Best Dedicated Hosting Plans [ info ]

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Slow websites don’t rank #1 on Google—Why? Speed is crucial, and no other hosting options offer fast page and content loading like dedicated hosting. We have reviewed the top providers in this category and made things easy to follow. Our top choice for most users is Bluehost. They give you an incredible feature set out of the box, plus customer service and reliability everyone needs to confidently move towards the more robust features and capability of dedicated servers.

The Best Dedicated Hosting Plan For Most

Best For Most

Feature-rich dedicated hosting plans backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. 24/7 dedicated support, free domain, root access, and database management.

Dedicated hosting usually represents a major upgrade for a website. Bluehost is a name well known for giving you maximum value that fits your budget. Their managed servers have a reliable infrastructure and the resources to maximize the potential of your website.

The flexibility to have a managed server or unmanaged dedicated server helps first-timers take advantage of elite server speeds. But Bluehost’s unmanaged plans also allow developers and IT departments to have full control on how to optimize their servers and websites.

The 8 Best Dedicated Hosting Options to Consider:

When it Makes Sense to Invest Into Dedicated Web Hosting

If you are a business owner crushing it, getting more and more traffic and need more tailored attention to your booming website, dedicated servers are for you. If you’re currently on a shared, VPS, or cloud server that can’t accommodate your business needs, it’s time to consider dedicated hosting.

Brand new websites and small business websites almost never need a dedicated server. But sites with 100,000+ visitors per month would be candidates for a dedicated hosting plan.

With that said, the ability to accommodate lots of traffic is just one component of a dedicated server. These plans are also ideal for anyone who wants complete control and customization of their hosting environment. Since the server is yours, you can do whatever you want with it at the server level. From hardware to software and settings, it’s all in your hands.

Large websites that can’t afford downtime should consider dedicated hosting.

Compared to other hosting types, dedicated hosting plans are typically the most expensive. So just make sure you’ve appropriately weighed your options before investing in a dedicated host.

For many websites, a VPS or cloud hosting plan might still be enough to accommodate traffic spikes. But if those options aren’t giving you the server-level control you need, then it’s time for an upgrade to dedicated hosting.

#1 – Bluehost — Best for Most

Best For Most

Feature-rich dedicated hosting plans backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. 24/7 dedicated support, free domain, root access, and database management.

Bluehost is one of the most popular and reputable names in the world of web hosting. If you’re looking for the ultimate in control, security, and performance, a dedicated hosting plan from Bluehost will be a top choice for you to consider.

What makes Bluehost the best for most users is the rich feature set they offer, giving you more options out of the gate than most providers.

Having a booming website means tons of data is being accessed, and that needs to be protected at all costs. Bluehost gives you high-quality storage configuration tools like RAID1 so that your data is mirrored, making it extremely protected. Plus, with cPanel storage upgrades you can control how much you need on the fly.

The advanced features at the base level pricing makes Bluehost also stand out as the choice for top quality and value. You can control the server entirely with an unmanaged plan. You can even include multi-server management for additional hosting services on your existing account, making Bluehost a flexible provider for any online business.

All plans come with access to 24/7 support from Bluehost’s elite dedicated server specialists. These agents have been trained specifically to accommodate dedicated hosting inquiries and issues. giving you the gold standard in customer support you yearn for when dealing with a complex server service.

Some of the top basic and advanced dedicated hosting features that come with all plans include:

* Free domain for first year

* Free SSL certificate

* RAID storage

* Root access

* Fast provisioning (24-72 hours)

* cPanel interface

* Multi-server management

* Access control

* Database management

And the best part, all Bluehost dedicated servers are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. This gives you an opportunity to try them out for free, eliminating all risk. Most business owners will appreciate that freedom.

#2 – InMotion — The Best for Big Sites with Demanding Needs

Best for High-Traffic Sites

All the power and resources you could ask for are at your disposal with dedicated hosting from InMotion. From its already-powerful basic package to custom, bare metal plans, InMotion can handle whatever your site throws at it without breaking a sweat.

You’ve got a diamond of a website on your hands, and it’s getting mighty popular. Maybe it’s a marketplace or social media platform. Maybe you’ve built the next Reddit.

No matter what, you need the best in resources and power from your dedicated hosting. And InMotion is the provider to give it to you.

