Docker hosting platform provides cloud infrastructure for users to deploy and manage Docker containers. This type of platform simplifies container scaling and offers an optimized environment for users to manage their containerized applications.

While Docker cluster solutions like Kubernetes and Docker Swarm are popular, they require sound technical knowledge to be used effectively. A Docker hosting platform provides a managed environment that helps DevOps engineers easily deploy and run Docker containers, without dealing with the complexities of Docker cluster solutions.

Geekflare has researched and chosen the best Docker hosting providers based on ease of use, setup difficulty, scalability, performance, container orchestration support, and associated costs.

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The best Docker hosting solutions for small businesses are listed below.

1. Kamatera

Kamatera offers Docker hosting through its Kamatera cloud platform, where you can use its specialized Docker machine to host and run container packages.

Kamatera

With Kamatera, you can manage your development environment with root access and a simple management console. Furthermore, developers can automate via its API. Kamatera offers technical help with its 24/7 human support via live chat, email, and phone.

Their infrastructure is robust and provides a 99.95% uptime guarantee. Performance-wise, they offer the latest CPU (300% more performance than the previous generation), zero latency network, and no I/O bottlenecks.

Kamatera Pros

  • Advantage

    Provides 24/7 technical support

  • Advantage

    Excellent infrastructure with 99.95% uptime

  • Advantage

    Offers an isolated, secure environment

Kamatera Cons

  • Advantage

    Steep learning curve

  • Advantage

    The knowledge base needs improvement

Kamatera Pricing

For optimum execution, Kamatera lets you customize your virtual machine with the following:

  • App Version: Select between different Ubuntu versions
  • Type: Select the type of server you want from Availability, General Purpose, Burstable, and Dedicated.
  • CPU: 1 – 32 vCPU (2667 MHz)
  • RAM: 1 GB to 128 GB
  • SSD Storage: 20 GB to 4000 GB
  • Datacenter Choice: 21 data centres across 4 continents –  North America, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East

Furthermore, you can select to extend daily backups and choose a managed service option, which will increase the price. Otherwise, a basic server configuration of 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, and 20 GB SSD will cost you $4 monthly.

Try Kamatera

2. A2 Hosting

A2 Hosting provides fast yet reliable Docker hosting. This hosting platform excels with its high-performance servers, known as Turbo Servers, which load pages 20x faster compared to other Docker solutions. They’re powered by AMD Ryzen 5 7600 Turbo GPU, DDR5 RAM, and NVMe SSD. They also use LiteSpeed for fast database operations. The servers are maintained to provide at least 99% uptime.

A2 hosting docker

To ensure ease of use, A2 Hosting offers a free cPanel control panel and CloudLinux OS. Security-wise, A2 Hosting provides a free Imunify360 Security Suite with a free SSL certificate. 

Developers can choose any of its global servers in Arizona, Michigan, Singapore, and Amsterdam. They also get complete root access with the option to choose the Linux OS of their choice. A2 Hosting also offers 24/7/365 access to their knowledgeable Guru crew for any technical issues.

A2 Hosting Pros

  • Advantage

    Excellent performance

  • Advantage

    Free site migration

  • Advantage

    Anytime money-back guarantee

A2 Hosting Cons

  • Advantage

    Costly pricing

  • Advantage

    Small server fleet

A2 Hosting Pricing

A2 Hosting’s Docker plans have 3 options, as shown below.

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
Warp 1 Turbo$199AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 x1 TB NVMe U.2 SSD, 6 TB transfer
Warp 2 Turbo$229.99AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 x1 TB NVMe U.2 SSD, 6 TB transfer
Warp 3 Turbo$485.99AMD Ryzen 5 7600 CPU, 16 GB DDR5 RAM, 2 x1 TB NVMe U.2 SSD, 6 TB transfer

Note: All plans come with root-level access, a free 1 TB backup drive, a free SSL certificate, free Imunify360 security, free CloudLinux OS, and a free cPanel Control panel. They also offer a generous anytime money-back guarantee (where you get refunded the days left in the plan).

Try A2 Hosting

3. DigitalOcean

DigitalOcean offers affordable yet fully configurable hosting for your Docker containers. It can handle different types of Docker projects, from simple websites to heavy-duty databases and enterprise applications.

