= The 9 Best Cloud Hosting Providers 2022 | Ranked and Reviewed =
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A2 Hosting is our top-rated cloud hosting provider with its impressive features and an anytime money-back guarantee. Cloudways and Kamatera follow up close behind, both of which provide good flexibility and customizability
== What Is Cloud Hosting? ==
Cloud hosting is where your site is stored on multiple servers, which lets you pull resources from a variety of different places. This makes cloud hosting a very scalable, reliable, and flexible type of hosting, perfect for sites that experience hikes and dips in things like traffic
There are dozens âÃÂàif not hundreds âÃÂàof hosting providers to choose from, and finding the right one can be a daunting prospect. ThatâÃÂÃÂs why weâÃÂÃÂve undertaken hours of research to find the best cloud hosts in the business
We have a list of our 9 best cloud hosting providers that have been carefully chosen based on their impressive features and anytime money-back guarantee! LetâÃÂÃÂs get into it
== Best Cloud Hosting Providers and Services ==
A2 Hosting:Best Overall for Cloud Hosting. Cloudways:A Close Runner-Up. Kamatera:Best for Customization. SiteGround: Best features. Hostwinds:Best for Those on a Budget. InMotion:Best Help & Support. HostGator:Unmetered Storage. DreamHost:Cheapest Cloud Hosting. Hostinger:Best Control Panel
And we didnâÃÂÃÂt just pluck this list out of thin air; weâÃÂÃÂve carefully cross-referenced features, compared uptime and reliability, checked prices and tested help and support channels to ensure weâÃÂÃÂre bringing you the best of the best
You can take a closer look at these top three providers by comparing their star ratings below
Read on for a complete breakdown of our ratings. WeâÃÂÃÂll cover which providers are suited to which needs, look at pricing, and throw in a few honorable mentions as well. Now letâÃÂÃÂs get going!
Also check out:
**Best Web Hosting** âÃÂàAway from cloud hosting, find out who the overall best providers are. **Web Hosting Comparison Chart** âÃÂàFor a side-by-side view of the top providers, see our detailed chart
== Side-By-Side Cloud Hosting Comparison ==
Hosting Provider Max RAM Max CPUs Max Bandwidth Root Access Max Storage Space Uptime Cheapest Price WBE Rating (/5)
A2 Hosting |32GB||12||9TB|âÃÂà|250GB||99.954.99/mo||4.2|
Cloudways |384GB||96||20TB|âÃÂà|3840GB||99.9910/mo||4|
Kamatera |524GB||104V||40GB|âÃÂà|1000GB||99.954/mo||3.8|
SiteGround |10GB||8||5TB|âÃÂà|120GB||99.9880/mo||3.7|
Hostwinds |96GB||16||9TB|âÃÂà|750GB||99.974.99/mo||3.6|
InMotion |8GB||Unmetered||86TB|âÃÂà|260GB||99.9717.99/mo||3.2|
HostGator |6GB||6||Unmetered|âÃÂà|Unmetered||99.994.95/mo||3|
DreamHost |16GB||8||Unmetered|âÃÂà|100GB||99.954.50/mo||3|
Hostinger |16GB||8||Unmetered|âÃÂà|200GB||99.979.99/mo||2.9|
If some of these terms sound like a load of techie jargon to you, donâÃÂÃÂt worry. Below, weâÃÂÃÂll run through what they mean, and why theyâÃÂÃÂre important:
**Random-access Memory (RAM is a kind of digital brainpower. It provides the data storage necessary for computers to complete tasks. The more RAM your site has, the more work it can handle. For most websites, a gigabyte (GB) or two ought to have you covered. **Computer Processing Units (CPUs) **are the cores of your server. They act as theprocessing information. Naturally, the more you have, the more efficient your site becomes. **Bandwidth **is the amount of data that can flow between servers (i.e. your site), the internet, and users. Bandwidth dictates how much information can travel along its connections, as well as how quickly. Hosting with good bandwidth allows your site to cope with high traffic. **Root Access** gives you the ability to customize your serverâÃÂÃÂs environment. You can install specialist software, such as extra security, and make changes to hardware settings. This adds an extra layer of flexibility to your hosting and gives you greater control. **Uptime** literally refers to the amount of time your website is up online. ItâÃÂÃÂs impossible to achieve 100% uptime, but the aim is to get as near to that as possible. After all, if your site goes down, no one can access it
== A2 Hosting ==
