Short answer
As of October 23, 2026, Vultr wins more of the head-to-head checks (6 vs 1) and ranks higher overall (#10 of 160). Vultr is cheaper to start ($2.50 vs $5.00 a month) and Vultr has more locations (32 vs 26).
Verdict
Vultr is cheaper to start: Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb) costs $2.50 per month against $5.00 at Akamai Cloud (Linode), and it stays cheaper per gigabyte of RAM ($5.50 vs $6.00 median).
Vultr has the wider footprint with 32 locations in 19 countries, against 26 in 15 at Akamai Cloud (Linode); both offer Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, London and 16 more.
On features, only Vultr offers Windows Server and only Akamai Cloud (Linode) offers a managed option.
Customers rate Akamai Cloud (Linode) higher on Trustpilot: 2.5 from 207 reviews versus 1.6 from 585.
Overall Vultr ranks #10 and Akamai Cloud (Linode) #48 of 160 providers we track. Choose Vultr if price matters most or you need a wider choice of locations; choose Akamai Cloud (Linode) if you want a managed server or customer ratings weigh heavily for you.
Vultr and Linode side by side
| Vultr | Akamai Cloud (Linode) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest plan | Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 0.5 GB (vc2-1c-0.5gb): $2.50/mo | Nanode 1 GB: $5.00/mo |
| Entry plan specs | 1 vCPU, 512 MB RAM, 10 GB SSD, 500 GB traffic | 1 vCPU, 1 GB RAM, 25 GB SSD, 1 TB traffic |
| Cheapest Windows plan | Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 1 GB (vc2-1c-1gb): $5.00/mo | No Windows |
| Median price per GB RAM | $5.50 | $6.00 |
| Data-center locations | 32 in 19 countries | 26 in 15 countries |
| Regions | Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania, South America | Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America |
| Virtualisation | KVM | KVM |
| Hourly billing | Yes | Yes |
| NVMe storage | Yes | — |
| DDoS protection | Yes | Yes |
| Backups | Paid | Paid |
| Managed option | No | Yes |
| Payment methods | card, paypal, crypto, alipay, wire, other | card, paypal, wire, other |
| Money-back | Not published | Not published |
| Uptime SLA | 100% | 99.99% |
| Trustpilot | 1.6 (585 reviews) | 2.5 (207 reviews) |
| Founded / HQ | 2014, West Palm Beach US | 2003, Cambridge US |
Highlighted cells mark the better value where the comparison is objective (lower price, more locations, higher rating).
Plans at the same size
The closest matching plans by RAM from each provider.
| RAM | Vultr | $/month | Linode | $/month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 1 GB (vc2-1c-1gb) (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $5.00 | Nanode 1 GB (1 vCPU, 25 GB) | $5.00 |
| 2 GB | Regular Performance 1 vCPU / 2 GB (vc2-1c-2gb) (1 vCPU, 55 GB) | $10.00 | Linode 2 GB (1 vCPU, 50 GB) | $12.00 |
| 4 GB | Regular Performance 2 vCPU / 4 GB (vc2-2c-4gb) (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $20.00 | Linode 4 GB (2 vCPU, 80 GB) | $24.00 |
| 8 GB | Regular Performance 4 vCPU / 8 GB (vc2-4c-8gb) (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $40.00 | Linode 8 GB (4 vCPU, 160 GB) | $48.00 |
| 16 GB | no plan | — | Linode 16 GB (6 vCPU, 320 GB) | $96.00 |
Locations
Vultr operates 32 locations (Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, Oceania, South America); Akamai Cloud (Linode) operates 26 (Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America).
Cities both offer: Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Melbourne, Miami, Mumbai, New York and 10 more.
Only Vultr: Bangalore, Delhi, Honolulu, Johannesburg, Manchester, Mexico City, Santiago, Seoul, Tel Aviv and Warsaw.
Only Linode: Ashburn, Chennai, Jakarta and Milan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vultr or Akamai Cloud (Linode) better?
As of October 23, 2026, Vultr wins more of the head-to-head checks (6 vs 1) and ranks higher overall (#10 of 160). Vultr is cheaper to start ($2.50 vs $5.00 a month) and Vultr has more locations (32 vs 26).
Is Vultr cheaper than Akamai Cloud (Linode)?
Vultr has the lower entry price: $2.50 against $5.00 per month. The plans-at-equal-RAM table compares them size by size.
Which has more data centers, Vultr or Akamai Cloud (Linode)?
Vultr, with 32 locations in 19 countries versus 26 at Akamai Cloud (Linode). Both operate in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt and 17 more.
Do Vultr and Akamai Cloud (Linode) offer Windows VPS?
Only Vultr offers Windows Server.
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.