cheap hosted server for startups and side projects

What it really means

A cheap hosted server should cut costs, not corners. You want predictable billing, decent I/O, and the freedom to scale up without surprise fees. Look for transparent pricing, backups that actually restore, and a support channel that responds faster than your error logs.

Getting started

Begin with the smallest plan, benchmark your app, then right-size. Monitor CPU, memory, and network before committing to long-term discounts. Choose regions close to your users, keep images lean, and automate security updates. That’s how a low-cost setup stays fast and sane.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Chasing the lowest sticker price while ignoring bandwidth caps and egress fees.
• Skipping snapshots; one misconfigured deploy can wipe hours of work.
• Running everything as root, then wondering about breaches.
• Overprovisioning storage you never use.
• Neglecting logs and alerts until downtime hits.

When in doubt, test providers with a small workload, compare real-world latency, and write down your cost ceiling. Cheap is good; predictable and reliable is better.