15 Best Managed VPS Hosting Providers (March 2024)

Best Managed Vps Hosting

The best managed VPS hosting plan is a lot like the Peter Parker principle made famous in Spiderman: “With great power comes great responsibility.” Moving to a virtual private server gives your online business more computing resources, control, and stability.

However, all those improvements typically require you to know how to configure each setting. Managed VPS server hosting means you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of your site.

Instead of maintaining your VPS, you can instead focus on running your business; your web host will handle all the daily updates, optimizations, and security tasks. Here’s our list of hosts that will let you work more efficiently without sacrificing online operations.

1. ScalaHosting: Best Managed VPS with Unlimited Bandwidth

ScalaHosting is one of the most transparent managed VPS providers, promising to never oversell server capacity. We especially love recommending this host to beginners or first-time VPS renters because the company offers a complimentary consultation call — with none other than the Scala CTO — for any prospective customers.

Learn more about our experience with ScalaHosting services in our expert review:

ScalaHosting.com

ScalaHosting Review

Monthly Starting Price $29.95

  • Fully managed VPS with cloud performance
  • FREE site migration executed by experts
  • Enjoy 100% SSD storage and unmetered bandwidth
  • Custom full-service SPanel administration portal
  • HostingAdvice readers get 36% off the first term
  • Get started on ScalaHosting now.

VPS
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

ScalaHosting: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): ScalaHosting particularly stands out for its portfolio of cloud VPS solutions. Site owners will naturally find the best deals with hosting providers that cater to an audience of “cheap hosting” shoppers. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 50 GB SSD – 200 GB SSD 2 – 12 cores 4 GB – 24 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 2 - 12 cores
  • Memory: 4 GB - 24 GB
  • Storage: 50 GB SSD - 200 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: Unmetered

ScalaHosting is one of the few providers on this list to offer unlimited bandwidth on all its VPS plans, making it a top choice for sites with high traffic demands. Additionally, this host provides a free SSL certificate, daily disaster recovery backups, and a suite of proprietary tools for web hosting account management (SPanel) and security (SShield).

2. InterServer: Best Cheap Managed VPS Hosting

For more than 20 years, InterServer has taken an impressive approach to provide affordable, high-powered hosting services backed by hands-on support.

The team owns and operates its own datacenter, meaning talented and experienced system administrators and engineers are mere feet away from your VPS environment. In fact, the company’s two Founders still respond to support tickets and repair hardware each day.

There may be a few more fees, but InterServer’s in-house expertise is absolutely top rate:

InterServer.net

InterServer Review

Monthly Starting Price $6.00

  • $0.01 for the first month using code HOSTINGADV
  • Then $6 monthly with no contracts, no changes
  • Latest of PHP, MySQL, Perl, Python, and Ruby
  • 7 operating system options for Linux or Windows
  • Full root access and choice of datacenter
  • Get started on InterServer now.

VPS
RATING
4.7 ★★★★★ Our Review

InterServer: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): InterServer’s on-site datacenter and hands-on involvement with configuring and provisioning virtual private servers give customers a level of flexibility not seen with many other hosting providers. InterServer rations VPS and cloud resources through slices. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 30 GB SSD – 480 GB SSD 1 – 16 CPUs 2 – 32 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 – 16 cores
  • Memory: 2 – 32 GB
  • Storage: 30 – 480 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 1 – 16 TB

InterServer’s managed services kick in once you purchase a package with four or more slices, or CPUs.

In addition to supporting all hardware issues, including parts and labor, InterServer will troubleshoot and repair any issues with your web server, mail server, DNS, SQL server, and FTP server.

Customers will see automatic security updates, assorted firewalls, brute force protection, and access control. We appreciate the full root access and inclusion of the Webuzo control panel, but you’ll pay an extra fee for cPanel.

Incredibly, InterServer technicians will help you examine every inch of your stack for possible performance boosts, from converting to a LiteSpeed or NGINX web server to optimizing MySQL, PHP, or your operating system.

