Provider comparison
For 4 GB of RAM, Akamai Linode's cheapest listed server is Linode Standard 4 GB at $24.00 a month with 4 TB of traffic. Vultr's Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GB costs $20.00 with 3 TB. Vultr's Cloud Compute plans cost about a sixth less than Linode's shared plans from 2 GB up, with the same vCPU, RAM and disk. Linode includes more traffic and 24/7 phone support; Vultr has more locations and cheaper small dedicated-CPU servers.
Matched plans
Each group pairs Akamai Linode and Vultr plans with the same memory. Prices stay in the currency each provider bills in, so they match your invoice.
| Plan | vCPU | RAM | Disk | Traffic incl. | Price / mo | Per GB RAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | ||||||
| Linode Nanode 1 GBShared CPU | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB | 1 TB | $5.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 1 | 1 GB | 32 GB NVMe | 1 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 1 vCPU / 1 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 1 GB | 25 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $6.00 | $6.00 |
| 2 GB | ||||||
| Linode Standard 2 GBShared CPU | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 1 vCPU / 2 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 1 | 2 GB | 55 GB | 2 TB | $10.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 1 vCPU / 2 GB (NVMe)High Frequency (3.0GHz+) | 1 | 2 GB | 64 GB NVMe | 2 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 1 vCPU / 2 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 2 GB | 50 GB NVMe | 3 TB | $12.00 | $6.00 |
| 4 GB | ||||||
| Linode Standard 4 GBShared CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 4 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 2 | 4 GB | 80 GB | 3 TB | $20.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 2 | 4 GB | 128 GB NVMe | 3 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 2 vCPU / 4 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 2 | 4 GB | 100 GB NVMe | 5 TB | $24.00 | $6.00 |
| 8 GB | ||||||
| Linode 8 GB (Shared CPU)Shared CPU | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 5 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 4 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 4 | 8 GB | 160 GB | 4 TB | $40.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 3 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 3 | 8 GB | 256 GB NVMe | 4 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 4 vCPU / 8 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 4 | 8 GB | 180 GB NVMe | 6 TB | $48.00 | $6.00 |
| 16 GB | ||||||
| Linode 16 GB (Shared CPU)Shared CPU | 6 | 16 GB | 320 GB | 8 TB | $96.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr Cloud Compute · 6 vCPU / 16 GBShared vCPU (previous-generation Intel) | 6 | 16 GB | 320 GB | 5 TB | $80.00 | $5.00 |
| Vultr High Frequency · 4 vCPU / 16 GBShared vCPU (3 GHz+ Intel Xeon) | 4 | 16 GB | 384 GB NVMe | 5 TB | $96.00 | $6.00 |
| Vultr High Performance (AMD) · 8 vCPU / 16 GBShared vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 8 | 16 GB | 350 GB NVMe | 8 TB | $96.00 | $6.00 |
| Dedicated vCPU | ||||||
| Akamai G8 Dedicated 4x2Dedicated CPU | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB | Not stated | $51.10 | $12.78 |
| Linode High Memory 24 GBDedicated CPU | 2 | 24 GB | 20 GB | 5 TB | $60.00 | $2.50 |
| Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute (CPU Optimized) · 1 vCPU / 2 GBDedicated vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 2 GB | 25 GB | 4 TB | $28.00 | $14.00 |
| Vultr Optimized Cloud Compute (General Purpose) · 1 vCPU / 4 GBDedicated vCPU (AMD EPYC) | 1 | 4 GB | 30 GB | 4 TB | $30.00 | $7.50 |
Standard list prices before tax. Hourly-billed plans are shown at the provider's monthly cap where it has one.
Buying advice
Pick Vultr if
At 2, 4, 8 and 16 GB, Vultr's Cloud Compute plans cost about a sixth less than Linode's shared plans with the same vCPU, memory and disk. They run on previous-generation Intel CPUs; Vultr's newer AMD High Performance plans cost the same as Linode's and include more traffic at most sizes.
Pick Vultr if
Vultr's dedicated Optimized Cloud Compute plans start at 1 vCPU with 2 GB, for about half the monthly price of Linode's smallest G8 dedicated plan (2 vCPU, 4 GB). Linode's G8 plans are billed for every hour with no monthly cap.
Pick Vultr if
Vultr lists more than 32 locations on six continents, including Africa. Linode has more than 25 core regions across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America.
Pick Akamai Linode if
At 4, 8 and 16 GB, Linode's shared plans include 1 to 3 TB more outbound transfer than Vultr's Cloud Compute plans of the same size. Transfer is pooled across your account in core regions, and inbound traffic is free.
Pick Akamai Linode if
Linode's High Memory plans start at 24 GB with 2 dedicated vCPU, at a lower price per GB of RAM than any Vultr shared plan. They suit Redis, caches and in-memory databases; the disk is small (20 GB on the 24 GB plan).
Pick Akamai Linode if
Every Linode account includes 24/7 phone and ticket support at no extra cost. Vultr's support is by ticket.
Either works
Linode's Nanode and Vultr's 1 GB Cloud Compute plan cost the same and both include 1 vCPU, 25 GB of disk and 1 TB of transfer. Pick the provider with a region closest to you.
Real monthly cost
The list price is not the whole bill. This is the cheapest 4 GB server from each provider, with automatic backups where the provider prices them as a share of the server cost, before VAT.
Run your own numbers, including storage and extra traffic, in the hosting cost calculator.
Side by side
| Feature | Akamai Linode | Vultr |
|---|---|---|
| Data centers | 25+ core regions across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America | 32+ locations across North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa |
| CPU options | Shared (Nanode, Standard), dedicated, High Memory, GPU (NVIDIA RTX 6000 Ada) | Shared (Cloud Compute, High Frequency, High Performance), dedicated (Optimized Cloud Compute), Bare Metal, GPU |
| Billing | Hourly, capped at the monthly price for shared plans; G8 dedicated plans have no monthly cap | Hourly, capped at 672 hours a month, in USD |
| Managed services | Linode Kubernetes Engine (LKE), Cloud Firewalls, block storage | Vultr Kubernetes Engine, managed databases, block storage |
| Support | 24/7 phone and ticket support on every account | 24/7 tickets on every account |
Questions
For shared servers, yes. The cheapest 4 GB plan is Vultr Cloud Compute · 2 vCPU / 4 GB at $20.00 a month, against Linode Standard 4 GB at $24.00, with the same vCPU count and disk size. Linode's plan includes 4 TB of transfer to Vultr's 3 TB. At 1 GB the two cost the same.
Yes. Akamai bought Linode in 2022 and now sells Linode's servers as Akamai Cloud Computing. The plans and the Linode control panel continue.
Linode includes 24/7 phone and ticket support on every account. Vultr offers 24/7 ticket support on every account.
Yes. Both meter shared servers hourly and stop at the plan's monthly price, so a server that runs all month costs its listed price. Linode's G8 dedicated plans are the exception: they are charged for every hour with no monthly cap, so the table shows them at 730 hours.
Vultr charges 20% of the server price for automatic backups. Linode's Backup Service is a paid add-on priced per plan; it keeps three automatic backups (daily, weekly and biweekly) plus one manual snapshot.
Method
We matched plans by memory and CPU type and used each provider's standard list price, with no promotions or prepaid terms. We don't benchmark for this page, so treat vCPU counts as an allocation, not a performance score. Read the full method.
Prices and availability change. Confirm current terms with the provider before you buy. See our affiliate disclosure.
