Virtual private server hosting can help you ramp up your website's performance. Here's a detailed look to help you choose the right provider.
Our Experts
Written by
Alison DeNisco Rayome
Dianna Gunn
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission.
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Alison DeNisco RayomeManaging Editor
Managing Editor Alison DeNisco Rayome joined CNET in 2019, and is a member of the Home team. She is a co-lead of the CNET Tips and We Do the Math series, and manages the Home Tips series, testing out new hacks for cooking, cleaning and tinkering with all of the gadgets and appliances in your house. Alison was previously an editor at TechRepublic.
ExpertiseHome Tips, including cooking, cleaning and appliances hacksCredentials
National Silver Azbee Award for Impact/Investigative Journalism; National Gold Azbee Award for Online Single Topic Coverage by a Team; National Bronze Azbee Award for Web Feature Series
Dianna Gunn built her first WordPress website in 2008. Since then, she's poured thousands of hours into understanding how websites and online businesses work. She's shared what she's learned on blogs like ThemeIsle, BloggingPro and DomainWheel. She now works for CNET as a Web Hosting Expert, creating in-depth guides on web hosting and reviewing the top web hosting companies to help folks preparing to build a website for the first time.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
What to consider
Server resources
Look for a plan with enough vCPU cores and RAM to run any apps you want to use, plus enough storage and bandwidth to handle the number of pages and monthly visitors you expect to have.
Managed vs. Unmanaged
Choose managed hosting if you want the hosting company to take care of configuring and maintaining your server's software. Choose unmanaged hosting if you want to configure and maintain your own server's software.
Uptime guarantee
Look for a guarantee of at least 99.9% uptime, meaning your site won't go down for more than 10 minutes per week due to server issues.
Customer support
Customer support should be available 24/7, ideally through a variety of channels like live chat, phone and email or support tickets. Customer service agents should also be fast to respond and trained to deal with a variety of server-related issues.
CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise.
What to consider
Server resources
Look for a plan with enough vCPU cores and RAM to run any apps you want to use, plus enough storage and bandwidth to handle the number of pages and monthly visitors you expect to have.
Managed vs. Unmanaged
Choose managed hosting if you want the hosting company to take care of configuring and maintaining your server's software. Choose unmanaged hosting if you want to configure and maintain your own server's software.
Uptime guarantee
Look for a guarantee of at least 99.9% uptime, meaning your site won't go down for more than 10 minutes per week due to server issues.
Customer support
Customer support should be available 24/7, ideally through a variety of channels like live chat, phone and email or support tickets. Customer service agents should also be fast to respond and trained to deal with a variety of server-related issues.
Shared hosting: Typically the most basic, least expensive plan available from a web host provider, which many people building a website start off with. A shared hosting provider should have everything you need for a personal or small business site, but you are sharing resources with others on the same server. If your site grows, you may need a different plan.
VPS hosting:Essentially a step up from shared hosting, VPS allows you to get similar capabilities and performance to a dedicated server for your site without going up to a pricier dedicated server service. There are two types of VPS hosting: managed hosting and unmanaged hosting (more below).
Dedicated server hosting:Typically the most expensive plan available from VPS providers, a dedicated server host hosts only one website, not multiple ones. That means you don't have to share any resources with other sites, so you'll get far better performance.
VPS hosting comes in two types, managed and unmanaged. A managed VPS hosting plan is typically more expensive, yes. It is best for those with less technical backgrounds, as it lets the company take care of the software and system updates you request. An unmanaged VPS hosting service means the hosting provider is responsible only for the physical server and making sure it's available. You'll need to take care of maintenance, upgrades and software installation, which can add up compared with a managed VPS plan.
What is the best VPS hosting for 2024?
Hostinger offers the best unmanaged VPS hosting. Our hands-on tests of Hostinger focused on shared hosting, but you can expect many of the same benefits from Hostinger's VPS hosting: easy-to-use site-building and server management tools, plus excellent server performance and great security. Hostinger's VPS hosting plans are also highly affordable, with the lowest-tier plan starting at just $3 a month and rising to $8 a month on renewal.
A2 Hosting offers the best managed VPS hosting. You'll get the full range of A2 Hosting WordPress tools, including a guided WordPress installation process, site assistant, and auto-updates. The lowest-tier managed VPS hosting plan from A2 Hosting costs $37 to start (based on a three-year contract) and renews at $77 a month.
