Hosting a virtual private server (VPS), is an upgrade to a shared web hosting service. Although shared hosting can be cost-effective for beginners websites, it is not the best option for businesses that have a lot of traffic.
Your site will grow and your hosting requirements will change. This is when you should start looking into VPS hosting.
This can be an enormous benefit for companies that deploy virtual machines, Internet of Things devices (IoT), or gaming networks. It is offered by some VPS providers for cloud and edge computing. This means that devices, cloud-based programs, and hugely social online games need not worry about security breaches, latency, reliability, or unreliability.
It can be difficult to find the right VPS hosting plan. There are many VPS hosting providers. It would take many days to review all the hosting providers.
You are fortunate that I have already done all the research. I have analyzed dozens of VPS hosting options and selected the best ones for you.
These are my top ten picks for virtual private server providers that will be the best in 2021.
These are the Top 10 Best VPS Hosting Providers
- Host Best VPS Hosting Plans
- Kamatera – Best VPS hosting to instant scale
- Bluehost – The easiest upgrade to shared hosting
- Best hands-off VPS hosting service with high storage and memory
- Scala Host – The best VPS hosting to get the exact mix of resources
- HostGator – Best VPS for hands-on customer support
- InMotion – The most reliable uptime
- A2 Hosting – Best unmanaged plans for developers
For detailed reviews of VPS hosts, please read on. Each VPS hosting plan was highlighted and explained. These providers may also have potential weaknesses or downsides.
Let’s get started.
Virtual Private Server Reviews
#1 – Hostinger — Best Cheap VPS Hosting Plans
Hostinger has the lowest prices of all VPS hosts. They are actually one of the most cost-effective providers overall.
We aren’t exaggerating. The lowest plan costs only $3.95 per monthly. VPS hosting is still very affordable, even if you consider the introductory price.
They don’t cut corners on the best stuff. You still get a terabyte in bandwidth and 20GB of SSD storage for that price. This deal is not available anywhere else.
They also offer root access to your server and a 100 MB/second guarantee for your network. This ensures that your website loads quickly.
Hostinger has several VPS options:
1 CPU
- $3.95 per month
- 1 core
- 1 GB RAM
- 20GB SSD Storage
- Bandwidth 1 TB
2 vCPU
- $8.95/month
- 2 Cores
- 2 GB RAM
- 40GB SSD Storage
- Bandwidth 2 TB
3 vCPU
- $12.95/month
- 3 Cores
- 3 GB RAM
- 60 GB SSD Storage
- Bandwidth 3 TB
4 vCPU
- $15.95/month
- 4 Cores
- 4GB RAM
- 80 GB SSD Storage
- Bandwidth 4 TB
6 vCPU
- $23.95/month
- 6 Cores
- 6 GB RAM
- 120 GB SSD Storage
- 6 TB Bandwidth
8 vCPU
- $38.99/month
- 8 Cores
- 8GB RAM
- 160 GB SSD Storage
- Bandwidth 8 TB
Hostinger’s VPS hosting offers many options. This VPS host is affordable and offers great features.
Personally, I would choose the 6 vCPU plan. This plan gives you all you need in bandwidth and RAM to ensure your website runs smoothly.
#2 – Kamatera – Best VPS Hosting to Scale Instantly
Kamatera provides a variety of cloud-based VPS options for web hosting.
You’ll have unlimited storage and the ability to add servers as you need them, stop and start servers, and create new databases whenever you want.
They are one of the most flexible VPS services available.
In a matter of minutes, you can increase the server number. This is a great option for startups that need to grow their website’s power over time. You might also need to take a step back if resources are tight.
Kamatera allows you to select the server type that you would like for your VPS hosting. With more than 12 data centers located in North America, Europe and Asia, as well as the Middle East, their global technical support network is available 24/7.
If you have any questions, you can be sure that someone will help.
We’d like to give you more information about their plans and prices, but they can be customized to meet your needs. They cost $4, according to our research. They are extremely affordable.
#3 – Bluehost — The Most Painless Upgrade From Shared Hosting
Bluehost has been a leader in web hosting.
VPS plans provide a variety of hosting options to meet the needs of almost every website.
Bluehost is a great choice for anyone who’s new to VPS hosting or hosting in general.
They have an extensive knowledge base that will allow you to learn everything you need about VPS hosting. Additionally, they have a fantastic customer support team available by phone, email, and live chat that is available 24/7 to assist you with any issues or questions.
