4.8 
Best Windows Dedicated Server Feature Overview
| Provider | CPU (Cores) | RAM (GB) | Storage (GB) | Bandwidth (TB) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4-6 | 16 | 2,000 | 8 | Visit Liquid Web |
 | 1-32 | 1-128 | 20-4,000 | 5 | Visit Kamatera |
 | 4-64 | 16-1000 | 480-8,000 | Unlimited | Visit Ultahost |
 | 2-24 | 4-64 | 50-460 | Unmetered | Visit ScalaHosting |
 | 2-8 | 4-16 | 80-320 | Unlimited | Visit Verpex Hosting |
 | 2-52 | 32-256 | 4,000 – 20,000 | Unmetered | Visit InterServer |
Most people host their first website on a shared hosting solution. That works for a while, but as their business grows, they’ll need more control, resources, and privacy. They might use VPS hosting for some time, but eventually, they might need an entire server dedicated to their needs. A Windows dedicated server solution offers a complete server to a single user. The user can enjoy all the resources available on the server without sharing them with anyone.
They typically come in two operating systems: Linux and Windows. Linux dedicated servers are cheap in terms of cost, but they don’t work well with specific applications. Windows dedicated servers can be expensive, but they are necessary for businesses, developers, and others who want to run popular Windows-based applications on their servers.
If you’re considering a Windows dedicated server, your next step should be deciding on the hosting provider. Our seasoned web hosting experts conducted an independent, in-depth study to find the best Windows dedicated server hosting providers. More about our ranking factors at the end of the article. For now, let’s delve into what to look for when choosing a hosting service like this.
What to Look for When Choosing a Windows Dedicated Server Provider
- Reliability: You should be looking for a web host that promises a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
- Security: Ensure that your host providers offer industry-standard security features.
- Customer support: Confirm that you can reach customer support and get solutions through the available channels
- Cost-effectiveness: Don’t be swayed by cheap plans. Each plan must contain all the features you need.
- User-friendliness: Choose a dedicated hosting provider that is user-friendly.
The Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Services of 2024 (Bought and Tested):
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 5.0
- Reliability: 5.0
- User-Friendly: 4.8
- Support: 5.0
- Pricing: 4.7
LiquidWeb offers Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, specifically designed to cater to businesses that require robust, secure, and high-performance hosting environments on the Windows platform. Ideal for applications that rely on Microsoft technologies, LiquidWeb’s servers are perfect for hosting enterprise-level databases, large-scale e-commerce sites, and complex web applications.
Detailed Analysis:
Features: LiquidWeb’s Windows servers are equipped with cutting-edge technology, including the latest Intel Xeon processors, high-speed SSD storage, and premium bandwidth options. Servers come with full administrative access, allowing for complete customization and are optimized for the best performance of Windows-specific applications such as MS SQL, Exchange, and SharePoint.
Reliability: With world-class data centers and a state-of-the-art network infrastructure, LiquidWeb provides a 100% uptime SLA, ensuring that your critical operations are always running. The infrastructure is built with redundancy in every layer, from network connections to power systems, securing maximum reliability.
User-Friendly: Despite the complex nature of dedicated server management, LiquidWeb offers an intuitive management interface. This includes tools for server monitoring, updates, and security management, which are all accessible via a user-friendly control panel, making daily operations smoother for IT teams.
Support: LiquidWeb is renowned for its exceptional customer support, known as “Heroic Support”. This includes 24/7 access to highly skilled technicians who specialize in Windows environments, providing proactive monitoring, immediate troubleshooting, and expert advice.
Pricing: LiquidWeb’s pricing for Windows Dedicated Server hosting reflects the premium services and support offered. The plans are diverse, allowing businesses to select and customize based on their specific needs, ensuring that they only pay for the resources and services that are truly required.
Pros and Cons:
- High-performance servers with top-tier hardware optimized for Windows applications
- Exceptional customer support with a strong focus on providing tailored solutions for Windows environments
- Robust security features and compliance standards suitable for handling sensitive data and complex business applications
- Premium pricing, which might be higher than other hosting options but justified by high-end services and support
- Windows-specific hosting might not be as flexible for businesses that use a variety of operating systems or require integration with non-Microsoft products
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 5.0
- Reliability: 5.0
- User-Friendly: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.8
Kamatera offers Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, providing high-performance, scalable, and secure hosting solutions tailored for applications that leverage Microsoft technologies. This service is ideal for businesses looking to host enterprise-level applications such as MS SQL databases, Active Directory environments, or scalable ASP.NET sites.
