Hostwinds
Flexible customizable VPS with Windows & Linux options and free daily backups
Hostwinds is a US-based hosting provider established in 2010, renowned for exceptional customer service and flexible VPS solutions. Offering Linux and Windows VPS, dedicated servers, and shared hosting with free website migration and daily backups included in all plans. Headquartered in Seattle with data centers in Dallas, Seattle, and Amsterdam, Hostwinds provides elastic scaling and fully customizable server configurations. The company has earned industry recognition for outstanding 24/7 technical support, 99.9999% uptime guarantee, and completely customizable server environments.
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About Us
Founded in 2010, Hostwinds may not have the brand recognition of giants like Vultr or DigitalOcean, but it has built a strong reputation in North America for service quality. Unlike providers chasing the lowest prices, Hostwinds focuses on service excellence and customer experience. Their standout feature is "complete customization" - you can precisely configure CPU cores, RAM, storage, and bandwidth rather than being locked into fixed packages. Another major advantage is Windows VPS support at prices significantly lower than AWS, Azure, or GCP. All VPS plans include free daily automatic backups (many competitors charge extra), complimentary cPanel/WHM control panels (Linux) or Plesk (Windows). Technical support is provided by real humans 24/7 with average response times under 15 minutes - industry-leading service. Data centers are available in Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam. Perfect for users who need Windows environments, value data backups, or require responsive technical support. Less ideal for those purely seeking rock-bottom prices.
✨Key Features
- ✓Fully customizable VPS configurations
- ✓Both Linux and Windows operating systems
- ✓Free daily automatic backups included
- ✓Multiple US and European data centers
- ✓1Gbps ports with unmetered bandwidth options
- ✓Instant provisioning in 5-15 minutes
- ✓Free website migration service
- ✓Live 24/7 technical support with fast response
🏆Core Advantages
- ★Full customization without fixed package limits
- ★Affordable Windows VPS pricing
- ★Free daily backups included at no extra cost
- ★Fast-responding live technical support
- ★Free website migration service
- ★Flexible upgrade/downgrade options
- ★Free SSL certificates and DDoS protection
- ★99.9999% uptime guarantee
Pros & Cons
👍Pros
- +Windows VPS costs 50%+ less than cloud providers
- +Daily automatic backups included in all plans
- +High-quality support averaging 15-minute response
- +Fully customizable configs for precise cost control
- +Free cPanel/Plesk control panels included
- +Monthly billing with no long-term contracts
- +Instant provisioning in 5-15 minutes
- +Unmetered bandwidth options available
👎Cons
- −Pricing slightly higher than Vultr/DigitalOcean
- −No Asia-Pacific data centers
- −Website interface more traditional than modern
- −Lower brand recognition than major players
- −$4.99/month minimum more than some competitors
- −Windows VPS costs ~30% more than Linux
- −Monthly billing minimum, no hourly options
💰Detailed Pricing Plans
Linux VPS - Starter
- ✓1 CPU Core
- ✓1 GB RAM
- ✓30 GB SSD Storage
- ✓1 TB Monthly Transfer
- ✓1 Gbps Port
- ✓1 IPv4 Address
- ✓Free Daily Backups
- ✓Free cPanel (optional)
Linux VPS - Standard
- ✓2 CPU Cores
- ✓2 GB RAM
- ✓50 GB SSD Storage
- ✓2 TB Monthly Transfer
- ✓1 Gbps Port
- ✓1 IPv4 Address
- ✓Free Daily Backups
- ✓Free cPanel (optional)
Windows VPS - Starter
- ✓1 CPU Core
- ✓1 GB RAM
- ✓30 GB SSD Storage
- ✓1 TB Monthly Transfer
- ✓1 Gbps Port
- ✓1 IPv4 Address
- ✓Free Daily Backups
- ✓Windows Server 2019/2022
Windows VPS - Standard
- ✓2 CPU Cores
- ✓2 GB RAM
- ✓50 GB SSD Storage
- ✓2 TB Monthly Transfer
- ✓1 Gbps Port
- ✓1 IPv4 Address
- ✓Free Daily Backups
- ✓Windows Server 2019/2022
⚙️Technical Specifications
Virtualization Technology
- ▪KVM full virtualization
- ▪Dedicated resources, complete isolation
- ▪Full root/administrator access
