Web hosting services have many tiers that can make it difficult to find a Goldilocks plan that’s just right. Virtual private server (VPS) hosting is an ideal middle ground between simple shared hosting and large-scale dedicated hosting services. Nonetheless, finding an optimal VPS plan can be an overwhelming venture. PCMag can help pare down your search. We’ve been testing web hosting services for more than a decade and frequently update our reviews as services add and remove features. HostGator, for instance, has terrific VPS plans featuring flexible, highly scalable offerings. DreamHost is another excellent option that offers unlimited monthly data transfers for all VPS plans, making it a great pick for small businesses. All 9 web hosting options on our list are excellent in their own ways. Read on for our top selections, followed by the factors to consider to determine the best VPS hosting for you.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best for Scalable Power
HostGator Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Numerous feature-rich hosting plans
Excellent shared hosting offerings
Good for novice webmasters
Useful site-building software and e-commerce tools
Helpful, 24/7 customer service
Outstanding uptime
Not all plans have a Windows Server option
Some annual plans cost more than paying month by month
Why We Picked It
HostGator’s excellent shared hosting earned the company a PCMag Editors’ Choice award, but don’t sleep on its VPS offerings. HostGator’s VPS plans come in several affordable price tiers, and while they lack Windows server options, they make up for it with top-notch flexibility and scalability.
Who It’s For
As businesses grow and thrive, traffic to their websites typically grows with it. If you are expecting a traffic surge, or just want more control over your server environment, HostGator is an ideal host, since you can easily tick the options that you need to expand your plan.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
8 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
240 GB
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HostGator Web Hosting Review
Best for Unlimited Domains and Websites
InMotion Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Excellent uptime
Many hosting types
All plans offer unlimited email
Unlimited data transfers with all Shared and WordPress plans
Lengthy, money-back guarantee
Easy-to-use website-building software
Lacks Windows servers
Not all plans have month-to-month payment options
Why We Picked It
InMotion has a dense feature-set and reasonable pricing for its shared, dedicated, reseller, and VPS plans, which will satisfy a wide range of hosting needs. In addition, the company offers fantastic uptime and customer service. As a result, InMotion stands strong as a well-rounded web host, and a PCMag Editors’ Choice pick.
Who It’s For
InMotion’s VPS plans come packed with several excellent features, including unlimited monthly data transfers for all but the basic tier. Even better, InMotion’s VPS plans let you build an unlimited number of websites. This makes InMotion an excellent choice if you have several projects in the pipeline that require web hosting.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
32 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
640 GB
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InMotion Web Hosting Review
Best for Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers
DreamHost Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Strong security features
Extensive domain-management tools
Excellent cloud hosting offerings
Unlimited data transfers per month
Generous shared hosting money-back guarantee
Useful WordPress staging feature
Shared Starter plan lacks email
No telephone support
Lacks Windows-based servers
Why We Picked It
DreamHost has numerous novice-friendly VPS tools that make the site-building experience easy and accessible. Yet, it also delivers impressive shared, WordPress, dedicated, cloud, and VPS options to help your site grow according to its needs. This makes DreamHost a web host we can easily recommend as an Editors’ Choice-worthy service.
Who It’s For
Companies looking to expand their traffic. After all, hosting your website on a VPS server gives you more resources and computing power to work with than inexpensive shared hosting. DreamHost notably offers unlimited monthly data transfers with all of its plans, which is a fantastic perk.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
8 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
240 GB
Learn More
DreamHost Web Hosting Review
Best for Unlimited Email Accounts
AccuWeb Hosting
Pros & Cons
Great budget-friendly shared hosting options
Excellent dedicated hosting plans
Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers
Helpful customer service
Limited email accounts with some plans
Why We Picked It
There are many worthwhile web hosting services vying for your dollar, and AccuWeb ranks highly among them due to its many, feature-rich hosting plans. The company’s VPS plans are particularly stacked, and they come with unlimited email accounts at each tier.
Who It’s For
AccuWeb’s unlimited email accounts are especially valuable for businesses with a large number of employees, or webmasters managing multiple sites at once. If you are an entrepreneur hunting for a host that works well with your communication tools (say, email newsletters), AccuWeb’s unlimited email accounts is an option well worth considering.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
8 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
100 GB
Learn More
AccuWeb Hosting Review
Best for Managed Hosting Solutions
Liquid Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Robust dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages
Prorated VPS plans
Powerful, high-end server specs
Terrific customer service
Excellent uptime in testing
Lacks shared hosting plans
Expensive, with few refund options
Why We Picked It
If your online business requires juggernaut hosting, Liquid Web has the brawn to keep it operational. Liquid Web has a fantastic selection of cloud, dedicated, WordPress, and VPS packages, though these services come at a premium price point. It lacks lower-cost, shared web hosting, but makes up for it with superb, well-managed, enterprise-level plans.
