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Cloud servers offer administrators greater visibility into resource consumption so that they know when to scale up or down.
Reduced latency for worldwide users is another major reason why teams switch to cloud hosting providers.
The presence of multiple cloud hosting providers makes finding the perfect one a tough choice.
A standout feature of AWS is you pay for what you use.
These complimentary packages also include expert help in learning, building, and deploying the cloud products.
AWS Features
Compute engine with over 750 instances and flexibility to choose the latest hardware and software.
600+ points of presence to deliver content globally with minimum latency and high speed.
Object storage for building data lakes, archives, and more with 99.99% availability.
Create RESTful APIs and WebSocket APIs supporting containerized and serverless workloads.
Fully managed relational database service for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MariaDB, SQL Server, Oracle, and Db2.
Implement search in 34 languages with features such as highlighting, autocomplete, and geospatial search.
DigitalOcean
Best Developer-Friendly Solution
About DigitalOcean
Digital Ocean is a popular choice among developers.
Every new user gets $200 worth of free credits for a risk-free trial.
DigitalOcean Features
Create virtual servers with flexible distribution choices, pre-installed apps, and custom OS support.
Managed Kubernetes with 99.5% uptime SLA, free control plane, automatic updates, etc.
Deploy AI/ML workloads with highly flexible and scalable GPU droplets with NVIDIA H100s.
Secure and optimize system traffic by implementing cloud firewalls, load balancers, etc.
S3-compatible object storage with built-in CDN serving 200+ geographical locations.
Monitor CPU, storage, disk I/O, bandwidth, and memory all in one place.
Opt for Linux, Windows servers, Windows desktops, or upload a custom OS image.
Deploy smart load balancers that divert traffic based on availability and server load, and pay by the minute.
Choice to select a fully managed experience starting at $50/month.
Azure features pay-as-you-go pricing and offers $200 credits for newcomers to experience the cloud platform without any risks.
Microsoft Azure Features
Presence across 60+ global regions and 300+ datacentres, including China.
Deploy simplified Kubernetes with automated updates, node provisioning, scaling, and data pipe configuration.
Fully managed database services supporting Redis, Cosmos DB, MariaDB, MySQL, PostgreSQL, and Azure SQL.
Automation for pushing updates, tracking changes, configuration management, monitoring resources, and more.
Securely serve global users with Azures content delivery data pipe with over 200 points of presence.
Its available across 200+ countries and has 187 web link edge locations as of this writing.
Additionally, it offers $300 in free credits to new customers.
Though GCP is perceived as a made-for-enterprise cloud platform, it has lucrative incentives for startups.
This goes up to $200,000 worth of credits for projects supported by startup funding equity.
Besides, AI and web3 startups can claim up to $350,000 in credits against select GCP offerings.
Close to 100% automation to deploy, manage, and scale containers with Google Kubernetes Engine.
Securely connect to GCP instances from on-premises datacentres or other cloud providers.
Top-notch cloud security with cloud firewall, intrusion detection system, and confidential computing with data encryption.
New users can benefit from 100 trial credits.
Teams can also fill outa short form to see if their business qualifies for an additional 5000 cloud credits.
Fully managed Kubernetes with 99.99% uptime guarantee for control plane and worker nodes.
S3-compatible object storage, making it an ideal fit for big-data analytics and machine-learning operations.
Fully API-manageable NVMe SSD-based block storage with high scalability and built-in data replication.
Create custom firewall rules to control connection activity based on IP allowlists, ports, and protocols.
Fully managed load balancers to support TCP-based traffic with native monitoring and smart request routing.
Set up isolated networking with public/private data pipe access for Linode instances.
Optional 24/7 incident response package for $100 per Linode per month.
Teams can opt for cloud servers, databases, cloud storage, and load balancers with Brightbox.
New users can claim $50 free credits to test the platform without paying.
High-performance MySQL and PostgreSQL cloud databases with off-site backups.
UK-based block and object storage with data redundancy and self-healing properties.
Cloud IP support that allows switching servers easily while keeping the IP address.
Deploy available images, import custom, or PXE boot from the web link.
Ad-hoc and 24/7 Service management with on-call support, incident response, and more.