Detailed Analysis:
Features: Kamatera’s Windows dedicated servers come equipped with the latest and most powerful Intel Xeon processors, high-speed SSDs, and extensive RAM options. Full administrative access allows for deep customization, enabling optimal server configuration for specific Windows applications. Enhanced security features, including advanced firewall settings and DDoS protection, are standard.
Reliability: With a robust network infrastructure and top-tier data centers, Kamatera guarantees high availability and exceptional performance. The company offers a 99.95% uptime SLA, ensuring that your server and applications are always operational.
User-Friendly: Kamatera provides a user-friendly management interface that simplifies the configuration and maintenance of Windows servers. This includes automated system updates and an easy-to-navigate dashboard for monitoring server health and resource usage.
Support: Kamatera offers 24/7 expert support, with a team that specializes in Windows environments. This dedicated support ensures quick resolution of any issues and ongoing assistance with server management, security, and optimization.
Pricing: Pricing for Kamatera’s Windows Dedicated Server Hosting is competitive, offering a variety of plans that cater to different sizes and types of business needs. The pricing model is flexible, allowing businesses to scale resources up or down based on demand, which ensures cost efficiency.
Pros and Cons:
- High-end hardware optimized for Windows server applications ensures top performance
- Scalable resource allocation allows businesses to adjust as their needs evolve
- Expert, around-the-clock support tailored for Windows server management
- While the service offers high scalability, the initial cost might be higher than other providers due to the premium hardware and features
- The specialized nature of Windows dedicated hosting might require businesses to have or develop specific technical expertise to fully utilize the server capabilities
- Overall Score – 4.3
- Features – 4.1
- Support – 4.4
- User Friendly – 4.6
- Pricing – 4.1
- Reliability – 4.7
Overall Score – 4.3: UltaHost provides enough features and performance to rival some of the biggest names in the web host industry. Here is a rundown of what makes them one of the best Windows dedicated server hosting providers.
Features – 4.1: UltaHost offers 7 data center locations, SSD-only servers, anti-malware protection, and many free features. These features include free daily backups, free SSL certification, free domain transfer, 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee on each plan. Other great features include the RocketBooster high-performance php7 hosting environment and Cloudflare CDN Caching.
Support – 4.4: UltaHost offers a great customer support system. You can reach the support team via live chat, email, phone, and ticketing system. You can also get assistance from its knowledge base and FAQs.
User Friendly – 4.6: UltaHost uses a user-friendly and straightforward panel interface. With it, you can manage your servers, maintain your websites and perform other server-related tasks. The panel provides relevant information on your domains, IP addresses, and further details.
Pricing – 4.1: UltaHost offers managed dedicated server solutions. The cheapest plan costs $129.90/month and offers 2x 960 GB SSD, 64 GB RAM, and 1 IPv4 IP address. All plans come with BitNinja Security, SSH and SFTP Access, Unlimited Bandwidth, and 24/7 Real-time Monitoring.
Reliability – 4.7: UltaHost promises a 100% uptime guarantee on its dedicated server hosting plans. This guarantee is no surprise as the provider uses Tier-3 and Tier-4 data centers to provide you with their web hosting solutions. Their data centers have the latest SSD technology and redundant RAID 10 configuration.
Additional Parameter: Security and Backups: UltaHost takes server security very seriously. It provides in-house server monitoring to prevent any issue from appearing under its Complete Server Management plan. It offers other security solutions like its Web Application Firewall (WAF), malware scans and reports, and free daily backups. Users can quickly restore these backups using the 1-click Restore Manager. If that fails or you run into an issue, the support team will help you restore your data at no extra cost.
UltaHost enjoys popularity and patronage due to its ultra-modern state-of-the-art data centers, network hardware, and technology.
Pros & Cons
- Free SSL certification for life
- 100% uptime guarantee
- Transparent pricing
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- State-of-the-art infrastructure
- Customer support is not round the clock
- Steep learning curve
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.9
- Features: 5.0
- Reliability: 4.9
- User-Friendly: 4.8
- Support: 5.0
- Pricing: 4.7
ScalaHosting offers Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, specifically designed to meet the needs of businesses requiring robust, scalable, and secure hosting solutions on the Windows platform. This service is perfect for hosting complex web applications, large databases, and enterprise-level systems that rely on Microsoft technologies.