Bluehost supports multi-server management. This allows you to add more space to any plan at any time. This feature is great for websites that require the ability to scale quickly without downtime or delays.
This can be done directly from your advanced cPanel, without the assistance of a Bluehost administrator.
There are many powerful plans available with simple pricing. There are no hidden fees or surprises. Sign up and get a domain name for free!
Standard VPS
- Starting at $18.99 per month
- 2 CPU cores
- 30 GB SSD
- 2 GB RAM
- 1 TB bandwidth
Enhanced VPS
- Starting at $29.99 per month
- 2 CPU cores
- 60 GB SSD
- 4 GB RAM
- 2 TB bandwidth
Ultimate VPS
- Starting at $59.99 per month
- 4 CPU cores
- 120 GB SSD
- 8 GB RAM
- 3 TB bandwidth
Bluehost provides pricing and resources to websites of all sizes and shapes.
In my complete review of BlueHost hosting, I found that even if you are looking for an entry-level VPS package, I recommend the Enhanced VPS over the Standard. You’ll get twice the SSD, RAM and bandwidth for $10 less per month.
It’s important to note that these prices are only promotional rates. When your plan is renewed, you’ll pay $29.99 to $59.99, $89.99, $89.99 and $119.99 respectively.
All VPS plans include a 30-day money back guarantee. You’ll get a lot of support and resources for a reasonable price. Get Bluehost today.
#4 – LiquidWebVPS — The Best VPS Hosting Deal with High Storage and Memory
LiquidWeb hosting service is one of the most overlooked VPS services.
They make up for what they lack in brand recognition with a powerful VPS hosting service.
All LiquidWeb VPS packages come fully managed. This means that your network and hardware are fully managed.
They also manage all security updates and patches, as well as support for all software.
Their virtual private servers have a staggering 10TB bandwidth. This is the highest we have seen. The 16GB RAM plan can store up to 200GB SSD disk space. This is the highest we have seen.
This is to put it in perspective: 16GB RAM is twice the RAM of the most expensive plans offered by Bluehost or InMotion (both which offer excellent VPS plans, though).
LiquidWeb’s plans don’t come with fancy names, unlike some other hosting providers. You are basically paying for the resources you use, starting with RAM.
- 2 GB RAM — $15 per month
- 4 GB RAM — $25 per month
- 8 GB RAM — $35 per month
- 16 GB RAM — $95 per month
All prices are based on an annual contract. If you choose to do it month-to-month, you will pay more.
LiquidWeb offers 2-year plans upon request. To find out the special rates available for your website, you will need to contact their customer service team.
LiquidWeb works well in cases where you require a lot more bandwidth or disk space. It is a great choice for sites that have a lot of video, cached images or interactive elements.
The LiquidWeb team offers exceptional support. They are available 24 hours a day via email, phone, and live chat.
VPS providers rarely offer 16GB plans. Although I don’t think most people will require it, it is something I recommend for those who do.
#5 – Scala hosting — Best Provider to Get the Right Mix of Resources
VPS provides more resources–RAM and disk space, as well as CPU cores- than shared or cloud hosting.
Sometimes, however, VPS hosting packages can provide exactly the resources your business requires.
Scala Hosting allows you to customize your VPS servers according to your needs for your websites.
By exact, I mean precise. Scala provides a tool to build your own VPS hosting.
You can adjust the number of CPU cores, how much RAM (2GB to 128GB) and the storage space (50GB to 2,000GB) using sliders.
Scala’s tool will give you prices for monthly, quarterly or semi-annual billing. VPS plans can also be purchased in three-year or two-year terms.
Let’s take, for example, a social networking website where users can upload photos and videos to the site, as well as contribute content. You don’t have to worry about traffic spikes because it is a small community. However, the site must be able to handle multiple users browsing and posting at once. You will need plenty of storage to store all their content.
You could then set up Scala’s VPS plan with four CPU cores and 10 GB memory. There is also 400 GB storage. Scala would charge $69 per month for self-managed VPS. This is just nine dollars more than Bluehost Ultimate VPS packages, which offer the same amount of cores but with 2 GB less RAM and 280GB less SSD storage.
Scala’s fully managed VPS package is very affordable at $119.95/month.
