Best VPS Hosting Services of 2025

ScalaHosting is the best VPS hosting service overall, offering exceptional flexibility with fully customizable plans and generous features.

However, first-time VPS users on a tight budget might prefer IONOS, as it offers an incredibly low entry point at just $2/mo. On the other end of the scale, power users with mission-critical sites should consider InMotion Hosting's Premier Care plans, which include white-glove support, advanced security, and 300 GB of backup storage.

Keep reading to learn more about these top VPS providers. We’ll cover their pricing, standout features, and drawbacks, and give you practical information to help you pick the one that’s right for you.

The best VPS web hosting services

Compare the best VPS hosting services

Best for	Best for customizable VPS plans	Best for first-time VPS users	Best for power users with bigger budgets
Star rating	4.9 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.7 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.4 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price	Starts at $14.96/mo	Starts at $2/mo	Starts at $6/mo
Money-back guarantee	Anytime for prepaid / unused hosting services	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 30 to 90 days*
Uptime guarantee	99.99%	99.99%	99.99%
Hardware	2 - 24 CPU cores	1 - 12 CPU cores	1 - 32 CPU cores
Bandwidth	Unmetered	Unlimited	2 TB - unlimited
Storage	50 GB - 2 TB NVMe	10 GB - 720 GB NVMe	30 GB - 540 GB NVMe**
RAM	4 GB - 128 GB RAM	1 GB - 24 GB RAM	1 GB - 32 GB RAM
Learn more	Get ScalaHosting Read ScalaHosting Review	Get IONOS Read IONOS Web Hosting Review	Get InMotion Hosting Read InMotion Hosting Review

ScalaHosting: Best for customizable VPS plans

What we liked

Choose your resource levels: Most hosting companies design their plans, and then let you choose from their menu of options. ScalaHosting takes the opposite approach and puts you in the driver’s seat. You decide the number of CPU cores and amount of RAM and storage that you need, and ScalaHosting charges you accordingly.

Universal advanced features: Based on its design-your-own-plan approach, ScalaHosting doesn’t paywall any features outside of the three core resources (CPU cores, RAM, storage). That means that regardless of what resources you pick for your plan, you’ll get the same benefits. This makes ScalaHosting one of the best cheap VPS providers, too.

Branding and white labeling: With ScalaHosting’s VPS plans, you can add your own logo and brand name to the hosting dashboard. It’s perfect for reseller businesses and agencies.

Anytime money-back guarantee: ScalaHosting offers an excellent anytime money-back guarantee. If you’re not satisfied with your VPS plan at any point during your contract, you can request a refund and receive a rebate for the unused portion.

Managed VPS and unmanaged VPS: You can pick either. The managed option comes with more features and a higher price tag, but this is standard and to be expected.

Root access: You can adjust your server to your liking, and on unmanaged plans, you can choose your OS: Rocky Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, Alma Linux, or Windows.

What we didn’t like

No cPanel: ScalaHosting provides you with its own proprietary SPanel control panel. It gets the job done, but for users who are familiar with cPanel, it means having to spend time getting used to something new.

Test results

We recently conducted in-depth testing on ScalaHosting’s shared web hosting plans and recorded strong results. After building a mock website, we ran a speed test from three different locations using Dotcom-Tools, and ScalaHosting earned a strong overall performance score.

Its scores for First Contentful Paint (FCP, when the first element on a webpage loads) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP, how fast the largest element loads) were also good, both coming in under a second.

Google recommends keeping your LCP below 2.5 seconds and your FCP below 1.8 seconds for a good user experience, and ScalaHosting crushed those numbers.[1][2] We also recorded a flawless 100% uptime during our testing.

Star rating summary

ScalaHosting has a mostly positive reputation online, which mirrors our experience. It offers solid security, excellent performance, and comes with all the features you need on a VPS plan.

The customer support is also reliable and helpful. If you ever get stuck and the knowledge base doesn’t have a clear answer, you can always speak to a human and get a response. If cPanel were available as an option, it would be an almost perfect service. Other than that, it’s arguably the best VPS hosting option on the web.

IONOS: Best for first-time VPS users

What we liked

Beginner-friendly pricing: IONOS’s cheapest unmanaged VPS plan costs less than even some of its very affordable shared hosting options. Granted, it’s as basic as it gets, but for someone starting out, who wants to save money and play around with their own server, you can’t beat the price.

Scalability: IONOS doesn’t just meet users at the beginning of their VPS journey, but it can stay with them all the way with its highly scalable plans. Its top-tier VPS plan includes 12 CPU vCores, 24 GB RAM, and 720 GB NVMe of storage.

