4.9 
Windows Hosting Providers Feature Overview
| Provider | Starting Price | Storage (GB) | CPU (Cores) | RAM (GB) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | $5.50 | 50-750 | 2-12 | 2-64 | Visit Ultahost |
 | $4.00 | 20-4000 | 1-32 | 1-128 | Visit Kamatera |
 | $2.00 | 80-640 | 2-12 | 2-24 | Visit IONOS |
 | $6.00 | 30-120 | 2-8 | 1-4 | Visit InterServer |
 | $12.00 | 80-320 | 2-8 | 4-16 | Visit Verpex |
What Is Windows Hosting?
Windows hosting is a web hosting solution that uses Microsoft Windows Server as its operating system. It is specifically designed to run websites and applications that are built using Microsoft technologies.
- Supports Microsoft-specific technologies such as ASP.NET, MSSQL, and Access databases.
- Integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft services and products, like Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, and Active Directory.
- User-Friendly Interface—Often comes with Plesk, a user-friendly control panel, to manage your hosting environment efficiently.
- Remote Desktop Access—Allows administrators to manage the server using Remote Desktop, providing a familiar interface for those accustomed to Windows.
- Support for .NET Framework—Essential for applications built on the .NET framework, offering full compatibility and performance optimization.
- Security and Updates—Benefits from Microsoft’s security features and regular updates.
When to Choose and When to Avoid Windows Hosting
| When to Choose | When to Avoid |
| Your applications rely on Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET, MSSQL, or .NET framework. | Your applications are built with open-source technologies like PHP, or MySQL, which are better supported on Linux. |
| Your team is already familiar with the Windows Server environment, reducing the learning curve. | Windows hosting can be more expensive compared to regular VPS hosting or shared hosting. |
| You require robust support for Microsoft Access and SQL Server databases. | You prefer to use a control panel like cPanel, which is more commonly supported on Linux hosting. |
| You want to use Remote Desktop for managing your server with a familiar interface. | You require extensive customization and control at the kernel level, which is more feasible with Linux. |
| You need integration with other Microsoft services such as Exchange, or Active Directory. | Your team has expertise in Linux and open-source environments, making Linux hosting a better fit. |
| You use Hyper-V for virtualization needs. |
If Windows hosting is not relevant to your needs, consider these alternatives:
- Linux Hosting—Ideal for open-source technologies like PHP, MySQL, and Python. Cost-effective and widely supported.
- Wordpress Hosting—Optimized for WordPress sites with features like automatic updates and enhanced security. Perfect for WordPress users.
- Shared Hosting—Budget-friendly option where multiple websites share server resources. Best for small, low-traffic sites.
- VPS Hosting—More control and resources than shared hosting. Suitable for growing sites needing better performance.
- Cloud Hosting—Scalable resources and high reliability by distributing your site across multiple servers. Great for variable traffic.
How to Choose the Best Windows Hosting Providers
- Windows Technology Needs—Ensure compatibility with Microsoft technologies like ASP.NET, MSSQL, and .NET.
- Performance and Uptime—Look for a minimum of 99.9% uptime guarantee and high-performance servers with fast processors and SSD storage.
- Customer Service—Research the host’s customer service reputation and support availability.
- Cost and Value—Compare the cost of packages and the value offered by each plan.
- Site Backups—Verify that automated daily or weekly backups are provided, especially for managed hosting.
- Server Locations—Choose providers offering server locations close to your target audience to enhance speed and load times.
The Best Windows Hosting Services of 2024 (Bought and Tested):
With its unique offer that includes unlimited bandwidth in all Windows Hosting plans, Ultahost has become one of the top picks for many companies and individuals worldwide. Users also get managed servers, 24/7/365 support, free DDoS protection, and much more benefits with this provider.
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- User-Friendly: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.9
- Reliability: 4.9
Ultahost provides excellent flexibility along with unlimited bandwidth with all of its Windows hosting plans and allows users to choose between Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, and Windows 10 for their OS, multiple programming languages, and more!
Research Findings:
Features: Support for multiple Windows versions, vertical scaling that allows you to scale up your server resources in one click, a CDN add-on, free domain transfer, SSH & SFTP access, unlimited bandwidth, unlimited application installation, free migration, HTTP/2 enabled servers, and more.
