Most people host their first website on a shared hosting solution. That works for a while, but as their business grows, they’ll need more control, resources, and privacy. They might use VPS hosting for some time, but eventually, they might need an entire server dedicated to their needs. A Windows dedicated server solution offers a complete server to a single user. The user can enjoy all the resources available on the server without sharing them with anyone.
They typically come in two operating systems: Linux and Windows. Linux dedicated servers are cheap in terms of cost, but they don’t work well with specific applications. Windows dedicated servers can be expensive, but they are necessary for businesses, developers, and others who want to run popular Windows-based applications on their servers.
If you’re considering a Windows dedicated server, your next step should be deciding on the hosting provider. Our seasoned web hosting experts conducted an independent, in-depth study to find the best Windows dedicated server hosting providers. More about our ranking factors at the end of the article. For now, let’s delve into what to look for when choosing a hosting service like this.
What to Look for When Choosing a Windows Dedicated Server Provider
- Reliability: You should be looking for a web host that promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Security: Ensure that your host providers offer industry-standard security features.
- Customer support: Confirm that you can reach customer support and get solutions through the available channels
- Cost-effectiveness: Don’t be swayed by cheap plans. Each plan must contain all the features you need.
- User-friendliness: Choose a dedicated hosting provider that is user-friendly.
The Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Services of 2023 (Bought and Tested):
- Overall Score – 4.9
- Features – 4.8
- Support – 4.9
- User Friendly – 4.9
- Pricing – 4.8
- Reliability – 5
Overall Score – 4.9: Kamatera is our top recommendation for anyone looking for an affordable and dependable Windows dedicated server hosting solution.
Features – 4.8: Kamatera offers excellent features such as unmetered bandwidth, CDN, proactive firewall management, load balancing server, and automatic SSL certificates.
Support – 4.9: Customer support is available 24/7, so you can reach them round the clock to help you with any issues you may have. One of the best things about this level of support is that its technical teams actively monitor the environment for problems.
User Friendly – 4.9: Kamatera offers an intuitive and easy-to-use dashboard. Both beginners and advanced users will find the interface clutter-free and straightforward. There are also advanced settings to provide flexibility for developers.
Pricing – 4.8: Kamatera’s highly flexible Windows dedicated server services start from $0.005/hour ($4/Month). The basic plan comes with one vCPU (2667MHz), 1024 MB RAM (Memory), 20 GB SSD Storage, Internet Traffic at 5000 GB/month connected at 10 Gbit/s, 1 Public IP, and daily backups.
Reliability – 5: It combines advanced infrastructure with cutting-edge networking equipment to ensure fast, reliable performance. They offer an impressive 99.95% uptime guarantee. According to user reviews, users can go a whole year without experiencing downtime.
Additional parameter: Flexibility: Developers love Kamatera due to its flexibility. All servers offer scalability services so developers can upgrade their resources. You can upgrade hardware resources like storage space, RAM, and CPU. The provider also provides a long list of features to build apps and host websites.
Kamatera is famous for its great developer features, scalable resources, and impressive customer support.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Simple to use cPanel
- 99.95% uptime guarantee
- Multiple data centers
- 30-day free trial
- SSD Storage
Cons
- The free trial requires your payment info
- Focuses on enterprise-level customers
- Overall Score – 4.3
- Features – 4.1
- Support – 4.4
- User Friendly – 4.6
- Pricing – 4.1
- Reliability – 4.7
Overall Score – 4.3: UltaHost provides enough features and performance to rival some of the biggest names in the web host industry. Here is a rundown of what makes them one of the best Windows dedicated server hosting providers.
Features – 4.1: UltaHost offers 7 data center locations, SSD-only servers, anti-malware protection, and many free features. These features include free daily backups, free SSL certification, free domain transfer, 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee on each plan. Other great features include the RocketBooster high-performance php7 hosting environment and Cloudflare CDN Caching.
Support – 4.4: UltaHost offers a great customer support system. You can reach the support team via live chat, email, phone, and ticketing system. You can also get assistance from its knowledge base and FAQs.
User Friendly – 4.6: UltaHost uses a user-friendly and straightforward panel interface. With it, you can manage your servers, maintain your websites and perform other server-related tasks. The panel provides relevant information on your domains, IP addresses, and further details.
Pricing – 4.1: UltaHost offers managed dedicated server solutions. The cheapest plan costs $129.90/month and offers 2x 960 GB SSD, 64 GB RAM, and 1 IPv4 IP address. All plans come with BitNinja Security, SSH and SFTP Access, Unlimited Bandwidth, and 24/7 Real-time Monitoring.