Digital Ocean

Additionally, DigitalOcean gives you access to a wide range of cloud infrastructure, including:

  • Virtual Machines: Use droplets to create computing power for your app or website.
  • Managed Kubernetes: Offers simple-to-use UI, flexible scaling, and one-click deployment for Docker containerized applications.
  • Block Storage: Easily scale storage with NVMe-based block storage.
  • Managed Databases: Supports managed database options for PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, and Redis.

DigitalOcean brings multiple benefits, including proper standardization, cost savings, and reduced deployment times. The platform’s other features include the following:

  • A free control panel that works with Kubernetes
  • One-click Docker deployment and installation
  • Managed databases
  • Access management tools and UI
  • Reliable operating system

DigitalOcean Pros

  • Advantage

    Offers excellent scalability with fully managed infrastructure

  • Advantage

    Cost-effective solution for small businesses and startups.

  • Advantage

    99.99% SLA provided

DigitalOcean Cons

  • Advantage

    Slight learning curve

  • Advantage

    Integration to IAC like Terraform is not feasible

DigitalOcean Pricing

DigitalOcean offers the following pricing for its different offerings:

  • Droplets: starts at $4/month
  • Kubernetes: starts at $12/month
  • Database: starts at $15/month

They also offer paid object storage, load balancers, and backup plans.

Try DigitalOcean

4. Vultr

Vultr is a cloud computing service provider with a one-click Docker app. It offers high-frequency cloud computing, optimized cloud computing, and bare metal services. As a Docker developer, you can use multiple Vultr services to run your Docker containers.

Vultr

Moreover, Vultr’s 32 worldwide locations, including Toronto, Atlanta, and Mexico City, give freedom to choose the location near the user, serving them with the lowest possible latency.

Under the hood, Vultr offers:

  • Guaranteed performance with Intel and AMD CPUs.
  • Cost savings with hourly billing and no long-term contracts.
  • Complete root access with a dedicated IP address.
  • Access to powerful API for efficiently controlling instances.
  • Feature-rich control panel with the ability to reinstall, restart, change OS, and more.

Businesses can also use Vultr’s powerful add-ons, including Snapshots, Firewall, Flexible Networking, DDoS protection, and Backups.

Vultr Pros

  • Advantage

    Excellent performance and 100% SLA

  • Advantage

    Pay-as-you-go pricing model

  • Advantage

    Simple and clean interface

Vultr Cons

  • Advantage

    Not beginner-friendly

  • Advantage

    Customer support lacks responsiveness

  • Advantage

    Higher-end plans are not available on all servers

Vultr Pricing

Vultr pricing starts at $2.50/month (regular performance), for 1 vCPU, 0.5 GB memory, 0.5 TB bandwidth, and 10 GB storage. Its high-performance server pricing starts at $6/month with access to 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 2 TB bandwidth, and 25 GB storage.

Try Vultr

5. Hostinger

Hostinger is a popular Docker hosting provider. It offers affordable, feature-rich VPS plans with free automatic weekly backups, an AI assistant, and a malware scanner.

hostinger docker

Hostinger provides simplified development by streamlining dependencies and configurations. This allows for efficient deployment.

The platform’s other major features include the following:

  • Enterprise-ready infrastructure powered by AMD EYPC processors and NVMe SSDs.
  • Easy Docker installation with pre-configured Ubuntu VPS template (also Debian and CentOS) offering docker-compose and docker-ce.
  • 100% guaranteed resources with dedicated CPU, RAM, and storage.
  • AI assistant that provides help regarding simple and complex systems.
  • Fast loading time thanks to data centre availability across Europe, Asia, South America, and North America.

Hostinger Pros

  • Advantage

    Cheap plans, ideal for small to medium-sized businesses

  • Advantage

    30-day money-back guarantee

  • Advantage

    Fast servers with 99.99% uptime guarantee

Hostinger Cons

  • Advantage

    No phone support

  • Advantage

    Up to 400 GB storage limit for containers

Hostinger Pricing

Hostinger offers 4 Docker VPS hosting plans, as shown in the table below:

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
KVM 1$4.99 (2-year term)1 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 50 GB NVMe disk space, and 4 TB bandwidth
KVM 2$5.99 (2-year term)2 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB NVMe disk space, and 8 TB bandwidth
KVM 4$10.49 (2-year term)4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 200 GB NVMe disk space, and 16 TB bandwidth
KVM 8$19.99 (2-year term)4 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 200 GB NVMe disk space, and 16 TB bandwidth
Try Hostinger

6. Render

Render offers reliable cloud infrastructure with native support for containerized apps and services. Businesses can use this infrastructure to deliver Docker applications.