Best Overall for Cloud Hosting
|Pricing4.99-$98.99|
|Bandwidth||2TB - 8TB|
|Storage||20GB - 250GB|
|Free backupsYes|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeYes âÃÂàanytime|
What we like about A2 Hosting
When it comes to cloud hosting, A2 Hosting canâÃÂÃÂt be beaten. It came top of our research for features, and it also has an anytime money-back guarantee âÃÂàsomething not offered by any other provider
ItâÃÂÃÂs not too expensive either, with cloud plans starting at $4.99 per month; while the uptime isnâÃÂÃÂt the best at 99.95%, you do get a wealth of excellent features
These features include up to 450GB of storage, 8 CPU cores, and 32GB of RAM. Oh, and you can host an unlimited number of websites âÃÂàsomething you which other cloud hosting providers
*donâÃÂÃÂt* offer
It is worth noting that on its website, A2 Hosting doesnâÃÂÃÂt offer
*traditional* cloud hosting packages. Instead, youâÃÂÃÂll be directed to their cloud VPS plans, instead. You can choose from both managed and unmanaged plans, however, both emphasize speed and performance
What could be improved
If you choose an unmanaged cloud VPS plan, youâÃÂÃÂll need to pay for an SSL certificate, which is a little annoying âÃÂàas is not getting a free domain âÃÂàbut for a starting price of $4.99, you canâÃÂÃÂt go wrong
Find out more:
**A2 Hosting Review** âÃÂàFor the full lowdown on the good and the bad of our top-performing cloud hosting provider
== Cloudways ==
A Close Runner-Up
|Pricing10 - $3569.98|
|Bandwidth||1TB - 20TB|
|Storage||25GB - 3840GB|
|Free backupsNo|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessNo|
|Money-back guaranteeNo|
What we like about Cloudways
Cloudways is a strong second-place option, and it could be number one depending on what youâÃÂÃÂre looking for. This platform lets you deploy your cloud servers from one of over 25 global locations, and you can choose the region and city yourself
This means that youâÃÂÃÂll never be too far from your servers, which is great for site speed. It also means that CloudwaysâÃÂàplans are more flexible than those of its competitors. Prices depend on your chosen data center, but you also get to choose between monthly or hourly pricing packages, depending on what best suits your website
For example, you can pay $10/month for the basic plan with a Digital Ocean data center in New York, San Francisco, London, and a few other cities. Or, if you value a lot of flexibility, you can get the same plan and data center for a pay-as-you-go rate of $0.0139/hour
What could be improved
Cloudways offers very impressive customer support on all of its plans, including 24/7 live chat and an easy ticketing system. However, youâÃÂÃÂll have to sign up to one of two paid support plans if youâÃÂÃÂd like more than those basic features. For $100/month, the Advanced support plan includes proactive site monitoring and investigations, plus help with customization. If you want 24/7 phone support, though, youâÃÂÃÂll have to scale up to the Premium support plan, which is $500/month
Find out more:
**How Much Does it Cost to Host a Website âÃÂàJust how much could, and *should*, a good web hosting plan cost? Find out with our detailed guide
== Kamatera ==
Best for Customization
|Pricing4 - $3700|
|Bandwidth||1GB - 40GB|
|Storage||20GB - 4000GB|
|Free backupsNo|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeNo|
