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Best Cloud Storage Services

 

Do you want to skip the read and get right to my top picks? The best cloud storage service for most people is pCloud or IceDrive. The rise in the popularity of cloud storage is not hard to explain. It’s safe, affordable, and undoubtedly easy to use.

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Companies of all sizes use it for backups, document archiving, team collaboration, and file sharing. Getting new storage space without having to build and manage additional infrastructure is a huge time saver.

But choosing the best cloud storage services isn’t always easy, especially since there are so many options on the market. I’ve narrowed it down and reviewed my top nine recommendations.

After the reviews, you’ll find a short guide that shows you how I broke down my choices, and how you can find the best cloud storage services for your specific needs.

 

Best Cloud Storage Services

#1 – pCloud Review — The Best Cloud Storage Service with Lifetime Access

Cloud storage services through pCloud start at $4.99 per month for 500 GB, which is a good deal.

Of course, if you pay for lifetime access to pCloud storage, you get a far better deal.

Yes, it’s more money upfront, but way less expensive in the long run.

If you are buying storage that you know you are going to need for 3 years or more, getting a lifetime plan with pCloud is one of your most cost-effective options.

It’s not just the price though. pCloud’s lifetime plans come with a wide range of features, including:

• Shareable links and file requests
• Brandable and customizable share links
• TLS and SSL channel protection
• Five copies on different servers
• Automatic syncing
• Offline access capabilities
• Built-in video and audio player
• File versioning up to 30 days in the past

pCloud also offers an add-on service for extra security and client-side encryption.

You have the option to pay annually or for a lifetime subscription.

There are two-lifetime storage plans to choose from, including:

• Premium — 500 GB for $480 (only $175 for a limited time)
• Premium Plus — 2 TB for $980 (only $350 for a limited time)

If you prefer paying annually, you can do that as well.

You can try pCloud for free for up to 10 GB of storage space.

So, sign up for a free account or buy lifetime access to get started!

 

#2 – Icedrive Review — The Best Desktop and Portable Cloud Storage Software

If you’re looking for cloud storage that feels more like a hard drive with cloud servers’ portability and flexibility, Icedrive is a smart choice.

It utilizes drive mounting software so you can access your files as if they’re stored directly on your computer.

You can also get up to 10 GB of storage space for free, making this one of the most robust free plans on this list.

Icedrive offers several different storage apps for various devices, including web-based, mobile, and desktop. So, you can easily access your files from anywhere.

The mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices with a clean and intuitive interface.

With it, you can view documents in various formats, watch videos and listen to audio files with the built-in media player, and create a full device backup in just a few taps.

Plus, the various apps come packed full of powerful features, including:

• Client-side Twofish encryption
• Password protection
• Share timeout capabilities
• Collaboration tools

Icedrive offers monthly, annual, and lifetime plans.

Monthly Pro plans start at $4.99 per month for up to 1 TB of data, which is incredibly affordable. Alternatively, you can pay $49.99 per year or $149 for lifetime access.

If you just need a small amount of cloud storage, Lite Plans start at $19.99 for the year or $59 for lifetime access. This comes with 150 GB.

Obviously, the lifetime plans get you the best price in the long run.

But Icedrive is worth checking out if you want a fast and secure cloud storage solution.

Choose your storage requirements to get started!

 

#3 – iDrive Review — The Best Device Backups with Unlimited Users

If you need cloud storage or cloud backups for a large number of people, it’s more affordable to choose a plan with unlimited users.

With Drive, you can have as many users as you want with flexible plans depending on the amount of space you need.

iDrive’s personal plan is also affordable if you only need cloud storage for yourself.

However, the business plans are where the service really shines.

Those business plans come with a ton of powerful features, including things like:

• Unlimited PC, Mac, iPhone, Android, and tablet backups
• Continuous and automatic data backups
• External hard drive backups
• Remote management via a browser-based application
• User and group management
• Single sign-on24/7 priority support
• Server backups
• Business compliance

So, it’s an excellent option for businesses of all sizes needing backups and affordable cloud storage space.

Pricing starts at $99.50 per year for 250 GB, with storage limits up to 12.5 TB if you need more.

Alternatively, you can opt for monthly plans starting at $49.95 per month for 1.25 TB.

You can try iDrive free for up to 5 GB to see if it’s right for you.

From there, you can upgrade once you run out of space or need access to more features.

Sign up for a free account and choose your plan to get started today!

 

#4 – Zoolz Review — The Best High-volume Cloud Storage Services

If you need a secure place to store large amounts of backup data (100 TB range), Zoolz is an excellent choice.

• They offer long-term storage plans in increments of one, three, and five years.
• The longer your term and the more space you have, the more you can save.
• Plus, Zoolz’ enterprise-grade mass backup storage plans come with a ton of security, management, and reporting features, including:
• Automatic purging by days and versions
• Smart duplication algorithm even for encrypted files
• On-the-fly decryption for easy access
• Military-grade AES encryption
• Easy deployment via Active Directory Deployment
• Advanced device management
• Bandwidth and storage monitoring
• Automatic system alerts
• Continuous change monitoring
• Server backups

If you don’t need mass storage, Zoolz offers standard cloud backup plans for businesses of all sizes starting at $15 per month (or $99 per year) for up to 1 TB of storage space.

