While most individuals who are looking to create and host a website of their own are going to be satisfied with website builders or shared hosting plans, others may need some advanced features. In cases like these, you might find yourself looking at the best cloud hosting solutions.
However, while cloud hosting comes with a variety of different benefits, it can be somewhat confusing, too. Worry not, because this is what I’m here for - to tell you all about it, and help you pick the best cloud hosting providers!
Our list will look a little something like this:
Best Cloud Hosting: VPS VS Cloud Hosting
Before we jump into the list of the best cloud hosting providers, there are a few things that we need to figure out, first. Probably the main point of contention is that of VPS hosting VS cloud hosting.
Oftentimes, you will see these two terms used interchangeably. Well, they shouldn’t - VPS web hosting is different from cloud hosting. And yet, spoiler alert - some of the providers that we’ll talk about today offer VPS hosting services instead of cloud ones.
Confusing? Worry not - let’s get to the point.
VPS hosting refers to “Virtual Private Server” hosting. If you choose this service, you will receive just that - a private (shared resources - private access) virtual server that you can use at your own leisure. Cloud hosting, on the other hand, has no single, private server for you to use.
Instead, it hosts your website “on the Cloud” - depending on where you are located in the world, a different server will host your website (it depends on geographical location), and thus, your site will both load up faster, and will also be quite a bit more scalable.
Evidently, we’re just scratching the surface here - but the idea remains true.
We can look at it from a different angle, too. If you’re looking for the best cloud hosting services, chances are that you’re not too bothered with high levels of control, and are content with having simple and straightforward cPanel access.
The situation is very different for anyone who will host their site on a VPS. Here, you will receive full root-level access and control.
Following that, the best cloud hosting providers will offer you the chance to create and host a performance-intensive website. It’ll be more reliable, uptime-wise, but will probably also be pricier, as well.
Table: Some general information about WordPress
VPS hosting, on the other hand, generally has less resources available, but is, yet again, much more customizable. It’s a great option for small and medium-sized websites, and businesses that are just starting to grow.
However, both VPS and cloud hosting do share a lot of similarities, too. This is exactly the reason why you’ll find both hosting types in this list - no matter if you’re looking for the best cloud hosting for WordPress, or any other CMS out there, VPS hosting might still suit your wants and needs!
Evaluation Criteria
Now, by this point in the list of the best cloud hosting options, we’ve established that we’ll mention both cloud hosting, and also VPS hosting, as well (in some cases). However, what are the actual evaluation criteria that you need to keep in mind when choosing the best option for yourself?
Well, for starters, if you ARE looking for cloud hosting solutions, chances are that you need scalability and top-tier site loading speed - these two features are often at the top of people’s lists. At the same time, this does also include things such as SSD storage, uptime, RAM, CPU numbers, and more.
Next, many individuals and companies that are looking for the best cloud hosting will likely require an opportunity to both host multiple websites, and also have access to different business-related tools. These can include domain names, site migration, Google Ad credits, analytics, and so on.
Then, security is - obviously - a major concern, too. Does the hosting service provide customers with DDoS protection? Are there daily backups, SSL certificates, dedicated IP addresses in place? These and many more questions can surely help pick out the best potential cloud hosting candidates!
Finally, while this might seem obvious, pricing is a major factor to consider, as well. Even if you do manage to find the best cloud server hosting available on this planet, if the price is outrageous, many people will simply turn away, and continue searching for a better compromise.
All of that being established and discussed, though, let us finally move on to the list of the best cloud hosting providers of the current year!