What we like about Kamatera
Kamatera is the only hosting solution that gives you complete control over your cloud hosting, whether the task be deciding who gets root access to your servers, or choosing your IP allocation
Kamatera also offers a lot of flexibility when it comes to scaling resources up or down. Server capacity can be increased or decreased in minutes, and elements like CPU, RAM, storage space, and even firewalls can be added or taken away with one click on your end
In short, Kamatera is great if you want a fully personalized hosting plan
What could be improved
If you value uptime over customization, be aware that Kamatera can only guarantee 99.95% uptime. In general, this is still a strong percentage, and only amounts to about 4.5 hours of downtime a year. But compared to the 99.99% guarantees of HostGator and Cloudways, KamateraâÃÂÃÂs uptime does fall a little short
Find out more:
**13 Best Cheap WordPress HostsLooking for WordPress hosting on a budget? These 13 providers have you covered
== SiteGround ==
Best Features
|Pricing|| $100 - $400 |
Offering 80% off until September 30
|Bandwidth||5TB|
|Storage||40GB - 160GB|
|Free backupsYes|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessNo|
|Money-back guaranteeYes âÃÂàoffered for 14 days|
What we like about SiteGround
With excellent help and support on offer (via phone, live chat and email), as well as a very strong uptime guarantee of 99.98%, and great features, you canâÃÂÃÂt go too far wrong with SiteGround. Our hosting research found this to be a hugely reliable provider, with an overall score of 3.7/5
What could be improved
There are a couple of places where SiteGround lost points. First, it doesnâÃÂÃÂt offer a free domain name with its plans. If you donâÃÂÃÂt yet have a domain name, getting one for free is a handy bonus, and is something many other providers offer. Second, the $100 starting price is a lot higher than with other providers âÃÂàif youâÃÂÃÂre coming from a shared plan, this will feel like quite a step up
That said, SiteGround generally scores well across the board, and its combination of great uptime, great support, and 5TB bandwidth makes it a standout for features
Find out more:
**SiteGround ReviewA full look at the pros and cons of SiteGround, including features, ease of use and value. **SiteGround Pricing Review** âÃÂàWhy do SiteGroundâÃÂÃÂs plans seem so expensive, and are they good value?
== Hostwinds ==
Best for Those on a Budget
|Pricing4.99 - $328.99|
|Bandwidth||1TB - 9TB|
|Storage||30GB - 750GB|
|Free backupsNo|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeYes âÃÂà60 days|
What we like about Hostwinds
Hostwinds offers a decent amount of storage, bandwidth, and RAM on its cloud plans, plus one-click install options for most applications
The best part of a Hostwinds plan is the hourly pricing breakdown. For example, its most basic cloud hosting plan comes out to $0.006931/hour, while its most advanced cloud plan costs $0.456931/hour. That amounts to $4.99 and $328.99/month, respectively, and every Hostwind plan in between is cheap in comparison to competitors (although youâÃÂÃÂll save more money with DreamHost). Best of all, this providerâÃÂÃÂs 60 day money-back guarantee lasts longer than most
What could be improved
Hostwinds is cheap, and youâÃÂÃÂll get decent value for your money. That said, you wonâÃÂÃÂt have access to the same depth and breadth of features that youâÃÂÃÂd get with a more expensive provider. Free backups, free domains, and server customization arenâÃÂÃÂt included with this provider
Find out more:
**Best Ecommerce Hosting Providers** âÃÂàLooking for hosting for an online store? Check out our top choices
== InMotion ==
Best Help & Support
|Pricing5 - $160|
|Bandwidth||1TB - 7TB|
