7 Best Cheap Windows Hosting Providers: Reliable in 2024

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.
I highly recommend Kamatera – you can take advantage of premium performance and infrastructure at affordable prices. Additionally, its “pay only for what you use” philosophy allows you more control over your costs than any other host on this list. Keep reading to learn more about Kamatera and my other top choices for low-cost Windows hosting.

What We Look For in the Best Cheap Windows Hosting Services

Being on a tight budget doesn’t mean you have to suffer with low-quality hosting. I’ve ensured that all of the hosts on this list offer at least the following:

• 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 looked for value-added features like generous resources and useful 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.

1. Kamatera – Best Performance (and There’s a Free Trial!)

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.
• 18 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 full Kamatera review to learn more.

2. IONOS – Lowest Prices for Windows Hosting

If you don’t mind using a shared Windows hosting solution, IONOS is the cheapest option on this list. Prices start at just $1.00 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 quota, depending on your plan.

IONOS also offers quality support – in fact, every customer is assigned a dedicated support agent. All inquiries 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, IONOS’ prices almost double. While this sounds alarming, IONOS still manages to remain less expensive than many other Windows hosts.

Features

• 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 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. 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 multiple separate data centers. This means your data will always be available even in the unlikely event that one data center fails.

Want to know more? Check out our IONOS review.

3. InterServer – Simple Pricing for Uncomplicated Windows Hosting

InterServer keeps things nice and simple. Instead of having a huge and confusing list of plans, it offers one generous shared Windows hosting plan. This plan is built to work seamlessly with the ASP.NET framework and allows you 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. These come preinstalled with Windows Server 2022, and you get enhanced security, the 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.
• Web developement tools. InterServer offers 25 Microsoft SQL 2019 Express databases and support for 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 more features, check out our in-depth InterServer review.

4. ScalaHosting: Powerful, Low-Cost Windows VPS Hosting for Enterprise

ScalaHosting’s Windows hosting may not be quite as affordable as some of the other hosts’ on this list – especially for entry-level configurations. However, pricing isn’t everything – what’s included for that price is.

In the case of ScalaHosting, its Windows hosting is powerful, being VPS-based, and you can also custom-build your setupdown to the exact number of cores, RAM, and storage. NVMe storage and a 30-day money-back guarantee is also included. Though, you’ll need to sort out a domain name and SSL certificates separately, yourself.

Features

• Full root access. You get full access, allowing you control over the environment, installations, settings, and more. Just make sure you (or someone on your team) know your way around a server or are willing to pay ScalaHosting extra for help, as Windows hosting plans are unmanaged.
• Instantly scalable resources. With ScalaHosting, you can scale your resources, as needed, making it excellent value for businesses with variable traffic and resource needs.
• 99.9% uptime guarantee. ScalaHosting has a service-level agreement in place regarding permissible uptime and compensation. If your ScalaHosting Windows server experiences less than 99.9% uptime in a month, you’re entitled to 10–100% of your service fees as a credit.
• Global data centers. With data centers in the USA (West and East Coast) and Europe, ScalaHosting helps improve your website’s loading speeds and overall performance worldwide.

Read our expert ScalaHosting review for more details.

5. 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.

Every Windows VPS plan from Liquid Web comes with Cloudflare CDN and 100 GB of cloud backups. These features allow for automatic snapshot backups of your server to be saved in an off-site cloud location, providing you with the highest degree of data protection available.

Liquid Web introduces a 100% uptime guarantee that activates following a mere 25 seconds of downtime. While numerous hosts furnish a 99.9% uptime guarantee, permitting a maximum of 43 minutes of downtime per month, selecting a host boasting a 100% uptime guarantee or superior stands as the foremost decision for heightened 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  (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.

Read our comprehensive Liquid Web review for more details.

6. Hostwinds – Affordable Windows VPS With Off-Site Backups

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. 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. Each managed Windows VPS includes round-the-clock server monitoring. Should our system detect any problem, it will promptly generate a support ticket on your behalf. Our dedicated support team will then work to swiftly address and resolve the identified issue.
• Enterprise firewall. To ensure top-notch security, Hostwinds equips your website with advanced firewalls that shield it 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 expert Hostwinds review.

Other Notable Web Hosts for Cheap Windows Hosting

7. Microsoft Azure – Advanced Windows Hosting with Free Trial & Tools

With Microsoft Azure, you get free access to hosting and tools for a set time (or a lifetime) – few hosts can claim that. That said, you’ll need to have an advanced understanding of server configuration to tap into Microsoft Azure’s true power. Or you can be willing to hire someone to handle the technicalities for you, which can be costly.

Though not ideal for beginners or those looking for a fully managed service, Azure has its perks. The 1-year free trial of Azure Virtual Machines for Windows allows you to test out the service risk-free. Thereafter, Microsoft Azure’s Windows hosting costs do rise steeply, though.

One of These Best Cheap Windows Hosts Could Be Right for You?

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 down. However, the best Windows hosting provider for you depends on your needs – if you’re struggling to decide, here are our recommendations.

If you need an unmanaged Windows VPS with excellent performance and customizability, we recommend Kamatera. You can custom-build a cloud server with the exact resources you require, along with a preinstalled Windows Server version of your choice.

Looking for the cheapest option? IONOS offers budget shared Windows hosting. Even though prices are low, you still get dedicated support tailored to Windows alongside impressive page loading speed.

Alternatively, you may wish to go with InterServer for its cheap monthly billing. 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.

FAQ

What is the cheapest Windows hosting provider?

IONOS is one of your most affordable (and best) options for Windows hosting. Unlike other cheap Windows hosts, IONOS manages to maintain a high level of quality – offering impressive performance, a robust anti-malware security suite, and other premium features.

Which Windows hosting service is best for beginners?

We recommend starting with a shared hosting service if you’re new to Windows hosting. Both IONOS and InterServer offer shared Windows hosting at budget prices. IONOS offers a free dedicated support adviser to help you along, while InterServer’s low-cost monthly pricing lets you experiment without getting locked into a long contract.

How much does a Windows VPS cost?

It depends on the resources you need and whether you require additional services like server management. We recommend unmanaged Windows VPS if budget is a concern – you can get a quality server for lower than $20 per month.
Hostwinds is one of your cheapest options for Windows VPS. That said, Kamatera’s flexible and still affordable “pay only for what you use” pricing gives you greater control over your costs.

Are there free Windows hosting services?

Yes, but we do not recommend them. At best, your site will experience painfully slow speeds and extended periods of downtime. At worst, you could be scammed and have your personal information stolen.
We always recommend budget-friendly Windows hosting services over free alternatives. IONOS and InterServer offer quality hosting at very affordable prices.