Short answer
As of October 23, 2026, the closest alternative to Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series) is LikeVPS, followed by Google Cloud Compute Engine and Contabo. The cheapest of the 12 is Vultr at $2.50/month, against $6.86 at Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series).
Key takeaways
- Prices run from $2.50 (Vultr, IPv6-only or NAT) with a median of $5.73 per month across 12 providers.
- Widest footprint: is*hosting, 42 data-center locations in 37 countries.
- Best rated: Contabo, 4.6/5 on Trustpilot from 11,470 reviews.
- 10 of 12 offer Windows Server, 8 include DDoS protection and 3 bill by the hour.
Best Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series) alternatives
-
1
LikeVPS
UK-registered VPS provider with 26 locations across Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania; DDoS protection and unlimited traffic included in most plans. Lite 2.0 at $10.00/month with 2 GB RAM. 26 locations in 26 countries, DDoS protection included and Windows Server available.
Lite 2.0: 1 vCPU, 2 GB RAM, 25 GB NVMe, 20 TB traffic. -
2
Google Cloud Compute Engine
Hyperscale cloud with a free e2-micro and per-second metered VMs in 40+ regions worldwide. E2-micro at $6.11/month with 1 GB RAM. 41 locations in 27 countries and Windows Server available.
e2-micro: 2 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, ? GB Persistent Disk (billed separately), traffic n/a. -
3
Contabo
Munich-based host selling high-RAM shared-vCPU VPS from €5.50 across 10+ locations on four continents. Cloud VPS 4 at $6.16/month with 8 GB RAM. DDoS protection included, Windows Server available and unmetered traffic on some plans.
Cloud VPS 4: 4 vCPU, 8 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD, unmetered traffic. -
4
OVHcloud VPS
French public cloud group selling NVMe VPS with unlimited traffic in 11 datacenter regions from $4.54/mo. VPS-1 at $4.54/month with 4 GB RAM. DDoS protection included, Windows Server available and unmetered traffic on some plans.
VPS-1: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM, 40 GB NVMe, unmetered traffic. -
5
Vultr
US cloud with 32 global locations, Windows images and crypto payments, shared VPS from $2.50/mo. Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb) at $2.50/month with 512 MB RAM. 32 locations in 19 countries, DDoS protection included and Windows Server available.
Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb): 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB SSD, 500 GB traffic.
All 12 alternatives
| # | Provider | Plan | $/month | RAM | $/GB RAM | Locations | Windows | Hourly | Trustpilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lite 2.0 | $10.00 | 2 GB | $5.00 | 26 | Yes | No | — | |
| 2 | e2-micro | $6.11 | 1 GB | $6.11 | 41 | Yes | No | 1.4 (43) | |
| 3 | Cloud VPS 4 | $6.16 | 8 GB | $0.77 | 10 | Yes | No | 4.6 (11,470) | |
| 4 | VPS-1 | $4.54 | 4 GB | $1.14 | 11 | Yes | No | 3.8 (8,843) | |
| 5 | Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb) | $2.50 | 512 MB | $5.00 | 32 | Yes | Yes | 1.6 (585) | |
| 6 | VM-0.5 | $2.99 | 512 MB | $5.98 | 17 | Yes | No | — | |
| 7 |  Amazon Lightsail |
Linux 512 MB | $5.00 | 512 MB | $10.00 | 19 | Yes | Yes | 1.3 (429) |
| 8 | Lite | $5.94 | 1 GB | $5.94 | 42 | No | No | 4.2 (265) | |
| 9 | VPS Basic | $5.52 | 1 GB | $5.52 | 29 | No | No | 3.5 (1,836) | |
| 10 | pro.sm.amd | $10.00 | 4 GB | $2.50 | 30 | Yes | No | — | |
| 11 | KVM-SSD 512 Metered | $5.04 | 512 MB | $10.08 | 21 | Yes | No | — | |
| 12 | VM.Standard.A1.Flex 1 OCPU / 8 GB | $16.06 | 8 GB | $2.01 | 25 | Yes | Yes | 1.3 (180) |
Prices compared
Why people switch from Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series)
Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series) sells plans from $6.86 a month in 48 locations (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America); it offers Windows, bills monthly.
Its strengths: b2ats v2 from about $6.86/month and a 12-month free tier for small linux vms and roughly 60 regions worldwide, including mexico, chile, new zealand and several middle east/africa locations. Its limits: burstable cpus throttle to a baseline once credits run out and managed disk, public ipv4 and egress are all separate line items, so total cost is well above the headline vm rate. The alternatives below match the strengths and avoid at least one of the limits.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series)?
As of October 23, 2026, the closest alternative to Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series) is LikeVPS, followed by Google Cloud Compute Engine and Contabo. The cheapest of the 12 is Vultr at $2.50/month, against $6.86 at Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series).
What is a cheaper alternative to Microsoft Azure Virtual Machines (B-series)?
Vultr at $2.50 per month (Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb): 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB SSD, 500 GB traffic).
Sources
Prices, plans and locations were read from these pages; last checked October 23, 2026. Prices change, so confirm on the provider's site before you buy.