Cloud Hosting

Few things are better than the confidence you feel when slipping on a perfectly tailored outfit. A knowledgeable seamstress can take wholly adequate dresses, shirts, or pants and make them feel custom-made, just for you.

Cloud servers are the hosting equivalent of discovering a new tailor. The best provide top-notch, reliable service at an affordable rate, delivering a product that excels for your specific needs.

While shared, VPS, and dedicated server hosting packages rely on one physical server at a time, cloud hosting technology enables an unlimited number of servers to act as one unified system. With so much storage space and computing power at your disposal, cloud hosting introduces a greater level of scalability, availability, and performance. The added flexibility of adding or removing memory, storage, or processors, means that many hosting providers bill customers monthly for exactly the resources used.

The scalability, security, and affordability of cloud hosting makes the platform an increasingly popular option.

Weve reviewed the internets best cloud hosting providers and share our results below. Whether you prioritize your budget, operating system, performance, or support, were confident that we can recommend the best fit.

Best Overall (4) | Cheap | Linux | Windows | SSD | Managed | WordPress

The rapidly expanding cloud hosting industry is expected to grow nearly 20% this year to almost $250 billion in worldwide revenue, fueled largely by the proliferation of data in Internet-of-Things devices, artificial intelligence, and Software-as-a-Service business applications. Nearly 40% of small and medium businesses utilize some form of cloud hosting, which provides operational agility in the forms of improved collaboration, the ability to work remotely, better control of documents, and a reduced carbon footprint.

Given the massive demand for cloud storage and computing, hosting providers are clamoring to offer the best services for the best prices. Competition is fierce, which bodes well for those shopping around for the best solution. The top providers, including our four most recommended options below, shine at offering seven key attributes: reliability, availability, scalability, security, quality, strong service-level agreements, and responsive support.

1.

Monthly Starting Price$19.99

4.9

2.

Monthly Starting Price$19.98

4.9

3.

Monthly Starting Price$6.95

4.8

4.

Monthly Starting Price$29.50

4.8

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Cloud hosting sometimes gets confused with a virtual private server, or VPS. Both configurations rely on the virtualization of physical server resources. Although a cloud server can be called a VPS, a VPS is not a cloud server. One of the key differences, aside from the infrastructure configurations, is the payment model the automation and vast network associated with cloud hosting enables providers to offer cheaper, pay-as-you-go solutions that can be scaled up or down at a moments notice.

Some of the best VPS hosts, like the one below, power their plans with cloud networks to take advantage of server clusters boasting high levels of redundancy and availability. The optimized architecture streamlines operations for the hosting provider, who in turn can choose to pass the savings onto customers. Take a look at our recommendation for affordable cloud-powered VPS:

5.

Monthly Starting Price$19.99

4.9

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Because cloud hosting relies on a multitude of virtualized servers, the service allows for more flexibility when selecting the operating system or other software to install and configure. Pervasive Unix-based operating systems, including the CentOS, Debian, and Fedora Linux distributions, are twice as popular as servers configured with Windows. With so many options to choose from, heres our top pick for hosting Linux in the cloud:

6.

Monthly Starting Price$19.99

4.9

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Microsofts popularity in the desktop operating system space hasnt quite equated to server installations, but the subset of users are no less passionate. The Windows operating system enables site owners the flexibility of hosting ASP.NET or PHP websites, in addition to deploying either MySQL or Microsoft SQL databases.

Because Windows licenses are more expensive than frequently open-source Linux distributions, Windows cloud hosting can be more expensive. Nevertheless, hosts like the one below offer premium services tailored to the strengths of the operating system:

7.

Monthly Starting Price$29.50

4.9

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It only takes three letters to pique our interest in a particular hosting plan. SSD, which stands for solid-state drive, gives servers a performance and reliability boost that cant be ignored. Yes, the upgraded option typically comes with a slightly higher price tag, but up to 20-times faster page loads make SSDs seem more than worthwhile. By including SSDs in their cloud network, hosting providers are showing a dedication to customer success and service that matters. Take a look at our top pick for SSD cloud hosting:

8.

Monthly Starting Price$19.99

4.9

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Setting up your systems on a new cloud hosting plan isnt for faint-hearted beginners. Many choose to avoid the virtualization complexities by opting for managed hosting services, which often include assistance for software installations and updates, security tools, and performance optimizations. Hosting specialists perform both the complicated and the mundane tasks required to maintain healthy infrastructure and application stacks.

A premium host across the board, Liquid Web particularly excels with premium managed services and support. The companys platform features built-in redundancy that is primed to automatically scale to handle spikes in traffic. Add in Liquid Webs expert management of firewalls, storage capacities, databases, and DNS settings, and we have zero qualms about recommending the companys superior managed hosting plans:

9.

Monthly Starting Price$29.50

4.8

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Powering 28% of the internet, WordPress provides the backend interface for more than 60 million bloggers, entrepreneurs, developers, and enterprise businesses. Given the platforms wide applications, cloud hosting is a perfect fit for highly trafficked, in-demand websites and online stores. InMotion Hosting, our favorite option for all things WordPress, understandably outperforms competitors in terms of optimized infrastructure, superior management, and ultimate usability:

10.

Monthly Starting Price$19.99

4.9

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Now that youve seen our reviews of the top cloud hosting configurations and services, its time to find that one tailor who understands and appreciates how your clothes need to fit.

Massive networks of virtualized servers will ensure your website has plenty of resources.

Look for companies that offer a range of scalable services and the support teams that will tell you how great you look. To sew things up (hey oh), our favorite cloud hosting providers help your sites look and function at their best.

The rest is here:
10 Best Cloud Server Hosting Providers (2018): Top Cloud ...