Are you searching for VPS (virtual private server) hosting that doesn’t break the bank? It’s time to go bargain hunting!
In this guide, you’ll:
Answer your biggest questions about VPS.
Let’s get going!
Best Cheap VPS Hosting Providers
1. Ultahost
Ulta Host is a cost-effective hosting provider, with packages starting at $5.50 a month, and a 25% continuous promotion, plus a dedicated IP and unlimited bandwidth. Benefits include free SSL certificates, domain transfers and daily backups, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
•Unlimited bandwidth
•Free migration services
•Free daily backups
Ultahost is a premier hosting provider for VPS hosting, offering a range of hosting solutions that fit every customer’s needs. The company provides shared hosting, VPS and VDS hosting, WordPress and Windows hosting, and dedicated servers, all with 99.99% uptime and fast speeds from its data centers in the US, Canada, Germany, and Netherlands. All of their servers are Linux-based, but they also support Windows, Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Fedora, Red Hat, and AlmaLinux.
The servers are powered by the latest Intel processors and offer unlimited storage space and bandwidth, free SSL certificates, and more. Ultahost also provides a full migration service to move your existing website to their servers without any additional charges. All of their plans come with 24/7 technical support, daily backups, a free SSL certificate,1 IPv4 Dedicated IP, and unlimited bandwidth.
Their four scalable pricing tiers offer different limits on CPU, RAM, and storage. The entry-level product, VPS Basic, starts at only $5.50/mo and comes with 1 GB RAM, 30 GB NVMe SSD, and 1 CPU Core. The VPS Business package includes 2 GB RAM, 50GB SSD storage, and 2 CPU Core starting at $9.50 per month. Ultahost’s most popular plan, the VPS Professional, comes with 3 CPU Core, 4 GB RAM, and 75 GB NVMe SSD and costs $16.50/month. Finally, the best cloud VPS hosting solution, VPS Enterprise, comes at a monthly price of $21.50, for which you’ll get 4 CPU Core, 6 GB RAM, and a 100 GB NVMe SSD. Special discounts are available if you choose to pay on an annual basis.
Ultahost also provides a safe and secure ecosystem for your website, using the latest security technologies and implementing rigorous security measures to protect your data. All servers are equipped with DDoS protection and firewalls, making it one of the best VPS hosting providers on the market. Additionally, with BitNinja Security, you can rest assured that your website is well protected from malware and hackers. If you’re not satisfied with the service, you can get a full refund within the first 30 days.
All in all, Ultahost is highly recommended to customers who are looking for a reliable, safe and affordable VPS hosting provider.
2. Hostinger
Hostinger is the best and most affordable VPS for Linux. Despite its price, its security is top-notch. This UK-based VPS host leverages AI firewalls and other protection systems to help keep your websites safe.
• Free enhanced security with AI firewall
• Full server management
• Latest NVMe SSD Storage and EPYC processors
Hostinger is an inexpensive Linux VPS hosting vendor that can deploy Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, AlmaLinux, and Rocky Linux. It boasts the most latest NVMe SSD (Solid-state Drive) storage and EPYC processors for a fast and responsive performance.
Depending on your chosen package, Hostinger’s guaranteed resources include:
- CPU power: 1 to 8 vCPU cores
- RAM: 1 to 32 GB
- SSD storage: 50 to 400 GB
- Bandwidth: 1 to 8 TB
You can also choose from six data centers:
- USA
- UK
- France
- Lithuania
- Brazil
- India
Along with these resources, Hostinger gives you complete control over the server environment. This allows you to monitor, manage, and fully customize your server based on your needs. With technical proficiency, you can control your virtual server over Secure Shell (SSH) without restrictions using full root access.
The web host promises a network speed of 100 MB/s and an inode limit of 16,384,000 max. It supports IPv4 and IPv6 and gives you a dedicated IP (internet protocol) address too.
As for its security, Hostinger pledges robust defenses against Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks and reliable full-stack server protection from BitNinja at no additional cost. It employs an AI-powered firewall that regularly conducts analyzes traffic and blocks malicious activities.
To boost your experience in cybersecurity and all things related to the platform, Hostinger has an AI assistant to answer quick questions. It also has live chat agents available 24/7. However, they’re only available for existing clients.
