Thermodynamics of a generic almost conformal theory, specified by its beta function, is studied using gauge/gravity duality. The 5-dimensional gravity dual is a metric with a black hole and a scalar field, dilaton, acting as a source of F_mn^2. Three different phases are identified: a high temperature phase of massless partons, an intermediate quasi-conformal phase and a low temperature confining phase. The transitions between the phases are of first order or continuous, depending on the parameters of the beta function. These results will be compared with the preliminary results from a model containing also a second scalar, tachyon, acting as the source of quark condensate "qqbar".