Cloud hosting is a type of web hosting service that utilizes a network of remote servers to store, manage, and process data, rather than relying on a single physical server. This allows for greater flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency, as resources can be easily added or removed as needed. Additionally, cloud hosting provides increased reliability and security, as data is stored across multiple servers and can be quickly and easily recovered in the event of a failure or attack. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, cloud hosting can offer a range of benefits to help you manage and grow your online presence.
All you want to know about Cloud hosting costs you can find on our Cloud hosting Pricing page.
Short on time? Here Are the Top Cloud Hosting Providers:
- Kamatera – Best Cloud Hosting For Immense Flexibility
- HostArmada – Best Managed Cloud Hosting
- FastComet – Best Cloud VPS Hosting
- Cloudways – Best Cloud Hosting overall
- ChemiCloud – Most Reliable Cloud Hosting
- Verpex Hosting – Best Cheap Cloud Service Provider
The Best Web Hosting Services Of 2023 (Bought and Tested):
I recommend Kamatera as the best cloud hosting provider for ultimate savings. It enables you to start small, scale up or down as required, pay only for what you have used, and cancel anytime you see fit.
- Overall Score: 4.8
- Features: 4.8
- Performance: 4.9
- Ease of Use: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.8
Kamatera offers various cloud solutions, including cloud servers, cloud block storage, private cloud network, cloud load balancer, cloud firewall, and managed cloud support. What makes it unique are its flexible and cost-effective servers suitable for any level of computing power, from a single development server to a complex cloud infrastructure.
Kamatera does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 3.3 stars out of five (with more than 71 user reviews).
Pros:
- Instant scaling up or down on demand
- Up to 1174 various cloud server setup configurations (104 vCPU, 512GB RAM, tens of terabytes of block storage)
- Pay for usage (monthly, hourly, and by-the-minute billing)
Cons:
- Not particularly suitable for beginners
- No shared hosting is available (only cloud VPS servers)
- A lot of add-ons can quickly turn the service expensive
Features: Simple backup and monitoring, unlimited storage, a proprietary API, root/administration access to your server, optional databases, choice of IP allocation, and instant server configuration changes.
Performance: Kamatera’s cloud infrastructure has no single point of failure, delivering 99.95% uptime guaranteed. You can add servers as and when required, meaning you won’t ever experience slower speeds due to a lack of resources.
Ease of Use: Kamatera grants you a simple server setup in less than a minute and a user-friendly control panel, making it easy to navigate and manage your service.
Support: You can get live technical support, even without the managed support add-on. Kamatera’s professionals are all experienced and super-friendly, delivering top-notch assistance.
Pricing: Kamatera offers a 30-day free trial. You can build your server per your requirements, pay hourly or by the minute, and only for what you use. You won’t be tied with upfront costs and commitment, meaning you can cancel anytime if you are not satisfied.
I found in my complete review that HostArmada is the best cloud web hosting for anyone and everyone? Looking for shared, reseller, VPS, or dedicated CPU hosting on the cloud? Either way, they got you covered!
- Overall Score: 5.0
- Features: 4.9
- Performance: 5.0
- Ease of Use: 5.0
- Support: 5.0
- Pricing: 4.9
Undoubtedly, HostArmada is the best-managed cloud hosting with cPanel/WHM included. What does that mean? You can navigate everything with a few clicks while their in-house team takes care of all cloud server technical tasks.
HostArmada does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 4.9 stars out of five (with more than 446 user reviews).
Pros:
- Fully-managed cloud SSD technology for 99.9% uptime
- 24/7 human-powered technical support service available
- Lightning-fast speed and reliable security on the cloud
Cons:
- No recurring discounts (prices increase on renewal)
Features: The best cloud hosting plans with free domains, free website transfers, SSL certificates, daily backups stored remotely, local backups, root access, and more!
Performance: A reliable infrastructure with data centers worldwide, lightning-fast speed to improve your bounce rates, and thick layers of security to protect your site.
