Liquid Web Whether you’ve been using a VPS for years or are considering making the move, you’ve certainly got more affordable options now. Virtual private server hosting has come a long way in the past few years, with significant increases in the computing resources most service providers now offer.
And while price isn’t everything, it’s still a major factor that can influence your hosting decision. You’ll need to compare the pricing of different providers to choose a plan within your budget.
With that in mind, we’ve compiled this list of the cheapest VPS hosting providers in 2025, reviewing their top features, from price to customer service.
Key points
- VPS means virtual private server.
- It’s often the next step up from shared hosting and gives you more control over server resources.
- The cheapest VPS hosting plan costs $2 monthly.
- Cheap VPS hosting quality varies by provider. Some hosts offer only 10 GB SSD for their starter plans, while others offer 120 GB.
- Before choosing a cheap VPS plan, analyze all of its features, including customer service, server location, and managed hosting options.
What is VPS hosting?
A virtual private server (VPS) fills a niche between cheaper shared hosting and more expensive dedicated hosting. You’re still sharing a physical server with other website owners, but you have computing resources dedicated solely to your website.
It’s an excellent option for small businesses that have outgrown shared hosting but can’t quite justify the high cost of a dedicated or bare metal server. It’s also a good way for less-than-tech-savvy entrepreneurs to grow their brands, as a managed VPS doesn’t require you to have any special technical knowledge of servers.
A VPS can help your website run faster since you’ll have exclusive access to computing resources. This is good news for your load times, which, in turn, is good for your conversion rate.
Let’s see other ways you can benefit from this hosting solution.
Benefits of VPS hosting
If you’re still deciding whether an upgrade from shared hosting is the best move, considering the benefits of VPS hosting will help you make up your mind.
- Increased security: VPS web hosting gives you an isolated environment with dedicated resources, which bolsters your defenses against malware and other security breaches.
- Advanced customization: WIth a VPS, you’ve got full root access to your server, which means you can install and uninstall software as needed. You can also configure your server to suit your needs.
- Improved performance: Because you don’t share computing resources with other websites, you’ll have faster page load speeds, higher uptime, and a more consistent performance, even with increased traffic.
- Scalability: You can adjust your resources as needed, which means you’ll only pay for the things you need. For instance, if your website experiences a traffic spike during sales discounts, you can increase your bandwidth as needed.
How much does a VPS cost?
The price of a VPS will vary widely depending on the resources you need. Based on our research, VPS hosting costs typically range between $4 and $100 per month. However, the cheapest hosts start their offerings at $2. You’ll also find that some of the most expensive VPS plans exceed $2,000 per month.
Remember, monthly subscriptions tend to be a bit more expensive than annual plans. So, if you want to cut costs, annual plans can help you save a few dollars.
What determines the cost of VPS hosting?
Each business has its unique hosting needs. One company might need more storage, while another is focused on having more CPU cores. For this reason, VPS hosting providers offer several plans with different prices.
Another big factor in the price of a VPS will be whether or not you opt for managed or unmanaged VPS hosting. A managed VPS means the hosting company will handle server management tasks for you, saving you time and effort.
Unmanaged VPS hosting is the exact opposite — you handle all tasks and processes yourself. Just keep in mind that managed VPS hosting is typically more expensive than unmanaged hosting.
The operating system a VPS runs on will also affect the price. You have two major options: Linux and Microsoft. Across the board, Microsoft hosting tends to cost more than Linux due to licensing fees and hardware costs.
You’ll also see many companies offering add-ons like additional IP addresses and cPanel. The cost of VPS hosting can quickly rise, depending on how many add-ons you include. So, it’s important to choose a solution that’s within your budget.
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The cheapest VPS providers for 2025
Now that you know how much to budget for VPS hosting, let’s review the cheapest VPS hosting providers. We’ll break down how much each host charges and what they offer for that price.
