Cheapest VPS for Running Python Web Scrapers 2026
The Cheapest VPS for Running Python Web Scrapers, you usually don’t need an expensive VPS. Most small and medium scraping projects can run comfortably on a low-cost VPS with 1–2 vCPU and 2–4 GB RAM.
The important things are CPU, RAM, storage, bandwidth, and server location.
Best Cheap VPS Options
| VPS | Starting Price* | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | $4/month | Beginners & developers |
| Hostinger VPS | Budget-friendly | Scrapers + automation |
| Hetzner Cloud | Low-cost | Best price/performance |
| Contabo | Budget-focused | More RAM/storage |
| Vultr | Budget-mid range | Global locations |
*Prices and available plans can change.
1. DigitalOcean — Easiest Choice
DigitalOcean Droplets currently starts at $4/month for a basic 512 MiB Droplet. A 1 GB plan is $6/month and a 2 GB plan is $12/month. (digitalocean.com)
For a simple Python scraper, the 1 GB or 2 GB plan is a more practical starting point than the smallest 512 MiB server.
You can install:
- Python
- Requests
- BeautifulSoup
- Selenium
- Playwright
- Scrapy
- Cron jobs
Best for: beginners who want an easy-to-manage VPS.
2. Hostinger — Good Budget Option
Hostinger VPS plans are attractive if you want more RAM and storage for the money.
It can be useful when you need to run several scraping processes at the same time.
Best for:
- Multiple Python scripts
- Scheduled scraping
- Scraping + database
- Small automation systems
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3. Hetzner — Excellent Price/Performance
Hetzner is well known for inexpensive cloud servers and strong resource-per-dollar value.
It can be particularly attractive if your scraper needs more CPU or RAM without spending much.
Best for:
- Large scraping jobs
- Multiple workers
- Long-running scripts
- Developers comfortable with Linux
One important consideration is server location. If your target websites are in Southeast Asia, choose a location that gives you good network latency to your targets rather than choosing purely based on price.
4. Contabo — More Resources on a Budget
Contabo is another option when your priority is getting more RAM and storage for a relatively low monthly price.
It can make sense for scraping systems that store a lot of collected data locally.
Best for:
- Large datasets
- Multiple scrapers
- Databases
- Storage-heavy projects
How Much VPS Power Do You Need?
For most basic Python scraping:
Small scraper
1 vCPU + 1–2 GB RAM
Good for:
- A few websites
- Scheduled scraping
- Requests + BeautifulSoup
Medium scraper
2 vCPU + 4 GB RAM
Good for:
- Multiple websites
- Scrapy
- Several concurrent jobs
- Browser automation
Heavy scraper
4+ vCPU + 8 GB+ RAM
Useful for:
- Many concurrent workers
- Selenium/Playwright
- Large scraping operations
- Multiple databases/services
What About Selenium and Playwright?
This is where VPS requirements increase.
A simple requests scraper can use very little RAM.
But Chrome/Chromium browsers consume significantly more resources, especially when running several sessions simultaneously.
For browser-based scraping, I would start around:
2 vCPU + 4 GB RAM
Then monitor CPU and RAM usage before upgrading.
Cheapest Practical Choice
If your goal is simply:
“I want to run Python scrapers 24/7 as cheaply as possible.”
A good starting configuration is:
2 vCPU + 2–4 GB RAM + 40–80 GB SSD
You don’t need a powerful server initially.
My simple ranking
🏆 Best overall value: Hetzner
🥈 Easiest for beginners: DigitalOcean
🥉 Budget + more resources: Hostinger
💾 Storage/RAM focused: Contabo
DigitalOcean is particularly simple because its Droplets start at $4/month, include SSD storage and a public IPv4 address, and include outbound transfer depending on the plan. (digitalocean.com)
Final Tip
Don’t spend $20–$50/month on a VPS just because you’re running Python.
Start small, monitor CPU + RAM + bandwidth, and upgrade when your scraper actually needs more resources.
For most small Python scraping projects: 2 vCPU + 2–4 GB RAM is a very good starting point.
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