Detailed Analysis:
Features: ScalaHosting’s Windows dedicated servers are equipped with the latest hardware technology, including powerful Intel Xeon processors, high-speed SSDs, and extensive memory options. Servers come with full administrative access, enabling clients to install and manage a wide range of software applications, tailored specifically for their needs.
Reliability: With premium data centers equipped with redundant power sources and network connections, ScalaHosting guarantees high uptime and exceptional performance. Their infrastructure ensures that Windows applications run smoothly with minimal latency and maximum availability.
User-Friendly: ScalaHosting provides an intuitive control panel that simplifies the management of Windows dedicated servers. This includes tools for automated backups, system monitoring, and security management, making it easier for administrators to maintain their systems efficiently.
Support: Known for their exceptional customer support, ScalaHosting offers 24/7 assistance from experts specialized in Windows environments. This support includes proactive monitoring, performance optimization, and immediate troubleshooting to ensure continuous and trouble-free server operation.
Pricing: The pricing structure for ScalaHosting’s Windows Dedicated Server Hosting is competitive and flexible, providing different tiers to suit various business sizes and requirements. Each plan is clearly outlined, helping customers choose the best option based on their operational needs and budget.
Pros and Cons:
- High-end server configurations optimized for Windows-based applications
- Scalable resources to meet growing business demands
- Dedicated expert support ensures optimal server performance and uptime
- The specialized nature of Windows dedicated servers might come at a higher cost compared to more standard hosting options
- Managing a dedicated server requires a certain level of technical expertise, which might be a challenge for businesses without a dedicated IT team
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.8
- Features: 4.9
- Reliability: 5.0
- User-Friendly: 4.7
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.6
is*hosting provides Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, expertly configured to support robust Microsoft-based applications and services. This service is ideal for businesses that require dedicated resources for running enterprise-level Microsoft software, complex databases, and large-scale web applications.
Detailed Analysis:
Features: is*hosting’s Windows dedicated servers are equipped with high-performance Intel Xeon processors, fast SSDs for quick data retrieval, and ample RAM to handle intensive applications. Full administrative access allows clients to fully customize their server environment to suit specific needs, including advanced configurations for Windows Server, SQL Server, and Exchange Server.
Reliability: With state-of-the-art data centers, is*hosting ensures a 99.99% uptime guarantee, providing the stability and availability essential for mission-critical Windows applications. Redundant power supplies and network infrastructures further enhance reliability and performance.
User-Friendly: Despite the complex capabilities of dedicated Windows servers, is*hosting offers a streamlined management interface that simplifies the deployment, management, and monitoring of resources. This user-friendly approach helps minimize the technical challenges associated with server administration.
Support: is*hosting provides 24/7 support from a team of Windows server experts. This dedicated support ensures that any issues are swiftly addressed, whether they involve server setup, maintenance, or troubleshooting, helping to maintain continuous operational efficiency.
Pricing: The pricing for is*hosting’s Windows Dedicated Server Hosting is structured to be competitive, reflecting the quality and scope of services provided. Various plans are available to accommodate different business needs and budgets, each offering significant value and scalability.
Pros and Cons:
- Tailored hardware and software solutions optimized for Windows environments
- High reliability with redundant systems ensuring operational continuity
- Expert technical support available around the clock to assist with Windows-specific issues
- Premium features and configurations can result in higher costs compared to standard server hosting
- The specialized nature of the service might require users to have or acquire specific technical knowledge to fully exploit the capabilities offered
Rating Based on Expert Review:
- Overall Score: 4.8
- Features: 4.9
- Reliability: 4.9
- User-Friendly: 4.8
- Support: 4.9
- Pricing: 4.7
Verpex offers Windows Dedicated Server Hosting that provides robust and reliable solutions tailored to businesses requiring dedicated resources for high-performance Windows applications. This hosting is ideal for enterprises running complex databases, large-scale ERP systems, and resource-intensive web applications.
Detailed Analysis:
Features: Verpex’s Windows dedicated servers are equipped with cutting-edge technology, including powerful Intel Xeon processors, high-speed SSD storage, and comprehensive bandwidth options. These servers offer full administrative access, allowing extensive customization and optimization for specific business needs.
Reliability: Positioned in state-of-the-art data centers, Verpex ensures excellent uptime and stability with redundant power and networking infrastructures designed to support continuous operation. This setup is crucial for businesses that rely on their applications being available around the clock.
User-Friendly: Despite the advanced technology, Verpex maintains a user-friendly management platform. This platform simplifies the deployment and management of Windows servers, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
Support: Verpex is known for its exceptional customer service, providing 24/7 support from a team of Windows server experts. This team offers quick and efficient solutions to any issues, ensuring minimal downtime and optimal server performance.
