5 Best Cheap Windows Hosting Providers: Reliable in 2023

Finding cheap Windows Server hosting you can actually rely on can be a struggle. Because of Microsoft’s licensing fees,

Windows hosting is always going to be more expensive than hosting with free, open-source Linux

– even if you’re getting a similar set of resources and features.

However,

you can still get a good deal on Windows hosting if you know where to look

. Low prices aren’t everything, of course – you also don’t want to end up with a shady host who hasn’t invested properly in security or infrastructure.

We tested as many Windows hosts as we could find, and I’ve managed to cut these down to the top five below. All of these options offer affordable Windows hosting, without compromising on performance or necessary features. Read on to find out which of these is the best fit for your particular needs.

What We Look For in the Best Cheap Windows Hosting Services

When you’re looking for the cheapest but best Windows hosting, you often have to make compromises. But there are some things I won’t go without. All the hosts on this list will give you:

• Full compatibility – One of the most common reasons for looking for Windows hosting is that you need excellent software compatibility with your business systems.
• Strong security – Windows servers aren’t as secure as Linux out of the box, so you need a host that offers high-level security (even if it costs more).
• Stable servers – A good uptime history and an uptime guarantee are absolutely essential – you don’t want a cheap host that has long periods of downtime.
• Value for money – Low prices don’t necessarily mean good value. I look for value-added features, too, like site migrations and freebies.
• Money-back guarantee – If you sign up for a long-term plan but then discover the host doesn’t fully meet your needs, you need to know you can get your money back.
• Dependable customer service – Windows servers are less user-friendly than Linux servers, so you’re more likely to run into issues – it’s essential that you can get the help you need.

If you’re looking for a highly-customizable environment to run Windows Server at its full potential, Kamatera’s cloud-based VPS

 may be right for you. Kamatera lets you build your own virtual server from the ground up, setting the amount of RAM, CPU, and SSD storage to the exact numbers you need at any given moment.

Despite remaining relatively affordable for Windows hosting,

Kamatera delivered impressive page loading speed during our performance tests

. We also recorded perfect uptime throughout the entire testing period.

Kamatera’s cloud VPSs are primarily unmanaged – while managed service does exist as an optional add-on, it’s more expensive and slightly lacking in features compared to many other managed services. That said, if you know your way around Windows Server, you’ll be getting a great deal –

Kamatera offers the best price-to-performance ratio for VPSs

.

Features

• Multiple Windows Server versions. With Kamatera, you can choose from 15 Windows Server options, including Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022 in standard and enterprise versions.
• 13 global data centers

  – Kamatera operates multiple data centers across all major continents. Regardless of where your target audience is located, you’ll be able to serve them with fast, low-latency hosting performance.

• Instant scalability. If you find that your server setup isn’t meeting your needs as your business grows, you can instantly add more storage, CPU, RAM, and other features to your server.
• 30-day free trial. You benefit from a free trial period of 30 days. You get full access to all features and can create one cloud server during this period with up to $100 worth of resources.

Read our
Windows Server Versions Available
Windows Server 2008, 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022

Money-Back Guarantee
No, but there is a 30-day free trial

Disk Space
From 20 GB up to 16 TB

Free SSL
No

Starting Price

$

4.00

. Prices start at just

$

0.50

 per month if you commit to a 12-month plan. You’ll even get a free domain name for a year to add more value, along with a generous 100GB SSD storage.

1&1 IONOS also offers quality support – in fact, every customer is assigned a dedicated support agent. All enquiries will go to the same point of contact, and they’ll even help you to optimize your site’s performance. This can be a valuable asset if this is your first Windows server.

One thing to be wary of – upon renewal, 1&1 IONOS’ prices almost double. While this sounds alarming, 1&1 IONOS still manages to remain less expensive than many other Windows hosts.

• Impressive performance

  – As these are shared hosting plans, they aren’t going to be able to compete with a powerful VPS host such as Kamatera. That said, our performance tests revealed 1&1 IONOS offers very good loading times for a budget host.

• SiteLock malware protection. In the “Pro” plan and up, you benefit from SiteLock security, which automatically scans your site for vulnerabilities and malware.
• Up to 25 databases. 1&1 IONOS offers a generous number of MS SQL databases if you need them for multiple functions. Each one has a capacity of 2GB of SSD space.
• High level of redundancy. Your data is mirrored across two separate data centers. This means your data will always be available even in the unlikely event that one data center fails.

