13 Best Ruby on Rails Hosting (2024): Shared, Cloud, Cheap & Free

Best Ruby On Rails Hosting

Finding the best Ruby on Rails hosting is a bit more challenging than other popular programming languages. Because of the large computing resources required and security privileges, Ruby on Rails is commonly reserved for more advanced hosting solutions like VPS, cloud, and dedicated servers.

That being said, you can still find affordable shared hosting plans with the oomph to run Ruby on Rails applications. Over the years, the server-side web application framework has become the tool of choice for many of these entrepreneurs. Airbnb, Hulu, and SoundCloud are just a few of the household names developed with the software.

Thousands of developers worldwide employ Ruby on Rails because of its ease of use and zero-cost overhead. However, to build the next Shopify, Zendesk, or Basecamp with Rails, you’re going to need a robust, reliable hosting platform. Here, we’ll break down the industry’s best.

Best Overall Ruby on Rails Hosting

When deciding on the best performers in the Ruby on Rails category, we had to look at a number of factors to determine which hosts should sit at the top of our list. While price is certainly top of mind for most aspiring web entrepreneurs seeking to power their Rails applications, we’ve found that performance and flexibility take precedence in most cases.

The hosts below offer an array of shared, VPS, and dedicated server hosting packages that can be optimized to run Ruby on Rails web apps. While the shared hosting packages of yesteryear may not have been up to the task of powering Rails-built sites, many of today’s deliver ample solutions for low-traffic apps just starting out (more on this below). However, if your application has scaled and is attracting a large user base, moving to a managed VPS or dedicated server is probably the best bet to ensure top performance. Luckily, the following hosts provide all these options. Be sure to check out the full reviews in the tables below to see how these hosts’ solutions can work for your Ruby on Rails project.

1. Hosting.com

Hosting.com Review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

Visit Site »
  • Free Cloudflare CDN and SSD speed boost
  • Optimized caching and 1-click installs
  • Unlimited email, domains, and databases
  • Advanced security and free HackScan
  • 24/7 support via phone, chat & tickets
  • Get started on hosting.com now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson, Contributing Expert

Alexandra is a web marketer, Agile Product Owner, and die-hard wordsmith who's contributed to HostingAdvice, InMotion Hosting, HostGator, and other prominent hosting and technology blogs, as well as Forbes. She has a master's degree in information technology from Virginia Tech and more than 10 years of experience building websites, advising on web and mobile app design, and crafting content that engages and converts. Her primary subject matter expertise spans WordPress, UX design, Agile project management, and, of course, web hosting.

(HostingAdvice.com): There are plenty of excellent cPanel shared hosting providers out there, so what sets hosting. com apart from the rest. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

2. Hostinger.com

Hostinger Review

Monthly Starting Price $4.49

Visit Site »
  • NVMe SSD storage and 1GB network speed
  • Automatic weekly backups and Kodee AI assistant 
  • FREE dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • Custom control panel for reboots and OS installs
  • 1-click operating system template and API access
  • HostingAdvice readers enjoy more than 50% off
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): Hostinger's laser focus on providing affordable hosting solutions shines brightest with the company's VPS packages. The company provides four different virtual server plans, including one that costs less than $5. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 50 GB NVMe - 400 GB NVMe 1 - 8 cores 4 GB - 32 GB

3. InMotionHosting.com

InMotion review

Monthly Starting Price $2.24

Visit Site »
  • FREE BoldGrid site builder and templates
  • FREE website, domain, and cPanel migrations
  • SSD storage makes your site load up to 20x faster
  • Security suite includes SSL and hack protection
  • Unlimited bandwidth and email accounts
  • Get started on InMotion now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

PJ Fancher

PJ Fancher

PJ Fancher, Contributing Expert

PJ is a professional web developer with more than 20 years of experience. His background began with writing small web applications using Perl, PHP, and MySQL in 1998. He has well-rounded experience with all aspects of web development, from server and database configuration to scripting, styling, design, and SEO.

