12 Best Free VPS Hosting (2024)

Free Vps Hosting

The Beatles may have had it right when they sang about how “the best things in life are free” — but they probably didn’t know they’d be harmonizing about web developers’ quest for free VPS hosting.

A virtual private server (VPS) offers a middle ground between shared hosting and a dedicated server, combining computing resources and control with affordability and convenience. However, the price tag for a top VPS plan can seem a little steep to site owners who want to test a new idea or application.

A free VPS is often less powerful than those from top hosts, but it can be useful for getting a taste of server configuration and management. Steer clear of scams by looking at our list of best deals on VPS hosting — ranging from completely free and free trials to plans with lengthy money-back guarantees.

Expert Picks for Free VPS Hosting

Although we tend to be wary of free website hosting plans at the shared hosting level, low-cost cloud VPS hosting doesn’t get much better than Kamatera.

Those looking to make the jump to cloud hosting can enjoy free VPS hosting on a virtualized server built to your exact specifications. Kamatera gives customers dozens of options for operating systems, control panels, storage configurations, and other resources.

1. Kamatera.com

Kamatera Review

Monthly Starting Price $0.00

  • Customize your cloud environment for FREE
  • Work with a dedicated account manager
  • Dozens of Windows & Linux OS choices
  • Complimentary live chat support open 24/7
  • Launch in less than 60 seconds
  • Get started on Kamatera now.
CHEAP
RATING
★★★★★ 4.7 Our Review»
Kamatera: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): That’s right, Kamatera gives new customers FREE access to high-quality VPS hosting for 30 days. Upgrade your bargain-basement shared hosting to a cloud server configured to your exact specifications for no cost. Go to full review »

Money Back Guarantee Disk Space Domain Name Setup Time
30-day FREE trial 20 GB SSD – 4 TB SSD New or Transfer 3 minutes

With Kamatera’s VPS hosting solutions, you’ll have nearly limitless resources at your disposal. Website owners get essentially $100 worth of configurations for their free VPS plan — with no commitment, and no hidden fees.

  • RAM: 1 – 32 GB
  • Operating system: Linux & Windows
  • IP address: 1 – 4

Even better, each free VPS server hosting environment comes equipped with modern solid-state drives, a simple management console, and 24/7 support. Add in the capacity for free Windows VPS hosting, and Kamatera is full of rare finds when it comes to free web hosting.

Kamatera operates in 13 data centers spread across four continents and promises an above-average 99.95% uptime guarantee.

2. IONOS.com

1&1 IONOS Review

Monthly Starting Price $2.00

  • Affordable VPS hosting with no hidden fees
  • Try it FREE via 30-day money-back guarantee
  • Full root access and API
  • 10GB to 240GB SSD, Linux or Windows
  • No throttling or traffic restrictions, ever
  • Get started on 1&1 IONOS now.
VPS
RATING
★★★★★ 4.8 Our Review»
1&1 IONOS: Our Expert’s Review

Alexandra Anderson (HostingAdvice.com): For an all-star player in the game of web hosting flexibility, look no further than the low-cost options from 1&1 IONOS. The company’s vServers are a powerful VPS option that includes dedicated resources and unlimited traffic. Go to full review »

Setup Time Disk Space CPU RAM
6 minutes 10 GB NVMe – 640 GB NVMe 1 – 12 cores 1 GB – 24 GB

1&1 IONOS also lets aspiring site developers try VPS hosting risk-free for 30 days thanks to a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you choose to stick around, the hosting provider‘s $2.00-per-month price tag is the best in the industry.

But the low cost doesn’t mean low quality — 1&1 IONOS virtual servers come equipped with SSD storage, an above-average 99.99% uptime guarantee, root access, and unlimited traffic.

  • CPU cores: 1 – 8
  • Storage: 10 GB – 240 GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: Unlimited
  • RAM: 512 MB – 24 GB
  • Operating system: Linux & Windows
  • IP address: 1

The longtime web hosting veterans at 1&1 IONOS offer a wide range of best-in-class services to more than 8 million customers worldwide.

Site owners can customize their virtualized environments by adding the Plesk control panel or Windows operating system. Optimize your VPS for processor or memory resources, and choose your secure data center location in the U.S., U.K., or Europe.

3 Best Almost-Free VPS Hosting Services

You know the saying, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”? You can pretty much apply it to most free web hosting services. At best, you get a tiny bit of space on an outdated server in some overseas data center. At worst, you’ve exposed your personal data or domain name to dangerous people.

