Writer: Lynn Cadet
Editor: Lillian Castro
Reviewer: Christina Lewis
Sometimes, reviews and customer testimonials are all the evidence you need to say yes to a purchase. Other times, you may need a bit more convincing before taking the leap. This is where free trials come in.
A rare find in the web hosting industry, VPS free trials are extremely helpful for developers seeking to test a hosting platform, evaluate administration tools, and benchmark hardware for performance.
With this in mind, I took on the duty of scouring the web for the best free VPS trials so you won’t have to worry about it. The hosts I’ve highlighted below offer the best risk-free options out there.
Main Takeaways:
- In web hosting, money-back guarantees are the standard over free trials.
- VPS free trials allow users to test platforms and exact hardware configurations.
- Credit card information is required for most free trials.
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Navigate This Article:
Best Free Trials for VPS Hosting
Signing up for a free VPS hosting plan is an untrustworthy bet that comes with thorns and thistles in the form of scamming and low performance. On the other hand, free trials allow you to test out VPS hosting risk-free with a genuine host.
When researching VPS free trials for this list, I prioritized two traits: hardware configuration and signup requirements.
There are only two web hosting provider plans that meet my main criteria for VPS free trials: Kamatera and Cloudways. I looked at the data centers, ease of domain registration, control panels, network analytics, scalability, and support of each company.
The industry standard in web hosting is a money-back guarantee. However, some hosts offer free trials that allow you to test drive their services and customize your setup without any strings attached.
Skip ahead to see the web hosts with money-back guarantees.
1. Kamatera — Best Cloud VPS Free Trial
The Kamatera free trial offer requires you to verify your email and add a billing profile with your address and phone number. However, you’ll need to add a credit card and expect up to $2 in verification charges. The premium VPS and cloud storage options are excellent at Kamatera, comparable to a dedicated server.
Kamatera.com
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.
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 |
Kamatera will apply a free offer code to your account that gives a total of $100 in bonus credit that can be used on a VPS plan or other web hosting service. You also receive 1000 GB Cloud Block storage and 1 TB of outgoing internet traffic.
Kamatera VPS plans bill at $4.00 per month for 1 vCPU configuration. The company is known as a reliable VPS hosting provider.
Pros:
- 30-day free trial includes a $100 bonus credit
- Customizable hardware configurations
- Fast server setup and provisioning
- Unlimited scaling
Cons:
- Customer support can be inconsistent
- Complicated pay-as-you-go model
I find Kamatera’s VPS free trial unique. The $100 monthly credit can be applied to any cloud resource configuration, giving you more than enough to test out its platform. There are cloud service options for Windows, Linux, and BSD operating systems, as well as multiple data centers.
2. Cloudways — 30-Day Free Trial, No Credit Card Required
Cloudways has a unique VPS service that allows anyone to host a virtual server across a choice of five major public cloud platforms with a managed service stack at a low cost. Cloudways deploys virtual servers across your choice of web hosting company infrastructure: DigitalOcean, Linode, AWS, or GCP.
Cloudways.com
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.
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 |
The free trial offer on the VPS platform at Cloudways is only valid for three days. Although you may have to contact its verification department to get registered, the Cloudways service does not require you to register your credit card details to get started with the VPS free trial service.
Pros:
- No credit card required for a 3-day free trial
- Choice of multiple hosting providers, including AWS and GCP
- Managed hosting service
- Autoscaling and built-in CDN
Cons:
- Extra cost for add-ons
- Limited email hosting support
The VPS free trial offer at Cloudways applies to three providers (Vultr, Linode, and DigitalOcean) that start at 1 vCPU + 1 GB RAM. The cheapest plan is $8.25, with 25 GB of SSD storage and 1 TB of monthly bandwidth.
From its cheap plans that start for less than $10 a month to its enterprise-level packages nearing $3,000 monthly, Cloudways is the kind of host that has something for everyone.
Cheap VPS Hosting With Money-Back Guarantees
The alternative to VPS free trials is cloud VPS hosting with money-back guarantees. Guarantees are a standard in the hosting industry but vary significantly from host to host.
Web hosting companies offer money-back guarantees with terms as short as 7–14 days, with 1 month as standard. A few hosts extend money-back guarantees to 45 or 90 days.
The companies I listed below offer the best money-back guarantees included with their platform services in the industry.
Although they’re not free trials, money-back guarantees allow you to test the platform and get a refund for any reason if not satisfied within the limited term. Remember to check the terms to learn what conditions may apply.
3. Hostinger — 30-Day Refund Policy
Taking a unique approach, Hostinger provides both free trials and money-back guarantees. The host offers a money-back guarantee of 30 days on the majority of its hosting products and free trials for its website builder and business email plans.