Reliability – 4.7: UltaHost promises a 100% uptime guarantee on its dedicated server hosting plans. This guarantee is no surprise as the provider uses Tier-3 and Tier-4 data centers to provide you with their web hosting solutions. Their data centers have the latest SSD technology and redundant RAID 10 configuration.
Additional Parameter: Security and Backups: UltaHost takes server security very seriously. It provides in-house server monitoring to prevent any issue from appearing under its Complete Server Management plan. It offers other security solutions like its Web Application Firewall (WAF), malware scans and reports, and free daily backups. Users can quickly restore these backups using the 1-click Restore Manager. If that fails or you run into an issue, the support team will help you restore your data at no extra cost.
UltaHost enjoys popularity and patronage due to its ultra-modern state-of-the-art data centers, network hardware, and technology.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Free SSL certification for life
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Transparent pricing
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- State-of-the-art infrastructure
Cons
- Customer support is not round the clock
- Steep learning curve
- Overall Score – 4.4
- Features – 4.4
- Support – 4.3
- User Friendly – 4.4
- Pricing – 4.5
- Reliability – 4.4
Overall Score – 4.4: InterServer is one of the world’s best windows dedicated hosting server solutions. With their 99.99% uptime guarantee, unlimited resources, and a simple but functional cPanel, it is hard to recommend a better alternative.
Features – 4.4: InterSever offers limitless bandwidths, emails, storage space, databases, and blogs. All hosting plans also come with Cloudflare CDN and a Plesk management panel.
Support – 4.3: The customer service team from InterSever offers fast expert support. However, they are not always available, and some of their responses didn’t seem too accurate during our tests. Overall, the support is good, but it might take a while for you to resolve any issues you encounter on your windows-based dedicated server.
User Friendly – 4.4: The cPanel interface doesn’t come with whistles and bells, but it provides enough functionality to allow users to manage and upgrade their servers. However, developers might find the control options somewhat limited.
Pricing – 4.5: Pricing starts at $67.00/mo and goes up to $500.00/mo. The basic plan includes 6 Cores Single CPU, 64GB Memory, 150TB Transfer, IPMI Console, and DDoS Protection. You can save money by going for plans lasting a year or more.
Reliability – 4.4: InterSever offers a top-tier 99.99% uptime guarantee, impressive website loading speed, and an above-average server speed.
Additional parameter – Security: Security is a significant issue when running dedicated servers. InterServer comes top of the line with its weekly backup on remote servers, DDoS attack protection, and its native security suite, InterShield. InterShield comes equipped with an antivirus scanner, web attack blocking, a machine-learning firewall, and an in-house malware database. Another security study is the Inter-Insurance package. This package promises to investigate and restore hacked or infected websites for free.
Interserver is famous for its suite of security features, enterprise-grade performance and reliability, and robust dedicated server hosting features.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Comprehensive security solutions
- Free weekly backups on remote servers
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Affordable hosting plans
- Enterprise-grade infrastructure
Cons
- Manual backups
- Cluttered cPanel
- Overall Score – 4.4
- Features – 4.5
- Support – 4.3
- User Friendly – 4
- Pricing – 4.5
- Reliability – 4.8
Overall Score – 4.4: IONOS employs cutting-edge hardware and networking technology to provide one of the best Windows dedicated hosting server solutions on the market. With more than 20 data center locations worldwide, you will be hard-pressed to find a comparative performance.
Features – 4.5: There are many fantastic hosting features, most of which are free. These include free email addresses, free domain for the first year, free SSL certification, and daily automated backups. IONOS offers a simple and fully functional interface and multiple data locations worldwide.
Support – 4.3: IONOS takes customer service to a whole new level by assigning customer service agents to customers. You can reach your designated support agent via live chat.
User Friendly – 4: IONOS offers a straightforward cPanel with one-click installation processes. Although the control panel appeals to those experienced with server management, even beginners can find their way around and get things done efficiently. They can reach out to their designated support agent if they encounter problems.