This provider doesn’t mess around with its dedicated server options. InMotion’s “entry-level” Essential plan gives you 16 GB of memory, 15 TB of data transfer, a 1 TB primary solid-state drive, five dedicated IP addresses, and four CPU cores with eight threads.

As you can imagine, it scales up quite a bit from there. The top-of-the-line offering is InMotion’s CC-2000 plan, which offers 16 times the RAM as the Essential package and octuples the number of cores and threads offered in the same.

You can even belly up to the customizable Bare Metal package, which can go as high as 1 TB of memory with up to 50 TB of primary disk space, up to 25 TB of monthly transfers, 3.2 GHz clock speeds, 15 IP addresses, and more.

This is the big leagues of hosting without just outright owning your own server farm. InMotion can accommodate the most demanding of websites in terms of traffic, content, and speed.

Of course, the pricing is similarly big league, but perhaps not nearly as costly as you’d expect.

The Essential plan, for example, has a base-level monthly price of between $169.99/month to $189.99/month depending on the length of your commitment. You can choose from month-to-month, three-month, six-month, or one-year introductory terms.

However, InMotion offers solid rates to start out with. That same Essential plan is currently discounted to $139.99/month when you commit to a full year. InMotion’s even running a sweet deal for just a three-month term, where you get that Essential package for just $77.50/month.

That’s cheaper than Bluehost’s base package with three to four times the resources you get there. Just beware that after the introductory rate, you’re likely looking at the base price when renewing.

Take your time and peruse InMotion’s many pricing options—you can find a heck of a deal in some packages, but do the math to make sure the long-term cost is palatable.

After all, you’re looking for a stable hosting provider for your next-big-thing website—you don’t want to be back on the hunt for a host after a few months or even a year.

But, the performance and resources you get in InMotion’s dedicated hosting plans are top-of-the-line. The value of having a stable, capable host like that is immense, especially since you can focus on continued growth with your site running smoothly.

Take a look at InMotion and grab one of their plans’ new customer discounts today.

#3 – HostGator — The Best for Getting Issues Solved Over the Phone

Best 24/7 Phone Support

24/7/365 server monitoring and tech support. HostGator offers full root access, managed plans, and semi-managed hosting plans for all dedicated servers.

We have all had a service that we just did not get the right support from. You pay your monthly bill like clockwork, but when you need them they just don’t deliver. It’s frustrating.

When you have a dedicated web host that can’t help you solve problems, it’s costly in more ways than one.

HostGator, however, doesn’t leave you in the dark when you need them. They offer the best phone support around and give you the peace of mind you need when things get complicated. Their phone support is second-to-none. And, on top of that, you also get a tutorial and knowledge library that walks you through the toughest of technical issues you can experience.

Great service not only helps you solve difficult problems but also empowers you to troubleshoot things on your own as well. Over 500 video tutorials and 700 helpful articles accompany your plan to help you along the way. Making them the most robust customer support provider on this list.

The golden rule of support is that you have a provider that builds great relationships with customers. You’ll benefit from 24/7/365 server monitoring and tech support over the phone and via live chat.

All of the dedicated hosting plans come with unlimited databases, DDoS protection, a fully redundant network, full root access, and RAID-1 configuration.

Choose between a semi-managed or managed solution, depending on how hands-on you want to be at the server level with customization. Considering how great HostGator’s support is, I’d personally lean towards the managed plans with this provider.

Test out their exemplary customer service yourself by getting in touch with HostGator today.

#4 – DreamHost — The Best Uptime Guarantee

Best Uptime Guarantee

Managed plans with 24/7 server monitoring and 100% uptime guarantee backed by a generous SLA. Dedicated plans come with root access, DDoS protection, RAID 1 storage, and a custom control panel.

DreamHost knows how to keep you doing business—they offer an ironclad service level agreement (SLA) for your uptime that is one of the most generous in the category, to boot.

If you are not clear on uptime, you can find yourself paying for a cheap plan thinking you’re getting the deal of the century, when instead you are deflating the visibility of your website and revenue like a tire with a slow leak.

Uptime ensures that your website data and services will be available to customers the vast majority of the time. No unplanned site outages or downtime errors keep revenue and traffic rolling in—keeping those Google rankings climbing to the top.

