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A VPS (Virtual Private Server) is the middle ground between shared hosting and a dedicated server: you get your own guaranteed CPU cores, RAM and storage, with root access, but you don’t have to rent and maintain an entire physical machine. If a website has outgrown its hosting plan, if you want to run your own application, Docker or a VPN, or if you need a permanent home for a development environment, renting a VPS is the most obvious solution.
This guide covers the practical aspects of renting a VPS: when it’s worth renting a VPS, what to look out for when choosing a provider and a plan, the difference between managed and unmanaged VPS, which operating system to choose, and what to do in the first few days.
When do you need a VPS?
Shared hosting is sufficient for most websites. It is worth renting a VPS if any of the following apply:
- You have reached your hosting limits. The control panel regularly displays CPU or memory limits, visitors are getting 503 and 508 errors, and even upgrading to a larger hosting plan wouldn’t solve the problem.
- You need software that your hosting provider doesn’t allow. A Node.js or Python application, Docker, Redis, Elasticsearch, the custom PHP module or your own database server.
- You’d like to run a service that’s always up and running. Background processes, queue managers, WebSocket, game servers, VPN, Nextcloud, n8n.
- You need reliable performance. With a large online shop or business application, you cannot afford to have response times affected by traffic from neighbouring accounts.
- You’ll need to configure the following yourself: your own IP address, custom firewall rules, web server configuration and kernel settings.
We have a separate article on the signs that it’s time to switch to a VPS, and a detailed comparison of VPS and web hosting explains the differences between the two.
What should you look out for when choosing a provider?
Virtualisation
Take a look at the technology used to build VPSs. KVM provides full virtualisation with its own kernel and guaranteed memory, and any software (Docker, VPN, kernel modules) can be run on it. Container-based solutions (OpenVZ, LXC) are cheaper, but the VPSs share a common kernel, and memory is often overcommitted. We’ve written about KVM in detail in our guide to KVM VPSs.
Hardware
- Processor: a modern server processor with a high clock speed. On older, low-clock-speed processors, individual requests run more slowly, regardless of how many cores you have.
- Storage: NVMe SSD. SATA SSDs, and hard disk drives in particular, create a bottleneck for databases and applications that handle large numbers of small files.
- Network: at least 1 Gbps, preferably with unlimited or generous traffic allowances. Find out what happens if you exceed the limit: will your connection be throttled, or will you be charged a surcharge?
Data centre and latency
The geographical location of the server affects the response time (ping). Between a Hungarian visitor and a Central European data centre, this is typically a few tens of microseconds, which is barely noticeable when loading a web page; with an overseas server, however, it can be as much as several hundred microseconds. From a data protection perspective (GDPR), a data centre within the EU is the simpler option. An important distinction: a Hungarian provider does not necessarily host its servers in Hungary, so if this matters to you, be sure to ask. aWh’s KVM VPSs run in the European Union, in a data centre with redundant power supply and network infrastructure.
Backup
Ask whether automatic backups are provided, how often they are carried out, how long they are retained, and whether this is included in the price. Snapshots are a particularly useful feature: you can save the server’s state before an update, and if something goes wrong, you can restore it in a matter of minutes. Daily backups are performed on aWh’s KVM VPS servers, and you can also take snapshots.
Security
Without DDoS filtering, a denial-of-service attack can render your server inaccessible in a matter of moments. Check whether it’s included in the price.
Availability
Ask whether the provider guarantees uptime in an SLA, and what happens if they fail to meet it. aWh guarantees 99.9% uptime for its KVM VPSs.
Support
If you run into difficulties, it matters whether you can speak to a knowledgeable person in Hungarian, and how quickly. With unmanaged VPS, the provider isn’t responsible for settings within the server, but a good provider will quickly help with network, hardware and access issues, and offer advice.
Pricing and flexibility
- Renewal price: many providers offer a discount for the first term; check how much the fee is after that.
- Billing cycle: monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual payments.
- Scalability: can you upgrade to a larger plan without reinstalling the server?
- VAT: is the price gross or net?
- Money-back guarantee: aWh’s KVM VPS plans come with a 14-day guarantee.
Managed or unmanaged VPS?
With an unmanaged VPS, the provider is responsible for the hardware, the network and the virtualisation; everything else is your responsibility: installing and updating the operating system, the firewall, securing SSH access, the web server, the database and backups. This requires knowledge of Linux and regular attention, but in return it is the cheapest option and gives you complete freedom.
With a managed VPS, the server is operated by a specialist: they update the system, configure security measures, install and optimise the web server, and monitor the server’s performance. You can focus on your application. aWh’s managed VPS service is available on a bespoke pricing basis, depending on the scope of tasks involved.
A middle ground is the dedicated cPanel: a VPS with a cPanel interface that’s all yours, operated by us. If you’re running websites and want to work in the familiar cPanel environment, this is the most convenient option. An article comparing managed and unmanaged VPS services also discusses the differences between the two models.