Render

With Render, developers can use Docker as an application delivery mechanism. To support it, Render offers the following Docker-specific features:

  • Parallelized multi-stage builds.
  • Ability to deploy prebuilt images from the container registry.
  • Automate image builds and Git repository deployment from Dockerfile.
  • Full .dockerignore support.
  • Faster builds with maximal layer caching.
  • Use Render.yaml for Infrastructure as code.

The platform also provides features like persistent disk storage, load balancing, private networking, and Automatic Brotli.

For low latency, you can choose from Render’s 5 available locations – Oregon (USA), Ohio (USA), Virginia (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), and Singapore.

Render Pros

  • Advantage

    Developer-focused features, ideal for Docker hosting

  • Advantage

    Highly scalable and customizable infrastructure

  • Advantage

    Free SSL, global CDN, and DDoS protection

Render Cons

  • Advantage

    Limited programming language support

  • Advantage

    Free tier lacks performance and features

Render Pricing

Render provides 4 pricing plans, as shown below:

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
Hobby$0Starter build pipeline, 500 free pipeline minutes, 100 GB free bandwidth
Professional$19Starter or performance build pipeline, 500 per user/month free pipeline minutes, 500 GB free bandwidth 
Organization$29Starter or performance build pipeline, 500 per user/month free pipeline minutes, 1 TB free bandwidth 

They also offer an Enterprise plan with custom requirements and pricing.

Try Render

7. Dockerize

Dockerize is an affordable Docker hosting provider with plans that cost half of AWS. It is also easy to use and works for any Docker project type, including databases, websites, microservices, APIs, or any load in a Docker container. 

Dockerize

Once you build and push the Docker image, Dockerize will register it at no charge and then create SSL certificates in 60 seconds. It’ll also configure web sockets and use a load balancer when needed. Additionally, it supports autoscaling, block storage, and autohealing. To ensure consistent performance, Dockerize monitors and logs all activities for easy debugging.

Dockerize makes it easy for developers to manage their Docker projects with easy-to-use control panels and APIs. It also supports all technologies, such as Jenkins, Rails, Meteor, NuxtJS, and others.

Dockerize Pros

  • Advantage

    Offers easy debugging features with monitoring and logs

  • Advantage

    Affordable pricing

  • Advantage

    Generates app configurations automatically at startups

Dockerize Cons

  • Advantage

    New service provider, yet to build trust

  • Advantage

    SSD drive not available on Micro plan

Dockerize Pricing

Dockerize offers the following pricing plans:

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
Micro$2For very tiny apps, 500 MB RAM, 100 mCPU
X1$5For most microservices and websites, 1 GB RAM, 250 mCPU
X2$10For most microservices, 2 GB RAM, and 500 mCPU
X4$20For monolith and RAM-heavy microservices apps, 4 GB RAM, 1000 mCPU
X16$80For big heavy loaded monolith apps, 16 GB RAM, 4000 mCPU
Try Dockerize

8. Hetzner

Hetzner is a Germany-based cloud hosting provider that offers VPS hosting for Docker. Its dedicated vCPU is ideal for deploying and managing Docker containers.

hetzner

It offers an easy-to-use Hetzner Cloud Console with Docker preinstalled when the image is first booted. Furthermore, Developers get access to the Herzner Cloud API for customizing the Docker image. They can also use an SSH key or root password to access and customize the server.

You can choose between 4 cloud locations for servers: Germany, the USA, Finland, and Singapore.

For scaling and managing performance, Hetzner uses a load balancer and powerful infrastructure consisting of modern processors (AMD, Ampere and Intel CPUs), NVMe SSDs, and the ability to adjust volumes as the need arises.

Apart from that, Hetzner’s features include:

  • Robust security with DDoS and Firewalls.
  • Snapshot feature to help take manual server and restore when needed.
  • Automatic backups up to 7 days.
  • Access to floating IPs.

