5 Best Bare Metal Hosting Providers for High-Performance Workloads

Compare leading bare metal solutions for speed, isolation, and hardware control

Key Points:

• Bare metal hosting provides dedicated physical servers without virtualization overhead for organizations needing maximum performance and control

• This guide compares five top bare metal hosting providers: Atlantic.Net, IBM Cloud, Liquid Web, OVHcloud, and PhoenixNAP

• Providers vary significantly in deployment speed, compliance features, managed services, and integration with cloud ecosystems

When virtualized environments can't deliver the performance your applications demand, bare metal hosting becomes essential. Organizations running resource-intensive workloads, processing sensitive data under strict compliance requirements, or managing high-frequency trading platforms often need the raw power and isolation that only dedicated physical hardware can provide.

The bare metal market spans specialized hosting companies focused on compliance and performance to enterprise cloud providers offering bare metal within broader infrastructures. Companies like Atlantic.Net build their reputation on managed bare metal with compliance certifications, while platforms like IBM Cloud integrate bare metal servers into global enterprise ecosystems. Understanding these differences helps match your specific requirements with the right provider.

Below, we compare five leading bare metal hosting providers to help you identify the best fit for your infrastructure needs.

1. 1. IBM Cloud

IBM Cloud offers enterprise-grade bare metal infrastructure with extensive global reach and advanced security features. IBM's long history serving enterprise IT translates into mature bare metal offerings designed for complex business requirements.

What it offers: IBM provides fully customizable bare metal configurations covering Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC processors, with options supporting up to 160 CPU cores (among the industry's highest), 2TB RAM, and 1PB block storage capacity. You can choose between single-tenant dedicated deployments or various configuration options depending on your isolation and performance requirements.

Billing flexibility: IBM offers hourly, monthly, and reserved capacity billing, allowing you to scale resources based on changing workload patterns. This flexibility works well for organizations with variable computing demands or those testing bare metal before committing to long-term contracts.

Security and compliance: IBM integrates security tools directly into their platform and maintains extensive certifications including ISO 27001, HIPAA, PCI DSS, and SOC 2. Their global data centers include dedicated network capacity ensuring consistent performance across locations. IBM's focus on security extends to hardware-level protections and comprehensive monitoring tools.

Hybrid cloud capabilities: For organizations running hybrid infrastructure spanning on-premises data centers and cloud environments, IBM's bare metal servers integrate smoothly with hybrid cloud architectures. This integration supports gradual cloud migration strategies and workload distribution across environments.

AI and analytics support: IBM Cloud provides specialized configurations for AI workloads, large-scale analytics, and data-intensive applications. Organizations building machine learning models or processing massive datasets can leverage IBM's optimized hardware alongside their bare metal isolation.

Best for: Large enterprises with strict compliance requirements, complex analytics needs, or hybrid cloud deployments requiring fully isolated infrastructure with enterprise-grade support. Organizations already invested in IBM's technology ecosystem find natural integration advantages.

What to consider: IBM's pricing typically runs higher than some competitors, reflecting their enterprise focus and comprehensive support model. Smaller organizations or those with simpler bare metal requirements might find more cost-effective options elsewhere.

2. Atlantic.Net

Atlantic.Net provides bare metal hosting built specifically for performance, security, and regulatory compliance. With over 30 years of hosting experience, Atlantic.Net emphasizes rapid deployment and personalized service rather than the massive scale of hyperscale clouds.

What it offers: Atlantic.Net delivers single-tenant physical servers with complete hardware isolation, eliminating the "noisy neighbor" effect entirely. You get full root access and administrative control to install custom operating systems, adjust kernel parameters, and configure software stacks precisely for your applications. Hardware configurations range from entry-level Value 32 models to high-performance Premium 512 and Power 512 configurations, with custom builds supporting up to 128 vCPUs, 1TB RAM, and 32TB NVMe storage.