Ease of Use: Fully managed cloud hosting solutions with the best-in-class cPanel/WHM included meaning you can navigate the interface hassle-free, even as a beginner.
Support: Highly experienced technical geeks are available 24/7 to handle all your support requests with unrivaled response time and problem resolution cravings.
Pricing: You can pay monthly, annually, biennially, or triennially with better discounts on the longer-term plans. There are no additional fees for cancellation, along with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
I would suggest FastComet to anyone looking for cloud hosting on a VPS. You can start at $47.95 per month and upgrade to 6 x 2.50GHz Cores, 16GB RAM, 320GB SSD Space, and 8TB Bandwidth!
- Overall Score: 4.8
- Features: 4.8
- Performance: 4.8
- Ease of Use: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.7
FastComet provides fully managed SSD cloud VPS for a cost-efficient and worry-free experience. While the team takes care of the entire infrastructure, you will get all the time you need to focus on your core business.
Fastcommet does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 4.9 stars out of five (with more than 2,253 user reviews).
Pros:
- Managed solution – care-free IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)
- Superior features are included for free (SSD, cPanel, free Web & CSF Firewall)
- 1-click app marketplace for the ultimate ease of use (over 450 apps available in a single click for free)
Cons:
- Renewal rates are higher than initial prices
- Some features are limited to pricier plans, such as the RocketBooster
- You cannot find server locations in Africa or South America (the CDN makes up for it)
Features: Fully optimized servers, rapid provisioning in less than 15 minutes, completely scalable, powered by cPanel, automated daily and weekly backups, and free full data snapshots upon request.
Performance: SSD-only cloud for up to 300% faster access to your files and databases, global network powered by nine enterprise-class datacenters, and 200 Global CDN Anycast Network access points.
Ease of Use: You can use Smart Control to deploy, manage and optimize your cloud infrastructure in just a few clicks on any device. FastComet also offers cPanel/WHM in 29 languages and a 1-click app marketplace.
Support: FastComet provides you 24/7/365 support for your infrastructure and apps – benefit from premium dedicated assistance at all times!
Pricing: You can choose monthly or three-month plans. At the same time, benefit from incredible discounts on new purchases, along with a 100% satisfaction or a 7-day money-back guarantee.
If I were you, I would rush to Cloudways, a managed cloud hosting platform created for exceptional experiences. Following my comprehensive research, it’s the best cloud hosting overall, with prices starting at only $12 per month, providing up to 8GB RAM, 4 Core Processors, 160GB Storage, and 5TB Bandwidth!
- Overall Score: 4.6
- Features: 4.6
- Performance: 4.7
- Ease of Use: 4.6
- Support: 4.7
- Pricing: 4.6
Cloudways offers pay-as-you-go cloud hosting plans that adapt to your budget. You can choose from five cloud providers, scale up or down to optimize operational costs, enrich your digital experience with freedom and simplify all infrastructure complexities.
Cloudways does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 4.6 stars out of five (with more than 1,478 user reviews).
Pros:
- A remarkable set of cloud hosting features and lots of freebies (automated backups, migration services, SSLs, CDN)
- Pay-as-you-go cloud hosting plans that you can scale up or down to adapt to your budget (no contracts)
- Excellent performance on the cloud with robust security (SSD, global data center network, dedicated firewalls, caching)
Cons:
- There’s no cPanel, Plesk, or other popular solutions (Cloudways has its own platform, which might get some getting used to)
- You’ll rely on two cloud hosting providers to keep your site operational (which in most cases turns out beneficial)
- Cloudways charges extra for most add-ons ($0.033/GB per server for offsite backup storage)
Features: PHP 7.3 Ready Servers, multiple databases, PHP versions, unlimited application installation, launch over ten apps with a single click, CDN, 1-click server cloning, built-in WordPress and Magento cache, staging area & URLs, and more!
Performance: SSD-based servers, over 60 global data centers, free SSL certificates, dedicated firewalls, regular OS and patch management, advanced caching, auto-healing servers, server, and app monitoring.
