The average VPS price is $10 for a yearly or multi-year subscription. However, you should expect to pay as high as $20 (and even more) if you intend to pay monthly.
The exact VPS server price depends on the provider you choose, the resources you need, and the length of your hosting plan.
Most providers allow you to sign up for a monthly plan, with a few offering hourly VPS pricing. However, you should go for a 12-month plan or longer to save on VPS costs.
Thankfully, the host providers in this article offer a money-back guarantee or free trials. So you can use the service for a short period to help you decide if it is worth the price or not.
In most cases, the best provider may not be the one with the VPS best price. It is the one that caters to your hosting needs.
Before we start, Here is Our recommendation for the BEST VALUE FOR MONEY when it comes to VPS Plans and Providers:
VPS Pricing Table – Top VPS Hosting Services For 2024
Host | Cheapest Monthly Price | Length of Plan | Monthly Saving | Money-back Guarantee | Website |
Kamatera | $4 | Monthly | X | 30 Days | |
Ultahost | $5.50 | Monthly | 25% | 30 Days | |
Hostinger | $2.99 | Monthly | 67% | 30 Days | |
IONOS | $2 | Monthly | X | 30 Days | |
InterServer | $6 | Monthly | X | X | |
HostArmada | $41.21 | Monthly | 25% | 45 Days | |
A2 Hosting | $4.99 | 3 year | 44% | 30 Days | |
Cloudways | $6 | Monthly | 40% | 3 days | |
Bluehost | $19.99 | Monthly | 50% | X |
Factors Affecting the Cost of a VPS
VPS pricing depends on several factors, such as the type of VPS you want, the plans your provider offers, and the resources you need. Understanding these factors will help you compare multiple providers and plans to determine which VPS server price gives you the best value for your investment.
Managed vs. Unmanaged Virtual Private Servers
Managed VPS costs more than unmanaged VPS. The extra cost covers technical support and services you get from your provider. They handle server administration and maintenance to ensure your server runs smoothly. Some of the administrative tasks include running security audits and installing updates.
Unmanaged VPS hosting seems a better alternative due to its low VPS pricing; however, it may cost you more in the long term. If you do not have the time and experience to manage your server, you may have to pay a professional to do it for you. On the other hand, opting for a Best Managed VPS plan could save you both time and additional costs, ensuring a smooth operation of your server.
Plan type
Before you sign up for a plan, you need to look beyond the VPS pricing system to the features and limitations of each plan. The cheapest plans come with limited features and generally lack essential areas such as scalability services and customer support.
Some VPS hosts, such as Kamatera, allow users to configure their plan and VPS pricing. Customizable plans are a great option if you know what you need. If you don’t, you might want to go for mid-range plans offering enough resources to cover your potential needs. Additionally, if you’re on a budget but seeking quality service, our Best Cheap VPS page provides a curated list of affordable VPS providers that might suit your requirements.
Bandwidth, Data Transfer, and Storage
Bandwidth and data transfer can quickly increase your VPS price. So, if you are going for a plan with unlimited or unmetered bandwidth and data transfer, you should expect to pay more. The good news is that you won’t have to pay excess charges as there are no limits to exceed.
The type of storage included in your plan also influences VPS pricing. There are two types of server storage: solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). HDD storage is less expensive but also less reliable and performs slower.
SSD storage is faster, more reliable, and can increase your website speed and performance. However, it is more expensive.
Data Center location
Your server hardware’s location will also influence your VPS price. Generally, server locations in populated areas like Los Angeles and New York City will be less expensive than those in less populated areas.
Sometimes, you have to go to an expensive data center location. For instance, if the bulk of your target audience is in the UK, you want a data center located in the UK or close for optimal performance.
However, proximity should not be your only metric. You should check the data center’s performance to see if they are worth the VPS price. You may go for better-performing data center locations or switch to another hosting provider if they aren’t.
Your operating system
One of the first decisions you should make before signing up for a VPS hosting plan is your preferred operating system (OS) for your servers. Most VPS hosts provide both Linux-based and Windows-based servers.
