Where most traditional web hosting solutions come as packages that include everything you need to run a website, Cloud Hosting is more piecemeal. The reason for this is that users may want to configure their Cloud Server for different purposes.
For example, if you were to run a site that is heavy on the delivery of media files, you may need something with more storage space and bandwidth, rather than computing resources. True Cloud hosting requires that you select the types and quantity of each resource separately.
Not only is each type of resource priced differently, but you also need to take into account the amounts you’ll need for each type. Some of these include computing, object storage, block storage, memory, and bandwidth.
That narrows down even further in some cases. Google, for example, charges different rates for bandwidth pipes heading to and from different locations.
To better illustrate this, let’s consider some popular Cloud Hosting Providers.
1. ScalaHosting
Website: https://www.scalahosting.com/cloud
ScalaHosting has been in the business for over a decade now. Its VPS and Cloud Hosting plans are strong parts of its very comprehensive product suite. Their aim was to make VPS and Cloud hosting available to a wider audience.
Today, Scala has long worked past price and instead focuses on innovative technologies. With tools such as SPanel, SShield, and SWordpress Manager in their inventory, ScalaHosting offers options for users to easily manage their hosting environments.
Learn more in our ScalaHosting review.
ScalaHosting Pricing
ScalaHosting is a “Managed Cloud Hosting Provider”, the service provider that stands between end users and true Cloud providers. They have their own hosting control panel and technical support team, which help simplify the management of Cloud resources for their users.
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4 | 12 | 24 |
| Memory | 8 GB | 30 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage | 240 GB | 360 GB | 2000 GB |
| Bandwidth | 3 TB | 3 TB | 3 TB |
| Price | $59.00/mo | $161.00/mo | $467.00/mo |
2. Cloudways
Website: https://www.cloudways.com/
Established in 2011, Cloudways is a systems integrator that helps people deploy their solutions on a variety of Cloud platforms.
Like ScalaHosting, Cloudways works as a “Managed Cloud Hosting Provider” and offers users a fair choice of various Cloud infrastructure platforms ranging from the very affordable Digital Ocean to pricey as heck Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Because of this unique position that they are in, what we will be looking at more closely than actual performance is how they are setup to help you manage the servers you are paying for. This includes things like dashboard UI design, add on features such as firewall and Content Distribution Network (CDN), and of course, customer technical support.
Cloudways Pricing
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 | 32 | 96 |
| Memory | 2 GB | 96 GB | 384GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 20 GB | 20 GB |
| Bandwidth | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB |
| Price | $36.51/mo | $1358.14/mo | $3569.98/mo |
3. Digital Ocean
Website: https://www.digitalocean.com/
Digital Ocean is a US-headquartered cloud hosting company. It was an early proponent of Cloud technology and is today one of the largest hosting companies in the world. The company offers Virtual Servers based on KVM.
Advanced users can opt to select individual Cloud resources by themselves, ranging from Droplets to Kubernetes and Spaces. However, based on an aim to simplify the Cloud for the masses, it also offers a wide range of easy-to-adopt packages.
Digital Ocean Pricing
Digital Ocean is a “True Cloud Provider” that offers extensive resources and allows users to easily scale up to a high amount of resources. Because of this elasticity (or scalability), the price of its cloud hosting plans vary quite a lot. They range from as low as a few dollars a month for select services all the way to however much you need.
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 | 6 | 32 |
| Memory | 1 GB | 16 GB | 192 GB |
| Storage | 25 GB | 320 GB | 3.75 TB |
| Bandwidth | 1 TB | 6 TB | 12 TB |
| Price | $5/mo | $80/mo | $960/mo |
4. Google Cloud
Website: https://cloud.google.com/
When it comes to brand names Google needs no introduction. It is one of the big dogs in the global fight for technological domination and has infiltrated almost every country around the world. However, Google Cloud solutions aren’t necessarily for everyone.
Unlike the others on this list, Google Cloud is extremely specific in the sense that they do not offer pre-packaged solutions. You need to know not only exactly what you need, but also how much of it and from where. It can be an intimidating task.
Google Cloud Pricing
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 | 8 | 96 |
| Memory | 3.75 GB | 30 GB | 360 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 500 GB | 1 TB |
| Bandwidth | 250 GB | 500 GB | 1 TB |
| Price | $48.92/mo | $321.68/mo | $2,591.27/mo |
5. Kamatera
Website: https://www.kamatera.com/
Kamatera offers powerful Cloud computing solutions to its customers in very flexible ways. Users are free to configure the exact amounts of resources they want in a similar fashion to Google Cloud.
