Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting has gained popularity over the years, with more small business exploring its many benefits. Hence, why we want to share the best free VPS hosting providers in the industry.
First, here is a short list of the top 5 best free VPS hosting providers.
- Hostinger – Best for Trial (30 Days Moneyback)
- Cloudways – Free Cloud VPS Hosting (3 Days trial)
- AWS Hosting – Best Free Windows VPS Hosting (12 Month Free as New User)
- AlaVPS – Free Lifetime VPS
- GratisVPS – No Credit Card Required ($300 Free Credits)
VPS hosting currently accounts for about 10.3% of the web hosting market. This popularity can be attributed to the fact that it combines the security of dedicated hosting and the affordability of shared hosting to give you a private virtual space in a shared environment.
VPS hosting is ideal for small businesses that can’t afford dedicated hosting but still want to host their website and all its files in an isolated and secure virtual drive accessible to only them, despite being in a shared space. Unlike shared hosting, VPS keeps you safe from malicious traffic and cross-site contamination.
We have researched the best providers, some of which offer free services and give the best features for less. We will highlight them in this article, so you definitely want to stick around for all the details.
The Top 10 Best Free VPS hosting providers
Most people are usually weary of the words “free” and “cheap” because these words are typically associated with inferior quality or poor service.
While their skepticism is understandable, it is not always the case, especially for VPS hosting.
We have compiled a list of VPS hosting service providers that offer excellent hosting for less or even free. While some provide their services entirely for free, others allow you to use their services free for a duration before demanding payment or offer you a lengthy money-back guarantee.
Before we discuss each hosting provider in detail, the table below summarizes the best free-of-charge VPS hosting services.
| Provider | Free Trial | Data Centers | Operating System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hostinger | 30 days money-back guarantee | Several data centers globally including the US, the UK, Lithuania and India | Linux |
| Cloudways | 3 days | 41 data centers globally including the US, the UK and Singapore | Linux, Windows and macOS |
| HostPapa | 30 days money-back guarantee | Several data centers globally | Linux |
| AWS Hosting | 12 months free trial for new users | Several data centers worldwide | Windows and Linux |
| BlueHost | 30 days money-back guarantee | Multiple data servers | Linux |
| Scala Hosting | 30 days money-back guarantee | Multiple data centers across the US and Europe | Windows and Linux |
| Ionos | 30 days money-back guarantee | Data centers across North America and Europe | Windows and Linux |
| AlaVPS | Free plan | Data centers in the US | Windows and Linux |
| Gratis VPS | Yes | Several global data centers including France, Australia, Germany and the US | Windows and Linux |
| Space Hosting | 2 hours | Several global data centers including in Germany and the US | Windows and Linux |
Now, let’s see what each of them has to offer you.
Shall we?
1. Hostinger
Free Trial VPS Hosting
- Built-in advanced DDoS protection
- Weekly backups
- Dedicated IP
- 30-day money back
Pros
- Multiple data centers
- Scalable
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free Migration
Cons
- No free domain for VPS plans
- No Windows for VPS hosting
- No unlimited storage
Famous for its affordability, Hostinger is a web host that offers different hosting services, including VPS. With many servers worldwide in top locations like Singapore, Lithuania, the US and the UK, Hostinger ensures faster speed and connectivity.
Hostinger has many advanced security features to ensure your website is always safe. It also offers 24/7 support to give you the best experience. Being a self-managed hosting, you will be responsible for your virtual website and will have the flexibility to run it as you please.
Although Hostinger doesn’t offer a free trial, you get a 30-day money-back guarantee which you can cancel any time and get a full refund.
Hostinger is also the cheapest VPS provider out there.
Key Features
- Linux-based OS (Ubuntu, CentOS and Debian)
- Great uptime
- Built-in advanced DDoS protection
- Weekly backups
- SSD storage
- Dedicated IP
Price
Hostinger offers eight VPS pricing plans
- KVM 1—$4.99 per month (4GB RAM, 50GB NVMe, 4TB Bandwidth)
- VPS 2—$6.99 per month (8GB RAM, 100GB NVMe, 8TB Bandwidth)
- VPS 3—$10.49 per month (16GB RAM, 200GB NVMe, 16TB Bandwidth)
- VPS 4—$19.29per month (32GB RAM, 400GB NVMe, 32TB Bandwidth)
How To Get Hostinger for Free
With the 30-day money-back guarantee, you get a full refund when you cancel your plan.