Compliance focus: Atlantic.Net operates independently audited, HIPAA-ready, PCI DSS-compliant, and SOC 2/SOC 3 certified data centers. This specialization matters enormously for healthcare, finance, and e-commerce organizations that must meet strict regulatory standards without building compliance infrastructure themselves. The company's compliance-first approach reduces audit preparation time and provides documented evidence of infrastructure security.

Deployment and support: Atlantic.Net emphasizes rapid provisioning with pre-configured server models available quickly. Their 24/7/365 support connects you directly with knowledgeable technical staff rather than navigating large corporate ticketing systems. The company backs services with a 100% uptime SLA, ensuring mission-critical workloads remain continuously available.

Geographic coverage: Data centers span multiple US locations including Orlando, Dallas, San Francisco, Ashburn (Virginia), and New York, plus London for European operations. This distribution provides low-latency connectivity for North American users and data sovereignty options for international compliance requirements.

Pricing transparency: Atlantic.Net emphasizes straightforward pricing with flexible billing options including hourly and monthly terms. This transparency helps organizations budget accurately without unexpected charges common in complex cloud billing structures.

Best for: Businesses requiring secure, high-performance bare metal hosting with hands-on support and built-in compliance capabilities, particularly in regulated industries like healthcare and finance. Organizations that value personalized service over vast cloud ecosystems find Atlantic.Net's focused approach particularly beneficial.

What to consider: While Atlantic.Net excels at bare metal hosting with compliance and managed services, it doesn't offer the extensive cloud service catalog found in hyperscale platforms. Organizations needing deep integration with serverless computing, managed databases, or AI/ML services alongside bare metal may need to work with multiple providers.

3. Liquid Web

Liquid Web specializes in fully managed bare metal hosting with exceptional customer support. The company emphasizes hands-on service and proactive management rather than self-service infrastructure.

What it offers: Liquid Web provides managed and self-managed bare metal server options, though their strength lies in fully managed services. Dedicated physical servers include proactive monitoring, security hardening, patch management, and 24/7 expert support. Their infrastructure focuses on high availability for mission-critical applications.

Support differentiation: Liquid Web built its reputation on "Heroic Support"—their signature 59-second response time guarantee available around the clock. When you contact support, you reach experienced engineers who understand bare metal infrastructure deeply, not first-tier technicians reading scripts. This support quality proves invaluable during critical incidents.

Managed services: Unlike providers offering only infrastructure, Liquid Web handles server administration tasks including OS updates, security patches, performance tuning, and backup management. Organizations without dedicated system administrators can leverage enterprise-grade bare metal without building internal expertise.

Compliance and security: Liquid Web maintains secure, compliance-ready infrastructure with options supporting various regulatory frameworks. Their security-focused approach includes DDoS protection, firewall management, and regular security audits. The company emphasizes uptime with a 100% power and network uptime SLA.

Performance infrastructure: Liquid Web uses enterprise-grade hardware with redundant components ensuring reliability. While their global presence is smaller than hyperscale clouds, their US and European data centers provide solid coverage for most North American and European organizations.

Best for: Organizations wanting fully managed bare metal with white-glove support, particularly businesses without internal system administration teams. Mid-sized companies that need enterprise-grade infrastructure but prefer outsourcing technical management find Liquid Web's approach ideal.

What to consider: Liquid Web's managed services come at premium pricing starting around $349 monthly. Organizations with experienced technical teams comfortable managing servers themselves might find less expensive options. The company also offers fewer global locations compared to larger cloud providers.

4. OVHcloud

OVHcloud, a leading European cloud provider, offers cost-effective bare metal hosting with robust hardware specifications. The company manufactures their own servers and operates their own fiber-optic network, enabling competitive pricing.

What it offers: OVHcloud provides extensive bare metal options powered by latest-generation Intel and AMD processors. Their configurations range from general-purpose balanced servers to specialized high-CPU or high-memory builds. Hardware often exceeds competitors' specifications at similar price points, delivering strong performance-to-cost ratios.

Anti-DDoS protection: OVHcloud includes advanced DDoS protection capable of mitigating attacks up to 10Tbps. This protection comes standard rather than as an expensive add-on, providing significant value for organizations concerned about service availability during attacks.