3. Liquid Web: Best Fully Managed VPS Hosting

Backed by around-the-clock assistance from the “Most Helpful Humans in Hosting,” Liquid Web seemingly holds universal appeal and respect.

Nuanced server configurations and attention to detail lead the way with Liquid Web, which concentrates on complex cloud, VPS, and dedicated environments.

As you can see below, Liquid Web gets high marks for its attention to customer service:

LiquidWeb.com

Liquid Web review

Monthly Starting Price $16.00

  • Choice of self-, semi-, or fully managed
  • Enterprise-grade Intel hardware
  • Linux or Windows operating system
  • RAID SSD storage for added speed
  • 100% network uptime
  • Get started on Liquid Web now.

MANAGED
RATING
4.9 ★★★★★ Our Review

Liquid Web: Our Expert’s Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): It’s no secret by now that Liquid Web is known for best-in-class technology and reliability that exceeds expectations. The company’s cloud VPS environments embody that reputation to its fullest — including managed WordPress and WooCommerce products. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
7 minutes 40 GB SSD – 200 GB SSD 2 – 12 cores 2 GB – 12 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 2 - 12 cores
  • Memory: 2 GB - 12 GB
  • Storage: 40 GB SSD - 200 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 10 TB

The company touts its industry-leading Net Promoter Score, which measures the frequency with which customers would recommend the company to others — a score that edges out the likes of Rackspace, Bluehost, and many others.

As the first provider so far on this list to also offer fully managed Windows VPS plans, Liquid Web is amply prepared to meet any customer’s specific needs with 100% network and power uptime guarantees.

You can choose from Interworx, cPanel, and Plesk for your control panel for a small fee, or otherwise enjoy hands-free hosting that includes configuration for a content delivery network, firewall, and DDoS protection.

4. A2 Hosting: Fastest Managed VPS Hosting

Particularly appealing to developers and those seeking multi-core environments, A2 Hosting starts all of its managed VPS hosting customers with at least four virtualized processors, full root access, and ample high-powered computing resources.

Customers will have complete control over their fully managed VPS, enjoying the best of both worlds.

Read our review for more details:

A2Hosting.com

A2 Hosting Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.99

  • Turbo server & cache options for faster page loads
  • Well-built plans starting with 4GB RAM
  • FREE CDN plus auto-installs with Softaculous
  • Multilingual support and up to unlimited databases
  • Enhanced security with and daily kernel updates
  • Get started on A2 Hosting now.

VPS
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

A2 Hosting: Our Expert’s Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): While A2 Hosting’s turbocharged shared hosting platform gives site owners ample room to grow, the company’s tech prowess is on full display with its portfolio of VPS options. Ranging from unmanaged, bare-metal environments to stress-free, fully managed space, A2 Hosting is sure to have the perfect option for your expanding online presence. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
7 minutes 20 GB SSD – 450 GB SSD 1 – 10 cores 1 GB – 32 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 - 10 cores
  • Memory: 1 GB - 32 GB
  • Storage: 20 GB SSD - 450 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 0.5 TB - 8 TB

Combined with free cPanel and the upgraded Turbo Boost option (that promises 20-times faster page loads), A2 Hosting is a fantastic option for those who understand the importance of speed in web hosting.

The company’s HostGuard solution for managed support includes immediate and automatic notifications of any network or hardware issues, along with optional priority support that moves your inquiries to the front of the queue.

Even better, A2 Hosting practices the same speed it preaches by aiming to swoop in and fix any issues before you even notice them.

5. Cloudways: Best Managed Cloud VPS

Providing hassle-free access to the world’s top cloud hosting providers, Cloudways gives customers limitless scalability and global resources.

Many affordable cloud VPS hosts, such as Digital Ocean, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Linode, are notoriously hard to set up, deploy, maintain, and secure. Cloudways offers tailored environments on each platform — fully managed by the company’s easily accessible team of hosting experts.