Linux or Windows?
A Linux VPS is required for most web applications (PHP, Python, Node.js, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Docker). There are no licence fees, and it requires fewer resources. Popular distributions include:
- Ubuntu and Debian: large communities, plenty of guides, and the developers’ favourites.
- AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux: Red Hat Enterprise Linux-compatible systems with long-term support; for cPanel and enterprise software.
We have a separate article on which operating system to choose for your VPS.
You’ll need a Windows VPS if your software requires Windows Server (ASP.NET Framework, MSSQL, business programs written for Windows), or if you want to work via a graphical interface or remote desktop. It’s more expensive due to the licence costs and higher resource requirements. Find out more in our guide to renting a Windows VPS.
What size VPS should you rent?
| Usage | vCPU | RAM | NVMe |
|---|---|---|---|
| VPN, small website, developer machine | 1 | 1–2 GB | 10–20 GB |
| WordPress, small online shops, Nextcloud | 2 | 4 GB | 40 GB |
| Larger online shop, more websites, Docker | 4 | 8 GB | 80 GB |
| High-traffic website, database server | 6–8 | 12–16 GB | 120–160 GB |
It’s best to start small and keep an eye on the load: with a good provider, you can upgrade to a larger plan with just a few clicks. Allow for at least 1–2 GB of extra memory for the control panel (cPanel, Plesk). Our resource requirement calculation guide provides a basis for accurate planning.
aWh’s KVM VPS plans range from 1 vCPU / 1 GB RAM / 10 GB NVMe to 16 vCPU / 32 GB RAM / 320 GB NVMe, with a 2 Gbps connection and unlimited traffic, from €4.62 (excluding VAT). You can pay monthly, quarterly or half-yearly, and if you outgrow your plan, you can upgrade to a larger plan via the client portal.
The first few days on a new VPS
- Update your system and enable automatic security updates.
- Create your own user with sudo privileges, and don’t work as root.
- SSH key-based login: set it up, then disable password and root login. Step by step: How do I connect to my VPS via SSH?
- Firewall: only allow ports that are actually in use. Help: Configuring the firewall on your VPS
- Fail2ban or a similar tool for automatically blocking password guessers.
- Software installation: web server, PHP, database or a control panel.
- Backup: in addition to the provider’s backup, set up your own backup independent of the server, and take a snapshot of the current operational state.
- Monitoring: a simple uptime monitor, combined with real-time monitoring of disk space, memory and load, provides early warning of problems. This is the subject of our article on monitoring VPS performance.
We have described the security settings in detail in our VPS security guide.
Summary
It’s worth renting a VPS if the limits or software restrictions of shared hosting are too restrictive, or if you want to run your own application or service. When making your choice, check the type of virtualisation (KVM), the hardware (NVMe, modern processor), the data centre location, backups, DDoS protection, the SLA and support, and decide honestly whether you’re prepared to manage the server yourself or opt for a managed solution.
aWh’s KVM VPSs are available with AMD Epyc processors, NVMe SSDs, 2 Gbps connectivity, daily backups, snapshots, DDoS protection, 99.9% uptime and support. If you’re not sure what spec you need, just tell us what you’d like to run and we’ll recommend a VPS plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a VPS and a dedicated server?
A VPS is a dedicated portion of a physical server with guaranteed resources, whilst a dedicated server is an entire physical machine just for you. A VPS is cheaper and can be scaled up more quickly; you’ll need a dedicated server if you require more resources than even the largest VPS can provide, or if you need your own hardware.
Do you need system administration skills to use a VPS?
For unmanaged VPS, yes – at least a basic knowledge of Linux is required. If you don’t have this, choose a managed VPS or a dedicated cPanel.
How many websites can I run on a VPS?
As much as the resources can handle; the limits are set not by the provider, but by the processor, memory and storage. For multiple websites, a control panel is a great help with management.
Which operating system can I install?
aWh’s KVM VPS servers can be running AlmaLinux, CloudLinux, Debian, Rocky Linux or Ubuntu; if you need a different operating system, please get in touch. For Windows Server, please choose a Windows VPS.
Can I upgrade my VPS later?
Yes, you can upgrade to a larger plan via the client portal; this will increase your processor, memory and storage. After expanding your storage, you’ll also need to expand your file system; the steps for doing this are described in the article on upgrading the VPS plan resources.
Is backup included in the price?
With aWh’s KVM VPS servers, the answer is yes: daily backups are performed, and you can also create snapshots. Regardless of this, it’s still worth keeping your own backup of important data.
Is there DDoS protection?
Yes, all aWh KVM VPS plans come with DDoS protection at no extra cost.
How long does it take to set up a VPS?
Once you have placed your order and made payment, the VPS will be set up with your chosen operating system, and you will receive your login details by email.