4 Great Small Business Servers That Are In Your Budget

If you’re looking for help growing your business, start by finding a good server. The right small business server will help you gain control of your data and keep it secure.

Shopping for one can be a little tricky, though, if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We’ll go over the five best options for small and medium-sized businesses to help you get a better idea of what you need.

Let’s start with the least expensive option.

Virtual Server

Storing your data “in the cloud” is becoming increasingly popular among smaller businesses for a number of reasons. One is that you don’t need to make space for servers, which can be particularly helpful for startups or companies with a lot of remote employees.

Another reason virtual servers are growing in popularity is that they’re often considered to be the most affordable storage systems. With virtual server hosting, you don’t need to pay for any hardware — you typically just pay a service fee. Those fees differ based on how much you need to store but start at around $50.

If a virtual private server appeals to you, be sure to ask your provider how and when you can access your files, who you can contact for troubleshooting help and what your options are if you need a storage upgrade.

Fujitsu PRIMERGY

If you’re looking for a physical server that you can access and control, Fujitsu’s PRIMERGY series offers an affordable solution and a vast array of capability specs. This means you’ll be able to cater to your server — and the price you pay — to your individual needs. Basic level servers start around $130.

And perhaps most compelling about a Fujitsu server is its warranty policy. Fujitsu is known for offering 24/7 customer support and offering refunds when necessary.

Dell PowerEdge

With Dell’s PowerEdge servers, you can find a wide range of data storage capabilities.

The smaller, $200 models can get up to 3GHz and supports up to 32GB. The $400 servers fit even more storage — but that doesn’t mean you’ll sacrifice office space. Each PowerEdge comes in a powerful-yet-slight tower that can be tailored to hold as many servers and ports as you need.

These servers are known for their flexibility and versatility, and their affordability makes them ideal for a smaller business that’s looking to expand.

HP ProLiant

HP is very nearly dominating the server business, and for good reason.

The company’s ProLiant servers are small, yet powerful tools that can hold a lot of data and be personalized to your needs. These are the most expensive servers on our list — but they’re worth the price tags. Models start around $300 and can go as high as $80,000.

As you shop around, don’t neglect to look at used servers, particularly if the price is a concern. Refurbished servers can run just as good as new ones, but cost significantly less. Look for sellers who offer quick shipping, extended warranties and quality assurance.