Blogs » Top 10 HIPAA Compliant Cloud Hosting Providers for Startups and Enterprises
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Are you a healthcare startup or entrepreneur in the process of choosing HIPAA compliant cloud hosting? If your business hosts electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI), then this should be top of mind as you research hosting options and explore the first steps in launching your company.
ePHI is highly confidential information containing the medical information of individuals. This healthcare data or information is protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). And, as soon as your business gains access to ePHI, you need to ensure all partners and touchpoints to that information are HIPAA compliant, particularly the provider that will serve as the home base for all of your users’ confidential and legally protected health information.
In this article, we’ll look at the questions you need to ask a cloud provider during your vetting process and 10 HIPAA compliant cloud hosting options you should consider in your search.
Questions to Ask a Provider Before Choosing HIPAA Compliant Cloud Hosting
As you go through the process of selecting cloud hosting providers, you’ll want to tailor your questions and risk assessments to your specific business and experience. However, these questions can give you a foundation on which to build your search.
- Will they sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and what does it cover? A BAA is a legally binding contract that makes the provider responsible for protecting ePHI on their side. It doesn’t make your app compliant. Ask which specific services the BAA covers, and keep PHI out of everything else.
- What third-party audits or certifications can they show you? Look for HITRUST CSF certification, a SOC 2 Type II report, or an independent HIPAA audit. Ask to see the report, not just a badge on their website.
- What is the level of security around the hosting provider’s data center location? What are their technical safeguards? Not only should you be concerned with their cybersecurity precautions, but you also want to be aware of the physical precautions that are in place. For what those safeguards should look like in your own app, see our guide to building HIPAA compliant applications.
- What level of service will the provider guarantee? Are they accessible at all times should you need access to a customer service representative or tech support? Should something go awry with ePHI, it often cannot wait until the next business day.
- What is their plan if there’s a data breach or outage? Ask how fast they notify you, how backups are tested, and how quickly they can restore your data. Under HIPAA, you and the provider share responsibility, so you need to know exactly where their role ends and yours begins.
With these five critical questions in mind, you may be able to choose from the top options available for HIPAA compliant cloud hosting.
Top 10 HIPAA Compliant Cloud Hosting Options for Startups and Enterprises
These 10 HIPAA compliant cloud hosting options range from fully managed HIPAA hosts to major cloud platforms, developer platforms, and a security add-on, so you can match a provider to your team’s size, budget, and technical skills.
1. HIPAA Vault
HIPAA Vault has delivered fully managed, HIPAA compliant hosting since 1997. Every plan includes a signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA), and the infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II, HITRUST, and NIST 800-53 certified. It offers managed hosting for Linux, Windows, and WordPress, managed Google Cloud for healthcare SaaS, and secure hosting for AI-built healthcare apps.
Support is 24/7/365 from US-based engineers. Urgent issues get a response in 15 minutes or less, more than 90% are resolved on the first call, and every environment includes a 99.95% uptime guarantee.
2. Atlantic.net
Atlantic.net has been in operation for the last 31 years, providing HIPAA and Hitech Audited hosting solutions from eight global data center regions.
They provide a 100% SLA, they sign Business Associate Agreement, and their USA-based support is available via phone 24/7/365. Atlantic.net’s entry-level HIPAA Hosting plan starts at $320.98 per month.
3. Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS is the default choice for many healthcare startups that want full control over their infrastructure. It supports HIPAA compliant cloud hosting under a shared responsibility model, with a BAA for eligible services and tools for encryption, access control, audit logging, and monitoring. The catch: only services on AWS’s HIPAA-eligible list are covered, and your team configures everything correctly. For a step-by-step setup, see our guide on how to secure PHI in AWS.
4. Microsoft Azure
Azure is a strong fit if your organization already runs on Microsoft tools. Microsoft signs a BAA with eligible customers as part of its standard Product Terms and publishes documentation mapping HIPAA and HITECH requirements to Azure services. Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare adds industry-specific data models and tools on top.
5. Google Cloud
Google Cloud offers a BAA that covers a defined list of services, plus healthcare-specific tools like the Cloud Healthcare API for FHIR, HL7v2, and DICOM data. As with AWS and Azure, PHI should only touch services named in the BAA.
