Best Hostwinds VPS Alternatives in 2026
The top Hostwinds VPS alternatives are Amazon EC2, Google Compute Engine and Azure Virtual Machines: 15 VPS hosting our editors would look at instead of Hostwinds VPS, in our ranking order.
Hostwinds VPS: Flexible VPS hosting with Windows and Linux options, scaling, backups, and infrastructure controls. Where it falls short: managed plans cost more than their unmanaged counterparts..
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Best forAWS-based production workloads
A configurable AWS compute platform for workloads that need scaling and service integrations.
3.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit Amazon EC2 -
Google Compute Engine not yet scored
Best forBroad cloud VM deployments
A broad cloud VM platform for teams that need flexible infrastructure controls.
—not yet scoredVisit Google Cloud -
Azure Virtual Machines not yet scored
Best forAzure-first organizations
A broad Azure VM service for organizations that need configurable compute and scaling.
—not yet scoredVisit site -
Oracle Cloud Compute not yet scored
Best forFree-tier cloud experimentation
A broad OCI compute service suited to experimentation and varied infrastructure needs.
—not yet scoredVisit Oracle Cloud -
Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service not yet scored
Best forAlibaba Cloud workloads
A flexible Alibaba Cloud compute service with broad purchasing and infrastructure options.
—not yet scoredVisit Alibaba Cloud -
Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS) not yet scored
Best forAlibaba Cloud workloads
A flexible Alibaba Cloud compute service with broad purchasing and infrastructure options.
—not yet scoredVisit Alibaba Cloud -
Best forFeature-rich budget VPS hosting
A low-cost, self-managed VPS with NVMe storage, backups, and root access.
- Root access
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit OVHcloud -
Tencent Cloud CVM not yet scored
Best forAsia-focused cloud deployments
A configurable VPS platform for Asia-focused deployments with extensive cloud integrations.
—not yet scoredVisit Tencent Cloud -
Huawei Cloud Elastic Cloud Server (ECS) not yet scored
Best forFlexible multi-mode cloud compute
Flexible cloud compute with autoscaling, load balancing, and three billing modes.
—not yet scoredVisit Huawei Cloud -
IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC not yet scored
Best forEnterprise IBM VPC deployments
A configurable VPS platform for enterprise workloads that need IBM Cloud VPC controls.
—not yet scoredVisit IBM Cloud -
Best forAffordable developer-friendly VPS hosting
Affordable, developer-friendly VPS hosting with flexible plans and cloud controls.
4.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit DigitalOcean -
Best forSimple AWS VPS hosting
A straightforward AWS VPS with clear plans, blueprints, and supporting cloud services.
- Root access
8.0/10★★★★☆Try Amazon Lightsail -
Vultr Cloud Compute not yet scored
Best forBudget global VPS deployments
A configurable VPS option for developers deploying general-purpose workloads globally.
—not yet scoredVisit Vultr -
Best forVery low-cost European cloud instances
Very low-cost European instances with flexible compute, networking, and scaling options.
3.8/10★★☆☆☆Visit Scaleway -
Best forGlobal edge-oriented VM deployments
A flexible VPS platform for global deployments, automation, and varied compute needs.
4.0/10★★☆☆☆Visit Gcore
Hostwinds VPS Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Hostwinds VPS?
Amazon EC2: #1 in our VPS Hosting ranking, with an editor score of 3.0 out of 10. A configurable AWS compute platform for workloads that need scaling and service integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Hostwinds VPS?
Yes. Google Compute Engine and Oracle Cloud Compute have a free plan or a free tier.
What is the cheapest paid alternative to Hostwinds VPS?
Of the alternatives here that publish a price, Amazon Lightsail starts lowest, at $3.5/mo.
Hostwinds VPS vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | vCPU | RAM | Storage | Monthly bandwidth | Operating systems | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Hostwinds VPS | — | $4.99/mo | 1 vCPU | 1 GB | 30 GB | 1 TB/mo | Both | 7.4 |
| 1 | Amazon EC2 | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.0 |
| not scored | Google Compute Engine | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | Azure Virtual Machines | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | Oracle Cloud Compute | Yes | None | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | Alibaba Cloud Elastic Compute Service (ECS) | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | OVHcloud VPS | No | $4.54/mo | 2 vCPU | 4 GB | 40 GB | — | Both | 7.6 |
| not scored | Tencent Cloud CVM | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | Huawei Cloud Elastic Cloud Server (ECS) | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| not scored | IBM Cloud Virtual Servers for VPC | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | DigitalOcean Droplets | No | $4/mo | — | — | — | — | — | 4.0 |
| 12 | Amazon Lightsail | No | $3.5/mo | 2 vCPU | 0.5 GB | 20 GB | 1 TB/mo | Both | 8.0 |
| not scored | Vultr Cloud Compute | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 15 | Scaleway Instances | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.8 |
| 16 | Gcore Virtual Machines | No | — | — | — | — | — | — | 4.0 |
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
Last updated · How we research and update