Hostinger’s affordable VPS hosting service is available in 4 packages with monthly costs ranging from $5.99 to $21.99. You’re also eligible for a 53 to 63% discount on your first purchase.
If you’re interested but can’t really commit, the VPS subscriptions come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Verdict
Hostinger offers the cheapest VPS hosting that doesn’t charge extra for solid security despite its deficiencies.
3. Kamatera
Providing superior hosting services to clients for over two decades, Kamatera is a reliable, experienced, and one of the best VPS hosting companies. It has 13 global data centers worldwide. Kamatera understands that every business has different hosting needs; hence they offer a variety of plans for you to choose from.
• 99.95% uptime guaranteed
• No hardware maintenance
• Fast and reliable
Kamatera Express is the company’s ultimate VPS hosting package, which allows you to deploy a server in seconds. It is customizable and compatible with Centos, Windows, BSD, Ubuntu, and Linux. Moreover, all this is available without an unnecessary price increase. And you know what that means? You get the ability to have a custom server dashboard at an affordable price!
Also, other benefits worth mentioning include the control to scale up and down as and when needed or significant savings, plus with an uptime of 99.95%. Rest assured, your business will never sleep.
Features
Some great features that are the highlights of Kamatera the best VPS host are:
- Cloud block storage
- Cloud private network
- Cloud Firewall for industry-leading protection against cyber threats and malware.
Support
It ensures 24/7 individual support through options like live chat, phone call, and via email.
Verdict
Kamatera is rated as one of the best VPS hosts for numerous reasons – scalable VPS servers, block storage, cloud firewall, load balancer, and more. In addition to this, they also extend a fully managed service, which means they manage everything for you. At the same time, you can dedicate your resources to other revenue-generating areas of your business.
4. InterServer
There’s no better VPS steward than a vendor that has been in business since the 20th century. With its long track record of excellence, this American web host has the resume of a stellar server manager.
• Freemium server management service
• Windows and Linux support
• Storage-optimized VPS
InterServer offers Linux, Windows, and storage VPS hosting solutions powered by Hyper-V, OpenVZ, KVM, and Virtuozzo virtualization platforms.
As far as OSes are concerned, it supports CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu, Windows 10, and Windows Server 2016 and 2019 editions.
If you go with CentOS, you’ll get a free Webuzo control panel that can install dozens of scripts with one click. Otherwise, you may have to pay extra for cPanel, DirectAdmin, or Plesk.
Operating in the US, InterServer has five data centers located in either New Jersey or California.
Furthermore, this low-cost VPS host ensures 99.90% network availability and 100% uninterrupted power. These guarantees have some exclusions like downtime due to scheduled maintenance and unavailable power supplies on individual servers.
If the company fails to deliver, it may issue you a credit not exceeding 50% of your base subscription fee.
Speaking of fees, this company has no plans. Instead, it sells resources per VPS slice. And each one is equivalent to:
- One core
- 2-GB RAM
- 30-GB SSD storage
- 1-TB hard disk drive (HDD) for storage VPS hosting
- 2-TB bandwidth
InterServer’s VPS slice costs $6–$10/month. You can purchase up to 16, and you need to buy at least four to receive managed support.
If you need extended support, you’ll have to pay a standard rate of $160 per hour in 15-minute increments.
With or without premium support, you can reach this budget VPS hosting vendor’s help desk via chat, email, or phone.
Regardless of VPS count, you can get root access for limitless configurability.
Also, InterServer offers managed cloud remote backups, which you can test-drive for 30 days for just a penny.
At the moment, InterServer’s VPS hosting has no free trial. It doesn’t have a money-back guarantee either.
Verdict
InterServer offers no protection against buyer’s remorse. But its server management support is an attractive reward for buying more resources.
5. Contabo
Most budget VPS hosting providers offer leeway in scaling resources. But Contabo is in a class of its own. A bevy of packages, storage limit multipliers, a vast array of add-ons, and various billing options—this German vendor has it all!
• Flexible pricing
• Windows and Linux support
• Storage-optimized VPS
Based on KVM and Proxmox, Contabo’s cheap cloud VPS hosting supports nine OSes. If you prefer Windows to Linux, you’ll need to pay $7.29–$8.99/month more. What doesn’t cost extra is Webmin, Docker, or LAMP.