Hostinger.com
Monthly Starting Price $6.29
- 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.
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 |
Take a deep dive into its VPS platform that is built on Linux operating systems, NVMe SSD storage, and AMD EPYC processors. You can work your way through its setup and determine whether it’s the right fit within 30 days — or get your money back, simple as that.
Pros:
- Real-time snapshots
- FREE automatic weekly backups
- AI-powered assistance
- Support for various Linux-based OSes
Cons:
- No phone support
- Exclusions may apply for refund policy
Hostinger has built a solid reputation as an affordable yet powerful service in the hosting world. Like its other plans, the VPS options have an AI companion for assistance throughout your journey. The VPS platform is also teeming with advanced features, including real-time snapshots, backups, and DDoS protection. The company will not process any refunds for accounts paid with cryptocurrencies. Read the refund policy for terms.
4. IONOS — Risk-Free 30-Day Guarantee
Already offering a low-cost shared hosting plan for just $1.00 per month, IONOS doubles down by offering two VPS plan options so discounted they might as well be free. All it takes is $2.00 — which is fully refundable — to get started.
IONOS.com
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.
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 |
Four of the host’s VPS plans come with introductory rates of less than $10 per month, including two VPS configurations for less than $5 monthly. With the IONOS money-back guarantee, you just need to cancel within the first 30 days to get your small investment back.
Pros:
- Full root access
- Choice of monthly or annual contracts
- Windows and Linux support
- Fast NVMe storage
- Encrypted remote access
Cons:
- No email support
- Excessive upselling during purchase and setup process
The trusted experts at IONOS have crafted a platform known worldwide for reliability, security, and performance. The company offers above-average 99.99% uptime, unlimited traffic, and a choice of multiple data center locations along with Windows or Plesk software.
5. A2 Hosting — 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee or Prorated Refund After 90 Days
The unconditional money-back guarantee at A2 Hosting is 30 days. The company will offer a prorated refund if you choose to cancel an account up to 90 days into the contract. A2 Hosting does not provide refunds on renewal charges, so you need to cancel VPS service accounts in advance.
A2Hosting.com
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.
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 |
Pros:
- Complete control and full root access
- Unmanaged and managed VPS options
- FREE cPanel with managed accounts
- Multilingual customer support
- Site/account migration included
Cons:
- No refund on monthly billed plans
- Large price hikes for renewals
A2 Hosting does not offer free domains on its VPS server hosting plans. There is no provision for a refund unless you register a new domain on-site, and then the standard domain transfer service is available with a VPS server plan.
6. GoDaddy — 30 Days on Annual Plans & 48 Hours on Monthly Services
GoDaddy has a well-defined money-back guarantee of 30 days that is unconditional on annual hosting plans. For monthly accounts, you need to request a refund within 48 hours. There is a 5-day window for refunds (45 days on auto-renewals) on new domain name registrations.
GoDaddy.com
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.
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 |
Pros:
- Dedicated IP and DDoS protection
- On-demand snapshots
- Complete control of patching and updating
- SSH key available
- Multisite support
Cons:
- Pricey compared to other hosts
If you need to retain ownership and transfer a domain from GoDaddy on a canceled virtual private server account, you will have to go through the approval process with your new registrar or web host.
7. InterServer — 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee
InterServer has an industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee that is found on annual or multiyear plans. The refund policy will not apply if you register domain names, SSL certificates, or dedicated IP addresses on the platform. The refund term is 7 days for other monthly plans.
InterServer.net
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.
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 |
Pros:
- Remote access and backups
- Wide selection of supported scripts
- Full root access
- Self-healing hardware for higher uptime
Cons:
- Inconsistent customer support
- Outdated user interface
If you register domain names, IP addresses, or SSL certificates with InterServer, you won’t be able to request a refund under the money-back guarantee, but you can submit an ownership transfer for the domain. This is the same policy applied by all web hosts with these products.
8. Hostwinds — 72-Hour Window on Refund Requests
Hostwinds has a fairly strict refund request policy, as many of its virtual private server products are billed monthly or under “pay-as-you-go” terms with fixed rates for hardware. You need to request a refund from Hostwinds within 72 hours of purchase, and this will not be possible for SSL or IP addresses.
Hostwinds.com
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.
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 |
Pros:
- FREE website transfers
- Your choice of data center location
- Enterprise-level firewall
- Automated nightly backups
Cons:
- A short window for refunds
- Customer complaints about AI-powered tech support
You can register domain names on Hostwinds, but they will not be refunded, even under the 72-hour policy. This also applies to software licenses, SSL certificates, and dedicated IP addresses. You may be able to transfer domain name ownership from a VPS server if working through customer service.
