VPS (Virtual Private Server) hosting simulates a dedicated hosting environment within a shared server environment. As a result, it provides better performance and security than shared hosting. With VPS hosting, you get your virtual server with dedicated CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth resources.
The main benefits of VPS hosting include:
- Improved site speed and performance
- Enhanced security and isolation
- Full root access and control over server configuration
- Flexibility to customize the server to your needs
- Cost savings compared to dedicated hosting
When looking for a free VPS hosting provider, some key things to evaluate include:
- Server resources (CPU, RAM, storage, bandwidth)
- Reliability and uptime
- Ease of use of control panel
- Technical support options
- Any limitations on “free” plans
VPS hosting and its benefits
VPS hosting provides the performance and security benefits of a dedicated server but at a lower cost. With VPS, a physical server is partitioned into multiple isolated virtual servers. Each virtual private server gets guaranteed CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth resources.
Some key advantages of VPS hosting include:
- Improved site speed – More resources dedicated to your site versus shared hosting
- Enhanced security – VPS is isolated from other sites on the server
- Flexibility – Ability to customize and configure your virtual server
- Cost savings – Less expensive than dedicated hosting
- Scalability – Can be upgraded to add more resources easily
Overall, VPS strikes a balance between the lower cost of shared hosting and the performance/isolation of dedicated servers. The virtualization technology allows efficient splitting of resources between virtual private servers on a physical host.
Carefully evaluating these aspects can help identify reliable free VPS providers capable of meeting website performance and availability requirements.
Hostinger
Features
Some key features offered by Hostinger‘s free VPS hosting include:
- Dedicated IP address for enhanced security
- Full root access to server configuration files
- Built-in advanced DDoS protection
- BitNinja full-stack server security measures
- Network File System (NFS) support
- Backups, snapshots, and image deployment options
- Support for IPv4 and IPv6 networking
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
Hostinger uses a custom control panel called hPanel for server administration. This allows managing files, databases, emails, and domains easily.
Pricing
Hostinger has four main VPS hosting plans:
Plan | vCPU Cores | Bandwidth | NVMe SSD Storage | RAM | Price (monthly) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
KVM 1 | 1 | 1 TB | 50 GB | 4 GB | $5.99 |
KVM 2 | 2 | 2 TB | 100 GB | 8 GB | $7.99 |
KVM 3 | 4 | 4 TB | 200 GB | 16 GB | $12.99 |
KVM 4 | 8 | 8 TB | 400 GB | 32 GB | $21.99 |
These prices apply for a 12-month subscription term. Hostinger offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on VPS hosting.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Affordable pricing for the server specs
- Excellent uptime guarantee
- Easy to use hPanel control panel
- Free weekly backups and snapshots
- 24/7 multilingual customer support
Cons:
- No Windows VPS hosting offered
- Storage is not unlimited
HostPapa
Features
Some key features of HostPapa’s VPS hosting include:
- CloudLinux OS for security and stability
- WHM/cPanel control panel for easy management
- Regular data backups
- Free website migration assistance
- 24/7/365 Guru Crew support
- 99.9% uptime guarantee
- Choice of US or Canada-based servers
- Free SSL certificate
HostPapa utilizes Plesk and cPanel control panels for administering VPS accounts and websites.
Pricing
HostPapa has three main Linux VPS plans:
Plan | Cores | Bandwidth | Storage | Price |
---|---|---|---|---|
Mercury | 4 | 1 TB | 60 GB | $19.99/month |
Venus | 4 | 2 TB | 125 GB | $59.99/month |
Earth | 8 | 4 TB | 250 GB | $109.95/month |
Mars | 8 | 4 TB | 500 GB | $169.99/month |
Jupiter | 12 | 8 TB | 1 TB | $249.99/month |
HostPapa provides a 30-day money-back guarantee on VPS plans. There are also managed support add-ons available.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Excellent uptime and performance
- Easy-to-use control panel
- Knowledgeable 24/7 customer support
- Regular backups for disaster recovery
- Free domain name and SSL certificate
Cons:
- Managed support costs extra
- Fewer global data center locations
- Storage and bandwidth cannot be expanded
DigitalOcean
Features
Key features of digitalocean’s VPS hosting include:
- Top-of-the-line network, servers, and data centers
- Simple Droplet virtual server management
- Team accounts and access controls
- Load balancers and floating IPs
- Snapshots and images for backups/restoration
- IPv6 support
- Robust API and command line tools
- Extensive tutorials and technical documentation
DigitalOcean uses KVM virtualization and provides a choice of Linux distros and FreeBSD.