- ▪Custom kernel support
- ▪Install any operating system
- ▪Powerful virtualization performance
Storage Performance
- ▪Enterprise-grade SSD storage
- ▪RAID-10 array protection
- ▪High IOPS performance
- ▪Low latency read/write
- ▪Daily automatic backups
- ▪On-demand snapshots (additional fee)
Network Configuration
- ▪1 Gbps shared port
- ▪Unmetered bandwidth or 1-10TB transfer
- ▪Free DDoS protection
- ▪IPv4 and IPv6 support
- ▪Multiple data center options
- ▪Low latency network connectivity
Operating System Options
- ▪CentOS 7/8/9
- ▪Ubuntu 18.04/20.04/22.04
- ▪Debian 10/11
- ▪AlmaLinux, Rocky Linux
- ▪Windows Server 2016/2019/2022
- ▪Windows 10/11 (special configuration)
Data Center Locations
- ▪Seattle, USA (West Coast)
- ▪Dallas, USA (Central)
- ▪Amsterdam, Netherlands (Europe)
- ▪Low latency for North American users
- ▪European users: 10-30ms latency
- ▪Asia-Pacific: 150-200ms latency
Management Tools
- ▪cPanel/WHM (Linux, free)
- ▪Plesk (Windows, free)
- ▪SSH/RDP remote access
- ▪VNC console access
- ▪One-click application installer
- ▪Custom ISO support
🎯Use Cases
🎧Customer Support
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How does Hostwinds compare to Vultr, DigitalOcean, and Linode?
A: Hostwinds isn't the cheapest, but offers better overall value for most users. Pricing (2GB VPS): Hostwinds $8.24/month vs Vultr $6/month vs DigitalOcean $12/month. Looks expensive at first, but Hostwinds includes free daily backups (Vultr charges +20%), free cPanel/Plesk (typically $15/month), and 24/7 live support with 1-5 minute response times. Key advantages: • Free daily backups (competitors charge extra) • Windows VPS at $6.59/month (AWS/Azure charge $25-40/month) • Free control panels • Real human support that's actually helpful • Full customization without fixed packages Disadvantages: • ~15-20% more expensive than Vultr for basic Linux VPS • No Asia-Pacific data centers • Monthly billing only (no hourly) Choose Hostwinds if you need Windows hosting, value backups and support, or want hassle-free management. Choose Vultr/DigitalOcean if you're technical, don't need support, and want the absolute lowest price.
Q: What makes Hostwinds Windows VPS stand out?
A: Exceptional value - 50-70% cheaper than major cloud providers. Price comparison: Hostwinds Windows VPS starts at $6.59/month vs AWS ($20-30/month), Azure ($25-40/month), or Google Cloud ($25-35/month). What's included: • Windows Server license • Free Plesk control panel • Free daily backups • Full administrator access • IIS and .NET Framework pre-installed Perfect for: • ASP.NET/C# applications needing IIS • MSSQL database applications • Windows-only business software • Remote Windows desktop via RDP • Windows game servers • Development and testing environments Important notes: • Costs ~30% more than Linux VPS (but still cheap vs cloud providers) • Recommend at least 2GB RAM minimum • Plesk panel makes management easy If you need Windows hosting, Hostwinds is probably your best option for price and features combined.
Q: How reliable are Hostwinds daily backups?
A: Very reliable and completely free - a major value-add. How it works: • Runs automatically every day • Backs up your entire VPS • Keeps last 7 days of backups • Stored on separate physical devices • Restore takes 5-30 minutes via control panel Competitor comparison: • Hostwinds: FREE • Vultr: +20% extra ($1.20/month for $6 VPS) • DigitalOcean: +20% extra ($2.40/month for $12 VPS) • Linode: $2-5/month extra What gets backed up: Everything - files, configs, databases, applications. Limitations to know: • Only 7 days retention (not permanent) • Backups stay with Hostwinds (same provider risk) • Restore overwrites current data Best practice for critical data: Use Hostwinds free backups as your primary protection, but also do occasional off-site backups to AWS S3 or similar for extra safety. Bottom line: Hostwinds free backups are excellent for most users and would cost $5-10/month with other providers. Great for e-commerce, production sites, or anywhere data loss would hurt.
Q: Which Hostwinds data center location should I choose?