| VPS provider | Price range | Storage | RAM | Virtual CPUs | Trustpilot rating | Highlights | Negatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Web | $5 – $55 per month when billed yearly | 30 – 200 GB SSD storage | 1 – 16 GB RAM | 1 – 16 vCPUs | 4.5/5 stars | 30-day money-back guarantee 100% uptime guarantee Live chat initial response in less than one minute | Additional charge for cPanel |
| Namecheap | $6.88 – $24.88 per month when billed yearly | 40 – 240 GB SSD storage | 2 – 12 GB RAM | 2 – 8 CPUs | 4.3/5 stars | 24/7 support 99% uptime | Limited bandwidth No off-site backup storage on the basic plan |
| IONOS | $2 – $90 per month | 10 – 640 GB SSD storage | 1 – 24 GB RAM | 1 – 12 core CPUs | 4.5/5 stars | 99.9% uptime Unlimited traffic up to 1 Gbit/s | Paid backups Limited data center selection |
| GoDaddy | $8.99 – $44.99 per month for the first three years | 40 – 200 GB SSD storage | 2 – 16 GB RAM | 1 – 4 vCPUs | 4.7/5 stars | Seven days of automated snapshot backups Global data centers | Limited Windows hosting options Money-back guarantee varies based on product |
| Hostwinds | $4.99 – $431.24 per month during the first billing cycle | 30 – 750 GB SSD storage | 1 – 96 GB RAM | 1 – 16 CPUs | 4.0/5 stars | Large selection of plans Free website transfer | Three-day return policy No SSL certificate included |
| DigitalOcean | $4 – $2,096 per month | 10 GiB – 4,690 GiB SSD storage | 512 MiB – 256 GiB RAM | 1 – 48 vCPUs | 4.4/5 stars | Automatic scaling on select plans Free cloud firewall | No refunds Convoluted payment system |
| Hostinger | $4.99 – $19.99 per month for the first 24 months | 50 – 400 GB SSD storage | 4 – 32 GB RAM | 1 – 8 vCPUs | 4.6/5 stars | AI assistant 30-day money-back guarantee | No managed hosting No Windows VPS plans |
1. Liquid Web
Liquid Web is one of the most reliable and budget-friendly VPS hosting providers. It outperformed Amazon AWS, DigitalOcean, and Rackspace Technology in multiple performance tests, making it the fastest VPS solution worldwide.
Besides its affordable pricing, speed, and high performance, it offers other amazing perks. You can choose between a Windows VPS or Linux VPS. You’ll also get standard DDoS protection and a fully integrated firewall, so your data stays safe. Not to mention, bandwidth offerings start at a whopping 1 TB, ensuring your website can handle thousands of visitors per month.
Many premium VPS providers, such as Hetzner, now equip their infrastructure with AMD EPYC processors, delivering exceptional performance for resource-intensive applications at competitive prices.
In addition to these features, you’ll get 24/7 customer support. So, if you ever need assistance, you can always reach out to the Most Helpful Humans in Hosting via live chat or email.
Price: Starts at $5 per month for unmanaged hosting; control panel options like cPanel or Plesk attract extra fees.
2. Namecheap
Since 2000, Namecheap has been offering affordable hosting solutions to both individuals and companies. In addition to VPS plans, it also offers shared hosting, WordPress hosting, and domain name registration to name a few.
Its cheapest VPS plan comes with 40 GB SSD storage and 2 GB of RAM, making it a good bargain for beginners.
However, its low bandwidth offer is a major drawback — you may see your performance dip if you experience heavy traffic. It’s also worth noting that while you’ll get 24/7 customer support via live chat and email, there’s no option for phone support.
Price: Starts at $6.88 per month when paid annually.
3. IONOS
IONOS is one of the largest hosting companies in Europe, making it a great option for businesses based in the EU. It was founded way back in 1988, so it’s also one of the oldest in the industry. It’s one of the cheapest, too.
IONOS offers low-cost VPS packages, with its base plan featuring 1 vCPU, 10 GB of SSD storage, and 1 GB of RAM. But while it boasts amazing features, it has its own drawbacks.
It only has data centers in the U.S. and Europe, so if you’re based outside those areas, you might want to look elsewhere. Also, IONOS doesn’t include backup features in its plans. If you want Acronis Cyber Backup, you’ll need to pay an additional 6.5 cents per gigabyte monthly.
Price: Starts at $2 per month.
4. GoDaddy
GoDaddy has been a top web host since 1997. In fact, according to W3techs, GoDaddy hosts 2.7% of all websites.
GoDaddy might be better known for domain name registration, but it also offers different VPS options, including Ubuntu, CentOS, and even Windows servers.
While GoDaddy offers a 30-day money-back guarantee on annual plans, it only offers 48 hours on monthly plans. It’s worth noting that the basic plan supports only Linux. If you want a server that’s compatible with Windows, you’ll need to purchase a more expensive plan.
Price: Starts at $8.99 per month.
5. Hostwinds
Hostwinds is a provider worth considering when searching for the cheapest VPS hosting options. Its unmanaged VPS plan comes with 1 vCPU, 1 GB of RAM, and 30 GB of SSD Storage, making it a pretty good entry-level offering.
It also offers a 99.99% uptime guarantee and nightly backups. However, it only has a 72-hour refund window and charges bandwidth overage fees too. Plus, if you want SSL certificates on VPS hosting plans, you’ll have to pay an extra fee.
Price: Starts at $4.99 per month.
6. DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a cheap VPS provider that only offers Linux hosting. Its regular plan offers 512 MiB of memory, 1 vCPU, and 10 GiB of SSD, which is a little less than what other providers offer. So, prepare to adjust your expectations a bit.
The provider doesn’t offer straightforward plans like most companies either. Instead, it has a system of ‘droplets,’ where you pay for different amounts of resources. You can prioritize memory or storage if you need to, and you only pay for what you need.
Another big drawback is DigitalOcean’s no-refund policy, so it’s best to contact the sales team directly before committing to anything to be sure the company can provide what you need.