- Log on to hostinger.com
- Choose your preferred VPS plan
- Use for less than 30 days and get your refund
You can also read more here: Best Free Hosting with Custom Domain
2. Cloudways
Free Cloud VPS Hosting
- Dedicated firewalls
- Cloudflare CDN
- Pre-configured PHP-FPM
- 3 Days free-trial
Pros
- Free Migration
- Allows you to choose from multiple providers
- User-friendly
Cons
- CDN isn’t free
- No email hosting
Cloudways is a managed cloud hosting provider that gives you VPS hosting services from the top providers in the world. This tool is not a typical VPS host; rather, it resells VPS services from original providers and offers extra features to help you customize the website or application of your choice.
Cloudways aims to help you simplify your hosting experience and scale your business by providing the choice of top VPS hosting providers; Linode, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, Digital Ocean, and Vultr.
With pre-configured PHP-FPM and HTTP/2 supported servers, you need not worry about low uptime, delayed speed, or loading time. Cloudways secures your website with Cloudflare CDN and SSL. It provides 24/7 support via several channels like live chat, phone calls, online ticketing, and more.
Cloudways allows you to try any of their plans for free for the first 3 days, with no extra charges or credit card needed.
Key Features
Cloudways offers the following features.
- Auto-healing managed cloud servers
- Dedicated firewalls
- One-click free SSL installation
- SSD-based hosting
- Cloudflare CDN
- Staging environment
- Pre-configured PHP-FPM
- Multiple integrations and add-ons
- 24/7 real-time monitoring
Price
Cloudways offers different pricing options starting from $12 per month, depending on the VPS provider you choose.
How to Get Cloudways For Free
You use Cloudways for free with the 3-day free trial.
- Log on to cloudways.com
- Select the provider of your choice
- Choose the preferred hosting plan and sign up for the 3-day free trial (no credit card required)
3. HostPapa
Best Secured Canadian VPS Hosting
- Multiple servers
- Brute force detection
- RAID redundancy
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Pros
- Scalable
- Easy to use
- Multiple data centers
- 24/7 support
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- No Windows OS deployment
- Relatively expensive
- No free SSL certificate
Founded in 2006, HostPapa is a Canadian web hosting provider that offers various hosting services, including self-managed VPS hosting to small and medium-sized businesses.
HostPapa is famous for its many security options and hosting features. It has over 100 data centers globally in about 50 countries, including Argentina, Qatar, Egypt and Thailand.
Key Features
- cPanel
- One-click app installation
- DDoS protections
- Multiple servers
- Root access
- Brute force detection
- RAID redundancy
- Dedicated IP
Price
HostPapa offers five pricing plans
- Mercury—$19.99 per month (2GB RAM, 60GB SSD, 1TB transfer)
- Venus—$59.99 per month (4GB RAM, 125GB SSD, 2TB transfer)
- Earth—$109.99 per month (8GB RAM, 250GB SSD, 2TB transfer)
- Mars—$169.99 per month (16GB RAM, 500GB SSD, 4TB transfer)
- Jupiter—$249.99 per month (32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 8TB transfer)
How To Get HostPapa for Free
You can use HostPapa for free with the 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Log on to hostpapa.ca
- Choose your preferred VPS hosting plan
- Use for less than 30 days and get your refund
4. AWS Hosting
Best Windows VPS Hosting
- Intuitive management console
- DNS management
- SSH terminal access (Linux/Unix)
- RDP access (Windows)
- 12 months free for new users
Pros
- Compatible with both Windows and Linux
- Multiple data centers
- 3-month free trial
- Accessible cloud storage
Cons
- Confusing pricing plans
- Not beginner friendly
Image source: AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is an arm of the Amazon brand and it offers cloud computing services to businesses. Amazon Lightsail is a product that offers VPS hosting for simple websites built on applications like WordPress and Joomla.
It allows you to manage your server, IP addresses and DNS from its console. Amazon Lightsail also provides a virtual machine, SSD storage and everything else you need to create your website.
Key Features
- Static IP address
- DNS management
- Intuitive management console
- DNS management
- one-click SSH terminal access (Linux/Unix)
- one-click RDP access (Windows)
- SSD storage
- Server monitoring
Price
AWS offers different pricing plans for Windows and Linux, starting at $3.5 per month.
How To Get AWS for Free
You can use AWS for free for 12 months as a new user or up to three months as an existing user, before paying for a plan.
Image source: AWS
- Log on aws.amazon.com
- Create a free account
- Select the Amazon Lightsail plan of your choice and use for free
5. Bluehost
Best Cheap Managed VPS Hosting
- cPanel/WHM
- Free domain name
- Domain Privacy
- 30-Day Free Refund
Pros
- 24/7 VPN support
- Easy to use
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Multiple data centers
Cons
- No Windows servers
- Not scalable
- No server in the UK
- Can be slow at times
Bluehost is a reputable web hosting provider that offers various hosting services ranging from managed VPS hosting to Shared, Dedicated and WordPress. Bluehost provides a secure hosting environment and allows you to add multiple servers to your account.