6. Liquid Web
Liquid Web is a managed option for teams that don’t want to run their own servers. It offers managed dedicated, VPS, and cloud dedicated solutions built for HIPAA, with a BAA available, and its HIPAA packages range from a standalone server to multi-server setups. HIPAA plans require VPS or dedicated hosting, not shared hosting. Pricing varies by configuration, so request a quote.
7. Rackspace
Rackspace is best for enterprises that want a managed partner on top of a hyperscaler. Rather than running its own HIPAA server infrastructure, Rackspace builds fully managed HIPAA environments on AWS and Azure, signs a BAA for eligible services, and holds HITRUST CSF certification.
8. Aptible
Aptible is a platform-as-a-service built for digital health teams that want to deploy code without managing infrastructure. HIPAA workloads run on Dedicated Stacks on isolated infrastructure, and Aptible coordinates the BAA when you request your first stack. HIPAA compliance requires the Production plan, priced at $499 per month, and Aptible is HITRUST R2-certified.
9. DigitalOcean
DigitalOcean is a lower-cost option for startups that want simple cloud infrastructure. Since July 2024, select products can host ePHI, including Droplets, Kubernetes, Spaces Object Storage, Volumes Block Storage, and Droplet Backups. You need to sign DigitalOcean’s BAA, keep your account on an eligible support plan, and limit ePHI to covered products.
10. Armor
Armor isn’t a host. It’s a security and compliance layer you add to the cloud you already use. Armor provides HIPAA compliance support through its 24/7/365 Security Operations Center, helping teams identify vulnerabilities, maintain audit logs, and respond to security incidents. It’s a fit if you’re on AWS or Azure and don’t have an in-house security team.
So, how do you choose a HIPAA compliant cloud hosting option when users’ confidential ePHI or healthcare data is on the line, as well as your reputation and success as a startup or enterprise?
No hosting provider can make your app HIPAA compliant on its own. A signed BAA covers the provider’s infrastructure, but how you configure access, encryption, and logging is still your responsibility. Run a risk assessment on your full setup before you move any PHI.
While cost will certainly play a role, the focus should be on how each provider was able to align with your goals and the answers to your questions in the previous section. If you need help setting it up, our cloud development team can build or migrate your app to a compliant environment.
Before You Choose a HIPAA Compliant Cloud Host: Checklist
- The provider will sign a BAA, and you know which services it covers.
- You’ve seen a current HITRUST, SOC 2 Type II, or independent HIPAA audit report.
- You know where the provider’s responsibility ends and yours begins.
- Encryption at rest and in transit, access controls, and audit logging are in place.
- Backups are tested, and you know the restore time after an outage.
- Support is available 24/7 for urgent issues.
- PHI only touches services listed in the BAA.
Built your app with AI coding tools? Our HIPAA compliant vibe coding service can help you check off this list before launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is AWS HIPAA compliant?
AWS signs a BAA and offers a list of HIPAA-eligible services, but that alone doesn’t make your app compliant. You still need to use only eligible services for PHI and configure encryption, access controls, and logging correctly.
What makes cloud hosting HIPAA compliant?
HIPAA compliant cloud hosting needs a signed BAA from the provider, plus technical safeguards like encryption, access controls, audit logging, and tested backups. Your own configuration and policies complete the picture. Hosting is only one piece, so for the rest, read our guide to HIPAA compliant healthcare software.
Does Google Cloud sign a BAA?
Yes. Google Cloud offers a BAA that covers a specific list of services. PHI should only be stored or processed in services named on that list.
What’s the difference between HIPAA compliant and HIPAA eligible?
A HIPAA-eligible service is one the provider allows you to use for PHI under its BAA. HIPAA compliant describes your whole setup, including how you configure those services and run your own policies.
Can I use shared hosting for PHI?
Generally, no. Most HIPAA hosting providers, including Liquid Web, only sign a BAA for VPS or dedicated hosting, because shared servers can’t isolate your data from other customers.
Not sure if your current hosting setup is HIPAA ready? Our Application Assessment reviews your infrastructure and tells you what needs to change.