(HostingAdvice.com): InMotion Hosting offers an excellent business-class shared hosting plan — with a price tag lower than several other budget hosts. For the IT crowd in the audience, you’ll appreciate SSH access, as well as support for PHP, Ruby, Perl, Python, WP-CLI, and other popular languages. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
90 days 100 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD FREE (1 year) 5 minutes

See more top web hosts »

Best Ruby on Rails “Shared” Hosting

Many developers running Ruby on Rails will tell you that a shared environment isn’t the best choice to host sites built with the software. However, if you’re not welcoming a ton of traffic, a shared hosting plan can be a very economical way to power your application.

The shared hosting packages from the hosts below deliver some of the industry’s highest performance, extensive feature sets, and cost-efficient price points. With features, such as CDNs, to accelerate web application speed and 24/7 support should site owners run into problems, these hosts give customers what they need to get their Ruby on Rails sites live. Take a look at the full reviews in the tables below to learn about all the products and services these providers offer.

4. Hosting.com

Hosting.com Review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

Visit Site »
  • Free Cloudflare CDN and SSD speed boost
  • Optimized caching and 1-click installs
  • Unlimited email, domains, and databases
  • Advanced security and free HackScan
  • 24/7 support via phone, chat & tickets
  • Get started on hosting.com now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson, Contributing Expert

Alexandra is a web marketer, Agile Product Owner, and die-hard wordsmith who's contributed to HostingAdvice, InMotion Hosting, HostGator, and other prominent hosting and technology blogs, as well as Forbes. She has a master's degree in information technology from Virginia Tech and more than 10 years of experience building websites, advising on web and mobile app design, and crafting content that engages and converts. Her primary subject matter expertise spans WordPress, UX design, Agile project management, and, of course, web hosting.

(HostingAdvice.com): There are plenty of excellent cPanel shared hosting providers out there, so what sets hosting. com apart from the rest. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

5. InterServer.net

InterServer Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.50

Visit Site »
  • $0.01 first month (coupon code HOSTINGADV)
  • $2.50/month after. No contracts or increases
  • Unlimited storage space, data transfers, and email
  • Register or transfer domains for less than $10
  • 99.9% uptime and price-lock guarantee
  • Get started on InterServer now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): It's hard to argue with a shared hosting plan that includes unlimited storage, bandwidth, websites, and email — but shared hosting is a crowded industry that turns on name recognition, reputation, and bargain-basement prices. InterServer outperforms some of our higher-rated hosts, but we understand that many first-time site owners are laser-focused on finding the lowest costs. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

See more top shared hosting packages »

Best Ruby on Rails “Cloud” Hosting

As noted above, while hosting Ruby on Rails applications in a shared environment (i.e. numerous sites “sharing” resources on the same server) is possible, it’s not ideal — especially when traffic begins to spike. Short of moving to a dedicated server (we’ll cover this ideal scenario in a minute), moving to cloud hosting or a virtual private server (VPS) is probably your best bet.

Technopedia offers a pretty good definition of cloud hosting, describing it as a physical server being “virtualized and consolidated to host several cloud servers, all sharing the processor, memory, storage, network and other resources.” Basically, this means that your site can be powered by a number of machines in a network. Obviously, the computing power and scalability offered by cloud hosting is far superior to that of a shared environment and, in some cases, even outperforms virtual private servers. Below, you’ll find our picks for the top cloud hosts. Dive into the complete reviews to see which one is right for your online mission.

6. Kamatera.com

Kamatera review

Monthly Starting Price $4.00

Visit Site »
  • Ultimate scalability with limitless customizations
  • Create and deploy servers in 60 seconds
  • Easily add load balancers and firewalls
  • Stellar 99.95% uptime guarantee
  • Sign up today for a 30-day FREE trial
  • Get started on Kamatera now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): Starting with more than 60 operating system images to choose from, Kamatera is a strong option for developers who know exactly what environment works best for their project. Customize your cloud server as needed and deploy in less than a minute. 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

7. Hostinger.com

Hostinger review

Monthly Starting Price $8.99

Visit Site »
  • User-friendly hosting powered by Google Cloud
  • Isolated resources and integrated CloudFlare
  • Built on CloudLinux with LVE containers
  • Automated, daily backups and integrated caching
  • Instant setup with intuitive custom control panel
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): Hostinger offers something for everyone. From two cloud hosting plans that leverage the company’s global datacenter presence to a premium service powered by Google Cloud Platform, you’re sure to find what you need. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 50 GB NVMe - 400 GB NVMe 2 - 6 cores 3 - 12 GB

