At the top of our list sitting comfortably as the #1 VPS hosting provider is ScalaHosting. Its single processor along with 4GB memory and 30GB of storage rests nicely on its in-house built control panel (SPanel) – all for as little as $21.95/mo.
Top VPS Hosts to Consider
The best VPS hosting plans often give users the perfect balance of performance – fast speeds, strong uptime, dependable customer support, and sufficient resources.
Packaged neatly with competitive pricing, they are the perfect option for sites with high traffic volume.
Why these companies in the list?
Our focused list of the top 10 VPS hosting providers presents the cream of the crop, hand picked from among 70+ of contenders. We’ve tested them extensively in our reviews, assessing speed, uptime, support, and cost to see who offers the best mix.
Side-by-side Comparison
1. ScalaHosting
ScalaHosting has been in the business for over a decade now and its VPS plans are a strong part of their very comprehensive product suite. ScalaHosting offers both unmanaged and managed VPS plans in flavors that ensure there is something for everyone.
The strongest part of their offering though is that they offer users an opportunity to use their very own sPanel WHCP instead of cPanel. This comes at a very opportune time since cPanel raised their licensing fees last year, impacting many users.
Learn more in our in-depth ScalaHosting Review
Notable Features in Scala VPS
- Deployment of wholly owned equipment
- 99.9% Uptime guarantee
- Self-developed sPanel WHCP
- Instant account activation
2. Interserver
Over the years, Interserver has grown from strength to strength and even though today they are a global business, they’ve maintained American at heart and offer US-based support teams.
They have immense complete flexibility when it comes to VPS accounts and for those seeking to escape the cPanel price hike, this is one to look out for. Interserver offers users the opportunity to get up close and personal with the free Webuzo control panel – which helps lower your VPS bills.
Learn more in our Interserver Review.
Notable Features in Interserver VPS
- cPanel and Webuzo available
- Choose from 16 flavors of Linux OS
- Root access available
- SSD Storage
3. A2 Hosting
The best thing about A2 Hosting is speed. By introducing SSD and NVMe storage, Railgun Optimizer, and pre-configured server caching to its shared hosting users, A2 is raising the speed standard of the entire hosting industry. By all accounts, A2 Hosting is definitely worth signing up if you don’t have a web host.
They also have a very strategic spread of server locations to choose from and back all their plans with an anytime (pro-rated) money-back guarantee. A deal like this really does inspire confidence in their products.
Learn more in our A2 Hosting Review.
Notable Features in A2 VPS Hosting Package
- cPanel available
- Choose your Linux OS
- Root access available
- Full SSD Storage
- Anytime money back guarantee
4. GreenGeeks
GreenGeeks fills a niche portion of the web hosting business. With more than ten years in the business of web hosting, GreenGeeks is a unique bastion for those seeking a service that is eco-friendly.
The company claims to offering “300% Green Web Hosting Powered by Renewable Energy”. This means that they buy three times more the amount of Renewable Energy certificates than is being used by the services they provide.
If you’re looking for a hosting service that reduce your carbon footprint on earth then GreenGeeks is definitely a strong choice.
Learn more in our GreenGeeks Review.
Notable Features in GreenGeeks VPS
- cPanel available
- 300% green hosting
- Blacklist free IP’s
- High performance (4vCPU minimum)
5. LiquidWeb
LiquidWeb is a solid hosting company with innovative server features and top-class support. Their entry level Managed VPS offers 2 CPU Cores 40 GB SSD storage and cost $15/mo (2 year plan). Plans go all the way up to 8 CPU Cores 160 GB SSD Storage at $$125/mo.
High-performing LiquidWeb VPS plans are ideal for businesses looking for scale and power combined with the ease of use that should be expected with any hosting plans. These solutions offer the one thing that all hosting providers hope to achieve – A stress-free experience for their users.
Learn more in our LiquidWeb review.
Notable Features in LiquidWeb VPS
- Scalable resources with 100% uptime SLA
- Standard DDos protection and off site backup
- 24/7 award winning customer support
- Support unlimited InterWorx accounts or 5 cPanel Admin accounts
- Introductory offer – save up to 75% on first bill
6. InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting is a big name in the industry and has offered strong performance to many users over the years. They offer so many strong points that it’s hard to consider where to begin. In performance along, their servers show excellent uptime and speed (>99.95% uptime, TTFB <450ms).
They are also highly recommended for their solid customer service. I personally pay them hundreds of dollars every year to host my new project HostScore. However, Inmotion VPS plans are only for serious site owners since even their lower tier VPS plans are relatively power-packed.
Learn more in our InMotion Hosting review.
Notable Features in InMotion VPS
- cPanel Admin 5 license is free with enterprise-grade CentOS
- Cloud infrastructure powers real-time redundancy
- Server management is free for updates and patches
- Free SSL and SSDs certificate for secure and fast hosting
7. KnownHost
From the US to Europe, KnownHost has a strong server presence and has a decent range of VPS offerings to choose from. Their VPS plans are all fully managed to ease the technical burden off their users.