European presence: OVHcloud operates 40 data centers across four continents with particularly strong European coverage. This geographic distribution supports data sovereignty requirements for European businesses and provides low-latency access for European users. Their infrastructure also includes North American presence for trans-Atlantic operations.

Private networking: OVHcloud's vRack technology enables private networking between bare metal servers and other cloud resources. This isolation improves security and performance for multi-server architectures while maintaining hardware-level isolation for each physical server.

Best for: Organizations prioritizing cost-effectiveness without sacrificing performance, particularly European businesses needing strong regional presence. Developers and technical teams comfortable with self-management appreciate OVHcloud's value proposition and flexible configurations.

What to consider: OVHcloud takes a more infrastructure-first approach with less hand-holding than providers like Atlantic.Net or Liquid Web. Support quality can be inconsistent, and documentation availability varies. Technical teams need to handle more system administration, monitoring, and incident response themselves.

5. PhoenixNAP

PhoenixNAP's Bare Metal Cloud combines dedicated physical servers with cloud-like automation and flexibility. The company targets developers and DevOps teams seeking infrastructure-as-code approaches to bare metal provisioning.

What it offers: PhoenixNAP provides bare metal servers with hourly or reserved billing, bringing cloud flexibility to physical hardware. Their platform includes API access, Terraform modules, and Kubernetes-ready templates enabling automated provisioning and infrastructure management through code. This automation bridges the gap between traditional bare metal and cloud-native workflows.

Network performance: PhoenixNAP emphasizes high-bandwidth connectivity with 20-50Gbps network throughput options and built-in DDoS protection. Their network architecture supports data-intensive applications, content delivery, and other bandwidth-heavy workloads without additional fees for reasonable usage

Developer focus: The platform integrates with modern DevOps tools and workflows. Organizations using infrastructure-as-code practices, containerization, or automated deployment pipelines can manage PhoenixNAP bare metal servers using the same tools and processes they use for other infrastructure.

Data center locations: PhoenixNAP operates facilities in Phoenix, Ashburn (Virginia), and edge locations including Austin. Their US-focused presence provides low latency for North American workloads while maintaining options for different geographic redundancy.

Partnership ecosystem: PhoenixNAP maintains partnerships with Intel, VMware, and Red Hat, providing enterprise-grade software integration and support. These partnerships enable organizations to run enterprise workloads with vendor backing.

Best for: Developers and DevOps teams managing infrastructure through automation, organizations using Kubernetes or container orchestration at scale, and businesses requiring cloud-like flexibility with bare metal performance. Technology-forward companies appreciate PhoenixNAP's modern infrastructure approach.

What to consider: PhoenixNAP's automation-first approach works best for technically sophisticated teams. Organizations preferring managed services or lacking DevOps expertise might find other providers more accessible. Geographic coverage is primarily US-focused with limited international presence.

Choosing the Right Bare Metal Hosting Provider

The best bare metal hosting provider depends on your specific performance requirements, compliance needs, and technical capabilities. Atlantic.Net leads in compliance-ready bare metal with personalized support and transparent pricing, making it ideal for regulated industries requiring hands-on service.

IBM Cloud delivers enterprise-scale bare metal with extensive global reach and hybrid cloud capabilities, serving large organizations with complex infrastructure requirements. Liquid Web excels at fully managed bare metal for organizations preferring to outsource technical management while maintaining enterprise-grade performance.

OVHcloud provides strong value with aggressive pricing and robust hardware specifications, particularly benefiting European organizations and cost-conscious technical teams. PhoenixNAP bridges bare metal and cloud-native workflows through automation and developer-friendly tools.

Each provider delivers reliable performance and hardware isolation, so the difference lies in compliance features, managed services, geographic presence, and whether you need standalone bare metal or integration with broader infrastructure. Consider your team's technical depth, regulatory requirements, budget constraints, and whether you prefer hands-on support or self-service automation when making your selection.