See more top cloud hosting packages »

Best Ruby on Rails “VPS” Hosting

Probably the most popular way to power a Ruby on Rails web application is by employing a virtual private server. Many see similarities between VPS hosting and shared or even cloud hosting. However, the main difference is that, instead of leveraging machines across a network (cloud hosting) or vying for resources among users on a single server (shared hosting), VPS hosting partitions off a portion of a dedicated server. This way, you’re never really sharing resources — your space is guaranteed. Think of it as a mini version of a dedicated server.

Cloud and VPS hosting solutions each have distinct upsides, but both are perfect for running Ruby on Rails applications. You’ll find our top contenders for VPS hosting below. Read the full reviews and look for features, such as SSDs, to increase site performance and uptime rates.

8. Hostinger.com

Hostinger Review

Monthly Starting Price $4.49

Visit Site »
  • NVMe SSD storage and 1GB network speed
  • Automatic weekly backups and Kodee AI assistant 
  • FREE dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • Custom control panel for reboots and OS installs
  • 1-click operating system template and API access
  • HostingAdvice readers enjoy more than 50% off
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.8/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): Hostinger's laser focus on providing affordable hosting solutions shines brightest with the company's VPS packages. The company provides four different virtual server plans, including one that costs less than $5. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 50 GB NVMe - 400 GB NVMe 1 - 8 cores 4 GB - 32 GB

9. InterServer.net

InterServer Review

Monthly Starting Price $3.00

Visit Site »
  • $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.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(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

See more top VPS hosting packages »

Best Ruby on Rails “Dedicated Server” Hosting

The Ferrari of Ruby on Rails hosting, dedicated servers bring the speed and functionality of a high-performance sports car and prices to match. But don’t let sticker shock get you down. If your app has scaled enough to warrant a dedicated server to power it, odds are good your bottom line can handle the associated costs. And the returns on investment are definitely worth the higher price tag.

The hosts below offer dedicated server packages at reasonable costs and deliver the features necessary for continued growth. With these hosts, SSDs, network redundancy and backups, and around-the-clock monitoring are the norm. Read through our comprehensive reviews of both providers to see how going dedicated could be one of the best business decisions you’ve made.

10. InMotionHosting.com

InMotion Review

Monthly Starting Price $35.00

Visit Site »
  • Bare-metal or managed servers available
  • 1-on-1 time with a server administrator
  • 99.99% uptime via Smart Routing™ technology
  • Tier 1 network with redundant bandwidth
  • SSH root access and DDoS protection on all servers
  • Upgrade for cPanel, migration, and auto backups
  • Get started on InMotion now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

PJ Fancher

PJ Fancher

PJ Fancher, Contributing Expert

PJ is a professional web developer with more than 20 years of experience. His background began with writing small web applications using Perl, PHP, and MySQL in 1998. He has well-rounded experience with all aspects of web development, from server and database configuration to scripting, styling, design, and SEO.

(HostingAdvice.com): InMotion Hosting offers amazingly fast and reliable dedicated hosting on market-leading hardware — making it an easy choice for anyone seeking a premium dedicated server host. From free SSDs to a fanatical support team, InMotion has all the bases covered for both small-scale and large-scale operations. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
7 minutes 1 TB SSD - 3.2 TB SSD 12 - 32 cores 192 GB DDR4 - 512 GB DDR4

11. Bluehost.com

Bluehost Review

Monthly Starting Price $141.19

Visit Site »
  • Instant provisioning for all Bluehost server plans
  • Minimum 3 dedicated IP addresses
  • Modern hardware, built and maintained in house
  • 24/7 expedited support from a dedicated team
  • Sign up to save 25% on your first term
  • Get started on Bluehost now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Ryan Frankel

Ryan Frankel

Ryan Frankel, CTO and Contributing Expert

Ryan began developing websites in the late '90s and has personally tested just about every web host and cloud platform worth trying on the market today. With a masters degree in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Florida, he leverages his extensive knowledge of hardware, software, and their engineering relationship to inform HostingAdvice readers of the technical implications of their hosting choices. Ryan's subject matter expertise includes, but is not limited to, WordPress, cloud infrastructure management, product UI/UX design, and popular web development languages such as JavaScript and PHP.