Best VPS hosting providers
hands-on Hostinger review</a> focused on shared hosting, you can experience many of these benefits with Hostinger's VPS hosting plans, including the affordability: unmanaged <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.hostg.xyz/aff_c?offer_id=29&aff_id=2693&url_id=1057&aff_sub2=VPS&aff_sub=cn-75c44485ebcc4477bc0e4e4e22563d7c-dtp%22>VPS hosting from Hostinger</a> starts at just $5 a month (renews at $8 a month) when you choose a two-year contract.</p><p>Hostinger's basic VPS hosting plan includes enough storage for at least 500 pages and enough bandwidth for four million monthly visitors, plus enough processing power to run several complex apps or other processes at once. The most expensive plan, which starts at $20 a month (based on a two-year contract) and renews at $45 per month, includes enough storage for at least 4,000 pages and enough bandwidth for 32 million monthly visitors.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>Hostinger uses <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/web-hosting-glossary/#nvme">NVMe</a> -- nonvolatile memory express -- storage to provide faster server performance than standard <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/web-hosting-glossary/#ssd">SSD</a> -- solid state drive -- storage. You can also choose a data center near your target audience's geographical location (for example, choosing a US data center if your audience is largely American) to improve loading times for them.</p><p>Hostinger also offers great security, including <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/web-hosting-glossary/#ssl">secure socket layer</a> certification included to keep visitors' data safe, firewall protection to prevent malware from infiltrating your site and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/web-hosting-glossary/#ddos">DDoS</a> -- distributed denial of service -- protection to prevent your site from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic.</p><h3>Who it's for</h3><p>You should choose Hostinger if you want unmanaged VPS hosting with great server performance and affordable long-term prices.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~ Comprehensive security ~ NVMe storage for faster performance ~ Excellent server management tools" dislike="~ No managed plans ~ Introductory pricing requires two-year signup ~ No phone or email support" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"bf9a133b-14e1-4d01-8e23-2b9048505b56","alt":"Hostinger","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"bf9a133b-14e1-4d01-8e23-2b9048505b56","filename":"hostinger-logo-2022-577.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b664163a8829c5b2412ff933663c43be7d62585e/hub/2022/04/26/bf9a133b-14e1-4d01-8e23-2b9048505b56/hostinger-logo-2022-577.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-26 17:55:42.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b664163a8829c5b2412ff933663c43be7d62585e/hub/2022/04/26/bf9a133b-14e1-4d01-8e23-2b9048505b56/hostinger-logo-2022-577.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"Hostinger","imageFilename":"hostinger-logo-2022-577.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2250,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-26","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"5fxmerpe454qg3w","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__d96b12ec-70d6-465e-a8d9-1c93447d968a" index="1" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagealttext="Hostinger" class="c-bestListListicle">
Hostinger is our top-ranking web host, offering excellent server management tools and server performance for highly affordable prices. Our hands-on Hostinger review focused on shared hosting, you can experience many of these benefits with Hostinger's VPS hosting plans, including the affordability: unmanaged VPS hosting from Hostinger starts at just $5 a month (renews at $8 a month) when you choose a two-year contract.
Hostinger's basic VPS hosting plan includes enough storage for at least 500 pages and enough bandwidth for four million monthly visitors, plus enough processing power to run several complex apps or other processes at once. The most expensive plan, which starts at $20 a month (based on a two-year contract) and renews at $45 per month, includes enough storage for at least 4,000 pages and enough bandwidth for 32 million monthly visitors.
What we like
Hostinger uses NVMe -- nonvolatile memory express -- storage to provide faster server performance than standard SSD -- solid state drive -- storage. You can also choose a data center near your target audience's geographical location (for example, choosing a US data center if your audience is largely American) to improve loading times for them.
Hostinger also offers great security, including secure socket layer certification included to keep visitors' data safe, firewall protection to prevent malware from infiltrating your site and DDoS -- distributed denial of service -- protection to prevent your site from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic.
Who it's for
You should choose Hostinger if you want unmanaged VPS hosting with great server performance and affordable long-term prices.