Switching gears for a moment, let’s be clear. No provider delivers 100% uptime, but DreamHost’s guarantee means they’re so confident in their uptime that you’ll likely get 99.99% or better. And they’re motivated, too, because they compensate one full day of service for each hour of service interruption.

That guarantee implies DreamHost is willing to bet heavily on its servers reliability. This is made possible because of the efficient and connected data centers they provide around the world. Plus, with data redundancy, emergency generators, and constant monitoring, you don’t have to concern yourself with losing valuable face time with visitors and customers.

That’s not to even mention that you’ll get a fully managed dedicated server at an affordable price, plus their expert 24/7 tech support and server monitoring.

Top features and benefits of DreamHost dedicated servers include:

* DDoS protection

* 100% network uptime guarantee

* Ruby Version Manager (RVM)

* RAID 1 storage

* Uncapped bandwidth

* Local MySQL server

* Ubuntu Linux

* Reseller and sub account features

The Standard servers start at $149 per month. This is great for those of you who are just getting started with dedicated hosting. For advanced needs, the DreamHost Enhanced servers start at $279 per month.

Get started with DreamHost today to take advantage of their best-in-class uptime guarantee.

#5 – Liquid Web — The Most Customizable Managed Hosting

Most Customizable Managed Hosting

Get a custom dedicated web hosting solution tailored for your specific business needs with real-time monitoring. Introductory plans start at $169/month.

When you are stepping to the plate to manage your own server, Liquid Web grooves you the fastball right down the middle that you need to knock it out of the park.

They do this by approaching fully managed hosting as a partnership and offering resources to allow you to customize your server how you see fit.

You don’t just get managed servers. As they put it, you also get “managed services”, which sets the bar higher than most providers put it. Work with the team that gives you the attention you deserve when using a dedicated server.

They handle all the server administration—hardware, operating system, and network management, along with security patches and updates. The support team takes your business and molds it to how you want things to work. They manage the server and you manage them, giving you a truly one of a kind dedicated hosting experience.

And, with white-glove migration services, you can move from the mediocre hosting service you currently have to a robust, airtight service that guarantees performance and reliability.

Plus, you get a ton of powerful and customizable features, including:

* Standard DDoS protection

* Worldwide Cloudflare CDN

* A pre-installed secondary backup drive

* ServerSecure advanced security

* Interworx, Plesk, or cPanel

* Full control with root-level access

* Business-grade solid-state storage

Liquid Web also makes it very easy for you to know exactly what you’re getting. The website is easy to read and clearly states all the features and services provided to you.

And, the SLA they provide adds another level of security to your buying decision. They help hold themselves accountable which is an excellent characteristic for a dedicated hosting provider to demonstrate.

Standard dedicated hosting solutions start at $169 per month. This plan is suitable for high-traffic websites, small apps, resellers, and businesses with multiple websites.

With that said, they offer a wide range of dedicated solutions. And you can even get help choosing the right plan for you.

Alternatively, you can choose to have Liquid Web partner with your IT team to create a hosting solution custom-fit to match the needs of your specific business.

If you’re in the market for maximum control over your managed dedicated servers, get in touch with Liquid Web today.

#6 – A2 Hosting — The Best Server Speed Guarantee

Best Server Speed

Choose an unmanaged or managed dedicated hosting plan. These servers are fast, reliable, and developer-friendly.

A2 Hosting is the standard in fast, efficient hosting. For years they have been racking up awards and testimonials for incredible performance.

When you have a fast server, it makes all the difference in ranking on Google, getting the sale because a customer could buy your product on a quick lunch break, or even keeping an impatient millennial from bouncing to a competitor’s site because yours is too slow.

But A2 not only boasts fast servers, they also compliment it with a sturdy infrastructure that is guaranteed to keep your website up and running.

Another reason why A2 Hosting is a top pick for dedicated hosting is its flexibility. No matter what type of dedicated plan you’re looking for, A2 has an option for you. You can manage your own server or have them do it for you.

And, let’s be clear, not every provider offers unmanaged services. Some providers don’t want you fooling around with their servers, but if you have the skillset or IT team in place, A2 opens its doors to let you optimize your own server.

