VPS (virtual private server) hosting takes your websites to the next level.
New and smaller websites typically use shared hosting — where you share an entire server with other websites. This limits the amount your site can scale.
With VPS hosting, you’re still sharing a physical server with other websites, but you’ll have dedicated resources like RAM and CPU reserved for your site on a virtual server—unshared. This allows your website to grow and accommodate more traffic.
After extensive research and personal hosting experience, I’ve narrowed down the top VPS web hosting services on the market today.
I’ll give you an in-depth review for each one, and share our methodology for finding the best VPS hosting provider for your website.
InMotion
Best Overall VPS Hosting
Managed and self-managed VPS plans. Pricing starting at $29.99 per month. 90-day money-back guarantee.
The Best VPS Hosting Options to Consider:
#1 – InMotion Review — The Best Overall VPS Hosting Service
InMotion
Best Overall VPS Hosting
Managed and self-managed VPS plans. Pricing starting at $29.99 per month. 90-day money-back guarantee.
InMotion is one of the best overall web hosting companies on the market today. But the VPS hosting from this provider is second to none.
The VPS servers from InMotion are fast, secure, and overall high-performing. They are perfect for growing businesses, agencies, and resellers alike.
If you’re currently using another web hosting service, InMotion is an industry leader in transfers. They provide free site migrations with zero downtime for VPS hosting plans.
InMotion offers both managed VPS hosting and self-managed VPS plans. The managed option is a better choice for business owners in need of a simple solution. Expert users, developers, and system administrators can benefit from a self-managed VPS.
Here’s a look at the prices for the managed plans, which will be the best option for most you:
The rates above reflect a two-year contract, which will be the best value. InMotion does offer one-year, six-month, and month-to-month plans as well.
InMotion is a top choice for ecommerce websites. All of the VPS servers are optimized for selling online. You’ll also have the ability to choose your data center for maximum speed.
Your VPS comes with unlocked CPU cores, optional root access, and a 90-day money-back guarantee.
InMotion has exceptional customer service and maintains a 99.999% network uptime.
#2 – Bluehost Review — The Best Features For VPS Hosting
Bluehost
Best VPS Hosting Features
Trusted by 2+ million websites. Free domain registration. VPS plans starting at $19.99 per month. 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bluehost is our top overall recommendation for shared web hosting. So it’s no surprise to see them ranked so high on our list of VPS hosting services as well.
More than two million websites across the globe trust Bluehost for web hosting, making it one of the most well known and popular names in the industry—and for a good reason.
Bluehost offers one free year of domain registration with all new VPS plans. They also provide outstanding 24/7 support via phone and live chat.
There are three different VPS plans for you to choose from:
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It’s not quite as good as InMotion’s promise, but one month is still better than nothing.
Compared to some of the other web hosting providers on the market, Bluehost really stands out in terms of the standard features available with its VPS plans.
It’s a top choice for multi-server management, access control, and file management. For those of you who need it, your Bluehost VPS has advanced capabilities for things like SSH access, and server-side customization for cron jobs and .htaccess files. You can edit, organize, and manage databases directly on the server as well.
Bluehost offers optional add-ons for additional storage and extra protection. If you’re currently on one of Bluehost’s shared plans, I’d stick with them when you’re ready to upgrade to a VPS. There’s no reason to switch providers.
#3 – Liquid Web Review — The Best For Managed VPS Hosting
Liquid Web
Best Managed VPS Service
VPS hosting starting at $15 per month. Choose a Linux or Windows server. Excellent customer support 24/7/365.
Liquid Web is a little more obscure — but they offer fantastic VPS hosting. Most people haven’t heard of Liquid Web because it’s not for beginners—they don’t offer any basic shared hosting options.
All of Liquid Web’s services are related to managed VPS hosting and dedicated servers.
With a Liquid Web VPS, you’ll benefit from the power of a dedicated server, but with the flexibility of a cloud hosting plan.
You’ll have the option to choose between a Linux or Windows server when you sign up for VPS hosting through this provider. Here’s an overview of the Linux server plans and prices:
Starting at just $15 per month, these plans are very affordable. Unlike other web hosts on the market, Liquid Web doesn’t spike your rates upon renewal.
If you’re interested in a Windows server, rates range from $54 to $151 per month, depending on how much RAM you need.
All Liquid Web VPS plans include a dedicated IP, CloudFlare CDN, advanced server security, integrated firewall, root access, and DDoS attack protection. These servers are easy to scale as well, whether you need to upgrade or downgrade your resources.
Unfortunately, Liquid Web does not offer any free trials. But I’d be surprised if you were unsatisfied with the service.
You’ll have access to phone, email, and live chat support 24/7/365 if you ever need assistance.
#4 – HostPapa Review — The Best For Enterprise-Grade VPS
HostPapa
Best Enterprise-Level VPS Hosting
VPS plans starting at $19.99 per month. Trusted by 500k+ websites. Root-level access. 30-day money-back guarantee.