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hands-on Ionos review</a> thanks to its good server performance and excellent customer service. Ionos offers unmanaged VPS hosting with an unusual pricing model, with many different plans available for users who want the server customization options of VPS but don't need a lot of data. This allows Ionos to offer VPS hosting starting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://acn.ionos.com/aff_c?offer_id=1&aff_id=6198&source=CNET&aff_sub=subid_value&aff_sub2=cnetbestpage%22>$2 per month</a> -- but the options are difficult to navigate if you're not well-versed in server specs.</p><p>The most basic Ionos VPS hosting plan includes 10GB of storage space -- enough for at least 100 pages -- and unlimited bandwidth/data transfer.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>Ionos provides a wide variety of plans, allowing you to choose VPS hosting that meets your site's exact needs -- and to upgrade as your site grows without facing a major price hike.</p><p>Ionos also offers top-notch security including SSL certification, firewall protection and DDoS protection.</p><p>The biggest benefit of Ionos is its fast, reliable customer service. You can reach them any time via live chat or phone and there are 14 international numbers for users in different countries. During testing, Ionos customer service never took more than a few minutes to provide answers and solutions.</p><h3>Who it's best for</h3><p>Ionos is a great choice if you're an expert in server technology and you want flexible, affordable unmanaged VPS hosting.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Good security ~Excellent customer service ~Wide variety of plans to suit sites of all shapes and sizes" dislike="~Backups cost extra ~No managed VPS options ~Pricing structure can be difficult to navigate" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"285aa453-e0c0-46e4-9089-c9d4c1ae6f8c","alt":"1&1 Ionos web hosting","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"285aa453-e0c0-46e4-9089-c9d4c1ae6f8c","filename":"1-1-ionos-web-hostingbest-web-hosting-2022-002.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/d3717d47d6bc6799664ca16e42fa15e3e79ce402/hub/2022/04/06/285aa453-e0c0-46e4-9089-c9d4c1ae6f8c/1-1-ionos-web-hostingbest-web-hosting-2022-002.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-06 22:09:06.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/d3717d47d6bc6799664ca16e42fa15e3e79ce402/hub/2022/04/06/285aa453-e0c0-46e4-9089-c9d4c1ae6f8c/1-1-ionos-web-hostingbest-web-hosting-2022-002.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"1&1 Ionos web hosting","imageFilename":"1-1-ionos-web-hostingbest-web-hosting-2022-002.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2250,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-06","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"aowg2mvrll4cwgk","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__64074a8a-b3b4-4350-9caf-7f35a15f5e2b" index="2" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagealttext="1&1 Ionos web hosting" class="c-bestListListicle">
Ionos is our second-highest ranking web host, performing well in our hands-on Ionos review thanks to its good server performance and excellent customer service. Ionos offers unmanaged VPS hosting with an unusual pricing model, with many different plans available for users who want the server customization options of VPS but don't need a lot of data. This allows Ionos to offer VPS hosting starting at $2 per month -- but the options are difficult to navigate if you're not well-versed in server specs.
The most basic Ionos VPS hosting plan includes 10GB of storage space -- enough for at least 100 pages -- and unlimited bandwidth/data transfer.
What we like
Ionos provides a wide variety of plans, allowing you to choose VPS hosting that meets your site's exact needs -- and to upgrade as your site grows without facing a major price hike.
Ionos also offers top-notch security including SSL certification, firewall protection and DDoS protection.
The biggest benefit of Ionos is its fast, reliable customer service. You can reach them any time via live chat or phone and there are 14 international numbers for users in different countries. During testing, Ionos customer service never took more than a few minutes to provide answers and solutions.
Who it's best for
Ionos is a great choice if you're an expert in server technology and you want flexible, affordable unmanaged VPS hosting.
