By ExpertahUpdated November 20269 min read

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OUR PICK
AccuWebHosting
Best for: almost everyone shopping for a VPS right now
  • 4 GB Linux VPS from $4.95/mo
  • Renews from $9.99/mo (2-year term)
  • 16+ locations, NVMe storage
  • 7-day money-back guarantee
Get AccuWebHosting VPS →
WAIT AND SEE
Hostwinds
Best for: existing customers and fully managed VPS buyers, once its security investigation is done
  • Unmanaged 4 GB VPS $18.99/mo
  • No renewal jump on unmanaged
  • Seattle, Dallas, Amsterdam
  • Security breach disclosed Oct 2026
See Hostwinds plans →
The short version

AccuWebHosting wins this one clearly. It’s far cheaper for the same RAM, even after its renewal increase, uses NVMe storage, has 16+ locations, a 7-day refund window and a much stronger review record. Hostwinds has flat unmanaged pricing and clearly priced managed plans, but it disclosed a security breach in October 2026 and has a 1.8 Trustpilot rating.

Security notice, October 2026

On October 22, 2026, Hostwinds said it had found unauthorized access to the system that runs its client area and billing. It took the client area offline, rebuilt it on a new system, reset every customer’s client area password and brought in an independent forensic firm, whose investigation is still ongoing. Hostwinds says customer servers and websites stayed online. If you’re an existing customer, follow the steps on status.hostwinds.com.

AccuWebHosting and Hostwinds are both long-running VPS specialists. AccuWebHosting has been around for more than 23 years; Hostwinds since 2010. Both sell Linux and Windows VPS, managed services and dedicated servers. Here’s how they stack up.

Linux VPS pricing

RAMAccuWebHosting (intro → renewal)Hostwinds unmanaged (flat)
4 GBEdge: 1 vCPU, 50 GB NVMe, 250 GB bandwidth. $4.95 → $9.99–$15.99/mo2 CPU, 75 GB SSD, 2 TB transfer. $18.99/mo
8 GBPeak: 2 vCPU, 100 GB NVMe, 450 GB. $6.95 → $19.99–$31.99/mo4 CPU, 150 GB SSD, 3 TB. $38.99/mo
16 GBPower: 3 vCPU, 200 GB NVMe, 650 GB. $9.95 → $39.99–$63.99/mo6 CPU, 300 GB SSD, 5 TB. $76.99/mo
32 GBSupreme: 4 vCPU, 400 GB NVMe, 1 TB. $19.95 → $79.99–$127.99/mo8 CPU, 400 GB SSD, 6 TB. $124.99/mo

Prices in US dollars from each company’s website, checked November 2, 2026. AccuWebHosting’s renewal price depends on your term: lowest for 2 years, highest for monthly. Hostwinds’ managed Linux plans cost about twice as much as unmanaged, with 35% off the first month.

AccuWebHosting is cheaper at every size, even at its 2-year renewal prices. Hostwinds gives you more CPUs and much more monthly bandwidth for the money, which matters for CPU-heavy apps or sites that serve lots of large files.

Winner: AccuWebHosting

What you’ll really pay

Here’s a 4 GB Linux VPS over four years, using AccuWebHosting’s 2-year term:

PeriodAccuWebHosting EdgeHostwinds unmanaged 4 GB
First 2 years$118.80$455.76
Years 3 and 4$239.76$455.76
4-year total$358.56$911.52

Even after AccuWebHosting’s renewal increase, Hostwinds costs more than twice as much over four years for the same amount of RAM.

Winner: AccuWebHosting

Windows VPS

  • AccuWebHosting has Windows VPS plans with the license included, from $6.33 a month for 1 GB on a 12-month term. Its 4 GB plan (3 vCPUs, 100 GB) is $19.99 a month, renewing at $39.99.
  • Hostwinds charges $30.99 a month for an unmanaged 4 GB Windows VPS, or $51.99 managed ($33.79 for the first month).

Winner: AccuWebHosting

Locations

  • AccuWebHosting: 16+ VPS locations across North America, Europe, Africa and Asia-Pacific, at no extra cost.
  • Hostwinds: three data centers, in Seattle, Dallas and Amsterdam.

Winner: AccuWebHosting

Managed options and features

Both offer root access, DDoS protection or firewalls, snapshots or backups, and free migration. AccuWebHosting includes free backups in four locations, installs free control panels on request and offers optional managed services. Hostwinds sells clearly priced fully managed plans that cover updates, monitoring and troubleshooting, plus hourly cloud servers for testing.

If you specifically want a fully managed VPS with one clear monthly price, Hostwinds’ managed plans are simpler. For everyone else, the features are close.

Winner: Tie

Refunds, reviews and security

  • Refunds: AccuWebHosting gives a 7-day money-back guarantee on VPS. Hostwinds may give a prorated refund if you cancel and request it within 72 hours of payment.
  • Reviews: AccuWebHosting shows a 4.5 Trustpilot rating from 223 reviews on its site. Hostwinds has 1.8 from 738 reviews, with many recent outage complaints.
  • Security: Hostwinds disclosed unauthorized access to its client area and billing system on October 22, 2026; an independent investigation is ongoing.

Winner: AccuWebHosting

AccuWebHosting or Hostwinds: which should you choose?

Choose AccuWebHosting if you…

Pros
  • want the lowest price for your RAM
  • want NVMe storage
  • need more location choices
  • want a 7-day refund window
  • need a small Windows VPS
  • value a strong review record

Choose Hostwinds if you…

Pros
  • are already a happy Hostwinds customer
  • want a clearly priced, fully managed VPS
  • need lots of bandwidth or CPUs
  • want hourly cloud servers
  • are willing to wait for its investigation results

Our take: AccuWebHosting is the better choice for nearly everyone right now: cheaper, more locations, a refund window and a cleaner track record. Read our full AccuWebHosting VPS review and Hostwinds review for more detail.

Our verdict

AccuWebHosting wins on price, locations, refunds and reputation. Hostwinds has flat unmanaged pricing and simple managed plans, but with a security investigation still open, we’d choose AccuWebHosting today.

Frequently asked questions

Is AccuWebHosting better than Hostwinds?

For most people, yes. It’s cheaper for the same RAM, has more locations, a 7-day refund window and better reviews. Hostwinds disclosed a security breach in October 2026.

Which is cheaper, AccuWebHosting or Hostwinds?

AccuWebHosting. A 4 GB Linux VPS starts at $4.95 a month and renews from $9.99, versus a flat $18.99 a month for Hostwinds’ unmanaged 4 GB plan.

Which has better refunds?

AccuWebHosting offers a 7-day money-back guarantee on VPS. Hostwinds may give a prorated refund within 72 hours of a payment.

Which is better for Windows VPS?

AccuWebHosting, with license-included plans from $6.33 a month. Hostwinds’ unmanaged Windows VPS starts at $16.99 a month.

Expertah · Editorial team

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