Cloud hosting (aka cloud computing) is a rapidly growing concept in web hosting and that's because of many good reasons such as high scalability, better control, and a dedicated environment. Whether you need server space for developing an application or for a website cloud hosting is a considerable solution.
Thanks to the web hosting companies that turn this amazing type of hosting into a simplified form so even a beginner can take advantage of it. The companies now offer a straightforward control panel where you can easily select the server size and some other settings and it will be launched within no time.
Moreover just like shared hosting, Cloud hosting companies also offer 1-click installer for installing applications like WordPress, Drupal and more.
In cloud hosting, unlike other web hosting types (Shared and Dedicated), the numerous servers are connected to each other to host your website. In this way, you are not dependent on just a single server instead backed a pool of servers where you can avail more resources and consistent performance.
DigitalOcean is a popular name in cloud hosting however there are a variety of reasons that why you should consider searching options better than DigitalOcean .
The very first reason attached to the use of the operating system. DigitalOcean is limited to the use of Linux distributions which means they do not support Windows officially. However, they do not support Windows but it is still possible to install Windows on their platform but in that case, they won't provide you any technical assistance.
While selecting a web hosting provider another important area to consider is the customer support department. Unfortunately, DigitalOcean mainly delivers support services via email ticket which is a slow process compared to the Live Chat and Phone. On the other hand, now there are companies in the market that are maintaining active Live Chat even keeping their prices affordable.
Although there is no Live Chat but offers a very rich knowledge base which contain ton of tutorials great for self-learning and diagnosing issues.
However, for beginner's a choose a hosting provider with live chat support is a more worthy option to consider.Another reason to seek for DigitalOcean replacement is the short money-back guarantee. If you don't like their services you got only 7 days to ask for a full refund.
In case if you want to look at cloud hosting providers as an alternative to Linode I have mentioned some of the options below.
CloudWays:
CloudWays is a managed cloud hosting provider that offers feature-rich plans. You will get free let's encrypt SSL, 1-click installer, and robust security. CloudWays doesn't own its data centers instead they are utilizing the infrastructure of giants like Amazon Web Services, Linode, Google Cloud Platform, and DigitalOcean.
Once you land in the CloudWays control panel you will be amazed to see how it is easy to use. As they support various cloud infrastructure, it means they offer more data center choices so enabling you to locate near your targeted audience. On top of all, CloudWays provides support services via Live Chat and Emails.
Togglebox:
Although Togglebox is not as much popular web host as the DigitalOcean but there are reasons to prefer it over Linode such as ability to launch customized cloud hosting plan, support Linux/Windows, Live Chat support and KVM virtualization. Using Togglebox you can launch a server with customized amount of resources. The control panel is easy to use and provides you operating system level access. If you want to migrate to Togglebox they provide free migration assistance.
CloudSigma
CloudSigma is a well-established cloud hosting provider that spread its infrastructure over 12 global locations. Unlike DigitalOcean, CloudSigma allows launching custom resource server. Before launching a server you can calculate the cost before launching the server. The company holds huge amount of resources enabling the users to easily scale up the resources when you need more. It is an ISO certified company for information security, cloud security and privacy protection. Availability of live chat support is a plus point.
That's all for now hope you find it informative.