Speak with a cloud specialist to learn more and get started today!

 

#5 – Degoo Cloud Review — The Best for Storing Photos

If you’re interested in a better way to store your photos, Degoo Cloud is a photo storage service that lets you rediscover memories using AI and a built-in personal image feed.

Plus, Degoo has over 23 million users worldwide.

So, you’re in good company.

On top of that, you get top-notch security.

When you upload an image, you can encrypt it with a password.

From there, the data gets broken down into pieces and scattered throughout several data centers in different countries.

The company even claims it’s 100% NSA proof.

So, you can rest easy knowing your photos are safe and secure.

It’s also an excellent way to free up space on your phone.

And you can choose when you want to upload your files to preserve your phone’s battery life.

Alternatively, you can set things up to auto-upload into your Degoo account.

Furthermore, Degoo works on virtually any device with iOS, Android, and web-based applications available.

You have three different plans to choose from, including:

• Free — 100 GB of storage, three devices, and Degoo ads
• Pro — 500 GB of storage, ten devices, and no ads for $2.99 per month
• Ultimate — 10 TB of storage and unlimited devices for $9.99 per month

Create a free account to get started with Degoo today!

 

#6 – SpiderOak One Review — The Best Storage and Backups for Security

If you want or need advanced levels of security, SpiderOak is an excellent choice.

It offers everything you need to protect your data and stay compliant with local, state, and federal regulations (like HIPPA).

Rather than a true cloud storage provider, SpiderOak provides data backups.

However, you can share and access those files.

So, it works similarly, but you can only store backups vs. uploading whatever you want.

On top of that, SpiderOak practices No Knowledge, meaning the company has no knowledge of your passwords, the data you’re storing, or any of the metadata associated with the files you upload.

No one but you knows what you store on the cloud.

And the system is built with privacy and security in mind with end-to-end encryption.

This means your files are encrypted before they ever leave your computer, and they stay encrypted the entire time they’re stored.

Furthermore, you also get:

• Point-in-time recovery to restore data to any point in time
• File sharing (No Knowledge doesn’t apply to shared files)
• Mobile apps for file viewing
• Separate encryption keys for each file
• File versioningAccess to deleted files

Pricing starts at $6/month for up to 150 GB and goes all the way up to 5 TB for $29/month.

Sign up for a 21-day free trial to see if SpiderOak One is right for you and your business today!

 

#7 – OneDrive Review — The Best for Windows Users

If you use Windows and none of the other options feel like a good fit, OneDrive is an affordable and easy-to-use option.

There are family, individual, and business plans available to suit individuals and businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Plus, you can access, edit, and manage your files from any device regardless of where you are in the world.

Some plans also include access to Microsoft Office apps, like Word and Excel.

So, it’s a great deal if you don’t already have those tools.

Each business plan includes 1 TB of storage space, among various other features, including:

• Secure file sharing
• Access expiration dates
• Accessing files on the cloud without having to download
• Offline access
• Mentions, comments, and tasks
• File folder and access controls
• Password protection
• Multi-page scanning

Furthermore, you can get unlimited cloud storage space with the Business 2 plan.

It also includes advanced security features so you can rest easy knowing your files are secure.

OneDrive’s business plans include:

• Business 1 — $5/month paid annually for 1 TB of space
• Business 2 — $10/month paid annually for unlimited space and advanced security
• 365 Business Basic — $6/month for 1 TB plus essential Office apps
• 365 Standard — $15/month for 1 TB plus all Office apps and collaboration tools

Alternatively, you can get 5 GB for free or pay $1.99/month for 100 GB of personal storage space.

Choose your plan to get started with OneDrive today!

 

#8 – iCloud Review — The Best for Apple Users

iCloud definitely isn’t the strongest competitor on this list.

But it’s a good choice if you already use Apple devices and want an easy way to store and access your files from one device to another.

Plus, you automatically get 5 GB of storage for free.

If you’re a light user, this may be enough for you.

However, if you have a lot of photos or videos, you probably need more space.

Furthermore, it’s incredibly easy to set up and upgrade to a higher plan.

You can upgrade from any of your devices using your iTunes account.

And there are various storage plans to choose from, including 50 GB, 200 GB, and 2 TB.

You can also share this storage space with up to six people in your household.

This space can also be used for device backups, including your Apple watch, home screen, and app organization, purchase history, photos, videos, and device settings.

This means you don’t have to start from scratch if you get a new device.

You can simply use the backups stored in iCloud.

In the US, paid plans start at $0.99/month and extend up to $9.99 per month.

These prices vary in other countries and regions, so be sure to check out iCloud’s storage plan pricing for your country before upgrading.

