Comparing prices across every provider we track...
CloudHosting.ioCloudHosting.io
Virtual Servers · $100/mo (4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 160 GB SSD, 5000 GB transfer)
AWS Lightsail's $100/mo Windows plan is significantly overpriced compared to better-specced alternatives. Multiple providers offer 2-4x the RAM and vCPU for $5-6/mo on Linux, or comparable Windows specs for $20-30/mo. Even accounting for renewal traps and hidden costs, you're paying a Windows tax premium that doesn't reflect market rates.
8GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 100GB SSD, unlimited traffic for $5.94/mo - more than double the specs at 94% savings, with no per-GB overage charges.
Caveat: Requires 24-month prepaid contract; 1-month/12-month terms cost significantly more per month; SLA is 99.90% vs AWS's implied higher tier.
4GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50GB NVMe, 4000GB transfer for $6.49/mo intro - 93% cheaper with no data transfer overage charges.
Caveat: Intro price requires 12/24/48-month prepay; renews at $11.99/mo (still 88% cheaper than AWS); month-to-month billing is much higher.
4GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB SSD, 20TB transfer for $6.49/mo - matches Hostinger savings with better vCPU count and massive transfer allowance.
Caveat: Prices exclude VAT; 20TB transfer pool is EU-only (USA/Singapore regions get 0.5-1TB); recent price increases on other product lines suggest future hikes possible.
4GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40GB NVMe, unlimited traffic, daily backups for $4.54/mo - matches AWS RAM/vCPU at 95% savings with no transfer overage risk.
Caveat: Linux-only at this price; Windows license adds $0.039/vCore/hour (~$27/mo extra); IPv4 addresses billed separately; APAC egress loses free status after mid-2026.
2GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 80GB NVMe, unlimited traffic (1 Gbit/s) for $4.33/mo - cheapest option with no per-GB overage charges on standard usage.
Caveat: Intro pricing requires 1-year contract; renewal is 2-6x higher; outbound beyond 2TB free pool is $0.036/GB; Windows license adds per-vCPU surcharge.
Before you switch
| Provider | Plan | Price | Specs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluehost | VPS Hosting · NVMe 2 | $2.09/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50 GB NVMe SSD | Visit |
| IONOS | Cloud VPS (Linux) · Cloud VPS S | $4.33/mo | 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 80 GB NVMe | Visit |
| OVHcloud | VPS · VPS-1 | $4.54/mo | 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB NVMe | Visit |
| IONOS | VPS Hosting (VPS+) · VPS S+ | $5/mo | 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 90 GB NVMe | Visit |
| IONOS | IONOS CLOUD Cubes (Basic) · Basic Cube XS | $5.76/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 60 GB NVMe | Visit |
| Contabo | Core VPS · Cloud VPS 4 | $5.94/mo | 8 GB RAM, 4 vCPU, 100 GB SSD | Visit |
| Kamatera | Cloud VMs · Sample: 1 vCPU / 2GB / 20GB | $6/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 20 GB NVMe SSD | Visit |
| Gcore | Cloud Compute (Standard Gen 0, Linux) · g0-standard-1-2 | $6.15/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU | Visit |
| Hostinger | KVM VPS · KVM 1 | $6.49/mo | 4 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 50 GB NVMe SSD | Visit |
| Hetzner | Cloud Servers · CX23 | $6.49/mo | 4 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB SSD | Visit |
| Scaleway | Virtual Instances · DEV1-S | $6.55/mo | 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU | Visit |
| Namecheap | VPS Hosting · Pulsar | $6.88/mo | 2 GB RAM, 2 vCPU, 40 GB SSD | Visit |
| OVHcloud | Public Cloud Compute Instances · d2-2 | $8.98/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 25 GB local disk | Visit |
| GoDaddy | VPS Hosting · 1 vCPU / 2 GB | $8.99/mo | 2 GB RAM, 1 vCPU, 40 GB NVMe | Visit |
| IONOS | IONOS CLOUD vCPU Servers · vCPU - per core | $9.36/mo | 1 vCPU | Visit |
Contabo
Hostinger
Hetzner
OVHcloud
IONOS
View AWS Lightsail's plan