Performance: SSD-based servers, over 60 global data centers, free SSL certificates, dedicated firewalls, regular OS and patch management, advanced caching, auto-healing servers, server, and app monitoring.
Ease of Use: You can easily control all server settings using the beginner-friendly Cloudways platform or use the Smart Assistant for real-time insights to help you optimize your servers and apps.
Support: All Cloudways customers receive 24/7 support via live chat and ticketing system. In addition, you can select from Advanced and Premium Support as paid add-ons for your cloud hosting plan.
Pricing: You can test each feature of the Cloudways platform for three days. Enjoy the free trial without a credit card, along with pay-as-you-go cloud hosting plans with hourly and monthly rates available.
The name speaks for itself – find all kinds of the best hosting on a reliable cloud platform. ChemiCloud’s infrastructure ensures your information and data are safely stored at all times!
- Overall Score: 5.0
- Features: 5.0
- Performance: 5.0
- Ease of Use: 5.0
- Support: 5.0
- Pricing: 4.9
ChemiCloud will protect your website against any failure. You can start at only $4.48 per month and choose from shared hosting, WordPress hosting, reseller, or VPS on the cloud!
Chemicloud does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 5 stars out of five (with more than 376 user reviews).
Pros:
- Swift speeds and a 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Many features and developer tools (free domain for life, website migrations, PHP 8.0, NodeJS, Python, etc.)
- Excellent customer support with a moneyback policy
Cons:
- Some features are limited to the pricier plans (Advanced Firewall, Memcached, Cloudflare Railgun)
- Significant price bumps on renewal
Features: The best hosting on the cloud with free domain, cPanel, free SSL certificates, hassle-free website migrations, and more!
Performance: Worldwide server network with fast connectivity and low latency, DDoS mitigation in all data centers, LiteSpeed servers and Cloudflare CDN with over 200 points.
Ease of Use: Beginner-friendly cloud hosting with many cPanel tools just a click away. You can build your site with a simple Website Builder with drag-and-drop, over 350 templates, and responsive designs.
Support: You can reach support that cares, day or night, 24/7. ChemiCloud’s engineers will solve your issues fast so that you can forget about wait times.
Pricing: Choose a billing cycle from 1 month, 12, 24, or 36 months. Better yet, ChemiCloud provides a 45-day worry-free money-back guarantee.
If you are browsing for the best cloud hosting while on a budget, look no more. You’ve found the perfect match. With Verpex, you can start at $0.50 per month. Amazing, right?
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 4.8
- Performance: 5.0
- Ease of Use: 4.9
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.8
Verpex is the cheapest cloud hosting company for the quality it provides. They are so confident in the offers that they back them up with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Verpex does not have a BBB listing (only applicable for U.S.-based companies), however, Trustpilot awards them 4.7 stars out of five (with more than 115 user reviews).
Pros:
- Superior feature set (email accounts, databases, daily backups, domain aliases, and more)
- The best refund policy for cloud hosting (45-day money-back guarantee)
- Incredible ease of use with cPanel, 1-click installs, and 24/7 support
Cons:
- Free domain registration/transfer is limited to annual plans
- Prices significantly increase on renewal (still, Verpex is much cheaper than competitors)
- An uptime guarantee of 95.5%
Features: The fastest cloud hosting plans to grow with your business. Free domain registration/transfer, free SSL certificates, free migrations, and daily backups included.
Performance: Worldwide server network with LiteSpeed web servers, PHP Opcode Cache, routine daily backups, advanced security, no bugs or timeouts.
Ease of Use: The gold standard cPanel is included in all cloud web hosting plans, along with CloudLinux, Softaculous, and more!
Support: 24/7/365 available expert technical support to answer all of your questions about your cloud website hosting, regardless of whether you are a newbie or a pro.
Pricing: Monthly and yearly plans are available with a 90% discount off your first month and an extra 20% on all terms, all of which are backed up with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
How Did We Choose the Top 9 Cloud Hosting and What to Look at When You Make Your Choice?