What Is VPS Hosting?
As you may already know, there are several types of hosting. The main ones are shared hosting, VPS hosting, and dedicated hosting. I’m going to use an analogy to explain how each of these work.
Imagine you’re going on vacation, and you need to find a place to stay for the night. You could stay in a hostel, which is really cheap, but you have to share a room with several other people, and you might not have enough space. That’s how shared hosting works. You share space with dozens (sometimes hundreds) of other websites on the same server.
Then, you have dedicated hosting. Think of this setup as renting a house from Airbnb. Yes, it’s going to be expensive, but you get a heck of a lot more space. With a dedicated server, the entire physical hardware is dedicated to your website.
Finally, there’s VPS hosting — a nice middle ground similar to renting a hotel room. Sure, you’re sharing the hotel building with other people, but you get your own dedicated room. It’s less expensive than a dedicated server because you’re on the same hardware as other users, but it gives you more privacy and control than shared hosting.
How Does a VPS Free Trial Work?
A VPS free trial allows anyone to sign up and use the resources provided under limited terms. Some companies require ID and credit card verification. Other companies do not offer free trials at all but commit to money-back guarantee offers where you can request a refund on the plan.
When looking for a VPS free trial, it’s important to evaluate how long the trial period lasts, whether the provider requires a credit card upon signup, and the configuration of the virtual server.
With VPS free trials, developers can preview server administration across different control panels, including cPanel, Plesk, and Webuzo.
- cPanel is one of the most popular control panels on the market.
- Plesk is a hosting control panel widely employed by web professionals and hosts.
- Webuzo‘s multi-user control panel works well with cloud and dedicated hosting.
The best VPS free trials do not function as a scaled-down or restricted offer, so they can be used to test the full platform features of a web host.
Why Should I Get VPS Hosting With a Free Trial?
A free trial allows developers to test a platform, assessing for functionality and benchmark performance. A free offer can save budget users the equivalent of $5 to $10 per month on a VPS plan with most hosting companies.
Money-back guarantees, however, have their own appeal, especially if you’re committing to an annual or multiyear VPS plan. Review the terms before you buy.
Main Advantages of a Money-Back Guarantee vs. Free Trials:
- Money-back guarantees allow you to sign up for long-term plans to test platforms.
- If you are not satisfied for any reason, you can request a refund in the first 30 days.
- Some companies offer prorated refunds up to 90 days on multiyear plans.
The ability to sign up for a VPS free trial is limited at most of the major hosting companies. The best deals are available from companies like Kamatera that offer a $100 credit for use in the first month.
Can I Sign Up for a VPS Free Trial Without a Credit Card?
There are only a few companies that offer a VPS free trial without registering a valid credit card at signup, and these plans require other forms of identity verification. You will need to submit copies of your driver’s license or passport and verify your mobile phone to use a free VPS plan.
Why VPS Free Trials Require Credit Card or Identity Verification:
- The risk of fraud or use of free plans by hackers and spammers is the main concern.
- Web hosting companies offer VPS free trials as a means of upselling to new customers.
- Mobile phone verification is consistent with 2-factor authentication in cloud hosting.
Cloudways is the best option if you need a VPS free trial for use without a credit card, though the account is only valid for three days.
You can get a free VPS trial without a credit card, but it’s rare and usually requires submission of alternative forms of identification.
For most companies, a credit card, ID, and mobile verification is required.
How Do I Choose the Best VPS Provider?
The best VPS provider depends on the hardware, cost, type of virtualization used, data center optimization, and tools provided to administrators for configuration. Web server hardware is available in elite configurations with SSD storage and web traffic load balancing on VPS plans.
SSD storage, monthly bandwidth allotments, data center optimization, vCPU, and GB of RAM are all essential items to consider when looking for a VPS hosting plan.
When you’re shopping for a VPS, you should evaluate a provider for these features:
- Operating system: Do you need Linux or Windows? Before you sign up for a VPS, make sure the web host offers the operating system you need for your project.
- Root access: How much control do you have over your server? Can you customize the server yourself? A web host that offers full root access is best if you want to tweak settings yourself.
- Scalability: Not all VPSes are the same. Some providers make it easy to upgrade your RAM, bandwidth, and CPUs, while others may not offer the same flexibility. Find a VPS that lets you easily customize the amount of resources you need.
- Management: VPSes can be unmanaged, semi-managed, or fully managed. If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of maintaining your server, it’s worth it to choose a web host with fully managed plans.
