How much does a cloud hosting cost?
The average cloud hosting cost is $4.55 per month for a small server with 1GB of RAM, 25GB SSD storage, and 1 CPU core. The majority of cloud hosting providers in this article offer at least 30 days of free trial. This will help you decide if one service provider is worth the price or not after the free period expires.
Before we go deep into what you need to pay to access cloud hosting services, it is important that we understand what we are talking about when we say Cloud Hosting. Cloud hosting services might be what your business needs. You can manage your resources across a network of servers in a cloud computing environment instead of one server. If managing the resources on your own seems like a daunting task, there’s an alternative for you – Managed Cloud Hosting. This option alleviates the need for you to manage the servers, as it’s taken care of by experienced professionals.
In this post, we will compare the best cloud hosting providers so you can have an idea of what it will cost you to host in the cloud.
In most cases, the best cloud hosting provider is not the one with the best hosting price, but the one that satisfies your website needs with server reliability and uptime guarantees.
Before we begin, Here is Our recommendation for the BEST VALUE FOR MONEY when it comes to Cloud Server Plans and Providers:
Cloud Hosting Cost Table – Top 10 Cloud Hosting for 2023
| Host | Cheapest Monthly Price | Length of Plan | Monthly Saving | Money Back Guarantee | Website |
| Kamatera | $4 | Monthly | X | 30 days | |
| HostArmada | $2.49 | Monthly | 75% | 7 days | |
| ChemiCloud | $59.96 | Monthly | 25% | 15 days | |
| FastComet | $38.95 | Monthly | 35% | 45 days | |
| Hostinger | $9.99 | Monthly | 66% | 30 days | |
| A2 Hosting | $2.99 | Monthly | X | X | |
| InterServer | $6 | Monthly | X | X | |
| Verpex | $0.50 | Monthly | 90% | 45 days | |
| ScalaHosting | $14.95 | Monthly | 53% | 30 days | |
| Cloudways | $12 | Monthly | X | 30 days |
Factors affecting the cost of cloud hosting
Cloud hosting pricing depends on a number of factors, including the resources you need to set up your cloud infrastructure and the type of cloud hosting you want to deploy your resources on. While some service providers allow you to enter your preferred details, others have certain plans that you can choose from. Other factors include the size and scope of your project and the support you need, such as storage, bandwidth, and CPU.
Bandwidth, Size and Storage
Since storage is the major reason why you need to move your workloads to the cloud, the size of your workload can determine the price you pay. To avoid additional costs on your profile, it is important that you know your bandwidth requirement and the amount of storage you will need in the long run. The good news is that some of the service providers offer unlimited bandwidth and data transfer, while others limit it to 1TB to 8TB, depending on the plan you buy.
Also, take note of the type of storage your service provider is offering, as it might have an impact on the cost of your plan. There are two types of storage: solid-state drives (SSDs) and hard disk drives (HDDs). SSDs are mostly preferred and used by service providers because they are fast, more reliable, and can increase your website speed and performance. The only limitation is that it is more expensive than HDDs, but HDDs are less reliable and slow. Therefore, pay what you need to pay to get the best service.
Plan type
Apart from cloud hosting providers that allow you to configure your plan and choose the resources you need on your cloud infrastructure, you should take note of the plan features incorporated by other service providers. This is to prevent you from paying for services you don’t need or services not included in your plan that you might need to pay later.
Before you choose a plan, you need to ensure that the plan has the features you need and doesn’t have any limitations that could incur additional charges in the future. Don’t be swayed into paying for a cheap cloud hosting plan; do your due diligence and always ensure they have the important features you need. Explore our Cheap Cloud Hosting page to find budget-friendly plans that don’t compromise on essential features.
Our preferred VPS Plan by Kamatera:
CPUs and Root access
One of the important features you need to look out for in the cloud hosting provider you want to choose is if they offer enough CPUs and root access. Having enough CPU can impact the speed of your website. Root access allows you to customize your server’s environment, install extra software such as extra security, and make changes to your hardware settings.
Cloud server location
The server location has an impact on your website’s speed from the end-visitor standpoint. Therefore, it also influences your cloud hosting price. For example, if your website is hosted on a server located in areas like Canada, you will need to pay more than those in less populated areas.
Our preferred VPS Plan by Hostarmada:
Extra Hosting cost to consider
While some hosting providers offer extra free services, others require you to pay to access them. Therefore, it is important that you know what you need to host your website completely. These extra costs should be considered a top priority before choosing a cloud hosting plan for your website.
Domain Name Registration
Typically costs $0.99 – $25/year
Although you can get some domain names for as low as $0.99, the price range for registering a domain name for your website is between $6 and $25.
Your domain name is the first thing people see, which can greatly impact your website impressions and brand. The domain name you choose should be brandable, short, and memorable.
Here are some factors that will determine the price of your domain name:
- Domain registrar: Since 1998, the Internet domains have been coordinated by ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. You should consider domain registrars that are registered by ICANN. It is necessary as they allow you to check the availability of your domain name.
- Domain extension: The rule of thumb here is to stick with TLDs like .com as they present your business as credible and reliable. For example, hostadvice.com is an example of a domain name and a domain extension. The domain name is hostadvice, while the .com is the domain extension. TLDs like .com cost between $10 to $20 yearly. The price difference depends on the domain registrar you decide to buy from and the type of extension you choose.
