is still affordable, and it offers an unmatched level of customizability, performance, and managed services for a flat fee.
However, if you’re looking for something dirt-cheap but reliable, IONOS is the choice for you1. It offers solid performance at incredibly low prices if you don’t mind having to manage your server yourself.
Take a look at the comparison table below to see how the providers on this list stack up against one another:
Standout Feature
Free Trial/MBG for VPS Plans
Managed Support
Starting Price
Hostinger
Inexpensive VPS solutions for a number of use cases
This depends on your specific needs, but you do have a couple of excellent options. Hostinger is our top choice for price and ease of use. ScalaHosting offers managed VPS plans, which is a good entry point if you’re upgrading from shared hosting. If you know your way around a virtual server, Kamatera is another great choice with amazing scalability.
How much does VPS hosting cost?
Usually, it costs more than shared hosting. That said, you don’t have to (and honestly shouldn’t) spend a small fortune to get your own virtual server. Some of the best VPS providers offer affordable plan options. If you’re looking for a cheap but high-quality service, IONOS offers reliable unmanaged VPS hosting at affordable rates.
Are there any free VPS server hosting providers?
Sadly, no. Our team at Website Planet has spent months looking for a free, yet reliable VPS host. We’ve come across a lot of scams, and that’s about it. However, some of our favorite VPS providers offer generous free trials – for example, Kamatera lets you trial its services for up to 30 days with a $100 credit.
How much RAM do I need for VPS hosting?
That depends. For a small website with low traffic, 2 GB of RAM is likely enough to get you started. But if you have a massive site with over a million page views per month, you’ll need anywhere between 8 GB and 16 GB of RAM, possibly more. And with this volume of traffic, CPU power, and caching technology are just as important as RAM.
Most of the best VPS providers let you scale up or down almost instantly, so you can always add or remove RAM as necessary.
A freelance author, graphic designer, and photographer, Caitlin Greyling writes about web hosting, web builder software, graphic design, tech, and electronics, and has published hundreds of product reviews and comparisons for Website Planet, The Daily Mail, and Durability Matters. Her creative and technical knowledge has been showcased at PictureCorrect, Photutorial, and others. She is currently studying for an NCTJ diploma in journalism. When Caitlin’s not working, she’s exploring nature with her son and dog or relaxing at home with her cat.
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