You’ll have the option to choose from a managed or unmanaged dedicated hosting plan among its core offerings:

* Unmanaged Server — Starts at $99.59 per month

* Discount SSD Server — Starts at $129.30 per month

* Managed Flex Server — Starts at $141.09 per month

* Core Flex Server — Starts at $141.09 per month

You can even add custom applications or script installs without any restrictions.

The unmanaged plans are developer-friendly, so they come with root access and the ability to choose your Linux OS.

But if you just want high performance while staying hands-off, you can go with a managed plan. A2 will migrate your site to a dedicated server for free, and you’ll have access to reliable Guru support 24/7/365.

An important factor we want to make clear before wrapping up is the added speed you want must be used with an add-on that you must purchase. The Turbo Boost add-on is not standard-issue, and can only be included for an additional price between $42-$85 per month extra.

All dedicated servers from A2 Hosting are backed by an “anytime money-back guarantee.” This promise comes with some stipulations, but you can try a dedicated plan risk-free.

#7 – GoDaddy — The Best No-Restriction Server Control

Best for Server Control

GoDaddy offers three different management levels to accommodate a wide range of hosting needs. Self-managed plans come with full root access and no resource restrictions.

GoDaddy is perfect for you or your team when you want complete control over the server with nothing standing in your way. They allow you to optimize the server for speed, security and intensive web applications.

You can also manage server clusters and big data along with all of your backup and storage needs based on how you want. Complete root access allows you to customize every part of your dedicated server. This is a massive feature because some providers restrict the customizations you can make to the server.

Choose between SSD or HDD Raid1 upto 8 TB, and you can also decide the operating system that works best for you. You have the choice of CentOS, Ubuntu or Windows.

And you also get the freedom to use either cPanel, WHM or Plesk for your control panel. So, there is an option you or your team will be completely familiar with.

GoDaddy offers two different management levels, depending on your technical needs—self-managed and fully managed.

With the fully-managed option, you’ll benefit from site and database migrations, premier-level support, three dedicated IPs, automated app installs and updates, control panel, patching, backups, and proactive monitoring.

Each plan comes with clear definitions on the features you get which allows you to decide which plan works best for you and also helps you decide all the space and speed requirements your server will need. When you know exactly what you’re getting you don’t have any concerns later about scaling up or down.

And important mention is the unmanaged plans don’t come with nearly as many features and services, but you’ll have complete control over your server settings. So make sure you know what you’re doing before jumping into an unmanaged plan.

Flex your full control by getting started with GoDaddy today.

#8 – TMDHosting — The Most Uncompromising Security

Most Uncompromising Security

Get started in 20 minutes with immediate activation. Free site transfers, database transfers, domain registration, and premium support with a fully managed hosting service.

TMDHosting is a leader in offering reliability features and infrastructure stability. But what also sets them far apart from the other hosts is their relentless focus on website security.

This enhances your website accessibility, because if you have malware on your site your provider can suspend your website until it’s fixed. This cost one business of a less-capable provider over $300,000 in just a few months.

Larger sites are targets because of higher traffic, so you want a web host that offers daily audits and real human monitoring. TMDHosting does that and also uses web-based firewall software through BitNinja to safely allow your website to work at its best while being safeguarded against any online attacks.

A primary focus on email spam protection is incorporated with the SpamExperts software tool, while daily backups ensure your data is safe.

TMDHosting also promises a 15-minute support response time. No matter what your problem may be, you will get help within 15 minutes guaranteed.

The expert customer support gives your business an extra layer of safety because they are also developers that can dig deep into what problems are affecting the server.

Some providers have agents that learn a script and can’t really troubleshoot how they should.

All of TMDHosting’s dedicated servers are fully managed. You can focus on your website and business without having to worry about the technical management. And with seven data centers around the world, your website will load quickly for all your visitors, no matter where they’re located.

TMDHosting also offers free website transfers, and claim to be able to get you up and running in 20 minutes. Other providers take hours to get your site deployed on a dedicated server.

Here’s a look at the dedicated server plans and price points:

* Starter — Starts at $79.97

* Original — Starts at $99.97

* Smart — Starts at $124.97

* Super Powerful — Starts at $149.97

Between the immediate activation with zero downtime, free domain registration, free installations, and 24/7/365 fully managed support, TMDHosting certainly deserves to be on our list.

