The Best Linux VPS Hosting Solutions
Most website owners consider a variety of web hosting companies and solutions before making their decision. However, one often neglected aspect of web hosting is the operating system that the server hosting the site runs on. While Windows is the most popular operating system for computers, Linux has a sizeable share of the server operating system market and Linux VPS hosting is just one of the hosting solutions that use it.
At StatCounter, we aim to provide our members with analytics to help them gauge the progress of their website and its performance online. We also strive to provide our members with information and resources to help them further succeed in this endeavor. Before you sign up for StatCounter, or upgrade to our Growth Plan, let us fill you in on Linux VPS hosting and the best web hosting providers of such.
Suggested Reading
Of course, if you know cloud hosting isn’t right for your business, or you’d like to explore other options, check out the articles we’ve provided below:
What is Linux VPS Hosting?
As mentioned before, websites are hosted on servers which run on an operating system. While Windows makes up the majority of the market share for computers, Linux is the dominant player when it comes to servers. VPS hosting is a sound alternative to dedicated hosting, and is a step above shared hosting. With a VPS, your website is hosted on a shared physical server, however, the resources of such are divided equally across each virtual machine that hosts the websites. This helps avoid issues, like a slow loading website, from occurring if another website on the server used up too many resources or storage space.
Additionally, Linux is an open-source operating system, meaning that it is free to use and distribute. This allows you to download Linux on as many computers as you need without having to pay licensing fees. Linux also helps prevent your website from crashing. Seeing as Linux is a sturdy operating system, a server running on the Linux operating system will rarely crash or require a restart.
Linux is also a secure operating system, and its defenses make it difficult for hackers to penetrate. Along with an SSL certificate, the Linux operating system can help keep the server your website is hosted on secure and will help protect your user’s sensitive information, like credit card numbers.
The final benefit you stand to gain from Linux VPS hosting is the affordable cost. Since Linux is open source and you don’t have to pay licensing fees to use it, the cost of a Linux VPS server is significantly less than a Windows hosted server. If you have a tight budget but need to upgrade from a shared server, Linux VPS is a sound option to consider.
Beginner Tips
Shared servers are usually a great starting point for new websites, however, once your site begins to receive a high-volume of traffic you will want to upgrade to a VPS or dedicated server. VPS hosting offers a lot of the advantages of a dedicated server without the extraordinary cost, so be sure to look into VPS to determine if it is right for you.
Linux VPS Hosting Providers
Seeing as there are a plethora of benefits you stand to gain from Linux VPS hosting, there are countless web hosting providers that offer this hosting solution. To help you in your research, we have detailed some of the best and most reputable hosting providers that offer Linux VPS hosting.
1&1
Founded in Germany in 1988, 1&1 quickly grew into one of the world’s largest and most reputable hosting companies. 1&1 also has some of the most affordable pricing plans around, including for Linux VPS hosting. With 1&1’s Linux VPS hosting plans, you will get a free SSL certificate for added security, and anywhere from 2.5 to 9 GB of RAM, depending on your hosting plan.
GoDaddy
Another one of the largest hosting companies, GoDaddy, also offers Linux VPS hosting at a surprisingly affordable rate. With these plans, GoDaddy also offers a free SSL certificate to ensure your website is secure from hackers trying to steal sensitive information. Additionally, with GoDaddy, you can get anywhere between 1 to 8 GB of RAM storage as well as unlimited bandwidth.
HostGator
HostGator is another popular web hosting choice for Linux VPS hosting and has pricing plans comparable to GoDaddy. HostGator allows you between 2 and 8 GB of RAM storage, depending on your plan, and anywhere between 1.5 and 3 TB of bandwidth. Be sure to compare HostGator with other reputable hosting companies to determine which hosting provider is right for your website.
As the trusted domain and web hosting provider of StatCounter, 1&1 has surprisingly affordable rates and high-quality services. Better yet, most of 1&1’s plans come with extra features, like a free SSL certificate for added security. You can learn more about 1&1's VPS hosting plans here.
Track Your Improvement with StatCounter
Once you have found a hosting provider and have launched your website, you will need to install StatCounter’s tracking code to track your progress and improvements. We can show you detailed analytics like where your traffic is coming from and the most popular pages of your site. If you have any questions, or are in need of assistance, please contact StatCounter member support by completing the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Share this article
Understand your visitors with Statcounter
See why over 1,500,000 bloggers, web designers, marketing and SEO professionals and small business owners around the world use Statcounter to grow their business.
Learn More