Support: With Ultahost, you will get 24/7/365 support via live chat, email, & phone, fully-managed services, an extensive knowledge base, a ticketing system, support add-ons, and automated troubleshooting.
User-Friendly: Ultahost is excellent for beginners and offers easy-to-use services and features, like an instant server setup that only takes a minute to complete and an easy-to-use Plesk/Enkompass control panel that its team can install for you for free, Windows Remote Desktop, and more!
Pricing: You can choose from six Windows hosting plans: Basic ($15.90/month), Business ($23.90/month), Professional ($33.90/month), Enterprise ($49.90/month), Premium ($145.90/month), and Ultra ($240.90/month). Ultahost also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee for all its plans.
Reliability: Ultahost offers top-notch performance and stability with a 99.9% uptime guarantee, unlimited bandwidth, advanced cache by Varnis, Redis, and Memcached, enterprise-grade security, and the latest Intel Xeon Gold and Platinum processors.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Excellent performance and reliable uptime
- Full RDP access
- It supports multiple Windows operating systems
Cons:
- You will need to pay a one-time transaction fee when purchasing your plan
- Its servers are mostly located in the USA, with one in Europe
Due to providing managed Windows services at reasonable pricing, the company is gaining traction with corporations, organizations, and even families. You have complete control over setting up, expanding, increasing or decreasing, and adding new components only on Kamatera hosting servers.
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- User-Friendly: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.8
- Reliability: 5.0
Kamatera provides a wide range of Cloud Services to its customers, including cheap windows VPS Hosting, Cloud Servers with Web Hosting Panel, WordPress and Control Panel Server Hosting, Cloud Servers, Cloud Private networks, Cloud Firewall, Managed Cloud Services, and more.
Research Findings:
Features: Kamatera is a platform that provides a range of products, alternatives, and offerings, such as CPU monitoring, data migration and synchronization, permissions, access control, and credential management, scheduled and continuous backup, and management support.
Support: Unmanaged support is free. The second choice is managed support, which means Kamatera’s team will set it up and update the server setup for you. It costs an additional $50 per month and includes all of the standard features of managed hosting.
User-Friendly: The Kamatera panel makes it simple to manage your server. Its simple, basic design speaks to everyone. When preparing this Kamatera review, the user management options jumped out. You may add additional sub-users to your hands and give them different roles. It’s ideal for organizations and people working in groups.
Pricing: Unmanaged cloud servers cost $4.00 per month, managed cloud basic costs $50.00 per month, and managed cloud extended costs $120.00 per month, as Kamatera. This company has no return policy, but a 30-day free trial is available.
Reliability: In terms of uptime, Kamatera takes pride in its “exceptionally elevated reliability and performance” and so assures this at all times at 99.95 percent.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Kamatera servers are simple to scale (an entirely cloud-based network)
- With Kamatera’s firewall for web applications (WAF), you get protection against attacks on your servers
- Dedicated resources are ensured on all Kamatera servers
Cons:
- There is no money-back guarantee
- You need technical knowledge to operate
- Add-ons are available for purchase individually
IONOS offers the best performance hosting for Windows developers. You’ll benefit from Windows Server 2022, ASP.NET 4.8 and .NET 6.0, geo-redundancy, and guaranteed availability. Many tools and features are also a part of the offer!
- Overall Score: 1.5
- Features: 1.8
- Support: 1.3
- User-Friendly: 1.2
- Pricing: 1.7
- Reliability: 1.7
IONOS might not have the best reputation. Yet, it’s one of the best Windows hosting providers with a whole variety of tools, including PHP 7.4, ASP MVC 3,4 and 5, MS SQL 2019 databases, MariaDB or MySQL, dedicated app pools, LINQ, ASP.NET AJAX, SSI, Cron Manager, and web apps.
Research Findings:
Features: All IONOS Windows hosting plans include a free domain, one free Wildcard SSL certificate, and free professional email with 2GB of email storage and a state-of-the-art spam filter. You’ll also get site scans, daily backups, DDoS protection, free CDN, and a few useful marketing features.
Support: As an IONOS customer, you can rely on its expert customer service teams available 24/7 via phone and email to assist you with your Windows hosting.
User-Friendly: You can easily start your Windows hosting journey with the help of IONOS’s helpful technical community open for collaboration and further assistance.