 

#9 – Google Drive Review — The Best for Google Users

If your organization uses G Suite (now called Workspace), Google Drive is included in your subscription.

It’s packed full of powerful features and is incredibly affordable for businesses of all sizes.

Workspace paid plans, include business email accounts, cloud storage space, video conferencing capabilities, internal messaging, and various web-based tools for document creation, PowerPoint presentations, and more.

So, you get everything you need to connect, collaborate, and share documents with your entire team.

But if you’re not already using or planning on using Workspace for business email, you’re better off choosing Workspace Essentials (doesn’t include email services and starts at $8/month) or a different option on this list.

Google Drive comes with various features, including:

• Desktop, web-based, and mobile applications
• Centralized user and data management
• Data loss prevention services
• AI-driven predictions for important content
• Shared drives for easy team access
• Cloud-based streaming
• Advanced sharing and accessibility settings

Pricing for Google Workspace starts at $6/month per user with up to 30 GB of storage space per user.

You can also upgrade to a higher plan for more space and additional features.

Alternatively, there’s an enterprise plan with unlimited storage, advanced security features, and custom pricing.

Choose your plan to get started with Google Drive today!

 

What I Looked at to Find the Best Cloud Storage Services

Every option on this list has its own set of perks, features, and benefits.

They’re all great in one aspect or another, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all service that I can recommend across the board.

You want to find a cloud storage service that offers resources and capabilities that align with your needs.

Here are the criteria I’m looking at when I make an evaluation.

Use this short guide to break down the market and find a solution that will help your organization over the long term.

 

Storage Limits

Every cloud storage service offers various plans with differing storage limits and different price points, depending on how much space you need.

You don’t necessarily need to know how much space you need before you decide.

Thankfully, it’s easy to upgrade and add more storage space with most providers on the list.

Some charge a small monthly fee to add more space and others may require you to upgrade to a different plan.

With that said, I always recommend starting on the lowest plan until you meet those storage limits.

From there, you can upgrade as you need to.

However, it is essential to choose a provider that can scale with you.

For example, if you know you’re going to need hundreds of terabytes of space, you need a mass storage provider since you will quickly outgrow a standard cloud storage service.

 

Security

Legal requirements for your industry and your personal preferences may require advanced security features and capabilities.

And when it comes to cloud storage, not all providers are equally secure.

Some practice No Knowledge, meaning they do not know your password, account details, encryption keys, or the files you store on their servers.

Furthermore, end-to-end encryption is common but not utilized by every provider.

And some may change their security processes while your files are moving, while they’re stored, or when you share them with other people.

So, you need to be aware of the types and levels of security you need.

This is especially important if you need advanced security for legal compliance, like HIPAA privacy laws in the healthcare industry.

 

Number of Users

This consideration isn’t as crucial if you’re looking for personal cloud storage.

However, if you need cloud storage for your company, you typically need to pay monthly per user.

So, it’s important to understand how many users you have and how much space each account needs to have.

Some providers, like iDrive, offer plans with unlimited users and an all-encompassing storage limit.

So, you only need to upgrade when you reach the maximum storage capacity, rather than paying separately for new accounts.

However, others don’t offer this, and you’re required to pay for the number of users you have.

 

Operating System

iCloud is specifically for Apple devices.

So, it doesn’t make sense if you don’t use the Mac operating system or have an iPhone.

On the other hand, OneDrive is specifically for Windows users.

Some providers offer solutions that work regardless of your OS.

So, this isn’t a crucial consideration unless you plan to use a cloud storage service specifically for your operating system.

You may even need more than one of these services.

I use iCloud to back up my phone and for personal use, but I use pCloud and Google Drive to run my business.

 

Your Use Cases

Do you need device backups?

Maybe you need easy file-sharing or access to files from multiple devices.

Perhaps you want to archive sensitive information.

Different types of cloud storage services are better suited to handle each type of task.

Those that are good for archiving let you store a ton of data for next to nothing, but they don’t come with the collaborative tools that help teams work together in real-time.

Make sure you have a clear idea of how you want your new cloud storage service to be used across your organization.

Understanding these use cases will make it easier to decide which type of service will work best for your teams.

 

Conclusion

pCloud, iDrive, and Icedrive are my top recommendations for most users.

Each service offers flexible plans at affordable prices to suit individuals and businesses.

However, your storage and security needs also play a role in which option you should choose.

It may be that one of these services offers better integration with the tools you are already using.

To review, here’s my full list of best cloud storage services:

1. pCloud – Best cloud storage with lifetime access
2. Icedrive – Best desktop and portable cloud storage software
3. iDrive – Best device backups with unlimited users
4. Zoolz – Best high-volume data storage services (100TB+)
5. Degoo Cloud – Best for photo storage and sharing
6. SpiderOak One – Best storage and backups for security
7. OneDrive – Best for Windows/PC users
8. iCloud – Best for Apple/iOS users
9. Google Drive – Best for Google users

Some people won’t want another monthly service expense, so they can purchase lifetime storage from pCloud and never have to worry again.