Learn more about the unique collaboration by clicking on our in-depth review:

Cloudways.com

Cloudways Review

Monthly Starting Price $8.25

  • Customizable alternative to traditional VPS hosting
  • Choice of 5 popular cloud providers
  • Scale server resources up and down as needed
  • 24/7 monitoring and auto-healing servers
  • Get 25% OFF first 3 months with promo code HOSTINGADVICE
  • Get started on Cloudways now.

VPS
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

Cloudways: Our Expert’s Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): Choosing a virtual private server (VPS) typically means purchasing a slice of a dedicated server. VPS customers enjoy more customization options than shared hosting users without incurring the price tag of a dedicated machine. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
8 minutes 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD 1 – 96 cores 1 GB – 384 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 – 96 cores
  • Memory: 1 – 384 GB
  • Storage: 20 GB – 4 TB
  • Bandwidth: 1 – 20 TB

As you can see, Cloudways offers incredible scalability and computing power for large-scale projects with high traffic demands.

Three levels of around-the-clock managed support ensure a peaceful hosting experience and promise readily available tech experts via live chat.

The premium support package delivers the fastest response times and pairs you with a dedicated account manager, a private Slack channel, and direct phone support.

6. InMotion Hosting: Best Managed cPanel VPS Hosting

Although managed hosting means trusting the web hosting experts with the tedious technology chores, you’ll still want to control some of the settings yourself.

Control panels offer a simpler, graphical way to navigate your hosting environment without having to venture into the intimidating depths of the command line interface. InMotion Hosting brilliantly pairs luxurious managed services with innovative technologies and the ultra-popular cPanel and WHM interfaces.

InMotionHosting.com

InMotion Review

Monthly Starting Price $14.99

  • HostingAdvice readers get 67% off the first term
  • FREE site migrations and 2 hours of Launch Assist
  • 2 – 3 dedicated IP address options
  • FREE cPanel/WHM licenses included
  • Highly available servers with real-time redundancy
  • Get started on InMotion now.

VPS
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

InMotion: Our Expert’s Review

PJ Fancher (HostingAdvice.com): Boasting market-leading VPS hardware, slick management software, and free SSD drives and backups, InMotion Hosting competes to win when it comes to managed VPS hosting packages. The host initiates its VPS customer relationship with free website migrations and up to two hours of launch assistance from an experienced sysadmin. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 90 GB SSD – 360 GB SSD 4 – 16 cores 4 GB – 16 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 4 - 16 cores
  • Memory: 4 GB - 16 GB
  • Storage: 90 GB SSD - 360 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 2 TB - Unlimited

InMotion tailors its VPS stack for speed behind solid-state drives and a custom combination of CentOS and NGINX configurations that deliver performance up to 10 times faster than those of competitors.

We particularly love InMotion managed services for Launch Assist, which entails two hours of one-on-one time with a Tier 3 system administrator that can be used for site migrations, security setup, hardware configurations, or a multitude of other tasks.

7. Kamatera: Best Managed Linux VPS Hosting

An increasingly popular provider of self-managed and managed virtual servers, Kamatera gives customers ultimate configuration control straight out of the gate.

Spin up a default Ubuntu server in seconds, or take a few extra clicks to customize your ideal combination of processing power, RAM and SSD storage allowances, bandwidth expectations, control panel add-ons, and, of course, your choice of operating system. RockyLinux, AlmaLinux, CentOS, and Ubuntu servers are featured on the Kamatera VPS menu.

Let the Kamatera review speak for itself:

Kamatera.com

Kamatera review

Monthly Starting Price $4.00

  • 40+ Linux distros, from FreeBSD to CloudLinux
  • Create and deploy servers in less than 60 seconds
  • Unlimited cloud-based scalability on SSD storage
  • Simple management console and API
  • Sign up today for a 30-day free trial
  • Get started on Kamatera now.