We strongly recommend spending a few dollars — just a few, we promise — to unlock a treasure trove of added features, performance boosts, security, and reliability from a highly regarded hosting company.

Even better, invest a fraction more to unlock managed VPS hosting services. Your hosting provider will deploy a team of engineers, system administrators, and hardware experts to maintain your virtual private server’s performance and security.

The hosts listed below offer some of the best, most affordable, virtual private server plans in the industry. Click on our reviews of these hosts below to learn more:

3. 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
★★★★★ 4.8 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

4. Hostinger.com

Hostinger Review

Monthly Starting Price $4.49

  • NVMe SSD storage and malware scanner
  • Automatic weekly backups and an AI assistant
  • FREE dedicated IPv4 and IPv6 addresses
  • Custom control panel for reboots and OS installs
  •  1-click operating system template
  • HostingAdvice readers enjoy more than 50% off
  • Get started on Hostinger now.
VPS
RATING
★★★★★ 5.0 Our Review»
Hostinger: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (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

5. Hostwinds.com

Hostwinds Review

Monthly Starting Price $4.99

  • Managed or unmanaged, 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.
VPS
RATING
★★★★★ 4.8 Our Review»
Hostwinds: Our Expert’s Review

Laura Bernheim (HostingAdvice.com): Does any hosting provider have more virtual private server packages than Hostwinds. The company offers 10 configurations — and that’s just for managed Linux server partitions. Go to full review »

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

Other Free VPS Hosting Sites

Although you can find a fair number of free web hosting services at the shared server level, site owners can have a harder time looking for a cloud server or VPS solution.

Your best bet, if you don’t want to sign up with a hosting provider listed above, is to look for a free VPS trial with a reputable provider.

In addition to a few options in the list below, cloud computing products, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, and DigitalOcean, offer surprisingly good free options.

Your server resources may be somewhat limited, but the free unmanaged VPS will give you plenty of time to figure out the platform and get a feel for what might work the best for your website or application long term.

Occasionally, legit hosts will dangle a free VPS hosting service offer in the hopes of generating leads for premium services. Usually, though, you get what you pay for — a whole lot of nothing.

Whichever route you choose, be especially cautious with sharing your personal data or payment information. Even though you can strike gold, free VPS hosting is largely considered a scam.

The companies, usually headquartered overseas, often collect your contact information to sell to other companies — all while insisting they’re processing your request. We’ve done our best to verify the hosts listed below are legit, though, so good luck on your quest!

6. x10Hosting

x10Hosting logo

Although the free services from x10Hosting remove some of the control and performance features of virtual private servers, the company’s cloud-based platform affords users unlimited storage and bandwidth to freely scale your website or application.

More experienced users will likely miss root access and some of the fine-grain controls, but beginners will appreciate the familiarity of the cPanel interface, one-click software installations, and flexible resources.

  • CPU cores:
  • Storage: Unlimited
  • Bandwidth: Unlimited
  • RAM: 512MB
  • Operating system: Linux
  • IP address: 1

Powered by SingleHop architecture, x10Hosting prioritizes speed and simplicity, with rapid deployments and no pressure to upgrade your account (though doing so may support the company’s affiliate program). The company has been around for more than 15 years, making it a mainstay of the free hosting industry.

Behind 100% SSD hardware, x10Hosting serves more than 12 million pages a month and hosts upward of 122 million files.

7. GigaRocket

GigaRocket logo

Following a post-to-host business model, GigaRocket provides server space to users who join and participate in the company’s community forums.

To receive a free virtual server account, site owners will join more than 90,000 members on the online message board and submit 25 posts before applying for the service. GigaRocket asks that users continue to post regularly, requiring 15 posts each month to maintain the free service.

  • CPU cores: 1
  • Storage: 25GB
  • Bandwidth: 150GB
  • RAM: 1GB
  • Operating system: Multiple Linux choices
  • IP address: 2

The physical server specs are a little low when compared with those of competitors, and the limited availability may mean you have to wait a bit longer for your free VPS, but we appreciate the range of Linux operating systems available.

GigaRocket aims to support students and developers with opportunities to enhance their skills in Linux VPS management, and the company provides one of the more trustworthy options.

8. VPSWALA

VPSWALA logo

Formed in 2013, VPSWALA hosts thousands of customer websites from 15 datacenter locations around the world. The company gears its free VPS service toward students and aspiring developers and does not require a credit card number at signup.