Having several data centers worldwide, Bluehost guarantees excellent uptime, great speed and fast loading time. It also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, with a complete refund if you are not pleased with its services.
Key Features
- IP address
- cPanel/WHM
- Free domain name
- Domain Privacy
- Cloudflare CDN
- Free SSL certificate
- Root Access
Price
Bluehost offers three VPS pricing plans
- Standard—$19.99 per month (2GB RAM, 30GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth)
- Enhanced—$29.99 per month (4GB RAM, 60GB SSD, 2TB bandwidth)
- Ultimate—$59.99 per month (8GB RAM, 120GB SSD, 3TB bandwidth)
How To Get Bluehost for Free
You can try Bluehost for free for 30 days and get a refund if you dislike their services.
Image source: Bluehost
- Log on to bluehost.com
- Select the plan of your choice
- Use for up to 30 days and get a refund when you cancel
6. Scala Hosting
Best Value VPS Hosting
- Blacklist monitoring
- Anti-SPAM protection
- sPanel and cPanel
- PHP versions
- 30-days free refund
Pros
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Unconditional money-back guarantee
- 24/7 expert support
- Data centers in the US and Europe
Cons
- Pricey
- Limited data centers
ScalaHosting offers cloud-based managed and self-managed VPS hosting services to businesses. It also offers other hosting services including Shared, WordPress and Reseller hosting.
Image source: ScalaHosting
Key Features
- Free SSL certificate
- Daily backups
- Blacklist monitoring
- Anti-SPAM protection
- sPanel and cPanel
- PHP versions
Price
ScalaHosting offers four pricing plans
- Build 1—$49.95 per month (4GB RAM, 50GB SSD)
- Build 2—$83.95 per month (8GB RAM, 100GB SSD)
- Build 3—$141.95 per month (16GB RAM, 150GB SSD)
- Build 4—$199.95 per month (24GB RAM, 200GB SSD)
How To Get ScalaHosting for Free
You can use ScalaHosting for free for 30 days and get a refund if you are displeased with the services.
- Log on to scalahosting.com
- Choose the VPS plan of your choice
7. Ionos
Best Reliable VPS Hosting
- Dedicated resources
- Windows and Linux OS
- SSL certificates
- Domain Registration
- Free for a month
Pros
- Domain Registration
- Great uptime
- Excellent customer support
- Easy to use
Cons
- Performance could be better
- Pricey
- Limited global data centers
Ionos is a European web hosting provider that offers VPS hosting services including domain registration and SSL certificates.
Image source: Ionos
Key Features
- Dedicated resources
- Windows and Linux OS
- SSL certificates
- Domain Registration
Price
Ionos has two major VPS pricing categories—Standard VPS and Memory optimized. The Standard category has four pricing plans
- VPS S—$2 per month
- VPS M—$4 per month (first six months) and $7 per month subsequently
- VPS L—$8 per month (first six months) and $15 per month subsequently
- VPS XL—$2 per month (first six months) and $25 per month subsequently
- VPS XXL—$18 per month (first six months) and $35 per month subsequently
The Memory optimized plans are slightly higher in price compared to the standard.
How To Get Ionos for Free
Ionos allows you to use their services for free for a month and will refund you if you change your mind.
- Log on to ionos.com
- Select the VPS plan of your choice
- Cancel before 30 days and get a full refund
8. AlaVPS
Free Lifetime VPS Hosting
- DDoS protection
- US data centers
- cPanel
- Free
Pros
- Free VPS plan
- Great uptime
Cons
- Limited data centers
- Unresponsive live chats
- Limited user ratings and reviews
ALAVPS is a web hosting company that offers a free VPS plan with robust features. It also offers Shared and Dedicated servers.
Image source: ALAVPS
Key Features
- cPanel
- CloudFlare CDN
- Weekly backups
- Root access
- DDoS protection
- US data centers
Price
- VPS 1—$49.95 per month (1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth)
- VPS 2—$49.95 per month (4GB RAM, 50GB SSD, 2TB bandwidth)
- VPS 3—$49.95 per month (4GB RAM, 50GB SSD, 3TB bandwidth)
- VPS 4—$49.95 per month (4GB RAM, 50GB SSD, 4TB bandwidth)
How To Get ALAVPS for Free
ALAVPS has a completely free VPS plan which you can use for your business and you can get it on their website.
- Log on to alavps.com
- Select the VPS 1 plan
- Use for free or upgrade to other plans for more features
9. GratisVPS
Best VPS Hosting for free with no credit card required
- SSD storage
- Forex VPS
- DDoS protection
- Free with No CC
Pros
- Free trial
- Supports Windows and Linux OS
- Unlimited downloads
Cons
- Basic plan lacks enhanced security features
- Basic plan doesn’t come with free support
- Limited storage
GratisVPS is a web host provider that allows you to create your free cloud VPS server in seconds, with no credit card required.