Windows Server Versions Available

Windows Server 2019 (Windows Server 2022 also available with VPS plans)

Money-Back Guarantee

30-days

Disk Space

Up to 500GB

Free SSL

Yes

Starting Price

$

0.50

3. InterServer – Simple Pricing for Uncomplicated Windows Hosting

You can use this low-cost hosting plan to host up to 25 websites, with free SSL certificates for each one.
There are no restrictions on storage, bandwidth, or email addresses, and you benefit from managed hosting features such as free website migrations, automatic updates, and a backup/restore tool. The one catch is that you don’t get a free domain name when you sign up.
InterServer also offers Windows VPS plans – which start at (almost) unbelievably low prices for a single CPU with 2 GB RAM, 30 GB storage, and 2 TB bandwidth. You can choose from Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019 for these plans, and you get enhanced security, Plesk control panel, and excellent scalability.

Features

• Intershield security. To protect your website from malicious traffic and hackers, InterServer includes its bespoke shared hosting security suite, Intershield, with its Windows hosting. This includes a web application firewall, malware detection, script scanning, and outbound email protection.
• Speed optimization. The ASP.NET hosting plan includes built-in caching features and Cloudflare CDN (content delivery network) for high-performing websites that will load quickly no matter where in the world your visitors are.
• Windows Server 2012. Although this is not the latest version of Windows Server, it supports MSSQL 2012 and all ASP.NET versions for running the applications you need.
• Plesk Onyx control panel. Rather than offering the new version of Plesk, Obsidian, InterServer has stuck with Onyx, as this previous version still supports the easy installation of Let’s Encrypt SSL certificates.

For a full list of features, check out our
Windows Server Versions Available
Windows Server 2008 and 2012 (Windows Server 2016 and 2019 on VPS plans)

Money-Back Guarantee
30 days

Disk Space
Unlimited

Free SSL
Yes

Starting Price 

$

2.50

4. Liquid Web – Enhanced Security for Windows VPS

Liquid Web offers Windows VPS servers that are cloud-based, fast, and secure

. Its prices are a bit higher, but core server management is included in the cost – this includes maintenance, monitoring, and security. Or, if you prefer, you can manage your own server – this will lower the price.

All Liquid Web’s Windows VPS plans include Cloudflare CDN and 100 GB of cloud backups, which enable automatic snapshot backups of your server to be stored off-site in the cloud, giving you the best level of data protection possible.
Liquid Web has a 100% uptime guarantee – which activates after 25 seconds of downtime. Since most hosts have a 99.9% uptime guarantee that allows for up to 43 minutes of downtime per month, any host offering a 100% uptime guarantee or more is a top choice for reliability.

Features

• Generous bandwidth

  – All Liquid Web VPSs offer 10TB of monthly bandwidth. With most hosts, you’d usually have to pay extra for such a high allowance – if they even offer it in the first place.

• Fully managed VPS available. For an additional fee each month, you can benefit from a fully managed service including Plesk (Onyx or Obsidian) and proactive service restoration.
• Customizable server setup. Choose your server zone (US or EU), your cloud SSD configuration (pre-sets for SSD, memory, and vCPU), bandwidth, network storage, daily backups (100 GB included), IP addresses, and anti-virus options.
• Enhanced security. All VPS plans from Liquid Web include ServerSecure, a bespoke set of security features that protect your server from malicious traffic, script injection, DDoS attacks, and more.

For a full list of features, read our
Windows Server Versions Available
Windows Server 2012, 2016, and 2019

Money-Back Guarantee
No, but you can get a prorated refund for the remaining time in your billing period

Disk Space
Up to 200 GB

Free SSL
No

Starting Price

$

15.00

Unlike many hosts, the price is the same no matter what payment term you choose (although any promotional pricing is limited in duration).
One of the biggest benefits of Hostwinds’ VPS Windows hosting plans is that they’re cloud-based, improving performance and reliability. The downside is that the cheapest plans require you to manage everything yourself, so if you want to add monitoring and management features, your costs will increase.

Features

• Free proactive monitoring

  – Every managed Windows VPS comes with 24/7 server monitoring. If an issue is detected, a support ticket will be created automatically for you, and the support team will resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

• Enterprise firewall. For superior levels of security, Hostwinds provides advanced firewalls to protect your website from malicious traffic, script injection, and malware.
• Nightly off-site backups. Every night, a backup of your server is taken and automatically uploaded to the cloud, ensuring that you can instantly restore your server back to a former point if something goes wrong.
• Free website transfer. If you already have a (Windows) website hosted elsewhere, Hostwinds will transfer the website to your new server and ensure that everything is configured correctly.