- Types of Hosting WordPress Hosting Offered5%
- Cost-Efficiency7%
- Uptime Commitment8%
- Speed and Performance7%
- Security and Backups7%
- Cloud Hosting Features8%
- Ease Of Use5%
- Customer Support8%
- User Reviews30%
- Money-Back Guarantee4%
- Other Factors4%
HostAdvice rankings are based on weighted, unbiased, category-specific scores. Our experts use the latest technology advancements to perform independent studies of any hosting company. More importantly, our professionals are dedicated to continual improvement, thus releasing innovations and testing practices to better reflect the market and assess the leaders in cloud hosting. For instance, HA experts have recently established new uptime and performance measurement processes, relying exclusively on real-time results.
HostAdvice experts have listed eleven specific factors for the cloud hosting category. Each factor is allocated a particular percentage that reflects its importance compared to other factors in the same category. The higher the weight, the more critical the factor. In this regard, we give extra points for cost efficiency and scalability, as two of the most significant pros of cloud hosting.
Here are all the factors our experts used for testing and ranking the best cloud hosting providers:
- Scalable Resources (12%): Cloud hosting and its system of interconnected servers ensure no single point of failure. Your website will be hosted on multiple servers, so you can always pull resources from others if you max out the first server. Still, it would be best to choose a cloud hosting provider that allows you to manage and configure your server resources in-real time easily. You should be able to scale straight from the admin area without asking for the provider’s approval.
- Cost-Efficiency (7%): The best cloud hosting solutions offer you the infrastructure you need by default, so you won’t have to worry about capital expenditure. Instead of investing in something you might not need in the future and overspending, you will only pay for the services and resources you are using; this also relates to the ability to scale your resources on demand. Still, you should check whether the provider has minimum or maximum monthly rates on the cloud hosting plans. It would be best to select a plan with a maximum spending limit so that you won’t exceed your budget.
- Uptime Commitment (8%): The third best thing of the top cloud hosting providers is higher uptime compared to traditional web hosting. Finding a cloud hosting provider with a near-perfect uptime is a significant plus. In this regard, you should avoid anything below 99.95%. Fortunately, the best cloud hosting companies guarantee between 99.95% and 99.99% uptime, and in reality, it’s often more.
- Speed and Performance (7%): The best cloud web hosting providers boost your website’s capacity, thus improving your page loading speeds. Unlike traditional web hosting, cloud hosting providers deliver content from the nearest remote server. In turn, your website visitors can benefit from excellent responsiveness and fast loading. Here, you can also consider a fast-loading solid-state drive (SSD), typically smaller in terms of storage capacity but faster than its hard-drive-based counterparts.
- Security and Backups (7%): Since your website isn’t connected to a single physical piece of hardware, you don’t need to protect that server from harm. Cloud hosting utilizes a worldwide network of servers, usually in highly secure and remote locations. So, your site won’t suffer from any physical damages to the server. Additionally, if a single server from your cloud network fails, is compromised, or experiences an overload, your site will remain unaffected – up and running with no downtime or delays. Despite all this, you should check for additional security protection in place, along with backup and disaster recovery options. Usually, the best cloud web hosting plans feature automatic backups and software updates.
- Cloud Hosting Features (8%): Sure, you can easily upgrade your CPU, RAM, and storage with the best cloud hosting plans. But what else can you expect? In this regard, you should consider unlimited bandwidth, data, or storage. Is your definition of unlimited the same as the provider’s one? Make sure to read the fine print. Also, check the server OS, especially if you have a specific server-side application that requires Windows, root access for better control over your cloud server, and so on.
- Ease Of Use (5%): While the best cloud server hosting offers significant advantages, it’s still necessary for you to be able to navigate the interface easily. Top cloud hosting providers ensure their users enjoy a beginner-friendly solution, regardless of their skill, knowledge, and experience in the hosting industry. Here, it would help if you considered easy-to-use popular control panels, such as the industry-standard cPanel or Plesk.