LINUX VPS
RATING
4.8 ★★★★★ Our Review

Kamatera: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Offering cloud computing that’s more affordable and better supported than the likes of AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, Kamatera is an excellent option for developers looking to build customized environments. We adore this host for giving site owners ultimate control for incredibly affordable rates. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
5 minutes 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD 1 – 32 cores 1 GB – 128 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 - 32 cores
  • Memory: 1 GB - 128 GB
  • Storage: 20 GB SSD - 4 TB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 5,000 GB/month at 10 Gbit/second OR 50 Mbit/second at 10 Gbit/second

With an optional daily backup service and a fully managed service upgrade, Kamatera is a fantastically reliable, flexible, and feature-rich choice for your Linux VPS hosting needs.

Kamatera has become a favorite of ours to recommend for its simple yet robust user experience. And, of course, the starting price of $4.00 per month is hard to beat.

8. Hostwinds: Best Managed Windows VPS Hosting

Another fantastic option for site owners looking for massive room to grow and incredibly flexible resources, Hostwinds is a fresh and forward-thinking hosting provider brimming with modern technology and a dedication to customer support.

You can find three flavors of Windows-powered VPS server environments: Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019. You’ll also find pre-built configurations for many of the internet’s most popular platforms.

By clicking on our review of Hostwinds below, you can learn more about the company’s satisfaction guarantee and emphasis on customer service:

Hostwinds.com

Hostwinds review

Monthly Starting Price $12.74

  • Managed or unmanaged virtual servers available in Windows or Linux
  • Cloud hosting with hourly or monthly billing
  • Instant upgrades without downtime
  • FREE around-the-clock monitoring
  • Automatic nightly backups available
  • Get started on Hostwinds now.

WINDOWS VPS
RATING
4.5 ★★★★★ Our Review

Hostwinds: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Does any hosting provider have more VPS packages than Hostwinds. The company not only offers 10 configurations for managed Linux server partitions, but also provides 10 additional plans each for managed Windows VPS — and unmanaged varieties of both. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 30 GB SSD – 750 GB SSD 1 – 16 cores 1 – 96 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 – 16 cores
  • Memory: 1 – 96 GB
  • Storage: 30 – 750 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 1 -9 TB

Boasting nightly backups, real-time server monitoring, and enterprise-grade hardware, Hostwinds promises an extremely rare 99.9999% uptime guarantee — covering all but roughly a half-second of potential downtime each week.

Otherwise, the company’s managed hosting services include diagnosing loading problems, package installations, virus scans, and the configuration of DNS and firewall solutions.

9. Bluehost: Best Managed WordPress VPS Hosting

One of the many things we love about WordPress is how the massive open-source community attracts involvement from across the board: individual developers just starting out all the way to global web hosting leaders.

Bluehost is one such company taking a leading role in code contributions, WordCamp sponsorships, and other commitments, earning the platform’s seal of approval.

Learn more about Bluehost in our review:

Bluehost.com

Bluehost Review

Monthly Starting Price $31.99

  • Seamless migration from any Bluehost shared hosting plan
  • Root access and easy multi-server management
  • Ample RAID-1 storage and tons of bandwidth
  • Each plan gets at least 3 dedicated IP addresses
  • cPanel and WHM with root access
  • Get started on Bluehost now.

VPS
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

Bluehost: Our Expert’s Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): We love recommending Bluehost for its lifetime customer growth potential, meaning you can start with shared hosting and seamlessly scale to VPS hosting plans and beyond. The price versus performance is pretty unbeatable in the virtual hosting space, and Bluehost’s engineering team will kick off the customer relationship by instantly provisioning your server. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 120 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD 2 – 4 cores 2 GB – 8 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU cores: 2 – 4
  • Memory: 2 – 8 GB
  • Storage: 30 – 120 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: Unlimited

In addition to well-appointed VPS plans that are already expertly configured for high-performance managed WordPress hosting, Bluehost revamped its managed hosting offering, WP Pro.

The service provides an all-in-one marketing center and dashboard geared for integrating SEO, email marketing, and social media with the already impressive WordPress experience.

As part of managed WordPress hosting, customers will get to speak with a trained WordPress expert who will help them pick the right themes and plugins that match their specific needs.