Pricing – 4.5: IONOS offers low prices, but the prices can rise when you want to renew your plans. The basic plan comes with 6 cores/12 threads x 3.6 GHz (AMD Ryzen™ 5 PRO 3600), 32 GB RAM (DDR4 ECC) 1,000 GB HDD (2 x 1,000 GB SATA) and costs $0.0903 /hour or maximum of $65/month
Reliability – 4.8: With their state-of-the-art web hosting infrastructure, it is not supposed that IONOS offers exceptional performance. It provides a superb 99.98% uptime guarantee with data center locations across the United States and Europe. The provider also mirrors your data between two data centers, so your server remains operational during routine maintenance.
Additional parameter: web hosting infrastructure: IONOS invests heavily in hardware and communication technology to produce the best server performance for its users. Its windows dedicated server solution runs on cutting-edge infrastructure along with Content Delivery Network (CDN) and the IONOS WebSpaceExplorer interface.
IONOS is better known for its top-of-the-line performance, security, and dedicated customer experience.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- 99.98% uptime guarantee
- Competitive Pricing
- Free domain name, SSL certification, and email address
- Dedicated customer support agents
- Easy to use and fully functional cPanel
Cons
- No free website migrations
- Higher renewal prices
KnownHost sets itself apart by providing three unique dedicated server plans: configurable, budget, and Ryzen dedicated servers. Each type caters to varying needs: configurable plans allow for customization to meet specific requirements, budget plans offer decent performance at a reduced cost, while Ryzen servers grant superior performance for data-heavy tasks. All in all, KnownHost ensures there’s a suitable solution for every user, regardless of their budget or needs.
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.8
- Features: 4.9
- Performance: 4.9
- Support: 5.0
- User Friendly: 4.9
Pricing: KnownHost’s budget dedicated servers start at $49/month. You can choose between a one-month, three-month, 6-month, and 12-month billing period. The entry-level dedicated server hosting plan includes an 8-core CPU with 16 threads, 32GB of DDR3 RAM, 240GB SSD or HDD storage, and 10TB of bandwidth.
Features: Intel or Ryzen processors, managed and unmanaged services, /29 block for all servers, IPMI access, RAID, various OS options, backend dedicated panel, 1Gbps full duplex, white label, remote reboots, hardware diagnostics & replacement, automated OS reloads, and more.
Performance: With KnownHost, you can get a dedicated server with up to 64GB of RAM and 24 CPU cores. All its dedicated servers come with a 99.99+ uptime guarantee, super-fast loading speeds, and excellent performance.
Support: If you get a fully managed dedicated server hosting plan, you’ll receive 24/7 customer support via live chat. Live chat support is also available on unmanaged plans but managed plans also come with tech and maintenance support.
User Friendly: Dedicated servers are all about full control and customizability. So, you need to know what you’re doing to manage them. However, to make things easier, KnownHost helps you with installing and setting up your custom configurations.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- KnownHost offers both managed and unmanaged dedicated servers.
- You can choose from regular, budget, and high-performance Ryzen dedicated servers.
- Excellent performance coupled with a 99.99+ uptime guarantee on all plans.
Cons:
- There’s no website builder (but you can easily use one from a third party).
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Services: Final recommendations
The best provider for you depends on a combination of factors. The five key factors are customer support, pricing, features, reliability, and user-friendliness. However, these factors mean different things to different people. If you are on a huge budget, you will focus more on features and reliability than pricing. If you are a beginner, user-friendliness and customer support should be your top priority.
When it comes to ticking all the right boxes, Kamatera is your best bet. You get reliable hosting performance with features you need to run a fully operational Windows dedicated server. They also provide solid customer support. Check the provider that aligns with your needs.
Types of Windows Dedicated Server Hosting and Which Is the Right One for You
There are three types of Windows dedicated server hosting: managed, unmanaged, and semi-managed Windows dedicated server hosting.
Managed hosting solutions remove the stress of monitoring and managing your servers. The provider does all of that for you. In exchange, you pay a higher fee than you would if you ran an unmanaged hosting solution.
Unmanaged hosting solutions require you to manage your servers or hire a professional. If you have technical experience and time, a self-managed dedicated server can be perfect for you.
Semi-managed dedicated hosting solutions mean the provider will handle hardware, OS, and other basic configurations. You have to carry out the rest of the tasks on your own. It is a fair compromise for those who want to save costs but still require maintenance and management help.
Here are two main reasons why many businesses and individuals opt for unmanaged and semi-managed dedicated servers:
- Cheaper cost: depending on the provider, unmanaged and semi-managed dedicated server solutions are far more affordable than the managed alternatives.