Who It’s For
Liquid Web offers excellent, fully managed VPS plans, making it a recommended solution for new businesses that need extra support or experience with back-end server issues. With Liquid Web’s managed VPS plans, you receive server setup, administration, OS updates, hardware management, and basic security.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
16 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
200 GB
Learn More
Liquid Web Hosting Review
Best for Big RAM Totals
Hostwinds Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Terrific uptime in testing
Excellent reseller and VPS hosting plans
Good customer service
Minecraft server hosting
Not every plan has a Windows server option
Short money-back guarantee window
Why We Picked It
If you’re new to web hosting and website building, shared hosting is generally a great starting point for a fledgling website. As your traffic grows and you become more familiar with your site’s needs, however, your hosting needs expand and grow as well. Hostwinds offers excellent VPS packages, earning it our Editors’ Choice award for the category. The plans let you select managed or unmanaged servers, with options for the Linux or Windows operating systems.
Who It’s For
Hostwinds is an appealing choice for a wide range of clients due to its high VPS RAM totals that top out at 96GB. As a result, your server can support heavy website traffic, and operate much more efficiently than it would with lower RAM amounts.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
96 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
750 GB
Learn More
Hostwinds Web Hosting Review
Best for Site Security
GoDaddy Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Top-notch uptime
Linux- and Windows-based servers
Email tightly integrated into Microsoft apps
Helpful, 24/7 customer support
Useful website-builder software
Lacks cloud hosting
Doesn’t offer much default email
Why We Picked It
GoDaddy is one of the most recognizable domain sellers around, and provides dependable web hosting. It’s a great one-stop-shop, and deftly integrates Microsoft Office features and security options into many plans.
Who It’s For
If your business manages customer transactions and information, security is a must. GoDaddy lets you set up automated weekly backups, recovery console fixes, and offers advanced DDoS protection. This gives your server around-the-clock monitoring so you can sleep easy at night. A free SSL certificate for your plan’s first year is icing on the cake.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
16 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
400 GB
Learn More
GoDaddy Web Hosting Review
Best for Excellent Customer Service
Hostinger Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
High-quality, low-cost plans
Helpful customer service
Terrific uptime in testing
Optional gaming servers
Excellent AI tools
Includes the Hostinger Website Builder
Lacks dedicated web hosting
Not every plan has a Windows option
No phone support
Why We Picked It
When it comes to support and customer service, Hostinger is a top-notch web host. Its plans may lack a few enterprise-level features, like dedicated servers or telephone support, but it makes up for it with robust VPS plans, and a high degree of customization. Hostinger even offers pre-configured server options for gaming, with support for titles like CS:GO and Minecraft.
Who It’s For
Hostinger is perfect for hands-on webmasters who want complete control over their VPS environments. Hostinger’s VPS plans are all self-managed, meaning you must configure and manage your server partition. You also have full root access to customize the server as you see fit. This requires some technical know-how, but Hostinger has its support team on-standby at all times to offer a helping hand.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
32 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
400 GB
Learn More
Hostinger Web Hosting Review
Best for Operating System Freedom
Ionos Web Hosting
Pros & Cons
Dependable uptime in testing
Excellent cloud hosting packages
Linux- or Windows-based servers
Easy-to-use website creation tools
Lacks reseller hosting plans
Relatively sparse email options
Why We Picked It
Though Ionos has earned our Editors’ Choice award for its stellar cloud hosting plans, its myriad other hosting options are also outstanding. Its VPS hosting, in particular, caters to small businesses and enterprises with power Linux- or Windows-based servers.
Who It’s For
If you need OS flexibility from your web host, keep Ionos in mind. You can choose between Linux or Windows servers with its VPS plans, which is a fantastic option that not all hosts offer. Better still, Ionos’ VPS tiers aren’t expensive, and include unlimited monthly data transfers.