Image source: GratisVPS
Read More: 10 Best Forex VPS Hosting Services for Traders
Key Features
- DDoS protection
- 24/7 support
- SSD storage
- Windows and Linux VPS
- Forex VPS
Price
GratisVPS has three pricing plans
- Basic—$29.99 per month (1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth)
- Standard—$59.99 per month (1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth)
- Pro—$89.99 per month (1GB RAM, 25GB SSD, 1TB bandwidth)
How To Get GratisVPS for Free
Ionos allows you to use their services for free for a month and will refund you if you change your mind.
- Log on to gratisvps.net
- Sign up for the VPS free trial
10. Space Hosting
Best Fastest VPS Hosting with the Flagship AMD Processors
- One-click OS reinstall
- Latest speed technologies (Ryzen 9 series)
- VNC access
- No extra fees for traffic
- 2-Hour free trial plan
Pros
- 2-hour free trial
- High computing power
- Powerful global servers
- Great uptime
Cons
- Slow support response
- No access to the control panel on a free trial
Space Hosting is a web hosting provider that provides various hosting services to users, including VPS hosting. It has the best flagship AMD processors (VPS Ryzen 9), which offers high-performing websites on both Windows and Linux servers.
Image source: Space Hosting
Key Features
- Windows and Linux OS
- DDoS protection
- One-click OS reinstall
- Latest speed technologies (Ryzen 9 series)
- VNC access
- Dedicated CPU and RAM
- No extra fees for traffic
- 4.2 out of 5 stars on Trust Pilot
Price
Space Hosting offers ten pricing plans
- Free trial server (€0 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-S (€3.49 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-S+ (€5.49 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-S++ (€8.19 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-M (€10.99 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-M+ (€16.49 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-L (€24.49 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-L+ (€32.49 per month)
- R9-VPS-KVM-L++ (€43.49 per month)
- Customized plan (€29.91 per month)
How To Get Sapce Hosting for Free
Space Hosting offers a 2-Hour free trial plan that allows you to use the web host for free.
- Log on to space-hosting.net
- Select the VPS free trial server plan
- Use for two hours for free
FAQ
Some factors to consider when choosing are:
– Security—you need a guarantee that your website and data will be safe.
– Business goals or needs—highlight what you want to achieve and if the tool can help you do that
– Uptime—your VPS hosting needs to have an average of 99.99% uptime
– Renewal costs—important especially if you intend to use the tool long term
– Customer support—consider the level of support the VPS hosting offers its users
– User ratings and reviews—read through what other users have to say about it
With this checklist, you are on the right path to selecting the best VPS hosting for your team.
Yes, you can. While some VPS providers offer their services for free only for a limited time, some others allow you to host your website entirely for free. Some even offer a money-back guarantee which allows you to use the product for a certain period and refund your complete payment if you are displeased within the duration.
Most VPS hosting providers offer a free trial of their VPS plans for a certain period and you can easily access it from their website or app. After which, you may be required to pay to continue using the features and services.
Yes, Google Cloud offers a free VPS in two ways.
When you create a new Google Cloud account
When you join an existing account with a valid credit card.
Free VPS doesn’t always mean inferior quality or service. Some VPS hosting providers offer quality features for free and they are worth the try.
To be sure, you can always leverage their free trials to know if a particular VPS is worth it for your business.
Free VPS providers are ideal for small and medium-scale businesses that would love to host their website but can not afford to pay for more expensive hosting services, especially during the startup stage.
So if you are on a strict budget or trying to check out different VPS providers to experience their services first-hand before choosing, then you should use free or trial VPS providers.
Conclusion
VPS hosting gives you the best of both worlds and offers many benefits to your business at an affordable price.
We have shared a list of top trusted VPS hosting providers you can try out for free. While some are not entirely free, they offer free trials and allow you to use them for free before canceling.
You can use our list as a guide to select the best fit for your business.
More hosting related articles:
- Best Linux VPS Hosting
- Best Windows VPS Hosting Providers
- Best Managed VPS Hosting
- Best Cheap VPS Hosting
As one of the co-founders of Codeless, I bring to the table expertise in developing WordPress and web applications, as well as a track record of effectively managing hosting and servers. My passion for acquiring knowledge and my enthusiasm for constructing and testing novel technologies drive me to constantly innovate and improve.
Expertise:
Web Development,
Web Design,
Linux System Administration,
SEO
Experience:
15 years of experience in Web Development by developing and designing some of the most popular WordPress Themes like Specular, Tower, and Folie.
Education:
I have a degree in Engineering Physics and MSC in Material Science and Opto Electronics.
Comments
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