Cloud Hosting
Best Cloud Hosting: Scalable Options for Growing Websites
Cloud hosting picks for growing sites and businesses — managed cloud platforms vs raw cloud infrastructure, and how to choose the right level of control.
Cloud hosting spreads your site across scalable infrastructure, so you can add resources as traffic grows. The big decision: managed (someone else runs the servers) or unmanaged (you do).
Our picks at a glance
No paid rankings · prices not shown (they change often)
- 1CloudwaysBest managed cloud for WordPress & PHP
- 2KinstaBest premium managed cloud
- 3DigitalOceanBest developer cloud
- 4Amazon LightsailBest simple AWS option
- 5VultrBest for global reach
- 6Akamai Cloud (Linode)Best straightforward cloud VPS
- 7HostingerBest beginner cloud plans
Managed vs unmanaged cloud
| Managed cloud | Unmanaged cloud | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs the server | Provider | You |
| Skills needed | Low | Linux/DevOps |
| Price | Higher | Lower |
| Examples | Cloudways, Kinsta | DigitalOcean, Vultr |
Our cloud hosting picks
Cloudways
Best managed cloud for WordPress & PHPDetails pending editor verificationManaged cloud hosting on top of providers like DigitalOcean, Vultr, Linode, AWS and Google Cloud.
What we like
- Choose your cloud provider and data center
- Pay-as-you-go billing
- Managed server stack, backups and staging
Watch out for
- No email hosting included
- More technical than shared hosting
Kinsta
Best premium managed cloudDetails pending editor verificationPremium managed WordPress, application and database hosting on Google Cloud.
What we like
- MyKinsta dashboard with staging, backups and APM tools
- Also hosts Node.js/other apps and databases
- Edge caching and CDN included
Watch out for
- Premium pricing compared with shared hosting
- No email hosting — use a separate provider
DigitalOcean
Best developer cloudDetails pending editor verificationDeveloper-friendly cloud: Droplets (VPS), App Platform, managed databases and storage.
What we like
- Simple, predictable VPS pricing with hourly billing
- App Platform deploys apps from Git
- Good documentation and tutorials
Watch out for
- Droplets are unmanaged — you handle security and updates
- Support tiers vary by plan
Amazon Lightsail
Best simple AWS optionDetails pending editor verificationSimplified VPS bundles from AWS — a gentle on-ramp to Amazon's cloud.
What we like
- Bundled VPS with predictable monthly pricing
- One-click WordPress and app blueprints
- Easy path to wider AWS services
Watch out for
- AWS account and console can be confusing
- Unmanaged server responsibilities
Free option: free trial
Check current pricing for Amazon Lightsail (opens in new tab)Official websiteVultr
Best for global reachDetails pending editor verificationCloud compute, bare-metal and GPU servers across many global locations.
What we like
- Wide choice of data center locations
- Hourly billing
- Bare-metal options for heavy workloads
Watch out for
- Unmanaged by default
- Requires Linux administration skills
Akamai Cloud (Linode)
Best straightforward cloud VPSDetails pending editor verificationLinode's VPS and cloud services, now part of Akamai.
What we like
- Straightforward VPS plans
- Backed by Akamai's network
- Managed Kubernetes and databases
Watch out for
- Unmanaged VPS
- Fewer beginner-oriented tools
Free option: check site
Check current pricing for Akamai Cloud (Linode) (opens in new tab)Official websiteHostinger
Best beginner cloud plansDetails pending editor verificationBudget-friendly shared, WordPress, cloud and VPS hosting with its own hPanel dashboard.
What we like
- Beginner-friendly hPanel control panel
- WordPress, Node.js web apps (Business & Cloud plans), VPS and AI website builder under one account
- Domains and email available in the same dashboard
Watch out for
- Lowest prices usually require long prepaid terms — compare renewal pricing
- Advanced server customization is limited on shared plans
Running a Next.js or Node.js app? See best application hosting.
Editors & researchers
Our editorial team researches, tests and fact-checks every guide. Articles are reviewed against our editorial policy before publishing and re-reviewed on a schedule.
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