All plans are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee. For a limited time, get 50% off your first month with a TMDHosting dedicated server.

Methodology For Choosing The Best Dedicated Hosting Plan

With so many dedicated servers to choose from, finding the best hosting plan for your needs can be tough. To ease the buying process, we’ve narrowed down the top features that should be taken into consideration as you’re shopping around.

This is the methodology that you should be using to find the best dedicated hosting plan according to your unique situation.

Do You Understand What You’re Getting?

Once you are running a website and it starts grabbing attention, it can explode quickly. That means traffic spikes, leading to more, higher-quality content creation to keep Google happy and more ideas for adding value to your site. Your work is never done.

What that means for you, however, is your rinky-dink shared hosting plan you started with won’t cut it for the major league site you’re now the owner of.

Stepping into the arena of dedicated hosting plans generates new concepts about what managing a site looks like. This includes new terms and things you must understand in order to make the best decision for your site and its hosting.

A few important questions you must ask yourself are:

* What do I need to know in order to make this site secure?

* What do I need for my site to run smoothly with the demand being put on the server?

* Do I have the best understanding of what I actually need compared to what I’m getting?

For example, do you need 15 GB or 32 GB of RAM? That memory gives your website applications a place to store the data they’re using, so it can be easily retrieved. If your site will be using alot of plugins or integrations, more RAM will be important. There is a direct correlation between RAM and the speed and performance of your system.

How much you need is also affected by how many people are likely using your site at the same time and how often updates need to be pushed. In the same vein, your dedicated server’s hard drive capacity is another factor. Less so, but still something to consider, is the number of CPUs or CPU cores on the server.

Many people get a dedicated host but are still disappointed with the speed in which the site loads or how it lags when visitors interact with it. If there is not enough RAM, hard drive space, or CPU power on the server to handle demand, your site suffers.

You can look for a dedicated hosting provider that gives you a little more than you need at the right price or one that fits your needs now and can scale with you in the future.

Do You or Your Team Have the Technical Knowledge?

Understanding how dedicated hosting works is normally for the IT departments and server gurus that eat sleep and breath server-side code. But intuitive dashboards and easy software integration have made it easier to manage things on your own.

There is still a lot that goes into it. And if you want to give it a go on your own, you should know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. There are a myriad of intricate management details involved in keeping your server healthy and you must decide how hands on you want to be—it can be a full-time job.

For example, PHP code management and regular plugin updates are important for security and website functionality. Backups for data must be done daily or weekly, depending on your needs and preferences.

Plus, there’s the need to reallocate resources when dealing with traffic spikes to make sure visitors are not experiencing any lag or slow load times.

These all take time to learn and understand. So, if you want dedicated hosting and you don’t want to get involved in all this upkeep (or hire a crew of IT ringers to do it), we recommend a managed plan.

Sure it can cost more, but going with the cheaper unmanaged plan will cost you more in time and, possibly, losing your sanity. Paying the price for managed hosting will give you so much more freedom to focus on other parts of your business.

But, in that case, be 100% sure that the plan you are choosing is fully managed. Some providers can be vague on the wording used when buying a dedicated plan. So double-check for included features like a dedicated IT team provided by your host or key phrases like “full-service dedicated hosting”.

Also, we want you to remember something: You might not even need a dedicated web host.

Paying for a dedicated host when VPS or cloud hosting will do just fine is something you want to avoid. When you consider this factor and the previous one on gauging the right level of resources you need, be honest about whether you need the full monty in dedicated hosting or if you can find the right capabilities on virtual private servers.

In the end, dedicated servers offer massive benefits in their speed and security. But only if you can properly wield them—remember you can actually hurt your business by not being proficient in this area of server management.

Gold-Standard Support

When you reach the level of this kind of web hosting there can be big problems that arise. Even if you’re capable of handling the routine management of your server, there will be times you need to lean on your provider’s customer support.

The reliability of your support team must be flawless. You can’t afford to pinch pennies or settle for less in this aspect.

Imagine having your website hacked and the support team can’t figure out how or where it came from. On top of that, they suspend your server activity—leaving your website dark—while they figure it out.

But the thing is, they can’t.

So, for a month, your site is out of commission. No backup website, no revenue, no ability to get your data to inform visitors of a new link to follow.