Behind custom-built software solutions and innovative technologies, SiteGround is already one of our favorites for offering the best web hosting support.

The company overstaffs its shifts and evaluates each employee’s speed and helpfulness, enabling SiteGround to promise near-instant responses to phone calls and chats, and 10 minutes or less for email tickets.

SiteGround.com

SiteGround Review

Monthly Starting Price $100.00

  • Fully managed cloud hosting with ultra-fast performance and scalability
  • FREE Cloudflare CDN and daily backups
  • SuperCacher, Git, and 1-click CMS installs
  • cPanel, SSH access, and private DNS setup
  • Dedicated IP address and iptables firewall
  • Get started on SiteGround now.

VPS
RATING
4.2 ★★★★ Our Review

SiteGround: Our Expert’s Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): When it comes to VPS hosting, SiteGround does things a little differently. Instead of managing a typical virtual private server network, the company created its very own cloud platform built from the ground up. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 40 GB SSD – 160 GB SSD 4 – 16 cores 8 GB – 20 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 2 – 8 cores
  • Memory: 4 – 10 GB
  • Storage: 40 – 120 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 5 TB

When it comes to managed hosting, SiteGround goes a step further than many others in helping investigate application-related issues and questions.

The company proactively applies software updates and patches as they become available, while also protecting your environment from attacks, spam, and malicious bot resource usage.

There should be no surprise SiteGround appears on the list; our only knock is that we wish the company’s prices were a bit more in line with those of competitors.

However, we trust the company will make the investment worthwhile for every single customer who wants to make the investment.

As one of the most recognizable brands in the web hosting industry, HostGator is a natural fit for affordable managed VPS hosting services.

Because the company’s plans aren’t as well-appointed as some of the others on our list, HostGator represents a soft landing spot for tentative site owners who may be moving to their first VPS environment.

As your website grows, whether in terms of traffic or complexity, additional resources can be added in just a few clicks of the mouse.

HostGator.com

HostGator Review

Monthly Starting Price $34.99

  • Full root access with fully or semi-managed options
  • Redundant network with multiple layers of security
  • FREE website, domain, MySQL, and script transfer
  • RAID-10 storage for data protection
  • Get up to 75% off when you sign up
  • Get started on HostGator now.

VPS
RATING
4.7 ★★★★★ Our Review

HostGator: Our Expert’s Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): HostGator has built a great reputation in the industry for its shared web hosting options. The company’s VPS hosting solution, with optional cPanel support, provide a nice and easy introduction to those who are new to VPS hosting and know their needs require more than a typical shared plan. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
7 minutes 120 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD 2 – 4 cores 2 – 8 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 2 – 4 cores
  • Memory: 2 – 8 GB
  • Storage: 120 – 240 GB
  • Bandwidth: 1.5 – 3 TB

Customers who choose to add cPanel to their account get HostGator’s fully managed support, meaning the company will give best-effort assistance with just about any issue or configuration request you may have.

The company will make modifications to help you gain PCI compliance, introduce task automation, and help diagnose sluggish servers, as well as troubleshoot firewalls, script configurations, or website errors.

Known as one of the most recognizable hosting companies in the world, GoDaddy helps more than 19 million customers grow their online presence.

Originally known as the go-to domain name registrar, the company has since expanded over the years to offer a surprisingly robust and multi-faceted portfolio of upscale web hosting services.

The company is geared toward serving small business owners, whether they operate an online store or just need an informational landing spot for potential customers.

GoDaddy.com

GoDaddy Review

Monthly Starting Price $8.99

  • Designed to handle traffic with Linux or Windows
  • Admin access via root access, cPanel, and Plesk
  • High-speed SSDs and 99.9% uptime guarantee
  • Unlimited bandwidth and lots of processing power
  • Fully or semi-managed servers with optional control panel
  • Get started on GoDaddy now.