More than 500,000 websites trust HostaPapa for web hosting. It’s a top VPS hosting solution for small businesses that want enterprise-level hosting at an affordable rate.
HostPapa delivers all of the power, security, and control that you could possibly ask for in a web hosting provider. You’ll benefit from scalable on-demand resources, root-level access, and high-quality support.
HostPapa’ VPS hosting services addresses the needs of all website owners. They offer self-managed hosting, managed hosting, and fully-managed VPS plans.
Here’s a general overview of the VPS plans and prices from HostPapa:
With plans as low as $19.99 per month, HostPapa fits within nearly every hosting budget. It’s also nice knowing that the rate won’t increase when your contract expires.
All HostPapa virtual private servers are optimized for ecommerce sites.
If you need more than one server, you can always launch an additional VPS directly from your dashboard, regardless of your plan level.
HostPapa uses top of the line technology. It’s a great choice for those of you launching a robust web application. With instant provisioning, your VPS will be ready within 60 seconds of your order verification.
You won’t have to worry about web security with HostPapa. Your VPS comes with monitoring tools, Lets Encrypt SSL, brute force detection, DDoS protection, RAID redundancy, FTPS, a server firewall, and an IP deny manager.
Try a HostPapa VPS risk-free for 30 days by taking advantage of the provider’s money-back guarantee.
#5 – HostGator Review — The Best VPS For Scalability
HostGator
Best For Scalability
VPS plans starting at $19.95 per month. Customized hosting environment. Scale server resources on-demand. Automatic backups.
HostGator also ranks high on our list of the best overall web hosting services. In addition to being one of the most reputable and reliable shared hosting providers on the market, HostGator has excellent VPS hosting plans as well.
For those of you currently on a HostGator shared plan, you can upgrade to a HostGator VPS as your site grows.
With a virtual private server from HostGator, you’ll have full root access and complete control of your hosting needs. Create a customized hosting environment with custom installs and configuration.
One of the best parts about a HostGator VPS is that scales with you as your needs change. With just one click, you can add resources to accommodate traffic growth. So you’ll never pay for more server resources than you actually need.
If you’re willing to commit to a long-term contract, you can lock in low promotional rates from HostGator:
To get the lowest possible rates, you’ll need to sign up for a 36-month contract. Unfortunately, those prices do spike quite a bit upon renewal. So if you know that you want to use HostGator, it’s in your best interest to get those lower prices for as long as possible.
HostGator provides you with a full suite web development tools, a powerful script installer, and 1,000+ free site templates.
You’ll also benefit from automatic off-site backups every week. This helps ensure that your data remains safe.
HostGator has award-winning customer support. Their team of experts is available 24/7/365 via phone and live chat.
#6 – A2 Hosting Review — The Best VPS For Developers
A2 Hosting
Best VPS For Developers
Unmanaged VPS starting at $5 per month. Managed plans with optional root access starting at $25 per month. Up to 20x faster than other hosting services.
A2 Hosting is synonymous with speed. The company is known for providing the fastest web hosting services on the market today.
In addition to blazing-fast speeds, A2 Hosting is just a great web hosting service overall. Like every other service provided by A2 Hosting, the VPS plans are top of the line.
These virtual private servers are flexible in the sense that there’s an option for everyone. You can choose your A2 Hosting VPS based on the management level that best fits your needs.
While the unmanaged VPS plans start as low as $5 per month, this option is reserved for experienced developers.
Most of you will be better off with the Managed VPS or Core VPS. These are virtually identical, except the Core VPS comes with optional root access. It’s an excellent option for anyone who wants a managed service with the ability for server-level customization.
For developers, A2 Hosting makes it easy for you to completely customize your VPS with full root access. Choose the perfect amount of RAM, disk space, and data transfer that you need.
You’ll also have the option to use A2 Hosting’s Turbo Boost VPS to get page loading speeds up to 20x faster than other hosting providers.
All of the VPS servers, both managed and unmanaged, are backed by A2 Hosting’s 99.9% uptime commitment.
You’ll also have access to friendly and reliable 24/7/365 guru support. A2 Hosting offers an industry-leading “anytime” money-back guarantee, although it does come with some stipulations.
#7 – DreamHost Review — The Best For Unlimited Bandwidth
DreamHost
Best For Unlimited Bandwidth
Starting at $10 per month. Fully managed VPS service trusted by 1.5+ million websites. 100% uptime guarantee.
DreamHost is a well-known name in the world of web hosting. With over 20 years of hosting experience, DreamHost powers 1.5+ million websites throughout 100+ countries.
DreamHost has US-based virtual private servers. It’s a fully managed VPS service with a wide range of plans to accommodate sites of all different shapes and sizes.
As you can see, DreamHost is affordable. With three-year plans starting at $10 per month, it’s one of the cheapest VPS plans that you’ll find on the market. But most of you will likely need more than 1 GB of storage.
I’d recommend the VPS Business plan at a minimum, although VPS Professional gives you the best value.