Pricing: The pricing for Verpex’s Windows Dedicated Server Hosting is structured to offer flexibility, accommodating a range of business sizes and requirements. Each pricing tier provides detailed information on the resources included, making it easy for businesses to select a plan that matches their needs.
Pros and Cons:
- High-end server configurations optimized for Windows applications ensure top performance
- Reliable infrastructure with excellent uptime guarantees business continuity
- Dedicated support team skilled in managing and troubleshooting Windows environments
- The cost of premium dedicated server features might be higher than standard hosting options
- The need for significant customization and management may require businesses to have IT expertise
- Overall Score – 4.4
- Features – 4.4
- Support – 4.3
- User Friendly – 4.4
- Pricing – 4.5
- Reliability – 4.4
Overall Score – 4.4: InterServer is one of the world’s best windows dedicated hosting server solutions. With their 99.99% uptime guarantee, unlimited resources, and a simple but functional cPanel, it is hard to recommend a better alternative.
Features – 4.4: InterSever offers limitless bandwidths, emails, storage space, databases, and blogs. All hosting plans also come with Cloudflare CDN and a Plesk management panel.
Support – 4.3: The customer service team from InterSever offers fast expert support. However, they are not always available, and some of their responses didn’t seem too accurate during our tests. Overall, the support is good, but it might take a while for you to resolve any issues you encounter on your windows-based dedicated server.
User Friendly – 4.4: The cPanel interface doesn’t come with whistles and bells, but it provides enough functionality to allow users to manage and upgrade their servers. However, developers might find the control options somewhat limited.
Pricing – 4.5: Pricing starts at $67.00/mo and goes up to $500.00/mo. The basic plan includes 6 Cores Single CPU, 64GB Memory, 150TB Transfer, IPMI Console, and DDoS Protection. You can save money by going for plans lasting a year or more.
Reliability – 4.4: InterSever offers a top-tier 99.99% uptime guarantee, impressive website loading speed, and an above-average server speed.
Additional parameter – Security: Security is a significant issue when running dedicated servers. InterServer comes top of the line with its weekly backup on remote servers, DDoS attack protection, and its native security suite, InterShield. InterShield comes equipped with an antivirus scanner, web attack blocking, a machine-learning firewall, and an in-house malware database. Another security study is the Inter-Insurance package. This package promises to investigate and restore hacked or infected websites for free.
Interserver is famous for its suite of security features, enterprise-grade performance and reliability, and robust dedicated server hosting features.
Pros & Cons
- Comprehensive security solutions
- Free weekly backups on remote servers
- 99.99% uptime guarantee
- Affordable hosting plans
- Enterprise-grade infrastructure
- Manual backups
- Cluttered cPanel
Ranking comparison between the Top Providers
Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Services: Final recommendations
The best provider for you depends on a combination of factors. The five key factors are customer support, pricing, features, reliability, and user-friendliness. However, these factors mean different things to different people. If you are on a huge budget, you will focus more on features and reliability than pricing. If you are a beginner, user-friendliness and customer support should be your top priority.
When it comes to ticking all the right boxes, Kamatera is your best bet. You get reliable hosting performance with features you need to run a fully operational Windows dedicated server. They also provide solid customer support. Check the provider that aligns with your needs.
Types of Windows Dedicated Server Hosting and Which Is the Right One for You
There are three types of Windows dedicated server hosting: managed, unmanaged, and semi-managed Windows dedicated server hosting.
Managed hosting solutions remove the stress of monitoring and managing your servers. The provider does all of that for you. In exchange, you pay a higher fee than you would if you ran an unmanaged hosting solution.
Unmanaged hosting solutions require you to manage your servers or hire a professional. If you have technical experience and time, a self-managed dedicated server can be perfect for you.
Semi-managed dedicated hosting solutions mean the provider will handle hardware, OS, and other basic configurations. You have to carry out the rest of the tasks on your own. It is a fair compromise for those who want to save costs but still require maintenance and management help.
Here are two main reasons why many businesses and individuals opt for unmanaged and semi-managed dedicated servers:
- Cheaper cost: depending on the provider, unmanaged and semi-managed dedicated server solutions are far more affordable than the managed alternatives.
- More control: Since you (or your team) manage the server, you can tweak the server to your specific needs. Some people and organizations go for unmanaged servers not to save money but to have their servers running strictly according to their specifications and security parameters.