VPS
RATING
4.2 ★★★★ Our Review

GoDaddy: Our Expert’s Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): If you’re looking to grow and scale your website, GoDaddy has you covered. Developers and web enthusiasts will be pleased to hear that GoDaddy offers root access, making it easy to install PHP modules, applications, stacks, and various customizations to fine-tune your virtual server for peak performance via the command line or remote desktop. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
7 minutes 40 GB SSD – 200 GB SSD 1 – 4 cores 2 – 16 GB

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 1 – 4 cores
  • Memory: 2 – 8 GB
  • Storage: 40 – 200 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: Unmetered

As you can see, GoDaddy’s plans come with the fewest resources and least amount of scalability. What you get, however, illustrates that good things really do come in small packages.

The company’s boutique managed VPS plans come with either root access or cPanel, automated backups, software updates, and uptime monitoring.

For first-time VPS customers looking for modest environments and lots of hand-holding, GoDaddy has spent more than two decades perfecting the art of customer support on a grand scale.

With an emphasis on serving web designers, developers, and creative agencies, Media Temple places extraordinary support and managed services at the forefront of everything it does.

Over the last few years, the company has expanded into enterprise-grade WordPress and cloud hosting solutions that emphasize unrivaled power, performance, scalability, and security — all without the need to spend hours configuring or handling a server.

Learn more about the white-glove service you can expect from Media Temple here:

MediaTemple.net

Media Temple Review

Monthly Starting Price $55.00

  • All-SSD servers, guaranteed resources, and auto-backups
  • 1-click installations of hundreds of scripts and applications
  • Above-average 99.99% uptime guarantee
  • Choice of Plesk or cPanel plus root access
  • Managed services with performance and security monitoring
  • Get started on Media Temple now.

VPS
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

Media Temple: Our Expert’s Review

Ryan Frankel (HostingAdvice.com): Although Media Temple is more expensive than most hosts, the company’s managed VPS hosting is second to none from a performance perspective.  With an incredible amount of hardware for the price and fully-managed virtualized servers, Media Temple offers serious VPS hosting for serious people. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 30 GB SSD – 600 GB SSD New or Transfer 6 minutes

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: Automatically scales
  • Memory: 2 – 128 GB
  • Storage: 30 GB – 1 TB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 2 – 10 TB

Like a few others on our list, Media Temple doesn’t allocate set numbers of processors to each customer. Instead, computing resources are distributed based on priority — guaranteeing a certain amount of power while ensuring you’re covered for traffic spikes.

Site owners are originally given a percentage of average CPU units or available cycles to use regularly, but any VPS can use 100% of the CPU cores on the physical machine in bursts if no other user currently needs them.

As an industry veteran and vocal proponent of open web platforms, DreamHost has grown from a college dorm room to hosting more than 1.5 million websites and nearly a million WordPress installations.

DreamHost provides root access and a custom-built control panel that puts relevant information and insights right at your fingertips; upgrading memory and storage resources, for instance, takes less than 10 seconds.

Don’t hesitate to read over our review below to learn more:

DreamHost.com

DreamHost Review

Monthly Starting Price $10.00

  • Custom web-based control panel
  • Unlimited MySQL databases
  • Easily scalable RAM
  • High-performance SSD drives
  • 5 years of security updates with Ubuntu Long Term Support
  • Get started on DreamHost now.

VPS
RATING
4.7 ★★★★★ Our Review

DreamHost: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): With scalable RAM and SSD storage, DreamHost’s VPS plans give customers a powerful, speedy, and stable environment ripe for growth. RAM ranges from 1GB to 8GB, while storage varies between 30GB and 240GB. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
N/A 30 GB SSD – 240 GB SSD New or Transfer 6 minutes

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: Automatically scales
  • Memory: 1 – 8 GB
  • Storage: 30 – 240 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: Unlimited

Interestingly, the company doesn’t track traffic rates or bandwidth consumption and is one of those hosts that allocate scalable CPU resources.

Being unlocked from pesky overage fees is great, but business owners may prefer more transparency about DreamHost’s capacities if scalability is a concern.

