Sometimes you don’t want hardware at home. A VPS (Virtual Private Server) gives you a server in the cloud that you fully control. Here are the best options for self-hosting in 2025.
Why Use a VPS?
- No hardware to maintain — provider handles physical stuff
- Always-on — no home internet outages affecting your services
- Static IP — easier for remote access
- Scalable — upgrade resources as needed
- Geographic flexibility — choose server location
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Vultr
Get $300 free credit on Vultr →
Why Vultr:
- Starts at $2.50/mo (512MB) or $6/mo (1GB)
- 32 data center locations worldwide
- Hourly billing — only pay for what you use
- One-click apps for Docker, WordPress, etc.
- Excellent API for automation
- Block storage and Kubernetes available
Best for: Most self-hosters. Great balance of price, performance, and features.
Budget Pick: Hetzner
Pricing: Starts at €3.79/mo (~$4)
Why Hetzner:
- Unbeatable price-to-performance in EU
- ARM servers even cheaper
- Great for high-storage needs
- German data privacy laws
Downside: Only EU locations (Germany, Finland)
For Beginners: DigitalOcean
Pricing: Starts at $4/mo
Why DigitalOcean:
- Cleanest UI in the business
- Excellent documentation
- One-click apps for everything
- Managed databases, Kubernetes available
For Power Users: OVH/Kimsufi
Pricing: Dedicated servers from €5/mo
Why OVH:
- Dedicated hardware at VPS prices
- Unmetered bandwidth
- Good for heavy workloads
Quick Comparison
| Provider | Starting Price | Locations | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vultr | $2.50/mo | 32 | Most users |
| Hetzner | €3.79/mo | 2 (EU) | Budget/EU |
| DigitalOcean | $4/mo | 15 | Beginners |
| Linode | $5/mo | 11 | Reliability |
| OVH | €5/mo | 4 | Dedicated |
What Specs Do You Need?
Minimal (1-3 services):
- 1 vCPU, 1GB RAM, 25GB SSD
- ~$5-6/mo
- Good for: Pi-hole, small websites, personal tools
Comfortable (5-10 services):
- 2 vCPU, 4GB RAM, 80GB SSD
- ~$20-24/mo
- Good for: Nextcloud, Plex (no transcoding), multiple containers
Power User (10+ services):
- 4 vCPU, 8GB RAM, 160GB SSD
- ~$40-48/mo
- Good for: Full home lab in the cloud
Getting Started
- Sign up for Vultr (get $300 free credit)
- Deploy Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
- Follow our Docker setup guide
- Start deploying services!
A $6/mo VPS can run Pi-hole, Vaultwarden, and several other services easily. It’s the cheapest way to get started with self-hosting without buying hardware.