We searched hundreds of the top web hosts to find the ones that provided great cloud and VPS plans. Then we combined them with our large database of thousands of customer reviews to find the top 10 SaaS hosting companies.
What Is a SaaS Hosting Provider?
Software as a Service (SaaS) is a model of software development and usage in which customers access the software remotely — usually through a web browser — and pay a recurring subscription fee.
Most computational service and data storage is done on the remote server. You typically don’t need to load and install the software onto your local computer (though there are exceptions).
Several benefits are associated with using a SaaS hosting solution, such as accessibility to your product or tool, simple onboarding and installation processes, and quality analytics that can support you as you grow and scale.
How To Choose a SaaS Hosting Service
Ultimately, it is important to choose a SaaS hosting service that suits your business’s specific needs. Here are a few considerations as you choose the best SaaS hosting services for your current objectives.
Customer support: It’s best to find a company with a strong customer support team. If anything goes wrong with your hosting environment, the problem is fixed as soon as possible. A bare minimum is quick replies to support tickets sent from your control panel.
Backups: Ensure that your hosting provider allows you to perform regular backups and that you can easily recover from these backups as quickly as possible in the event of a failure.
Uptime: Since SaaS applications live online, any minute of downtime can have huge costs to your business. You can find some hosting companies that offer 100% uptime. Even uptimes of 99.98% are pretty decent.
Value for cost: It is ideal to walk away with the best possible value for the cost. Checking to see what’s included in your package can help secure a more competitive price and offer.
Security: Investing in a host with quality technical support can give you the peace of mind you need to successfully launch your SaaS product. It can also be helpful in the event of a breach, mitigating your risk of excessive brand damage.
Single-platform interface, workload support, and managed cloud option
Kamatera hosting plans are designed to suit the needs of enterprise-level customers at an affordable rate.
The impressive 99.5% uptime guarantee is backed by several international data centers, as well as a range of operating systems to choose from: such as CentOS, Gentoo, Microsoft Windows, and other top choices.
I appreciated its commitment to cybersecurity, shown by an ongoing data monitoring strategy and success with hosting some of the largest tools and sites across industries.
The best part? In the event of a failure, you remain protected by Kamatera’s backup services to help you restore as much as possible – potentially protecting you from lasting brand damage.
Plus, any needs you have can be competently answered by the customer support team, available to you on a 24/7 basis via your specific membership tier.
Pros and cons of Kamatera
Pros
30-day free trial for extra consumer confidence
Pay-as-you-go modular structure to get you the best possible deal
Cons
Native backups are not free
Limited range of options for smaller businesses and organizations
Native collaboration tools, pay-as-you-go structure, and 24/7 live chat support
Cloudways is known for its stability and support, making this a great choice for newcomers and seasoned vets who can afford the higher prices.
You get the benefit of flexibility and ease – from its cPanel, flexible hosting packages backed by some of the most advanced cybersecurity elements such as SiteLock protection, a free Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, and others.
This platform offers some of the more reliable environments on the market, which has been corroborated by hundreds of live user reviews with their sites and tools. You can also enjoy autohealing features to help preserve your network's integrity.
Pros and cons of Cloudways
Pros
24/7 live customer support options
Go live in minutes with simple launch process and support
Cons
International customers report difficulties with access and function
More expensive than other similar competitors
What customers are saying about Cloudways
Cloudways is a managed cloud services provider offering fast speeds as well as great customer service and pricing. The setup can be a bit hard, and there is no cPanel.
Low starting price, streamlined interface, and SaaS-specific tools
DigitalOcean is known for its managed cloud hosting solutions, reliable uptime, and Droplets – convenient and segmented virtual machines to help you operate on a more modular (and efficient) basis.
Its solution is compatible across OS types, such as Ubuntu, Debian, and CentOS. You can also create your system via a custom images feature depending on your plan, providing a truly tailored experience that efficiently meets your needs.
Pricing begins at an affordable and accessible rate of just $4 per month per Droplet, giving you a solution that can grow as you go. It can get a little pricey, though, depending on what service types and add-on services you need.