|Storage||25GB - 640GB|
|Free backupsYes|
|Free domain nameYes âÃÂàfor all 6+ month plans|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeYes âÃÂà90 days (but only for 6+ month plans)|
What we like about InMotion
InMotion is better known for its shared and managed VPS hosting, but that doesnâÃÂÃÂt mean itâÃÂÃÂs got nothing to offer here. Its main selling point is its customer service âÃÂàoffering 24/7 live chat and phone support, help tickets, and a comprehensive knowledge center should you have any issues
It scores well for features, too. Free domains and backups, unlimited email accounts and websites, and root access are just some of the features you can expect. The help on offer is also pretty strong in our experience, which always helps
What could be improved
Compared to other providers on this list, bandwidth is a bit limited, which could leave you short if your site experiences sudden surges of traffic
Find out more:
**InMotion Review** âÃÂàAn in-depth look at the advantages and disadvantages of setting up your site with InMotion
== HostGator ==
Unmetered Storage
|Pricing4.95 - $9.95|
|Bandwidth||Unmetered|
|Storage||Unmetered|
|Free backupsYes|
|Free domain nameYes|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeYes âÃÂà45 days|
What we like about HostGator
HostGator topped our research rankings as the best web hosting provider. Although better known for its dedicated hosting packages, HostGatorâÃÂÃÂs 99.99% uptime carries across every type of hosting it offers. If you have a large website âÃÂàeither in terms of amount of web pages, or high-quality content like imagery âÃÂàHostGatorâÃÂÃÂs unmetered storage will stand you in good stead. Unmetered bandwidth will also help you serve fluctuating traffic
HostGator has three cloud hosting plans, all of which sit between a very reasonable price bracket of $4.95 and $9.95/month. YouâÃÂÃÂll also get unlimited email accounts and a generous 45 day money-back guarantee
What could be improved
HostGator ticks many of the main boxes, but it does come with some limitations. For example, its RAM is a bit lower than its competitors, capped at 6GB. Plus, if you select the entry plan, youâÃÂÃÂll only be able to host a single website. Additionally, a dedicated IP is only available on the most expensive Business plan
Find out more:
**HostGator Review** âÃÂàTake a closer look at this top provider. **HostGator Pricing Review** âÃÂàWhy are HostGatorâÃÂÃÂs cloud hosting prices so cheap, and how does HostGatorâÃÂÃÂs pricing compare to other providers?
== DreamHost ==
Cheapest Cloud Hosting
|Pricing4.50 - $96|
|Bandwidth||Unmetered|
|Storage||100GB|
|Free backupsYes (for WordPress sites)|
|Free domain nameNo|
|Root accessYes|
|Money-back guaranteeNo|
What we like about DreamHost
A provider can have the best hosting features in the world, but if its pricing is outside your budget, it wonâÃÂÃÂt be able to help you. Thankfully, DreamHost makes cloud hosting accessible to anyone. Plans start from as little as $4.50, and even its most expensive one comes in at under $100. YouâÃÂÃÂll also be on an hourly rate, rather than a fixed one. ThereâÃÂÃÂs also unmetered bandwidth, up to 8GB of RAM, 4 CPU cores, and a free SSL security certificate
What could be improved
But there are some fairly significant downsides: no free domain, no live chat and phone support, and no money-back guarantee (fine if youâÃÂÃÂre on the cheapest plan, but worrying if you sign up to its $96/month plan YouâÃÂÃÂre also capped at 100GB of storage, limiting your potential to reallyyour website on a DreamHost cloud hosting plan
Find out more:
**DreamHost Review** âÃÂàDreamHost is one of the better known hosting providers âÃÂàbut just how good is it? **DreamHost Pricing Review** âÃÂàHow much does it cost to host with DreamHost?
