Hostwinds review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DeployCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Hostwinds suits you if you want virtual servers, bare metal and object storage under one roof. Its entry server plan at $7.14 is not the cheapest on the market, but hourly billing on cloud servers lets small projects start small and stop quickly.
Key facts
- Best for
- One provider for virtual servers, bare metal and object storage, with hourly billing as the default.
- Entry price
- $7.14 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Entry plan
- 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Bandwidth allowance
- 1 TB (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Billing models
- Hourly, Monthly (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- SLA uptime
- 100% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Server types
- VPS, Bare-metal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Use cases
- Game-server (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Operating systems
- Linux, Windows (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2010 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Phone, Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Hourly billing
- Official website
- hostwinds.com
Storage
- Price per GB per month
- $0.0309 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- S3-compatible
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Storage types
- Object, Block (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- SLA uptime
- 100% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 2010 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Chat, Phone, Email, Help-centre, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pros and cons
Pros
- The entry plan at $7.14 comes with 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD and 1 TB of bandwidth.
- Billing models are hourly and monthly, so you can pay by the hour or by the month.
- linux and windows are both available on the cloud servers, and uptime is stated at 100%.
- Support is available on chat, phone and email.
Cons
- Billing covers hourly and monthly only, with no reserved or per-second option listed.
- The entry plan at $7.14 costs more than Aruba's entry plan at €1.99 or UCloud's at $5.34.
- The entry plan is thin at 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD.
Who it suits
- Teams running game servers, a listed use case: game server.
- Builders who want Linux and Windows under the same roof: linux and windows.
- Shoppers who like a help centre and community alongside chat, phone and email: chat, phone and email.
Who should look elsewhere
- Aruba, if the entry price matters most: its entry plan is listed at €1.99.
- UCloud, if you want to spend less at entry: its entry plan is listed at $5.34.
- SberCloud, if a different currency suits you better: its entry plan is listed at RUB 23.75.
How Hostwinds compares
Hostwinds vs ScalaHosting9.4 vs 8.3
Hostwinds vs Contabo9.4 vs 9.2
Hostwinds vs Kamatera9.4 vs 9.5
Hostwinds vs Cloudways9.4 vs 9.2
Hostwinds vs PlanetHoster9.4 vs 8.7
Hostwinds vs Acronis9.4 vs 9.9
Hostwinds vs Aruba9.4 vs 9.3Its entry plan is listed at €1.99, below the Hostwinds entry plan at $7.14.
Hostwinds vs Hostinger9.4 vs 9.1
Hostwinds vs Proton Drive9.4 vs 8.3
Hostwinds vs AIS Cloud9.4 vs 8.1- Hostwinds vs Miss Hosting FI9.4 vs 8.0
Frequently asked questions
How much does the cheapest Hostwinds server cost?+
The entry server plan is 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 30 GB SSD at $7.14. Cloud servers are billed hourly and monthly, so you can run one for a short test or keep it on a monthly cycle. Bandwidth on that plan is 1 TB.
Can I pay hourly or do I have to commit to a month?+
Billing models are hourly and monthly, and the cloud model is hourly. There is no reserved or per-second billing in that list, so a project running for weeks still starts on the same hourly footing.
Which operating systems can I choose?+
linux and windows are both listed for the cloud servers, so a Linux stack and a Windows stack can sit with the same provider. Windows shows up on fewer listings than Linux in this comparison group, so plan your stack early.
How much does object storage cost?+
Object storage is listed at $0.031 per GB per month, and it is S3-compatible, so existing tooling can connect without changes. Storage types listed are object and block, so you can price both sides before you commit.
What uptime does Hostwinds commit to?+
The stated uptime commitment is 100%. Treat that as a commitment to plan against, and keep a fallback if downtime would cost you. Support is listed on chat, phone and email if you need to raise an issue.
How do I get help when something breaks?+
Support channels listed are chat, phone and email, so you can reach the team by chat, phone or email, or fall back on the help centre and community. Self-service is the default route, with a community forum for questions others may have asked.
Can Hostwinds run game servers?+
Game servers are a listed use case: game server. Dedicated servers sit in the range too, with vps and bare metal offered, so a small game project can start on a virtual server and move up later.
Where is Hostwinds based?+
The company is headquartered in the US and was founded in 2010, so it is a long-established US provider rather than a new entrant. Buyers who want a US base for billing or data residency are the ones most likely to care.
Sources
- hostwinds.com/cloud/cloud-servers checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Billing models, Pricing model, Operating systems
“Hourly Billing - Pay for the resources you use at the rate you use them”
- hostwinds.com/cloud/object-storage checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Price per GB per month, S3-compatible
“Object Storage pricing is calculated each hour by multiplying the amount of data you store by our hourly rate, as shown above, $ 0.000042386 per GB per hour.”
- hostwinds.com/company checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, Headquarters
“In 2010, Hostwinds was founded with a simple idea: hosting should be reliable, accessible, and built around the customer.”
- hostwinds.com/dedicated/servers checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Server types, Use cases
“All Hostwinds Dedicated Servers come with an abundance of tools that will make your life easier”
- hostwinds.com/product-docs checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Storage types
“Storage - Object Storage /product-docs/object-storage/ - Volumes /product-docs/volumes/”
- hostwinds.com/vps/linux checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Bandwidth allowance, Entry plan, Entry price, SLA uptime, Support channels
“Bandwidth 1 TB”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Locations.
Hostwinds
One provider for virtual servers, bare metal and object storage, with hourly billing as the default.