What is a VPS, and how do you choose VPS hosting?

A VPS in one sentence

A VPS (virtual private server) is an isolated virtual machine running on a powerful physical server: it has its own vCPU, RAM, storage and IP address, and you get root access to install and run whatever your project needs.

VPS vs web hosting vs cloud vs dedicated

When you need a VPS

• You want to run software that shared web hosting doesn't allow: Node.js, Python, Docker, a Discord bot, a game server, a database.
• You need root access, your own firewall rules or a dedicated IP address.
• Your project outgrew shared hosting and needs guaranteed resources.
• You want a test or staging server that behaves like production.

How to choose the plan

• vCPU: 1 vCPU is fine for a small site, bot or development server; 2–4 for production apps; 8+ for heavy workloads.
• RAM: 2 GB for light services, 4 GB for most production apps and databases, 8–16 GB for busy apps or several services.
• Storage: NVMe is much faster than SATA SSD for databases and builds — look at speed, not only size.
• IP address: a dedicated IPv4 is needed for mail servers, game servers and most self-hosted services; IPv6 is a bonus.
• Operating system: Ubuntu LTS is the easiest place to start; Debian if you prefer minimal and very stable.
• Management: a panel with a browser console, power controls and OS reinstall saves you when SSH is locked out.

First steps on a new VPS

1. Log inAs root over SSH, or in the browser console.
2. Updateapt update && apt upgrade — install security updates first.
3. Create a userAdd a normal user with sudo and use SSH keys instead of passwords.
4. FirewallAllow only the ports you use (for example 22, 80, 443) with ufw.
5. Install your stackDocker, a web server, a database or your app — and set up backups.

Frequently asked questions