Hetzner Pros

  • Advantage

    Ability to set monthly price cap

  • Advantage

    Feature-rich REST API

  • Advantage

    Good knowledge base

Hetzner Cons

  • Advantage

    Doesn’t offer customized virtual servers

  • Advantage

    Packet issues for users

Hetzner Pricing

Hetzner’s dedicated vCPU pricing is as follows.

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
CCX13€14.862 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB NVMe, 20 TB
CCX23€29.144 vCPU, 16 GB RAM, 160 GB NVMe, 20 TB
CCX33€57.708 vCPU, 32 GB RAM, 240 GB NVMe, 30 TB
CCX43€114.8216 vCPU, 64 GB RAM, 360 GB NVMe, 40 TB
CCX53€229.0632 vCPU, 128 GB RAM, 600 GB NVMe, 50 TB
CCX63€343.3048 vCPU, 192 GB RAM, 960 GB NVMe, 60 TB
Try Hetzner

9. Google Kubernetes Engine

Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) offers managed Kubernetes services, which are ideal for deploying containerized apps like Docker.

Google kubernetes engine

Performance-wise, GKE offers access to Google’s Cloud infrastructure and provides scalable and automated solutions. It also offers automation, which is ideal for enterprise-based projects. 

GKE also offers the following features:

  • Ability to configure and observe multiple clusters at any given time.
  • Self-service option for developers.
  • Fully automated cluster life cycle.
  • Protection against threats via GKE threat detection.
  • GKE API with access to horizontal pod autoscaling (up to 15000 nodes).

Additionally, GKE’s managed solution helps you minimize your total cost of ownership, enhancing your ROI. Its autopilot mode lets you configure and monitor your security posture automatically while delivering a great Kubernetes experience.

Google Kubernetes Engine Pros

  • Advantage

    Fast GKE cluster deployment

  • Advantage

    Excellent automation capabilities

  • Advantage

    Access to GCP advantage

Google Kubernetes Engine Cons

  • Advantage

    Steep learning curve

  • Advantage

    Comprehensive options can be overwhelming for new users

Google Kubernetes Engine Pricing

Plan TypeMonthly PriceOfferings
Free$0$74.40 in monthly credits for zonal and autopilot clusters.
Kubernetes$0.0083 per vCPU per hour for Enterprise edition and $0.10 for Standard editionAccess to features like self-service operations, unified console experience, advanced security, fully automated cluster life cycle, and more.
ComputeStarts at $0.036 /vCPU hourOffers access to autopilot and standard mode (billed according to your choice.)
Try Google Kubernetes Engine

10. AWS ECS

Amazon Elastic Container Service (AWS ECS) is a fully managed container orchestration service. With it, developers can efficiently manage, deploy, and scale containerized applications like Docker.

Amazon ECS

Like GKE, AWS ECS also benefits from the AWS ecosystem, which offers best-in-class enterprise-ready infrastructure and advanced security features. Using ECS, teams can reduce costs, use AWS scaling to launch large-scale containers, and match the industrial regulatory standards.

Enterprises can leverage ECS with the following use cases:

  • Modernize applications using a fast, standardized, and compliant Amazon ECS ecosystem.
  • Manage and run batch computing workloads with AWS services such as AWS Fargate, EC2, etc.
  • Train AI/ML and NLP models without the need to manage infrastructure.
  • Scale web applications automatically.

AWS ECS Pros

  • Advantage

    Access to scalable and robust AWS infrastructure

  • Advantage

    Pay-as-you-go pricing model

  • Advantage

    Supports various enterprise-based use cases like batch processing, scaling web apps, and training AI/ML models

AWS ECS Cons

  • Advantage

    Steep learning curve

  • Advantage

    Auto-scaling is limited

AWS ECS Pricing

AWS ECS offers a pay-as-you-use model, where you only pay for what you use. For exact pricing, contact their sales team.

Try AWS ECS

11. Azure AKS

Microsoft Azure offers Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to easily deploy and manage containerized applications. Azure Active Directory is used for Advanced identity and access management. Using the Azure App Service, you can also deploy custom Windows containers on Azure. Azure Marketplace has plenty of ready-made docker apps hosted on Azure.

Azure AKS

You can orchestrate the containers across 29 regions in the public cloud. Your ASP.NET applications can also be easily moved onto Azure Docker containers.

