BandwagonHost vs Vultr Benchmarks: Real-World Speed & Value Showdown! 🔥

# BandwagonHost vs Vultr Benchmarks: Real-World Speed & Value Showdown! 🔥

Hey folks! So, I finally got around to testing **two SUPER popular budget VPS options** – BandwagonHost (aka *"BWG"* in the forums, ya know?) and Vultr. Needed some cheap boxes for side projects and, well, benchmarks never lie (mostly!). Grabbed their **absolute cheapest plans** – think *"just enough to run WordPress without crying"* tier. Let's see who brings the heat!

**Where I Tested & The Deets:**
*   **BandwagonHost:** Snagged a node in **Los Angeles, US (USCA_8)**. IP: `104.194.76.XXX` (AS: [AS25820 IT7 Networks Inc](https://bgp.he.net/AS25820) – yeah, kinda their thing).
*   **Vultr:** Went with their **Seattle, US (SEA)** location. IP: `108.61.200.XXX` (AS: [AS20473 Choopa, LLC](https://bgp.he.net/AS20473) – Vultr's parent).
*   **Config:** Both were **1 vCPU, 512MB RAM, 10GB SSD, 500GB Bandwidth** – *entry-level city*.
*   **OS:** Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (minimal install). Tested using the classic `bench.sh` script.

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## 1. BandwagonHost "Budget Special" - The Lowdown 🤔

BandwagonHost ([Check Current Deals](https://www.vpsjudge.com/bandwagonhost/)) has been around *forever* in the low-cost VPS game. Famous for their "KVM" and "SPECIAL" promos floating on deal sites. Honestly, their rep is... mixed? But hey, price is king sometimes!

