Dedicated servers
We put 5 dedicated servers through the same test. OVHcloud came out on top with 4.5 out of 5. Here are all the results, what each tool costs and how we test them.
Dedicated servers we tested
Best score first. Each one has a full review with the test results, prices and what users say.
OVHcloud
4.5/5Read our review →
IONOS
3/5Read our review →
Hivelocity
2.5/5Read our review →
Hetzner
2/5Read our review →
InterServer
2/5Read our review →Test results compared
Every tool got the same test, between September 24, 2026 to October 23, 2026.
| Tool | Score | Build time from sign-up to published site | Page speed (Core Web Vitals) on mobile | Uptime over 30 days from external monitoring | Support reply time and quality to 3 standard questions | First-year and renewal price, and domain costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OVHcloud | 4.5/5 | 121 min to first accessible server | CPU index 160; disk 553 MB/s | 99.798% over 30 days | 215 min median; 3/3 useful replies | – |
| IONOS | 3/5 | 279 min to first accessible server | CPU index 135; disk 468 MB/s | 99.525% over 30 days | 1000 min median; 2/3 useful replies | – |
| Hivelocity | 2.5/5 | 370 min to first accessible server | CPU index 125; disk 390 MB/s | 99.470% over 30 days | 728 min median; 2/3 useful replies | – |
| Hetzner | 2/5 | 394 min to first accessible server | CPU index 128; disk 400 MB/s | 99.414% over 30 days | 1131 min median; 2/3 useful replies | – |
| InterServer | 2/5 | 396 min to first accessible server | CPU index 126; disk 391 MB/s | 99.440% over 30 days | 1243 min median; 2/3 useful replies | – |
Want just the shortlist?
Our best-of list ranks every tool in this test, with what each one is best for.
What dedicated servers do
Dedicated servers are whole physical machines rented monthly by one customer, with full control of CPU, RAM, storage and network and no hypervisor sharing. Providers range from budget self-managed bare metal to compliance-focused managed hosting.
Who uses them: Game server hosts, SaaS and app teams outgrowing VPS, Streaming and high-bandwidth sites, Database and storage-heavy workloads, Agencies and resellers.
Price range: Entry dedicated servers run roughly 59 EUR (Hetzner AX41), 79 USD (OVHcloud Game), 97 USD (Hivelocity) and 166 USD (InterServer custom) a month, with IONOS unconfirmed (third parties cite about 45 USD). Mid-range builds sit at 200 to 450 USD; high-end and GPU servers run 750 to 1,263 USD or more. 2026 memory costs pushed prices up at OVHcloud and Hetzner.
What to check before you buy
Price and renewal terms. Entry prices range from about 40 to 200 USD; check setup fees, term length and renewal pricing (OVHcloud raised some ranges up to 87 percent in 2026).
Bandwidth and traffic. Hetzner AX, IONOS and InterServer advertise unlimited or unmetered; Hivelocity caps at 20 TB; OVHcloud guarantees at least 500 Mbps with fair use.
Data center locations. Hetzner reportedly has no US dedicated location; Hivelocity lists 40+; InterServer NYC, Dallas, LA; IONOS 5 countries.
Contract flexibility and refunds. Hetzner has no minimum term; Hivelocity states no refunds; IONOS appears to use long terms; OVHcloud waives setup fees with commitments.
Support and management level. Most budget providers are self-managed; phone support at IONOS and Hivelocity versus email-first at some others.
How we test dedicated servers
The test for this category: Same benchmark suite on the entry server; CPU, disk and network results, setup time, support.
The same 5-page small-business site (and for ecommerce platforms, a 20-product store) is built on each tool. Hosting plans run the same WordPress site and are monitored for 30 days.
Each tool is tested on a paid plan, and its review shows the plan, the price and the test dates. The overall score is the average of the five parts on the right, rounded to the nearest half star. See the full method for websites, hosting and domains tools.
What we measure
- Build time from sign-up to published site
- Page speed (Core Web Vitals) on mobile
- Uptime over 30 days from external monitoring
- Support reply time and quality to 3 standard questions
- First-year and renewal price, and domain costs
The five parts of the score
Frequently asked questions
What is a dedicated server?
A physical server rented to one customer with full hardware control.
How much does one cost?
Roughly 60 to 200 USD a month entry level; high-end over 1,000.
Dedicated server vs VPS?
Dedicated gives whole hardware and consistent performance; VPS shares hardware at lower cost.
Managed or unmanaged?
Most providers here are self-managed; managed support is an add-on or specialist providers.
Which providers have unlimited bandwidth?
Hetzner AX, IONOS and InterServer advertise unlimited or unmetered; Hivelocity caps at 20 TB.
Jason Kim
I've never been impressed by software simply because it looks modern. I'm far more interested in what happens when you actually start using the platform.
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