Contabo has four cloud VPS hosting packages worth $6.99–$34.99/month. Here’s what they bring to the table:
- CPU power: 4–10 cores
- RAM: 8–60 GB
- Non-volatile memory express (NVMe) storage: 50–400 GB
- SSD storage: 200–1,600 GB
- Snapshots: 1–4
- Bandwidth: 32-TB outgoing and unlimited, unmetered incoming traffic
- Port speed: 200–1,000 Mbit/s
You can choose between cheap VPS with SSD or NVMe for storage. And you can double the limit for as low as $2/month.
If you’re a fan of HDDs, you can go with this vendor’s storage VPS hosting plans instead. For $5.99–$16.99/month, you can get:
- CPU power: 2–6 cores
- RAM: 4–20 GB
- Storage: 300–1,400 GB
- Bandwidth: 32 TB outgoing and unlimited, unmetered incoming traffic
- Port speed: 100–1,000 Mbit/s
Unlike Contabo’s storage-optimized VPS, the standard ones involve a one-time setup fee of $6.99. But you can reduce or get this charge waived if you pay 3–12 months in advance.
For $129.99/month, you can turn its standard hosting service into a cheap managed VPS solution.
Here are the rest of Contabo’s extras:
- Windows Server: starting at $7.29/month
- cPanel: Starting at $18.99/month
- Plesk Obsidian: starting at $9.99/month (1 free month)
- SSL certificate setup: $89.99
- Wildcard SSL certificate setup: $289.99
- Full server monitoring: $12.99/month
- Additional IP: $4/month
- Backup space: starting at $4.99/month
Germany is the default data center option. To change locations and pick either the US or Singapore, you must pay another $1.25–$3/month.
Verdict
Admittedly, your Contabo bill could quickly add up to get all the bells and whistles. And its silence on its uptime and refunds is deafening. With that said, its super flexible pricing means you can scale up and down as you see fit with little friction.
6. Namecheap
Seamless migration is in Namecheap’s DNA. This Phoenix-headquartered VPS host makes every effort to alleviate the pain and cost of changing providers. So if you want a vendor that would roll out the red carpet for you, look no further than Namecheap.
• Free professional migration
• Decent range of add-ons
• Guaranteed VPS failure compensation
Namecheap is a cheap Linux VPShosting provider whosedata center for virtual servers is in Arizona. It uses KVM virtualization tech and supports multiple versions of CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu.
This host only has two plans, Pulsar and Quasar. But you can buy either as a monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription. Without extras, Namecheap’s lowest fee ranges from $9.88/month to $17.88/month.
The VPS specs you can expect are as follows:
- CPU power: 2–4 cores
- RAM: 2–6 GB
- SSD RAID 10 Storage: 40–120 GB
- Bandwidth: 1–3 TB
Whichever plan you choose, you can get the following features:
- Root access
- Regular internal backups
- At least one IPv4 IP address
- Audio/video streaming
- 24/7 help desk via chat and email
Namecheap commits 99.90% uptime. And it backs it with a one-day service cycle prolongation for every hour of server unavailability beyond 0.10%.
This cheap VPS service provider sells cPanel for as low as $9.88/month and InterWorx for $12/month.
Its other add-ons include Softaculous Script Installer and Web Host Manager Complete Solution (WHMCS) licenses.
If you need more guaranteed resources, you can also buy extra storage, memory, bandwidth, backup storage, and dedicated IPs.
In terms of server management, Namecheap provides free assistance for setup to some extent. But to get security enhancements and more, you need to pay an extra $10–$25/month.
Namecheap’s 30-day money-back guarantee applies to new VPS hosting purchases only. And renewed subscriptions are refundable within 48 hours.
The beauty of using Namecheap is free seamless migration. Its team handles everything, making it possible to transfer your sites from a more expensive web host within 24 hours.
Downtime may be inevitable during the process. But with this vendor, your web pages will only be inaccessible for 15 minutes tops.
Verdict
Namecheap isn’t for everyone. But if free, smooth, and professional Linux hosting migration is important to you, it’s a no-brainer.
7. A2 Hosting
Many cheap VPS providers strive to be green, but A2 Hosting is one of the few true success stories. Mother Nature approves of this Michiganian host’s honest-to-goodness efforts to offset its business’s impact on the planet. A poster child of environmental conservation, A2 Hosting appeals to the sensibilities of modern-day eco-warriors.