- More control: Since you (or your team) manage the server, you can tweak the server to your specific needs. Some people and organizations go for unmanaged servers not to save money but to have their servers running strictly according to their specifications and security parameters.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Plan
If upgrading to a Windows dedicated server for the first time, you need to know what you should be getting from your service provider. Here are some crucial areas to consider when choosing a hosting plan:
- Server Uptime Guarantee: No server will be up every day of the year as providers have to perform maintenance once or twice a year. Natural events can also cause servers to go down. However, many web hosts offer a 99.9% server uptime guarantee. So if you keep experiencing downtimes outside the scheduled maintenance period, you are entitled to some part of your monthly fee. However, if downtime severely affects your business, it is time to move to a new provider.
- Managed vs. Unmanaged Windows Dedicated Hosting: Windows dedicated servers come in two main types: unmanaged and managed. An unmanaged server will save you money in the short term but cost more if you have to hire a professional to handle it for you. A managed server costs more, but it relieves the stress of handling and maintaining it yourself. There is a third option: semi-managed dedicated hosting. With this option, the provider will handle hardware and other basic configurations. Software monitoring and upgrades are yours to do.
- HDD and SSD: Hard disk drives (HDD) are cheap storage options for computers and servers. However, they are slower and require more energy. A solid-state drive (SSD) costs more but delivers faster performance and energy efficiency. As a result, SSDs have become the gold standard, despite their generally high cost. If you are looking for a large storage option at a low price and don’t mind the slower speed, then you can go with HDD.
How Do We Rank, and How Should You Choose Your Windows Dedicated Hosting Provider?
We rank Windows dedicated hosting packages based on several critical factors. Our in-house hosting experts perform independent, rigorous tests on each provider’s plans based on these vital elements. We then rank the provider’s performance based on industry standards and compared to other providers. We also review comments and feedback from past and current customers to get a holistic picture of how well the provider has performed over time.
Here are the key factors we look out for when ranking for the Windows dedicated web hosting category:
How Did We Choose The Top 5 Windows Dedicated Hosting?
- Server Performance30%
- Security Features10%
- Customization Options13%
- Customer Support10%
- Pricing7%
- User Reviews30%
- Server Performance (30%): The critical elements under this factor are processor speed, RAM, bandwidth and storage space specifications, uptime guarantees, and data center setup.
- Security Features (10%): We prioritize safety when reviewing unmanaged Whipsnade dedicated hosting solutions. Typically, we focus on providers that offer industry-standard security solutions. We also award extra points to providers that provide in-house state-of-the-art security tools and assurances.
- Customization Options (13%): Most people and organizations choose dedicated server hosting because they want complete control. We focus on dedicated server providers that offer unlimited access, flexibility, and scalability.
- Customer Support (10%): Regardless of whether you are a developer or newbie, you need all the help you can get in running a dedicated server. Your hosting provider should provide round-the-clock support through several channels like email, phone, live chat, and ticketing support.
- Pricing (7%): Dedicated servers are not cheap, so you have every right to expect total value for your money. We examine entry prices, renewal rates, the cost of add-on features, and other benefits of getting the best deals on the market. We also love it when providers offer money-back guarantees.
- User Reviews(30%): The best web hosts have consistently delivered great experiences over a long period. We believe user reviews are the best way to gauge how well a provider performs over time.
In summary, here are key features to look out for:
- Complete access and control
- Ample processor speed and performance
- Industry-standard security features
- Generators and scalable bandwidth, RAM, and storage spaces
- Ease of use and excellent customer support
- Uptime guarantee and scalability
- Pricing and money-back guarantees
What Is the Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, and Who Is It For?
Dedicated hosting plans are the crème de la crème of web hosting. They dedicate an entire server to the needs of a single client. It is the only hosting plan where you don’t have to share server resources such as CPU output, bandwidth, and RAM with other users. You also get to configure the server to your exact specifications. You won’t get this feature with shared, VPS, or cloud hosting plans. It is the top web hosting tier but also the most expensive.
Its high price tag makes it exclusively for large organizations and websites that attract hundreds of thousands of web visitors. It is also the ideal plan for businesses and individuals who want complete control and flexibility. Websites that require strict security, large-scale resources, and unique specifications should go for a dedicated server.
Although website needs are the primary consideration, budget is another major consideration. It is not uncommon for dedicated plans to run into thousands of dollars per month.
However, there are clear signs that you need to move your website or web-based application to a dedicated server. These signs include:
- Performance lag during times of high-volume traffic
- Multiple security threats
- Need for dedicated IP addresses
- Demand for better control, flexibility, and scalability