Azure Monitor proactively keeps an eye on the performance of the containers and their availability.

Some of the popular Azure AKS features include:

  • Interacts with Docker directly, which removes complexity and unnecessary additional APIs.
  • Provides enterprise-grade security to run modern and traditional Linux or Windows apps in a Docker container.
  • Gives custom Linux distribution for the best Docker experience.
  • Self-cleaning and healing feature for unused and unhealthy containers.
  • Runs Docker-diagnose script to inform Docker support staff if any issue is encountered in the bug report.
  • Supports traditional apps and microservices.

Azure AKS Pros

  • Advantage

    Offers newer Kubernetes versions

  • Advantage

    Provides automatic node health repair

  • Advantage

    Free control panel

Azure AKS Cons

  • Advantage

    Semi-manual process to upgrade cluster component

  • Advantage

    Network policies cannot be enabled for existing clusters (only support during the cluster creation process)

Azure Pricing

Azure provides pay-as-you-go pricing.

Try Azure AKS

12. Linode Kubernetes

Linode Kubernetes is an enterprise-ready managed Docker service provider. It offers a scalable global server fleet with locations like Amsterdam, London, and Chicago. You can install Docker through its Docker app, which is available on the marketplace. You also get access to other apps such as Django, Jenkins, Node.js, etc.

Linode

Developers benefit from Linode’s server capabilities, which include scalable infrastructure, extensive documentation, and high-performance SSD storage. Linode offers 24/7/365 customer support for technical difficulties.

Linode Pros

  • Advantage

    Excellent documentation and strong community

  • Advantage

    Managed service that offers ease of use

  • Advantage

    Transparent pricing plans

Linode Cons

  • Advantage

    No phone support

  • Advantage

    Has uptime issues

Linode Pricing

Linode Kubernetes pricing starts at $36/month (shared) with 3 nodes, 6 GB RAM, 3 CPU, 150 GB storage, and 6 TB transfer. The dedicated VPS plans are expensive and start at $108/month with 3 nodes, 12 GB RAM, 6 CPUs, 240 GB storage, and 12 TB transfer.

Try Linode

13. Scaleway

Scaleway is an enterprise-ready cloud service platform offering containers that make deploying containerized applications like Docker easy.

Scaleway

Developers can benefit from containerization to scale and expand their app capabilities while using Scaleways’s infrastructure to achieve business goals. They also offer excellent monitoring and automation capabilities.

Scaleway’s container offers the following:

  • Serverless Containers: For running containers without needing to monitor servers.
  • Container Registry: For pushing, pulling, and storing container images.
  • Kubernetes Kapsule: For executing and running containers anywhere.
  • Kubernetes Kosmos: For executing and running containers in a multi-cloud setup.
  • Dedicated Control Panel: For handling scale-heavy workloads.

Enterprises can use Scaleway to build resilient applications, use microservices, and automate deployment.

Scaleway Pros

  • Advantage

    Excellent knowledge base replete with tutorials

  • Advantage

    Easy to use web console

  • Advantage

    Low-cost options for developers

Scaleway Cons

  • Advantage

    No refund policy

Scaleway Pricing

Scaleway Containers offers different pricing for Kubernetes Kapsule, Kosmos, and Registry. Its Kapsule prices start at €80/month, which gives access to 4 GB dedicated RAM, 2 replicas, 250 max nodes, and a 99.5% SLA. It also offers a free plan with up to 4 GB RAM and 150 nodes.

Try Scaleway

How to Choose the Right and Best Docker Hosting Provider?

To choose the right and best Docker hosting provider, consider the following 4 main points.

  • Scalability and Performance: The docker hosting provider must offer auto-scaling to handle traffic spikes. It should also provide good performance out of the box to ensure the highest possible uptime and fast loading times.
  • Container Orchestration Support: The provider must have container orchestration support. This automates container creation, configuration, deployment, scheduling, and deletion and covers the container’s lifecycle, from proper deployment, management, and networking to scaling.
  • Ease of Use and Setup: The containerization services must be fairly easy to use and set up. It should not require advanced technical knowledge for operations.
  • Cost and Pricing Plans: Check if the provider offers pricing plans for multiple budgets and requirements. It should cater to both small businesses and enterprises, thereby ensuring scalability.