DigitalOcean? AWS? Hetzner? Vultr? Linode? The options are overwhelming. Here's my take after 9 years of VPS usage.
My Top Picks
Hetzner — Best Value
Incredible specs for the price. German reliability. Great for EU-based projects.
DigitalOcean — Best Documentation
If you're starting out, DO has the best tutorials and community. Worth the premium.
AWS — Best Ecosystem
If you need the full AWS ecosystem, EC2 is solid. But it's expensive and complex.
What I Use
For ServerAvatar, we use a mix depending on the use case. Hetzner for most things, AWS for services that need specific integrations.
The Underrated Picks
- Contabo — Surprisingly good value
- Vultr — Global presence, consistent performance
- Linode (Akamai) — Solid and reliable
Don't sleep on the providers you haven't heard of. Price/performance ratios change constantly.