They do not offer pre-packaged solutions like some other providers do, but focus on the true essence of Cloud – agility. This results in them being a desirable option for a variety of very cost-effective deployments.
Kamatera Pricing
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 | 28 | 104 |
| Memory | 1 GB | 32 GB | 524 GB |
| Storage | 20 GB | 500 GB | 4 TB |
| Bandwidth | 1 GB | 1 GB | 1 GB |
| Price | $9/mo | $548/mo | $4,240/mo |
6. Linode
Website: https://www.linode.com/
Linode touts itself as offering a better user experience and claims to be one of the pioneers in Cloud services. Starting back in 2003 the company today has stated it is the “largest independent open cloud provider in the world”.
Compared to Vultr and Digital Ocean, Linode offers an additional dimension to potential customers. They can select a product range built with specific deployments in mind, such as websites, gaming, mobile applications, and more.
Linode Cloud Pricing
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 2 | 32 | 64 |
| Memory | 4 GB | 64 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage | 80 GB | 1280 GB | 7.2 TB |
| Bandwidth | 4 TB | 8 TB | 12 TB |
| Price | $30/mo | $480/mo | $3,840/mo |
7. Vultr
Website: https://www.vultr.com/
Vultr is a slightly newer addition to the pool of Cloud providers but it has grown significantly. Today it offers users a strong base of 17 data centers around the world to deploy from. Like Digital Ocean, it too offers a mix of pre-packaged resources as well as allows users to customize their own.
For those who want the power of the Cloud without too much hassle, Vultr integrates a number of user-friendly features such as their click-to-deploy app solution. Despite this, you still retain all the flexibility of the Cloud in many ways, from a choice of Operating System to complete control over your resources.
Vultr Cloud Hosting Pricing
| Features | Low-End | Mid-Tier | High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| Memory | 512 MB | 4 GB | 96 GB |
| Storage | 10 GB | 80 GB | 1.6 TB |
| Bandwidth | 0.5 TB | 3 TB | 15 TB |
| Price | $2.5/mo | $20/mo | $640/mo |
Is Cloud Cheaper? Cloud vs VPS Hosting Cost
VPS offers the same isolated environment and dedicated resources that are found on the Cloud. However, the distinction is that VPS technology is not always Cloud-based and can refer to some on individual servers as well – thus limiting its scalability.
How much does VPS usually cost?
Based on studies we’ve conducted on web hosting prices, VPS Hosting on average start from the lower spectrum at an average of $17.01 at signup. Mid-range prices increase to around $26.96 onwards.
However, this shouldn’t be taken at face value as there can be an immense discrepancy in the amount of resources that one provider may offer over the next. As an example of this, SkySilk VPS plans start from as little as $2 per month. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some VPS plans can well exceed $2,000 a month.
More examples of this price discrepancy can be seen in the following examples.
Example #1: Hostens
Example #2: BlueHost
Example #3: Inmotion Hosting
Beyond Cost – The Challenges in Cloud Adoption
Despite the fact that over 60% of organizations in the US and Canada have committed to moving onto the Cloud, many expect to face significant challenges. With the significant cost of Managed-Cloud, true Cloud usually is the more cost-effective solution for businesses.
However, server migration onto the Cloud requires extremely high levels of technical expertise. Organizations that do not have this expertise in-house are faced with the distasteful option of turning to a vendor – thus negating potential cost savings.
Technical challenges can include:
- Security and Management
- Governance, Control, and Compliance
- Interoperability (especially the migration of legacy systems)
- Performance and service quality
The move also requires organizations to have a forward-looking mindset in order to fully realize the benefits of Cloud technologies. This necessity isn’t necessarily only at the C-Suite level, but organization-wide.
Should You Host Your Sites on Cloud Hosting?
Despite all the information I’ve gathered here this is perhaps the only one I cannot accurately answer for you. To assess the ideal match, you need to know exactly what you need to deploy on the Cloud.
For example, taking into account just a website deployment – there are many different types of websites. Many elements influence the resources you need so you need to match those up to specific Cloud plans.
In concept, it’s less of an issue. If you simply don’t have the technical means to deploy on the Cloud without help, then perhaps you may consider a Managed-Cloud solution. At the end of the day, the matter also boils down to dollars and cents.