- Price: Spend a little or a lot — it’s up to you and how deep your pockets are. I’ve seen unmanaged VPS plans start for as little as $2 a month. On the higher end, well-provisioned VPSes can get pretty pricey. You should think about your budget before you buy a VPS, and make sure to read the fine print on renewal pricing.
Thankfully, free trials and money-back guarantees can help you in your search. If you’re a nervous Nelly about committing to a provider, take advantage of these offers to test the waters risk-free.
What Is the Difference Between VPS and Cloud Hosting?
Cloud and VPS hosting are like cousins. They share a lot of similarities in their makeup, but on a fundamental level, they are built with different foundations.
Virtual private servers, or VPSes, use a method called virtualization to isolate resources within their hardware, giving each user a dedicated hosting environment.
VPS and cloud hosting have two different infrastructure models. While VPSes can use a single server to house multiple hosting environments, cloud hosting uses a network of servers to power user environments.
Cloud hosting differs in the fact that it leverages a network of virtual servers to power applications and websites. So instead of partitioning a single server among users, it has a multitude of servers at its disposal, allowing higher reliability, scalability, and availability.
Is a Free Trial Better Than Free Web Hosting?
A VPS free trial is better than free web hosting for one primary reason: it’s reliable. While doing my research, I came to the conclusion that free hosting is just not worth it because it provides too few resources and is riddled with scams.
Free trials allow you to test the exact hardware configuration and platform administration software provided by a trustworthy and performant web host. While a free hosting plan will likely leave you limited to subdomain hosting on a web builder plan or a custom platform linked to a major company.
The best VPS provider depends on the hardware, cost, type of virtualization used, and tools provided for management and orchestration.
The best way to get free VPS hosting is to use the bonus signup credits at a public cloud host like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
However, the products on most public cloud hosts like GCP and AWS are not designed for retail users or small businesses. In some instances, these companies offer a free tier to users as long as web traffic or CPU usage does not exceed fixed rates.
Free Hosting Options to Consider vs. VPS Free Trials:
- GoDaddy, Wix, Weebly, WordPress, and other companies offer free hosting.
- Public cloud hosts like AWS, DigitalOcean, and Azure offer free credits on signup.
- Free hosting on a public cloud host will allow custom web server configurations.
These are better options than free website builders for developers, but niche businesses can save with site builder options.
Where Else Can I Find No-Cost VPS Hosting?
Some of the other cloud hosting companies offering free credits on signup are Vultr, Linode, UpCloud, and CloudSigma.
These credits can be applied to premium VPS plans under any configuration and can be used normally under term limitations. Thereafter, the standard billing rates for the plan will apply. Bonus credits at public cloud hosts like Azure can be as high as $200.
Some of the best options for no-cost VPS include those with managed platforms with monthly terms and the ability to transfer files for apps in development between hosts until the project is viable.
FastComet and ScalaHosting have some other options for no-cost VPS hosting that are worth considering.
FastComet offers a 14-day free VPS trial offer with ID and credit card validation. ScalaHosting offers a 30-day money-back guarantee — an industry standard — on trial VPS plans. ScalaHosting is popular with developers for managed cloud services.
What Are the Cheapest VPS Hosts?
A free trial is enticing for those who want to save money. But don’t let a no-cost trial period distract you from the regular monthly price of a VPS. Before signing up for the trial, ensure the regular monthly price is within your budget. Otherwise, you’ll have to go through the headache of canceling your plan and migrating your website all over again.
If budget is at the front of your mind, consider these hosts first:
- IONOS: Plans starting at $2.00
- A2 Hosting: Plans starting at $2.99
- Kamatera: Plans starting at $4.00
- Hostinger: Plans starting at $6.29
These providers represent the best value when it comes to cheap VPS hosting. If you outgrow your cheap, entry-level plan, each offers the option to upgrade for more features at a higher (but still affordable) price.
Test Drive Your Hosting Service to Find the Best Value
If you’re a developer, VPS free trials can be a helpful resource to jump-start new projects on custom web server configurations or to test platforms for long-term support. Although it would appear normal to test a product or platform before using it, free trials are a rarity in web hosting due to the standardization of the money-back guarantee.
The difference is that you need to pay for the VPS hosting service in advance and request a refund from the web hosting provider with a money-back guarantee, though the process is typically seamless. Unless you use a free SSL certificate, your refund will not cover certain domain names or security fees.
In our survey, Kamatera, Hostinger, Cloudways, and IONOS rated the best for offering VPS free trials with full functionality with or without prepayment.
Regardless of your choice, trying out hosting platforms risk-free will help you find the best value and avoid getting locked into a contract you don’t want.
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