- Domain privacy extension: During the course of registering your domain name, it is necessary and mandatory that you provide registrars with up-to-date personal information about you and your business. This information will be shared publicly by default and is a vital resource if any issue arises regarding your domain rights.
However, sharing that vital information has some limitations as someone can easily find the information and use it to spam you. This is where domain privacy comes in, as it makes sure your personal contact information is not available for illegal access. You can get it for free when you purchase a cloud hosting plan or add it as an extra feature, which might cost between $2 and $20 a year.
SSL certificates
Typically costs $5 to $1000/year
Some cloud hosting providers like Kamatera offer free SSL certificates when you purchase their cloud hosting plan. However, the average cost of an SSL certificate is about $60 per year and can range between $5 to $1000 yearly, depending on your website security needs.
Other server costs to host a website
While you might have covered your cloud hosting cost, you also need to consider other hosting costs depending on the website requirements. Below are other server costs to host a website:
- WordPress Hosting: $2.99 – $230 per month
- VPS Hosting: $20 – $80 per month
- Dedicated Hosting: $70 – $500 per month
- Shared Hosting: $2.49 – $89 per month
All of these hosting plans are available and can be accessed via your hosting providers. You can choose the best server solution that suits your needs. Out of the hosting services, cloud hosting is still a reliable option as it is a web hosting server that grants access to resources on demand.
Fixed Pricing vs. Usage-Based Pricing: Which Cloud Hosting Model is Right for You?
Fixed pricing and usage-based pricing are the two main models. Fixed pricing charges a flat rate for a set number of resources, whereas usage-based pricing charges based on the number of resources consumed. Both models offer advantages and disadvantages, and which one is best for a company depends on its specific needs and usage patterns.
Because businesses know exactly how much they will be charged each month, fixed pricing provides certainty and ease of budgeting. But, for organizations with changing levels of consumption, it may not be the most cost-effective alternative because they may end up paying for resources they don’t require. Usage-based pricing, on the other hand, provides firms with varying consumption patterns with flexibility and cost savings because they only pay for what they use. Yet, with usage-based pricing, it might be more difficult to budget and predict expenditures.
Businesses should examine aspects such as usage habits, budget, and growth expectations when deciding between fixed price and usage-based pricing for cloud hosting. Here are some helpful hints to assist you in making your decision:
- Think about your budget and decide whether the stability of set price or the potential cost reductions of usage-based pricing is more essential to you.
- Examine your consumption patterns to see if you require the same amount of resources each month or if it varies.
- Evaluate your future growth estimates to see if you need to scale up or down.
- Look for service providers who supply both pricing models or allow you to switch between them as your needs change.
- Don’t be hesitant to bargain with vendors to achieve the best pricing and conditions for your company’s demands.
Is Cloud Hosting Worth the Extra Cost?
The question of whether cloud hosting is worth the extra cost is determined by a number of factors, including a company’s unique demands and budget.
One of the key advantages of cloud hosting is its flexibility. Businesses can simply scale their resources up and down as required with cloud hosting, paying only for what they use. This can help organizations save money by eliminating the costs of maintaining on-premises technology that may sit unused for lengthy periods of time. Furthermore, cloud hosting delivers improved stability and uptime since resources are dispersed across several servers, decreasing the chance of downtime or data loss.
Yet, the additional expense of cloud hosting may be a hurdle for certain firms. While the cost of cloud hosting has fallen in recent years, it can still be more expensive than on-premises alternatives, particularly for enterprises with significant resource utilization or substantial data storage requirements. Furthermore, some firms may be concerned about data security and privacy while keeping data on remote servers.
When deciding if cloud hosting is worth the extra expense, organizations should assess their unique demands and budget, as well as the possible benefits and downsides of cloud hosting. Here are some helpful hints to help you decide:
- Assess your existing hosting option and evaluate the costs and advantages of cloud hosting.
- Assess your company’s particular demands, such as resource utilization and data storage requirements.
- Evaluate the possible cost reductions of cloud hosting, such as less hardware maintenance and increased uptime.
- Consider the various dangers and issues related with cloud hosting, such as data security and privacy.
- Choose suppliers who give flexible pricing and scalability choices.
- Do a cost-benefit analysis to estimate the possible return on investment of cloud hosting for your company.
How to Calculate the True Cost of Cloud Hosting for Your Business
Determining the exact cost of cloud hosting for your organization entails taking into account a number of elements, such as resource utilization, data storage requirements, and any additional expenditures, such as support or maintenance fees. Use these practical strategies to discover the real cost of cloud hosting:
- Determine how much storage, bandwidth, and computing power you require by analyzing your resource utilization.
- Assess your data storage requirements, including any backup or redundancy needs.
- Seek for service providers who give flexible price choices, such as pay-as-you-go or reserved instance pricing.
- Consider any additional expenses, such as support or maintenance fees.
- To discover the most cost-effective alternative for your organization, compare the real cost of cloud hosting to the cost of on-premises hosting options.
Summary
This article is focused on helping you know the cost to host your website in the cloud from the best cloud hosting providers but we decided to help you dig out some important things you might miss out on. Hence, the above information was tailored to help you host your website without missing out on additional costs. The cloud hosting providers in this post are ranked from top to bottom; you can get more information about each hosting provider by checking our previous guide on cloud hosting as well as the best cloud hosting providers in 2023.
Still not convinced who will be your Cloud Hosting Provider? Try Kamatera with 30 Days money-back guarantee.
