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Drupal is a popular content management system for building complex websites and applications. Drupal CMS requires reliable hosting, such as cloud hosting, for optimal performance. With so many options available in the market, it can be challenging to choose the right one. This article will show you the top Drupal cloud hosting providers to help you decide.
Here Are the Top 5 Drupal Cloud Hosting Providers
- Kamatera – Best Drupal Cloud Hosting Overall
- Hostinger – Best Drupal Cloud Hosting for Free Features
- Ultahost – Best Drupal Cloud Hosting for VPS
- IONOS – Best Drupal Cloud Hosting for Managed Drupal Hosting
The Best Drupal Cloud Hosting Services of 2024 (Bought and Tested)
Kamatera is a world-famous cloud hosting provider. All their plans run on cloud servers powered by powerful processors and SSD storage. They have 18 global data centers and offer a free 30-day trial period. With their plans, you can choose to be billed hourly or monthly. You can also pause your service without any extra charge.
- Overall score – 5
- Pricing – 5
- Features – 5
- Performance – 5
- Support – 5
- User Friendly – 5
Pricing: Kamatera hosting plans start from $4/mo. This basic setup offers 1GB RAM, 5000 GB/month internet traffic on a 10 Gbit/sec port, 1 vCPU (2667MHz), 20GB SSD storage, and 1 Public IP. Extended backup costs an extra $3/mo, while fully managed service adds $50/mo to your bill. The web host also allows you to test their plans for free for a 30-day trial sign-up.
Features: Kamatera offers cutting-edge cloud hosting infrastructure backed by 99.95% uptime. Their plans feature NVMe SSD drives, instant scalability on demand, load balancers, firewalls, private networks, managed service, and more. Other features include an app marketplace, the option to install any OS of your choice, and generous hosting resources.
Support: All customers get 24/7 technical support via live chat, email, and phone. Enterprises can request dedicated phone support at extra cost. The web host also offers fully managed service at an extra $50/mo. Unfortunately, there is no knowledge base. However, there is a FAQ page that covers general issues.
Performance: Kamatera cloud hosting infrastructure delivers fast loading speed. Their servers show a record loading time of 147 ms when pinging from New York, USA. We pinged from Canada during our testing. If your clients are majorly in Asia, North America, or Europe, choose data centers in those areas. You also get a 99.95% uptime guarantee.
User Friendly: Kamatera offers a simple website that allows you to configure your server to your needs and budget. The web host also offers a simple management panel to manage your hosting environment. If you have any issues, the support team is one message away. You can subscribe to the fully managed service if you prefer a hands-off approach.
Additional Parameter – Global Data Centers: One of the factors that determines your website/application loading speed is the proximity of the server to your target audience. Kamatera makes it easy to serve your users with a wide selection of data centers. These data centers are available in North America, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Pros & Cons
- Free Drupal cloud hosting for 30 days
- User-friendly management interface
- Reliable cloud hosting infrastructure
- 24/7 customer support
- Hourly or monthly billing options
- No knowledge base
Hostinger is a top-tier cloud hosting provider with a wide range of hosting products and related services. Their plans feature a lot of freebies, such as free domain registration for one year and SSL certificates. They also offer an 80% discount on their entry plan if you pay for a 48-month subscription.
- Overall score – 4.9
- Pricing – 5
- Features – 4.5
- Performance – 5
- Support – 5
- User Friendly – 5
Pricing: The cheapest shared hosting plan offers hosting for one website, 50GB SSD, and 100GB bandwidth at $1.99/mo. The other two options, costing $2.99/mo and $3.99/mo, can host up to 100 websites and offer 100-200GB SSD storage and unlimited bandwidth.
Features: The free features on Hostinger Drupal cloud hosting plans include a free domain, unlimited free SSL, weekly backups, and email accounts. (Some of these features are absent on the entry-level plan.) Other features include the unique hPanel and Drupal-optimized servers, easy GIT integration, DDoS protection, and auto installer.
Performance: Hostinger page load time speed is generally below 2 seconds, depending on the proximity of the server to your location. We got 180 ms while pinging from London during our testing. With server locations in the USA, United Kingdom, France, India, Singapore, Brazil, Lithuania, and the Netherlands, you can always provide fast response times to your customers.
Support: Hostinger offers 24/7 support via live chat and email. While there is no phone support, a vast knowledge base provides everything you need about Drupal installation and management. If you are new to web hosting, you can check the Hostinger Academy on YouTube for a complete breakdown of everything you need.
User Friendly: Drupal cloud hosting with Hostinger is beginner-friendly, especially if you use the shared hosting plan. You can install Drupal on your package with just one click via the auto-installer. The support team will also be available to guide you through the setup process.
Additional Parameter – Free Domain: If you are starting a new website or application, you need all the help you can get. Hostinger offers you a free domain for the first year if you sign up for their mid-tier or high-tier Drupal hosting plan. If you have an existing domain, the web host will migrate it for free.