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hands-on A2 Hosting review</a> thanks to its great WordPress tools, good server performance and high overall value. A2 Hosting offers both <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.cnet.com/tech/managed-vs-unmanaged-hosting/">managed and unmanaged hosting</a> for VPS users, with managed plans starting at $36 a month ($77 a month on renewal) when you choose a three-year contract. Unmanaged plans start at $3 a month ($9 a month on renewal) with a three-year contract.</p><p>Managed VPS plans give you access to all of A2 Hosting's best server and site management tools, maintained by A2 Hosting. The lowest-tier managed VPS plan includes enough storage for at least 1,500 web pages and enough bandwidth for two million monthly visitors.</p><p>Unmanaged VPS plans require you to configure the server's security, operating system and other software yourself (or hire someone to do it) using the full root access. The lowest-tier unmanaged VPS plan includes enough storage for at least 250 web pages and enough bandwidth for 500,000 monthly visitors.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>A2 Hosting's managed VPS hosting plans include all of A2 Hosting's best tools, including guided WordPress installation complete with a site assistant, LiteSpeed-enhanced servers for fast, reliable server performance. You'll also get the full A2 Hosting security suite, including firewall protection, advanced DDoS protection, brute force protection, virus scanning and 24/7 security monitoring.</p><p>Both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting plans from A2 Hosting include SSL certification. Unmanaged VPS hosting plans don't include the other benefits listed above, but they are highly affordable, and you'll still get fast, reliable server performance.</p><h3>Who it's best for</h3><p>A2 Hosting is an ideal choice if you're completely new to web hosting and you want both the benefits of VPS hosting and a guided setup process to help you get your site started quickly.</p><p>You can also choose A2 Hosting for affordable unmanaged VPS hosting plans if you're comfortable setting up all of the security -- including firewall and DDoS protections -- and other server software yourself (or you have a system administrator to do it for you).</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Options for both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting ~Managed hosting includes excellent WordPress tools for beginners ~Full security suite for managed hosting users" dislike="~Customer support via phone and support ticket can be slow ~High renewal prices for managed plans ~Must buy a three-year plan for the best discount" can-collapse="false" can-truncate="false" truncate-on-page-load="false" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"ea13aa58-12ab-4297-9bf7-0208443536b7","alt":"A2 hosting logo","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"ea13aa58-12ab-4297-9bf7-0208443536b7","filename":"a2-hosting-logo-2022-753.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/26c99ba6e7cc6577ed02d1331287cbb060b33926/hub/2022/04/25/ea13aa58-12ab-4297-9bf7-0208443536b7/a2-hosting-logo-2022-753.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-25 20:56:44.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/26c99ba6e7cc6577ed02d1331287cbb060b33926/hub/2022/04/25/ea13aa58-12ab-4297-9bf7-0208443536b7/a2-hosting-logo-2022-753.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"A2 hosting logo","imageFilename":"a2-hosting-logo-2022-753.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2667,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-25","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="true" ng-block="{"id":"j2dmu4fev97agjy","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__fa0beff1-3ae9-402c-8a1e-79fc2003390f" index="3" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit imagealttext="A2 hosting logo" class="c-bestListListicle">
8.3
/10
SCORE
CNET ranking (out of 10)
8.3
Ease of use
9
Performance
8.5
Customer support
7.5
Value
8
Pros
Options for both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting
Managed hosting includes excellent WordPress tools for beginners
Full security suite for managed hosting users
Cons
Customer support via phone and support ticket can be slow
High renewal prices for managed plans
Must buy a three-year plan for the best discount
Storage Starts at 150GB (enough for at least 1,500 pages) for managed or 25GB (enough for at least 250 pages) on unmanaged
Uptime 99.9%
Bandwidth/data transfer Starts at 2TB (enough for two million monthly visitors) for managed or 0.5TB (enough for 500,000 monthly visitors) for unmanaged
vCPU cores 2 to 8 for managed, 1 to 10 for unmanaged
Managed or unmanaged Both are available
Price range - Managed Starts at $36 to $100 a month, renews at $77 to $240 a month
Price range - Unmanaged Starts at $3 to $90 a month, renews at $8 to $140 a month
A2 Hosting is a popular independent web host that performed well in our hands-on A2 Hosting review thanks to its great WordPress tools, good server performance and high overall value. A2 Hosting offers both managed and unmanaged hosting for VPS users, with managed plans starting at $36 a month ($77 a month on renewal) when you choose a three-year contract. Unmanaged plans start at $3 a month ($9 a month on renewal) with a three-year contract.
Managed VPS plans give you access to all of A2 Hosting's best server and site management tools, maintained by A2 Hosting. The lowest-tier managed VPS plan includes enough storage for at least 1,500 web pages and enough bandwidth for two million monthly visitors.
Unmanaged VPS plans require you to configure the server's security, operating system and other software yourself (or hire someone to do it) using the full root access. The lowest-tier unmanaged VPS plan includes enough storage for at least 250 web pages and enough bandwidth for 500,000 monthly visitors.
What we like
A2 Hosting's managed VPS hosting plans include all of A2 Hosting's best tools, including guided WordPress installation complete with a site assistant, LiteSpeed-enhanced servers for fast, reliable server performance. You'll also get the full A2 Hosting security suite, including firewall protection, advanced DDoS protection, brute force protection, virus scanning and 24/7 security monitoring.