- Customer Support (8%): While forums, tutorials, and knowledge bases are helpful tools, nothing compares to another human being with experience and skill in cloud hosting available 24/7 to resolve your issue.
- User Reviews (30%): Our AI technology sorts the best hosting companies considering customers’ experiences all around the globe, starting from first-time users to advanced professionals and everything in between. Users provide valuable, transparent, and honest insights into a cloud hosting company’s operation and assistance.
- Money-Back Guarantee (4%): Nothing signals quality more than a refund policy. Does the cloud hosting company offer a money-back guarantee? If yes, for how many days?
- Other Factors (4%): Awards, establishment date, brand reputation, past incidents considered.
What Is Cloud Hosting, and Who Is It For?
Cloud hosting has revolutionized how the Internet operates. With traditional web hosting, the provider stores your website on a single server, whether it’s shared, VPS, or dedicated. Depending on your choice, you might or might not share the environment with neighboring sites. Either way, you are limited to the resources of that single physical hardware with pre-defined CPU, RAM, storage, and bandwidth.
On the other hand, cloud hosting providers distribute your content across multiple virtual servers on the cloud. But why is this important? Suppose one of these servers on the cloud fails/goes down. The remaining ones will “make up for it,” allowing your site to continue running smoothly. Simply put, you can avoid unplanned downtime and benefit from better uptime rates.
Cloud hosting can support a steady increase in traffic and keep your site stable at all times. Furthermore, it’s an excellent fit for websites anticipating random traffic surges – the best cloud web hosting providers offer pay-as-you-go solutions so that you will pay only for what you use. It also accounts for a much faster and easier deployment than shared or dedicated servers.
All of this combined makes cloud hosting the perfect choice for growing businesses in need of scalability, medium and large-sized enterprises that cannot afford any downtime.
What Types of Cloud Hosting Are Available?
In reality, you cannot find two identical clouds, even if they are of the same type. You should distinguish IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS, the three main types of cloud computing services.
- IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service): The provider manages the cloud infrastructure, the actual servers, network, virtualization, and data storage through an Internet connection. The company, in this case, takes care of all outages, repairs, and hardware issues. You, as the customer, rent the infrastructure and get access through an API or dashboard to manage things like the OS, apps, and middleware. It’s the typical deployment model of cloud storage providers.
- PaaS (Platform as a Service): The cloud hosting company provides and manages the hardware and an application-software platform. You, as the user, need to handle all apps running on the platform and the data backing up these apps. This solution is best suited for developers and programmers.
- SaaS (Software as a Service): The cloud service provider manages a software application, typically a web or a mobile app, that you can access using a web browser. As the user, you need to take care of software updates, bug fixes, and other general software maintenance, connecting to the cloud applications via a dashboard or API.
Factors to Consider When Choosing A Cloud Hosting Plan
As you understand by now, it’s challenging to choose the best hosting for your needs, even if you have a list of the best cloud web hosting companies on the market. After all, where the competition’s high, choices are hard.
Here’s how you can increase your odds of finding the perfect match for your website.
Your Website Needs: Before starting your search of cloud hosting companies, it would be best to determine what you are looking for – what’s the scope, requirements, and goals of your project? How much traffic do you expect to get?
- Type Of Cloud Hosting: The best cloud hosting providers offer you the needed versatility to match your growth needs over time. Still, you need to develop a list of cloud server hosts that tune in with your needs. Compare and choose from IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service), PaaS (Platform as a Service), and SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions before going further.
- Hardware Components: Once you define what you are looking for, it’s best to start evaluating the hardware of the best hosting offers. At this point, you should consider CPU, RAM, type and amount of storage, bandwidth, inherent speed and security of these parts, etc. Does the cloud host provide sufficient resources for your present needs and future growth?
- Feature Set: In addition to hardware, you should also review the software. It would be best to review and compare the built-in options in different cloud hosting plans. For instance, one cloud hosting plan might support Linux but not Windows. You might get a free feature in a specific plan but have to pay for it with another company, and so on.