Each DreamHost VPS offers unlimited bandwidth and site traffic.
This provider makes it easy for you to expand your RAM and storage based on your needs. Extras like email, SSL, SSDs, and unlimited domains are included in every VPS plan.
DreamHost makes it easy for you to get started. They offer quick setups with simple management. DreamHost has a custom control panel that’s simple for anyone to use while delivering robust and powerful control.
You’ll also benefit from DreamHost’s 100% uptime guarantee.
DreamHost has advanced VPS features like automatic software updates, the ability to choose between Apache or Nginx, unlimited SFTP users, and plenty of other developer-friendly capabilities.
If you’re a WordPress user, DreamHost has a simple one-click application installer.
The DreamHost tech support team is available 24/7 to provide you with assistance whenever you need some help.
When it Makes Sense to Invest Into VPS Hosting Services
VPS hosting isn’t for everyone.
If you’re starting a new website from scratch, shared hosting will be a better option for you 99% of the time. VPS plans are better for bigger websites with higher volumes of traffic.
Once your site starts eclipse more than 50,000 visitors per month, you should look for a good VPS host.
Even if you’re in the 20k-30k monthly traffic, you could consider a VPS plan if you’re unhappy with the current performance of your website. If you’re experiencing slow loading times and poor uptime rates because other websites on your shared server are crashing your site, it’s time to invest in VPS hosting.
VPS hosting is commonly used by growing ecommerce websites that can’t afford downtime and poor site performance.
Methodology For Choosing The Best VPS Hosting Service
There are certain factors that must be taken into consideration when you’re shopping around for a VPS hosting service. I’ll explain the methodology that we used to come up with providers in this guide.
You can weigh these elements against your personal needs to find the best VPS host for your website.
Performance
Whenever you’re evaluating a web hosting service, performance should be the first thing that you look at. I’m referring to things like uptime rates and speed.
If your site is slow or unavailable, what’s the point?
Every web host on our list provides reliable performance. However, some definitely excel in one category over another. For example, A2 Hosting is known for its speed.
Lots of hosts will promise a 99.9% uptime or higher. However, failure to meet that promise usually just results in a credit to your account.
Server Resources
The purpose of upgrading to a VPS plan is to gain access to dedicated server resources. There are four main resources that you should evaluate when you’re shopping around for VPS plans:
- CPU — The number of processing units within your server to compute information.
- RAM — The amount of memory accessible by your CPUs.
- Bandwidth — The amount of data flowing between your website and sever.
- Storage — Available space for content on your website (images, videos, landing pages, etc.).
You’ll see a wide range of options based on different plans. Consider choosing a VPS plan that makes it easy for you to scale your server resources as needed. This way, you’ll only have to pay for the resources you’re using, and you can prepare for potential traffic spikes.
For example, if you’re running a flash sale or a promotion that’s going to drive extra traffic to your site, you can ramp up your resources to maintain high performance.
Optional Root Access
VPS plans are typically offered one of two ways; managed or unmanaged. There are some hybrid options between the two, like the A2 Hosting Core VPS.
Developers and expert website administrators who want complete control and customization typically lean towards unmanaged services. These will always come with full root access.
However, some managed services also come with optional root access. This is ideal for anyone who needs a hands-off approach to web hosting, but still wants the ability to make custom changes at the server level.
If you don’t know what root access is and you don’t have a developer on your team—don’t worry about this. A fully managed VPS service will be just fine for you, with or without root access.
Customer Support
You need your web host to be available whenever you run into problems.
Your website is live 24/7/365. If you have a problem in the middle of the night, on the weekend, or during a holiday, getting ahold of your hosting provider ASAP is crucial for resolving the issue.
In many cases, you won’t have to worry about too many problems with a fully managed plan. But there are still circumstances when you’ll want to get assistance.
For those of you switching from one provider to another as you upgrade to VPS hosting, look for a host that offers free migrations.
Price
For the most part, VPS hosting plans are all roughly in the same price range. The biggest factor impacting your price will be the amount of resources you need.
Fully managed plans are typically cheaper than unmanaged hosting, but it’s worth paying extra for superior service.
You can usually save some money by committing to a long-term contract. You’re probably familiar with this pricing structure if you’ve been on a shared hosting plan for a while. VPS plans are typically the same.
Just keep an eye on your renewal rates. Some hosts like Liquid Web and HostPapa won’t increase your prices when your contract expires. But other providers, like HostGator, spike prices by more than 70%.
InMotion
Best Overall VPS Hosting
Managed and self-managed VPS plans. Pricing starting at $29.99 per month. 90-day money-back guarantee.
Summary
If you’ve outgrown your shared hosting plan, upgrading to a virtual private server is the most logical next step. You’ll benefit from dedicated resources and enhanced site performance.
But there’s a lot to keep in mind when you’re on the search for the best VPS hosting service. Each plan and provider isn’t intended for every website. You can use this guide to find the best VPS service for your unique needs.
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