There are many web hosting options in the market; however, virtual private servers (VPS) have grown in popularity as an ideal choice for companies that need additional security, control, and flexibility for their online presence.
A VPS is a virtual hardware that exclusively tailors to your requirements. It can be used for various purposes because it provides greater customization and flexibility than other hosting types. Several VPS hosting plans in the UK include infrastructure for building AI projects, which makes server management easier for users of all skill levels. The VPS is also used for software and app development and testing.
This guide will explain how to choose your VPS provider in the UK for various purposes, whether you are a business owner, developer, or scaling your website. We’ll also shortlist some of the best UK VPS hosting services of 2024 to help you make the best choice.
Selecting the best hosting provider is essential to ensure the maximum uptime, security, and speed for your specific needs, whether it be AI projects, software, or app development. Considering this, we shall take into account various factors while selecting the ideal VPS server for your requirements:
For AI Projects
You will require a different set of features and technological infrastructure depending on your purpose. Here are the features that you must look for while choosing an ideal VPS hosting provider for your AI projects:
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CPU: AIs generally need a dynamic CPU to run all the intricate processes parallelly with as little speed lag as possible. Your VPS should fulfill all these requirements.
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GPU: An ideal VPS for AI projects should allow simultaneous processing of your models ad other programs effectively.
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Operating System: Select an easily customizable system with robust computational power and a lightweight base. CentOS or Ubuntu Server are some of the best operating systems for AI optimization.
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Machine Learning Software: Also consider the most recent versions of machine learning frameworks and libraries, like Scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, and others, that are hardware-performance-optimized.
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Virtualization Technology: Look for visualization technology to enhance the deployment, scalability, and management of your AI and ML applications.
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Security: Your configuration will be incomplete without your VPS having an encrypted and firewall-protected security system to safeguard your data. Additionally, some servers even allow automation of backups and other security-related tasks.
For Software Development
The requirements for AI projects and software development will be different as the outcome of the project and the innate technology used will be different. The following are the features that make a VPS system ideal for software development:
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Performance and Resources: Consider choosing a VPS that provides adequate computation power, graphics, and storage bandwidth to handle your software framework.
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Scalability: Once your software's requirements scale up, you will need a higher tier of configuration. So, select a service that makes it simple to scale resources according to your changing requirements.
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Security: Protecting your VPS from threats is essential. Ask your provider about SSL security, default port changes, and features like data encryption, firewalls, and frequent backups.
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Operating System Installation: Select the version that best meets your requirements, such as Linux.
For App Development
While software and application development may seem similar, there are significant differences in the end goal, the platform used for coding, and the interface. Let us now also look at the features that you should choose for an ideal VPS hosting provider for app development:
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Operating system: Linux is the most popular web hosting operating system, powering more than 90% of the public cloud. Thus, look for a VPS that effortlessly supports Linux for a more stable and cost-effective system.
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Access levels: Before committing to any managed service, ask your preferred VPS hosting provider about the root access authorization.
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Server location: Check whether your VPS provider offers a Content Delivery Network (CDN). This system stores file copies on multiple servers worldwide and delivers data based on the user's location.
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CPU: Check if your VPS service provider has a multiple-core CPU architecture, which helps to handle multiple processes simultaneously. Ideally, every VPS plan should have at least two CPU cores, with the facility for adding more depending on your requirements.
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RAM: For app development, look for a provider that offers sufficient RAM. Once your traffic levels go up, consider adding more memory.
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Storage: Check whether your VPS service provider offers SSD storage or an equivalent option with fast read and write time.
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Bandwidth: Your ideal VPS provider should offer a maximum volume of data for great speed and reliability from the start itself to ensure that the app runs even as it grows and incorporates multiple users.
As we know the various VPS system requirements based on your project, let us now look at the top 7 VPS hosting providers, along with their pricing and features for your every need:
1. A2 Hosting
A2 Hosting provides distinct VPS hosting options, with non-mandatory data centers for every VPS plan offered. The ability to customize your VPS hosting plan is one of the main reasons why A2 Hosting is such a compelling choice. You can choose between full or partial root access, cPanel control panel and command line management, and more.
Furthermore, your selection will cost approximately based on the volume of disk space, CPU, memory, and bandwidth you increase or decrease. Additionally, you have the option to select your operating system and free account migration. A2 Hosting is a wonderful choice for developers because of its customized strategy and latest development tools.