The worst part? In the end, the support team shrugged their shoulders, apologized, and said, “find a new provider.”

You can imagine the frustration.

Think that over for a second. Do you think that business owner deserved that? We know what you’re thinking and agree—of course not.

Customer support can often be included in your dedicated hosting plan. But, at this level, you most often pay for premium support for your specific server. The support team monitors the server like a hawk and knows everything there is to know about the resources being used, each visitor, and security threats attempted.

Support like this will cost you. And it should. It’s better than dealing with a provider with limited support hours or one that only has support through chatbot.

Your provider’s support team should be available 24/7/365. They should have multiple ways to be contacted (phone, email, chatbot etc) and, most importantly, have a sterling track record of good communication between provider and customer.

This should be considered even if you have your own dedicated IT department managing your server.

If you’re not going the self-managed route, the other thing you want to avoid are providers without phone support entirely.

This is a disaster waiting to happen. You’re naturally going to lean harder on support with fully managed providers. So, you don’t want to deal with disconnected tickets and email chains with no real accountability.

Oftentimes, emails can be ignored. Have you heard the horror stories about email chains being hundreds of emails long before a resolution is reached? Plus, emails and chat bot conversations can be deleted in error, leaving you stuck with a server problem and no one actively helping.

That’s the other useful thing about paying for premium support—you have a paper trail for guaranteed accountability that you can hold a provider to.

A great internet marketing guru once stated “real support costs real money” and we could not agree more. As a beginner, you may be wary of paying for support. But, in the major leagues of web hosting, it’s almost always the better option.

Uptime That You Can Count On

Your site must be accessible as often as possible. No website means no rankings, no revenue, and no authority building. Uptime is the guarantee that your site won’t experience many outages and be available to its visitors.

Some dedicated servers are better than others, it’s that plain and simple. If you read through the hosting plans like we did, you will see practically every one promises a 99% uptime guarantee or better.

You’ll see many providers keep adding nines after the decimal point, promising 99.9% or 99.99% uptime. Can this be true?

The answer is yes, but all servers need maintenance and it’s the protocols good providers have in place that keep your site available, even when the server is out of commision for security, updates, and functionality checks.

You can select a provider that has data center redundancy. That means that if a problem arises, they restart the server or application from a second data center and this server holds a real-time copy of your site. So, when maintenance needs to be done, you feel no effects.

Other providers follow protocols that put up copied cloned sites on a temporary server so people visiting don’t get the live site but a clone. This is similar to data redundancy without needing to transfer data to another entirely different data center.

One last protocol can be to do maintenance at odd hours when traffic is low, especially if you don’t have international visitors or sell digital goods. This is most common in the hosting world and can work fine for most websites.

Beware some providers that don’t count downtime in some instances, even if your site is not operational. They may only count against their guarantee when their servers are operational and your individual server breaks. This is absurd, but it happens.

There’s also a difference between a “100% uptime guarantee” and 100% uptime. No provider can truly provide 100% uptime for the reasons we mentioned above, like routine maintenance and updates.

The key here is how the provider compensates you for any downtime.

A great provider will have a service level agreement (SLA) that states the compensation you will receive if they don’t meet the required uptime guarantee. Some providers will have an agreed upon credited amount that is given to you if said guarantee falls short.

DreamHost is one of the most generous, crediting you a full day of service for each hour of unplanned downtime.

Some providers can go as far as allowing you to terminate the contract.

With so many businesses reliant on the continuous availability of service, SLAs are becoming more and more popular and more robust to provide more security and peace of mind to you for doing business with them.

When deciding on your dedicated hosting plan, question them on uptime, what protocols they use to meet their guarantee, and if they offer an SLA. Read reviews and see if other customers praise the consistency of website accessibility; doing this could help you avoid common pitfalls others business owners face when taking the leap to dedicated hosting.

Best For Most

Feature-rich dedicated hosting plans backed by a 30 day money back guarantee. 24/7 dedicated support, free domain, root access, and database management.

Summary

What’s the best dedicated hosting plan?

With thousands of options to choose from, naming just one as the best isn’t very realistic. But the eight options reviewed in this guide will accommodate the needs of every website or business type in search of a dedicated server.

Just follow our recommended use cases and methodology to find the best dedicated hosting plan for your specific circumstances.