Linux-based servers are very popular and are the only option some providers offer. They are affordable because the underlying software (Linux) is a free and open-source program.
Windows-based servers are costly since the providers must pay licensing fees to use the Windows OS.
Unique Fact: Most unreliable VPS providers try to use low prices to grab customers’ attention. However, VPS cost isn’t everything. You should ensure your plan provides all the resources you need in the right amount and that the costs are upfront and transparent.
Our preferred VPS Plans by Ultahost:
How do I reduce my VPS cost?
You can reduce your VPS cost by choosing a provider that offers transparent pricing, sufficient resources for your needs, and scalable services. It’s also wise to optimize your server configurations and uninstall any unused applications to ensure that you are only utilizing the necessary resources. Considering annual or biennial billing can also fetch you a discount as many providers offer lower rates for long-term commitments. Additionally, monitoring your server’s performance regularly to ensure you’re not overusing or underusing resources can also lead to cost savings. For more economical solutions, check our website for a list of the best cheap web hosting providers.
Extra VPS Hosting Costs to Consider
Buying a VPS hosting plan is like renting an office space for your business. It’s an important step, but there are other things you need to set up shop and begin operations fully. Unless you have a big budget, consider these extra costs before settling on a VPS plan.
Domain Name Registration
Typically costs $10 to $20/year
Your domain name helps market your brand and makes it easier for people to find you online. No two domains are the same. They may look alike, such as lookalike.com and lookalike.net. For these two, the difference is in their domain name extension.
The cost of domain name registration depends on the following:
- Domain registrar: Some domain registrars offer only domain name registrations, while others provide web hosting services. You should only consider registrars accredited by ICANN.
- Domain name extension: There are two parts to a website domain name: the domain name and the domain extension. The website name can be anything that suits your business, as long as it hasn’t been taken. For domain extensions, you can choose from over 1,500 domain extensions. Domain name registration cost differs greatly based on your preferred extension. For instance, a domain name with the .com extension can cost $10/year, while the same domain name with the .xyz extension may cost roughly $1/year.
- Domain privacy protection: When registering a domain, you must enter your business and personal information. WHOIS stores that information in its public WHOIS database. To protect your information, you should purchase domain privacy protection. We recommend this protection to protect your personal information from spammers, cybercriminals, and other malicious actors.
Office 365 or G Suite?
Typically costs $6 to $12 a month.
Office 365 (now Microsoft 365) and G Suite (now known as Google Workspace) are business productivity tools that allow you to perform business tasks in the cloud from your web browser. They offer tools for communication, scheduling, file sharing, document creation, and team collaboration. Your choice depends on your needs and budget.
- Google Workspace has a fairly straightforward pricing system. They have three main plans: Business starter plan ($6/user/month), business standard ($12/user/month), and business plus ($18/user/month). They also have an enterprise price that provides customizable services at custom pricing. Each plan limits storage space, user accounts, video call participants, and security and searching features. Google Workspace also offers a 14-day trial period.
- Microsoft 365 has a lot of plans, such as home, business, enterprise, government, non-profit, and education plans. Although these offer greater flexibility, you can get a headache figuring out which plan meets your needs at the best price. Let’s consider the Business and Enterprise price plans. The Microsoft Business plans start at $6 per user per month and go up to $22.00 per user per month. The Enterprise plans start from $10 per user per month to $38 per user per month.
SSL Certificates
Typically costs $5 to $1000.
An SSL certificate is a digital file that provides SSL/TLS encryption. SSL means Secure Sockets Layer, while TLS means Transport Layer Security. They both refer to the standard protocol for authenticating a website and enabling encrypted connections.
There are many SSL certificates, each with its unit price range:
- Single-domain SSL certificates offer authentication and encrypted data sharing for a single domain and its subdomains, such as website.com and website.com/about. You can get these SSL certificates for as low as $5/year or free from your web hosting providers.
- Wildcard SSL certificates are for domains and first-level subdomains such as website.com, app.website.com, blog.website.com, and so on. This type of SSL certificate typically starts from $30/year.