Both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting plans from A2 Hosting include SSL certification. Unmanaged VPS hosting plans don't include the other benefits listed above, but they are highly affordable, and you'll still get fast, reliable server performance.
Who it's best for
A2 Hosting is an ideal choice if you're completely new to web hosting and you want both the benefits of VPS hosting and a guided setup process to help you get your site started quickly.
You can also choose A2 Hosting for affordable unmanaged VPS hosting plans if you're comfortable setting up all of the security -- including firewall and DDoS protections -- and other server software yourself (or you have a system administrator to do it for you).
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A+ rating</a> from the BBB and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/greengeeks.com">4.1 out of 5 stars</a> on Trustpilot, plus relatively affordable managed VPS hosting plans starting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.greengeeks.com/track/cnetwebhosting/cp-vps/lp-3">$40 a month</a>. The "green" in the company's name reflects GreenGeeks' commitment to the environment. It buys three times the energy it uses in wind energy credits and plants one tree for every hosting plan purchased.</p><p>All of GreenGeeks' VPS hosting plans are managed and include at least four vCPUs -- virtual central processing units -- and at least 2GB of random access memory or RAM to provide a high baseline of performance. The lowest-tier plan also includes enough storage for at least 500 pages and enough bandwidth for 10 million monthly visitors.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>The main benefit of GreenGeeks hosting is the work they put into offsetting the environmental impact of their data centers. However, there are some other benefits, including SSL certification, firewall protection, DDoS protection and 24/7 security monitoring. GreenGeeks' VPS hosting plans also include unlimited email hosting, making it easy to create email accounts for everyone on your team.</p><p>GreenGeeks also offers 24/7 support via live chat, claiming to provide instant responses to live chat and email responses within 20 minutes. Phone support is also available from 9 AM to 12 AM ET, seven days a week. This phone support doesn't have the full 24/7 availability offered by companies like Ionos, it is better than the complete lack of phone support from Hostinger.</p><h3>Who it's best for</h3><p>GreenGeeks is the ideal choice if you want to build a website without worrying about your environmental impact.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Environmental offsets ~Fast customer service ~Unlimited email addresses" dislike="~Phone support isn't 24/7" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"2a952149-56dd-44eb-8091-1cb6577fc735","alt":"GreenGeeks Web Hosting","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"2a952149-56dd-44eb-8091-1cb6577fc735","filename":"greengeeksbest-web-hosting-2022-008.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b7244c70a6f86686cad287a485e158e156101e5c/hub/2022/04/06/2a952149-56dd-44eb-8091-1cb6577fc735/greengeeksbest-web-hosting-2022-008.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-06 22:09:14.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/b7244c70a6f86686cad287a485e158e156101e5c/hub/2022/04/06/2a952149-56dd-44eb-8091-1cb6577fc735/greengeeksbest-web-hosting-2022-008.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"GreenGeeks Web Hosting","imageFilename":"greengeeksbest-web-hosting-2022-008.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2250,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-06","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"i0743pfc5fv7gdm","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__e5fbacb9-d7d7-403b-8ad6-a31450c48315" index="4" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagealttext="GreenGeeks Web Hosting" class="c-bestListListicle">
GreenGeeks has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.1 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot, plus relatively affordable managed VPS hosting plans starting at $40 a month. The "green" in the company's name reflects GreenGeeks' commitment to the environment. It buys three times the energy it uses in wind energy credits and plants one tree for every hosting plan purchased.
All of GreenGeeks' VPS hosting plans are managed and include at least four vCPUs -- virtual central processing units -- and at least 2GB of random access memory or RAM to provide a high baseline of performance. The lowest-tier plan also includes enough storage for at least 500 pages and enough bandwidth for 10 million monthly visitors.
What we like
The main benefit of GreenGeeks hosting is the work they put into offsetting the environmental impact of their data centers. However, there are some other benefits, including SSL certification, firewall protection, DDoS protection and 24/7 security monitoring. GreenGeeks' VPS hosting plans also include unlimited email hosting, making it easy to create email accounts for everyone on your team.
GreenGeeks also offers 24/7 support via live chat, claiming to provide instant responses to live chat and email responses within 20 minutes. Phone support is also available from 9 AM to 12 AM ET, seven days a week. This phone support doesn't have the full 24/7 availability offered by companies like Ionos, it is better than the complete lack of phone support from Hostinger.