**My BandwagonHost `bench.sh` Results (LA):**

```bash
Processor  : Intel Xeon E5-2678 v3 @ 2.50GHz
CPU Cores  : 1 @ 2499.998 MHz
AES-NI     : ✔ Enabled
VM-x/AMD-V : ✔ Enabled
RAM        : 486.8 MiB
Swap       : 1024.0 MiB
Disk       : 9.8 GB (1.6 GB Used)

Speedtest (Closest Server):
Location: Los Angeles, US (Provider: Spectrum) | Distance: ~5km
Download: 482.36 Mbps  ✨ Wow! Local is FAST!
Upload  : 298.74 Mbps

Speedtest (NYC, US):
Location: New York, US (Provider: Verizon) | Distance: ~4000km
Download: 89.24 Mbps  🤷‍♂️ Cross-country hit
Upload  : 56.18 Mbps

Speedtest (London, UK):
Location: London, UK (Provider: Vodafone)
Download: 34.71 Mbps  💤 Oof, transatlantic lag
Upload  : 22.83 Mbps

Geekbench 5 (Single Core): 745  ⚠️ Meh...
Geekbench 5 (Multi Core): 762   ⚠️ Just... meh.

I/O Speed (1st run): 198 MB/s
I/O Speed (2nd run): 215 MB/s
I/O Speed (3rd run): 187 MB/s  📌 Decent SSD!

Ping: 8.234 ms (LA Local)

Analysis & My Take:

• Speedtest: Blazing local speeds (LA to LA)! But... distance is a killer. NYC is usable-ish for basic stuff, Europe? Forget streaming. AS25820 peers well locally, but long-haul isn't its strength. Typical budget provider routing.
• CPU (Geekbench): Ouch. 745 Single Core is... not powerful. Don't expect heavy processing. Compiling anything big? Make coffee. ☕️ Several cups.
• I/O: Surprisingly consistent! ~200 MB/s is solid for a budget SSD. No complaints here for web serving or small DBs.
• Uptime (My 2 Weeks): Actually 100%! Shocked Pikachu face. But YMMV – forums have outage stories.

Good For:

• 💡 Super simple static websites/blogs (if cached well!)
• 💡 Personal VPN/Proxy (if close to you!)
• 💡 Tiny Discord bots / IRC bouncers
• 💡 Learning Linux / basic scripting
• ❌ NOT for: WordPress (uncached), Game servers, Video encoding, Busy databases.

Overall Rating (BandwagonHost Budget LA): 6/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Pros: Crazy cheap ($3.99/mo promo!), Good local speed/I/O, Surprisingly stable (for me!).
• Cons: Weak CPU, Terrible international speeds, Support is... minimal.

2. Vultr "High Freq Compute" - First Impressions 🧐

Vultr ($100 Free Credit Trial) is a giant. Known for massive global network (17+ locations!) and generally better performance than the absolute bottom tier. They push their "High Frequency" CPUs hard. Let's see if it matters on the cheap plan!

My Vultr bench.sh Results (Seattle):

Processor  : AMD EPYC-Rome (High Frequency) @ 3.90GHz
CPU Cores  : 1 @ 3899.998 MHz  👀 Faster base clock!
AES-NI     : ✔ Enabled
VM-x/AMD-V : ✔ Enabled
RAM        : 489.5 MiB
Swap       : 512.0 MiB  ⚠️ Less swap than BWG!
Disk       : 24.9 GB (1.2 GB Used) 📌 More disk space!

Speedtest (Closest Server):
Location: Seattle, US (Provider: Comcast) | Distance: ~10km
Download: 878.45 Mbps  🚀 HOLY MOLY!
Upload  : 645.33 Mbps  🚀 Even better!

Speedtest (NYC, US):
Location: New York, US (Provider: Spectrum)
Download: 324.67 Mbps  🤯 Much better cross-country!
Upload  : 187.92 Mbps

Speedtest (London, UK):
Location: London, UK (Provider: BT)
Download: 112.58 Mbps  👍 Actually usable!
Upload  : 89.43 Mbps

Geekbench 5 (Single Core): 1028  😲 Way better!
Geekbench 5 (Multi Core): 1051   😲 Makes sense.

I/O Speed (1st run): 487 MB/s  💥
I/O Speed (2nd run): 512 MB/s  💥
I/O Speed (3rd run): 498 MB/s  💥 NVMe territory!

Ping: 11.879 ms (SEA Local)  ⚖️ Slightly higher than BWG LA, but negligible.

Analysis & My Take:

• Speedtest: Local speeds are INSANE. Cross-country (NYC) is 3-4x faster than Bandwagon. Even London is usable for light tasks! AS20473 has excellent peering globally. Big provider advantage.
• CPU (Geekbench): 1028! Massive difference over BWG. Still not a powerhouse, but handles WordPress (with caching) or a small app much better. Compiles faster, less waiting.
• I/O: NVMe-like speeds (~500 MB/s)! This is a HUGE win for anything disk-sensitive. Database feel snappier? Yep.
• Uptime (My 2 Weeks): Also 100%. Expected this from Vultr.

Good For:

• 🚀 Small WordPress sites (WITH caching plugin!)
• 🚀 More demanding personal projects/apps
• 🚀 Better performance VPN/Proxy
• 🚀 Lightweight game servers (Minecraft < 5 players?)
• 🚀 Small Node.js/Python apps
• ❌ NOT for: Heavy traffic sites, Large databases, Video streaming (source).

Overall Rating (Vultr $2.50/mo Seattle): 8/10 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

• Pros: Blazing fast CPU & NVMe I/O, Excellent network speeds globally, More RAM/Disk on base plan, Reliable.
• Cons: Slightly more expensive base price ($2.50 vs promo $3.99, but often $3.50), Less "crazy" promos than BWG.

Side-by-Side Comparison & Who Wins? 🏆

Conclusion TL;DR:

• Want ABSOLUTE cheapest & only need local speed? BandwagonHost promos (Grab One) might scrape by. Temper expectations.
• Need WAY better CPU, NVMe speed, global network, and reliability for just ~$0.50-$1.50 more? Vultr (Try with $100 Credit) is the CLEAR winner for performance/value on budget plans. Worth the tiny extra cash, hands down.

FAQ: Burning Budget VPS Questions 🔥

1. Q: Can I really run WordPress on 512MB RAM?
   A: Yes, BUT only with heavy caching (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache) and VERY few plugins. Expect to optimize constantly. Not ideal! Consider 1GB+.
2. Q: Is Vultr's $2.50 plan IPv4 or IPv6?
   A: That super cheap $2.50 plan is IPv6 ONLY! Need IPv4? The standard lowest is usually $3.50/mo with IPv4. Crucial detail!
3. Q: BandwagonHost promos look insane! Are they legit?
   A: The deals are real... but the performance/limits match the price. Read the exact specs (CPU, RAM, bandwidth). Don't expect miracles. Overselling happens.
4. Q: Why was Vultr's ping slightly higher?
   A: My test location! BWG was in LA (closer to me), Vultr was Seattle (~1000 miles north). Distance matters for ping. Local tests would favor whoever is closer.
5. Q: Are these tests REALLY accurate?
   A: They're snapshots! Performance can vary based on: host node load, network congestion, time of day. Bench.sh gives a good baseline comparison, though. Mine ran at 3 AM PST, quiet time.
6. Q: Cancellation & Refunds?
   A: Vultr: Easy peasy. Hourly billing. Cancel anytime via panel. No refunds on used credit, but unused credit stays. BandwagonHost: Tricky. Mostly pre-paid non-refundable plans. Check their specific ToS before buying! Cancellation usually means service stops at period end. No-fuss refunds? Unlikely.

Pricing Table (Snapshots - CHECK SITES!)

Always check the official sites (BandwagonHost, Vultr) for current deals and specs! Prices change.

My Real Usage Experience (The Juice! 🧃)

• BandwagonHost: Set up a tiny Golang API. It... ran. CPU spikes made responses slow sometimes. SSH felt laggy from Europe. Used it as a Wireguard VPN back to the US West Coast – okay for browsing, video calls stuttered. Panel is functional but ancient. Support ticket took 18 hours ("Have you tried rebooting?" 😑).
• Vultr: Deployed a small Flask app + PostgreSQL (tiny DB). Noticeably snappier! SSH connections felt responsive even from Germany. Hosted a static Hugo site - loaded fast for US & EU visitors. Panel and API are modern and easy. Needed help once (billing), got a useful reply in < 1 hour. Night and day difference for just a buck or two more.

Final Thought: If you're super budget constrained and your needs are hyper-local or very light, BandwagonHost promos exist. But honestly? Scrape together the extra $1-2. The massive jump in CPU, I/O, network quality, and overall usability with Vultr makes it the no-brainer choice for almost anyone needing a functional budget VPS. It just feels less janky.

Ready to try Vultr? Get started with $100 Free Credit!
Still hunting BandwagonHost promos? Check their deals.

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