Or they may want to set up storage that’s easily accessible for their whole company with iDrive.

What do you need out of your cloud storage service?

Be sure to use the considerations I talked about above in order to figure out which one is going to work best.

Follow the links and explore your options in greater detail. You may even find promotional pricing that gets you an even better deal on cloud storage.

What’s your favorite cloud storage service?

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Best Shared Hosting Companies

Web hosting comes in all different shapes and sizes. As a whole, these plans can be segmented into four main categories—shared, VPS, cloud, and dedicated. Since shared hosting is the first tier of hosting options, it’s always the most cost-effective way to host your website.

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Web hosting comes in all different shapes and sizes. As a whole, these plans can be segmented into four main categories—shared, VPS, cloud, and dedicated.

Shared hosting is essentially the entry-level web hosting category.

It’s ideal for new websites and smaller websites that don’t have a ton of traffic just yet. Since shared hosting is the first tier of hosting options, it’s always the most cost-effective way to host your website.

For those of you starting a new website from scratch, shared hosting will be the best option 99% of the time. These are the top hosting companies for shared plans:

 

The Top 6 Options For Shared Hosting Companies

• Bluehost
• A2 Hosting
• TMDHosting
• Hostinger
• DreamHost
• GreenGeeks

 

How to Choose the Best Shared Hosting Company For You

As you’re shopping around and evaluating different shared hosting companies, there are certain factors that you need to keep an eye out for. Make sure you take the following elements into consideration:

Speed

With shared web hosting, your site will be sharing server resources with other websites on the same server (that’s where the name “shared” comes from).

This ultimately impacts the performance of your website, including the site speed. Your site won’t be as fast as it would if you were on a VPS (virtual private server) or dedicated hosting plan. But that’s fine; most new websites don’t need top-of-the-line performance.

With that said, some web hosting providers are faster than others. If your loading times are too slow, it will cause visitors to bounce and ultimately create a negative experience for people on your website.

Uptime

Uptime is another crucial factor to consider when discussing site performance. If people can’t access your site, it’s going to be detrimental to your success.

Generally speaking, some downtime is bound to happen. Certain providers will guarantee uptime rates, like 99.9%, but those typically come with all different types of contingencies. For example, planned outages wouldn’t qualify for the guarantee.

Read some reviews from current customers to see if they are experiencing outages and downtime.

Traffic

Make sure you choose a plan within the shared hosting category that can accommodate the traffic you’re expecting.

For example, some plans won’t be able to accommodate more than 10,000 monthly visits. You might need to choose a tier that supports 25,000 or 50,000 monthly visitors. Once you get beyond these numbers (and it will probably take a while), then it might be time to consider moving away from shared hosting to a VPS or cloud hosting plan.

But for not, there are plenty of shared hosting providers out there offering plans to accommodate the traffic for new websites.

Security

At a minimum, your web hosting provider should be giving you a free SSL certificate.

But beyond that, some providers will go the extra mile to help protect your website from things like malware, brute force attacks, and more. So keep an eye out for packages and promotions that will protect your website from malicious attacks.

Some hosts will include these extras in your plan, while others will charge you extra to add-on a security package.

Limitations

The vast majority of shared hosting plans will have some restrictions for your bandwidth and storage.

Your bandwidth essentially restricts the amount of data that gets transferred from your site at any given moment. The more traffic you have, the more bandwidth you’ll need to accommodate that traffic.

This is especially true for websites with lots of videos, images, or dynamic content (all of these require additional bandwidth).

Although many hosts will advertise unmetered or unlimited bandwidth, that’s really never actually the case. So double-check your contract before making a commitment.

Storage can also be referred to as disk space. This is the amount of space your website can occupy on the shared server. Images, videos, files, databases, scripts, code, and more all eat into your disk space limits.

Similar to bandwidth, be wary of hosts promoting unlimited disk space—that doesn’t actually exist.

Support

If you’re new to the world of web hosting, you’re going to have some questions. It might not be today or next week, but eventually, you’ll need assistance.

Make sure you choose a web hosting provider that will be there to help you out. This is crucial in times when your site goes down, or you need a time-sensitive reply. If your site crashes on Friday afternoon, waiting until Monday at 9:00 AM EST isn’t really a viable option.

The best web hosting providers offer 24/7/365 support.

 

The Different Types of Shared Hosting Companies

Earlier I mentioned the different types of web hosting (shared, VPS, cloud, and dedicated). But there is further segmentation within the shared hosting category itself. Before we dive into the company reviews, I want to quickly explain the differences between the following shared hosting types:

Linux Hosting

Generally speaking, Linux servers are the default option for shared hosting. Unless you’re super technical and need to run specific applications at the server level, you shouldn’t have to think twice about this— Linux servers will be just fine.

Windows Hosting

Some hosting providers let you choose your OS. So if you don’t want a Linux server, you might have the option to select a Windows server instead. This is really only necessary if you’re running custom server-side applications written in .NET or SQL servers—both of these need a windows hosting plan. But the vast majority of you don’t need to worry about this.