• 100% carbon-neutral hosting
• Free cPanel
• Non-US data center locations
Completely carbon-neutral since 2007, A2 Hosting divides its 12 cheap VPS hosting plans into 4: Runway, Supersonic, Lift, and Mach.
The first two are unmanaged, and the others are. For virtualization, the company uses Virtuozzo and OpenVZ.
All packages are available in 6 billing options and are fully refundable within 30 days. This web host can also issue a prorated refund if you cancel your subscription after the money-back guarantee expires.
Have a look at what to expect from each category:
- Runway
- Price: $5.99–$13.29/month
- CPU power: 1–4 cores
- RAM: 1–4 GB
- SSD storage: 150–450 GB
- Bandwidth: 2–4 TB traffic
- Supersonic
- Price: $39.99–$92.99/month
- CPU power: 2–8 cores
- RAM: 8–32 GB
- NVMe SSD storage: 150–450 GB
- Bandwidth: 2–4 TB traffic
- Lift
- Price: $45.99–$78.99/month
- CPU power: 2–8 cores
- RAM: 4–16 GB
- SSD storage: 150–450 GB
- Bandwidth: 2–4 TB traffic
- Mach
- Price: $91.99–$157.99/month
- CPU power: 2–8 cores
- RAM: 8–32 GB
- NVMe SSD storage: 150–450 GB
- Bandwidth: 2–4 TB traffic
The company’s cheap unmanaged VPS hosting plans include root access, the Webuzo one-click software installer, a free dedicated IP, etc. Plus, they give you the option to install AlmaLinux, CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu.
On the other hand, managed VPS hosting packages come with a free cPanel account and a free SSL certificate, among others.
Irrespective of the subscription, you can get a promotional price. And you can count on its DDoS protection and various customer support options.
It guarantees 99.90% uptime across its Michigan, Arizona, Singapore, and the Netherlands data centers.
A2 Hosting commits to crediting 5% of your paid fee for every hour of unscheduled downtime. But it refuses responsibility for server inaccessibility due to DDoS attacks.
Verdict
This vendor’s VPS hosting service isn’t without holes. But its sustained green initiatives like carbon neutrality, old server recycling, and trash reduction are praiseworthy.
8. Vultr
If VPS hosting were a race, Vultr would leave its competitors in the dust. This Floridian company dominates in all key areas—processing power, memory, and storage. Apart from its state-of-the-art infrastructure, its global network is second to none.
• Powerful hardware specs
• Extensive VPS hosting options
• 13 supported OSes
Vultr has a cheap VM (virtual machine) solutionfor almost every user. It’s easiest just to show everything it offers:
High-Performance (choice of AMD EPYC or Intel Xeon)
- Price: $6–$144/month
- CPU power: 1–12 cores
- RAM: 1–24 GB
- NVMe SSD: 25–500 GB
- Bandwidth: 2–12 TB
High-Frequency (3GHz+ Intel Xeon)
- Price: $6–$256/month
- CPU power: 1–12 cores
- RAM: 1–48 GB
- NVMe SSD: 32–768 GB
- Bandwidth: 1–8 TB
Regular Performance (low-end server solutions powered by the previous generation Intel hardware)
- Price: $2.50–$640/month
- CPU power: 1–24 cores
- RAM: 0.50–96 GB
- SSD: 10–1,600 GB
- Bandwidth: 0.50–15 TB
General Purpose
- Price: $30–$3,840/month
- CPU power: 1–96 cores
- RAM: 4–255 GB
- NVMe SSD: 30–1,280 GB
- Bandwidth: 4–12 TB
CPU-Optimized
- Price: $28–$720/month
- CPU power: 1–32 cores
- RAM: 2–64 GB
- NVMe SSD: 25–1,000 GB
- Bandwidth: 4–10 TB
Memory-Optimized
- Price: $40–$2,000/month
- CPU power: 1–32 cores
- RAM: 8–256 GB
- NVMe SSD: 50–6,400 GB
- Bandwidth: 5–12 TB
Storage-Optimized
- Price: $75–$2,480/month
- CPU power: 1–32 cores
- RAM: 8–256 GB
- NVMe SSD: 150–6,400 GB
- Bandwidth: 4–14 TB
On this vendor’s KVM-based platform, you can launch an affordable VPS on its 25 locations across five continents. It supports no less than 13 OSes, including Windows and many Linux-based systems, and allows countless combinations.