Who it's best for
GreenGeeks is the ideal choice if you want to build a website without worrying about your environmental impact.
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A+ BBB rating</a> and a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.hostpapa.com">4.8 out of 5 TrustPilot rating</a>. HostPapa offers a wide variety of plan types, including unmanaged VPS hosting starting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/3586864/type/dlg/sid/cn-9b3f3d7e46ee4e3d8fe0ef94612694c9-dtp/https://www.hostpapa.com/web-hosting-plan/vps-hosting/">$20 per month</a> with a three-year contract (renews at the same price). You can add full VPS management for an additional $129 a month. These prices are available only if you purchase a three-year plan.</p><p>The most affordable VPS hosting plan from HostPapa includes four CPU cores, 2GB of memory, enough storage for at least 600 pages and enough bandwidth for one million monthly visitors.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>HostPapa VPS hosting uses NVMe storage for faster, more reliable performance. HostPapa's servers are also highly secure, with firewall protection, SSL certification, DDoS protection, brute force detection and 24/7 network monitoring.</p><p>HostPapa offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email and phone; I've used HostPapa's shared hosting for years and always had an excellent experience with both live chat and email support.</p><h3>Who it's best for</h3><p>HostPapa is a great choice if you want unmanaged VPS hosting that comes with top-notch security so you can focus on other aspects of server management.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~NVMe storage ~Top-notch security ~Excellent live chat and email support" dislike="~Managed plans are hidden and can be accessed only during the checkout process ~Lack of transparency around contract length required to receive the lowest prices" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"d6565e37-6cee-4041-9b45-692aa0d25024","alt":"Hostpapa","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"d6565e37-6cee-4041-9b45-692aa0d25024","filename":"hostpapa-logo-2022-576.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ff26fc2c9655cb89a04418bc5abd4f4545e315b3/hub/2022/04/26/d6565e37-6cee-4041-9b45-692aa0d25024/hostpapa-logo-2022-576.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-26 17:55:36.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/ff26fc2c9655cb89a04418bc5abd4f4545e315b3/hub/2022/04/26/d6565e37-6cee-4041-9b45-692aa0d25024/hostpapa-logo-2022-576.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"Hostpapa","imageFilename":"hostpapa-logo-2022-576.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2250,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-26","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"6njtgv7rfwpfs1m","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__8d72d451-b68d-4dd2-9028-df731bea7caf" index="5" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagealttext="Hostpapa" class="c-bestListListicle">
HostPapa has an A+ BBB rating and a 4.8 out of 5 TrustPilot rating. HostPapa offers a wide variety of plan types, including unmanaged VPS hosting starting at $20 per month with a three-year contract (renews at the same price). You can add full VPS management for an additional $129 a month. These prices are available only if you purchase a three-year plan.
The most affordable VPS hosting plan from HostPapa includes four CPU cores, 2GB of memory, enough storage for at least 600 pages and enough bandwidth for one million monthly visitors.
What we like
HostPapa VPS hosting uses NVMe storage for faster, more reliable performance. HostPapa's servers are also highly secure, with firewall protection, SSL certification, DDoS protection, brute force detection and 24/7 network monitoring.
HostPapa offers 24/7 customer support via live chat, email and phone; I've used HostPapa's shared hosting for years and always had an excellent experience with both live chat and email support.
Who it's best for
HostPapa is a great choice if you want unmanaged VPS hosting that comes with top-notch security so you can focus on other aspects of server management.