Specs & Configurations
Unlimited Monthly Data Transfers – VPS
Maximum RAM – VPS
12 GB
Maximum Storage – VPS
240 GB
Learn More
Ionos Web Hosting Review
Buying Guide: The Best VPS Web Hosting Services for 2024
What Is a VPS Used For?Your VPS-hosted site lives in a partitioned server area that has its own operating system, storage, RAM, and monthly data transfer limits, so you can expect smoother, more stable site performance. The sites with which you share your server are far less likely to affect your site—or even take it down altogether—than they would be on a shared server. Knowing how VPS setups operate is just the first step, however. You still need to familiarize yourself with the essential features needed for building a rock-solid, VPS-hosted website.Is There Any Free VPS?As a result of VPS hosting’s hybrid nature, its cost isn’t quite as low as shared hosts’ fees, but it’s not nearly as high as dedicated hosts’ fees. You can expect to pay between $20 per month and $100 per month, depending on the configuration. Shared web hosting, on the other hand, is extremely cheap hosting; you can often set up shop for less than $10 per month. Dedicated web hosting will typically set you back $100 per month or more.Most VPS hosts only offer servers running Linux-based operating systems; you’ll need to dig a bit to find Windows-based VPS hosting. This is important to note if you’re planning on running software that requires a Microsoft-compatible environment. That said, Linux-based VPS hosting will save you a few bucks; Linux servers usually cost $10 to $20 less than Windows servers.
5 Things You Need to Know About Web Hosting
How to Choose a VPSOnce you register your website’s domain name, it’s time to start picking the specs for your server. Web hosts typically offer multiple VPS plans that have varying amounts of email capability, RAM, storage, CPU power, domain hosting, and monthly data transfers. The plans typically include website builders that let you quickly create a face for your site without much—or even any—coding required. A solid web host should offer at least 4GB of RAM, 100GB of storage, and an ample volume of monthly data transfers. If you expect a significant amount of website growth, then you should look for a web host that has as many unlimited offerings as possible. For example, Hostwinds—the PCMag Editors’ Choice for VPS hosting—offers unlimited email, domains, and monthly data transfers. Note, however, that you should read the fine print to make sure that you understand what the host means by “unlimited,” as it can vary from company to company.Speaking of email and limits, you’ll want the ability to create an unlimited number of accounts. Should your website grow significantly, you’ll appreciate being able to scale your email accounts without spending additional money. Web hosts typically place a cap on the amount of storage per email account. In other words, you may be able to create an unlimited number of email accounts, but each one may have a 10GB storage cap. Take time to investigate a potential web host’s email offerings so as not to be surprised by its messaging limitations. Again, find out what the unlimited gotchas might be.Typically, a web hosting service gives you the option of selecting either a traditional hard drive or a solid-state drive as your website’s storage medium. Traditional hard drives have large capacities and lower prices, but they aren’t quite as resilient as their SSD counterparts. Solid-state drives, on the other hand, are often faster and more reliable than HDDs, but they cost more and have smaller storage capacities. Unless you truly need blazing speed, a traditional hard drive should get the job done.Do you plan to sell products or services? If so, you’ll want to invest in a web hosting service that offers Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). An SSL connection encrypts the financial information that shuttles between users’ web browsers and your website, thus safeguarding the transmission of the purchasing information. Some hosting companies include a free SSL certificate when you sign up for a web hosting plan, while others charge close to $100. You can save money by shopping around for services that offer cheaper SSL plans.You’ll also want to determine how long you’ll need VPS web hosting. If you need hosting for a short time period—say, less than a month or two—you’ll typically receive a refund should you cancel your hosting within 60 days. These money-back guarantees vary from web host to web host. For example, Company X may offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, while Company Y may offer a lengthy 90-day money-back guarantee. As always, it’s best to shop around for the features that best suit your web hosting needs.VPS Uptime and DowntimeAll the features we’ve detailed to this point are valuable to the web hosting experience, but none match the critical importance of site uptime. If your site is down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your products or services. It doesn’t matter how great the features are or how good it looks; if your site is down, it might as well not exist.
Recommended by Our Editors
We’ve added formal uptime monitoring to our review process, and the results show that most web hosts do an excellent job of keeping sites up and running. Even if they get everything else right, sites with uptime problems aren’t eligible for high scores. All services suffer ups and downs, sometimes for reasons beyond their control. Those sites that fail to address the problem in a timely manner are penalized accordingly.Which VPS Is Best?If you want reasonably priced server space that won’t load pages at a snail’s pace when a neighboring site gets a huge traffic spike, VPS is a good option for your business. We’ve reviewed many VPS hosting services and included the best of the bunch in this guide. You should look into a dedicated server if you want to build a website on an even stronger foundation and can afford the bill.If you’re just getting started in web hosting, make sure to check out our primer on how to create a website. If, on the other hand, you think you’re ready to start your own web hosting company, you should check out our guide to reseller hosting. The best courses for learning how to build websites offers terrific video instruction for people who prefer that style of learning.