2. Oxtrys
Oxtrys was founded in 2018 to provide website hosting solutions and further expanded its operations as the company grew. It is a cloud hosting provider that offers VPS hosting plans to businesses of all sizes. Its services are distinguished based on Windows VPS, Linux VPS, and Forex VPS servers. Oxtrys even offers a free trial service.
The platform offers SSD and NVMe memory to upgrade the performance and speed of the VPS servers. Besides, the servers are powered by Intel® E3 Series Xeon® and AMD processors to provide customer-oriented performance and offer internet connectivity of 10 GBPS with minimum latency.
They use multiple levels of network security to prevent applications from being accessible on the server. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection features are included with a VPS server based in the UK to minimize the effects of malicious server overload. Furthermore, they support no-cost setup services, too.
The VPS hosting plans come with a free admin panel to guarantee independent access to your virtual private server space. Their range of pre-installed Windows and Linux operating systems are easy enough to use remotely and host applications with little to no assistance. The data center is based in Portsmouth, UK, and it easily serves the entire UK to manage all types of traffic.
3. Hostinger
Launched in 2004, Hostinger has since stood out in the very competitive web hosting market due to its affordable prices. The business combines Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) software with VPS technology to enable the deployment of application containers like Docker and Kubernetes, adjustment of network interface parameters, and other virtualization features.
Hostinger's VPS hosting utilizes the power of AMD EPYC processors, NVMe SSD storage, and HPE and Dell servers (including those located in the UK) for optimum performance with minimal to no downtime. With a 300 Mbps network speed included, users are guaranteed a seamless experience.
4. InMotion Hosting
To save customers time and money, InMotion Hosting offers free site transfers with optional SysAdmin support, enabling a smooth transition in its plans. With its lowest tier plan, you also get two dedicated IP addresses, free SSL, and DDoS protection. With higher plans, you can even choose your data center location. Additionally, all plans come with complete data redundancy and NVMe SSD storage, and you can easily upgrade or downgrade them.
Companies may depend on a reliable online presence with redundant dedicated high-availability clusters, a 99.99% uptime guarantee, and 24/7 network monitoring, particularly for eCommerce websites. Self-managed Cloud VPS hosting is also an option for those looking for inexpensive hosting.
5. Fasthosts
Fasthosts is a UK-based company that offers a sustainable hosting solution. Its UK data center runs completely on renewable energy. Its VPS hosting options cater to unlimited traffic, and it provides ISO-accredited data centers and full configuration upgrades based on your growing needs. Fasthost’s VPS also has the best CI/CD testing environment with full root access.
Moreover, its features are also some of the best in the market. Its highest plan offers a 12-core vCPU, providing optimum computational power, 720GB of NVMe storage, and attractive add-ons, including additional IPv6 IP addresses. Based on your requirements, you can also choose between Linux’s Ubuntu, Alma Linux, Debian, and Windows OS.
6. OVHcloud
OVHcloud distinguishes itself by owning physical servers and data centers, including a center in the UK. This implies that anyone connecting from the UK will experience a fast and low-latency network.
With the option of annual or biannual contracts, the host provides four free Windows and Linux virtual private server plans. With the exception of its Starter package, all are powered by next-generation Intel architecture and NVMe SSD storage. Additionally, depending on the plan you select, the VPS of your choice comes with unlimited traffic and allocated bandwidth.
7. Bluehost
In an era where having a digital presence is essential, Bluehost is a reliable assistant. With multi-server management, you can add more VPS, shared, or dedicated hosting plans to your existing account and manage them from a single location. Although Bluehost lacks a data center in the UK, it uses Cloudflare's global content delivery network to route traffic to the country.
Furthermore, the addition of SSDs improves the experience. Unlimited bandwidth guarantees that VPS websites can always manage high traffic volumes. With root access, you can set up an infinite number of FTP accounts to quickly upload, download, and modify files on the virtual server.
VPS hosting is a great option for people who want the best features, resources, and performance for their projects without breaking the bank. For many small business owners who want to test out the freedom of dedicated hosting, VPS hosting has also become a stepping stone because it provides the advantages and flexibility of dedicated hosting at an affordable price.
Selecting the ideal hosting package is an important decision for your company. Oxtrys stands out due to the unmatched features required for successful AI projects, software, and app development processes. With Oxtrys, you can enjoy root access authorization, zero installation and setup charges, effective storage provisioning, easy monthly billing, and RAID configuration RAM optimization. Connect with our team and learn more about our VPS hosting plans in UK today!