WordPress Hosting

As the name implies, WordPress hosting is designed specifically for WordPress websites. These plans will include features like one-click WordPress installations, automatic WordPress updates, security optimized for WordPress, and more.

If you’re running a WordPress site, it’s definitely a good idea to consider WordPress hosting. But with that said, you can still host your WordPress site without a WordPress-specific plan.

Managed Web Hosting

Managed hosting will be a bit more expensive than traditional shared plans. That’s because managed providers allow you to stay hands-off.

If you don’t want to worry about security, backups, updates, and other technical aspects of hosting your website, a managed hosting provider can handle all of these things for you. You’ll pay a little extra, but you really won’t have to do anything beyond running the site itself. Everything behind the scenes will be managed for you.

Domain Registrars

Lots of domain registrars also double as web-hosting providers. Avoid these.

There are certain instances when you can bundle web hosting and domain registration, but I’d only recommend that from a hosting provider. You should never get web hosting from a domain registrar—period.

Website Builders

Similar to domain registrars, lots of website builders also offer web hosting plans. Again, stay away from these. Even if you’re using a site builder to create your website, you should still get your hosting plan from a traditional hosting company.

 

Examples of Shared Hosting Companies

#1 – Bluehost — The Best Shared Hosting For WordPress

More than two million sites worldwide are powered by Bluehost. This is one of the most popular and reputable shared hosting solutions on the market today.

I also like Bluehost because they’ve been on WordPress’ list of recommended web hosts for 15+ years.

In addition to the WordPress hosting plans, there are plenty of other great reasons to choose Bluehost. Here’s why they rank so high on my list:

Free SSL certificate included with your shared plan

• The free domain name for the first year
• One-click WordPress installation
• 24/7 customer support
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• $200 in marketing credits

Bluehost makes it easy for your site to scale as well. As the site grows and you need more resources, upgrading your plan accordingly is a breeze. They also advanced extras like Cloudflare CDN, domain privacy & protection, spam protection, SiteLock, CodeGuard, and multi-server management.

Plans start as low as $3.95 per month.

#2 – A2 Hosting Review — The Best Hosting Company For Speed

A2 Hosting is another well-known name in the web hosting world. If you want fast loading times and outstanding performance on a shared plan, this will be a top choice to consider.

Certain plans come with turbo boost servers that are up to 20x faster than traditional shared plans. Here’s a closer look at those plans:

Sites of all sizes can rely on A2 Hosting for optimized performance. Other top features, benefits, and highlights of the shared plans included:

• Free and simple site migrations
• Free automated backups
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• Speed and performance optimized for WordPress
• Free SSL certificate
• Guru support available 24/7/365

A2 Hosting is a great option for new websites, as well as existing websites looking to switch hosting providers. They offer WordPress hosting as well.

You can sign up for A2 Hosting risk-free. All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

#3 – TMDHosting — The Best Fully Managed Plans

If you’re looking for a hands-off hosting solution, I highly recommend TMDHosting.

While this might not be the most recognizable name in the industry, these managed shared hosting plans are second to none.

For new websites and existing websites alike, TMDHosting has solutions to accommodate your needs. Let’s take a closer look at the noteworthy highlights from this hosting company:

• 24/7/365 premium support
• Global data centersMilitary-grade security
• Optimized for open-source platforms (WordPress, OpenCart, Drupal, PrestaShop, etc.)
• Free application installation with 1,300+ apps
• Free components installation
• Free template installation
• Up to 16x faster page loading speeds
• Live malware protection
• Free domain
• Linux and Windows servers available
• Free daily backups
• 99.999% uptime guarantee

As you can see, managed plans from TMDHosting definitely come packed with features and benefits. If you’re migrating over from another host, TMDHosting will transfer your site files and databases for free. They’ll also compensate you for unused months on your other contract.

Shared hosting starts at just $2.95 per month. All plans are backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee.

#4 – Hostinger Review — Best Cheap Shared Hosting Plans

If you’re on a tight budget and don’t want to spend a fortune on web hosting, you should definitely check out Hostinger.

With shared plans starting at just $0.99 per month, this is roughly 25% of the price compared to entry-level plans from other providers.

Even at such a low introductory rate, you really aren’t sacrificing too much quality with a shared plan from Hostinger. Aside from the rock-bottom pricing, there are still plenty of reasons why Hostinger ranks so high on my list:

• 24/7/365 live chat support
• Automatic one-click WordPress installations
• Strong uptimes rates and loading speeds
• Easy to set up whether you’re creating a new site or migrating an existing site
• Free SSL certificate
• Simple, intuitive, and user-friendly control panel
• Flexible and built to scale

It’s worth noting that you’ll need to lock-in a 48-month contract to get the lowest possible rate. Since you have to pay for this contract upfront and in-full, it’s actually going to cost you more than just $1 today.

Hostinger offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can sign up risk-free.