Price: Starts at $4 per month.
7. Hostinger
Finally, let’s take a look at Hostinger, a Lithuanian-based host that offers budget-friendly kernel-based virtual machine (KVM) VPS hosting. Its cheapest plan comes with 1 vCPU, 50 GB NVMe SSD storage, and 4 GB of RAM. It also offers advanced security with real-time snapshot backups, firewalls, and DDoS protection.
That said, there are a few drawbacks of Hostinger’s VPS hosting. For one, it only offers Linux plans. If you’d like the convenience of Windows hosting, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
It also doesn’t offer managed hosting at all. Instead, it has an AI assistant and tutorials to help users who aren’t familiar with managing their own servers, so you might have some homework to do if you want to save money with Hostinger.
Price: Starts at $4.99 per month.
Other notable VPS providers
While we’ve already looked at seven of the most affordable VPS hosts, a few other reputable names deserve a quick mention:
- Hetzner Cloud – At €4.35 / month, Hetzner’s cloud servers pair NVMe SSD storage with AMD EPYC™ processors and now span Germany, Finland, and a new U.S. region.
- OVHcloud – Plans start at approximately $5 per month and include unlimited traffic (up to 500 Mbps) plus a broad global data center network.
- Vultr – With an entry price of $2.50 / month, Vultr delivers SSD-powered hosting instances and lets you fine-tune resources for everything from tiny test sites to high-traffic apps.
- Netcup – Popular across Europe, Netcup’s VPS plans start from as little as €3.35 / month and still pack 2 vCore, 2 GB RAM, and 64 GB SSD.
- A2 Hosting – Known for “Turbo” speed enhancements, A2’s VPS lineup combines NVMe SSDs and performance-tuned servers to power resource-demanding sites without breaking the bank.
Top considerations for choosing a cheap VPS hosting provider
When looking for the cheapest VPS hosting for your website, you’ll need to consider other factors besides price.
Features
Not all cheap VPS hosting are created equal. Their features vary based on the provider. So, you’ll want to ensure the solution you choose offers all the resources and functionalities you need for optimal website performance.
Compare the control panel options, RAM, storage capacity, bandwidth, uptime, and security features each host offers. Then, choose the option that delivers the best value for your money.
Server location
Where your server is located can have a big impact on website performance. For instance, if most of your website visitors are located in Europe but your hosting provider only has data centers in the U.S., it might take longer for your website to load for these visitors.
On the other hand, if the data center is closer to your audience, your website pages will load faster, enhancing the user experience.
Customer support
Whether you’ve got a million questions or need some technical assistance, good customer service is non-negotiable. Choose a VPS host that replies promptly, as this can help you resolve issues faster.
Remember, some hosts only offer support through one or two channels, so confirm you can reach out via your preferred method before fully committing.
Operating system
Most VPS hosting companies offer both Linux and Windows as well as managed or unmanaged hosting. Depending on your level of technical expertise or how much time you want to save, you might feel more comfortable with your hosting provider handling most of the server-end maintenance.
Some cheap hosts don’t offer Microsoft hosting, or there will be big price differences between managed and unmanaged VPS plans, so look over all the plans carefully before making a choice.
Scalability
One of the biggest reasons to go with virtual private server hosting is how quickly and easily it allows you to scale your resources. You can easily handle traffic spikes by doubling your bandwidth during peak periods.
Not all hosts manage this flexibility the same way though, so watch out for overage charges and scalability restrictions.
Are there free VPS options available?
While most quality VPS hosting comes with a price tag, there are a few ways to try virtual servers at no cost:
- Free trials. Several hosts let you spin up a VPS for a limited period before spending a penny. Kamatera is a standout, providing a generous 30-day trial (worth up to $100 in cloud resources) so you can test everything from control-panel setup to scaling on real infrastructure.
- Mikr.us “always-free” plan. This Polish provider offers a micro VPS with 256 MB RAM and 3 GB storage—perfect for hobby projects or learning basic server management without risk.
- Credit-based free periods. Some companies issue signup credits that effectively give you months of service. DigitalOcean, for instance, offers $100 in credits to students, educators, and researchers who want to use their products for higher education.
Having said that, free VPS options nearly always come with strict caps on CPU, storage, network throughput, and support response times. They’re great for experimentation, but any serious production workload still demands a paid plan for guaranteed performance and reliability.
Final thoughts: The cheapest VPS hosting providers for 2025
Taking the plunge into VPS hosting can be a big step for many website owners. While it costs more than shared hosting plans, its benefits are exponential. Luckily, there are several VPS hosting options that deliver all the tools and resources you need without breaking the bank.
While you want to find an affordable VPS solution, you also want to make sure it offers the speed, storage, and scalability you need. You’ll also need to pay attention to where your server is located, its operating system, and how responsive and helpful its customer support is.
If you’re looking for a cheap hosting solution that offers all of these, check out Liquid Web VPS hosting plans today.