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How to Choose a VPS Provider for Self-Hosting

Hetzner, DigitalOcean, Linode, Vultr, OVH — choosing a VPS provider is the first decision in self-hosting. Here's how to decide.

vpshostingprovidersinfrastructure

What to Look For


Price per Performance

The most important metric. How much CPU, RAM, and storage per dollar?


Network

  • Bandwidth limits or unlimited?
  • Network speed (1 Gbps minimum)
  • DDoS protection included?

    • Locations

    Choose a provider with servers near your users.


    Reliability

  • Uptime track record
  • Transparent incident reporting
  • Responsive support

    • Features

  • Snapshots/backups
  • Firewall
  • IPv6 support
  • API for automation

    • Provider Comparison


    Hetzner

  • Best value in Europe
  • CX22 (2 vCPU, 4 GB): €4.50/month
  • Locations: Germany, Finland, US
  • 20 TB bandwidth included
  • Excellent performance per dollar

    • DigitalOcean

  • Developer-friendly
  • 2 vCPU, 4 GB: $24/month
  • Global locations
  • Great documentation
  • Managed databases available

    • Linode (Akamai)

  • Solid mid-range option
  • 2 vCPU, 4 GB: $24/month
  • Global locations
  • Free backups on some plans

    • Vultr

  • Competitive pricing
  • 2 vCPU, 4 GB: $24/month
  • 32 global locations (most of any provider)
  • Bare metal options available

    • OVH

  • Cheapest for high-resource servers
  • Can be overwhelming (enterprise-focused)
  • European locations

    • Our Recommendation


    For self-hosting:

    1. Hetzner: Best value. Hard to beat on price/performance.

    2. DigitalOcean: Best developer experience.

    3. Vultr: Best global coverage.


    Or Use TinyPod


    TinyPod manages the server for you. You get the self-hosting benefits without choosing providers, configuring servers, or managing infrastructure. $5/month, everything included.