Overall, however, we’ve found DreamHost to be one of our favorite all-around hosting providers that prioritize user experience and open-source development.

With seemingly endless options available, AccuWebHosting enables customers to craft exactly the managed VPS hosting experience they desire.

The company’s VPS hosting plans come in Windows or Linux flavors, with multiple versions of the operating systems to choose from.

Click below to read about the details:

AccuWebHosting.com

AccuWebHosting Review

Monthly Starting Price $7.99

  • Same price for Windows or Linux OS
  • FREE daily backups
  • SSD or cloud storage upgrades
  • Full root access
  • Pre-configured software firewall
  • Get started on AccuWebHosting.

VPS
RATING
4.6 ★★★★★ Our Review

AccuWebHosting: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): The signature service of AccuWebHosting, the company’s VPS plans come in all shapes, sizes, and operating systems. Blending quality and affordability, AccuWebHosting plans start at less than $10 per month — roughly half of what you’ll find elsewhere. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
7 days 40 GB – 125 GB New or Transfer 6 minutes

When comparing any set of VPS plans, we look at:

  • CPU: 2 – 4 cores
  • Memory: 1 – 8 GB
  • Storage: 40 – 128 GB SAN
  • Bandwidth: 500 GB – 1 TB

You can also choose whether you’d like your VPS environment to be placed on traditional, cloud-based, or SSD-powered infrastructure — all for incredibly affordable rates.

For AccuWebHosting’s base VPS hosting plans, the company deploys a nimble storage area network (SAN) that captures similar speeds as solid-state drives with additional flexibility and stability.

Self-managed support is enabled by default, but those interested in more help can upgrade to a very reasonably priced and fully managed support package that includes proactive server monitoring and management, installation of third-party applications, and two hours of admin time each month.

What is Managed VPS Hosting?

Now that we’ve highlighted the best hosting options out there, let’s break down “managed VPS hosting” to make sure we’re all on the same page. First off, managed hosting means that some or all IT tasks are taken care of for you.

What that means specifically, however, can vary from one web host to the next. For some, the basic server maintenance and security updates are all that are covered, while other providers will help customers optimize their performance settings and help troubleshoot issues with third-party software programs.

VPS, which stands for virtual private server, is the middle point on the web hosting spectrum between shared and dedicated servers. As you may imagine, VPS hosting blends the two extremes. Customers share a physical server but receive dedicated computing resources through a process called virtualization. Because of the separated environments, site owners have far more nuanced control over how their virtual machine is configured.

Backend developers, experienced site owners, and those familiar with secure shell access or the command line typically have no problem taking on the extra responsibility to save money; however, designers, small business owners, and those without the tech experience often prefer to pass those chores along to the system administrators and experts employed by a VPS hosting provider. That, in a nutshell, is managed virtual private server hosting.

Is a Managed VPS Hosting Service Worth the Expense?

While the price tag is higher on managed VPS hosting, it comes with perks that yield a significant return on investment.

The most obvious benefit is the peace of mind that your site is being monitored and maintained by experienced and extremely capable server technicians. With an unmanaged VPS, you’re on your own to triage, troubleshoot, and resolve any issues, which can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, depending on the business and length of downtime or time spent working on the bug. With a managed VPS hosting provider, you’re protected by service-level agreements (SLAs) that ensure you get your money’s worth.

Additionally, because the provider will be taking care of software patches and updates, you can focus your attention elsewhere. This is especially helpful for small business owners, who probably don’t have the time to deal with server maintenance, as well as those who are less technically inclined and prefer not to mess around with code.

Finally, managed VPS hosting providers tend to offer enhanced services and support, which can be extremely helpful for those with little to no web hosting experience.

For example, when you sign up for InMotion Hosting’s managed virtual private server package, you’ll get not only 24/7/365 customer support but also a free website migration service and SSL certificate. Liquid Web, as another example, will even manage your DNS, email, and Firewall settings for you.