The best aspect of OVHcloud is the diversity of the cloud services available.
Teams can also choose from the latest hardware, including AMD and Intel CPUs and NVIDIA GPUs.
Professionals can use Eco servers to have dedicated servers for as low as $5.6/month.
OVHcloud has datacentres across 4 continents, including Europe, North America, and the Asia Pacific region.
OVHcloud Features
Provision a DDoS-protection enabled VPS for under $1/month for the first year.
Dedicated servers with the latest hardware, including AMD EPYC/Intel Xeon and NVMe SSDs.
Choose from object (S3- compatible), block, long-term, archive, and file storage.
Private networking supporting hybrid and multi-cloud environments with unmetered bandwidth.
Managed database services for MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, OpenSearch, Kafka, Grafana, Cassandra, etc.
Deploy and manage GPU-accelerated containers with a range of top-of-the-shelf NVIDIA cards.
The standout IONOS feature is its 24/7 multi-channel support, which is included in every plan.
This works via chat, email, and on-call (during business hours).
IONOS Features
Fully customizable compute engine with shared and dedicated resources and 24/7 support.
Database management service supporting MySQL, MSSQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB, etc.
CNCF certified Managed Kubernetes service with free control panel.
S3-compatible, highly scalable object storage with integration support via REST API and third-party SDKs.
Load balancing with individual routing rules, health monitoring, WebSocket support, and more.
Previously, it had only 3 data centers in the United States and Europe.
This hosting provider is highly revered among its users for exceptional tech support.
Its rated 4.9/5 on G2 and Trustpilot for its excellent services.
Every ScalaHosting subscription comes with a complimentary SPanel and SShield.
SPanel is Scalas in-house cloud control panel which also retails separately.
However, it comes free with every Scala plan, making server management effortless.
ScalaHosting Features
SPanel-powered self-managed VPS with redundancy across 3 locations and a 10Gbps redundant web link.
Option to choose from ScalaHostings native datacenters or from AWS for a broader coverage.
Fully managed AWS-based VPS with free migration, high scalability, and an integrated SPanel.
24/7 support with near-instant response times for live chat (30 seconds) and tickets (15 minutes).
Install 400+ apps and scripts with a single click via Softaculous.
Teams can also apply for Alibabas Startup Catalyst Program for getting up to $120K in cloud credits.
Enterprise cloud internet with features such as shortest path algorithm and 4 redundant routes for optimal connectivity and availability.
DreamHost cloud provides root access to resources and complete freedom to trigger the stack of ones choice.
Likewise, DreamCompute only features 3 plans to start with.
However, one can scale resources as needed.
Though there is no free trial for DreamComptute, teams can try DreamObjects free for 60 days.
DreamHost Features
Choose from the 3 compute tiers with free bandwidth and 100GB block storage.
S3-compatible open-source object storage with a 60-day free trial.
Fully managed virtual private servers for hosting unlimited websites and business emails.
Dedicated servers with 24/7 tech support, 100% internet uptime guarantee, and DDoS protection.
Optional service add-ons for website setup, monitoring, malware removal, update, and optimization.
Its backed by AMD EPYC processors and NVMe storage to deliver industry-leading performance.
Besides, every cloud subscription comes with a free CDN integration for high redundancy.
On the downside, it lacks resource customization, and one is bound to choose from the templated offerings.
Internet security with web program firewall, malware scanner, and DDoS protection.
Drag and drop website builder with 150+ pre-built templates and AI assistance.
Marketing integrations such as Google Analytics, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google AdSense, etc.
Get websites created with open-source platforms such as WordPress for free.
WordPress management, vulnerability checker, multisite compatibility, staging, and more.
However, it also has plans for regular web hosting, powered by the same underlying infrastructure.
Its datacenters are part of carbon-neutral Google Cloud infrastructure.
This means all the carbon emissions are offset with green energy thats sent back to the grid.
SiteGrounds subscriptions start at $100/month and can go up to $2090/month for the maxed-out customized plan.
Free access to SiteGround Migrator Plugin to transfer WordPress websites with minimum effort and no downtime.
One-click staging and preinstalled Git and WP-CLI.
Complimentary services, such as free CDN, SSL, daily backups, and tools for real-time collaboration.