Choose between Linux and Windows: Many budget VPS providers lock you into Linux-only plans, but IONOS offers both Linux distributions (AlmaLinux, Debian, Rocky Linux, and Ubuntu) and Windows Server 2022/2025 across its entire range.

What we didn’t like

Limited support: IONOS prices its entry-level plan for beginners, but treats you like an expert. You'll get help with the Cloud Panel and basic access, but server configuration and software troubleshooting require paid add-on services, which isn’t ideal for new users.

Test results

When we recently tested IONOS’s shared web hosting plans, we were impressed with the results. IONOS achieved an impressive performance score, and its FCP and LCP results were equally strong. In addition, we recorded 100% uptime during our testing period.

Star rating summary

IONOS’s performance and security are both top-notch, and plans are reasonably priced and come with good features. There really are no major drawbacks. However, it would be nice if you could contact support via email or open up support tickets.

Phone and live chat are obviously faster, and IONOS does both well, but sometimes you just want to fire off an email or open up a ticket and go about your day. All things considered, however, we had a great experience testing IONOS and recommend it.

InMotion Hosting: Best for power users with big budgets

What we liked

Choices, choices, and more choices: When it comes to VPS hosting, few providers can match InMotion Hosting’s range of plans and options. You can choose between unmanaged or managed VPS; cPanel, Control Web Panel, or no panel; premier care service or standard support; and more.

Inclusion of dedicated IPs: All plans include at least two dedicated IP addresses, with the top-tier plans scaling up to 10.

Root access: Every InMotion Hosting VPS plan includes root access to your server, with your choice of Linux OS: AlmaLinux, Ubuntu, or Debian.

What we didn’t like

Backups as an add-on: Offering customers add-on features at an extra cost is acceptable for non-essential features, but backups don’t feel like they should be a bonus. Even basic shared web hosting plans offer them by default.

Free SSL isn’t universal: If you choose cPanel for your control panel, then InMotion Hosting throws in free SSL certificates, but if you opt for the less expensive Control Web Panel, then you have to take care of SSL yourself.

Test results

InMotion Hosting scored phenomenally well in our hands-on testing of its shared hosting plans. Besides having flawless uptime and a near-flawless performance score, its FCP and LCP scores were just a hair over half a second, which is an incredibly fast loading time.

Star rating summary

Generally speaking, InMotion Hosting will not disappoint you when it comes to performance, security, and features. Support is also satisfactory, and while it may not be the best, it’s certainly on the right end of the spectrum. The caveat is that you get what you pay for, so InMotion Hosting will cost more than comparable VPS plans elsewhere. It is very good, but if you’re looking for a deal, then IONOS is a better pick.

How is VPS hosting different from shared and dedicated hosting?

VPS hosting sits right between shared and dedicated hosting. With shared hosting, your website is crammed onto a single server with hundreds of other sites. Think of it like a hostel: you get a room, but you have to share the kitchen, bathroom, and everything else with other people.

On the other end is dedicated hosting, which gives you an entire physical server to yourself. This is like renting a private villa. You have freedom and privacy, but you're paying premium prices for amenities you may not use.

VPS splits the difference. To continue the analogy, it’s like renting a soundproof apartment in a building. One physical server is divided into separate virtual servers, each functioning as a self-contained unit with guaranteed resources. Your neighbors can throw the wildest parties they want, but your electricity and water are metered separately, and their activities won’t affect your performance.

So, when comparing shared vs VPS hosting, VPS is perfect for sites that have outgrown shared hosting but don't need a full, dedicated server yet.

If you're running a growing online store or a high-traffic blog and are considering VPS hosting vs. a dedicated server, you get the flexibility to scale with VPS without the sticker price of a dedicated server. With VPS, you get root access for custom configurations, your site stays fast even during traffic surges, and you can upgrade resources as you grow.

Bottom line: The best VPS hosting service

ScalaHosting is the best VPS hosting service for most users, delivering the ideal balance of customization, performance, and value. Its build-your-own-VPS approach lets you select CPU cores, RAM, and storage to match your exact needs. Combined with unmetered bandwidth, strong security features, and both managed and unmanaged options, ScalaHosting is ideal for growing businesses that want freedom to scale at their own pace.

However, if you're just getting started with VPS hosting, then you can't go wrong with IONOS. Its entry-level plans offer VPS resources at shared hosting prices, with plenty of room to grow. Plus, IONOS is one of the best web hosting services we recommend.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, InMotion Hosting offers premium support tiers that peak with its Premier Care service, which includes dedicated administrators and enterprise-grade security. All three providers deliver solid performance, but ScalaHosting's customizable approach makes it the most versatile option for the widest range of users.

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