I found a vanilla Minecraft server host that seems built for small groups like 5 to 15 players. It is the kind of setup where you pick Minecraft and a plan and it comes online super fast.
The storage is NVMe so chunks load quicker and world generation does not crush the TPS like before. It also has DDoS protection included which helps a lot if your server has been hit in the past.
It uses a Pterodactyl panel so it is easy to handle plugins backups and the console right in your browser. Pricing starts at 4.99 a month for 1.5GB and the 4GB plan is 14.99 a month.
The only downside is there are only US and EU locations right now so other regions might feel laggy. There is no one click modpack installer yet so you have to upload the server jar yourself. Support is not 24 7 live chat but email replies have been fast and there is a 7 day free trial to test it.
Finally Ditched Laggy Hosting
GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IPNew Horizons Chill Semi Vanilla SMP
New Horizons is a chill SMP that tries to stay close to vanilla and avoids pay to win stuff. It uses quality of life plugins so survival feels better but still normal.
The world has Terralith generation so you can find exciting new biomes. It also has Better Structures on the surface and underground so exploring stays interesting.
The server supports both Java and Bedrock players. It has an online interactive map and it pre generates chunks with Chunky to keep gameplay smooth.
You can use land claims and home commands. The community is friendly and the server development is community driven. There are also community events sometimes.GG.MINEWIND.NET New Server IP