You can also choose your preferred datacenter, whether it be in New York, Dallas or Europe, at no additional cost. Self-managed plans allow you to choose from eight operating systems. You can choose whether SPanel is your control panel, or cPanel to manage anywhere from 5 to 1000 accounts.
You don’t have to stop customizing your package. You can choose from 24 add-ons that will allow you to customize your package. Unbranded WHMCS or Softaculous can be added to your package. These add-ons include ClientExec for client management and additional cPanel licences.
You don’t want to create your own VPS? Prebuilt VPS packages that can be managed yourself start at $10/month, while fully managed plans start from $9.95/month.
Scala Hosting is the right choice if you already know what you want and don’t mind jumping through hoops to get it on your site.
#6 – Hosting VPS — The Best VPS for Customer Support
HostGator has another name in web hosting. The VPS plans they offer are excellent for their affordable pricing plans.
Their excellent customer service is where they shine. They offer free content transfer if you are migrating to a new web host. This is a service you would normally pay hundreds of dollars for at another web host.
HostGator will transfer your website files, scripts, databases, and domain registrations at no additional cost. It’s easy to do, just make sure you do it within 30 calendar days of signing up. This is world-class support.
You can also reach their customer service team via email, phone, or live chat 24/7/365 to assist you with all your questions.
Snappy 2000
- Starting at $19.95 per month
- 2 GB RAM
- 2 CPU cores
- 120 GB disk space
- 1.5 TB bandwidth
Snappy 4000
- Starting at $29.95 per month
- 4 GB RAM
- 2 CPU cores
- Disk space: 165 GB
- 2 TB bandwidth
Snappy 8000
- Starting at $39.95 per month
- 8 GB RAM
- 4 CPU cores
- Disk space: 240 GB
- 3 TB bandwidth
Their plans aren’t the most expensive we’ve seen but they’re still quite good. However, their VPS plans are designed for more experienced web managers.
They are able to give developers full control over the exact specifications of their hosting. HostGator is distinguished by its multi-layered security network that is reliable and robust. HostGator is a top choice for VPS hosting because of its enhanced security and ability to scale up your resources.
You also get unlimited MySQL Databases, root access and unlimited SFTP users. This host is for you if you need more control over the technical aspects of your site.
They also have good cloud hosting plans, as I discovered in my review for HostGator cloud web hosting. Keep in mind, however, that their customer support and service is a little less than other providers.
#7 – InMotion’s VPS – Most Reliable Uptime
InMotion is a web hosting provider that specializes in VPS hosting, which is not the case with other providers.
There are two options for their plans: cloud and managed. Their managed hosting is excellent and delivers great performance. However, their cloud hosting plan is my favorite. Developers and website managers have even greater control over the VPS server. It comes with enterprise-level hardware for a 99.9%+ uptime rate.
Let’s take an in-depth look at each to determine which one is best for you website.
Managed VPS Hosting
These managed plans are perfect for agencies and business owners . Every plan includes free server management, updates and site migrations.
A resource monitoring dashboard, unlimited domains and unlimited email accounts will be available to you. You can also access unlimited MySQL databases.
Here are their plans for 6-month contracts:
- VPS-1000HA-S — Starting at $17.99 per month
- VPS-2000HA-S — Starting at $64.99 per month
- VPS-3000HA-S — Starting at $84.99 per month
All plans are optimized for ecommerce and include optional root access to give you more control over your settings.
InMotion Cloud VPS
InMotion’s cloud hosting plans are ideal for system administrators and developers. Each plan includes full root access and SSH keys which allows you to customize your account as much as you like.
Developers have a blank slate to personalize a VPS according to their needs. You can also program in your preferred language, such as Java or Ruby.
InMotion Cloud VPS offers enterprise-level hardware with SSD servers that are 20x more efficient than the competition.
- cVPS-1 — Start at $5 per Month
- cVPS-2 — Starting at $10 per month
- cVPS-3 — Starting at $15 per month
- cVPS-4 — Starting at $20 per month
- cVPS-6 — Starting at $30 per month
- cVPS-8 — Starting at $50 per month
- cVPS-16 — Starting at $80 per month
- cVPS-32 — Starting at $160 per month
InMotion hosting was reviewed in. I found that to get the best cloud VPS rates, one-year commitments are better than two-year commitments for managed plans.
The prices for managed plans and Cloud Hosting Plans are very similar. The main difference is how much control you desire over the server.
