Cloud hosting stands out as a top-tier option for website hosting, acclaimed for its robust reliability and extensive features. Unlike traditional hosting packages, cloud hosting mitigates the risks of downtime stemming from hardware failures. In conventional setups, a malfunction in a critical component like a CPU or storage device can lead to website outages during repair or replacement. While such incidents are infrequent, they can result in significant disruptions and losses, especially for businesses heavily reliant on online presence.
Cloud hosting architecture addresses these vulnerabilities by distributing resources—such as web space, RAM, CPU, and bandwidth—across a network of multiple servers. This distributed approach ensures that your website’s operation isn’t tied to a single server, thereby enhancing both reliability and resilience. Furthermore, scaling resources becomes significantly more streamlined in a cloud environment, eliminating the need for physical hardware upgrades.
However, it’s important to acknowledge that cloud hosting typically comes at a higher price point and might not be essential for all users. Websites with low traffic or those that can tolerate occasional downtime may find more cost-effective solutions in shared hosting or VPS hosting packages.
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Top Cloud Hosting Providers in 2025: A Detailed Comparison
Choosing the right cloud hosting provider is crucial for ensuring your website’s performance, reliability, and scalability. In this comprehensive comparison, we delve into some of the best cloud hosting providers in the market, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed decision.
ScalaHosting
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(Image credit: Scala Hosing)](https://www.scalahosting.com/cloud-servers-techradar.html#5f50ee0e05dfe&data1=trdpro-us-2288731786122383284)
ScalaHosting – Best Overall Cloud Hosting Provider
Reasons to Choose ScalaHosting:
- Highly customizable cloud VPS plans to match specific needs.
- Fast NVMe SSD storage for enhanced website speed and performance.
- Proprietary sPanel control panel offering robust features and ease of use.
- Suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.
- Unconditional anytime money-back guarantee for peace of mind.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- Auto-scaling is not natively supported, requiring manual adjustments.
- cPanel incurs an additional cost if preferred over sPanel.
ScalaHosting emerges as a leading cloud hosting service due to its user-friendliness, rapid resource deployment on managed plans, and exceptional customer support. A standout feature of ScalaHosting is the extensive configurability of its cloud VPS offerings. Users can tailor cloud VPS solutions with up to 24 CPU cores, 64 GB of RAM, and 2,000 GB of storage. ScalaHosting assists users in selecting the optimal resource allocation and allows for seamless scaling without downtime.
From a pricing perspective, ScalaHosting presents a compelling value proposition. The entry-level “Build #1” plan, priced reasonably at $29.95/month (on a 12-month term), includes 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe SSD storage, automatic offsite backups, and unmetered bandwidth. All plans incorporate CloudFlare CDN and brute-force attack protection.
ScalaHosting’s custom configuration tool is particularly user-centric. By inputting anticipated daily website visits, the tool recommends an ideal server configuration, simplifying resource planning. This, coupled with self-managed VPS hosting options and straightforward scalability, positions ScalaHosting as a versatile choice for users across various technical proficiencies and business scales.
The in-house developed SPanel control panel distinguishes ScalaHosting. SPanel offers enhanced security with real-time malware protection, is lightweight, and is feature-rich compared to cPanel. It includes an integrated terminal and direct support access. SPanel fosters community-driven development, allowing users to suggest and vote on feature additions. SPanel is included standard with all ScalaHosting VPS plans, while cPanel is an additional expense, starting at $26.95 for 5 accounts. SPanel supports unlimited accounts and websites at no extra charge and is compatible with hosting services beyond ScalaHosting.
ScalaHosting also facilitates hassle-free website migrations at no cost. Their expert technicians manage the migration process, requiring only login credentials to the previous hosting service. Furthermore, ScalaHosting offers an anytime money-back guarantee (for the first 30 days) and prorated refunds for cancellations after this initial period, demonstrating strong customer commitment.
SiteGround
(Image credit: SiteGround)
SiteGround – Best Cloud Hosting for Small Businesses
Reasons to Choose SiteGround:
- Environmentally conscious, carbon-neutral hosting.
- Integrated CDN network for accelerated website loading speeds.
- Robust security measures with a proprietary monitoring system.
- Scalable solutions suitable for resource-intensive businesses.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- Storage space in some plans might be relatively limited.
SiteGround’s cloud hosting is tailored for smaller businesses that have outgrown shared hosting but find VPS solutions too complex. SiteGround packages cloud hosting in more accessible and affordable plans. The GrowBig plan, for instance, leverages cloud infrastructure to offer geo-redundancy and backups in separate locations, typically associated with standard web hosting packages. It allows hosting a single website with options for multiple data centers globally. These managed shared cloud plans automatically scale resources as needed. However, for highly customized server configurations beyond standard WordPress or WooCommerce setups, consulting SiteGround support is recommended.