To boost your data’s security, you can buy automatic backups, stored snapshots, and DDoS protection as add-ons.
Think carefully about what you would include in your cart, though. This company doesn’t refund payments, so you can’t get your money back if you change your mind.
Vultr advertises 100% uptime and promises to issue credit to help offset losses due to downtime. This guarantee’s exclusions include system interruption due to DDoS attacks.
Verdict
Vultr can be a risky bet, but its exceptional performance makes it worth the gamble.
9. InMotion
Nobody genuinely understands the plight of affordable VPS users better than InMotion. Being in the game for more than two decades, this Virginian company has mastered the art of technical assistance. If customer support means a ton to you, go with the vendor that puts “help” in the help desk.
• Extensive support-channel selection
• Free cPanel
• Free resource monitoring
InMotion provides cheap VPS hosting for Linux, supporting CentOS, Debian, and Ubuntu, and provides root access. Available in 5 subscription options, its four managed packages cost $19.99–$59.99/month and include:
- CPU power: 2–8 cores
- RAM: 4–16 GB
- NVMe SSD Storage: 90–360 GB
- Bandwidth: 2 TB or unlimited
Optimized for ecommerce, this web host’s managed VPS hosting plans also include 2–3 dedicated IPs and an SSL certificate. You receive unlimited email, five cPanel licenses, and a Web Host Manager license as part of the deal. And there’s no charge for the setup.
If you sign up for the 6, 12, and 24-month packages, your order is refundable for 90 days.
For heavy technical users, InMotion has a self-managed cheap cloud VPS hosting service. Available in eight packages for $5–160/month, here are the ranges of resources you can utilize:
- CPU power: 1–8 cores
- RAM: 1–32 GB
- SSD storage: 25–640 GB
- Bandwidth: 1–7 TB
Regardless of your package, you can expect solid DDoS and brute-force attack resistance and a resource monitoring dashboard.
InMotion brags about 99.99% uptime but mentions nothing about compensation in case of unscheduled service interruption. And as per its contract, you’ll need to pay no less than $50 if you call it quits early.
When it comes to data centers, InMotion houses its server fleets in California and Virginia. So, it’s a great choice if you’re looking for a cheap VPS in the US.
Despite its limited global footprint, it has abundant customer support options.
InMotion has all the essentials like live chat and email reps, YouTube tutorials, and an extensive knowledge base. The company also maintains multiple social media channels, free tools, and its own community forum. You can even outsource your web design needs to its in-house pros.
Verdict
InMotion may alienate those who prefer to rent virtual servers housed outside of Uncle Sam’s backyard. But its best-in-class customer support can be highly beneficial to you, especially if you lack technical knowledge.
10. IONOS
IONOS has made a living out of developing an infrastructure that’s friendly to all. Regardless of what you want to do with your virtual server, you can bet this German VPS host supports it. If you have any doubt, its 34 years of industry excellence speaks volumes for its capabilities.
• Windows and Linux support
• Memory-optimized VPS hosting
• Non-US data center locations
IONOS’s VPS hosting service is suitable for a myriad of use cases. Ecommerce, forex trading, gaming, and app testing are notable examples.
It has nine packages backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee, 4 of which are memory-optimized.
Worth $2–$35, IONOS’s very cheap standard VPS hosting packages include the following:
- CPU power: 1–6 cores
- RAM: 512 MB–12 GB
- SSD SAN storage: 10–240 GB
With the single-core plan, you can get 100% more memory and storage for $3/month. You can switch from Linux to Windows for $10/CPU core/month by upgrading to anything higher.
As follows are IONOS’s supported OSes:
- AlmaLinux
- CentOS
- Debian
- openSUSE Leap
- Rocky Linux
- Ubuntu
- Windows Server 2019
- Windows Server 2022
For $15–$45/month, you can unlock systems like Flatcar and Photon OS with IONOS’s memory-optimized VPS hosting. As follows are its other components:
- CPU power: 2–8 cores
- RAM: 6 GB–24 GB
- SSD SAN storage: 80–240 GB
Its monthly subscriptions are just as cheap as its yearly VPS ones. But paying 12 months upfront comes with a six-month discount.