Pros & Cons
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free domain registration
- Great for website owners and developers
- Beginner-friendly hPanel
- Globally positioned data centers
- No phone support
Ultahost is no newcomer to the cloud hosting industry. They offer robust cloud-based hosting solutions supporting a wide range of control panels. Their VPS plans are optimized to support various frameworks and CMS such as Drupal and WordPress. Their shared hosting plans can also host Drupal websites, but we recommend the VPS plans for Drupal-based application hosting.
- Overall score – 4.8
- Pricing – 4.5
- Features – 4.8
- Performance – 4.8
- Support – 5
- User Friendly – 5
Pricing: Ultahost shared hosting plans begin at $3.29/mo. It offers 1 domain, 10,000 monthly visits, 30GB NVMe storage, and unlimited bandwidth. You also get free backups, domain transfers, free SSL, and 30-day money-back on all plans. The entry-level VPS costs $5.50/mo and offers 1 core, 1GB RAM, 30GB NVMe storage, a managed server, and 1 IPv4 dedicated IP.
Features: Ultahost shared hosting plans offer cPanel, 9.99% uptime, unlimited bandwidth, and daily backups. You also get free website migration and NVME SSD storage. The VPS plans support various control panels like BrainyCP, Plesk, cPanel, CyberPanel, and VestaCP.
Performance: Ultahost’s shared hosting server performance is decent. Our test results showed 413 ms from London, United Kingdom, and 427 ms from Frankfurt, Germany. These speeds are above the average loading speed of 500 ms. You can get better performance by using a VPS plan, choosing a server close to your target location, and optimizing your hosting environment.
Support: Ultahost offers 24/7 support to all customers via email, phone, live chat, and ticket system. There are also special support add-ons for businesses and individuals who want the web host to manage their servers. There is an online community for regular customers where experienced users and experts share insights into Drupal Hosting.
User Friendly: Ultahost makes Drupal cloud hosting with its one-click install and powerful cloud solutions. They also offer support for all the popular control panels so you can find the one you are comfortable with. The support team is just one message away if you run into issues.
Additional Parameter – Drupal Cloud VPS: Ultahost VPS plans are designed to give you the best performance for your Drupal application. The features include full root access, 99.99% uptime, scalable DDR5 RAM, unlimited bandwidth, and custom server configuration. You also get managed service and free daily automatic backups.
Pros & Cons
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free control panel options
- Unlimited bandwidth on all plans
- Generous storage space
- Support add-ons for personalized support
- cPanel VPS plans are expensive
IONOS has been a cloud hosting provider from its early years. The web host offers cloud hosting plans with excellent performance and instant scalability, including a fully managed Drupal hosting service. This means you can expect your website/application to run optimally without worrying about maintenance. They also offer huge discounts for up to 6 months.
- Overall score – 4.7
- Pricing – 4.5
- Features – 5
- Performance – 4.3
- Support – 5
- User Friendly – 4.8
Pricing: IONOS’ cheapest plan (Essential) begins at $4/mo and continues at $6/mo six months later. It offers 10GB storage and 10 databases; you can only use it for one website. If you want unlimited websites, storage, and database, consider the Plus plan (starts at $1/mo, then $12/mo) or the Ultimate plan (starts at $10/mo, renews at $16/mo)
Features: All IONOS Drupal hosting plans offer one-click Drupal installation, managed service, PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler, SSL certificates, and SSD storage. You also get a one-year free domain, daily backup, and 24/7 support on all plans.
Performance: IONOS cloud servers are optimized for the best web hosting experience. However, their loading speed is sometimes below the industry average. You can improve on this by choosing a data center location close to your audience and optimizing your Drupal website/application. IONOS also promises a 99.9% network uptime.
Support: IONOS offers 24/7 customer support to all customers via live chat, email, and phone. The web host also assigns a personal constant to each customer. The constant will help you choose the best hosting service and guide you along your hosting journey. There is also a knowledge base that includes resources on Drupal hosting.
User Friendly: IONOS offers managed Drupal hosting service so you can focus on other things. The host will manage server maintenance, install essential updates, and handle administrative tasks. All of these services are offered for free.
Additional Parameter – Drupal Hosting Specific Support: IONOS is an excellent choice for users who require specialized Drupal support. The web host offers fully managed service and 24/7 technical support. There are also helpful guides and resources to help you manage and optimize your Drupal website/application.
Pros & Cons
- 1-click Drupal installation
- SSL certificate
- PHP 8.2 with JIT compiler
- 24/7 customer support
- Expert-managed Drupal hosting service
- Higher renewal prices
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
Best Drupal Cloud Hosting Services: Final Recommendations
After a thorough analysis, Kamatera and Hostinger emerge as the most reliable options. Kamatera stands out due to its flexible billing options and exceptional performance. Hostinger is a formidable contender with its free features and affordable plans. Other noteworthy providers include Ultahost, InterServer, IONOS, A2 Hosting, and FastComet. Each web host offers at least a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test their products with nothing to lose. (Note that providers like InterServer don’t offer refunds on some plans.)