Backed by Intel SSD storage arranged in RAID-10 arrays, VPSWALA touts its reliability and performance optimizations while promising to never oversell its equipment.

  • CPU cores: 2
  • Storage: 30GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 1TB
  • RAM: 2GB
  • Operating system: Windows or Linux
  • IP address: 1

In addition to relying on OpenStack and KVM, VPSWALA created a custom control panel that gives users the ability to turn servers on or off, reboot, install a different operating system or software scripts, access server stats, and log into root access.

Linux VPS operating system options include Debian, CentOS, or Ubuntu.

9. ALA VPS

ALAVPS logo

A full-service VPS provider offering customers a chance to sample many of its services for free, ALA VPS features performance-optimized hardware that the company claims loads sites up to three times faster than competitors.

Free VPS or cloud VPS options are available in less than a minute, and the signup process is simple and straightforward. ALA VPS promises to deliver weekly remote backups, DDoS protection, and the choice of Windows or Linux operating systems.

  • CPU cores: 1 to 4
  • Storage: 50GB to 800GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 300GB
  • RAM: Up to 16 GB
  • Operating system: Windows or Linux
  • IP address: 1

Despite assurances of 24/7 support and a stunning 100% uptime guarantee, we encourage potential customers to tread carefully, as the knowledge base and announcements sections of the ALA VPS website remain blank.

That being said, the company does not take any of your payment info at signup and seems to be one of the more trustworthy free VPS providers out there.

10. SolVPS

SolVPS logo

As a provider of cloud-based shared and VPS hosting, SolVPS serves customers in nearly 120 countries with supercharged performance, on-demand deployments, and an above-average 99.99% uptime guarantee.

The company’s free Windows VPS option is a bit of a long shot, but who knows — maybe you’ll get lucky. Potential customers must request and be approved for a free account, but highly configurable services from a reputable provider are worth any potential delays.

  • CPU cores: 1
  • Storage: 15GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 100GB
  • RAM: 256MB
  • Operating system: Windows 2008 or 2012
  • IP address: 1

Windows VPS hosting is particularly difficult to track down, given the licensing fees associated with Microsoft’s products. SolVPS, however, offers three different versions of its server operating system.

We’re not sure who would want to use Windows Server 2003, but hey, it’s an option.

11. InstaFree

InstaFree logo

A well-known brand in the realm of free hosting, InstaFree has been providing a no-cost shared, reseller, and VPS hosting plan since 2010. We certainly respect the company’s longevity and its inclusion of cPanel and a 99.9% uptime guarantee, but InstaFree allocates very tiny server partitions to free VPS hosting customers.

The environments will provide a great trial run of VPS hosting for experienced developers, but don’t expect to stay on the free hosting plan for long if you aspire for growth. Beginners or first-time VPS customers should be aware that InstaFree does not support or manage the environments, leaving you completely on your own. InstaFree only troubleshoots network or server outages, leaving customer support to the community forums.

  • CPU cores: 1
  • Storage: 50GB SSD
  • Bandwidth: 50GB
  • RAM: 256MB
  • Operating system: Linux
  • IP addresses: 2

The company’s servers are located in Dallas, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. To sign up, customers must first join the forums and submit an application.

Orders are manually reviewed, typically within 24 to 48 hours, but you are at the company’s mercy as to when you can get started. InstaFree refuses to give hosting to more than 45 countries, citing past abuse.

12. WoomHost

WoomHost logo

Whether you’re looking for shared, cloud, WordPress, or VPS hosting, WoomHost offers a seemingly unlimited number of free hosting accounts.

The VPS packages come with two CPU cores, a free domain registration, and live chat support, as well as ample storage and bandwidth. WoomHost allocates a little more disk space and data transfer for the resource-intensive Windows plans, which we appreciate.

  • CPU cores: 2
  • Storage: 120GB to 165GB
  • Bandwidth: 1.5TB
  • RAM: 2GB to 4GB
  • Operating system: Windows or Linux
  • IP address: 1

Although signing up for services was simple and relatively painless, potential customers may want to look out for a few warning signs. WoomHost has good customer reviews online, but a blank about page and fake address make us a little skeptical.

What Is VPS Hosting?

VPS hosting, also called a virtual private server, is a type of web hosting setup where you get isolated resources on a shared virtual server. A special software called a hypervisor splits the server up into slices, giving you isolated resources that offer more power and security than shared hosting.