If you are not a developer, I believe that most people should opt for managed plans. They are simple and easy to use.
#8 – A2 Hosting VPS – Best Unmanaged Plans For Developers
A2 Hosting provides some of the most reliable hosting. They offer both managed VPS plans and unmanaged VPS plans. This makes them stand out.
Unmanaged VPS plans that include root access and other custom features are typically more expensive than managed VPS plans. A2 Hosting is different.
For as little as $5 per month, experienced developers can obtain a virtual private server unmanaged. This entry-level plan has only 20 GB storage and 512MB RAM. It won’t likely meet your needs.
Root access will be granted for both managed and unmanaged plans. This allows you to make customized changes to your virtual server. It is a great choice for anyone looking to take control of their website.
Here is a closer look at A2’s VPS plans.
Unmanaged VPS plans
- Runway 1 — Starting at $4.99 per month
- Runway 2 — Starting at $7.99 per month
- Runway 4 — Starting at $9.99 per month
- Supersonic 8 — Start at $34.99 per Month
All of these are based on 3-year contracts. It will be more expensive per month to get a monthly or one-year contract.
You can set your server preferences with the unmanaged plan. Any adjustments you make to the price will obviously have an impact on it.
Managed Virtual Private Server Plans
- Lift 4 — Starting at $33.99 per month
- Lift 8 — Starting at $46.99 per month
- Lift 16 — Starting at $57.99 per month
- Mach 8 — Starting at $59.99 a Month
All of these are based on 3-year contracts. It will be more expensive per month to get a monthly or one-year contract.
Only the Managed and Core plans differ in that core plans include root access. You won’t have the same access to your server as if you choose an unmanaged plan.
A2 is an excellent choice for developers who need full control over their VPS and want to customize it at a reasonable price. Traditional managed hosting is something I would prefer to do elsewhere.
A2 Hosting boasts one of the most outstanding customer support teams in the industry. If this is something you value, it might be worth looking at their plans. For more information, see my full review of A2 Hosting.
How to find the best VPS host for you
After you have had the chance to review VPS plans in detail, you can now make the best decision for your website.
These are the two most important questions you should be asking:
- What resources are you looking for?
- What amount are you willing and able to spend?
In most cases, features and price will be matched. You should expect to pay more if you require the most RAM, storage space, or disk space.
Other than that, there are other factors you can consider, such as customer support and scaleability.
You might be curious about the criteria and standards that we used to decide which VPS services were best. Based on these factors, all of the plans on our top-rated list scored highly.
These are available for you to see and then use when you make your final decision.
24/7/365 White-Glove Support
VPS hosting is not a luxury. It’s a necessity. Good customer support should be a major factor in choosing a VPS web hosting provider.
This is especially important if your website is managed by a business. You need to be able pick up the phone immediately to have someone help you if your website is down or you are the victim of a DDoS attack. You could lose tons of revenue every minute they aren’t there to help you.
A VPS plan with live chat and 24/7 phone support is a good choice. Some of our choices stand out more for their support than others. In the reviews, I highlighted this fact.
Customer support does not end when something goes wrong. Real people should be available to assist you in managing your online business.
Free site migrations are not something you need if you are building a website from scratch. For those who want to transfer from another provider, however, a free site migration and a free domain transfer can save you several hundred dollars.
HostPapa is the right choice for you if this sounds familiar. HostPapa offers free VPS migration and domain transfer, as well as 24/7 customer support.
Root Access Available
Root access allows Linux, Unix and Linux-adjacent users greater control over their websites and digital assets. This allows for more customization and access.
It is important to be clear that not all VPS plans on our list include root access. However, root access is not necessary for everyone.
Root access is not necessary for developers or those who have the technical expertise to make changes to your virtual server. A fully managed VPS plan will work for most people.
If you are looking for VPS hosting, you will likely want more control over your website. There are many fully managed plans available that include optional root access. InMotion Managed Virtual Private Server Hosting, for example, offers optional root access to allow you more control.
InMotion Cloud VPS gives you full root access and SSH keys to further customize your server.
If root access is important, A2 Hosting is another great option. You can get full root access for as low as $5 per Month.
Before you decide on a plan, make sure to know if you need root access.
High uptime rates
Uptime should be considered when considering web hosting. Uptime is often the reason people upgrade from a shared host host to a VPS hosting host.