Since there are many options, the final choice depends on your requirements and budget. In most cases, you need the VPS plans for the best performance. However, a shared hosting plan may be sufficient if you are hosting a small business site. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice performance, customer support, and quality.
Types of Drupal Hosting and Which Is the Right One for You?
There are many types of Drupal hosting. Let’s explore the main types and their ideal use cases:
- Shared Hosting: Shared hosting involves hosting multiple websites on a single server. When you use a shared hosting plan, your website will be hosted with other websites on the same server. It is the cheapest option but also the least secure and reliable. It is suitable for small to medium-sized websites with low traffic.
- Virtual Private Server (VPS) Hosting: VPS hosting allocates a partition to you. Instead of sharing the entire server with other users, you get a partition with dedicated resources. It offers more control, performance, and customization options than shared hosting. It is suitable for growing websites that need more resources and control.
- Dedicated Server Hosting: This option allocates a physical server to your website. It offers maximum control, customization, performance, and security. However, it is expensive and requires expert handling. It is only ideal for large websites with high traffic and resource-intensive applications.
- Cloud Hosting: Cloud hosting refers to the use of virtual servers. It can form the infrastructure for other hosting types or be a hosting product. It offers scalability and high reliability. It is perfect for websites with fluctuating traffic and applications with unpredictable needs.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Drupal Cloud Hosting Plan
Some of the areas you need to consider carefully for best performance include:
- Drupal Hosting Requirements: The resources you need for a journalism Drupal site will differ from a web-based database. Identify the needed resources and look for providers/plans with those specifications. Some of the resources to consider include storage space and size, RAM allocation, processor type, OS, and control panel.
- Security and Performance: You can go for unmanaged or managed plans here. Managed plans offer security and performance optimization. For unmanaged plans, ensure the web host offers tools that you can use to secure and optimize your application. Also, consider features such as data center locations, SSLs, DDoS protection, and uptime.
- Support and Ease of Use: Look for providers that include Drupal expert support, as they will provide better support. It will also make your hosting stress-free. If you want more support, go for a managed plan.
Managed vs Unmanaged Drupal Hosting: Which Is the Right One?
The choice between managed and unmanaged Drupal hosting primarily depends on whether you have the time and experience to manage your server. Let’s explain these two options.
- Managed Drupal Hosting: Managed hosting means the provider takes care of server management. This includes server setup, maintenance, updates, regular backups, and security measures. It is ideal for those who prefer a hands-off approach to server management. It is also the only option for people who don’t want to learn server management. The downside is that it costs more than unmanaged hosting. It also limits your control since the web host will cordon off certain aspects of your server for security reasons.
- Unmanaged Drupal Hosting: Unmanaged Drupal hosting means you are responsible for server management. It gives you complete control, but that also comes with total responsibility. You must know or be willing to learn server configurations and software installations. You must also secure the server and ensure it is continually optimized. The upside is that it is budget-friendly, and you can customize the server to your taste. However, these pros only benefit those who have both the time and skill to manage servers.
How do we rank, and how should you choose your Drupal Cloud Hosting?
- Features20%
- Scalability Options10%
- Advanced Cloud Hosting Solutions10%
- Uptime15%
- Value for Money15%
- Customer Support15%
- User Reviews15%
At HostAdvice, we rank Drupal cloud hosting providers using an in-house unbiased methodology. This methodology features the crucial factors we must consider while reviewing a web host. Here is a brief explanation of these facts and the importance (percentage weight) we assign to each:
- Features (20%): We seek features and tools tailored to Drupal hosting. These include pre-installed Drupal, one-click installs, and optimized servers. We also consider hosting resources such as processor type, storage space, and RAM allocations.
- Scalability Options (10%): Cloud hosting is scalable by default. However, we award more points to web hosts that allow vertical and horizontal scaling. This means you can increase the resources within your plan or upgrade your plan.
- Advanced Cloud Hosting Solutions (10%): Cloud hosting infrastructure is essential.
- Uptime (15%): We prioritize web hosts that guarantee at least 99.9% uptime. The higher the uptime, the better.
- Value for Money (15%): While most people focus on price, we focus on value. We look at the features included in each plan and compare the value to the renewal price. This approach helps find long-term affordable Drupal hosting plans without compromising quality.
- Customer Support (15%): General support gets just half the points. The web host must demonstrate that it offers Drupal-specific support for more points. This is in terms of support staff and in-depth articles. Web hosts with full Drupal support get total points.
- User Reviews (15%): We check reviews from past and current customers. These reviews provide insights into how well the hosting provider delivers on their promises.
What is Drupal Cloud Hosting, and who is it for?
Drupal Cloud Hosting is a type of cloud hosting service for Drupal sites. It comes with pre-configured settings to ensure that Drupal sites run smoothly. Some providers include expert Drupal support and fully managed service in their Drupal cloud hosting plans.
Drupal cloud hosting is suitable for
- Individuals who want to create Drupal websites
- Media sites with multiple contributors
- Developers using the Drupal platform