(HostingAdvice.com): Built on modern technology, with a minimum of four CPU cores per dedicated server, Bluehost offers reliable and flexible dedicated hosting options at an extremely reasonable price. We continually praise the company's shared hosting options for having fantastic hardware and a great management console, and the brand's dedicated server offerings are no different. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
8 minutes 500 GB - 1 TB (RAID-1) 4 cores, 4 - 8 threads 4 GB - 16 GB

See more top dedicated server hosting packages »

Best “Cheap” Ruby on Rails Hosting

If you’ve just developed the next big social media app with Ruby on Rails but don’t have the same budget or number of users as, say, Twitter, don’t fret. There are a number of cost-friendly hosting providers that can power your Rails site. The lowest prices often come with shared hosting packages, and, as discussed, the shared environment is not ideal for scaling.

However, while you’re starting out, the shared hosting packages offered by the providers below will work just fine. And, once you’re ready to grow, migrating to one of the hosts’ VPS or dedicated server solutions is simple. Our reviews in the tables below should deliver all the information you need to make an informed decision on these low-cost plans.

12. InterServer.net

InterServer Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.50

Visit Site »
  • $0.01 first month (coupon code HOSTINGADV)
  • $2.50/month after. No contracts or increases
  • Unlimited storage space, data transfers, and email
  • Register or transfer domains for less than $10
  • 99.9% uptime and price-lock guarantee
  • Get started on InterServer now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.6/5.0

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim

Laura Bernheim, Contributing Expert

Laura has spent more than 12 years crafting engaging and award-winning articles that share the passion behind organizations' products, people, and innovations. As a long-time HostingAdvice contributing expert, she combines a reputation for producing quality content with rich technical expertise to show experienced developers how to capitalize on emerging technologies and find better ways to work with established platforms. A professional journalist, Laura has contributed to The New York Times, Sports Illustrated, the Sun Sentinel, and the world's top hosting providers.

(HostingAdvice.com): It's hard to argue with a shared hosting plan that includes unlimited storage, bandwidth, websites, and email — but shared hosting is a crowded industry that turns on name recognition, reputation, and bargain-basement prices. InterServer outperforms some of our higher-rated hosts, but we understand that many first-time site owners are laser-focused on finding the lowest costs. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

13. Hosting.com

Hosting.com Review

Monthly Starting Price $1.99

Visit Site »
  • Free Cloudflare CDN and SSD speed boost
  • Optimized caching and 1-click installs
  • Unlimited email, domains, and databases
  • Advanced security and free HackScan
  • 24/7 support via phone, chat & tickets
  • Get started on hosting.com now.
Our Expert's Review ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson

Alexandra Anderson, Contributing Expert

Alexandra is a web marketer, Agile Product Owner, and die-hard wordsmith who's contributed to HostingAdvice, InMotion Hosting, HostGator, and other prominent hosting and technology blogs, as well as Forbes. She has a master's degree in information technology from Virginia Tech and more than 10 years of experience building websites, advising on web and mobile app design, and crafting content that engages and converts. Her primary subject matter expertise spans WordPress, UX design, Agile project management, and, of course, web hosting.

(HostingAdvice.com): There are plenty of excellent cPanel shared hosting providers out there, so what sets hosting. com apart from the rest. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30 days 10 GB SSD - Unlimited SSD New or Transfer 4 minutes

See more budget-friendly hosting packages »

These Hosts Have What it Takes to Power Your Ruby on Rails-Based Apps

Thousands of developers are leveraging Ruby on Rails to build the web-based applications and tools modern consumers and businesses rely on every day. And the hosts presented here offer the power necessary to boost the performance of these applications, ultimately enhancing the experience for end users.

So, whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur launching your first project or an established enterprise seeking to super-charge online products, there’s sure to be a shared, cloud, VPS, or dedicated server solution right for your mission. Browse our reviews of top hosts and make an informed decision.

Advertiser Disclosure

HostingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). HostingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.