A: Three locations available: Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam. Quick guide based on your users: • West Coast USA/Canada → Seattle (5-20ms) • East Coast USA → Dallas (40-60ms to both coasts) • All of USA → Dallas (best balance) • Europe/UK → Amsterdam (5-20ms) • Asia-Pacific → Seattle is closest but still 120-180ms (consider alternatives) • GDPR compliance needed → Amsterdam Latency from USA: • Seattle: West Coast 5-20ms, East Coast 70-90ms • Dallas: Nationwide 5-60ms, very balanced • Amsterdam: USA 100-130ms, Europe 5-60ms Test before choosing: ping sea-wa-us-ping.hostwinds.com ping dal-tx-us-ping.hostwinds.com ping ams-nl-ping.hostwinds.com Recommendation: Dallas for most USA users (balanced nationwide), Seattle if West Coast focused, Amsterdam only for EU. Note: You can change later but requires migration. Choose correctly the first time if possible.
Q: Is Hostwinds technical support really that good?
A: Yes, genuinely good - not just "good for the price." Response times: • Live Chat: 1-5 minutes (fastest option) • Tickets: 15-30 minutes first response • Phone: Immediate for emergencies What makes it good: • Real humans, not bots or script-readers • Actually technically competent • Willing to help, not just point you to docs • Patient with beginners • Free website migration included Vs competitors: • Vultr: Ticket-only, 2-6 hour wait, often unhelpful • DigitalOcean: Good docs but slow human support • AWS/Azure: Free tier = no support, paid support costs $29/month+ • Hostwinds: Best free support in the budget VPS category Limitations: • English only • Won't help with custom coding or third-party app issues • They handle server-level stuff, not your application code They'll help with: Server setup, cPanel/Plesk, OS basics, networking, DNS, migrations, security basics. They won't help with: Your WordPress theme, custom code debugging, SEO. Bottom line: If you value having responsive support when things break, Hostwinds is worth the slightly higher price. If you never need help, save money with Vultr.
Q: What types of websites and applications work best on Hostwinds?
A: Hostwinds works for most common use cases. Here are the sweet spots: Best fits: • Business websites - 2GB VPS ~$8/month (99.9999% uptime, free backups, cPanel) • WordPress blogs - 1GB VPS ~$5/month (one-click installer, backups included) • E-commerce sites - 4GB+ VPS ~$16-25/month (SSD speed, backups protect orders) • ASP.NET/.NET apps - Windows VPS ~$11/month (70% cheaper than Azure/AWS) • Game servers - 4-8GB ~$20-35/month (Minecraft, ARK, etc. for US/Canada players) • Dev/test environments - 1-2GB ~$5-8/month (monthly billing, full access) • VPN/proxy servers - 1GB ~$5/month (dedicated IP, unmetered bandwidth) • Web scraping - Variable ~$8+/month (US IPs, no bandwidth limits) Not great for: • High-traffic sites (1M+ pageviews/month) - use dedicated or cloud • AI/ML with GPUs - Hostwinds doesn't offer GPU instances • Ultra-low latency needs - milliseconds matter, need specialized infra • Asia-Pacific users - no APAC data centers (150-200ms latency) Quick sizing guide: • 1GB RAM: Single small site or dev environment • 2GB RAM: WordPress with moderate traffic • 4GB RAM: E-commerce or game servers • 8GB+: High-traffic or resource-intensive apps Pro tips: Start small (easy to upgrade), choose Linux unless you specifically need Windows (30% cheaper), use cPanel/Plesk if you're not technical. Hostwinds particularly excels at: Windows hosting, anything needing backups, and scenarios where you value support.
💡 Summary
Founded in 2010, Hostwinds built a strong reputation in North America for service quality and flexibility. Key advantages: Free daily backups on all plans (competitors charge 20% extra). Windows VPS from $6.59/month (50-70% cheaper than AWS/Azure). Fully customizable configurations. 24/7 live support with sub-15 minute response. Free cPanel/Plesk (worth $15-20/month). Free professional migration. Best for Windows hosting, anyone valuing backups and responsive support, ASP.NET/MSSQL projects, high-uptime requirements (99.9999%). Not ideal for budget seekers (pricier than Vultr), Asia-Pacific users (no APAC datacenters, 150-200ms latency), or hourly billing needs. Pricing is mid-tier, but free backups, panels, and superior support make total value competitive with Vultr and DigitalOcean. Datacenters in Seattle, Dallas, and Amsterdam cover North America and Europe well. Bottom line: You pay slightly more but get genuinely better service. Strong choice for Windows VPS or anyone prioritizing support quality over lowest price.