Pricing
DigitalOcean has flexible Droplet VPS plans starting from $5 per month:
Plan | vCPUs | RAM | SSD Storage | Transfer | Price (monthly) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5 |
General Purpose | 2 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $10 |
CPU Optimized | 4 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $40 |
DigitalOcean offers a free $100 credit for new accounts to test their VPS hosting.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Simple and intuitive interface
- Ex
- Excellent performance and speeds
- Reliable uptime and customer support
- Extensive resources for learning and troubleshooting
- Flexible pricing and upgrades
Cons:
- Can get more complex for non-technical users
- No phone support offered
- Add-ons and block storage cost extra
Domain.com
Features
Domain.com provides the following key features:
- Choice of Linux (CentOS, Ubuntu, Fedora) or Windows Server
- Plesk and cPanel/WHM control panels
- Customizable server configurations
- Regular backups and snapshots
- Free site migration assistance
- 24/7 support via live chat, phone, tickets
- 99.9% uptime commitment
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Domain’s VPS hosting leverages VMware virtualization technology for partitioning servers.
Pricing
Domain.com has the following VPS hosting plans:
Plan | vCPU Cores | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Price (monthly) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Entry | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | 2 TB | $14.99 |
Business | 4 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $29.99 |
Optimum | 6 | 8 GB | 120 GB | 5 TB | $44.99 |
Domain.com provides full refunds within 30 days of signing up if unsatisfied.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Windows and Linux VPS options
- Knowledgeable 24/7 customer support
- Regular backups for data protection
- Excellent uptime and performance
- Free domain name and SSL certificate
Cons:
- Managed services cost extra
- Fewer server location choices
- No phone support for basic plans
AWS Hosting
Features
Key features of AWS VPS hosting include:
- Wide choice of Linux and Windows Server instances
- Global infrastructure with high availability
- Scalable computing and storage capacity
- Route 53 DNS and CloudFront CDN integration
- RDS managed databases
- Autoscaling and load balancing
- Granular access controls and security groups
- Detailed monitoring and analytics
AWS provides a secure, flexible cloud platform for deploying Windows and Linux VPS instances.
Pricing
AWS has numerous instance types and purchase options:
Instance Type | vCPUs | Memory | Storage | Price per Hour |
---|---|---|---|---|
t2.micro | 1 | 1 GB | EBS only | $0.0116 |
t2.small | 1 | 2 GB | EBS only | $0.023 |
t2.medium | 2 | 4 GB | EBS only | $0.0464 |
Storage, data transfer, load balancing, and DNS routing features incur additional charges.
AWS offers a 12-month free tier for new customers to trial services.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance
- Limitless scalability on demand
- High performance and low latency
- Integrated DNS, CDN, and database services
- Granular access controls and monitoring
Cons:
- Complex pricing and management
- The steep learning curve for beginners
- Can become costly at scale if not optimized
ScalaHosting
Features
ScalaHosting provides the following VPS hosting features:
- Linux (CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu) and Windows Server
- cPanel/WHM or Plesk control panels
- Unlimited websites, databases, emails
- Regular offsite backups
- Free site migration
- DDoS protection and SSL certificates
- 24/7 support via live chat and ticket
- 30-day money back guarantee
ScalaHosting uses KVM virtualization with redundant storage and networking.
Pricing
ScalaHosting has the following VPS plans:
Plan | vCPU Cores | RAM | Storage | Bandwidth | Price (monthly) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Startup | 2 | 2 GB | 40 GB | 2 TB | $9.99 |
Business | 4 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $18.99 |
Enterprise | 6 | 8 GB | 120 GB | 5 TB | $27.99 |
30-day refunds are available on all VPS plans.