Additionally, many managed VPS hosting providers will give customers a free CDN to help speed up their site, as well as free backups and free malware detection and removal.

In short, yes, a managed VPS hosting service is worth the expense. Just remember to do your homework and figure out what type of support and services you need to determine the best VPS host for your upcoming project.

Is VPS Better Than Shared Web Hosting?

Evaluating hosting plans covers a ton of features and components, ranging from performance needs and security requirements to budget demands, tech expertise, and the ability to scale. Comparing VPS versus shared web hosting plans unveils some clear differences, but determining which service is better depends on each site owner’s specific goals.

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Site owners can expect a trade-off between shared and VPS hosting, depending on their specific needs.

Typically, VPS hosting comes with more storage and computing resources, along with high levels of bandwidth or data transfer. With the added control over the software systems serving your site to visitors, you can typically eke out some more advantages on the performance and security side of things. The ability to scale to larger resources increases the value of VPS plans and raises the ceiling of what you can achieve online.

However, those configurations require more work to maintain and more tech-savviness to understand. You’ll either need robust managed services and an extremely helpful host (hence this article), or you’ll need to brush up on some command line skills — and quick. Managing a VPS environment means you’re also responsible for scaling your resources up and down, securing your data, and optimizing your page load times.

Shared hosting gets a clear nod when it comes to ease and affordability. Cheap web hosting plans that come with all the bells and whistles can be found for less than $5 per month, while VPS plans usually cost $5 or more (usually around $20 per month).

How Much Does VPS Hosting Cost?

As you can see from some of the VPS hosting plan options we highlighted above, prices can fluctuate pretty wildly depending on the amount of VPS server resources and level of management. Managed VPS hosting is inherently more expensive than an unmanaged VPS plan. The most affordable VPS plans we recommend come in around $5 per month, while there’s also a middle tier of great options for roughly $20 each month. Free VPS hosting plans exist, but they are pretty much never worth the headache.

Take the starting rates offered by some of the best VPS hosting providers as examples:

Keep in mind, these rates represent unmanaged VPS hosting plans. The price difference between unmanaged VPS hosting and a managed VPS plan varies by provider.

As you move up to the top-shelf, luxury brands of web hosting providers, you can see the costs escalate beyond $50 or more per month. These plans usually come with more computing power, modern innovations, and a higher standard for managed services involvement. Make sure the price tag matches what you expect the web host to provide.

Also, keep an eye out for add-on expenses that can further jack up the price of your VPS and/or server management. While the large majority of shared hosting providers include the first year of a domain registration as a free perk for customers signing up, the feature rarely extends to the higher levels of hosting. Depending on the name you wish to register, that could add up to $15 or more per year.

Image of server administrator working in a datacenter
We think a managed VPS host is a worthwhile investment that enables you to focus on your business and growing profits.

While all the managed hosting providers include some basic level of server maintenance, such as security patches and operating system updates, you may be able to purchase additional help in the form of automated backups, proactive monitoring (add-on server management, backups), cPanel license, and SysAdmin time.

Don’t Sweat the Tech Stuff: Managed Services at Any Level of Hosting

The best managed VPS hosting plans out there are like that perfect bowl of porridge in the tale of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” — just the right portion, impeccably satisfying, and surprisingly relaxing.

However, if the nitty-gritty technical details of configuring and running a virtual private server intimidate you, site owners can find superb hosting options with similar managed services that offer total peace of mind. Shared hosting plans come with some basic services built-in, while cloud and dedicated server packages unlock similar control and flexibility capabilities as VPS hosting.

Because dedicated servers represent such a significant investment (if you don’t sign up with one of our recommended cheap dedicated hosting providers), you’ll want to make sure the experts have fine-tuned your machine to peak performance. Popular cloud providers, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform, feature impressive scalability and technology but are known for lacking customer support.

All in all, don’t pretend to know what you’re doing with web security and server management if you really don’t. By paying for the expertise of managed services, you can protect the data of your business and its customers and spend your time building and marketing new products — unlocking the widest path to growth and success.

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