Irrespective of subscription, you can expect unlimited traffic with an external server connection of 400 Mbit/s.
You can receive regular managed server support for your VPS with root or admin access. To get VIP treatment, sign up for its quote-based paid administrative services.
Thanks to its commitment to issuing credits proportional to downtime, IONOS’s 99.99% uptime guarantee is legit.
Likewise, you can choose from its data centers in the US, the UK, Germany, and Spain.
Plus, you can use email support and enjoy a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Security-wise, IONOS has DDoS defenses, firewall management, wildcard SSL certificate, server snapshots, and more. The cloud backup add-on costs either $0.12/GB/month or $5–$325/month per 50–5,000 GB.
Verdict
Except for the absence of live chat support, IONOS has no serious weaknesses.
11. VPS Mart
VPS Mart by Database Mart is the cheapest VPS hosting solution with a free trial. You can take it for a spin for 72 hours, which is a rarity you shouldn’t ignore. Thanks to its freemium pricing model, you can dip your toe in without having any skin in the game.
• 3-day free trial
• Windows and Linux support
• 30-day money-back guarantee
For an extra $19/month, this cheap Linux and Windows VPS hosting service is convertible into a managed solution.
You can install CentOS, Debian, Fedora, SUSE, or Ubuntu if you like Linux and get full root access.
The Linux VPS hosting packages can cost as low as $4.99–$31.99/month. And they can give you access to these resources.
- CPU power: 2–6 cores
- RAM: 2–16 GB
- SSD storage: 60–240 GB
- Bandwidth: 50–200 Mbps unmetered traffic
If you want your VPS on a Windows System, you don’t have to source an OS license. VPS Mart gives you the luxury to install Windows 10 Pro or one of the latest three Windows Server editions.
Furthermore, its cheap Windows VPS hosting packages feature the same resources as its Linux counterparts. Whichever route you take, you’ll get a dedicated IP and a once-every-four-weeks virtual hard drive backup.
The main difference between the two is the price. VPS Mart’s Windows plans are at least 60% more expensive, setting you back $7.99–$51.99/month. Either way, you can get a 30-day money-back guarantee no matter what.
On the scalability front, you can purchase additional processing power, memory, storage, and dedicated IPs.
Likewise, you can change to any other of its cheap unmanaged VPS plans at anytime, but there’s a $25 downgrade fee. Although this charge is a bummer, you can take advantage of VPS Mart’s three-day free trial.
For an additional $9.99/month, you can purchase a Cisco hardware firewall for better security.
In terms of network availability, Database Mart advertises 99.90% uptime across its Missouri, Colorado, and Texas data centers. But according to its service level agreement, the company seems inclined to issue credits to dedicated hosting customers only.
If you have questions, you can chat or email Database Mart’s help desk.
Verdict
The dangers of the company’s discouraging uptime guarantee can offset the benefits of its free trial over the long run. Its downgrade penalty doesn’t inspire optimism either.
12. DreamHost
When it comes to uptime guarantees, talk is cheap. But DreamHost is one of the few that walks the talk. What’s more impressive is that it has the guts to pledge 100% network availability. And with its service interruption compensation policy, you can take this Californian company’s word to the bank.
• 100% uptime commitment
• Guaranteed VPS failure compensation
• Feature-rich packages
DreamHost provides cheap managed VPS hosting for Linux only. It sells four packages in monthly, annual, and triennial subscriptions for a minimum of $10–$80/month.
Unlike most vendors, DreamHost provides no isolated CPU resources for all server tenants. It doesn’t offer root access either.
So, what can you get?
Here’s what your money can buy if you subscribe to this web host’s VPS solution:
- 1–8 GB RAM
- 30–240 GB SSD storage
- Unlimited, unmetered bandwidth
- Unlimited MySQL databases
- Unlimited email accounts
- Free SSL certificates
- Control panel
- SSH access
- Support for Apache or Nginx
- One-click app installer
Unique to DreamHost is its surefire 100% uptime guarantee. If you experience service interruption, you’ll be entitled to one day’s worth of credit for every hour of downtime.
If you want a cheap VPS housed outside the US, this vendor won’t be a good fit. It has data centers in Virginia and Oregon only.