- Multi-domain SSL certificate protects multiple domains, first-level subdomains, and other subdomains. Pricing for this type of SSL certificate starts from $60/year.
- Domain validation is for websites that don’t require visitors’ details. It costs around $70 a year.
- Organization validation is for a business that needs a high level of authenticity but does not require visitors to enter sensitive data like payment information. This type of certificate starts from $150 yearly.
- Extended validation certificates are for organizations that want the highest trust and authentication. It starts from $200 a year and can cost as much as $1000 per year.
Our preferred VPS Plans by Kamatera:
How to Choose the Best VPS Pricing Plan?
Here are some helpful hints for selecting the best VPS pricing plan:
- Determine the resource requirements for your website: Consider how much traffic, storage, and bandwidth your website requires to function properly.
- Select the right type of VPS: There are three types of VPS: unmanaged, managed, and cloud-based. Each type provides varying degrees of control, support, and scalability.
- Look for features that meet your requirements: Consider 24/7 support, backup and restore options, control panel options, and security features.
- Pricing plans should be compared: Compare the prices and features of various VPS providers to find the best value for your money.
- Check for hidden fees: Some VPS providers may charge additional fees for services like migration, backup, and SSL certificates. Before signing up for a plan, make sure to check for any hidden fees.
The Pros and Cons of Cheap VPS Pricing
Pros:
- Cost-effective: If you’re just starting out or have a limited budget, cheap VPS pricing plans can be a cost-effective way to host your website.
- Flexibility: Unlike shared hosting plans, cheap VPS plans frequently allow you to scale resources up or down as needed.
- More control: With a VPS plan, you have more control over the resources and configuration of your website than with shared hosting.
Cons:
- Limited resources: Low-cost VPS plans may provide limited resources such as storage space, bandwidth, or CPU power, which can limit the performance of your website.
- Service unreliability: Some low-cost VPS providers may provide unreliable service, resulting in frequent downtime or slow page loading times.
- Poor support: Low-cost VPS providers may not provide the same level of support as more expensive plans, forcing you to troubleshoot problems on your own.
- Risks to security: Low-cost VPS providers may skimp on security, leaving your website vulnerable to hacking and other security threats.
- Hidden costs: Some low-cost VPS providers may charge extra fees for services such as backups or migration, which can quickly add up.
VPS Pricing: How to Avoid Hidden Fees and Extra Costs?
One of the most difficult aspects of selecting a VPS hosting plan is avoiding hidden fees and extra costs. Some providers may advertise low prices only to charge extra for services such as backups or migration. To avoid surprises, it’s critical to understand the potential hidden fees and extra costs of VPS pricing. Here are some helpful hints for avoiding hidden fees and extra costs when selecting a VPS hosting plan:
- Read the small print: Before purchasing a VPS plan, carefully read the terms and conditions to understand what is and is not included.
- Check for hidden fees: Some VPS providers may charge extra for services such as backups, migration, or SSL certificates. Make sure to inquire about these fees ahead of time and factor them into your budget.
- Look for a comprehensive strategy: Select a VPS provider that provides a comprehensive plan that includes essential services such as backups, migration, and security.
- Consider managed VPS: While managed VPS plans are more expensive, they include essential services such as backups, security, and support, so you won’t have to worry about extra costs.
- Pricing and features should be compared: Compare the pricing and features of various VPS providers to find the best value for your money. Be wary of providers with unusually low prices because they may have hidden fees or cut corners on security and support.
Summary
From our VPS pricing comparison, you should know VPS pricing. However, this article focuses mainly on pricing the best VPS hosting providers and factors that may affect cost. If you want a detailed summary of each feature along with the pros and cons, you should check out Our Best VPS Hosting Page. Our in-house web hosting expert tested all the hosting providers to find the cutting-edge advantages and any chink in their armor.
All the providers listed in the article provide a money-back guarantee. So you can sign up on the platform and test the features for up to a month.
However, it is hard to go wrong with any hosting providers mentioned on this page.
Still not convinced about who will be your VPS hosting Provider? Try Ultahost with 30 Days money-back guarantee.