A growing area of web hosting, cloud hosting is slowly changing the sector and is regularly offered by the best web hosting services. Cloud hosting provides businesses with a pool of resources instead of a specific server, like dedicated or VPS hosting, so you can draw on the resources as and when you require them.
This means that you’re able to allocate extra RAM, storage, or bandwidth to hosting when needed, for example adding extra resources for a short-term period if you’re expecting a temporary traffic or sales spike.
We evaluated the best cloud hosting services available, focusing on 10 leading providers and seeing how they performed. Those profiled cover a range of popular hosting requirements, from small businesses or personal users up to enterprise-level ecommerce stores.
| Web hosting provider | Lowest-priced cloud hosting | Bandwidth | Free SSL? | Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | $9.99 a month (Cloud Startup) | Unlimited | Yes | Unmanaged |
| Hostwinds | $5 a month (approx, based on hourly rate) | From 1TB | NNo | Managed and unmanaged |
| Liquid Web | $15 a month (2GB RAM plan) | From 10TB | No | Semi or fully-managed |
| DreamHost | $4.50 a month (approx, based on hourly rate) | Unlimited | No | Unmanaged |
| InMotion Hosting | $17.99 a month (2GB RAM plan) | From 4TB | Yes | Fully managed |
| Interserver | $6 a month (1 CPU core plan) | From 1TB | No | Self-managed |
| Cloudways | $10 a month (1GB RAM plan) | Variable | Yes | Flexible |
| A2 Hosting | $4.99 a month (Runway 1) | From 2TB | Yes | Unmanaged and managed |
| Scala Hosting | $9.95 a month (Start) | From 1TB | Yes, with managed plans | Managed and self-managed |
| Kamatera | $4 a month (approx, based on hourly rate) | From 500GB | No | Managed and unmanaged |
The best cloud hosting services available
Hostinger is one of the world’s most popular hosting providers, and for good reason. It’s known for very low shared hosting prices, and its cloud solutions follow in the same vein.
There are three base plans available, with prices ranging from $9.99 to $69.99 a month for an initial subscription. However, you will have to pay for four years in advance to access these prices, and you will pay more than double on renewal.
The cheapest Cloud Startup plan ($9.99 a month) includes 200GB of SSD storage, 3GB of RAM, and two CPU cores. Upgrading to a Cloud Professional subscription ($18.99 a month) will give you 250GB of SSD storage, 6GB of RAM, and four CPU cores. And finally, the Cloud Enterprise plan starts at $69.99 a month, and includes 300GB of SSD storage, 12GB of RAM, and six CPU cores.
All three plans come with a free domain, a free SSL certificate, a dedicated IP address, and unlimited bandwidth, among other features. And what’s more, Hostinger has data centers in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, increasing reliability and server speed.
The bottom line: If you’re looking for a cheap, hassle-free option, Hostinger could be the perfect choice. Find out more in our full Hostinger review and our interview with CMO Daugirdas Jankus.
Hostwinds has a selection of highly-affordable cloud hosting solutions featuring full management and the ability to add and remove resources as required. Prices start from just $0.006931 an hour (approximately $5 a month) for the most basic plan, which includes one CPU core, 1GB of RAM, 30GB of storage, and 1TB of bandwidth.
On top of this, you will be able to configure your server when you sign up. Select from data centers in Amsterdam, Dallas, or Seattle, add extra IP addresses if required, and specify whether you need a cPanel or Softaculous license.
If you’re on a tight budget, Hostwinds is a great option. However, its higher-end cloud solutions are slightly expensive, and the limited data center locations may be a concern for some.
Read our full Hostwinds review to find out more.
Liquid Web is a high-end hosting company targeting those with more advanced needs than the average user. It offers a selection of cloud-based VPS hosting options, with both Linux and Windows operating systems available.
Prices start from $15 a month for a Linux server with two vCPUs, 40GB of SSD storage, 10TB of bandwidth, and 2GB of RAM. Windows servers start from $54 a month for 4GB of RAM, 100GB of SSD storage, and 10TB of bandwidth.
Find out more by reading our Liquid Web review.
DreamHost offers a selection of cloud hosting solutions designed for those who need a highly configurable server that they can customize. You can use any Linux operating system you want, and all servers come with full root access and configurability.