Pricing: IONOS offers three Windows hosting plans, starting at $5 per month for 100GB storage, unlimited traffic, unlimited FTPS accounts, and 25 MS MQL database (2GB SSD). The starter plan is suitable for a single website.
Reliability: IONOS utilizes data centers accredited for the highest levels of data safety. It also runs the latest versions of Windows Server, ASP.NET, and .NET, ensuring top levels of speed and performance.
Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Excellent speed and security (SiteLock and SSL, DDoS protection, HTTP/2 protocol, CDN)
- A variety of tools specifically designed for Windows developers (PHP 7.4, ASP.NET, LINQ, ASP.NET AJAX, .NET, SSI)
- 24/7 customer support, help center, and community
Cons:
- You must redeem the free domain offer on the initial purchase of a 12-month contract term
- Registration is available from a limited amount of countries
- Prices double on renewal (from $5 to $10 per month)
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.6
- Features: 4.5
- Reliability: 4.7
- User-Friendly: 4.4
- Support: 4.6
- Pricing: 4.7
InterServer stands out in the Windows hosting market with its versatile hosting solutions that offer exceptional value. It’s an excellent choice for businesses, developers, and individuals who require a Windows-based hosting environment that combines performance, scalability, and affordability. Known for its balance of advanced features and competitive pricing, InterServer caters to a wide range of Windows hosting needs, from basic websites to complex web applications.
Features: InterServer’s Windows hosting plans come equipped with essential features like ASP.NET support, MSSQL databases, Plesk control panel, and unlimited storage and bandwidth, accommodating a variety of hosting requirements.
Reliability: With a strong commitment to uptime and server performance, InterServer ensures that its Windows hosting services are reliable and stable, crucial for the smooth operation of Windows-based websites and applications.
User-Friendly: The hosting service is designed to be user-friendly, offering easy-to-use tools and a control panel that make managing a Windows server accessible for users of all skill levels.
Support: InterServer is known for its excellent customer support, providing helpful and responsive assistance, which is a significant advantage for users requiring additional guidance in managing their Windows hosting environment.
Pros & Cons:
- Comprehensive feature set ideal for a range of Windows hosting needs
- High reliability and performance for Windows-based applications
- Competitive pricing, offering great value for money
- Advanced features might require some technical understanding
- Resource allocations on entry-level plans may be limited for larger projects
Why Trust Our Recommendations
Our HostAdvice ranking is based on objective and precise ratings to ensure neutrality and accuracy. Our experts use the latest technology to thoroughly examine hosting firms, focusing on continuous improvement. We develop new measurement processes based on real-time data to stay ahead in evaluating industry leaders. This dedication ensures that our recommendations are always reliable and relevant.
How Do We Test and Rank
We use specific, weighted factors for each hosting category, prioritizing the most critical elements to ensure a thorough evaluation.
- Server Performance—We evaluate storage space, connection needs, and OS compatibility.
- Security Features—We check protection levels, data backup, and authentication processes.
- Customer Service—We assess 24/7 support availability, contact methods, and money-back guarantees.
- Responsive Times and Uptime—We measure uptime guarantees and server responsiveness.
- Pricing Plans—We analyze affordability and flexibility for different budgets.
- User Reviews—We use AI to analyze global user feedback for satisfaction and performance.
By considering these key factors, we provide a comprehensive evaluation to help you choose the best Windows hosting provider.
Types of Windows Hosting
- Windows Shared Hosting—Shares server resources with other sites. Good for emailing, document sharing, and simple e-commerce.
- Windows VPS Hosting—Provides a virtual server with dedicated resources. Offers control over memory and CPU. Reliable and affordable for growing businesses.
- Windows Dedicated Server—Full control over your own server. Allows complete customization. Best for larger businesses with extensive needs.
- Windows Reseller Hosting—Allows you to resell hosting services. Ideal for businesses looking to offer hosting services to their clients.
Best Windows Hosting Services: Final Recommendations
Choosing the right Windows hosting service is crucial for businesses and developers who rely on Microsoft technologies. With full support for ASP, ASP.NET, MS SQL Server, MS Access, and developer languages like VB and C#, Windows hosting provides a robust and reliable environment for your applications and websites.
Our expert reviews have identified the top Windows hosting providers based on performance, security, customer support, and user feedback. Explore our recommendations to find the perfect Windows hosting service for your needs and experience the benefits of top-tier hosting.