Security is a strong suit of SiteGround, leveraging Google Cloud’s secure data centers, which feature multi-layered security protocols, including restricted server room access for certified personnel and 24/7 security teams. SiteGround’s in-house monitoring system checks server status every half-second, complemented by a geo-distributed daily backup system. The built-in CDN network significantly enhances website speed by caching content across over 15 CDN locations.
SiteGround also provides dedicated cloud hosting plans designed for business-critical applications. Entry-level cloud plans start at $100/month, including 4 CPU cores, 8 GB of memory, and 40 GB SSD storage, suitable for most SMBs.
Scaling options with SiteGround’s cloud plans include both on-demand resource upgrades (CPU and RAM) and auto-scaling for handling traffic surges, beneficial for businesses with multiple websites or fluctuating traffic.
SiteGround distinguishes itself as an eco-friendly option by utilizing Google Cloud infrastructure, which is carbon-neutral. Google matches its energy consumption with renewable energy sources, including wind and solar power.
DreamHost
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(Image credit: DreamHost)](https://click.dreamhost.com/aff_c?offer_id=55&aff_id=1051&aff_sub=&aff_sub5=%2Fcloud%2F%3Foffer_id%3D%7Boffer_id%7D%26transaction_id%3D%7Btransaction_id%7D%26aff_sub5%3D/cloud/)
DreamHost – Best Cheap Cloud Hosting
Reasons to Choose DreamHost:
- Extremely affordable cloud hosting plans, ideal for budget-conscious users.
- Maximum monthly pricing ensures predictable costs and potential savings.
- Free 100 GB block storage included with all cloud plans.
- Rapid deployment, with servers going live in approximately 30 seconds.
- Open-source infrastructure promoting enhanced security and transparency.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- May not be suitable for very large enterprises requiring extensive resources.
DreamHost’s cloud computing service, branded as DreamCompute, offers versatile solutions for various applications, including website hosting, MySQL server hosting, gaming servers, and Plex Media Servers. Established in 1997, DreamHost has a long-standing reputation in the hosting industry, supporting over 1.5 million websites and serving over 400,000 customers. Their comprehensive hosting services span shared, VPS, managed, dedicated, and cloud hosting, backed by 24/7 customer support.
DreamHost competes with IONOS as one of the most affordable cloud hosting providers. DreamCompute plans start at just $0.0075 per hour, including 512MB RAM, 1 vCPU, free bandwidth, and 80 GB SSD storage.
Similar to IONOS, DreamHost employs maximum monthly pricing. For the entry-level plan, the maximum monthly cost is capped at $4.50, covering approximately 600 hours of usage. This structure effectively provides about 120 hours of free service each month.
Furthermore, all DreamHost accounts include 100 GB of free block storage. Additional storage is also competitively priced at $10 per 100 GB. DreamHost offers superior storage options compared to IONOS, making it a preferred choice for small businesses.
DreamCompute also offers better value compared to providers like OVHcloud. For instance, DreamHost’s plan with 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM, and 80 GB storage at $0.08/hour is significantly more cost-effective than OVHcloud’s comparable plan.
Key features of DreamCompute include auto-scaling via OpenStack-compatible API requests and rapid server deployment, typically within 30 seconds. Built on fast SSD disks, next-gen processors, and accelerated networks, DreamHost’s infrastructure is open-source, enhancing security.
However, DreamHost’s cloud offerings are limited to 8 vCPU and 16GB RAM, which may not suffice for very large enterprises compared to providers like ScalaHosting, which offers significantly higher resource ceilings.
InMotion Hosting
(Image credit: Inmotion)
InMotion Hosting – Best Cloud Hosting for Linux
Reasons to Choose InMotion Hosting:
- Compatible with all popular Linux operating systems.
- World-class security measures and responsive customer support.
- 30-day money-back guarantee for both yearly and monthly plans.
- Consistent pricing for both annual and monthly subscriptions.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- Exclusively supports Linux OS, not compatible with Windows OS.
InMotion Hosting, established in 2001, delivers comprehensive and affordable cloud hosting solutions tailored for Linux environments, supporting distributions such as CentOS, Ubuntu, Alma, and Debian. Their services cater to a wide range of users, from individual developers to large enterprises, with feature-rich plans.
InMotion Hosting’s cloud VPS is specifically designed for Linux OS, while other solutions like bare-metal servers offer broader OS compatibility. InMotion Hosting clearly differentiates between standard SSD and faster NVMe SSD plans. NVMe SSD options, while slightly more expensive, offer significantly improved performance.