To learn more, read our
Windows Server Versions Available
Windows Server 2008, 2012, and 2016

Money-Back Guarantee
30 days

Disk Space
Starts at 30 GB, up to 750 GB

Free SSL
Yes – you will have to install this yourself on unmanaged plans, however

Starting Price

$

6.47

Which Windows Host is Right for Me?

While you should always prepare to pay a little extra for Windows Server hosting as opposed to Linux hosting, the hosts above will keep your costs lower than others. However, the best Windows hosting provider for you depends on your needs – if you’re struggling to decide, here are my recommendations.

If you need an unmanaged VPS with excellent performance and customizability, I’d choose Kamatera

. You can custom-build a cloud server with the exact resources you require, along with a preinstalled Windows Server version of your choice.

. Even though prices are low, you still get dedicated support tailored to Windows alongside impressive page loading speed.

. There’s no need to commit to a long contract to get the best prices, and you’ll also benefit from unlimited storage, bandwidth, and email accounts.

Still unsure? See a clear view of how these hosts stack up with the comparison table below.

Type of Hosting
Standout Feature
Starting Price
 
Kamatera
Cloud VPS

Best performance & customizability

$

4.00

‌SEE DEALS
1&1 IONOS

Shared and VPS

Lowest prices for shared Windows hosting

$

0.50

SEE DEALS
InterServer
Shared and VPS
Only one plan for simplicity with shared hosting

$

2.50

‌SEE DEALS
Liquid Web
Cloud VPS

Reliable data protection & 100% uptime guarantee

$

15.00

‌SEE DEALS
Hostwinds
Cloud VPS
Nightly off-site backups included

$

8.24

‌SEE DEALS

FAQ

Which type of hosting is the cheapest?

Shared Linux hosting is almost always the cheapest hosting option, although shared Windows hosting plans can be a similar price with some hosts. Check out

our review of the best web hosting solutions for 2023

to find the lowest-priced options.

What is the cheapest way to host a website?

What’s the cheapest way to get VPS hosting?

If you want the power of VPS hosting but also need to keep the costs down, you could start out with a free trial from Kamatera. This gives you 30 days to try Kamatera’s cloud VPS servers , completely risk-free, and you can also fully customize your server, so you don’t end up paying for features you don’t need.

Is Kamatera easy to use?

I wouldn’t recommend Kamatera to a beginner – launching and configuring a cloud VPS instance on its platform requires technical knowledge. If you’re new to web hosting, you’ll have better luck elsewhere – check out

our complete guide to hosting a website in 2023

for provider recommendations and help getting started.

When you’re looking for the cheapest but best Windows hosting, you often have to make compromises. But there are some things I won’t go without. All the hosts on this list will give you:Read our full Kamatera review to learn more.1&1 IONOS also offers quality support –All enquiries will go to the same point of contact, and they’ll even help you to optimize your site’s performance. This can be a valuable asset if this is your first Windows server. One thing I really like about InterServer is that it’s uncomplicated. For shared Windows ASP.NET hosting, there’s just one plan – and it’s a generous one, too.. There are no restrictions on storage, bandwidth, or email addresses, and you benefit from managed hosting features such asThe one catch is that you don’t get a free domain name when you sign up. InterServer also offers Windows VPS plans – which start at (almost) unbelievably low prices for a single CPU with 2 GB RAM, 30 GB storage, and 2 TB bandwidth. You can choose from Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019 for these plans, and you get enhanced security, Plesk control panel, and excellent scalability.For a full list of features, check out our in-depth InterServer review which enable automatic snapshot backups of your server to be stored off-site in the cloud, giving you the best level of data protection possible.. Since most hosts have a 99.9% uptime guarantee that allows for up to 43 minutes of downtime per month, any host offering a 100% uptime guarantee or more is a top choice for reliability.For a full list of features, read our in-depth Liquid Web review If you’re looking for something more powerful than shared Windows hosting but still need to keep the costs low, Hostwinds offers managed and unmanaged Windows VPS hosting for a fraction of the cost of other Windows VPS hosts.The downside is that the cheapest plans require you to manage everything yourself, so if you want to add monitoring and management features, your costs will increase.To learn more, read our expert Hostwinds review