#5 – DreamHost Review — The Best Shared Hosting Features

DreamHost is one of the most reliable and reputable hosting solutions on the market today. They offer a wide range of hosting solutions, including feature-rich shared plans.

Plans start as low as $2.59 per month.

Why should you consider DreamHost? Let’s take a closer look to see what these shared plans have to offer.

• 24/7 support
• WordPress hosting
• Free domain name
• Fast SSD storage and email hosting
• Anti-spam protection and free WHOIS privacy
• 100% uptime guarantee
• One-click WordPress installs
• Unlimited traffic
• Automated WordPress migrations
• Automated backups

Some of the advanced features include canned CGI scripts, Crontab Access, Full Unix Shell, unlimited SFTP users, unlimited MySQL databases, and more. So if you’re a developer or a technical user, these will definitely come in handy.

It’s no surprise that 1.5+ million websites rely on DreamHost for web hosting. All plans are backed by an industry-leading 97-day guarantee.

#6 – GreenGeeks Review — Best Eco-Friendly Hosting Company

GreenGeeks is a bit unique compared to some of the other providers on our list. It’s definitely not the most popular or most recognized name in the hosting world.

But as the name implies, this provider offers eco-friendly hosting, which is extremely important in today’s day and age.

If you want to limit your carbon footprint and help protect the environment, GreenGeeks will be the best option for you to consider. Aside from this unique differentiator, here are some other reasons why 45,000+ websites rely on GreenGeeks:

• Free nightly backups
• Free SSL certificate
• Free domain for the first year
• Free CDN
• Unlimited email accounts
• LSCache included with plans
• Free site transfers24/7 tech support (chat, ticket, or phone)Developer-friendly tools and features
• Real-time security scanning and proactive server monitoring
• Built for speed and scalability

When you sign up for a GreenGeeks shared hosting plan, you can sleep well at night knowing that your site is stable and you’re making a difference in the world. Plans start at $2.95 per month, and they’re backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.

 

Summary

Every website needs a hosting plan to be live on the Internet.

If you’re starting a new site from scratch or currently running a small website, shared hosting will be the best option for you. But which hosting company is the best?

Use the recommended providers and buying guide explained above to find the best-shared plan for your website.

The post, Best Shared Hosting Companies appeared first on Neil Patel.

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Best VPS Hosting Plans

Upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS for short) will drastically improve your site performance if you’re currently on a shared hosting plan.

Disclosure: This content is reader-supported, which means if you click on some of our links that we may earn a commission.

In a world filled with different web hosting options, VPS hosting has become a popular choice for websites in various categories.

Upgrading to a virtual private server (VPS for short) will drastically improve your site performance if you’re currently on a shared hosting plan.

For those of you who are starting a new site from scratch and expecting tons of traffic from the beginning, getting a VPS hosting plan out of the gate is a viable option as well.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of web hosting providers on the market today.

That’s why finding the right web hosting plan for your site can be such a tough decision.

Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place—this guide will provide you with everything you need to know about VPS hosting.

 

The Top 5 Options For VPS Web Hosting

1. HostGator — The Best For Reliable VPS Hosting
2. InMotion — Best VPS Plans For Ecommerce Sites
3. GoDaddy — Best Self-Managed VPS Hosting
4. Media Temple — Best Managed VPS Hosting Plans
5. InterServer — The Best Cheap VPS Hosting Plans

 

How to Choose the Best VPS Hosting Plan For You

As previously stated, the list of web hosting providers is seemingly a mile long.

But in terms of actual contenders, there are a couple dozen at most. When it comes to VPS hosting, specifically, the list is even shorter.

But as you’re shopping around and evaluating different VPS hosting providers, these are the factors that you’ve got to take into consideration:

Site Performance Metrics

Site performance needs to be the top priority for everyone seeking a VPS plan.

The term “performance” can be pretty subjective, but there are two metrics that matter the most:

UptimeSpeed

Most people searching for a VPS are upgrading from a shared hosting plan that they’ve outgrown.

Uptime and speed are the first two things to be affected when you’re sharing server resources with other sites.

You want to make sure that your VPS plan can accommodate your traffic needs.

If performance is affected at scale, then you need to look elsewhere.

Lots of web hosting providers will give you a guaranteed uptime rate.

However, those offers typically come with some contingencies (like planned outages).

Some sites can’t afford any downtime or slow loading times.

If you fall into that category, make sure you get a premium VPS plan.

For those of you who would rather save some money, just know that your site performance might be affected.

Dedicated Resources

Technically speaking, you’re still sharing server resources with other websites on a VPS hosting plan.

However, the number of sites on the same main server is much lower compared to shared hosting.

Plus, each virtual server will have its own dedicated resources.

As you’re evaluating plans, consider the following:

• RAM
• Storage
• Bandwidth
• CPUs

These resources will have a direct impact on your site speed and uptime (mentioned previously).

If you’re maxing out your resources, you can’t expect your site to run at peak performance.