Pricing starts at $6/month for a plan including 1 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 30 GB standard SSD storage, and 2 TB bandwidth. NVMe SSD plans with identical specifications cost $7/month. Plans include server snapshots for easy rollbacks, enterprise-grade fiber optics for fast data transfer, dedicated IP addresses, and DDoS protection.
InMotion Hosting is particularly appealing for users seeking month-to-month payment options without price increases upon renewal. Their pricing structure remains consistent for both monthly and annual subscriptions. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies to both subscription terms.
Customer support is highly regarded, offering 24/7 availability via phone, email, live chat, online tutorials, and community forums.
Liquid Web
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Liquid Web – Best Managed Cloud Hosting
Specifications:
- vCPU: 1-16 cores
- RAM: 1-32 GB
- Storage: 30-960 GB
- Auto-scaling: Yes
- Redundancy: Yes
Reasons to Choose Liquid Web:
- Extensive cloud-based product offerings across hosting types.
- Dedicated cloud servers available for large-scale enterprise needs.
- Industry-leading 99.999% uptime guarantee and auto-scaling capabilities.
- Exceptional customer support services.
- Flexible pay-per-hour pricing model.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- Storage space might be less compared to some competitors.
- Some plans may not be the most budget-friendly.
Liquid Web, founded in 1997, is a top-tier provider specializing in fully managed cloud hosting solutions, encompassing VPS, WordPress, dedicated, Magento, and WooCommerce hosting.
Liquid Web’s Cloud VPS plans start at an accessible $5/month, including 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 30 GB SSD storage, scaling up to 8 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, and 640 GB SSD. All plans feature auto-scaling, dynamically allocating resources based on real-time demand, optimizing cost-efficiency.
Liquid Web’s auto-scaling system continuously monitors website traffic and resource utilization, automatically scaling resources to prevent slowdowns or crashes during traffic spikes.
While DDoS protection and cloud backups are available, they are offered as add-ons. Managed VPS hosting plans include 10 TB bandwidth, 50 GB cyber backups, CloudFlare CDN, integrated firewall, DDoS protection, and a dedicated IP address.
Dedicated cloud servers combine the benefits of dedicated hardware with cloud flexibility, tailored for enterprise-grade businesses. Even basic plans include 6 cores, 16 GB RAM, 480 GB SSD, and 10 TB bandwidth, with instant provisioning, integrated load balancing, and firewall.
Liquid Web guarantees 100% uptime, backed by a robust Service Level Agreement (SLA) that provides credits for any service disruptions, underscoring their reliability.
Customer support is a key strength, offering 24/7/365 availability with rapid response times—59 seconds for phone and live chat, and 59 minutes for helpdesk inquiries.
OVHcloud
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OVHcloud – Best Cloud Hosting for Customization
Specifications:
- vCPU: 2-64 cores (General Purpose plans)
- RAM: 8-256 GB
- Storage: 50-400 GB
- Auto-scaling: No
- Redundancy: Yes
Reasons to Choose OVHcloud:
- Pay-per-hour pricing model for flexible cost management.
- Specialized plans for diverse applications, including AI and eSports.
- Extensive global data center network.
- Competitive pricing for web hosting services.
- Leading provider in Hosted Private Cloud solutions.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- CDN is not standard in entry-level plans.
OVHcloud, a European cloud provider founded in 1999, offers a wide array of hosting solutions, including shared hosting, public and private cloud, and dedicated servers, serving customers in 140 countries. With 32 global data centers and numerous points of presence, OVHcloud ensures performance and accessibility worldwide.
OVHcloud provides both Public and Private Cloud solutions. Public Cloud is ideal for most businesses, featuring a 99.999% SLA and ISO certifications. Private Cloud is designed for large enterprises needing dedicated infrastructure with cloud benefits.
OVHcloud excels in customization, offering a wide range of plan filters and subdivisions, allowing users to precisely tailor solutions to their needs. They cater to niche markets, offering dedicated game servers for eSports and specialized machines for AI and data analytics.
General Purpose plans are available for users seeking simpler solutions. OVHcloud provides a $200 credit for new users to explore their services risk-free.
Pricing for Public Cloud plans starts at $0.184/hour for 2 vCPU, 7 GB RAM, 50 GB SSD, and 250 Mbps network speed. Monthly billing options are also available.
While OVHcloud’s Public Cloud may not be the cheapest for small businesses, their web hosting plans are highly competitive, starting as low as $1.04/month. These web hosting plans offer scalability and flexibility to migrate to more robust solutions as needed.