KnownHost’s VPS hosting service is reliable, reasonably priced, and relatively simple to set up. All VPS hosting plans come with full SSD storage, built-in backup services, and 2 dedicated IP addresses – which make them a perfect choice for businesses who are looking for a worry-free VPS hosting solution.
Learn more about KnownHost performance and features at HostScore.
Notable Features in KnownHost VPS
- cPanel/WHM or Direct Admin
- Built-in backup and speed optimization
- Root access available
- 2 dedicated IP address included
8. HostPapa
HostPapa is a Canadian-based web hosting service provider that has been around since 2006. The company is dedicated to offering users all the features they need in web hosting and has done so admirably.
Their dedication to offering users solid plans shine through in the range of VPS plans they have. With five to choose from, these plans still manage to span a very broad spectrum of needs. Impressively, even their starter plan at only $19.99 comes powered by four CPU cores.
Learn more in our HostPapa review.
Notable Features in HostPapa VPS
- cPanel available
- SolusVM VPS panel
- Root access available
- Full SSD Storage
9. AltusHost
AltusHost is a well-known premium, no-overselling hosting provider that is extremely Euro-centric. Based in the Netherlands, it provides rock-solid customer support and server locations in Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
It isn’t any run-of-the-mill service provider and does not offer shared hosting plans. Their solutions are geared more towards business deployment but we think AltusHost may also be the right call for individual bloggers who want a reliable EU-based hosting solution
Learn more in our AltusHost review.
Notable Features in AltusHost VPS Plans
- 2 to 8 GB RAM with full server root control
- Fast delivery time – provisioning in 2 – 24 hours
- DDoS (10 Gbit/s) protection included
10. TMD Hosting
TMD Hosting may not be the biggest hosting service provider around but we have to say that its VPS offerings are impressive. With a reasonable starting price of $19.97, there is still lots of room to scale up if you wish to grow here.
Although working with them means you may be impacted by the cPanel price hike, the good news is that in general, TMD Hosting offers top-of-the-line equipment and support. Their range of plans makes them suitable for almost any use, from individual to business.
Learn more in our TMD Hosting review.
Notable Features in TMD VPS Hosting
- Fully managed VPS plans
- Fully redundant infrastructure and equipment
- Account isolation on private networks
- Good range of server locations available
Tips on Selecting the Right VPS Hosting Provider
As you can probably tell by now, it’s very difficult to compare (and choose) many of the providers here. Many of them are top names in the business and have strong track records and a good range of products.
Some, like GreenGeeks, offer extremely niche services while others like AltusHost have a stronger focus in a specific geographic location. Because of this, you should strongly consider your own specific needs and what that means for each provider on this list.
Here are some key consideration factors to go through when choosing a VPS.
1. Good Customer Help & Support
I’ve always stood firm on the point that customer support is a make or break deal with any sort of service provider.
Your VPS host needs to offer at least some form of everyday, all-day support. It can be via live chat or a ticketing system, but customers always need to feel as if the host has their back.
2. Flexible Plans & Reasonable Pricing
Keep firmly in your mind the sort of assets that you require to serve your site(s) when seeking a host. Cost in a VPS is important, but not as key as you might think. VPS resource availability is scalable, so the cost that needs to be looked at is comparable cost from one host to the next.
Also – as cPanel revised their pricing model recently, web hosting companies across the board will have to pass those costs on to users sooner or later. You will need to consider the cost of control panel when selecting a VPS plan.
Companies like ScalaHosting have developed their own control panel to mitigate this issue – so their users would have fewer issues with the price hike.
3. Speed and Stable Hosting Performance
Check how much uptime your host guarantees. Uptime in a shared services environment is often laxer than what you should expect in a VPS hosting environment.
You’re paying more, so there should be a minimum uptime guarantee and better server speed.
Look for a host that offers 99.5% at a very minimum, although ideally, I’d rather go with someone who offers 99.9%. Search through some reviews as there are many who have put this to the test. For example, any of WHSR’s many web host reviews include an uptime record as one of our key tests.
4. Affordable and Easy-to-Use Control Panel
In one of the sections above, we discussed the price hikes that cPanel underwent recently and how it has affected pricing for cPanel hosting customers. It is important to know that although cPanel commands a huge portion of the Web Hosting Control Panel (WHCP) market share, there are many other viable alternatives.
Other top web hosting control panels may charge much less than cPanel, and in fact,there are a number of free options in WHCPs available as well. Doing some research on what WHCP to choose can make a big difference in how you use your VPS account and the price it costs you.
Conclusion: It’s an all-star cast in VPS
Picking the best VPS partner is a two-way street and there really isn’t a one-size-fits-all.
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