Optional Root Access

Not everyone needs root access.

This feature only really matters if you’re a developer or need the ability to make custom changes to your virtual server at an advanced level.

If that’s the case, then you should be looking for a self-managed VPS plan.

Most people will be better off with a fully managed plan (no need for root access here).

It’s also worth noting that you can find fully managed VPS plans with optional root access, but that feature won’t really be utilized by the average user.

Operating System

On the technical side, there are two main options for VPS hosting—Windows VPS and Linux VPS.

A Windows-based platform will provide you with access levels and performance that’s similar to a dedicated server.

If you’re on a self-managed plan, you would be able to install common windows databases and applications like Microsoft SQL, ASP, SharePoint, and ASP.NET.

With a Linux VPS, your virtual servers will support web features like PHP, MySQL, and POP3.

Since Linux is an open-source OS, these hosting plans are usually more cost-effective.

You could eventually convert your Linux server into a Windows server, but doing the opposite would be much more complex.

Customer Service

Customer support piggybacks on our last point, especially true if you’re on a fully managed plan.

You want to make sure that your web hosting provider has your back.

• What happens if something goes wrong?
• Who do you contact if you have a problem or question?
• How do you resolve a time-sensitive issue?

If your site crashes at 10:00 PM on Friday night, waiting to contact a customer support representative at 9:00 AM Monday morning isn’t going to cut it.

Look for a VPS provider with 24/7/365 support via phone and live chat.

Features like free migrations from another provider or hosting type to your new VPS plan would also fall into the support category.

Some hosting providers are undoubtedly better than others when it comes to customer service.

Budget

The price for VPS web hosting varies significantly from provider to provider and plan to plan.

We’ve seen VPS hosting plans starting as low as $6 per month.

Other plans start at $250+ per month.

Most of you will likely fall somewhere between these two extremes.

In many cases, you can expect to get what you pay for.

If you’re signing up for the cheapest VPS hosting plan that you can find, don’t expect to have extremely high uptime rates and fast page loading speeds.

For those of you who want as many dedicated resources as possible, just know that they come at higher price points.

So you’ll have to weigh your performance and resource needs against your budget.

 

The Different Types of VPS Web Hosting

There are essentially two different types of VPS hosting—managed and unmanaged plans.

I’ll explain the differences between these choices below, and I’ll also provide you with more information on alternative options for web hosting (to make sure a VPS plan is right for you).

Managed VPS

If you’re not very technically inclined and don’t have a dedicated IT team, a managed VPS plan is definitely the best option for you.

In short, you won’t have to really handle anything on your own.

You’ll be able to just focus on running your website while the hosting provider takes care of the server behind the scenes.

Here are a handful of examples of what most VPS hosting providers will do for you on a fully managed plan:

• Set up the server from the start
• Install your control panel, applications, and OS
• Handle all application updates and OS updates
• Server monitoring and maintenance
• Automated backups
• Security patches

Some providers will offer a little more or maybe even a little less, but this is generally what you should expect if you choose this type of VPS plan.

Unmanaged VPS

An unmanaged, or self-managed VPS, is just the opposite of a managed plan.

You’ll be completely on your own when it comes to installing your software, control panel, security, maintenance, updates, and everything else listed above.

If you experience a hardware failure or an outage, don’t expect a ton of support from your hosting provider either.

This type of VPS plan is really intended for those of you who need complete customization at the server level.

Self-managed plans are usually cheaper as well since the hosting provider doesn’t have to do nearly as much.

 

Other Types of Web Hosting

VPS hosting isn’t for everyone.

So if you’re new to the world of web hosting, I want to quickly take a moment to explain your other options.

Shared Hosting —

Shared web hosting is the best option for new websites that aren’t expecting a ton of traffic.

You’ll be sharing resources with other sites on the same server.

These plans are cheap, but performance can be an issue.

If another site on your shared server has a traffic spike and uses up the shared resources, it can impact the uptime and loading speeds on your site.

Cloud Hosting —

Cloud hosting is pretty similar to VPS hosting.

Think of this as a hybrid version of a virtual private server.

Cloud plans come with several remote servers, each one with different responsibilities.

If something goes wrong with one of those servers, the others will pick up the slack and keep your site running smoothly.

Cloud hosting is generally cheaper than VPS hosting, and it’s easier to scale resources on-demand.

However, customization is limited to cloud plans.

Dedicated Hosting —

Dedicated hosting is the top of the line in the world of web hosting.

It’s designed for large sites with tons of traffic.

As the name implies, you’ll have one server completely dedicated to your website.

This also gives you ultimate control in terms of customizations at the server level.

Dedicated hosting comes at a higher price point, but the performance is second to none.

 

Top VPS Hosting Plans on the Market Today

With all of this in mind, let’s dive into the top VPS hosting plans on the market today:

#1 – HostGator Review — The Best For Reliable VPS Hosting

HostGator has been around for roughly two decades. The hosting provider powers 2+ million websites worldwide.