This is why it’s important to pay more attention to uptime rates. Each VPS plan in this guide passed our uptime tests.
Providers usually guarantee 99.9% uptime and will credit your account if they don’t meet these standards. You may want to avoid this scenario for several reasons.
First, it’s not worth losing your website when it could be online and making you more. It could also mean a lot depending on how long the site is down.
Do you realize how much time you lose every year when your site goes down by even a fraction? You might be surprised at how much time you actually lose each year.
99.9% and 99% uptime are different by more than 80 hours per year . This is more than three days a year that your website goes down due to a poor web host.
You want to make sure you find a reliable web host company that offers at least 99.9% uptime per annum. You can feel confident that all VPS providers on our list are safe options if you look at uptime.
You’ll also want your VPS host available at all hours of the day to assist you if and when your website goes down. This goes back to our previous point about white glove service that is always available. This transparency and communication are key during downtime, both planned and unplanned.
Performance that is Powerful
VPS hosting has the main advantage of dramatically increasing your website’s speed. Because it doesn’t share resources with other websites, your website will see a significant speed increase.
Website speed is crucial for all websites. One-second delays in loading pages can result in page views being reduced by 11% and 7% less conversions . This is particularly important for people who expect to receive high traffic volumes. It is important to find a plan that will accommodate your traffic and not compromise speed.
This list includes VPS hosts that have been thoroughly reviewed to ensure they offer the fastest load times.
Although a lot of website speed is dependent on how optimized your media and assets are, there are two important factors that can impact the overall performance of your website.
SSD Disk
Solid-state drives (SSD) disks store the assets of your website, such as images, videos and content.
They can also speed up your website’s performance. They also greatly increase overall performance.
RAM
RAM is the working memory that your server can access. For easy access, programs are temporarily saved to RAM when they are started up.
If you don’t have enough RAM, the information will be stored on your SSD (or hard drive) which takes longer to access.
The more you have, the better. It all depends on the needs of your website.
RAM has been as low as 512MB in A2 Entry Unmanaged VPS and as high at 24GB in HostPapa Extreme VPS.
The plan you choose will determine how many resources you get. It all depends on your needs and what you are willing to spend.
Websites that require a lot of RAM or disk space will need to do this. This is especially true if you require email hosting, IoT platforms, or in-browser apps.
What is VPS Hosting?
VPS hosting is an upgrade to shared web hosting. You can still share a single server with virtual private servers, but it will be shared with fewer websites.
Here’s how it works.
A virtual private server is basically a single server that has been divided into multiple virtual machines. Each virtual server can run with its own configurations and operating systems.
VPS hosting also comes with dedicated server resources. Even though you share a server with other websites and have access to the same RAM and CPU, they are separate.
If you don’t want to spend the high cost associated with dedicated hosting, a virtual private server will work best for you.
This is a visual representation of that shows the differences between VPS hosting and shared hosting.
You probably don’t require a dedicated server. However, you will eventually outgrow shared hosting.
Your website will perform better if you upgrade from a shared plan and to a virtual private service. Your site will be responsive to users because you won’t share resources. VPS hosting is better equipped to handle spikes in traffic.
Check out my guide to the top web hosting providers for more information about VPS and other hosting options.
This is only for hosting websites. VPS servers can be used to increase the capabilities of your tech infrastructure, mainly through edge computing.
You can use VPS servers from a provider that has enough strategically located data centers to support a greater range of applications.
These include monitoring, accommodating, syncing IoT devices such as smart personal devices or home devices and automated production lines, to dynamic content delivery and gaming.
You will receive VPS servers in multiple physical locations that you can use to spin up virtual machines. Edge computing is the next step in our current journey, which has been distributed and cloud computing. The demand for data, the volume of data transferred and the resource requirements have never been higher. VPS for Edge Computing can be used by many companies of all sizes and industries.
Comparison of Virtual Servers to Other Hosting Options
Before you make a decision about a VPS hosting plan you should ensure that you have considered the best options.
Shared hosting is the best option if you are starting a new website and don’t expect to have a lot of traffic for long periods.
A dedicated server is a good option for those who need full control over their server and have 100,000+ visitors per month. For more information, you can refer to my guide on best dedicated web hosting plans.
VPS Hosting is for anyone who falls somewhere in the middle.
If you have outgrown your shared plan and don’t require the resources of a dedicated server for your website, then a virtual private servers will work great for your site.