Besides, it has PCI and HIPAA-compliant hosting for taking care of sensitive data and regulatory obligations.
Like most of its services, Cloud VPS comes as self, core, and fully managed subscriptions.
One can choose from the pre-built configurations or go custom.
Liquid Web Features
Self, core, and fully managed subscriptions for Cloud VPS.
100% power and connection uptime guarantees.
Free DDoS protection to mitigate up to 2 Gbps connection attacks and optional 10 Gbps protection addon.
Automatic backup addon to create 3 snapshots per day with quick restore.
Option to choose from 3 control panels: InterWorx, cPanel, and Plesk.
Self and fully managed dedicated servers with built-in security and resource customization.
It has plans for shared hosting, VPS, cloud servers, managed WordPress, and WooCommerce hosting.
On the downside, cloud plans dont let users choose resources and instead provide pre-built configurations.
Besides, one cannot choose to host at the datacenters of ones choice.
In fact, Bluehost has decided not to reveal server locations on its website.
Bluehost Features
Fully managed WordPress with 100% uptime SLA and 24/7 priority support.
High security and redundancy with built-in WAF, CDN, anti-DDoS, anti-malware, and real-time scans.
Free SSL, uptime monitoring, real-time backups, and one-click restores.
Full root access VPS servers powered with AMD EPYC processors, DDR5 RAM, and NVMe SSD.
It also offers regular shared hosting and business hosting for individuals and small businesses, respectively.
The platform has scored an almost perfect 4.9/5 from 430+ G2 reviews.
Users appreciate their customer support and reliable performance.
However, one apparent downside is the limited geographical presence.
Hostwinds has datacenters in just 3 locations, 2 in the USA and 1 in Europe.
Hostwinds Features
Deploy instantly scalable and fully manageable cloud servers with 99.9999% uptime and cloud firewall.
Distribute traffic among your servers with Hostwinds load balancer offering HTTP/2 and proxy support.
Scalable block storage and S3-compatible thrice redundant object storage.
Dedicated servers with RAID storage, server monitoring, nightly backups, and root access.
In addition to 24/7 live chat and ticket support, Cloudways makes server management easy with its control panel.
Cloudways has given special attention to WordPress users with its Autonomous subscriptions.
These fully managed, auto-scalable WordPress plans are made for high-traffic websites.
Moreover, Cloudways Autonomous benefits from Cloudflare Enterprise integration for content delivery and data pipe security.
Free SSL, website migration, real-time monitoring, automated backups, and SSH and SFTP Access.
Dedicated firewall per server and regular security patches.
Native Cloudflare (addon) integration for global content delivery in 120+ countries.
Effortless management with free staging, DNS management, and one-click-deploy 10+ applications.
Dedicated Hosting
Cloud hosting platforms offer virtual machines linked across multiple servers, providing unmatched scalability and redundancy.
They are a cost-effective solution, presenting a significant upgrade from regular and entry-level shared hosting.
For non-technical users, managedcloud hosting platformsprovide a good stepping stone to understanding the basics of hosting.
A major disadvantage of cloud hosting is that multiple users still share the same underlying hardware.
This can cause users relying on cloud hosting to suffer from poor performance.
This single-tenant setting is best suited for intensive use cases demanding constant high performance.
While it seems good on paper, dedicated servers are expensive, difficult to maintain, and lack scalability.
When evaluatingwebsite hosting services, its important to understand that cloud hosting and dedicated hosting serve different purposes.
While cloud hosting focuses on flexibility and scalability, dedicated hosting provides raw power and full control.
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How to Choose the Best Cloud Hosting Service?
), default security (firewall, DDoS, data encryption, and more), and regulatory compliance.
FAQs
The best cloud service depends on the users or businesses requirements.
Enterprise users often choose big names, such as Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure.
Mid-level teams and startups generally choose DigitalOcean, Vultr, and Linode (Akamai).
Individuals should opt for the fully managed experience offered at SiteGround, Hostwinds, and Hostinger.
Google Cloud is best for big teams seeking enterprise-level scalability and security.
Website servers should be stationed closest to the target audience for minimum latency.
If the audience is global, opt for a content delivery data pipe with diversely spread points of presence.