Factors to Consider when Choosing a Windows Dedicated Server Hosting Plan
If upgrading to a Windows dedicated server for the first time, you need to know what you should be getting from your service provider. Here are some crucial areas to consider when choosing a hosting plan:
- Server Uptime Guarantee: No server will be up every day of the year as providers have to perform maintenance once or twice a year. Natural events can also cause servers to go down. However, many web hosts offer a 99.9% server uptime guarantee. So if you keep experiencing downtimes outside the scheduled maintenance period, you are entitled to some part of your monthly fee. However, if downtime severely affects your business, it is time to move to a new provider.
- Managed vs. Unmanaged Windows Dedicated Hosting: Windows dedicated servers come in two main types: unmanaged and managed. An unmanaged server will save you money in the short term but cost more if you have to hire a professional to handle it for you. A managed server costs more, but it relieves the stress of handling and maintaining it yourself. There is a third option: semi-managed dedicated hosting. With this option, the provider will handle hardware and other basic configurations. Software monitoring and upgrades are yours to do.
- HDD and SSD: Hard disk drives (HDD) are cheap storage options for computers and servers. However, they are slower and require more energy. A solid-state drive (SSD) costs more but delivers faster performance and energy efficiency. As a result, SSDs have become the gold standard, despite their generally high cost. If you are looking for a large storage option at a low price and don’t mind the slower speed, then you can go with HDD.
How Do We Rank, and How Should You Choose Your Windows Dedicated Hosting Provider?
We rank Windows dedicated hosting packages based on several critical factors. Our in-house hosting experts perform independent, rigorous tests on each provider’s plans based on these vital elements. We then rank the provider’s performance based on industry standards and compared to other providers. We also review comments and feedback from past and current customers to get a holistic picture of how well the provider has performed over time.
Here are the key factors we look out for when ranking for the Windows dedicated web hosting category:
How Did We Choose The Top Windows Dedicated Hosting?
- Server Performance30%
- Security Features10%
- Customization Options13%
- Customer Support10%
- Pricing7%
- User Reviews30%
- Server Performance (30%): The critical elements under this factor are processor speed, RAM, bandwidth and storage space specifications, uptime guarantees, and data center setup.
- Security Features (10%): We prioritize safety when reviewing unmanaged Whipsnade dedicated hosting solutions. Typically, we focus on providers that offer industry-standard security solutions. We also award extra points to providers that provide in-house state-of-the-art security tools and assurances.
- Customization Options (13%): Most people and organizations choose dedicated server hosting because they want complete control. We focus on dedicated server providers that offer unlimited access, flexibility, and scalability.
- Customer Support (10%): Regardless of whether you are a developer or newbie, you need all the help you can get in running a dedicated server. Your hosting provider should provide round-the-clock support through several channels like email, phone, live chat, and ticketing support.
- Pricing (7%): Dedicated servers are not cheap, so you have every right to expect total value for your money. We examine entry prices, renewal rates, the cost of add-on features, and other benefits of getting the best deals on the market. We also love it when providers offer money-back guarantees.
- User Reviews(30%): The best web hosts have consistently delivered great experiences over a long period. We believe user reviews are the best way to gauge how well a provider performs over time.
In summary, here are key features to look out for:
- Complete access and control
- Ample processor speed and performance
- Industry-standard security features
- Generators and scalable bandwidth, RAM, and storage spaces
- Ease of use and excellent customer support
- Uptime guarantee and scalability
- Pricing and money-back guarantees
What Is the Best Windows Dedicated Server Hosting, and Who Is It For?
Dedicated hosting plans are the crème de la crème of web hosting. They dedicate an entire server to the needs of a single client. It is the only hosting plan where you don’t have to share server resources such as CPU output, bandwidth, and RAM with other users. You also get to configure the server to your exact specifications. You won’t get this feature with shared, VPS, or cloud hosting plans. It is the top web hosting tier but also the most expensive.
Its high price tag makes it exclusively for large organizations and websites that attract hundreds of thousands of web visitors. It is also the ideal plan for businesses and individuals who want complete control and flexibility. Websites that require strict security, large-scale resources, and unique specifications should go for a dedicated server.
Although website needs are the primary consideration, budget is another major consideration. It is not uncommon for dedicated plans to run into thousands of dollars per month.
However, there are clear signs that you need to move your website or web-based application to a dedicated server. These signs include:
- Performance lag during times of high-volume traffic
- Multiple security threats
- Need for dedicated IP addresses
- Demand for better control, flexibility, and scalability
