This article will be continuously updated based on my experiences, and the reviews are very subjective.

Last updated: 2020/09/01

Introduction#

I started researching VPS from the time I began using GCP’s one-year $300 free trial. Currently (2019/07), I am using its Cloud Compute to set up a Minecraft server in the Taiwan data center.

However, I found that GCP’s prices are quite expensive, and the $300 is consumed very quickly, expected to last at most 2-3 months. Therefore, I also researched if there are any cheaper VPS (preferably with a trial) that can run a Minecraft server.

If you don’t want to read too much, my current top recommendation is Nexus Bytes’ service, which has the highest overall cost-performance ratio.

Linode#

This is a quite well-known VPS provider, with the lowest price being $5 USD, and options in Japan, Singapore, and India in Asia.

Currently (2019/07), using podcastinit2019 as a Promo Code to register can get you $20 USD credit, valid until the end of the year.

Click here to register (with my referral)

I have mainly moved my previously set up BDTCS Tieba Cloud Sign-in System to the $5 USD/Month Japan VPS here, hosting Panda Network’s Hentai@Home and setting up Outline VPN.

So far, my experience has been quite good, with stable and fast network, and good customer service quality, making it worth continuing to use. However, note that the Japan data center’s ping from Taiwan is not very good, making it suitable for hosting websites but not for a Minecraft server.

Benchmark#

wget -qO- bench.sh | bash

Google Cloud Platform: Cloud Compute#

Compared to other ordinary VPS, this one is quite expensive. However, what prompted me to use it was the free $300 and the Taiwan data center (ping~20).

I opened a (4CPU+4GB RAM+50GB SSD) server for about two weeks, then downgraded it to (2CPU+3GB RAM+25GB SSD) because not many people were playing on the server. GCP allows you to freely upgrade/downgrade RAM and CPU, but not SSD, so I opened another VM and used rsync to transfer the server data to successfully downgrade.

Here is the current cost: (two weeks of the high-end version + two days of the downgraded server)

Benchmark#

wget -qO- bench.sh | bash

HostHatch#

This provider is much less famous compared to the previous two, but I think its prices are quite affordable, cheap and generous, with a Hong Kong data center option.

Click here to register (with my referral)

It offers three types of servers: KVM, OpenVZ, and Storage. The first two are SSD, but OpenVZ is much cheaper than KVM (you can Google the reasons). The Storage option uses HDD but provides a large space, suitable for backups or setting up Nextcloud cloud storage.

Currently, I have purchased its $4 USD/Month OpenVZ server, mainly to run Hentai@Home to earn Hath, as its space and traffic are better than Linode's$4USD/MonthOpenVZserver,mainlytorunHentai@HometoearnHath,asitsspaceandtrafficarebetterthanLinode′s5 USD/Month.

Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that the ping from Taiwan to this provider is quite low, making it a consideration for setting up a game server.

Benchmark#

wget -qO- bench.sh | bash

UltraVPS.eu#

I bought their Black Friday server, with average latency, good speed, and affordable prices. However, a hassle is that the space is not a single block of hard drive but two, requiring you to mount it yourself, making it more troublesome to use (this might be specific to my plan).

Click here to register (with my referral)

Benchmark#

wget -qO- bench.sh | bash

SSD Nodes#

This provider often offers quite exaggerated discounts, but almost always requires a one-year to three-year upfront payment to be worth it. I used their Singapore server but canceled it after half a year.

Click here to register (with my referral)

There are many reviews online about overselling, but I didn’t feel it, maybe because I don’t know how to check for such things. The main reason I canceled was that their network latency to Taiwan was quite high, on par with ordinary US VPS. However, their customer service is really good, with quick and timely responses.

Benchmark#

Since I wrote this part after canceling, there are no results to show.

Nexus Bytes#

This provider’s prices are not as friendly as the above, but I think it’s quite suitable for hosting websites, with top-notch stability and performance. Purchasing also gives you a NAT backup server and a web space.

Click here to register (with my referral)

I use their Singapore VPS-2G server, which is top-notch except for the limited traffic. However, I use CloudFlare, so I’m not too worried.

Customer service is also good, with quick ticket responses, earning a good reputation on LowEndTalk. Stability also has a 99.9% SLA guarantee, with compensation if below.

Benchmark#

wget -qO- bench.sh | bash