DreamHost’s sales reps are available 6 AM–5 PM PST, Mondays through Fridays. But you can email or chat with its help desk for tech support any time of the day.
Buy DreamHost’s unmanaged VPS if seeking complete server control, dedicated processing power, and a choice of Linux OSs.
Take note that this vendor is somewhat allergic to refunds.
DreamHost’s monthly packages have no money-back guarantee. If you cancel an annual plan within 30 days, you can receive an 11-month prorated refund. Only its renewed annual VPS hosting subscriptions are fully refundable within the first 30 days.
Verdict
Unless you need a Windows VPS not under the American jurisdiction, DreamHost’s reliable service is worth your consideration.
What Is a VPS?
A VPS lets you host sites and apps on a shared server without sharing resources.
Let’s break down its name:
- It’s virtual, for its web host uses virtualization to create partitioned sections of a computer at the operating system level.
- It’s private, as 100% of its resources are only yours to use.
- It’s a server, for it acts as an independent computer residing within its parent hardware.
In other words, many virtual servers coexist within a single server and split its limited resources. And every VPS is reserved for only one user. So, in theory, the activity of others shouldn’t affect yours, and vice versa.
With that said, a VPS could siphon more processing or RAM power out of its server than intended. Ideally, honest cheap VPS providers should confess that individual tenants could slow down the entire hardware.
Nevertheless, virtual servers are less likely to have performance issues than shared ones. As such, VPS hosting is an upgrade from shared hosting and is a notch below bare-metal dedicated hosting.
How To Choose the Right Cheap VPS Provider
Finding the most budget-friendly VPS hosting service is more than just looking for the vendor that charges the least. The right web host for the job is the one that balances affordability and value for money.
To pick the VPS hosting provider that offers the most bang for your buck, consider the following:
1. Resources and Limits
Check out the maximum amounts of processing power, memory, and disk space you can rent.
The resources required depend on how you intend to use the VPS. Most hosting plans are scalable, so you should be able to upgrade or downgrade if need be.
2. Usage Restrictions
Find out the VPS uses that your prospective affordable VPS hosting vendor permits and bans.
As mentioned, one resource-hogging virtual server could paralyze the rest of its parent. That’s why many VPS hosting companies are particular about the users it accepts.
Most providers would welcome anyone who only intends to host a site without batting an eye.
However, it’s a different story if planning to run resource-hungry apps for gaming, file sharing, streaming, trading, etc. Some web hosts even list restricted network activities.
But those with no usage constraints might encourage you to rent a dedicated server instead if your project merits it. If a web host feels that its infrastructure isn’t sufficient, you may also receive such a recommendation.
3. Operating System Options
It is important to know the OSes that cheap VPS hosting providers support.
Some companies exclusively have Linux-based servers. But you won’t be hard-pressed to find one that has invested in Windows.
Your choice of OS matters, as many apps are designed specifically for the Windows platform.
Although it’s still possible to launch such programs on certain Linux distributions, you can’t expect 100% operability. And the needed setup procedure might be more tricky.
4. Root or Administrator Access
Determine whether you can have full control over your VPS.
Root or administrator access is crucial when installing server-wide programs, implementing scripts, editing files, etc. For developers, this capability may be non-negotiable.
The problem is that not every low-cost VPS hosting company allows it. And those that offer it often limit access to premium subscribers.
5. Backend Operations Management
Be sure to determine who tackles server-related issues.
There are two types of VPS hosting services: unmanaged (or self-managed) and managed.
Unmanaged hosting means you need to take care of your server’s backend operations like software updates and site maintenance. It may give you more freedom to configure your VPS, but you won’t get by without technical skills.
Managed hosting means your vendor would be responsible for the heavy lifting. It’s great if unfamiliar with servers but costs extra.
Some web hosts are not keen on dealing with backend server operations. So, never assume that you are signing up for a managed VPS hosting service.
6. Server Locations
It’s good to be familiar with the cheap virtual server hosting vendor’s data center network.
As in real estate, location matters in web hosting. The farther the facility houses your site content from its intended audience, the slower the access speed.
Solutions like content delivery networks can alleviate distance issues. But as a general rule, the nearest data center to your target market promises the best online experience.
Moreover, facility location can impact data privacy. Some jurisdictions subject web hosts to open-door policies, allowing the authorities to seize sensitive user data under certain circumstances.
