Cloud Provider Choice for Minimal Always-On Services
When running a barebone, always-on service (e.g., personal websites, self-hosted email, cloud storage like Nextcloud, password manager like Bitwarden, or a Squid proxy for VPN-like access), a cheap VPS is often the best choice. Static residential ISP hosting is rare and usually unreliable or restricted (e.g., dynamic IPs, port blocks, low uptime).
Why Use a Cloud VPS?
Individuals and small users typically move to cloud providers because:
- Reliable uptime (99.9%+ SLA)
- Static IPs for email/domain services
- Easy scaling and backups
- Global data centers for low latency
- Full root access to install anything (Nginx/Apache, Postfix/Dovecot, etc.)
What to Look For in a Barebone Cloud Provider
Focus on minimal specs that handle light loads (a few low-traffic sites + email):
| Resource | Typical Minimum for Barebone Setup | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| RAM | 1–4 GB | Enough for OS + web server + email (e.g., 1 GB for very light; 2–4 GB recommended) |
| CPU | 1–2 vCPUs | Shared is fine for light use; avoid burstable if always-on needed |
| Storage | 10–50 GB SSD/NVMe | For OS, sites, emails, and databases; SSD for speed |
| Bandwidth/Traffic | 500 GB–20 TB outbound/month (inbound often free) | Critical for serving websites + email; low caps lead to overages |
Other key factors:
- Port 25 open (for outbound email) or easy relay setup
- IPv4 included (IPv6-only is cheaper but limits compatibility)
- Uptime and support
- Overage costs (bandwidth can add up)
- Data center locations (EU often cheapest/most traffic)
Providers Comparison
Big clouds like AWS and Azure are reliable but expensive for minimal always-on use. Low-cost alternatives offer better value.
| Provider | Base Plan Example | Price/mo | CPU / RAM / Storage | Bandwidth/Traffic Included | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AWS Lightsail | Lowest Linux bundle | ~$5 | 1 vCPU / 512 MB / 20 GB SSD | 1 TB | Predictable; free tier trial |
| Azure VM | Lowest burstable (e.g., B2ats v2) | ~$7 | 2 vCPU / 1 GB / (disk extra) | Pay-as-you-go egress | Flexible but complex; spot discounts |
| Vultr | Cloud Compute (entry) | $2.50 | 1 vCPU / 512 MB / 10 GB SSD | 0.5–1 TB | Global locations; cheap overages |
| DigitalOcean | Basic Droplet | $4 | 1 vCPU / 512 MB / 10 GB SSD | 500 GB | Simple dashboard; per-second billing |
| Hetzner | CX23 (EU) | ~$3.80 | 2 vCPU / 4 GB / 40 GB NVMe | 20 TB (EU) | Best traffic value; 1 TB US / 0.5 TB Asia |
| Hetzner | CX33 (EU) | ~$6 | 4 vCPU / 8 GB / 80 GB NVMe | 20 TB (EU) | Very strong value — generous resources for the price; great for slightly heavier minimal setups |
| IONOS | VPS XS | $2 | 1 vCore / 1 GB / 10 GB NVMe | Unlimited | Beginner-friendly; includes email tools |
Recommendation: For minimal setups with low traffic, Hetzner (EU) is usually the best price/performance choice thanks to its massive traffic allowance. The CX33 at ~$6/month stands out as an especially good deal — you get 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe, and 20 TB traffic, which is more than enough headroom for most personal always-on services. The cheaper CX23 has availability problems when I tested in Feb 2026, but CX33 was available.