== Hostinger ==
Best Control Panel
Pricing |$69.99|
Bandwidth |Unmetered|
Storage |200 - 300GB|
Free backups? |Yes|
Free domain name? |Yes|
Root access? |No|
Money-back guarantee? |Yes âÃÂà30 days|
What we like about Hostinger
Hostinger offers three reasonably priced cloud plans with excellent features, including unmetered bandwidth, speed boosts from its custom-built infrastructure, and one free domain name. HostingerâÃÂÃÂs security features are also impressive âÃÂàin addition to a free SSL certificate with each plan, you also have the option to integrate with CloudFlare for heightened protection against hackers and attacks
Hostinger also stands out for its unique control panel, which was created in-house (as opposed to the popular cPanel software that most of the providers on this list use). HostingerâÃÂÃÂs control panel is simple to use, and easy for beginners to get comfortable with
What could be improved
HostingerâÃÂÃÂs uptime guarantee of 99.97% is good, but itâÃÂÃÂs not the highest youâÃÂÃÂll find on this list âÃÂàif uptime is your top priority, youâÃÂÃÂll want to consider providers like HostGator or Cloudways, both of which offer 99.99% uptime guarantees. Hostinger also doesnâÃÂÃÂt offer over-the-phone support âÃÂàits 24/7 live chat is great, but if youâÃÂÃÂd rather speak to the support team via phone, then you may want to look elsewhere
Find out more:
**Hostinger Review** âÃÂàOur overall look at HostingerâÃÂÃÂs plans, features, and prices
== How Do You Choose the Right Cloud Hosting Provider? ==
There are several key factors to consider when choosing a cloud hosting provider. WeâÃÂÃÂve tried to cater to them here. Only you can know exactly what you need; all we can do is point you in the right direction
A few key things we recommend prioritizing are:
**Your budget** is a big one. How much are you willing to spend on hosting? **Customer support** can be a godsend if youâÃÂÃÂre new to this whole web hosting malarkey. Not only will it support you through any hosting hiccups, but youâÃÂÃÂll learn about how it works. **Money back guarantees **ensure you donâÃÂÃÂt get trapped in an 18-month contract for a service you donâÃÂÃÂt want or need. It gives you time to see a provider in action. **Uptime **is one of the most important features to consider. If your website goes down regularly it becomes a nightmare for everyone involved, so finding a provider that offers near-perfect uptime is a major plus. **Root access **can also be useful to the more techie folk out there. Having more control over your serverâÃÂÃÂs environment means you can install extra software that will benefit your site specifically
== The Best Cloud Hosting Providers: Conclusion ==
Cloud hosting is a modern, reliable form of hosting âÃÂàitâÃÂÃÂs no wonder youâÃÂÃÂre interested in it!
From our research, there are nine standout cloud hosting providers. Each brings something slightly different to the table, so itâÃÂÃÂs important to know what youâÃÂÃÂre looking for
To recap, letâÃÂÃÂs run through the top providers and what they specialize in
The 9 Best Cloud Hosting Providers: The Roundup
A2 Hosting:Best Overall for Cloud Hosting (from $5/month). Cloudways:A Close Runner-Up (from $10/month). Kamatera:Best for Customization (from $4/month). SiteGround: Best Features (from $80/month). Hostwinds:Best for Those on a Budget (from $4.99/month). InMotion:Best Help & Support (from $34.99/month). HostGator:Unmetered Storage (from $12.95/month). DreamHost:Cheapest Cloud Hosting (from $4.50/month). Hostinger:Best Control Panel (from $29/month)
If youâÃÂÃÂre looking for the crÃÂème de la crÃÂème of cloud hosting, A2 Hosting is the way to go. It has better features than any of its competitors, and wonâÃÂÃÂt cost you an arm and a leg
If youâÃÂÃÂre short on cash, the hosting provider weâÃÂÃÂd recommend is DreamHost. It offers the best value for money, with cloud hosting costing from just $4.50 per month
Beyond price, features are the main thing you should look at. Identify whatâÃÂÃÂs most important to you âÃÂàstorage, RAM, uptime etc. âÃÂàand work from there. If you need a more detailed, side-by-side comparison, have a look at our web hosting providers comparison chart
== The Best Cloud Hosting Providers: FAQs ==
*Website Builder Expert aims to provide you with honest data. ThatâÃÂÃÂs why we conduct our own research and obtain direct, personal insight. Analyses and graphics in this article are based on authentic sources cross-validated by our in-house experts.* *We take great care to ensure the information we publish is reliable and accurate. However, WBE takes no responsibility for any inaccuracy in information supplied to us by users, research participants, or other entities.* *Please note the insight contained within this article is for general information purposes only. WeâÃÂÃÂre glad to answer any questions you may have about this article and its supporting research. For further information, please contact Website Builder Expert directly via email at [email protected].*