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A+ rating</a> from the BBB and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.trustpilot.com/review/hostwinds.com">4 out of 5 stars</a> from TrustPilot. Its web hosting offerings are best suited for business owners, with specific business hosting plans and reseller hosting plans. Hostwinds also offers unmanaged virtual private server hosting starting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.hostwinds.com/vps/unmanaged-linux">$5 a month</a> for one CPU, 1GB RAM, enough storage for at least 300 pages and enough bandwidth for one million monthly visitors.</p><p>Hostwinds also offers a variety of managed VPS hosting plans, starting at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-vps-hosting/"https://www.hostwinds.com/vps/linux">$8.24 a month</a> and featuring the same storage, bandwidth and processing power as the equivalent unmanaged plan, plus full server support.</p><h3>What we like</h3><p>Hostwinds goes above and beyond the industry-standard 99.9% uptime guarantee to offer 99.9999% uptime. You'll also get 24/7 server monitoring and nightly backups, plus an "enterprise grade" firewall. Best of all, these benefits are available for both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting plans.</p><p>Hostwinds' customer service is also highly accessible, with 24/7 support provided via live chat, support ticket and phone.</p><h3>Who it's best for</h3><p>Choose Hostwinds if you're looking for highly affordable VPS hosting with one of the best uptime guarantees in the industry and top-notch security.</p>" page-position linktext linkurl like="~Wide variety of managed and unmanaged plans ~99.9999% uptime guarantee ~24/7 server monitoring ~Includes automated nightly backups" dislike="~Lack of DDoS protection ~Pricing increases after the first term and the renewal pricing is unclear ~No SSL certification" can-collapse="true" can-truncate="true" truncate-on-page-load="true" offer techobjectinfo overridecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" overridecaption="<p></p>" imagegroup="{"uuid":"f78e46bb-af37-45a6-a179-ac1e386b71bf","alt":"Hostwinds logo","caption":"<p></p>","credits":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageData":{"id":"f78e46bb-af37-45a6-a179-ac1e386b71bf","filename":"hostwinds-logo-2022-864.jpg","path":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/9b260448274c7c2e04110d16fda40538a8b92b62/hub/2022/04/25/f78e46bb-af37-45a6-a179-ac1e386b71bf/hostwinds-logo-2022-864.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":"2022-04-25 20:30:37.000000","timezone":"UTC","timezone_type":3},"primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":"","float":"","lightbox":false,"imageUrl":"https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/9b260448274c7c2e04110d16fda40538a8b92b62/hub/2022/04/25/f78e46bb-af37-45a6-a179-ac1e386b71bf/hostwinds-logo-2022-864.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","imageCaption":"<p></p>","imageCredit":"Sarah Tew/CNET","imageAltText":"Hostwinds logo","imageFilename":"hostwinds-logo-2022-864.jpg","imageWidth":4000,"imageHeight":2250,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated":"2022-04-25","imageParallax":"","imageCrop":"","imageEnlarge":false}" usepricing="false" ng-block="{"id":"kx1ejfw5bhanw8c","type":"listicle"}" edition="us" data-key="cnetlisticle__e0d095f7-f5e8-420e-93dd-cb083de22313" index="6" contenttype="Best List - Precap" pagelayout="Default - Article Page" tagslugs="gap-project,hv28" isbestlistredesign="true" imagecredit="Sarah Tew/CNET" imagealttext="Hostwinds logo" class="c-bestListListicle">
Hostwinds has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4 out of 5 stars from TrustPilot. Its web hosting offerings are best suited for business owners, with specific business hosting plans and reseller hosting plans. Hostwinds also offers unmanaged virtual private server hosting starting at $5 a month for one CPU, 1GB RAM, enough storage for at least 300 pages and enough bandwidth for one million monthly visitors.
Hostwinds also offers a variety of managed VPS hosting plans, starting at $8.24 a month and featuring the same storage, bandwidth and processing power as the equivalent unmanaged plan, plus full server support.
What we like
Hostwinds goes above and beyond the industry-standard 99.9% uptime guarantee to offer 99.9999% uptime. You'll also get 24/7 server monitoring and nightly backups, plus an "enterprise grade" firewall. Best of all, these benefits are available for both managed and unmanaged VPS hosting plans.
Hostwinds' customer service is also highly accessible, with 24/7 support provided via live chat, support ticket and phone.
Who it's best for
Choose Hostwinds if you're looking for highly affordable VPS hosting with one of the best uptime guarantees in the industry and top-notch security.
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Factors to consider when choosing VPS hosting
Server resources
You'll need a plan with enough dedicated resources to accommodate your needs. There are four specific things to pay attention to:
vCPUs/CPU cores: virtual central processing units -- dictate how well your server can handle resource-intensive tasks. More vCPUs generally means more capability. The type of CPU being used can also impact your server's capability.
RAM: Random access memory or RAM controls your server's ability to perform simultaneous tasks and run smoothly.
Storage: The amount of storage space you have dictates how much data -- like images and text -- you can store on your server. Most hosting companies use regular solid-state drives or SSD storage to ensure reliable performance. Some hosts use nonvolatile memory express -- NVMe -- storage to provide even faster and more reliable service.
Bandwidth:Sometimes expressed as data transfer in VPS hosting, bandwidth dictates how much data your server can transmit in a specific period.