On top of this, DreamHost’s cloud servers are very affordable. Prices start from just $4.50 a month ($0.0075 an hour) for a server with 512MB of RAM, one vCPU, and 100GB of storage. A more powerful server with 2GB of RAM costs $12 a month ($0.02 an hour), and is perfect for small to medium-sized websites. And what’s more, all billing is hourly, so you will only ever pay for exactly what you use.
Read our DreamHost review to learn more.
InMotion Hosting is a popular web hosting company offering a selection of cloud-based VPS hosting plans. All servers are fully managed, come with a cPanel control panel, and are backed by a 90-day money-back guarantee.
However, prices are quite high. The cheapest plan will cost you $17.99 a month, and it includes 2GB of RAM, 45GB of storage, 4TB of bandwidth, and free SSL certificates. Prices increase from here for more advanced servers with more resources. Although InMotion is slightly expensive, the amount of resources on offer really is quite impressive.
Read our InMotion Hosting review to learn more.
InterServer has made it onto our list of the best cloud hosting options because of its transparent low prices and highly configurable slice-based VPS servers. A range of Linux and Windows operating systems are available, and you will have full root access and control over your server.
Prices start from $6 a month for a Linux server with one CPU core, 2048MB of memory, 30GB of SSD storage, and 1TB of bandwidth. Additional “slices” with the same amount of resources can be added for $6 each, up to a maximum of 16. All payments are monthly, with no lock-in contracts and the ability to cancel at any time.
Read our full InterServer review to learn more.
Cloudways is a powerful cloud hosting provider offering extremely flexible solutions. It has a selection of pay-as-you-go plans based on different cloud infrastructure networks, and all subscriptions are billed hourly.
This means that you can change your plan and the amount of server resources you’re using at any time, and you will only be billed for what you need. This is a pleasant change from more traditional hosting, which is usually charged monthly.
Prices start from as low as $10 a month ($0.0139 an hour) for 1GB RAM, a one core processor, 25GB storage, and 1TB of bandwidth. All plans come with free website migrations, 24/7/365 comprehensive support, automatic backups, a free SSL certificate, and much, much more.
What’s more, there are no lock-in contracts, which means that you can cancel your subscription at any time. There’s even a nifty free trial so you can test the waters. Overall, Cloudways is a great option for those looking for flexible, high-quality cloud hosting.
A2 Hosting is a very popular web host offering a great selection of cloud VPS hosting options. Prices start from just $4.99 a month for an unmanaged plan with 150GB of SSD storage, one CPU core, 1GB of RAM, and 2TB of bandwidth.
Extra resources can be added at an extra cost. Prices include $1 per 10GB of storage, $1 per CPU core, $8 per GB of memory, and $20 per TB of bandwidth. You can also specify your server location, operating system, and whether or not you need a cPanel license.
On top of this, all of A2 Hosting’s cloud VPS solutions come with full root access, allowing you to configure your server exactly as required. There is also an anytime money-back guarantee, which means you can request a refund if you’re ever unhappy with the service you’re getting.
Scala Hosting certainly isn’t the most popular web hosting company, but it offers some of the best cloud VPS hosting solutions we’ve seen. There are both managed and self-managed options available, and all servers come with access to the company’s native SPanel and SShield Cybersecurity tools.
Prices start from just $9.95 a month for a managed server with one CPU core, 2GB of RAM, and 50GB of SSD storage. Alternatively, self-managed plans cost from $26 a month with two CPU cores, 8GB of RAM, 80GB of SSD storage, and 1TB of bandwidth. All plans are fully configurable, allowing you to add more resources as required.
Kamatera focuses solely on cloud solutions, with a range of hosting, storage, and other products on the market. Its cloud hosting is highly configurable, with prices starting from just $0.005 an hour ($4 a month). You can customize your server to fit your exact needs, and the highly redundant, worldwide network is designed to ensure maximal uptime and extremely fast performance.
Further reading on web hosting
Make sure to read our other buying guides for different types of web hosting, including the best WordPress hosting, the best VPS hosting, the best European web hosting, the best cheap web hosting, and the best free web hosting.