When given a choice, go with a country or city with adequate data protection legislation.
7. Security
Think about the possibility of cyberattacks, data break-ins, and other contingencies that may result in data loss.
Data is the digital world’s oil. So, it only makes sense to rent a cheap VM or VPS from a vendor that takes security seriously. A suitable candidate can fend off different breeds of hackers and stop data center intruders.
Besides excellent cyber and physical security, a reliable web host is ready for outages. A company that can automatically backup data and restore your site after power interruptions is beneficial.
8. Uptime Commitment and Guarantee
Figure out whether a vendor can deliver the network availability it promises.
Most, if not all, VPS hosting providers advertise an uptime of no less than 99%.
However, understand how a vendor defines “uptime” because it generally only pertains to unscheduled service interruption. If you factor in routine maintenance, your VPS may record more than 1% downtime every month.
Therefore, never take uptime commitments at face value.
Plus, some cheap VPS service providers don’t back up their promises with pledges. A legit uptime guarantee comes with concrete compensation, usually as credits. So, beware of vendors you can’t hold accountable.
Customer Support
Gauge how accessible and responsive a vendor’s help desk is.
Most web hosts are reachable via various channels, particularly live chat, email, phone, and social media.
Not all VPS hosting providers extend sales, technical, and billing support 24/7, but they all have self-help options. Knowledge bases, FAQ sections, tutorials, and forums are the most common.
If they’re insightful enough, these resources can help you set up sites and apps, and troubleshoot basic issues.
Pricing
Study up on how cheap virtual server hosting vendors structure their plans.
Most VPS hosting companies sell multiple packages and use tiered pricing. In other words, you can change plans to get different features and for scaling purposes.
Some web hosts offer extras too. Add-ons provide more flexibility, but they can inflate your bill quickly.
To hunt for bargains, pay attention to billing options. Signing up for longer subscriptions drives down the price naturally. And some web hosts may have exclusive discounts for certain groups of subscribers, like students.
Contracts are not the norm, so you should be able to upgrade, downgrade, or cancel without penalty.
Look for free trials and money-back guarantees to decrease the financial risk of buying a VPS hosting package. Typically, the former are shorter and require no payment info, whereas the latter are longer and come with a purchase.
Mind you, money-back guarantees can be conditional. As such, it’s good to know the refund conditions and how to recoup your payment if unsatisfied.
Wrap Up
Comparing low-cost VPS hosts is much trickier than you think. Thankfully with this guide, you can now look beyond the prices of cheap plans and measure their real value.
If you think our top picks are worth their weight in gold like we do, start narrowing your list!
FAQs
Is VPS faster than shared hosting?
Yes, it is!
VPS renters enjoy unshared resources, so there’s a lower chance that one CPU or RAM-hogging user will negatively impact others.
In fact, many leading shared hosting providers intentionally market their VPS packages to users seeking better performance.
Still, VPS doesn’t compare to dedicated hosting due to technical constraints. But virtual servers are a cheaper alternative to dedicated servers.Is there any free VPS?
Yes, there is!
Free VPS hosting services aren’t, though, forever cost-free.
Usually, they’re merely available for trial use for limited periods. Sometimes, you have to pay the subscription fee upfront and be eligible for a refund if unsatisfied.
But even if you can’t get a VPS hosting solution at no cost, you may be qualified for discounts. Many vendors also offer free migration or setup.How much does VPS hosting cost?
Among our favorite cheap VPS hosts, IONOS has the lowest VPS hosting subscription fee at $2/month. Whereas, Vultr has the most expensive one at $3,840/month.
Ultimately, the resources and hosting features you require dictate how much you have to pay. And VPS plans at similar price points don’t necessarily provide the same processing power, memory, storage, and bandwidth.
As such, study vendors’ pricing models carefully. This way, you can identify the one that best suits you and whether you can go without add-ons.
By Raj Vardhman
Raj Vardhman is a tech expert and the Chief Tech Strategist at TechJury.net, where he leads the research-driven analysis and testing of various technology products and services. Raj has extensive tech industry experience and contributed to various software, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence publications. With his insights and expertise in emerging technologies, Raj aims to help businesses and individuals make informed decisions regarding utilizing technology. When he's not working, he enjoys reading about the latest tech advancements and spending time with his family.