Pros and cons of a VPS
The pros of a VPS usually outweigh the cons for developers and larger organizations.

The best part of a VPS is its price tag. You get similar power to that of a dedicated server and only have to pay $5 to $20 a month for a plan.

How Does Free VPS Hosting Work?

Every website needs a web host to provide space on the internet for visitors to access the site. When you purchase a hosting plan, you’re basically paying a service to store your site’s files on its servers and make them available to internet users.

Free VPS hosting is a type of hosting where the web host provides a virtual private server at no cost. However, you’ll usually have to pay for the resources you use, such as bandwidth, storage, and CPU. Most free VPS hosting plans have resource limits, so you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan if you exceed them.

Who Should Use Free VPS Hosting?

Free VPS hosting presents a great path for:

  • new project experimentation
  • small sites that don’t require a ton of resources
  • aspiring developers who simply want to learn about server administration

The primary benefits of free VPS hosting include the lack of contract or vendor lock-in, the creative freedom to tinker with a limited set of server resources, and, of course, the $0 price tag.

Who Should Not Use Free VPS Hosting?

As you can see, free VPS hosting plans typically come with just 1 CPU core and a small amount of storage. Site owners are typically restricted to free and open-source Linux distributions instead of commercial Windows Server licenses.

Your free VPS server will almost assuredly be of the unmanaged variety, meaning you’re entirely in control of configuration, security, backups, updates, patches, and other server maintenance.

This can be treacherous for those looking for a forex VPS solution for algorithm-based currency trading. If you need a reliable and fast solution, seek out a managed VPS hosting plan.

What Are The Disadvantages of Free VPS Hosting?

The biggest disadvantage of free VPS hosting is that you’ll usually end up paying for overages of the resources you use. This can be more expensive than a paid hosting plan, especially if you need a lot of resources. You’ll also have to share the server with other users, which can impact your site’s performance.

Free hosting plans pros and cons
Free VPS hosting comes with its share of issues, so be mindful when choosing a free host.

Free VPS customers may not have as much control over the server as one would with a paid plan. Without an included control panel — another expense a free VPS hosting provider typically can’t afford — admins must rely on root access and their knowledge of the command line. This is especially troublesome for those coming from a shared hosting account packed with all those user-friendly features.

How Do I Optimize a Virtual Private Server?

Once you purchase a VPS hosting plan, you may have questions about how to optimize it properly. Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

  1. Ensure your website is optimized: you can optimize your site for faster loading by using image optimization techniques and removing unused or outdated third-party tools, such as old WordPress plugins. You can also use caching tools and remove redundant code.
  2. Perform regular maintenance and updates: Keep your software updated to prevent performance and security issues. Your ongoing server maintenance plan should include regular security audits and malware protection.
  3. Have a backup and disaster recovery strategy: Performing regular backups ensures your data is safe in case of a natural disaster or DDoS attack.
  4. Monitor your VPS: You should use server monitoring tools to track the health of your system. Monitoring tools can track your resource usage and alert you of potential issues.

If you’re new to the world of VPS management, consider purchasing a managed VPS hosting plan. These plans cost a bit more but come with professional, hands-on server management.

Look for Value in a VPS Free Trial When Shopping for Hosting Services

While no-cost or temporary service is a good testing ground for first-time VPS users or promising new projects, free VPS hosting shouldn’t be in your long-term plans.

Some companies, such as ScalaHosting and AccuWebHosting, commonly offer discounted services or a VPS trial to nonprofit organizations, students, or teachers.

Chances are, you’ll want all those extra features mentioned above, such as remote desktop functionality and a dedicated IP address.

Plus, you should be able to run your website or application on modern, reliable, and scalable hardware. Even better, what if you had the option to upgrade to dedicated hosting?

Free VPS hosts aren’t known for being wildly available when it comes to customer support, so you’ll likely be on your own.

For instance, experienced developers can still enjoy root access and fine-tuning a VPS while offloading the tedious and time-consuming maintenance projects to a company offering managed VPS support.

Similarly, beginners will especially appreciate having around-the-clock technical support on standby when something inevitably goes awry.

So, instead of falling into the free VPS hosting trap, you should instead find a trustworthy web host that emphasizes affordability. The small investment will surely pay dividends in the future and usually includes extra perks like a free domain name, automatic backups, and additional security.

Check out our favorite VPS hosts and our collection of hosting deals and coupons to find the provider that meets your technical and budgetary needs.

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