As one of the most trusted names in the web hosting industry, you really can’t go wrong with a HostGator VPS plan.

Here’s a look at the different plans and price points:

The VPS hosting plans from HostGator come with full root access and dedicated resources.

You’ll also benefit from features like:

• Complete customization and total control of the virtual server
• Free off-site backups of your server data every week
• Script installers, site templates, and development tools
• Unlimited domains, databases, email addresses, and FTP accounts
• Ability to scale CPUs, RAM, and disk space
• Exceptional customer support, 24/7/365

In addition to traditional web hosting, HostGator’s virtual private servers are commonly used for ecommerce sites, testing environments, gaming, and heavy application use.

All plans are backed by a 45-day money-back guarantee.

 

#2 – InMotion Review — Best VPS Plans For Ecommerce Sites

InMotion has a wide range of VPS hosting plans for you to choose from.

They offer managed VPS hosting and self-managed cloud VPS hosting, both powered by Linux SSD servers.

Managed plans start at $29.99 per month, and the entry-level self-managed VPS starts at $5 per month.

Most of you will benefit from the managed plans, as these virtual servers are optimized for ecommerce out of the box.

These plans are configured for speed and reliability with ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, Prestashop, and more.

Other advantages of using InMotion for VPS hosting include:

• Free private SSLs and scheduled snapshots
• Update databases, email, and domain settings with cPanel
• Security updates and server management (with a managed plan)
• DDoS protection and secure SSH keys (with a self-managed plan)
• Fast and automatic software installs, like NGINX

Overall, InMotion’s virtual private servers are fast and reliable.

Even the managed plans come with full root access.

InMotion’s 90-day money-back guarantee is arguably the best in the hosting industry.

 

#3 – GoDaddy Review — Best Self-Managed VPS Hosting

GoDaddy is a name that’s usually synonymous with domain registration and controversial marketing strategies.

But if you’re in the market for a self-managed VPS plan, this will be a top option for you to consider.

Standard RAM VPS plans from GoDaddy start as low as $4.99 per month.

The high RAM plans start at $9.99.

The self-managed plans are perfect for developers and system admins.

Features and benefits of using GoDaddy’s virtual private servers include:

• Full root access with SSH keys
• Command-line for complete power and flexibility
• Scalable performance options and a wide range of custom server configurations
• Unlimited hosting accounts with easy administration
• Easy monitoring and alert notificationsDDoS protection and free SSL certificate
• Ability to choose your data centre (North America, Asia-Pacific, EMEA)
• Backups and recovery console

These plans are great for testing environments, database servers, resource-heavy apps, email servers, and admins running multiple websites.

GoDaddy does have fully-managed VPS plans starting at $99.99, but the self-managed option is definitely the standout from this provider.

 

#4 – Media Temple Review — Best Managed VPS Hosting Plans

For businesses, ecommerce websites, agencies, and resellers, Media Temple is my top recommendation for managed VPS hosting.

The pros at Media Temple will handle all of the technical aspects of managing your server.

So you can spend more time focusing on your website and business.

In addition to the best customer support team in the world of web hosting, your managed VPS plan comes with benefits like:

• Ability to choose your control panel (cPanel or Plesk) and version
• MySQL, PHP, Python, and Perl come pre-installed
• Customize your virtual server with any Linux-based app, software, or OS component
• Easily resell your hosting to clients with built-in reseller tools99.99% uptime guaranteed
• Scale your server resources on-demand with just a few clicks

Media Temple’s servers are fast and reliable.

These managed VPS hosting plans start as low as $55 per month.

 

#5 – InterServer Review — The Best Cheap VPS Hosting Plans

InterServer definitely isn’t the most well-recognized name in web hosting.

But for those of you who want a cost-effective VPS plan, InterServer is worth taking a closer look at.

This hosting provider offers managed and unmanaged VPS hosting, starting at just $6 per month.

Let’s takes a closer look at some of the features, benefits, and highlights of using InterServer for VPS hosting:

• 450+ cloud apps supported by one-click installs
• No limits on accessing or updating data
• Full root access with total control of your OS and control pane
• lAutomatically redirect server issues to another node
• 99.9% uptime guarantee
• No fees for incoming or outgoing site transfers
• Remote backup service to keep data safe and secure

Unlike other hosting providers on the market today, InterServer doesn’t offer a free trial or any money-back guarantees.

However, they do offer month-to-month pricing, so you can cancel at any time.

The performance of these servers won’t be as high as some of the other plans on our list.

But when you’re paying rock bottom rates, top of the line performance probably isn’t your first priority.

 

Summary

 

VPS (virtual private server) hosting is an excellent option for sites that have outgrown a shared hosting plan.

Which VPS is the best?

Naming just one as the top pick is a tough call.

But you’ll be happy with any of the options on this list.

Just make sure you follow the methodology described earlier in this guide for choosing the best VPS plan.

For self-managed and managed plans alike, there’s something for everyone on my list.

The post Best VPS Hosting Plans appeared first on Neil Patel.

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