Most web hosting companies make it easy to upgrade your plan, so if you need more resources than you initially imagined, you'll be able to accommodate your increased needs with ease.
Managed vs. unmanaged
Managed hosting involves the web host conducting essential server maintenance, including software updates and adjustments, for you. Unmanaged hosting involves you -- or a system administrator you hire -- handling all of this maintenance. Managed hosting tends to be more expensive than unmanaged hosting.
Uptime guarantee
Your web host should offer at least a 99.9% uptime guarantee. This ensures that your website will be online almost continuously, with no more than 10 minutes of downtime caused by server issues each week. Some hosts go beyond this to offer 99.99% uptime guarantees, meaning that sites hosted through these companies won't experience more than two minutes of downtime per week due to server issues.
Operating system options
Many VPS plans let you choose between Linux and Windows operating systems. Pay special attention to this if you want to use programs that are only compatible with servers running a specific operating system.
Customer support
Your web host should offer 24/7 customer support via live chat and email. Many offer 24/7 customer support via phone as well.
Remember that 24/7 customer support doesn't necessarily mean good support. Read reviews of any company you're considering to determine how effective its customer support actually is.
It's important to note that we didn't explicitly "test" the VPS hosting provider options on this list. Instead, we compiled a competitive overview based on a variety of factors, including third-party ratings and features offered by each web hosting company and shared hosting provider. We've also weighted the rankings of each hosting service by the Better Business Bureau and TrustPilot. We're in the process of testing various web hosts, with a focus on shared hosting, and have included relevant notes from our tests on the hosts we've reviewed so far. You can learn more about our process for this from our article on how we test web hosting services.
The VPS host vendors on this list all have a rating of A or higher from the Better Business Bureau and a rating of 3.8 or higher out of 5 from TrustPilot. Except for three vendors with between 300 and 400 pieces of user feedback, all of the TrustPilot rankings are based on at least 1,000 user reviews. All of the vendors listed in our top picks also say they offer 24/7 support and an uptime guarantee of 99% or better.
Important caveats you should keep in mind: The Better Business Bureau does not rate companies outside of North America, and to be BBB Accredited, companies have to pay a fee to the organization. TrustPilot also offers a paid tier that provides companies more interaction with their user ratings. It removed 2.2 million fake reviews in 2020.
A note on pricing:We've made every effort to verify that the prices listed here were accurate at the time of the last publication. Prices in this category are subject to frequent fluctuations and they're consistently subject to special offers and limited deals. Furthermore, many of the VPS provider prices listed here reflect the monthly rates if you prepay for 12 months of service or more. Please click through to the vendors in question to verify current pricing at any given time.
GoDaddy has an A+ rating from the BBB and 4.7 out of 5 stars on TrustPilot. GoDaddy's unmanaged VPS hosting plans start at $9 a month and its managed VPS hosting plans start at $99 a month. You must purchase a three-year plan to get these prices and your renewal costs will be significantly higher.
VPS hosting plans from GoDaddy include a minimum of 1 vCPU and 2GB RAM. GoDaddy uses nonvolatile memory express or NVMe storage, on all of its VPS hosting plans for optimal performance. You'll also get firewall protection, distributed denial of service protection and SSL certification. VPS users can also create their own email servers with unlimited email addresses.
GoDaddy offers 24/7 phone support and live chat support as well. I tested GoDaddy's services in June 2024 and had a good experience with customer support, receiving competent help within minutes via live chat, text and phone call. My only complaint was that the live chat agent pushed me to purchase a more expensive plan than I needed.
If your site has outgrown the highest-tier shared hosting plan available through your host, you may need to switch to VPS hosting -- or to another web host with more generous shared hosting options.
You may also need VPS hosting if your site has complex data needs or you want to be able to customize your server.
VPS hosting costs vary widely, with unmanaged plans costing anywhere from $2 a month to $400 a month. Managed plans cost anywhere from roughly $10 a month to $500 a month.
VPS hosting is more expensive than shared hosting because it provides dedicated resources and a safer server environment. VPS plans also offer more server customization options and may include more advanced developer tools.
The main disadvantage of VPS hosting depends on whether you choose managed or unmanaged hosting. The main disadvantage of managed VPS hosting is that it will cost a lot -- often $30 or more a month. The main disadvantage of unmanaged VPS hosting is that you'll need to handle software maintenance for the server yourself or hire someone to do it, which can be time-consuming, complex and expensive.