Support Assistance: 24/7 customer support via live chat, email, or phone is essential for running a successful website on the Internet. In addition, the cloud hosting company’s support team must be knowledgeable, responsive, and fast to solve all your queries without any delays. - Valuable Insights: There’s nothing more valuable than a transparent expert review or an authentic customer experience. Before you spend your money on a cloud hosting plan, make sure to browse the web and search for these first-hand insights. Better yet, you can check our rankings for these honest responses. You’ll find out what the current clients say about a service, where the main dissatisfaction with the company comes from, and more.
- Price-to-Value Ratio: At last, you should weigh in the price factor to the equation. How much are you paying, and what are you getting in return? Do these deals fit your current and long-term budget? Do the prices increase at renewal, and can you ask for a refund if you don’t find the cloud hosting service up to your standards?
If you ask the right questions, you’ll undoubtedly be able to find the right cloud hosting plan. But it will indeed take some time and effort. So, if you want to avoid these hassles or feel unprepared for searching yourself, we’ll take the load off your shoulders.
We have matched the best cloud server hosting by popular demands so that you don’t have to!
Best Cloud Hosting by Other Popular Demands
- Kamatera – Best Flexible Cloud Hosting
The most flexible cloud hosting plans allow you to scale up/down on-demand, pay only for what you use, and migrate from another provider worry-free. - Linode – Best Cloud Hosting For Developers
Developer-friendly cloud web hosting solutions offer easy software and framework integration, root access to admin privileges, and plenty of server resources (CPU, RAM, Bandwidth, Storage) for high performance. - Webdock– Best Unmanaged Cloud Hosting
If you go for an unmanaged, aka self-managed, cloud hosting plan, you’ll pay for the resources you use. It’s a DIY model, where you’ll usually store your site on a public cloud (rent the infrastructure and get administrative access to manage it). - Hostinger – Best Features Cloud Hosting
The best cloud web hosting providers allow for scalability, rapid elasticity, flexibility, security, automation, pay-as-you-go plans, and rich feature sets with many freebies (SSL, CDN, website migration, domain registration/transfer, daily backups, and more). - Inmotion – Best Cloud Hosting For Ecommerce
As an eCommerce store, you cannot afford any downtime because it translates to a loss of customers. The best cloud hosting for your store should guarantee superior uptime, excellent speed, and fast-loading speeds. - AWS– Best Cloud Hosting For SaaS
The best hosting company for your SaaS app must provide technologies compatible with your solution stack, enough privacy and security, scalability, and a tight SLA. - A2Hosting – Best Cloud Hosting For Magento
Magento cloud hosting is fully optimized to deliver the fastest performance. You should be able to deploy in minutes, manage the cloud server efficiently, and get advanced caching technologies.
Best Cloud Hosting Services: Final Recommendations
Whether you are a blogger, startup, well-established business, or a billion-worth company, cloud hosting can bring many benefits to your operation. Compared to traditional hosting, the cloud is much more flexible, affordable, fast, and easy to navigate. You can start small and scale up as your business grows hassle-free. If, however, your business is shrinking, you can reverse the process and scall down to avoid unnecessary expenditures. Simply put, you pay for what you use!
The best cloud hosting providers can match your needs perfectly. However, you must first determine what you are looking for. After all, you can find shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting on the cloud – so it’s up to you to choose. Furthermore, you can select managed cloud hosting solutions, which are pretty easy to use. On the other hand, you can go for a self-managed cloud hosting solution to make use of your development skills or experience. Once you select the type of cloud hosting you need, you must also evaluate the hardware components, feature set, support assistance, price-value ratio, and so on.
But most importantly, remember to check what others are saying. Please choose one of our recommended cloud hosting providers, or browse the web to assess other users’ experiences. Either way, don’t rely exclusively on what the provider says on its website. Focus on real-life experiences and testing instead!