Cloudways
(Image credit: Cloudways)
Cloudways – Best Cloud Hosting for Scalability
Specifications:
- vCPU: 1-96 cores
- RAM: 1-384 GB
- Storage: 20-1,280 GB
- Auto-scaling: Yes (with Cloudways Autonomous)
- Redundancy: Yes
Reasons to Choose Cloudways:
- Dedicated auto-scaling plans for dynamic resource allocation.
- Feature-rich platform for eCommerce and multi-site WordPress management.
- Choice of three leading cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean.
- Free website migration, SSL, and CDN services.
- 3-day free trial to test the platform.
Reasons to Consider Alternatives:
- Does not offer email hosting servers.
- Hourly payment plans lack maximum monthly price caps.
Cloudways is a cloud hosting provider serving over 100,000 agencies, SMBs, and individuals globally. Partnering with DigitalOcean, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Google Cloud, Cloudways offers robust cloud benefits, security, and management tools.
Cloudways stands out by allowing users to select from three top-tier cloud providers: AWS, Google Cloud, and DigitalOcean. A wide variety of plans across these providers are available, including hourly billing options.
All Cloudways plans include auto-healing, optimized caching, automated backups, DDoS mitigation, free SSL, security patches, and vulnerability scanning. PHP versions can be switched at the server level with ease.
Storage on AWS and Google Cloud is capped at 20 GB, regardless of the plan. DigitalOcean offers more scalable storage options up to 1,280 GB. AWS and Google Cloud offer a wider geographical distribution of data centers.
Cloudways is well-suited for hosting and managing multiple WordPress websites with high concurrent user traffic. It offers features for unlimited website installations, team management, and seamless integration with Cloudflare Enterprise CDN for enhanced performance and security.
Cloudways Autonomous provides dedicated auto-scaling solutions, leveraging Kubernetes for advanced scalability and reliability. Auto-scaling costs are transparently outlined, priced per additional 10 GB bandwidth, 1,000 visits, and 1 GB storage.
Choosing the Right Cloud Hosting Provider: Key Considerations
Selecting the best cloud hosting provider requires careful evaluation of several factors to align with your specific needs and priorities.
Scalability: Ensure the provider offers easy resource scaling, either through auto-scaling or one-click upgrades, to handle traffic fluctuations and growth.
Reliability and Uptime: Look for providers with geo-redundancy and high uptime guarantees (at least 99.99%), such as Liquid Web and OVHcloud with 99.999% uptime.
Security: Prioritize providers offering comprehensive security features, including SSL certificates, DDoS protection, firewalls, and regular backups.
Budget: Match your budget with the necessary resources. Entry-level plans are available from around $5-$30 for individuals and small websites, while larger businesses may need to invest significantly more for comprehensive packages.
Customer Support: Opt for providers offering 24/7/365 support through multiple channels, along with extensive knowledge bases.
Eco-Friendliness: Consider green cloud hosting providers like SiteGround for environmentally conscious hosting.
Free Trials and Money-Back Guarantees: Choose providers offering free trials or money-back guarantees to test their services risk-free.
Our Testing Methodology for Cloud Hosting Services
TechRadar employs a rigorous testing process to evaluate cloud hosting providers across key aspects: features, performance, ease of use, customer support, and value.
Our evaluation begins with a comprehensive review of the provider’s website, assessing the range of plans, resources, and cloud hosting types offered to meet diverse user needs.
We conduct hands-on testing, deploying a basic static website and using tools like Uptime.com and GTmetrix to monitor availability and server response times at frequent intervals.
We evaluate the transparency and honesty of providers, ensuring they deliver on promised features like scalability and reliability, particularly auto-scaling and geo-redundancy.
Value for money is assessed by comparing providers side-by-side, analyzing plan features and pricing structures.
Finally, we thoroughly examine ease of use and customer support, evaluating the availability and quality of support resources and the responsiveness and helpfulness of customer service.
For more details on our testing process, please refer to TechRadar’s how we test web hosts page.
Understanding Cloud Hosting
The essence of cloud hosting lies in its service provision rather than its specific technical architecture. Cloud services are defined by scalability and redundancy, ensuring continuous availability without downtime. The term “cloud” has become a marketing term, often used to denote high-performance hosting plans.
Simply selecting a plan labeled “cloud” may not guarantee true cloud benefits. It’s essential to verify that the hosting features genuinely deliver scalability, redundancy, and high availability characteristic of a true cloud infrastructure.
About the Author
Lewis Wright
Lewis Wright brings over two decades of experience in web and software development for high-growth businesses, including managing critical infrastructure for major UK banks. Currently a principal cloud architect at AI startup Carbonate, he is passionate about hosting and technology. Lewis contributes to TechRadar by testing and reviewing web hosting services.