Pros and cons of DigitalOcean
Pros
99.99% uptime guarantee via Droplets
15 international data centers for maximum reliability and convenience
Cons
Can get expensive quickly if you’re working with a bigger system or infrastructure setup
Limited network security compared to other provider types
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Liquid Web
Best first-time SaaS hosting users
Efficient live chat
Variable installers by site, via Softaculous i.e. Joomla, WordPress, and others
Agile infrastructure, simple UI, and customizable control panel for seamless execution
Liquid Web’s VPS hosting solutions and range of services continue to top many industry competitors. With 24/7/year-round support, you can rest assured your organization’s interests are protected.
You can enjoy custom cPanel selections, and a user-friendly installation experience via the Softaculous installer, offering a variety of script options for your site (such as Joomla, WordPress, and others).
Something that sets Liquid Web apart is its commitment to 100% uptime. While this can be difficult to promise, Digital.com’s technical experts confirmed the statement is reasonable and accurate.
Direct, malicious outages and DDoS attacks are the only time you would have any cause for concern or downtime in your site’s operations, thanks to the hosting service’s advanced cybersecurity and dense technical components.
Pros and cons of Liquid Web
Pros
Every server option comes with an email add-on for seamless operations
Average of 292 milliseconds response time
Cons
Lack of clear pricing can make onboarding confusing
Multiple portals can lead to confusing onboarding experiences
What customers are saying about Liquid Web
Liquid Web is known as one of the best managed WordPress hosting companies that allows you to easily host many websites. The tech support is open every day of the year, but there are some billing and customer service issues.
Extensive experience in the field, feature-rich plans and native site builder tools
InMotion Hosting offers you a range of reliable hosting solutions, such as cloud and dedicated server solutions. It is also the only option on this list with tailored options for e-commerce pros, such as WordPress, WooCommerce, and reseller hosting account specificity.
You can also enjoy additional benefits, such as unlimited bandwidth and a greener way of doing business, thanks to the site’s environmentally friendly business policies. Some of the sustainable steps the service has taken include:
Reducing cooling costs by over 70%
Launching new green data centers across the U.S.
Embracing a total-team approach to recycling and cost reduction
InMotion is known for fantastically fast loading speeds and open-source structure, using the data method whenever possible for easier management and replication.
When you sign on for a hosting plan, you’ll become eligible for a 90-day money-back guarantee, and may even secure a free domain name, depending on the type of plan you selected.
Pros and cons of InMotion Hosting
Pros
Recent upgrades were made to allow for more random-access memory (RAM)
Environmentally friendly policies offer you a greener website hosting solution
Cons
Servers are exclusively located in North America, which could limit accessibility for international consumers
No free backups are available without a paid pair add-on
What customers are saying about InMotion Hosting
InMotion Hosting’s high-performance hosting, support team, features, and customer service are well-liked. Prices are fair, but can fluctuate.
Frequently Asked Questions About SaaS Hosting Services
What is a third-party SaaS provider?
SaaS stands for Software as a service. It’s a business model in which you pay for software, such as a blogging application, and the provider maintains the software for you.
In some cases, the software may be provided for free, with a for-cost option also available.
One of the most popular SaaS providers today is WordPress. You can host your blog, or even an entire website, on WordPress for free. For an added cost, you can even use your domain.
What type of web hosting supports SaaS?
SaaS hosting requires a significant amount of resources, including speed, scalability, and reliable uptime. Only certain types of web hosting offer these features, including VPS, cloud, and dedicated server hosting.
Shared hosting, the most basic and affordable type of web hosting, is not capable of supporting SaaS, even if plans promise unlimited bandwidth and disk space. These promises are based on the number of resources a simple website or blog will use.
If you are offering SaaS, you will need the type of resources and control that only advanced web hosting offers.
Are there limitations to using SaaS hosting instead of self-hosting?
In most cases, SaaS providers offer fewer customization options and add-on features than self-hosted alternatives.
Additionally, if you are using your hosting plan for your website and a SaaS for your blog or other feature, visitors will be required to leave your site to access that feature.
